“I’m sorry. Her mana pool is too small,” the man in crimson robes said, his face impassive. Azura, at the age of 11, knew what this meant. Even though her mother told her over and over that it wouldn’t be true. That she, among all her kind, would be different. That she, could be a mage.

“That can’t be right,” her mother pleaded as if her words would change the reality of the situation.

“Kin don’t have awaken mana pools,” the man said. The disgust evident.

“She’s half human,” Azura’s mother added, a note of desperation in her voice.

“That’s why I said her mana pool is too small. She can’t use magic,” the man retorted. He got to his feet dusting off his robes. “Now if you’ll excuse me I have other things to attend.”

“Could we make it bigger? Give her mana potions or something?” Azura mother said clutching her daughter to her chest. The two were similar yet completely different. Azura’s hair was a light blue, resembling the underbelly of a blue bird, courtesy of her father’s linage. Her skin was pale and her face was perfectly human except her ears. Instead of the roundish ears of a human, she inherited her mother’s cat ears with the very tips white like a snow top mountain on top of her head. Azura’s resemblance to a human continued down to her knees except for a long flowing tail the same light blue as her hair with the color gradually growing lighter ending at a white tip. From her calves down her kin traits became more pronounced, with light blue fur going down to her ankles. Her feet, or rather paws, were decidedly cat like with 4 toes, claws, and covered in white fur. The presence of so much blue was a sure sign that she would have magic, or so her mother had told her. However, the burden of her kin linage wouldn’t be overcome so easily.

“Mana pools don’t grow. If you want to give the child mana poisoning go right ahead.” The human mage said as he left their meager home.

Azura’s mother let out a defeated sigh. She sat there a minute resting with her child in her arms. Unlike Azura, her mother was a full kin. Cat-kin to be specific. Her fur was pure white and covered her entire body. Her face wasn’t dissimilar to the common domesticated cat with long delicate whiskers. She released her child kneeling down to meet Azura at eye level, her eyes teary. Both had vivid green eyes with a vertical pupils.

“I’m so sorry honey,” her mother sobbed.

“It’s okay mom,” Azura said in a soft voice. It wasn’t, but what else could she say? Now, she would be treated like all of her kind. A magicless burden fit only for the menial tasks or a bed toy for those who had magic. Or a soldier sent to fight the mists… Azura shuddered banishing the thought.

“Can I go play?” Azura asked as her mother got to her feet.

Her mother sniffed. “Sure, just be back for dinner. Stay clear of any mage.”

Mages… Azura didn’t know how to feel about them. They could cure the sick, create wondrous magical items, and most importantly defend them against the mists. But, they ruled absolutely and were cruel to non-magical folk or nulls as they call them. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad if they were only a few, but that wasn’t the case. Almost all of the humans had magic of some kind or another. Those that didn’t were pariahs. Of course that included the entirety of the kin race. The elves were even worse. Snobbish pricks. Azura shook her head dismissing the depressing thoughts as she raced out the door.

Azura dashed down the cobbled streets of city of Deepmere. She jumped over piles of trash and horse dropping, her worries over the future falling away. The building were… well a generous term she could apply would be shabby. They didn’t live in the slums but only by the narrowest of margins. Here kin of all types did business with a rare few humans intermingled. The humans had worn clothes and hair color that was either black or brown. That was particular notable as a sign of a lack of any magical talent. Any significant mage had vivid hair colors ranging the colors of the rainbow. Generally the power of the mage could be determined by the spectrum of the rainbow with red being the weakest and violet the strongest. When she had been born with blue hair and fur her mother was overjoyed. Now it was ashes. She supposed she did have more magical power than other kin, not that it mattered. A simple light spell would exhaust her mana and give her mana fatigue. Any mage would tell you that was like a having a hangover as an irate sergeant yelled in your face.

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A loud bang caused Azura’s head to snap up as a young kin dashed out from a door. He saw Azura then grinned widely.

“Azura you couldn’t catch a sloth-kin!” Then he dashed away laughing.

“…OH, YEAH!” Azura shouted having failed to come up with a better retort as she sped after him. The boy was Toren a real trouble maker, which was why the two got along so well. It also helped that he was half human as well. Toren was a brown haired half rabbit-kin with long rabbit ears, a cotton tail and large rabbit feet. Otherwise he looked completely human with tan skin and blue eyes. Like most of his kin race he was fast! Azura gritted her teeth trying to keep up.

She was gaining as they raced down alleys and past food stalls ignoring the yelling adults. Toren glanced backed, smirked and went into overdrive. Azura gasped as she push herself to the limit. She was definitely going to catch him this time. Then she would sit on him and tickle his ears and pull on his tail. Yes… that would be a fitting punishment for the bucket of water he tossed on her last time. It might even be considered the revenge of century. Perhaps a bard would sing of her exploits.

Just as the pair turn down a dead end and Azura was almost upon him, when Toren leapt high onto the wall compressing himself above her. He was frozen like that for a moment as Azura gaped at him before exploding past above her. Azura instinctively reached upward but wasn’t even close as Toren deftly evade her grasp. She was so distracted watching her prey escape that she failed to do the obvious and stop before she hit the wall. Pain jolted through her body as she pancaked against the unmovable object. She, alas, was no unstoppable force. Like Toren she was frozen for a moment before crumbling backwards.

The next thing she knew Toren was looking down at her, his cocky grin taunting her. “I win again!”

Azura groaned and accepted the hand that the boy extended to her. The world spun around her as she got to her feet. No doubt an elite team of mages must be casting a disorienting spell on her. What else could it be? As she looked down to dispel the evil magic plaguing her, where she noticed a white chalk outline of a girl with a tail that just so happened to be exactly where she had been laying. Would the wonders of coincidence never cease? She deliberately chose to ignore the white dust on Toren’s fingers.

“So, how did it go?” Toren asked as the pair walked back to the main path.

Azura limped slightly, “They said it was too small.”

“Well you’re young they might get bigger,” he replied starting at her non-existence chest.

“TEN THOUSAND TON HAMMER FIST!” Azura shouted as she swung her fist down toward the blasphemer’s head. Toren easily dodged, laughing. She accredited his narrow escape due to her recent incapacitation, which in no way was her fault.

She glared at him and the boy became uncharacteristically serious.

“That sucks,” he said as he came back to her side.

“Yeah.” Azura kicked a loose stone as they started walking again.

“You didn’t want to be one of those haughty mages anyways,” Toren said sagely. “I heard that they don’t even know how to wipe their own asses. They hire special servants to help them.”

Azura laughed. Then she paused evaluating the boy. “They don’t really do that… do they?”

“It’s true. My uncle’s bother’s nephew has a job doing just that.”

“If your uncle had a brother wouldn’t that mean he is also your uncle?”

Toren shook his head sadly. “Once you’re more experienced, like me, you would understand these things.”

“You’re only 3 months older!” Azura scoffed.

“True as that maybe, I do have 12 siblings. That means I have 12 times the experience you do. Thus, I’m nearly an adult.” He puffed out his chest.

“The only thing adult about you is…” Azura started and waited for divine inspiration for a remark so crushing that Toren would have no choice but to acknowledge his obvious inferiority and prostrate himself before her. Any, second now. Hello? Azura to god of insults, need some serious help here. The moment stretched on and Azura knew she had to act.

“… Your face.” She declared.

Toren looked at her and shook his head in disgust.

“Pathetic,” he said.

Azura didn’t respond as her ears drooped. How could she? Pathetic did sum up her day thus far. Toren seemed to sense the change in the mood and quickly decided to implement his backup plan.

“Come on, follow me! We have important work to do. The freedom of all kin hangs in the balance.” Without waiting he sped off but not so fast as to be a challenge.

Azura mood and ears picked up. Her tailed swished as she trailed after him. This should be fun.