Grrr....
Amina gazed at the Cheetah, baring its teeth at her. Even as the collision sent a sharp sensation through her bones, she could only remain still with the War beast dangerously breathing down her neck.
The hairs on her stood erected from the looming threat.
A normal person would have fainted or cried out in terror with a cheetah looking them in the eyes, but not Amina.
What should I do?
Here she was, calmly assessing the unfavorable situation that she was in, her gaze shifting to Finn and the other Beast medical students.
But then, a blur of black and gold blocked her eyes. Amina blinked, not expecting the sudden obstruction. She looked back to see the cheetah staring at her, and this time, without baring its teeth.
Before she could wonder, the cheetah surprisingly rubbed its furry head against hers as though answering her inner question.
''.....!''
''.....!''
''.....!''
Ah...
While the Beast medical students nearly popped out their eyes in shock at the unexpected sight, Amina suddenly got a sense of déjà vu from her first day at the Western Beast Academy
it's like that time.
The rat, Instructor Skrit's War beast had approached her for no clear reason. Now, the cheetah was doing the same.
Was there something about her...or rather, the villainess's body that these War beasts responded to?
From the corner of her vision, Amina caught movement. She saw one of the Beast medical students carefully inching closer with a surgical tray.
Grr...
However, Amina watched as the cheetah's golden eyes sharpened with a feral light, its body tensing slightly as the War beast let out a low growl.
Hearing that, the student went still, like a deer caught in headlights.
....Should I do something? Amina suddenly had this thought. She had been under the cheetah for nearly a minute now, and the War beast hadn't attacked her, but rather, acted friendly towards her.
Perhaps she could try to calm the cheetah down, and let the Beast medical student treat its injuries?
Amina knew her thought process was bizarre and wild, but she couldn't remain trapped beneath the cheetah forever, while the Beast medical students were doing nothing to get her out of this predicament.
With that in mind, she parted her lips.
''It's okay.'' Amina deliberately softened her voice, mimicking what her colleagues had done to the zoo animals in her previous life.
''You're okay.''
The cheetah's ears twitched and the feral light in its golden eyes gradually dimmed at her words. Amina felt the stares from Finn and the other Beast medical students, but deliberately ignored them.
''You're going to be okay.'' She said again. And this time, she slowly raised her hand with the intention of the touching its furry body. Amina watched closely for any sign of aggression from the cheetah. However, the War beast merely held her gaze.
''They only want to put you to sleep and treat your wound.'' She continued as her fingers rested on the part of fur without blood.
''Look, you're still bleeding.''
Grr....
The growl came again, but this time, Amina did not feel any sense of threat. It was as though the cheetah was responding to her words.
''It's okay...You're going to be okay.'' She repeated and stroked the fur gently.
The cheetah responded to her words by rubbing its head against hers once more before lowering it. Amina felt the weight on her shoulder before moving her fingers along the dark fur at its neck.
''....I think you should treat his injuries without sedating him.'' After some time, she gave a suggestion to Finn and other Beast medical students. From what she had observed, the cheetah probably did not want to be sedated, and that's why the War beast was acting defensive. While she still had control over the cheetah for some unknown reason, they should tend to his injuries without making it fall asleep.
''...''
No one said a word, which Amina somewhat expected. The Beast medical students had their own ways of treating Beasts. There's no way they would listen to the words of a novice like her, especially when her own suggestion was very dangerous.
Who could say the cheetah won't attack, just because she had some control over it?
''I'll do it.'' came unexpectedly from her side.
Amina looked up and met Finn's gaze. She hadn't expected him to be first to agree when their first meeting was not a good one.
Finn turned his gaze away from hers and looked ahead. ''Bring me the tray.''
''...Are you sure, Finn?'' The Beast medical student with the surgical tray asked, glancing uneasily at Amina and the cheetah. ''W-We can't trust her words.''
''Then how are we supposed to treat the War beast?'' Finn shot back. ''No one could even sedate it.''
''Just bring me the tray.'' He insisted. ''No matter what happens, it's my responsibility not hers. Besides she's in a more dangerous position than I am.''
No one could disagree on that. The sight of the S-Class War beast being docile to another that was not its Beastmaster was already a shocking sight to them. Anyone could tell the War beast was acting friendly to Professor Ateles' research assistant. She was already doing them a favor by keeping the War beast under control.
That's right.
The Beast medical students knew Amina's identity. Her photo was trending on the academy forum because of her infamous identity and the fact she became a research assistant of a top Professor and Senior researcher of the Beast Research Institute.
''Listen to Finn, Louise.'' urged another Beast medical student.
''But...''
''Louise.'' The same student cut her off.
''.....'' Louise, the Beast medical student with the tray, bit her lower lip, refusing to bring the tray. However, with everyone's gazes on her. she had no choice but to listen. She took small breaths before raising another step, and then another until she was beside Finn.
''It really did not attack.''
''Did War beast really listened to her?''
''Is that possible?"
The other students watched in amazement. Even Louise was shocked to see the War beast that had growled at her at first, being calm.
From the ground, Amina saw as Finn raised his hand. Transparent slime flowed out of his palm and settled over the cheetah's body.
Is this how they treat injuries? She curiously observed the scene of Finn releasing his slime on each bleeding wound and the blood being absorbed. After he was done, a student passed him a pair of gloves and he pulled them on before reaching out the roll of bandage on the tray.
Carefully, he wrapped the bandage around the cheetah's torso and the two hind legs.
''Can you tell it go to the stretcher?'' Finn looked her way after tending to the left hind leg. He then stood up and explained. ''We need to take the War beast to the S-Class General Beast Ward.''
Amina hesitated before saying. ''I'll try.''
However, the cheetah seemed to have understood Finn's words and removed its head from Amina's shoulder. The War beast got off from Amina's body and turned away. It limped a few steps before looking back and forth a few times.
....does he wants me to follow? Amina wondered.
''Sorry, I can't follow you.'' She refused without hesitation. However, Finn was quick to intervene from the side.
''You can follow as long you don't touch anything at the ward.''
As if pleased with this words, the cheetah swished its tail twice before limping to the stretcher. A nearby student quickly pressed a button on the stretcher and the blood-stained bed mechanically lowered for the cheetah to climb on. Once the War beast was on the top, the stretcher returned to its normal height.
''We'll take the War beast to the S-Class General Beast Ward. You guys should clean this place up.'' Amina watched as Finn was talking to the other Beast medical students before she concentrated on herself.
It's fast...
The thumping of heart resounded clearly in her ears.
....Is this what is called fear? She wondered, having read somewhere that fast beating of the heart was a sign of fear in her previous life. She had also read the anyone under fear would instinctively avoid the source of their fear.
However, Amina hadn't felt that towards the cheetah. If anything, she felt calm...too calm even when the cheetah had knocked her down.
They told me that I wasn't scared of wild animals. Amina recalled her previous life as zookeeper. Her senior colleagues had put her in charge of taking care of the dangerous animals at the zoo. According to their words, she seemed not to have no fear while feeding them.
''Can you stand?'' Amina blinked, snapping out of her memories as zookeeper, and looked at Finn who offered her a hand.
''...Yes.'' She replied and took his hand to lift herself up from the ground. ''Thank you, Senior Finn.''
''You really weren't scared huh?'' He remarked.
Amina remained silent, not knowing how to answer that.
''How is your body?'' He asked, not minding her silence. ''You should do a checkup for internal injuries. We, students, aren't licensed to do treatment without permission from a professional or one of the girls here could have done that for you. Can you manage till we get to the ward?'' Unlike moments ago, his words were filled with concern.
Amina was not blind to abrupt change.
''Yes, I can.'' Amina replied, aware of a certain feral gaze on the side of her face. ''Thank you.''
''We should be the ones thanking you.'' Finn gave a faint smile and moved over to the stretcher. He then pressed a different button.
''S-Class General Beast Ward.'' He said and the button glowed neon-blue as though responding his words. He then turned around, meeting her gaze.
''Let's go.''
As Finn headed her way, the stretcher began wheeling on its own without support. This wasn't a new sight for Amina. She had seen stretchers moving on other own without support. She had also seen Beast medical student pushing the stretcher on the corridors.
Perhaps it was simply a matter of choice.