Who Is the Beast King?
Season 1 — The Dragoness of Nature
Chapter 5 — Salt in the Air
The forest whispered around them as Areum followed Raion back toward the cave, arms full of leaves and roots she had collected. Each step she took was cautious but not aimless. She studied everything—berries tucked under branches, stalks breaking through the soil.
Her hand brushed a pale-edged leaf, and something inside her clicked. This… this tastes like salt, she thought, though she didn't know why she knew it. She pulled it free, keeping it close, but said nothing.
Still, curiosity pressed against her lips. "Raion… do you have salt?"
He slowed, his broad back tense. "Salt?"
"You know, to season food. To make it taste better."
His brow furrowed, clearly confused. "I don't need it. The blood of prey gives my body what it needs."
Areum held back a sigh. Of course… beasts wouldn't think of flavor, only survival. She tightened her grip on the plant, keeping her discovery secret for now.
---
When the cave came into view, Raion dropped the carcass of a small beast by the fire pit, but Areum didn't sit down. Her mind spun with questions too heavy to ignore.
She turned toward him. "Raion… if you want something, how do you pay for it? What is the value of things here?"
His green eyes narrowed faintly, as if the very idea of "paying" was foreign. "…Pay?"
She softened her tone, explaining carefully. "If you don't have something… and someone else does, how do you get it? Trade? Exchange? Do you give them something in return?"
At that, his eyes cleared. "Hides. Meat. Labor. Crafts, hunting, fighting. That is value. The tribe shares its strength. Hunters and warriors bring prey; the chief and elders decide how it is divided. Everyone eats. Everyone works."
She tilted her head. "And who decides what the hunters and warriors get?"
Raion's voice dropped lower, firm. "The tribe leader takes first share. His family, his cubs. Then the witch doctor. He is second to the chief. He prays to the Beast God, treats wounds with herbs, asks for healing. If the Beast God answers, the tribe must pay a price—something equal to the life saved. A sacrifice."
Areum shivered, hugging her arms. So even healing comes with a cost.
Raion continued without pause. "The rest is divided to the tribe. Hunters and warriors keep enough for their mates and cubs. Single males keep less, because they owe the tribe. They have no family to feed, so they give more back."
"And crafters?"
"They are useful, but lower. A crafter's value depends on skill. A poor hand is worth little. A strong hunter or warrior is worth much."
She nodded slowly, piecing it together. A world without coins or bills, but no less strict in what it demanded. Survival was its currency, and power shaped every exchange.
But Raion wasn't finished. "There are also stones." His tone shifted, heavier. "Power stones, from strong prey. They carry color. The darker the stone, the stronger its worth. But beasts with stones are dangerous. Many die trying to claim them."
Areum's eyes widened, curiosity sparking. "Do… you have stones?"
For the first time, his lips curved into something sharp, a flicker of pride burning in his eyes. "I do."
And he said no more.
---
Later, by the fire, Areum sorted her plants and roots, crushing some between stones, laying them carefully over meat. The smell rose with the smoke—richer, fuller than before. She smiled faintly. Not raw. Real food. A gift for him.
But when she turned, Raion was gone.
Her breath caught. "Raion?"
Only the fire answered, crackling low.
---
In the forest, Raion moved like a shadow. His thoughts were clear as lightning in his veins.
She asks of salt, of trade, of stones… her mind works differently. She does not belong here, and yet… she does. She makes food with her hands, and she smiles while doing it. No female has ever made me want to stay before.
His claws cut into bark as he leapt, fast and sure.
She will not go cold. She will not go hungry. Tomorrow, she will know my vow.
He would not return with only prey this time. He would bring hides, soft and strong, proof of his decision. The way of his kind. The way to ask her to be his mate.
The beast within him growled in agreement.
She is mine. From this day, she will never walk alone.