Feral

Chapter 8

Much to Adrian's dismay, they didn't bring him back to his quarters. Instead he was being trudged around the compound, shown something called classrooms filled with different group sizes of Ferals.

As Charles explained that the adult at front was a teacher, who was teaching the children a subject called biology, Adrian snorted.

I know all I need to know. How to survive, how to make a nest. How to track prey and how to kill them.

The teen yawned distractedly, catching a whiff of fear coming from the pre-teens before the teacher pointedly cleared his throat.

"Charles... Would you mind continuing with the tour so our friend doesn't... distract my students?"

Students? All I smell are a few foxes, a badger, and then a mix of herbivores. What's a student? ...Is it edible?

Adrian licked his teeth, nostrils flaring at the fear that seemed to grow at the gesture. He could see several of the children not so subtly move their seats as far away from him possible, some even looking around the room for possible escape points.

He was however surprised to see Ferals so young. He guessed the oldest within this room, besides the adult of course, was less than eight years old.

No wonder they were so jumpy...

Not that Adrian was anywhere interested in chasing kids around. Well, the younger the meat, the more tender it was; but he was stuffed.

...Maybe later?

He averted his gaze as Charles apologized, ushering the young Feral further down the hallway as they both heard the teacher calm down his students.

The panicked cries and fearful mewls behind him made Adrian snort and shake himself off. How on earth were those little ones going to survive if they wet their pants at the sight of a predator?

It made Adrian wonder why Charles had identified the man as a teacher, while he so clearly was an elephant...

Maybe a teacher is a subspecies of elephant? Doesn't smell any different from a normal elephant though...

Adrian shook his head, slightly confused at the oddities these adults came up with. Calling shifters things like student and teacher while they clearly were something else...

It didn't really matter to him, but it utterly confused Adrian. Charles chuckled, tongue flicking back in his mouth. "I wish we could have a proper conversation... I can smell that you're getting increasingly confused and frustrated but I don't know the cause..."

Well, seeing how we're not the same animal, I'd doubt you'd understand anything I'd say to begin with...

He shook himself out of his thoughts, taking a whiff of the air that flowed through the hallways. Adrian quickly snorted, shaking his head violently at the multitude of scents that rushed his nostrils.

It felt like getting smacked in the face with multiple scents. Both predator and prey alike. Hints of stress, happiness. Anger. Hunger...

Fingers wrapped around his wrist, pulling Adrian out of his overwhelmed state. His brain was still trying to properly analyze all the scents, to put a creature to each unique trail...

All he managed to do, was make himself agitated and dizzy from all the scents coming in at once.

"Come on kid, the sooner we get you with the linguistics teacher, the better."

Adrian followed Charles, letting his eyes wander around the compound while the serpent talked. Still, he felt agitated, the hairs in his neck bristling slightly.