“I’ll keep the ancient history simple. We don’t know how this world came to be. Anyone who tries to find out disintegrates after a while. As such, our history is more verbal than written down. That means that as far as most of us know, the United Empire has been here since time began.

“The United Empire is broken down into provinces. Each province has a governor and general. It is the governor’s job to ensure that the province runs smoothly and the general’s job to protect it. If either fails, then the province tends to fall into ruin until the emperor or one of his commanders comes in and cleans it up.

“We’re located in the Ahn province. Things have been going well. People are fed and don’t have to fear the beasts. Now if that fool of a general would only…” Bastar stopped when Heather smacked him. He mumbled something before Heather proceeded.

“Bastar knows better. The general is…more caution that some people would like.”

“He’s a bloody coward” Bastar ground out. A sharp look from Heather quelled anything else he was about to say.

“General Andre is wise and powerful but has recently become more cautious. Instead of sending expeditions to claim more land, he has the militia training. But none of that is important for you. What is important is that you get the general idea of the world.” Heather punctuated this by jabbing Bastar. I watched as her finger extended and seemed to flow into him before jerking back. A small drop of blood appeared on his tunic.

“Aye, I’ll try to keep politics out of it.” Bastar conceded.

“One of the things I didn’t mention is that part of the generals’ job is expansion. When one of the United Empire’s provinces grows large enough, a new province is cleaved from it. This is how the Midi’s remains in power.”

This time there was not a smack but rather a solid punch to his stomach. Heather glared at Bastar before looking back to me. Anger slowly gave way to acceptance as she sighed.

“I don’t think Bastar will be given any more lessons about where we are.”

I nodded at that. A calm fell across the room, Bastar keeping his mouth silent before I started.

“You said you’re both humans. Can you explain what you both look so different? And how Heather can seem to enter our bodies at will?”

“I can’t do it at will.” Heather began. Her tone was more exasperated than I expected. “To enter another’s body I need to do it with the intent to heal. I allow my mana to mold my body to its needed form. If your mana agrees to it, then it allows me to fix whatever is wrong with you. Sometimes, like in your case, I leave a bit of it behind to help the process.”

“But as to why we look the way we do it is just our mana being expressed. I focus on growth and stability. This grants me the power to heal.”

“I am focusing on strength and wisdom.” Heather interrupted Bastar with a loud snort. Glaring at Heather, Bastar continued. “With time I will continue my growth to that of a sphinx and earn a new name.” Bastar finished beaming, looking like the day had already arrived.

“More likely he’ll just turn into a mantyger.” Ignoring Bastar’s sputtering, she continued. “It is like a sphinx, only instead of cultivating wisdom, they cultivate aggression. Some view them as lesser because of it.”

“Because they are lesser.” Snapped Bastar. “The sphinx is the highest form a man can hope to become.”

Heather only shook her head before looking at my bewildered face.

“You change? Based on your mana and cultivation?” I slowly started. “Can you explain that to me. Not how you change, but what mana and cultivation are?”

“You…how can you not know?” Heather shook her head as Bastar began nodding.

“Aye, I get it. You said you weren’t from here. Sorry, Vee, it's just even the youngest child knows what mana and cultivating is.”

I nodded. It made sense to me. It would be like if someone back home asked how to eat or drink. If mana and cultivating were as important here as I thought it was, then of course they would assume I knew what the heck they were talking about.

“Take a close look at me.” Bastar began by standing. He held his arms to the side, and I took my first real look at him.

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My earlier thought of him being rail-thin was only partially correct. It would be more correct to say there was not any excess on him. His body looked carved from muscle, like the fitness gurus who had abs for days. What I thought was just his hair really was a mane. It spread from around his face and was pulled back into a ponytail. It continued to sparkle, reflecting the light. But as I looked closer, I could see darker patches, spreading like ripples from his face.

His face was mostly human, except for two major differences. His eyes were slanted towards his nose and perfect orbs. The pupils were smaller perfect circles and the iris was a rich sky blue that encompassed the rest of the eyes.

The other major difference was his teeth. I could only see them thanks to his smiling. I would have been comforted if not for his incisors. They matched perfectly. His bottom two jutting up to hide behind his upper lip and his top do descend below his bottom lip. They looked like small fangs.

Seeing my focus on him, he began to do…something. I am not sure I can describe what he was doing, but the results were telling. Closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, Bastar became less substantial. His form grew hazy. I moved closer and thought I could see eddies on his flesh. Before I could touch him, his eyes snapped open and he grew solid once more.

“That is cultivating. Or at least that is one way to cultivate. I know Heather has her own way.”

Looking at Heather, I saw her nodding before she closed her eyes and did…something. The result was that she appeared to grow. Her body expanded and became more porous. I thought I could hear a whistling sound before she too stopped as suddenly as she began.

“Each person cultivates in the way best suited for them,” Heather explained after I sat back down. “It is something we know from birth. If a child doesn’t cultivate, they don’t survive.”

“But…” I began. “I don’t know how to cultivate.”

They both looked at me before Bastar snorted.

“You’re doing it right now. Why else would your chest be pumping like a bellows?” Bastar said through a smile.

I blinked at that before taking another look at my compatriots. As I watched, neither’s chest rose nor fell. But their skin. I grabbed Bastar’s arm and gave it a closer look. His arm felt solid to me, very much like I would expect. But I could see the slightest of haze around my fingers. I released his arm, looking at Heather. She had already presented her arm for examination. I grasped it and felt more give than I expected. To make sure, I squeezed my own before squeezing hers. It wasn’t a lot, not even notice if I wasn’t specifically looking for it, but it was there.

I focused on myself to see if anything was different. Taking a deep breath in, I felt something. Instead of just cool air on the back of my throat, there was something extra. Something that fought against the flow, causing a slight tickle.

“You’re breathing through your skin,” I stated. “That is what cultivation is. Breathing.”

“I don’t know what this breathing is your speaking of,” Bastar began, “But if that is what causes your chest to do that then I suppose they’re the same.”

“And is that what we’re cultivating, Mana?” I asked.

“Mana flows from our surroundings and into us, always. It permeates us and we use it to improve our form to better survive. We adapt to it and it adapts to us.” Heather tone became more of a lecturer’s as she continued.

“Our souls take in the mana and use it to mold our bodies and minds into better expressions of our true selves. Some believe that they can change this process, like Bastar here, by focusing on aspects of themselves. Others, like myself, believe that our souls decide for us and simply adapt to our new forms.”

“While each soul is unique, the starting material is always the same. A newborn is small and ranges from a dark brown to nearly pearlescent white.” Heather blinked a couple of times before looking thoughtfully at me. “They kind of look like a small version of you Vee. However, as they age their soul becomes more comfortable with our initial forms before we begin to change.

“Humans then change. As we grow older, the changes become more pronounced. There have been times where people have lost limbs or grown new ones. Their eyes, skin, hair, nose, really everything moves around as we better express our true selves. The only thing that really stays the same is our face. As much as our body changes, every human still keeps their face.” Heather finished.

“That’s what the Moniths believe.” Bastar went. “Us Dualist believe that our souls do not define our forms. Rather, together with our minds, we change who we are. And there is a lot more proof back us up than you.” He snapped at Heather. She only rolled her eyes in response.

“What do you mean by that Bastar?” I asked.

“He means of souls that don’t understand their true forms. Or, as a Dualist would say, people who weren’t focused on their changes. Chimeras. Humans who have changed to the point where they lose their face and with that all connection to humanity. They become like the monsters that fill the wilds.”

Quiet filled the room. Bastar squirmed at the mention of chimeras where Heather kept eye contact. It made me wonder why some people would turn into chimeras. What was the cause? What could cause people to lose their human connection? But instead of going down that rabbit hole, as to why the world was the way it was, I did what I always did. I smiled and looked at the only two people I knew.

“Well, that seems dark. How about you each tell me how to use the mana I am acquiring instead of focusing on chimeras and monsters. Bastar, you might as well start. No offense Heather, but from the sounds of it if you’re right then there is nothing I can do, and I will just change with time.”

Bastar smiled while Heather agreed with my words.

“Make a goal Vee. Make a goal and devote your life to it. Figure out what you need to become to succeed at your goal. Keep that in your mind at all times.” Bastar spoke with a seriousness that I had not noticed before. While I would not call him jovial, the weight he placed on his words spoke to me. “While I might not buy into what the Moniths believe, I do agree with one thing: the body reflects the mind or soul. Only by committing either to one end can you complete your transformation and stop from turning into a chimera.”

I thought about his words. The idea behind it, and what it probably meant for me.

“Well,” I began. “I’m screwed.”