“How much of a problem are these… um… human gods in Illatius?” I asked.

“Not much. More of an annoyance to us if anything. Whenever the cults come out from their hidey-holes, they’re put down by the constabulary.” Eunice shrugged. “Only true believers, absolute devotees to an idea, can host the concept of a Still Forest manifestation. Most people are smart enough not to make a pact with a belief for it to manifest its influence upon them. Only a poor, desperate fool would bind themselves to an all-guiding, self-aware belief. The influence of human gods wanes and grows over centuries, but there hasn’t been a concept powerful enough to overthrow the current Illatius Aristocracy.”

“I see,” I said with a shudder.

“Humans cannot observe manifestations of belief,” Eunice said. “You’ll undoubtedly encounter a few… misfortunates that carry belief upon their shoulders in Undertown catacombs. You’ll be able to spot them with your Still-Walker sight. They look like grotesque, fungus-shaped ghosts that extend their tendrils from the spirit-plane into the physical.”

“What should I do if I… encounter one?” I asked.

“I suggest you execute the affected human on sight, put them out of their misery or report it to the constabulary if the cult is too big for you to handle alone. One of the jobs of my monwai is to spot manifestations of human belief and eliminate them before they grow big enough to become a serious problem.”

“Would the constabulary believe the words of a lowborn human?” I asked.

“The Constabulary Stations possess truth-telling artifact-spheres,” Eunice explained. “If you confess discovering a cult that threatens the stability of law and order in Illatius while holding your hand on one, the constable in charge would have no choice but to follow through with the investigation. If it’s a big one, simply report it as a ‘Threat to Humanity’ category.”

“Got it,” I said. “If I am questioned under such an artifact… would I, um, be able to fool the humans, convince them that I’m not a chimera?”

“You absorbed this human’s soul, my dear monwai,” Eunice said, pointing at Grogtilda’s body. “Your human name should show up in your System list. You can tell the Illatius Constabulary your human name, tell them that you are a human and it will be the truth. You are a human AND a chimera now, both of these titles are true as seen by stat-evaluating artifacts. My monwai have subtly guided Illatius for generations, you need not fear the local lawmakers - many of them are owned by the Seven Baronies. If you are sentenced for a crime such as murdering humans, one of my monwai will help free you.”

“Right,” I nodded quickly. “So, um… who are the Seven Baronesses?”

“They are the Seven most-ancient families of Illatius. The current keepers of the Seven keys to the city,” Eunice said proudly, an undertone of irony in her voice. “Awakened, noble Heroes, Defenders of Humanity that braved the deepest levels of the Chasm. The Esteemed Archmagi of the Prism Order.”

“I’m in touch with them via communication artifacts. You can request a meeting with any of them through Baroness Amadea. I suggest contacting her first, if you require assistance. She will undoubtedly find great amusement in your… situation. Like I said before, she likes to adopt young chimera under her Barony. The other six will be less… open to aiding a stubborn, inexperienced cendai like yourself, especially if you wear… the lowborn’s body. They’re usually very busy in their fields of magical research and… experimentation.”

I didn’t like the way Eunice said the word “experimentation”. Were her monwai experimenting on the lowborns of Illatius?

“Right,” I said, a rather daring idea beginning to manifest itself in my mind. “Humans don’t know that we… rule over them, right?”

“Of course they do not,” Eunice affirmed. “If you find a human that knows of chimera presence in Illatius you are to investigate how they found out about us and then end their life. If you discover any books or artifacts that mention or define chimera you are to steal them and bring them to Baroness Amadea. She will send them to me.”

I nodded.

“Will you require a skyship to reach Illatius?” Eunice asked. “Or will you fly there using one of your wood and leather contraptions?”

“I will make my own way to Illatius,” I said. “If the humans don’t have chimera-defining artifacts, then can I bring my chimera body with me… inside of my Folding Seed?”

“Indeed,” the high-cendai affirmed. “Just don’t walk the Streets of Illatius as a chimera.”

“I can use my chimera body at night to study the tunnels beneath the city wearing my nightcrawler armorer while my human body sleeps,” I said. “A chimera is far more agile than a human and my mask and armor will help me scout the… less desirable areas such as the waste-contaminated sewage tunnels.”

I rubbed my hands together and grinned, feeling overwhelming excitement at the prospect of serious future urban exploration.

“A very solid plan,” Eunice nodded. “I approve.”

“Your other monwai, they don’t go into the sewers beneath the city at all, do they?” I asked, feeling that I already knew the answer.

“You are correct,” Eunice said. “We are children of the Chasm. Most chimeras don’t do well when it comes to dealing with narrow tunnels or overwhelming smells, but I reckon you are creative enough to succeed where others have failed.”

“A new path, just for me to tread,” I smirked.

“My monwai have been rather… lackluster in researching Undertown,” the high-cendai sighed. “They monitor the city through the help of hired humans or lock themselves away for years in their Baronial towers, not interested in dealing with the human filth or the cults infesting the deep caverns beneath Illatius. Perhaps there is something of value in these catacombs.”

“It just seems like a good place to hunt… humans,” I commented slyly, steepling my fingers in a ‘I’m totally evil just like you’ gesture.

“Indeed,” the high-cendai smiled widely, showing her shark-like teeth.

“Is there a song of… invisibility that can draw human eyes away from me? The opposite of an Allure?” I mulled.

“Yes,” Eunice nodded, squinting at me. “I believe your soul has a few branches left to grow. I suggest you figure out how to make your Resonance sing such a tune if you wish to hunt manifestation-obsessed humans deep beneath the city streets with greater ease. I will show you the rune for it, since you have impressed me with your wisdom."

Eunice drew a rune in the sand. It shimmered with power for a moment and then vanished. I glared at the invisible rune, trying to figure out how it worked.

My eyes kept sliding off… something no matter how much I tried to stare at the spot of sand where the rune had been just a moment ago. I focused my full attention on the spot, until my eyes started to water. When I looked back at my Master she too was gone. I sighed. I had a long way to go to figure out invisibility magic. I went back to glaring at the ground fighting against the attention-redirecting rune.

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. . .

Three weeks later, I stood atop my workshop. Alessi held my shoulder with her left hand, her eyes glittering with tears. Eunice had not fixed her broken hand, so my silver-haired sister had to slowly heal the old fashioned way.

She had decided to stay behind to look after her mother, while I integrated into human society.

"I'll be back, sister," I said. "I'll be back to visit you, I promise. Keep trapping and eating monsters. Strengthen your chorus. We will return to the Twisted Forest together, when both of us are stronger."

Alessi nodded, squeezing my shoulder.

"I love you, Juni," she said. "Don't get into too much trouble with the humans."

"Love you too, sis." I said with a smile. "I'll be careful. We'll talk via our soul-bond! I'm not going that far… just across the Chasm."

Alessi nodded. A dark-gray chimera emerged from the workshop, climbing up the ladder to the rooftop hatch. It was Isahcs.

While I had been getting ready for my trip to Illatius, he seemed to be spending more time with Alessi. He had become completely obsessed with us, since the moment he saw us flying and learned that I was responsible for designing the skull masks. He was swiftly becoming a decent second candidate for my little, growing new chimera tribe.

"I trust you to protect my sister, cousin." I told Isahcs.

"With my entire heart, my cendai," he bowed deeply.

"If I find out that you're not behaving, I will return and turn you into a toad," I said.

"I would never!" Isahcs paled. "Your monci's word is my command, my cendai!"

"Have you fully changed your mind?" I affirmed.

"Girls can fly," Isahcs said with conviction. "Girls can hunt. Alessi and I will fly and hunt together… when her hand heals."

"Spread the word," I smiled at him. "Get more chimera on our side."

"I shall, my cendai," he bowed.

"At ease, hunter," I said as I stepped forward and gave him a tight hug. Isahcs hugged me back, looking a bit nervous.

Since my ascension to a true cendai he has been treating me with far more respect and reverence than I deserved. He probably did believe that I could turn him into a frog.

I hugged Alessi one more time, who was now sniffing softly and stepped towards the end of the skull, holding onto the wings of a new one-person glider. It was time. Time to sail across the sky towards humanity. Time to meet people, to make new friends, to become a citizen of the Basquenate Empire.

I rushed forward without hesitation, leaping from the edge and listened to the wind thrumming against the wings of my glider.

. . .

[About to reach human-controlled territory,] I sent to Alessi via my Dominion threads. [Glider holding strong.]

[Acknowledged,] the response came. [Stay focused. Don't get eaten. Talk when you land.]

I laughed. Thanks to the Dominion threads I didn't feel completely alone. I didn't take the glider directly across the Chasm - that would be far too dangerous. Instead, I slowly circled the 4th ring of the Chasm, using air currents to rise, staying close to the clouds so that I would not be spotted by predators.

A sudden updraft pushed my glider upwards, nearly making me lose control. I readjusted my position, my heart beating intensely as I shot up across two mountain rings.

My only companion for my trip to humanity was Saccy. She stayed quiet inside of my large backpack, pumped full of paralyzing sap. She was keeping my human body nice and safe. Without a connection to Grogtilda she could not sing in Basq, nor did she display much more intelligence than a mere plant.

She had shriveled up a bit and stopped growing after I had cut Grogtilda off of her. Eunice explained to me that without being provided food, my Folding Seed would simply stay half-asleep functioning for decades akin to a space-expanding rune pattern. Perhaps someday I would figure out how to communicate with Saccy, but for now she was simply my magical bag of holding.

The clouds in front of me parted suddenly and then I saw something that wasn’t mountains and trees. Illatius! Hundreds of Cathedral-style palaces and imposing buildings sat upon distant hills and valleys. I gaped at the far-away city. It was beautiful, and enchanting like no city I had ever seen back on Earth, fairytale terracotta palaces surrounded by lush gardens and waterfalls.

Gold and blue rooftops and stained glass windows glittered in the sunlight. Skyships moved between tall gothic towers like little black flies. The Capital of the Basquenate was truly something to behold.

I pulled the glider down. I didn’t want to get spotted by a skyship captain. From what I’ve read the nobility had personal mana-powered gliders, but they were rare and hard to come by. The terrain beneath me became covered in gardens and fields. Little peasant cottages sat upon the green and yellow hills, moss-covered roofs making them look akin to Icelandic Turf Houses.

A downdraft started to drag me towards one of the fields. I had no idea what was waiting for me, but I hoped for the best. I tried to land gently, but ended up crashing into a field of hay. My large glider did not survive the impact, left side snapping completely and half of the wing tearing. In a few minutes, I stood up, shaking dirt and hay off my armor.

[Made landing, broke my glider.] I sent to Alessi.

[Alrighty,] she responded. [How far is Illatius?]

[Ten-twenty clicks, maybe? Not sure. The city is huge! I'll have to make the rest of the way on foot if I can't find or fail at the local station.]

I walked through the field of hay, having packed the remains of the glider into Saccy. An old farmer emerged from the mossy-roofed, stone cottage, staring me down. He was wearing a burlap-style shirt and old, worn leather pants.

"Ho, noble Adventurer!" He said after a minute of evaluation. "Say, that's a nice skull-mask! I saw you landing in my field. Everything alright?"

"All good. Glider ran out of mana," I replied. "I am heading back to the city. Can you tell me where I am? Which way is the nearest skyship station?"

"Hedstadt Barony, district of Lomb township, my lady. Station is about three thousand elbows east," he said, pointing towards a distant road. "Bout an hour walk down the road. You'll see the sign at the next fork."

"Thank you kindly," I bowed. "I'll be off then!"

He waved his hand at me, smiling. A small breeze blew through the hay field, dancing through the trees and orchards. The pastoral landscape was very similar to Earth. The simple farmhouse and the old, kind-looking farmer reminded me of home and put my mind at ease. The view in the direction of the glacier mountains looked like an awesome mixture of Iceland and Patagonia.

[Only an hour walk to the station,] I sent to Alessi. [Hopefully the local constable is cooperative. Talked to a farmer. Nobody suspects that I'm a chimera.]

[Nice,] she replied. [When are you going to change bodies?]

[I see a grove of trees down the road closer to town, I'll do it there,] I sent.

As I approached the village square, wearing my new body, I glanced at the sky above it. It was blue and clear, Autumn season was coming. Large, sparkly dragonflies fluttered through the air. I thought I heard singing coming from somewhere nearby, but couldn't pinpoint its location.

I groaned, taking another step forward. Being in a human body that had spent months decaying in the Folding Seed... sucked. My bones and joints ached. My skin itched pretty badly. It was hot and I was covered in sweat in just twenty minutes of walking. I had cleaned up and repaired the leather armor that Grogtilda had been wearing, but I still looked extremely shabby, pale and disheveled.

Villagers were milling around the fountain in the middle of the plaza. Children splashed water into each other's faces while adults watched on. Some kids threw rocks into the fountain for fun, some were eating ice cream cones from a shop. Everyone that looked at me, immediately drew their eyes away. Mother pulled their kids out of my path, hissing something to them.

"Topaz addict," I heard the nearest one utter clearly.

Ah. My bruises. They were judging me for having fallen victim to addiction. I rolled my eyes at their behavior. I ignored the fussing villagers, heading towards the Skyship Station and Constabulary tower that loomed over the small town.

The tower was a gothic-style, white limestone building, capped by a metal, stained glass cage at the top for docking skyships. A large hex-lantern glowed at the tip of the cage, casting a rainbow around it. I arrived at the Station after what felt like the longest hike of shame and pain, panting and groaning. The sun was starting to set, magitek street lamps lighting up the town.

It might have been a hundred times easier to get around in my chimera body, but I needed to rebuild Grogtilda's muscles so this pain was unavoidable. I almost started to cry as I looked at the steep steps and simply sat down at the arched entrance up to the tower. My body was in far too much pain to go up the damned stairwell.

I looked around and spotted a steampunk-looking silver-metal bell. I stood up and pulled on the tab, the bell making a resounding ding.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming," A male voice resounded from a window overhead. I heard boots thumping down the spiral stairwell.

"Hello Constable," I said as the local policeman emerged from the stairwell and looked down at my somewhat curled-up figure. "I'd like some... help."

The man had steel-gray eyes, graying ginger hair and a lush ginger-silver mustache. A tidy, gray uniform hugged his body. He looked down at me from his round, silver spectacles, his expression darkening. A look of pity and then disgust flashed on his face.