"Y-Yeah..." I said, stopping short, not really knowing what to say to Mr. Hale. The Scalehoofs were excited. Only, there just had to be a “but”. This world has always found some way to mess with me. "I d-didn't mean to… force them, you know."

A bit defensive and pretty stupid to point out my errors like that. I just didn't want there to be any misunderstanding. First of all, it wasn't how I was brought up, and secondly, my stupid beast pride wouldn't allow it. After letting the beast's voice out, I could feel it ruffling my feathers every time something came up that challenged my honor.

"Don't sweat it, Grey, I know. I heard them - well, not all of it. Seriously, I have no idea how you can make sense out of all this neighing, but I guess it's a natural beast talker thing. In fact, I'm stoked to have you here."

'Shit! Of course, he heard. He heard the scalehoofs calling me Lady and...'

"Wait, what? You're hiring me?"

Stable Master Hale chuckled, pointing to the stall in which Lyl'ra stood, no longer afraid of me - if anything, very confused. "I gave you an assignment, and you exceeded my expectations. I'd have to be a fool not to take my chances with you."

'Was he serious?'

"R-really?"

"You didn't have very high hopes, huh? Well, you should learn not to underestimate yourself. Not anyone that young can get 96 sigils on their array."

"Oh, that." If only he knew. It only took me a year and a half to get where I was.

"Yes, just that," the stable master said, a little taken aback at my lack of appreciation for his praise. But before I could even react, explain myself, he laughed heartily at me to see the number of sigils that most people could only dream of as something trivial or even annoying. "Good, very good. Can you come tomorrow at dawn?"

"Tomorrow? You don't want me to start right away?"

"Ah, eager to get to work. I like that. But I have to get the paperwork ready first, and someone to show you the ropes. You said you had no experience working in stables, right?"

"Y-yeah, I don't." I stammered, not really knowing what to say. On the one hand, I wanted to thank the man, but on the other, dread and jitters were making my guts a mess, a sign of weakness. In other words, it only made the beast more irate.

"Then tomorrow, Grey," the stable master said, a broad smile plastered on his face, motioning for his dog to follow him. "Come on, Buster. We have to finish the door before dark."

»Good to meet you, Lady,« growled the big black dog, wagging his tail happily as he followed his master out of the building.

And just like that, I was left there facing the old man and the little kitare. The eyes of both were wide with wonder. But while Scoresby seemed to be regretting his decision to let me stay at his place, Ria's eyes shone bright.

"I know there's a lot of explaining to do..."

"I knew it. You are Wierin, Korra," the little kitare beamed, unable to contain her excitement any longer, and rushed to me.

"No, Ria. I'm not," I said, well aware of how pointless it was this time.

"But of course you are, Korra. You're exactly what they say you are."

"A-aren’t they supposed to be creatures of great strength?"

"You are strong. I felt it, and so did Mr. Scoresby. Didn't you, Mr. Scoresby?"

"Yes," the old man breathed. "Was it...you know, the beast you spoke of in Esulmor? The one you said you could turn into?"

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

'Of course, he remembered.'

"Yeah. That one."

"Glad I wasn't wrong about the shackles, then."

"I am truly sorry, Mr. Scoresby. I didn't mean to lie to you. It's just..."

"And you didn't," he stopped me, stroking his beard, a way to calm himself down, it seemed. "You've been straight with me - in your own way."

»Lady, truthful, I said so,« Sylph'ra neighed, proud that she was not mistaken about me.

"I should have just listened to you better, I suppose," the old man said, glancing over the scalehoofs in the stable. They all still had their heads poking out of their stalls, some trying to get my attention. "What actually happened, Korra? Why did I feel like I was standing in the presence of a three hundred sigil beast?"

"That's because she's strong, like Wierin," the little kitare beamed even before I had a chance to gather my thoughts to answer.

"Not me, Ria. It's not me who is strong. It's the beast sleeping within me."

Not some stupid lie. That was just the way it was. It was my inner beast who got me out of that cellar, negotiated the parley with the squirrels, fought off the thugs in the back alley, and now got me a job. Thinking about it, I seemed kind of useless, a burden to the beast. No doubt it would have been much better off without me, if I hadn't held it back.

»Lady too young.«

Well, there was no denying that there was something to it. I have been in this world for a much shorter time than Ria. I was basically a toddler when it came to living here.

"Sooo," the little kitare sang, thinking hard. "You need to wake up fully."

"W-what?" That was definitely not what I expected her to say.

"You...you said that the strong you is asleep, so maybe to become Wierin - you have to wake up."

"Ria, I told you, I'm not Wierin." If there really was such a creature, it certainly wasn't some mutant chick like me.

"But...but you look like one, and they are said to understand everyone, just like you."

'Oh, was that why she was so excited and convinced that I was one?'

With a heavy heart, I crouched down to her. "Ria, I don't understand everyone - animals and beasts, maybe. But if I didn't use [Eleaden Standard Language], I wouldn't understand you."

"You wouldn't?" she asked, taken aback, the disappointment in her voice hitting me like a fist to the gut.

"No, I wouldn’t."

"T-Then maybe when you learn - and wake up?"

"I'm sorry, I..." I said, stopping short of saying for the third time that I was not Wierin. 'What if the lady thing was somehow related to the creature of Terr'den’s legend?' A thought I would have liked to dismiss straight away, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed possible.

"Let it be, little one," Scoresby spoke up. "We don't get to choose how we are born into this world. Quite often, we don't even get to choose who to be, like Korra - or me."

"You?" I couldn't help but wonder, as did the little kitsune.

"Do you think I chose to be a Merchant like my father? No, my father forced me to choose it - or rather, he didn't leave me much of a choice. Don't worry. I learned to love my job, but it took time."

Damn, I thought of him as a loving son, following in the family footsteps, but I guess nothing was as simple as it first appeared.

"So, Mr. Scoresby, you are saying that with time, Korra might become Wierin?"

"Well, I was trying to say I wouldn't want to push anyone into something they don't want to be, but yes. One day, she might become whatever you wish her to be, little one. However, let her get there of her own free will."

Mouthing a silent “thank you”, I couldn't stop wondering if one day I would really grow up to be that legendary creature. Apparently, I had the look. Becoming stronger was already part of my plan, and learning to speak Eleaden Standard myself was only a matter of common sense. After all, I had no illusions about returning to Earth any time soon. As such, if I wanted to survive here, I needed to use every weave at my disposal.

Speaking of which, it was high time to choose weaves that were a little more useful than [Thrifty Drinker] and [Hunger Fortitude].

─◇────────────────────────────────────────

Name: Korra Grey

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 27

1st Array: Slave

Master: None

Sigils: 97 - ○○○○○○

─◇────────────────────────────────────────

WEAVES: 1ST ARRAY (6/6)

Eleaden Standard Language (General): ............. 20 glyphs - ⦿⦿

Indomitable Will (Slave): ...................................... 111 glyphs - ⦿⦿⦿⦿⦿

Thrifty Drinker (General): ........................................3 glyphs - ⦿

Equilibrium (General): ............................................. 7 glyphs - ⦿

Hunger Fortitude (General): .................................. 6 glyphs - ⦿

Spatial Domain (General): ..................................... 13 glyphs -⦿⦿

─◇────────────────────────────────────────