“All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.”

― Friedrich Nietzsche

Vendak blinked at the rush of words that Mara threw at him, his brow furrowed as he processed language for the first time in years. I'm going to ignore the fact that she called me Miss... Instead, he focused on the contents of her words. Ven gave the woman a bow as his emotions tumbled.

I'm glad I can't respond. Honestly, I don't know if I can remember how to talk.

Mara kept her grin as she copied his bow, her sharp canines displayed in full, then returned to her place around the table.

The group argued about their next course of action, and the two most popular choices had unbalanced support. The Royals were on one side, while the rest stood against them under Mara's leadership.

Now that Ven got a closer look, he found that this group of Royals had some different traits. Unlike the other slaves he had seen, these three had human-style ears and curved horns sprouted from their foreheads. Traces of scales could be seen around their throats and on the backs of their hands, while their eyes had vertical, diamond-shaped pupils.

They looked around at the others who attended the meeting with an aura of contempt, one that Ven detected long before he had the benefit of translation.

"We have no experienced sailors or space mages to drive the ship at greater speeds," Mara said as she took her seat. "The only option that won't end in disaster is if we seek out the closest shore. Returning directly home is impossible."

One of the Royals snorted in response. The largest of the three leaned forwards, a rather revolting sneer plastered on his face.

"You've said this before, and I'll respond as I have each time, since you clearly need even the most basic information repeated." He pressed his finger into the table and shaved off a spiral of wood as he continued. "The Prince and Princess have commanded that we make all haste to return to the capital. All you, and those like you, need to be concerned with is carrying out their, and our, commands." With a flick of his wrist, the twist of redwood flew at Mara's face. "We will set a course for home, or you will face the consequences of disobeying a royal decree."

Mara's hackles raised, and her stubby ears lay flat against her head.

"If we head to the Fallun Islands, we can arrive in about a week of hard effort and a bit of luck." She brushed the offending scrap from her fur. "Once we arrive, we can send a message to the Empire, and they'll dispatch a vessel to retrieve the Prince and his sister."

The large man attempted to butt in once more. She slammed her hand into the table, a vicious look on her face.

"Gods willing, we can be home in a few months. If we mindlessly point the ship towards the capital, we'll be lucky to get the twins home at all." Mara withdrew her hand and left behind a deep paw print in the heavy wood. "We won't be risking the lives of everyone here, just so SOME of us can monopolize the glory of rescuing the Crown Prince."

The horned men had no more to say after her measured words. All three stood up and swept away from the meeting. Their brutish leader had a black look on his face as he glared daggers at Mara.

When the trio's path brought them past Vendak, the angry fellow attempted to walk through Ven as if he wasn't there. He likely didn't recognize Vendak in his new outfit. Probably blinded by my new outfit and the arrogance of nobility. Regardless, Ven was not about idly wait as the man smashed into him.

The tall, horned beast kin stomped his way forwards. Ven raised his hand. As the fellow's shoulder attempted to travel through the space Ven occupied, he was seized in Vendak's vice-like grip. The horned man's forward momentum vanished, and his eyes widened as he finally looked at who he'd attempted to push aside.

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Ven didn't bother with the stuttered words that rushed from the man's throat. Instead, he tossed him over his shoulder and used this opportunity to train his control. Ven used only a small amount of force, but the man still sailed away like a bullet from a gun. A wail of horror sounded out, and the fellow smashed through at least one wall before the noise disappeared. The other horned beastfolk fled after their friend as Mara roared in laughter.

I need to work on my control... He'd intended to toss the man into the wall, not through it and beyond. I hope he lives to learn his lesson, I didn't mean to kill the moron.

The kind of authority the man used to oppress those around him had a limit, and it was best to be careful about who you used it on. Some people only valued authority if it surpassed them in power, and operated within their own moral systems unless forced. He respected individuals and judged them each on a case-by-case basis.

Unless an empire shows me a warrior that can force the issue, I'll obey my conscience.

Ven shrugged and put the entitled Nobility out of his mind. This small group of them was far too weak. Even if they have a backing that threatened me, they can suck it. In this life, he would live as he wished, consequences be damned. He'd survived for over a hundred years and was not interested in the games of others. This time, I'll play my own game, or flip the board and let the pieces fall. Ven would not make the same compromises he'd been forced to in the past. This time he planned to follow his heart and hoped to carry no regrets.

Vendak was lost in thought when the beast-folk disbanded. As the last few people shuffled out of the room, Mara approached him, a chuckle in her voice.

"Thanks for tossing out the trash! Those Dragon-folk are always lording over the rest of the beast-folk, just because the Royals and Nobles are almost all Dragon-kin." Her tail flicked, swatting the floor as she drove a fist into her palm. "Don't worry, they might be cruel and arrogant, but they're not stupid." The reactive tail behind her coiled upward, its tip pointed at Ven's face. "They wouldn't dare act against a Semi-Divine such as yourself."

At the words "semi-divine," Vendak tilted his head slightly. He desperately needed to investigate the overall strength of this world. From what Mara had already said, he could determine a few things. "My power isn't something unheard of, and it's not considered weak." Also, if he considered the qualifier "semi," beings with power above his current strength existed.

"Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for saving us again." Mara's head bowed. "If you hadn't acted on our behalf, we would have died cruel deaths in the Ori mines, or perhaps worse." She looked into Ven's eyes, her brown orbs reflecting small glints of green in the torchlight. "I also wanted to ask your name. Calling you, You all the time isn't very polite, and just telling me your name should be easy enough."

After a moment of silence, during which Vendak stared blankly at Mara's question, he raised a hand to point at himself. Ven cleared his throat to sound out his new vocal cords and finally managed a raspy response.

"Ven, Ven Soth,"

As if designed to match his body, the sound that came from him was relatively gender-neutral. Besides a horse undertone from lack of use, I could be a 12-year-old kid or a soft-spoken woman. However, he'd come to terms with his change, so a voice-to-match wasn't an issue. It might make it difficult for him to convince others that he wasn't a woman, but it was ultimately irrelevant. All that matters is my freedom and the power needed to maintain it. In his mind, everything else was just window dressing. He would accept any appearance, so long as he was strong enough to live in this new world.

"Ven eh? Alright, greetings Ven, it's wonderful to meet you!" Mara said warmly as she extended her hand, and grasped his in a strong grip. "I'm not sure what your plans are, but we would welcome you onboard." Like a rogue snake, her tail continued its assault on the ground, matched in rhythm with her words. "Not only can you protect the ship from sea monsters, but you can keep the Royals in line just by being here." Her already expressive gaze seemed to grow in size as she turned up the kitten eyes to full. "I know it's asking a lot after you've already saved us, but it will only take six or seven days to reach Fallun." A grin spread over her face, as she delivered the final hook. "They have Semi-Divines guarding the island chain, so perhaps you can meet with them about your translation problem?"

Vendak nodded vaguely to her request, focused on the woman's hand as he controlled his strength, and tried to leave it undamaged during this long handshake. Ven was content to stick around for a while, and the draconic Royals were the first entertainment he'd found since his rebirth.

Messing with Nobility always makes me smile.

It was also good to spend time with living, breathing people again. His long isolation had made him more than awkward around others, and Ven's time with the newly freed slaves was good for his mental health.

If I can get used to being around people again, it's worth taking the extra time.

"That's great Ven! My brother and I will make sure people don't bother you, I promise! I'll also do my best to help you solve your problem when we get to Fallun!" Mara jumped up and down, still lamped firmly onto Ven's hand. "It's very strange for a Semi-Divine to be unable to speak in every language, but Fallun has the highest concentration of Semi-Divines of any nation in the world." She pulled Ven forward, headed for the lower decks. "For now, I'll help you find a cabin to sleep in right away! Come on, let's go!"

Ven winced slightly at Mara's enthusiastic response, but moved as she ushered him toward the sleeping cabins. She rambled on about how there were only a limited number of quality rooms and seemed determined to get him the best one. Ven tried, and failed to explain that he only needed to spend his time on the deck. What am I supposed to do with a small room just for sleeping? I'd be better off standing on the upper deck. However, Vendak went with the flow and allowed the cat-eared beauty to drag him forward as he considered his future.

I want to walk a different path in this new life. Maybe this time, he could make a more human connection with the people around him. Life as a Warlord and an Emperor is way too stressful. Other than his brother, he had trusted no one. It had been a tiresome existence. This time I'm going to live as I wish, and make some friends along the way.

As he followed behind Mara's tail and watched it bounce and wave, Ven was hopeful about the future. For the first time since before he could remember, life didn't seem like only a brutal struggle for survival. Ven hummed a half-remembered song and listened to Mara's endless chatter.

I can't wait to find out what this world has to offer!