The night sky was a deep charcoal black. I raced through the rainforest, my feet leaping off the ground as I ran. Dirt kicked up behind me, swirling in the air as my paws dug into the earth.
I had been trained to lead with strength, might, and fierceness, a skill that required true leadership. I had been preparing for this since I was a boy; I was born ready.
As I shifted into my human form, I gazed up at the massive orange moon hanging in the sky. My ears picked up the sounds around me: the distant hoots of toucans and the playful chatter of monkeys jumping from branch to branch. At that moment, I felt at peace.
"King Abel."
I nodded at my streak, which consisted of two other boys and one girl: Elias, Finn, and Annette. Caring for others can be challenging, and I never intended to have a girl in our group. But when Annette phased, I couldn't send her away.
In the distance, I heard Elias and Finn laughing. Finn was his usual go-lucky self, while Elias was a hothead I knew would be trouble.
Annette sat quietly by herself under an oak tree, shy and introverted. My gaze drifted to her; she seemed to be lost in the beauty of nature.
"What's our count for today?" I asked Elias.
"Twelve."
I frowned; the numbers seemed to be rising every day.
"If it gets worse, I don't think we can handle it on our own," Finn told me.
"I will seek help from the clan."
My eyes fell on the pile of dead snake people lying in the grass. Kneeling, I examined them. They appeared human, walking on two legs with normal hands and feet, but their bodies were covered in green scales, and their diamond-shaped red eyes glowed ominously. They had fangs like a vampire, and their most disturbing feature was their long, red tongues, reminiscent of a snake.
"Why did you make a treaty with the Greenwood clan, anyway?" Elias asked, hands on his hips.
I felt anger flush my face; I did not want to explain my decisions to him. I was the king. Who was he to question my authority?
"Because I said so, Elias," I barked back.
The Greenwood clan consisted of snake people. While we transformed into tigers, they shifted into their snake forms. Lane, David, Ray, and Nova. They weren't exactly allies, but they weren't enemies either.
In our community, it was common knowledge that they were just ordinary people, while the rest of the citizens remained blissfully unaware of the truth.
Manaus, Brazil, the largest city in the Amazon, situated on the banks of the Negro River it was where we attended school. All of us were seniors. At night, we slept beneath the trees in the rainforest.
I watched as Elias stomped out of my view. He would get over it, I reminded myself daily. Being a king was a challenging task; it was impossible to please everyone.
As I walked toward Annette, I could hear the ground crunching beneath my feet, accompanied by the sound of sticks breaking and leaves rustling.
She looked at me with a half-smile, which was typically the most I ever received from her. Her cheeks flushed with shyness, turning red whenever I spoke to her.
"Why did you order me to stay back?" she asked, her eyes avoiding direct contact with mine.
I sighed, taking a deep breath. "Annette, it's too dangerous."
She looked down, seemingly trying to gather her thoughts. "Is it because I'm a girl?"
The laughter that escaped my lips seemed to infuriate her further. Her face turned beet red, and her eyebrow shot up in resistance.
"No," I replied, my voice softening, "it's because I will never forgive myself if something happens to you." I gently brushed my hand against her cheek.