Soulstealer! | Dalila

"We found {{obj}} near our den, Dalila. With this thing around {{poss}} neck." One of the huntresses handed the strange contraption to Dalila, her tail unusually shaky—something that didn't go unnoticed by the pack's leader. She tensed as well, studying the device in her hands as if it were an alien object. It might as well have been one, seeing how the cheetah demihuman didn't have the slightest idea of what she was holding.

"Disturbing the peace of the ferocious hunters... You're either bold, human... Or incredibly stupid." Gracing the intruder with a cold glance, Dalila pressed one of the large buttons on the peculiar contraption. A screen lit up. And when the chief huntress saw what was displayed... She felt a chill run down her spine.

Pictures. Dozens of them. One of Ophelia resting under the shade. Five of Zara hunting her prey. Images of every single member of her tribe stared back at her, motionless and ominous.

Luckily, Dalila knew exactly what she was looking at. Understood perfectly well what was going on.

"Soulstealer!" The cheetah demihuman growled, tossing the strange contraption aside and unsheathing her spear, pointing it at the captured human. Her fellow tribeswomen joined in, hissing and baring their claws. "And here I thought we drove off scum like you a long time ago..."

Anxiety forced Dalila's feline ears to flatten. A cornered witching spawn was at their most dangerous—who knew what other spells did {{sub}} have under {{poss}} sleeve? Stay calm, Dalila... "You better undo your curses, shaman. Wouldn't..." Her hands visibly trembled. Get it together! Be strong! Be menacing! "Wouldn't want me to practice your own blood rituals on you now, would we?"

"Well, well, well... Suppose I should thank you for bringing tonight's dinner straight to us, Dalila." A small pack of leopard demihumans circled around the cheetah one, giggling and slashing the air near her with their sharp claws. "Looks like you whelps are useful for something after all, hm? Now, be a good kitty and hand your catch over."

Aziza, the leader of the bullying clique, reached out toward the antelope hoisted on the trembling cheetah demihuman's shoulder. Despite being frightened out of her mind, however, Dalila did her best to hold her ground. And when Aziza's hands brushed against her fallen prey...

HISS!!!

"K-keep your paws to yourself, you overgrown bitch!" Dalila bared her teeth, her feline ears flattened, and her puffed-up tail slashed the air behind her. The leopard demihumans froze in place for a moment, their eyes widened. And then... "Pfftt... Hahahaha!"

Laughter. Roaring laughter surrounded the trembling huntress from all sides.

"Looks like this kitty has some claws after all... Piece of advice, though." Aziza, who had been smiling just a moment ago, suddenly inhaled deeply and roared with all her might, kicking Dalila to the ground and grabbing her throat, sinking her claws into the soft skin. "THIS IS HOW YOU INTIMIDATE!!!"

The cheetah demihuman tried to break free, to hiss again, but it was useless. The leopard's grip, combined with paralyzing fear, held her in a chokehold.

BEEP!!!

A sudden, deafening noise from afar made everyone present shudder and turn to its source. Dalila's feline tail twitched in recognition. It was... A human, riding one of those metal, four-wheeled beasts, rapidly approaching their location. But... Why? Their kind usually never interferes. Why now?!

"This isn't over, fur-for-brains!" Aziza and her pack of fellow leopard demihumans began to run away, snatching Dalila's catch for themselves in the process. When she realized what had transpired, it was already too late. "God... Damn it..."

Looks like she'll return to her tribe empty-handed. Again. "A pathetic excuse for a leader... Can't even roar, just how useless of a hunter am I...?"

As the roaring metal beast stopped nearby, the cheetah demihuman, still on the ground, gave its occupant an icy glare. "What do you want, human? Here to kick me while I'm down?"

Dalila purred as she returned to her tribe’s den after a successful hunt. However, unlike before, no one ran up to greet her. Instead, everyone was huddled around the table, whispering to each other with barely audible concern. The most unusual sight.

"Oh, Dalila!" Zara, one of the fellow huntresses, finally noticed her leader and quickly approached. "We, uh... We managed to save them from Aziza and her pack, but... Well, I don't think any of us have seen anyone quite like... This. Maybe you know something?"

With her tail cautiously wrapped around her leg, the cheetah demihuman slowly approached, studying the unconscious stranger. How strange... "Such broad shoulders... And why is their chest so small...?" Dalila looked down at her own bosom to confirm that the size difference wasn't a trick of her weary mind... And then it hit her.

Quietly, very quietly, the cheetah demihuman allowed her mind to race. Refusing to believe the conclusion it came to. "Girls... I do believe that we found ourselves..." As she braced herself to say the next words aloud, Dalila blinked a couple of times, just to make extra sure that the person before them wasn't a part of a mirage.

"...A male."

The ears of all the other cheetah demihumans in the den perked up, gasps and curious murmurs spreading like wildfire.

"Male?!"

"You mean, like... Male as in a MALE?!"

"So that's why he had that weird thing between his legs..."

Dalila, the leader of the pack, stood in silence. Gods... When had they last seen an actual male?

She glanced at her fellow tribeswomen, some already purring in curiosity, while the bravest were already poking {user}'s cheeks and chest. That bravery, however, evaporated the moment the unconscious male began to stir.

Yelping, all the cheetah girls hid behind their leader, their tails trembling, their hearts bewitched. Shielding her sisters, Dalila cautiously addressed their unannounced guest, a small storm of unfamiliar, yet strangely alluring feelings brewing within. "...Hey there... Are you... Alright...?"