Just like any other morning, Bug woke up in the barn. It was the same view that the girl saw every morning when she first opened her eyes: agricultural tools hanging on the wooden wall, piles of silos for cattle storage, and crates filled with useless things that an elderly couple were reluctant to throw away. The old mattress with straw sticking out in all directions felt familiar and warm. The girl stretched her arms and legs, then sat down. A thin blanket slid down, revealing bare skin. Reflexively Bug pulled the fabric, covering herself, even though she was the only person in the barn.

For a moment, she sat motionless. Suddenly, waking up completely naked, freaked her out. The girl tried to remember how she had gone to sleep. Lashing, the old woman had given her. Yes, she had taken off her clothes because the barn was too hot and stuffy. So everything was just a dream.

Calmed down by her thoughts, Bug started to dress. That's when she noticed the dirt on her hands and feet, the soil under her nails. Or maybe it wasn't a dream after all.

After putting on the old and worn-out dress that had previously been a part of the old woman's wardrobe, Bug sat on the mattress. She stared at the at the earth floor, trying to figure out what had happened to her. Despite bright dreams before, she had never actually lived them. This dream turned out to be real, although it was the strangest dream she had ever had. Something had changed. 'Was it the egg? Should I go back and look for it?' But the strange, egg-like object had already disappeared when she woke up in the crevice.

Bug groaned and clasped her head in her hands. The egg was gone, and she couldn't ask anyone for advice or help. If anything, the villagers would be scared and disgusted if they knew about her metamorphosis. 'Does this make me a Magic Snatcher now?'.

The thought astonished her. The girl stared at her hands, trying to imagine them changing into paws, but her hands remained hands. Bug shook her head. Curly brown hairs fell onto her face. Her usual comfortable way of creating a barely visible wall between herself and the outside world calmed her mind. Magic snatchers - people who could use magic - were one of the favorite topics for drunks and travelers. Everyone had an opinion on them, but hardly anyone met them in reality. Rumors about magic snatchers were so wild and exaggerated that, as the head of the village once said, it would be easier to face a unicorn than a person with any kind of magic power. But for those with malicious intent, accusing someone of using magic tricks was a way to get rid of a rival. Authorities investigated every reported case of magic, but they could hardly prevent the witch hunt in remote rural areas. And Bug lived in a village at the border, with the closest wall post half a day's ride away. It was far too risky to let people know about her "dream".

The nagging outside the barn made her realize that it was past time she should start working. The girl hurriedly dusted off her clothes and left the barn. An old woman stood in front of the door, her white flabby skin covered with age spots, like the hide of an ancient cat-like creature from children's stories. Grey hair, tied in a tight knot, and a pair of glasses gave her the appearance of a village teacher, despite the fact that she never worked as one. The woman angrily pushed a piece of flatbread sprinkled with sesame seeds into Bug's hand, saying, "As if your ugliness weren't enough, you're being lazy too! Skipping work on the second day in a row? Do I need to teach you another lesson?"

The girl shook her head, looking at the woman's feet, but as always, it wasn't enough to appease her anger. The woman lifted her skirt slightly so that the embroidered fabric wouldn't get dirty, and stepped into the barn, bending over the bucket of rods, continuing to mutter,

"Your harlot mother slept with just any man who was kind to her. It's no wonder that she bore such an ugly beast like you. You should be grateful we gave you food and work. Instead, you only cause trouble!"

"Enough, - the old man approached them from the house. He walked slowly, leaning on a shabby crane. He never had any problems using it as a hitting tool, both for disobedient animals and for punishing those who he deemed guilty of anything. The old man scratched his bushy beard and barked at Bug.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Go and work already!"

The girl didn't need him to repeat it. She hurried away from the old couple, still hearing them argue.

"Are you defending her now? Do you want to bed her, you old fool?"

"Who are you calling a fool, nasty hag?!"

They weren't originally from the Kushane kingdom, but they blended in perfectly. Then one day her mother came. They took her in, and for some time, everything was peaceful. Until it was revealed that she was carrying a child. Rumors quickly spread around the village: that the child was out of wedlock, that the woman was a fugitive criminal, and that she had been fooling around with multiple men. The truth didn't matter anymore. No one believed a single mother. And when the hunchbacked child was born, it made things even worse. With no connections, support, or even friendly neighbors, her mother fell ill. She died far too soon, but her warm love was one of the few things that cheers up Bug even now.

Eating the flatbread while walking, she reached the pigpen. The animals were already hungry, waiting for her and pushing each other near the trough. Just like always, she fed them, cleaned the pen, and laid down a fresh straw. Pigs were rare in Kushane; only people who came from other countries, like elderly couple, kept them. Her dealings with "unclean" animals were another reason for being ostracized. Bug patted a piglet on the back and gave it a stashed piece of carrot. Unlike humans, she had no reason to dislike these animals.

After cleaning was done, she took the cart loaded with manure and pulled it to the field. This field had already been cleared of crops and was being prepared for next year's sowing. One of the villagers was gathering the remaining stems into the sheaves. He looked over his shoulder when he heard the sounds of the moving cart. His black hair, black beard and dark eyes were just like almost anyone else's here. With a short nod of greeting, he returned to work. Bug started to unload and fertilize the ground with manure. The man covered his mouth with a handkerchief and moved away from the hunchback. But the smell wasn't that awful for her. Or maybe she had become accustomed to it. 'It seems like one of the sows is sick,' thought Bug, continuing absently with her task. She flinched and looked at the cart again. Nothing looked out of ordinary, so why had she thought so?

The man's shouting distracted her from unexpected worries. Bug looked at the edge of the field, in the direction that the villager was staring. The colorful predator with a long muzzle, whiskers, and dragonfly-like eyes the color of pine was leisurely walking around. The fur on its sides and head were covered in bright violet stripes. For this particular pattern, it was called by the same name as an animal that humans were familiar with.

"Damn “badgers"! - the man took a pitchfork and approached the animal. He shouted and stomped, but just as Bug expected, the "badger" wasn't affected at all. Even though it was the size of a dog, it couldn't be easily scared. Villagers were afraid of wolf ants because of their ferocious appearance, their stealing of livestock, and their killing of hunters. But "badgers" were the unconditional targets of their hatred. These mid-sized animals were cunning and fearless. It was said that "badgers" can sometimes even attack oakwalkers - the beasts whose massive paws can easily smash an impudent predator. Unlike the wolf ants which preyed unattended livestock in fields, "badgers" sneaked into barns taking chickens, lambs and killing calves. But this precise one was not currently after the livestock. It was about to perform another heinous deed. This "badger" was planting the seeds of the rocky tree and was already taking a certain stance.

The "badgers" were capable of cracking rocky tree fruits. It is said that the first humans to set foot on this land mistook these fruits for stones. These were peculiar, perfectly round stones, the size of chicken eggs, that had no value other than their pretty shape. Only later did botanists make a connection between these stones and resin-like droplets accumulating on the bark of the rocky trees. The "badger" swallowed the fruits whole, their stomachs capable of cracking the indestructible skin, and digesting the flesh below it. Afterward, they regurgitated the remains of the shell and seeds, and they tended to do so in human fields, endangering future crops.

Just as Bug predicted, this particular badger was not at all impressed by the man's attempt to scare it away. The animal snorted and started coughing up the remains of its dinner, including rocky tree seeds.

The villager groaned and turned to Bug, saying, "Hey! Clean it up and don't miss a single seed."

The girl nodded. She took the shovel and walked towards the field's edge. A "badger" glanced at the approaching human. Then, slowly, keeping its arrogant look, the animal disappeared into the shrubs.