The little town was quaint. Pretty.

Terrifying.

He had thought— he didn’t know what he had thought. That there’d be more Volkodlak? More people like Xenia? Maybe that one Bloodline had take the stray of another in? Katsurou didn’t care what the taller woman said about being part of a Bloodline, rather the fact that she claimed she wasn’t; there was no one that powerful who couldn’t have a direct line of decenscion form a Monster. He was also choosing to ignore that when she wasn’t blossoming with Magic like when she had healed him, she barely gave off a Magic signature. It was so low that it could be mistaken for a full Human, something that was becoming rarer and rarer these days.

But no.

Within the first five minutes he had nearly had a heart attack because they were at a shop with a Fenghuang woman.

Fenghuang! Not even part of this continent! Not a moment later, he say a Sprite walking down with a heavily pregnant Gorgon.

Neither Xenia or Iskra showed any inclination that this was any kind of strange. Which it was. The only time he had seen so many of different Bloodlines in one place without actively killing each other was when he went to the Capital to receive his Titles as the Tengu and the Warlord. A bunch of other Bloodlines had arrived at the ceremony, wanting to see the new Blood.

When he had walked down the streets, all decked out in his Bloodline’s colors of red and black, he had felt their eyes on him like bugs on his skin.

Here, the eyes were like a little gust of wind. He drew attention, yes, but it was glancing, with no malice behind it. And he knew very well that his own staring made him the bug in this analogy, but he just couldn’t stop, he was so bewildered by it all.

“MIIIIIIIIIISSSSS XENIAAAAAAAAAA!” He nearly jumped out of his skin at the high pitched yell.

“Incoming,” said Iskra, pulling Katsurou aside just in time to dodge two blurs of color darting straight for Xenia.

Somehow, she crouched down and caught them, picking both up in her arms despire the huge amount of momentum and weight, and yeah, there’s no way this woman is a Human.

The two children spoke fast at her, excited, and he could smell burnt sugar in the air. Katsurou winced. Children and sugar equals loud.

“No, I’m afraid I can’t teach today,” Xenia said, nuzzling one of the children. “I’ve got a patient, see?” She nodded her head towards him.

The boy in her left arm frowned. “He seems fine.” He declared.

“You don’t know that!” Said the girl. “Grampa said that some people can be sick without looking sick.”

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“What?”

“Yeah, he said it’s called being loony.”

Katsurou sputtered. “Oi!”

“You’re right,” Iskra leaned conspiratorially towards the kids, “he’s sick without being sick. You see, he has… cooties!”

The kids shrieked and Katsurou just accepted that this was his life now. He glared at the Volkodlak, who was grinning an awful lot like a fox rather than a wolf.

The children scrambled down Xenia as she laughed. “Remember, cooties don’t exist!” She called after them.

He watched as the girl pulled far ahead of the boy, having to stop for a full thirty seconds for him to keep up. It wasn’t that the boy was slow, just that the girl was incredibly fast.

“What Bloodline is she?” He asked. Iskra gave him a side eye.

“I wouldn’t tell you even if I knew.” She shot back. He scowled.

“I have no desire to hurt or hunt children.” He spat.

“Good for you, the bar’s in Hell and you’re not doing the limbo with the rest of my family. I still don’t know and don’t care.”

“How can you not know—?”

“Do you know who Hestia is named after?” Xenia joined in the conversation suddenly, causing him to blink.

“It’s named after someone?”

“It is?” Iskra also asked. The two glanced at each other before looking back at Xenia.

Her gaze seemed far away, staring intently at a bush without really looking at it.

“Hestia, patron of the Fire Forms. And the Patron of Hospitality.”

Iskra relaxed. “Ah, your Saints.”

Xenia blinked, seemingly snapping out of whatever trance she was in. “Ah, yes, sorry. Actually, it’s just a good chance that it was named after Them by accident. In the Old Tongue, hesti is a root form for ‘comfort,’ that’s probably what it’s named after.”

Iskra clicked her tongue and looped her arm through Xenia’s. “I dunno, maybe you are on to something. Sounds awful similar.”

“Mmhmm. Anyways, that’s part of the goal of Hestia. Hospitality for all. Any fights must be taken off Hestian grounds, and above all, we must protect the next generation.” Xenia glanced at Katsurou. “The children here… many are orphans and bastards because their parents were of differing Bloodlines. Everyone, no matter if they’re Blood or not, or if they’re from other Bloodlines, takes care of them.” She paused, as if considering to tell him something. “There are also inter-Bloodline marriages here.”

“Well, that just seems like a bad idea.” There were a few exceptions, of course, but for the most part children who were born out of such unions were deformed at worst, weak at best. Katsurou was an exception because his mother was a Monster, and her Magic overpowered his father’s by leagues when he was in the womb. His half-sister was not so lucky.

“Not with me here.” Xenia said.

“Xea!” Iskra gave her a look.

“All are welcome on Hestia’s grounds. This is not a secret, simply a fact that no one has bothered to seek.” She turned back to Katsurou. “You may have notived my healing ability?”

“Indeed.” And the fact hat she could heal outside of her own Bloodline—

Wait.

“You. You’re… making sure the children come to term?”

“Not only that, I make sure they’re strong.” She smiled, and it was a bit mean this time. “Rather then canceling each other’s Bloodlines out, I make sure that a parent’s Bloodline adds to another.”

That’s.

That’s.

That’s terrifying.

“That’s incredible.” It was the best and worst kind of abomination.

“Isn’t it?” The way she was staring at Katsurou made him think she was somehow reading his mind. His mind which was screaming at him to feel fear.

But all he could feel was a growing curiosity.

“Be wary of our neighbors in town,” Xenia looked away and started to walk forwards. “But please remember: Those who harm our children, those who fight on our grounds, shall pay thrice the price.”