"Well, if you are okay with that. Then we can just take a cart to the estate now I suppose. And I brought two-hundred golden coins for this..."
"T-two-hundred?! But that's a lot for clothes..."
"Well, I am willing to use those expenses for friends so. C'mon"
I follow up behind her and return to the travel area where carts drop and carry people around for a fee.
*18 minutes later*
"Uh...Is this really the estate?" I ask
I look up the gate which is made of golden allow, and an insignia of an axe crossed over a short one-handed sword. The gate is about 15 feet high, and the entire wall of the estate is made of a white stone that is about 10 feet in height. Why do I feel like it is meant to be a fortification more than an estate...
"This is the estate the family gathering is being held. This is a distant relatives estate. But everyone typically gathers here. Must be to her annoyance at times."
"Why?" I ask
"Because around 300 family members come to her estate and she has to deal with the roughhousing and messes caused by at least 150 of them. Costs sometimes around a couple of platinum coins. So at least two-hundred gold coins which are basically at least two-thousand coins."
"Uh...Wow....expensive family then."
"Well most of all of them are beastmen and beastwomen so they always roughhouse. Excluding myself. I read books more often and drew. Much to my father's confusion."
"Gizzele! Honey! So glad you came to the event. Typically you often barely come until mostly everyone left!" a feminine voice calls out from behind me. I see a tall figure, with blond hair, wearing silver armor, and fair skin. She is wearing armor that goes further down her body but her footsteps of her are different than normal.
I realize though I can only see her from the front view, I can tell she has another pair of legs. So she is likely a centaur woman. She says "Honey" so I assume she is the mother. But their hair color is not the same so maybe she is an aunt.
[Bet she is the mother]
Bet she is an aunt or something
"Hello Mother" Gizzele responds from behind me
[Ha!]
Fuck...
She continues walking towards us until her height becomes more defined and she stands proudly at 6'5, chest out, and a sword holstered in her on her left hip.
I turn around and look at Gizzele and gesture for her to lean forward for me to ask something quietly before she gets up within a hearing distance
"So she is your mother?"
"Yep, as you heard from me. Please greet her. Would be a good way to present yourself as forward instead of me presenting you first." she whisper back at me.
I clear my throat as the clacking of hooves gets closer and I turn around straightening my back and taking a deep breath in and out.
By the time she is 7 feet within reach, I present my right hand and begin to greet her first.
*ahem* "Hello ma'am, my-" her left hand touches my right shoulder and with a sudden swoosh, gets launched face first into the side of the white stone wall making a thud.
*THUD*
"Ack!"
"AH! Mother!" Gizzele screams in shock
"Come, honey, we must see the others and surprise them!" she says taking her daughter's wrist and begins walking to the gate.
Gizzele however shakes her mother's hand away, shocking her mother for a brief moment.
"Mother!" she says expecting her mothers to say something
"What is it? Did you not have a full stomach when you came here? I suppose we can-"
"No!" she says pointing to Daniel whose face has a cut on her forehead and a bit of blood on the pristine white wall.
"Geez wasn't expecting a wall to be greeting me," I say gently touching the right portion of my forehead.
Gizzele moves quickly to me and without hesitation grabs my face and moves my hand out of the way and looks a cut. Her face is way too close for comfort to be honest but she is giving me a look of concern. Which makes me a little bit hot and bothered.
[Horny in simple terms]
I'm not aroused, you imbecile
After a couple of seconds, I look over to the woman standing behind Gizzele all imposing and looking straight down at me. I can't tell if she is observing me, or waiting.
"Honey, who is this...human boy?"
"Uh, he is uhm...He's my guest whom I am bringing! And you just tossed him into a wall!"
"How was I supposed to know? All I saw was someone trying to size me up, so I threw him out of my way."
"He wasn't trying to size you up, Mother! Gosh, you are always like this! Assuming everyone is trying to challenge you."
So? That's how your father and I met."
"That's not the same thing!" she screams drawing a bit of attention.
I think I should break this up. Not about to be the cause of a bit of family turmoil at this event.
"Uh, can I get something for my forehead?" I say raising my left hand
They both turn to me, and I just stay silent waiting for a response.
*6 minutes later*
I was brought into the estate as the two began talking about me. Even though I am right behind them. The mother however said I am to be out of running distance" of both of them however.
I had no idea what the hell "out of running distance is supposed to mean. But from what it seems, I have to be 20 feet behind them as they speak about me. Privacy perhaps? Not like it matters. My enhanced hearing would make up for that.
*Sigh* So from what you told me, that boy is nothing special then. Why bring him to our sacred family gathering? You know what our tradition dictates" the mother says in a somewhat disappointed tone.
"Well, my sisters always bring in random people into these gatherings...Why can't I mother? how is that fair?" she says with also some content
"He's..." she glances briefly behind herself to me I pretend to be looking at the scenery. Hope she knows I can hear them this far.
"He's a stranger, and also a human, with no social standing of notability. You know how tradition dictates. Those not of our blood could be welcomed. They need to go through traditional means like others."
"So you are saying because he is human that is an excuse to not let him in? I invited him so-"
"Then you should've taken the necessary precautions and have him go through the needed steps beforehand. *Sigh* I will allow this, boy...to come to this gathering for now. But if he stirs any trouble I would personally have him kicked so far out of here that he won't be able to walk for a year."
[I like this horse lady]
She's a Centaur, CENTAUR! Get that right...Also, I don't like her. Not hate them per se, but think she is not the kind of woman I want to be sitting right next to at the dinner table.
"Fine mother! But he is not going to cause trouble I promise you that. Hmph!" Gizzele says with a higher-pitched voice.
She begins slowing down and walking to the pace I am 20 feet away.
*Sigh* Kids these days..." the mother exclaims with a very hush tone. I barely even managed to catch that.
"So is everything alright? Seemed like the way you were walking was agitated?" I ask trying to be ignorant of their conversation.
"Uh, YES! Everything is okay. When we get to the estate I will see if someone who knows restoration magic can assist you on your forehead."
"Ah nah. It's fine. The bleeding stopped mostly by this point. I just need to wash the blood. Gotta make some form of a good impression. Or at least a less bloody one."
"Haha, yeah. I hope...I hope you are not upset with how my mother threw your face into the wall...She has always been a rough around the edges. OR all edges really. She is a bit stuck in tradition. My father however is less so. "
"It's fine. Although I would say maybe she shouldn't throw people out of her way too willingly, I can say she does seem like someone who cares about you. At least from first impressions after she threw me into the wall."
*4 minutes later*
"Why does everyone have large estates!" I exclaim looking at the building that is 2 stories tall, made of dark marble and white marble exterior. I feel like this estate is the size of an entire track field or bigger.
But that is not the bigger concern for me. There have to be around at least 60 people here already. All of them are at least an entire foot taller than me. Also, most of them are variants of Clovens and other beastmen races. So I am the oddball here.
Some people have begun murmuring about me or stared for longer than desired durations. But as long as they don't directly confront me, then I should be fine for now.
[Want to fight a beastman or beastwoman?]
Preferably no. Especially since I was an invited guest. Gizzele would get an ear full if I did something. Plus, she is the only friend I officially have at the moment. Plus I would love it if she continued.
[Oh...Oh I see where this is going]
Don't...You are like one of those anime moms who always assume their son who has a female friend is also the boyfriend. Perverted freak
[Says the one with a missing eye and scars]
Girls love scars! I think, I never really looked it up if it was true. But it is a saying.
[From my database, scars vary in attraction, by culture, as well as source of scars. Boil scars, attack scars, burn scars, surgical scars.]
I think I read something about how in beastmen culture scaring is "perceived" as a masculine thing showing their maturity, strength, and experience. but sometimes things like that are outdated. So I never gave it much thought. Besides, who cares.
As I am in the center of the courtyard, where tables, people laughing, and some wrestling in the sand area. I can confidently say my presence at the moment is not of major concern in their minds.
I look over at the sand pit which has a bit of a crowd of people watching Cloven of a taller height wrestle a wolven male who is a bit more stocky, but nonetheless, muscular.
[Still don't want to try your hand?]
Maybe friendly wrestling but nothing big. But not now. I want to keep going with Gizzele.
I continue following her to the steps of the estate and sit next to her looking at everyone interacting.
"So, what do I do here? Just throw myself into a conversation or..."
"Well, yeah. Just go forth and talk with everyone. I-" She stops herself and turns her head hearing the clacking of hooves behind us.
I turn around and see 3 tall figures standing above us and because of how I am sitting, and the fact Cloven is tall, I feel so tiny in comparison.
"Hey, Gizzele, who's the little baby you got there?" one says.
She has a tall statue, strong exposed shoulders, and has 2 equidae-like legs like Gizzele. She has brown eyes, black hair, and dark skin looking about a slightly darker brown. She wears what seems to be armor that is of a similar design to that of Gizzele's mother. The other two have what looks to be identical twins. With white legs that are similar to an Equidae, blond hair, blue eyes on both, and fair ivory skin. They both wear what seems to be formal clothes of some kind. Looking like ceremonial uniforms for those of special events. Doesn't look like combat, nor officer. Reminds me of nobility.
I think it is because of how proud and formal they seem, and that's why I feel like they are uniforms of a military branch. Both of them are colored in red, and black colors, with a small pin of a red bird.
[I will go off of a hunch and say they are a part of the Cardinal Guards]
Exactly, Gizzele did say that many of those in her family serve in some kind of military background or service. As well as everyone was going to dress in attire that is associated with their profession or career or something. Military uniforms would make sense. Especially since her mother was wearing knight's armor.
Also, did one of them call me a "baby"?
[Yes]
"Oh hello sisters!" she says standing up at full height to them. She is only slightly shorter than them. But maybe it is because of the fact I am sitting I can't tell exactly.
"Hello sister, this is the first time you came this early. Most of the time you come on the third day, and late at that. I already desire to know why." the darker-skinned one says with obvious suspicion in her voice.
"Indeed sister, I would also like to know as to why you came so early. Also with that baby child" the one on the right yelps with a bit more enthusiasm
She really called me a baby. I am like basically an adult by this point...
[Maybe they define age differently. Some nations defined voting, drinking, driving, owning items, and traveling at certain age requirements and culturally associated with adulthood.]
I guess I did read that beast families send their young to hunt on their own for a while and have to return with something substantial like a pelt, food, rare item, or trophy in general. But that is a standard kind of idea of adulthood for them, varies still.