Vesserio
"Areshio has always been a world of wild and erratic magic. It flows over and through the world like rivers. Sometimes raging in storms. It shapes the land, and sometimes morphs the creatures and plant life. It's often violent. But not always.
"And somehow, in this untamed world, Leforions emerged. They may have been like any common animal once, but they gained a higher level of sentience. But they were also a part of the magics themselves, able to bend the flow, affect change. Calm storms and bring a sense of peace to the agitated land and creatures.
"But, while Leforions have always had a particular appearance," I gestured to my form, my opalescent skin and almost metallic-like silver freckles, "we have always been... as adaptable as magic. Distinct, but never really separate from other living beings."
I could see the confusion on the faces of those listening. It was hard to put into words. There was just a feeling I had always had. But I had never had another Leforion to help explain it to me. Only the Nefrion council and teachers that had raised me. And all of their books and lectures had fallen short to describe exactly how it felt.
"Anyways, Leforions also sometimes produce offspring that are not Leforion themselves. It seems that even when Leforions mate, most of their children are born apart from magic. Some can still manipulate it, but it's not as balanced. These children, born of two Leforion but different, came to be called Nefrions. But, Leforions are able to mate with other beings as well. This is how the beast and plant born people came to be."
I could see the disturbed look on the beast-born's face. I understood it. Many Beast-born were looked down upon. Like somehow they were less-than. But I never understood that. "We are all animals. Though some are more self-aware than others. But... maybe because of my magic... I've never felt different than any beast. And they've never seen me as separate from nature. The land itself seems to recognize me as part of itself."
I reached down and touched the strange soil. I could tell this was not my world. It did not know me, but I could still feel a connection. Like a river meeting the sea for the first time and becoming one.
"I get that." Stardust commented. I glanced up and saw a soft smile on her face. It made me blush a little. No one has ever looked at me the way she does, or talked to me as easily. "I mean, I know you're not an animal. At least not part of our Kingdom. Or, I know that intellectually. You dress and act like a person. But you feel... like an animal. Like you aren't as removed from nature as most people are. It's kinda weird and hard to explain."
"Yeah. Qualin is kinda the same." Her brother smiled up at his beast-born mate. "At first, I kinda figured it was the animal traits, but it's a little more than that."
"Alright. That's cool and all." Qualin pulled his mate closer to him. "But basically, you're saying that my species originated because one of your people literally did fuck a wild cat?"
"I wouldn't put it like that." I blushed and looked down at my hand in the dirt. "I can't say for sure in your bloodline... but I was told all my life that I needed to stay away from the wilds because... if I were to go into heat... then wild beasts would see me as, you know... the same as one of their species in heat. So more than likely, somewhere in your family line, any number of generations ago, a Leforion probably gave birth after a savenil cat, I'd guess based on your markings...helped them... during a heat."
I could feel my face burning and couldn't bring myself to look up at anyone listening.
"Helped?" Stardust asked softly, drawing my eyes up to meet hers.
"I haven't actually had a heat yet, though I'm of age. Which is probably why I couldn't..." my voice trail off. There were things I didn't want to think about. "But they're supposedly pretty painful... even maddening. I was always told it's the magics of the world, desperate to create more Leforions, driving us to mate, and others to mate with us. And that is the reason we are able to reproduce with any species: because Leforions are so rare and special that the magics of the world bend the normal laws to try and make more of us."
"If your kind is so valuable, than why did your people trade you as a slave?" Qualin asked abruptly.
I lowered my eyes again. "The other worlders, the Ratarans, attacked our region. We fought back. The world itself fought back, causing massive storms anytime one of their ships came. If the ship landed, the ground would crack, as if recoiling from the strange invaders. Even the plant life would lash out, trying to strangle them.
"But they have strong weapons and fought as well. So my people offered a truce. The Ratarans were there to take people as slaves. But they were intrigued by the magics of the land, and assumed all the people were controlling it. My people admitted that they couldn't control it, but that I can. They told them I was the only Leforion in the region and promised I would go with them and cooperate if they left everyone else alone. It was a small sacrifice to save everyone else."
I let some soil fall through my fingers. "Besides, they managed to hide the fact that I actually have a younger brother in the region. He'll grow up and be able to help keep balance in the area. And he'll probably be a better Leforion than me."
"So there is skill at using the magic or whatever?" Qualin asked.
"Some." I shrugged. "But I just meant the fact that I can't seem to... breed... properly. Most Leforions are more masculine than I am. I'm of age, but when the Ratarans put me with a woman...I couldn't..." I shrugged, feeling my face get hot. "And since I haven't even had my first heat yet, even though they put me with a man... my magic rejected him. I tried to cooperate, but my magic refused, and even though the world we were on was strange and didn't know me, the sparse magic there still reacted to mine and defended me."
"You don't need to feel bad about that." Stardust took my hand. I looked up and blinked away the wetness that had started to form in my eyes. "They tried to force you. I get you agreed to save your people, but that's still wrong. You had every right to fight!"
"Yeah, it's not your fault. You shouldn't feel bad that you couldn't let someone force themselves on you... or that you couldn't force yourself on someone else...." Stardust's other brother, Galaxy, commented. "Just to clarify, they tried to breed you to both a male and a female? Can your people normally mate with either?"
"Only Leforions can." I explained. "Just like how we can mate with any species, we can mate with any sex as well. Internally or externally." The confusion on their faces was almost comical, though explaining was embarrassing. "I can become pregnant, or, supposedly, make another pregnant. But if I... you know... spill my seed... it could potentially mix with the fertile seed from plants and make a plant-born person. At least, that's the theory on how that happens." I shrugged. "The one plant-born person I met didn't know any parents, but simply remembered growing as a shrub until they had the mental capacity to decide to walk. But everyone was pretty sure they likely came from a Leforion that had passed through the area. Maybe even the one that fathered me. Our features were kinda similar."
"Huh. Wait, so did you ever ask your dad?"
"You mean the Leforion that fathered me?" I looked at Stardust and she nodded. "I never met him." I shrugged. "He was a nomad. Some Leforions live that way. He apparently appears in towns in our region from time to time, but only when he's in heat. There are always people who will volunteer to keep a Leforion company. My Nefrion father was one of the volunteers from our village. He became pregnant and had me. Other children have been born the same way, but I was the only Leforion, until my little brother was born few years ago."
"Wait, you said only Leforions can mate with males or females, but you just said you have two dads?" Qualin asked.
"That's right." I couldn't keep from blushing. "Nefrion men can only reproduce with women, or Leforions. They can impregnate us, but our magic can also cause them to become pregnant. Though it's kinda rare, and hard on them since their body isn't made for it... but my Nefrion father was fine."
"So he raised you on his own?" Stardust asked, looking a little sad. Something about her expression made me hesitate to tell her the truth.
"No ... since I'm Leforion, I belonged to the village. To the region. The region councilors took responsibility for me. I was cared for by various nurses and teachers. I saw my Nefrion father occasionally. He eventually married a man he loved, but they live kinda on the outskirts of the region. It was better for me to live in a more central area so I could affect as much of the town and surrounding villages as possible." The sad expression on her face grew, so I quickly added, "But he'd visit me occasionally. He'd even bring me gifts. His husband is nice too. And it felt good knowing they were given a nice home as thanks for having me and giving me to be raised for the good of the people."
"That's still pretty sad." She put a hand on my back and rubbed it gently. "It sounds like you've never been allowed to just live for yourself, or have ever been respected or loved for WHO you are, instead of just WHAT you are."
I stared into her eyes for a few moments until I couldn't any longer. Finally, I just shrugged and forced a smile. I didn't know why my chest felt so tight, or why tears were threatening to spill from my eyes again. "Going with the Ratarans was rough. Language was limited and I was scared what they'd do since i couldn't do what they wanted... but my life before wasn't bad."
"Do you want to go back to that life?" Qualin asked with an expression that seemed doubtful.
I didn't. Not really. But it was familiar, and the people were kind and caring towards me, even if a little distant. "No one there ever hurt me, or tried to force me. I was expected to take a harem, to have children, and hopefully produce another Leforion. But at least my harem would be people who volunteered, who wanted to be with me, and who would stay with me. And they would never try and force me. They were waiting for me to have a heat. I'm sure I'd want to then. It wouldn't be like... like...that." The tears finally spilled over and streaked down my cheeks.
Arms gently wrapped around me and I took a few shaky breaths to calm myself. It is very important to stay calm.
"Shhhh. It's ok." Stardust whispered softly and rubbed my back as she held me. "It's ok to cry. It's ok to be sad, or angry. But you're safe now. You don't have to go back to either kind of life. You get to decide from now on."
My mind started to race, thinking about what I should do, all the responsibility I had to my people. Would the Ratarans go back and take others now that I'd run away? Could I even go back home if I wanted to?
"Shhhshhshh. You don't have to decide right now. We'll help you figure things out." She spoke softly. I started to relax. Hesitantly, I turned and wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her shoulder. She didn't flinch, and I relaxed a little more. She felt safe and warm. I focused on her scent and soft voice to anchor myself, to keep my magic from reaching out to stir up the wild magic around me.
Stardust seemed to understand and just held me. Her musical voice gently called in my mind, offering reassurance. I let myself sink into her a little bit, just taking a moment for the first time in a long time to block out everything else and just breathe.