Imara Diversifies The Beastmen World

Chapter Twenty: Days at The Leopard Tribe Castle IV Road to Your Mind

As Harvey and I returned to the vicinity of our rooms, he went to check on Parker. After his examination, he informed me that Parker was doing remarkably well.

"He should regain consciousness by tomorrow, but it's crucial that he refrains from moving around or shifting to avoid reopening his wounds.

Interestingly, the Aloe Vera you applied to his injuries seems to have worked wonders - all the small cuts have already vanished."

After entering our room, Harvey settled down and began sorting through the items he had collected earlier.

He spoke, "I'll begin carving the pieces you need - the comb, the wig brush, and the seasoning box. I also left the pot with Queen Memi as you asked, and she'll notice it in her back garden tomorrow. So, I'll carve a new one."

"There's no need for a new one, we can use the same pot until we leave. I'm sure Memi will want to dine together more often now." We both shared a giggle at the thought.

Harvey's smile was tinged with complexity, so I turned him to face me and asked, "What's the matter, my love?"

He took my hands in his and briefly looked at the floor before meeting my gaze. Responding to the pain I sensed in his distress, I placed my hands on either side of his face and urged him, "Tell me, please."

In response, he moved to the fur bed, sat down, and patted his lap. I walked over and settled onto his lap, facing sideways.

He expressed, "I feel like I'm not doing enough for you, and that I'm adding more burdens to you.

I'm very grateful that your plans are succeeding, but it frustrates me that we can't work on them together.

I understand you're doing it out of love and to protect me, knowing I'm a no-stripe beastman, and you don't want to see me hurt. But it makes me wonder, why not figure it out together?

You tell me what you want me to do, but not the whole plan. I just piece things together as we go. It makes me feel like I'm not the person you can rely on to share your mental burdens.

I don't know if you notice, but when you're planning and can't seem to figure it out, you start staring off and picking at the edges of your hair, or you ball your hands into fists and put them behind you. It saddens me to see you hold it all in."

Recognizing Harvey's expression, I felt a surge of reality hit me like a wave. Was I really excluding him from my plans?

Had I been purposefully keeping him in the dark? As I reflected, I realized that I might have been unintentionally doing just that. My protective instincts for him were strong, and I didn't want him to get hurt.

But upon deeper reflection, I understood his perspective. Maybe I hadn't been giving him the full picture, merely providing him with tasks rather than involving him in the entire strategy.

The truth was, I was stressed-more than I cared to admit. This world was unforgiving and filled with danger, and the path we were on was riddled with life-threatening challenges.

A part of me yearned to face them head-on, to rise to the occasion, but another part of me wanted to run and hide, to avoid the conflicts and uncertainties that lay ahead.

It was a battle within myself, between the warrior I needed to be and the scared human I still felt deep down.

I have always struggled with anxiety and even took medication for it for a while. Since I've been here, my anxiety has been at an all-time high.

I couldn't escape the reality that I was the weakest link. My human perspective couldn't measure up to the strength, speed, and endurance that the beastmen possessed.