July 2023 ver.
“Uncle Rowan! Uncle Rowan!” Her ears twisted right around. ‘Uncle Rowan?’ Devin and Avery retreated a step. A very young child sprinted with outstretched arms right into the object of his calls.
The mage smiled, crouched, and scooped the young boy up, “Topher!”
Devin stared at the scene. Was this who he had been talking about before? She hadn’t expected someone so tiny. The two hugged each other. A human boy with darker skin. A skin tone she hadn’t seen since they were kids. His hair was black, but his eyes were a deep blue. Her attention slid to Rowan’s deep blue eyes. Her lips pursed. The way they grinned at each other was too similar. Was this what he claimed he couldn’t explain before?
Her cousin sent her spinning again as he launched into greeting the child in a different language. Since when could he do that? What language was it even!?
The boy eagerly replied in the same tongue.
Another cry came, “Don’t forget me!” Her eyes went even wider as she saw the second boy. He seemed roughly the same age as the first. Well, he had said ‘the boys’ plural. The other had tried to follow, but fell on his face and had to be collected by a woman. This boy was considerably paler than anyone else present. As well as lankier with quite a head of unruly brown hair and blue eyes to match. At least she was pretty sure he was lankier. Their clothes were so thick.
The woman who walked with him had skin and hair that matched the first child with black locks pulled into a considerably long, basic braid. However, her single eye was green. The other was missing beneath a terrible scar. Devin guessed from a blade.
Rowan set down Topher. The second boy sniffled, releasing the woman’s hand to walk the last couple feet to his uncle with arms up. He was scooped into a hug like the first. The man spun them and then placed him next to the other and ruffled his hair further. “Good to see you too, Otto.”
The mildly familiar woman chuckled then offered many words in this other language as she came to stand behind her young.
Her cousin offered a nervous smile as he had to switch to his native tongue, “Th-that was a little fast for me. And a tiny bit too much?” More laughter was the response. Her hands settled on the heads of her boys.
All three were dressed in thick white fur coats that went to their knees. The hoods were currently pulled down. The clothes were held closed with toggle fasteners of carved bone. What she could see of their legs was covered by what appeared to be more clothing made from other animal skins. The boys’ were swimming in their outfits some. Perhaps made intentionally too big for them to grow.
The brawler wondered if they were going to be warm enough looking at them. Rowan might be fine. He had picked up some clothes he had stashed at a hidden location along the way. For her and Avery they had used some of their boar funds to buy warmer clothes. She had even broken down and put on pants, but they weren’t dressed to the extent these three were. Coincidentally, they were getting a little tight on money again from all the travel and prep.
Devin had noticed the boys had a hint of an accent, but the woman’s was far thicker. Especially with how many w’s she hit, “I vill repeat for you. The boys haf been begging for veeks since receiving your letter. I am glad you vere able to come so swiftly. I thought, perhaps, another two veeks. It is well to see you once more.” Now her eye was on the siblings, “It is also quite well to see you. Devin i Avery, da?”
“Uuhhh...” Devin fumbled. Context meant she was asking if she was right, right?
Avery answered for them with a nod and continued with, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you.”
“No need for apology.” She smiled, “You were quite smol. I am Franziska Katz,” That smile grew humored as she finished her title, “Alchemist, void mage, crusher of mine enemies. You may call me Frani or Fran. These are mine boys, Topher and Otto Katz. Fledgling mage.” The mother petted her children’s hair, “Say hello to your Uncle Rowan’s cousins.”
Otto lowered his gaze while Topher tugged his mother, “What’s a ‘cousin’?”
She replied with the equivalent in their language, but finished in one the brawler could understand, “Though they are much like siblings. So it would be appropriate for you to refer to them similarly.” The only comprehensible words to Devin in the next sentence was ‘aunt’ and their names.
Topher nodded, waltzed right over, and gave her big blue eyes as he chirped, “Nice to meet you, Aunt Devin!” Her face flushed.
“Hello.” She wasn’t sure where she stood with having kids overall. She hadn’t given it much thought until very recently, but this boy was so precious that she felt a gnawing desire to acquire one.
He then turned to Avery, “Nice to meet you, Aunt Avery.” She stifled a snicker into a snort with the back of a hand. Frani and Rowan tried to hide their own amusement.
Avery forced a smile, suppressing his mild upset, bent to the child’s height, and pointed to himself, “I’m a boy. I’d be Uncle Avery. It’s nice to meet you too, Topher.”
Topher blinked at him, “Oh.”
Devin took up a devilish grin, “Yeah, but Aunt Avery has a much better ring to it.” He responded with a glare colder than the weather here.
Otto was pushed forward. He looked up at them, bit his lip, then proceeded to flee behind his mother. Frani sighed, “Otto…”
The girl exchanged a glance with her kin and Avery quickly informed the woman, “It’s okay.”
Rowan added, “We’ll be here a while. He’ll have time to warm up.”
Then Otto mumbled from behind her, “Nice to meet you.” Her heart.
Her and Avery offered their greetings, “And it’s very nice to meet you, Otto.” They were both precious.
The void mage chuckled and gestured for them to follow, “Come! Ve finished our errands here, let us go home.” Rowan had explained they restocked in this town regularly so they just had to be in the right place on the right day.
Devin leaped back, colliding into her brother who shoved her off, “Ow! What are y-.” Terror struck into him at the same sight, “Is that a basilisk!?” A giant reptilian creature was strapped to the front of their wagon. It’s head twisted like it knew they were talking about it. One that certainly appeared similar to that rotting beast back in Rallen.
Rowan took their shoulders from behind, “Calm down, guys. She won’t hurt you. She’s a pretty handy replacement for a horse and very well-mannered.”
“Okay, but… h-how? Mountains are one thing, but wouldn’t the cold in the winter here be-.”
Their cousin gave the teen a good shove forward that cut him short. The aspiring scholar stumbled and eyed the older male, not quite sure why he’d done that. Rowan merely gave them a soft smile before strolling past to help the boys into the wagon. Franziska also climbed into the back, rather than the driver’s seat, to Devin’s surprise. The reins remained draped where they were.
Once every one was in, Frani patted the hip of the basilisk, “Home.” They shifted as the creature set off. No one even had to watch the road. A handy replacement was seeming like an understatement. This was the most well-trained animal she’d ever seen. “It will take few hour.”
After they left the town, Otto climbed into his parent’s lap, and curled into a ball. Avery soon voiced concern for him, “Is he okay?”
Fran nodded and Topher added with a roll of his head, “This always happens.”
Their mother addressed Rowan, “Have you explained?”
“No, I was waiting until it was just us. We can never be too careful.” A serious demeanor spread over him for once, “Remember when I said there was something I couldn’t explain yet?” Her attention drifted from Rowan’s face down to Topher’s. Yeah. She’d already put a few things together. “There’s more than four sapient species on the continent.”
“Eh?” Devin was blindsided.
Her brother was a little more cohesive with his response, “What? How many are there then? What are they? Who are they?”
Their elder shrugged, “Well I don’t know that much, but there’s at least one more. Was one more. The chimera.”
“Chimera!?” Avery’s ears and tail lofted. “You mean the monster race? They were sapient!?”
“Do not say such things!” Franziska lashed at the teen from the head of the wagon. Her tone was scathing and thick with revulsion, “Stupid child. Do not throw words which such careless abandon! They are not monsters, merely outside what small minds such as yours can comprehend.”
Devin was on her feet in an instant while Avery cowered in confusion under the harsh reaction, “I-I’m sorry…?”
The brawler snapped, “Donottalk to my brother like that!” She didn’t care if they were in a moving vehicle. “He got over excited and blurted out something he’s read. You don’t have to be a belittling bitch toward him for repeating it!” Her blood boiled. Void mage or not, she’d beat this woman to a pulp.
Frani’s eyes narrowed, as she went to speak, the tail of the basilisk slapped her. Devin stared. That was weird timing. The other woman grunted and attempted to fix the damage done to her hair.
Rowan intervened without actually standing, transparently irritated with the both of them, “It’s a misunderstanding so both of you let me finish explaining, okay?” Her rage filled gaze slipped to Rowan, but he didn’t flinch under it. “Franziska’s wife, Naretha, is a chimera. The only chimera to survive as far as we know.” She staggered at this. “But Devin’s right too.” He turned from her to speak to his own elder, “I just said I hadn’t explained, you don’t have to jump straight to bitchy. He just needs more information.”
The woman collected herself with a deep breath and sat back, “Mine apologies. It is hard for me to retain calm when such beliefs are what saw them slaughtered to near extinction. Including mine Naretha.”
The brawler flexed her fingers, but settled enough to sit again. Avery nodded and kept his mouth shut.
They were soon distracted as Otto wailed, “Mama!” Frani stroked over the boy’s frame.
“This vill have to be enough. He cannot hold this form any longer without injury.” The ball of a child trembled while his mother continued to coo sweet things to him.
Their cousin slid back to where he was sitting next to Topher. He watched somberly, but spoke to Devin and Avery. “I can’t stress enough how important it is we don’t tell anyone about them being chimera. I’m sure you read this too, Avery, that chimera possess a unique kind of magic. An ability that gives their blood special properties and makes it invaluable as an ingredient to alchemists. It’s why they were hunted to the brink of extinction. The ability to transform. At first they can really only rearrange their current mass, but as they get older… they can change into any animal or even combinations of animals they see fit. That’s part of why they were viewed as monsters. The other is because their default appearance…”
Franziska slowly removed the clothes from her child. Devin’s jaw fell open. His body was covered in fur. He cried more as his bones audibly snapped into new positions and skin sloughed from his arms to reveal scales beneath. Her own crawled from witnessing it. Two bloodied structures formed on his head that were the beginning of antlers. A couple more sniffles came from the boy and then he sat up. He was covered with hugs and praise from his mother. Otto didn’t seem to pay her much mind. He looked too tired to pay much mind to anything.
“Their default appearance can be unsettling since they look like a combination of several other animals.” His face and shoulders were humanoid enough, but beyond that was difficult to put into words. The budding antlers on his head were accompanied by a change in the shape of his ears. They were furry and round, but in the same spot. It struck her quickly, ‘Like a lion!’ They drooped in his exhaustion.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
There was also a clear division just below his shoulders and collarbones where puffs of cream fur began that matched those ears. It slowly darkened to a tan tone the lower one went along his frame. His legs were now akin to a deer’s. The midpoint of his forearms was another sudden transition to scales. The rest of the limbs were more like zefiil’s than anything. The color was a much darker green than she’d seen on any of them before, however. A lizard like tail curled next to him that ended with an odd brown tuft of hair. His irises also weren’t blue anymore. They had changed to an equally deep purple hue.
They couldn’t stop gawking. Frani scowled ever deeper at them. She pulled a cloak over the shoulders of her chimera child.
Rowan cut in before there was another confrontation, “I know it’s new to you, but reel it in a little?”
Devin shook herself out. She forced her eyes to her cousin instead, “We could have used a little more warning is all. Did you forget we were stunned the first time we saw a zefiil too?”
“Otto is way more amazing!” Topher crossed his arms to declare in support of his brother. The other had already reverted to a horizontal position with his head in Frani’s lap.
Their fledgling scholar bucked up, “Transforming seems… excruciatingly painful.”
Franziska attempted to extend an olive branch by replying, “His body is not accustomed to such event yet. It will become easier with time and practice.”
Then it was awkwardly quiet. Rowan had to raise an eyebrow, “Is that really all you have to say, Avery? No questions?” Just that little bit of encouragement had him considerably embarrassed. “You know, Frani is gramps’s only student besides me.” The half-emeran dug his fingers against his legs and was trying his absolute hardest to not look at the void mage.
He burst, “How did you become grandpa’s student!?”
A cheeky grin from Rowan, “There he is.”
Franziska sighed, “That story is very long. To slice to heart of it, I was desperate. I needed strength. Guidance in magic I had only just discovered. Your grandfather refused, but was easy to break. After I passed out from dehydration, and perhaps starvation as well, he was more than happy to agree.”
“Wait, what?” Avery gaped.
Rowan laughed and lifted a hand to elaborate, “She went on a hunger strike outside of our door until gramps agreed to teach her.”
“I nearly died that day,” she shrugged it off, “but Uchitel is knowledgeable in many things. So I live.”
Devin tipped her head, “Uchitel?”
“Professor, basically.” Rowan clarified.
Meanwhile Avery kept on with the slack jawed astonishment, “And you were a kid? How old were you?”
“Ten? Perhaps eleven.” Her brother went quiet to grasp it all no doubt. That was a tremendous amount of determination for a kid that age. She certainly couldn’t do it now let alone at ten. Yet Frani didn’t seem to think much of the feat.
Devin’s attention slowly shifted to Rowan and Topher as the boy pulled at his arm in a manner suggesting a desire to wrestle. The man responded with dipping to the floor of the wagon in fake submission.
“So,” the questions were piling up in her mind, “It’s just you, your wife, and your boys living alone way out here?” Wife meant Naretha was also a woman, right?
Frani nodded, “Da?” It didn’t seem that she got what particular question the younger woman was trying to pick at.
“Well, um,” she twiddled her thumbs, “I can’t help noticing, Rowan, that you and Topher and Otto look…” Her cousin’s head snapped up from flat and he very quickly made a cutting motion at his neck. Alarm lit Frani’s face. He then jabbed his head in the direction of the boy. What did that mean!? Devin trailed off with an extended, “Uuuhhh?” Their mother calmed when the question was dropped. Did the kids not know?
“We look what?” The human child had sat up to gaze at Devin. The panic returned with a stab to her chest. If it was important for the boys to not know then why did he not warn them at all!?
“Um, o-oh, uh, you three look like you-,” she needed to come up with something, anything, else, “L-like you’re all very close.” The feline forced a cough.
The tension ebbed as Topher bought her side-step, “Mommy and mama won’t play like Uncle Rowan does!”
“Unfortunately true.” Their present mother gave an expression of defeat. “Our boys are rambunctious. More than we can contend with. I am quite grateful Rowan visits us often.”
Avery’s sight was darting between everyone. He was thinking the same thing she was, “How often do you visit?” This wasn’t like meeting Phoebe. This was a whole aspect of his life that they had no idea existed at all. Why hadn’t he ever said anything?
“Hm? Well…” He finally locked up Topher’s arms in some weird manner before prying himself from the wagon’s floor, “It was twice the one year, but the next it was three. Now… I try for four, but last year I didn’t manage to do it. I think I’m on track for this year, though.” The man informed the boy, “You’re not gonna get out.” The boy huffed and surrendered. Rowan released him and tousled his hair.
The vanquished wrestler plopped down, “Should stay all the time.” Both Rowan and Frani’s figures lurched.
“Topher, I’m sorry, but we’ve been over this.” Her cousin rubbed at his neck, his troubles heavy on him.
“But!” The boy was pulling his uncle’s arm again, “But it’s fun when you’re here! And mommy and mama are happier too!” It was heartbreaking to watch as he devolved into whines and Rowan kept eyes far from the boy. “It’s not fair! Why can’t you stay forever?”
“Topher, I have to find my mom,” but he was only old enough to see what he wanted.
“You could still live with us! We’ll look too! Maybe she’s around here!”
“Topher.” Frani scolded in their language briefly. “Be glad he is here now.” The child pouted and gave Rowan the biggest shove he could before storming away to an empty corner of the wagon to do his own staring off into the sparsely snowy surroundings.
No one felt like talking from there so they sat being cajoled by the lack of road. Devin leaned against the side. The next thing she knew she was sneezing as someone poked her nose.
Rowan’s stupid smile greeted her, “We’re here, sleepy.” When did she fall asleep? She stood and stretched then shivered. The cold had seeped right in with all the lack of activity. The brawler rubbed at her arms. Otto was also being shook awake. Devin raked her eyes across their surroundings. Where was here exactly, anyway?
There was still a surprising amount of green alongside small patches of snow. The grass was in tufts compared to home. A lot of coniferous trees lurked at varying distances both alone and in packs. Her focus fell upon what was apparently their home. It was a circular structure constructed out of pelts and what appeared to be bones and tree limbs. How did they make it through winter here in something like that? Maybe she’d ask later.
She dropped from the wagon. The children were helped to the ground. Franziska went directly to detaching the basilisk. A basilisk that Rowan gave a good pat on the rear.
“Thanks for the ride!” The tail of it smacked the back of his head. “Ow.”
The void mage rolled her eye, “Rowan, do not touch mine wife’s ass.” The harness pieces were tossed into the wagon.
‘Her… wife?’ Her ears twisted at the sound of more snaps of bone. Then those ears slowly pressed closer and closer to her head as the shape of the released animal morphed. A feminine version of Otto soon graced the space. One with long lavender colored hair and full-sized, two-point antlers.
She was so small for having been such a giant beast. Maybe five feet? Frani wrapped a cloak about the other woman’s shoulders. They shared a kiss and then the new face pivoted to them. Her eyes were lavender too.
The chimera was brimming with joy, “Nice… to meet you.” Her speech was stalled, like she never spoke the Sibelii language as the rest of them did. “I am Naretha.” The woman also bowed to them. Devin and Avery were standing close together, so she looked to him and then they both returned the bow. It made her even happier. Her chest puffed up and some teeth became visible in her smile.
“Guys! We gotta unpack!” Rowan was being dragged off by the young.
“Later!” Topher demanded.
“It’ll be too dark later!”
Otto joined in, “Why we gotta play nooooow!”
Franziska sighed, “They won’t be much help as they are.” She shooed them off with a hand, “Off with you. I will get mine self.” Her and her wife went to start unloading their supplies. Devin didn’t think about it at all. She joined them.
“I can help carry.”
“You are guest.” The void mage attempted to shoo her as well.
“I really don’t mind.” She tested the weight of a crate and then piled some sack on top of it. It was pretty heavy now, but she could manage it. The brawler turned to the couple to find them bewildered with her.
“How… f-forget I speak.” Frani waved it off, as was proving customary for her, and went back to the task at hand. Avery helped as well.
They placed the supplies where they were directed upon entering the tent-like abode. Everything was effectively on the floor in here. More hides and furs. A fire-pit in the center. The only traditional furniture was short wooden tables. One seemed to be some kind of work area. Presumably for the one that had introduced herself as an alchemist. It only took a single trip with all of them helping.
She squeaked surprise as Naretha took her hand, “Thank you.” The woman continued on in speech she couldn’t understand, but her wife came to stand next to her. “Naretha expresses her gratitude to you for your help.” Her arm came around the chimera, “Avoiding second transformation to unload has left her with enough strength to visit with everyone tonight.”
“Uh…” They were expecting a response. It got stuck. Devin cast eyes to the ground, “Happy to help.” They smiled and she offered a stunted one in return.
Devin reemerged to the scene of Rowan throwing snowballs around with the boys. They had to go a little far for the snow drifts. Naretha headed for them in what she could only describe as glee. She was vaguely aware of Avery standing nearby, watching as well.
“So… since she wasn’t a true basilisk… that’s why you don’t have to worry about the colder temperatures like you would for an actual basilisk?” A clearly rhetorical question. She could see the implications and applications of their abilities clunking about in his head. The whole concept was undoubtedly fascinating to him. It was interesting to her, but not what she couldn’t stop focusing on.
“Your question, Devin.” Her ear perked as the void mage joined in observing the four mess around in the distance. Fran didn’t reciprocate Devin’s attention, merely stood with hands tucked into opposite sleeves for warmth. “It seems Rowan did not prep you properly for our meeting. We don’t wish to tell them until they are older. Especially since they are so attached to him without knowing.”
She watched him beg mercy as he was triple teamed, “So… he is in fact…?”
Franziska chuckled, “We are two women living alone in the wilderness. He is our only visitor. Only person we trust. Who else would be? We asked…” She sighed, “No. I should not phrase it such way. We guilted him into… providing what we lacked. Shame I will carry forever, but shame that gave mine boys.” The void mage shook her head at herself. “Please understand, chimera were not the only ones slaughtered. Any who took their side were disposed of as pest. Naretha and I are all that remain of our tribe. We desperately wanted family again. Something we could not obtain on our own. And with chimera bordering extinction… the pressure was ten fold.”
“But…” Avery hesitated under her single eye, “But th-that’s delaying the inevitable. The blood will be diluted with every generation following.”
The void mage dismissed his worries, “Ordinarily correct, but chimera possess many unique qualities. Due to their nature, all chimera are born full-blooded chimera no matter their mate. It only takes one to continue the line.” His interest was beyond piqued, but Fran continued elsewhere, “We plan to tell them when we believe they are old enough to understand that while he is their father… he also is not. What nature their relationship takes we left to be entirely Rowan’s choice.” A curl came to one side of her lips, “For a while, I feared that we had pushed him away forever, but… he surprised me.” The woman fell back to a stoic expression, “I need to prepare dinner.”
x x x
“Wham!” Rowan had an arm around the boys, squashing both to his left side. They were eating up every detail. He pointed, “Devin rams shoulder first into the thing and sends it flying into the wall.” The girl blushed as their bright eyes fixated on her. ‘Flying’ was kind of a strong word, wasn’t it?
Otto asked of his uncle, “C-could I be that strong?”
“When you’re older?” Rowan was glowing talking with them, “Definitely! Have you seen Retha when she’s angry? Super bear. Literally.” The woman giggled at his description of her.
It hadn’t taken nearly as long as Devin thought it would to adjust to their appearances. It was also surprisingly warm in their home with all of them in here, well-fed, and around a fire.
Topher pushed on Rowan, “Then what!?”
He went on to tell the story of their boar hunt in dramatic fashion. It was strange hearing it from his perspective to her. Devin examined her hand, watching her fingers curl. To the mage it had been a display of courage and strength. And a touch of recklessness. To her, she recalled what felt like blood lust.
Devin yelped as the boys tackled her suddenly. They were spouting something about her being the real challenge. She shouldn’t have let her guard slip! They got the drop on her! Avery and Rowan snickered in the background.
“Boys!” They kept trying to wrestle with her. Their human mother chided again. The feline went still as the two suddenly drifted into the air, rendered weightless by their mother’s magic. Franziska flicked her wrist and they crashed the two feet to the ground. Otto sniffled a little. Their mother showed no mercy, “I warned you. Learn to listen.” She went back to sipping something from a wooden bowl. The rascals slunk off. The brawler sat up and smoothed her clothes and hair.
“I’ll play with you tomorrow, okay?” They both perked up with eager nods.
Naretha stood and informed them both of something that made them groan. Franziska’s eye came to the emeran siblings, “Our bed time is peculiar, I should warn you. Among other things, chimera also… typically age much faster than other species.” The two tilted their heads. The boys seemed the same age. Naretha was the one who looked younger between the two women as well. “We stumbled into way to cheat this by using basilisk venom.”
“B-basilisk venom?” Topher had simply gone to bed. They were evidently going to sleep very close to each other. Naretha had taken Otto to where Franziska did her alchemy.
“Yes, effects of such substance are easily reversible when prepared correctly and one’s body can be returned to the state it was upon turning to stone. Naretha and Otto are allowed to rest without time crawling forward on them. While we are first to apply it in this manner, it is potion our peoples prepared many times. We would keep livestock in petrified state to be returned to flesh should the winter go poorly. We did this because it eliminated spending energy on caring for it while keeping it as fresh as possible. Utilizing potion is much more exact and safer than attempting to manipulate time itself through magical means. Even for me.” The chimera mother sat with child in her lap.
Her brother asked the obvious question in a fearful manner, “But what if you prepare it wrong?” The substance they drank wasn’t black, but gray. Otto stuck out his tongue after. It must have tasted foul.
“That risk is minuscule. I am well versed in its creation. Thus Naretha and I choose to take that risk. This way we will have decades more with each other and Topher and Otto will grow together rather than apart.”
“Decades?”
Franziska gave a single slow nod before elaborating, “Chimera age nearly twice as fast as humans. Normally, by forty, Naretha would be on her deathbed, if she is lucky, while I would have at least another decade if not two. Perhaps even three if I am lucky.” Her and Avery turned to witness the chimera’s last bits of flesh dull to gray. A statue of a mother cradling her child. “I thought to apply it this way during the attacks. It is how Naretha survived. Our enemies thought her a mere statue that they did not bother to destroy.” She chuckled at a memory, “When I returned, at first she did not believe it was me since I had entered adolescence during our time apart.”
Devin mumbled commentary, “You’ve had such hard lives.”
The void mage again waved off the observation, “Everyone has hard life. Their struggles are simply not always laid bare such as ours.”
It was hard to recover from such a burdensome topic; none of them stayed up much longer.