The small church was packed full. And not just of non-humans either.

Humans were aplenty… and oddly enough, most didn’t just sit alongside the non-humans… but were sitting alongside their families.

It was almost unnerving. I’d seen plenty of societies with mixed members. With non-humans and humans living together. Hell, I’ve even seen ones that had gods living amongst them too. As if natural.

Yet I hadn’t ever seen such a society where they not only lived amongst one another… but mingled. And mingled in ways more than just conversationally.

A little girl peered at me from over the pew. She grinned at me, showing sharp teeth. The teeth of a cat or something. She had only one non-human ear on her head, the other was human on the side. The non-human ear flicked when her mother turned and smacked her. The little girl sat back down properly, to listen to the rest of Celine’s sermon.

I shifted, my back rubbing against the stone pillar I rested against, and I studied the little girl and her mother… who had no cat-ears at all. The man next to them, the father, was the one with cat ears.

Mixed children.

I couldn’t believe it.

And she wasn’t the only one. Most of those here seemed to be families. And a good portion had children. And more than few were obviously from mixed parents, not just breeds of non-humans.

Humans. Having children with non-humans.

Ridiculous.

“And the Lord then says, for they who worship, build them a temple. One with doors big and wide, so any and all can come and go, and yes even, to question,” Celine spoke smoothly. Preaching from a podium. I knew there was some kind of bible in front of her… but not once had I actually ever seen her look down as to read it. She had been preaching and giving a sermon for well over an hour now and not once had needed to check.

She wasn’t alone up there. There were a few others to her left, on the same platform. They helped her sing certain songs, in-between her sermons. Another man stood to her right, who interjected and added to her comments sometimes. He was older, and strangely… a human.

Stepping away from the pillar, I spared one last glance around the church. To all the people listening to Celine, with fixated eyes. To the humans. The non-humans… and the almost frightening looks of utter devotion and piety upon all of them.

I ignored Celine’s hard gaze as I walked between people. Those who hadn’t arrived in time to get a seat, who had packed in behind the pews to stand shoulder to shoulder. Several people barely noticed me as I passed between them, a few were even startled when I brushed against them. They had been so focused on Celine’s preaching that they didn’t even notice someone walking next to them.

Celine continued preaching, even as I felt her eyes digging into my back as I stepped out of the room of prayer… and out into the hallway.

With a huff, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Religion.

To think they’d take the very thing that used to enslave them to their gods, and turn it into something to use for their freedom.

Hopefully they didn’t take it and turn it into another form of enslavement. If I brought low those gods, just to let humans and non-humans alike to take their place…

“Stop,” I whispered a curt warning to myself. After all, that went against the entire point of my actions.

Free will meant that was allowed. Even if it disgusted me to allow it.

Looking around, I wondered where to go. A part of me wanted to… run away. And not just from this hallway, which was now filling with hymns as people began to sing.

I wanted to leave this city. This town. This castle.

To get away from Celine, and all the crazy people around her.

But…

“Oh my, look, it’s our new member. What are you doing out here? Looking for the bathroom?”

My left eye twitched, but I got it under control before I turned around to look at the one who had approached.

And then had to look up.

Blinking softly, I frowned as I stared at one of the biggest men I had ever seen. He towered over me… and was as muscular as he was tall.

Was he bending down a little? So that his head didn’t hit the ceiling banisters? Even though this church’s hallways had large circular ceilings?

Yes. He was. Damn. A monster.

The man smiled at me, and then lightly nudged the woman standing next to him. A pretty, somewhat skinny woman… who was very obviously pregnant. “I told you Celine brought more than just little Lilly,” the man said.

“So you did. I hadn’t believed it… but if anyone can do it, it’s Celine,” the woman said happily.

I gulped down a snide comment, and took a tiny breath. Calm down Vim… these people meant no ill will.

“My name is Vim,” I introduced myself.

“Bram. And this lovely tree is Lint,” she said with a point up to her… husband, I guess.

The huge man blushed as he smiled, and I wondered what they were. They weren’t human, not just him… but her too. Her eyes had oddly shaped pupils, and seemed to bulge a little. As if…

Maybe some kind of lizards?

“And this little one is Link. He’s taking his sweet time, but we love him all the same,” Lint said with a point to her belly.

Ah…

I smiled gently at the two and nodded. Even though I was disturbed, and rather worried… I couldn’t help but also bask in their utter joy and bliss.

Yes. A child was a beautiful thing. “Well, considering his father I bet he just needed more time to cook,” I said.

Bram erupted into laughter, but Lint’s face only became an even deeper shade of red. The man actually looked away, as if I had just insulted his manhood.

The wife quickly got her laughter under control, and reached out to me. I quickly accepted her handshake, since it felt rude to not do so. “You’re lovely! Welcome to the Society, Vim!” she said.

“Ah… Well…” I shifted and wondered if I should say that I hadn’t joined. Nor planned to.

“Mhm…” Lint made a noise, and I glanced over at him. Oh? Was that anger or embarrassment?

“Don’t mind him. He’s huge, but is very shy. I’m hoping our son inherits his strength and size, only,” she said.

“Oh…?” Shy? Really? He was huge. To the point he should be anything but.

The singing hymns died a little, and I heard Celine return to preaching. I tried not to focus on it too much… even though her voice sounded wonderful in this place. It sang and rung along the walls, somehow musically.

“You two not into sermons?” I asked them, wondering if maybe the reason they were out here was because they were more like me.

“Oh no, we do. But Lint is so big that it’s… problematic. So we just listen from out here,” Bram said with a happy smile.

I glanced over at the huge man, who was still red in the face. He was at least smiling, although still looking away.

His wife happily smiled up at him with the kind of loving smile that made me jealous.

You’re a lucky man, Lint.

“Then I’ll not steal the moment from you any longer. Maybe I’ll see you again before I leave,” I said gently.

“Oh? Are you leaving already? You just got here,” Bram asked.

I nodded. “I have something to do. In the north,” I said honestly.

“Ah… be careful up there,” Bram warned.

“Yes. Dangerous,” Lint said quickly. He sounded terrified for me.

“Well… so I’ve heard. But all the same, I must go,” I said.

“Then be safe, and go with the lord’s blessing. Ah… we’ve lost so many to those in the north please don’t take another from us so soon…!” Bram quickly went to clasping her hands, and praying.

Studying her for a moment, I glanced over at the huge man. He too went to praying.

“Thank you. I’ll pray for Link as well… may he be born healthy, and big,” I said.

The two smiled at me as they finished their prayers, but before they could fully finish… I had stepped away. To head down the hallway, towards where I knew an exit waited.

Really… What was Celine planning?

It was obviously because of her that this place existed. This… supposed Society.

Society of non-humans.

Please. How can that exist not only with humans, but while also with their religion?

It made no sense. It almost made me wonder if she was some kind of ploy or puppet. Maybe I should interrogate whoever was in charge here or…

“Vim…!”

I stopped, and turned to stare down another hallway. One that led deeper in.

Little Lilly ran towards me. Her wings were fluttering behind her, as she sometimes leapt off the ground and… glided a few feet, before landing again and returning to running.

I waited for her, and felt oddly happy as she ran up to me and gave me a huge smile. “How’re you feeling Lilly?” I asked.

“Great! I climbed to the top! To the pointy tower up there! There’s a weird bird’s nest. It’s huge, and pink!” she shouted at me.

Huge… and pink? Interesting.

“Be careful, Lilly. I know you can float, but still,” I said, feeling protective of her.

We’d only traveled together for a little over a week… but I had oddly grown fond of her. I liked how although a happy child, she was also a realist… and…

“I know. But I need to train if I’m going to fight,” she said as she made balled up fists and huffed, as if about to step into a ring.

Smiling at her, I nodded. Yes. Little Lilly had decided to become a soldier. A warrior.

Though… who exactly she planned to wage war with was something I didn’t think even she knew. But… who was I to tell her otherwise?

Plus…

“Not interested in her sermons?” I asked the young bird.

“Huh? No,” she said simply. I found myself liking her even more as she frowned at me, as if she couldn’t understand why I’d even ask such a thing.

“How do you feel about this place Lilly? This… Society,” I asked her.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“It’s weird… but it’s not bad. Everyone seems nice enough,” she said as she glanced around. Then after realizing we were alone, as well as we could be in a full church, she waved up at me in a way that told me what she wanted.

I smiled and bent a little, to let her clamber up onto my shoulders. Her wings flapped a little wildly until she sat down on my shoulders, and then she released a tiny sigh of relief. Maybe her being a bird made her feel the need to be higher up all the time.

She felt cold… but I knew why. This church was still being built, but the large pointed tower above it was finished. It was tall, likely several hundred feet in the air. It was likely cold up there.

“Where you going?” she asked.

“Well… I’m not sure,” I said honestly.

“Can we go that way? I haven’t been down that hallway yet,” she asked with a point of her wing. It was the hallway directly opposite of the one she had just ran down.

“Sure,” I agreed, and turned to head down it.

Lilly shifted again, likely getting more comfortable. I wondered if her wings were the only avian trait upon her or not. She had arms and legs like a human, and feet and hands, but…

As we walked down the hallway, we surveyed the church. It was made of finely crafted brick and stone… but there was another thing that was more surprising than all the stone.

Stopping before a massive window, one decorated in colors and designs, I wondered who taught them how to create such things. Some of the glass they used looked… tempered almost. Surely not? I was half tempted to tap on them, and break them, to see if it really was tempered glass or not.

“It’s pretty, but stupid. What even is that?” Lilly asked as we stared at the window.

“It looks like a serpent. Likely the personification of this religion's devil or demon,” I said.

“Oh… wait, the bad guy in their stories?” she asked.

I nodded.

“Why make a painting of him? Or window, or whatever this is?” she asked.

“There’s likely many reasons. Most would likely say you should not ignore or hide from your fears, or demons. So it’s something like that, likely,” I explained to her.

“Huh… maybe that’s why Celine and the rest believe you can talk with evil people,” she wondered.

That’s a very good theory. “They just try to see the good in everyone, and everything,” I said, to try and somewhat defend Celine. Not entirely… just enough to be kind.

“Some people aren’t good though,” Lilly said.

“This is true. Some people are the reason we even have a word for evil,” I said.

“Hm… What’s that one about?” Lilly patted my head and pointed to the next big window. It was a few windows down, since most of the windows here were smaller and just colorful, not with designs or motifs.

Stepping over to the next window, I sighed at the sight of what was undoubtedly their supposed end of times.

“What the heck is this one about?” Lilly asked worriedly.

“Well… that looks like the end of the world. So likely something about that,” I said.

“End of the world?” she asked worriedly.

“Or their supposed version of it. Most religions try to foretell it, I think,” I said.

“These people are weird, Vim,” she said with a sigh.

I’d not argue that.

Stepping away from this one, we went to the next one. This one was much better than the last two; it was made with bright colors and depicted what was likely one of their holy apostles.

“Who is that?” she asked.

“That is Saintess Yoana. The one who birthed the world.”

I turned only a little to the new voice. The woman was a tad taller than me, and smelled like the desert. The real desert. It was actually a little troubling to smell such a thing after so long. It reminded me of home.

“Yoana?” Lilly asked for me.

The woman smiled and nodded. She stepped forward, to come up beside me and Lilly. As she did I noticed a weird… scar on her forehead. It was a dark splotch on her otherwise perfectly tanned skin, and it looked like it ran all the way up her forehead and into her hair. She had a small tuft of white hair, where the scar ran to.

“I had a horn,” she then said.

I blinked, and understood what she meant. That scar was from the removal of her horn.

“An odd greeting,” I said to her.

“I’m a woman,” she said plainly to my statement.

“That’s an even odder thing to say,” Lilly mumbled for me.

The woman smirked. “I mean as a woman, my face is precious. Or at least it should be, so I didn’t want you to think less of me just because I’m scarred,” she said.

“We’d not think less of you for that. Would we Vim?” Lilly asked as she grabbed my hair.

“No. If anything I think less of her for saying such a thing,” I said.

“Hm…” Lilly hummed at my response and the woman next to me shifted a little awkwardly. She was now bothered.

“What?” I asked. Was she going to become irate because of what I had said? I didn’t care. It had been the truth.

“You hadn’t cared at all had you?” she asked me.

“Of your scar? No. I’d have still bedded you all the same. Had I been given the chance,” I said, just as honest.

She immediately went to laughing, which made Lilly shift on my shoulders and flutter her wings. “Bedded…?” she mumbled.

For a moment the woman only laughed… but then her laugh turned into an odd mix of laughing and crying. Then she actually reached out, and grabbed my arm. For support. She was starting to bend over a little, as if about to pass out…

“Are you okay…? I’m sorry… I had been honest, but I also had been trying to lighten the mood with a small jest,” I said to her.

She squeezed my arm, and I lifted my own as to grab her arm as well. Just in case something actually was wrong. Instead though, she slowly stopped her weird mix of laughing and crying and nodded. With a few more giggles, she took a deep breath… then stood up straight again. Still holding each other’s arms, I watched as the tanned woman gave me a beautiful smile.

“I’m fine. That was wonderfully said. I’m sorry about that… I just… forgot that there are indeed men who look past such things,” she said to me.

“Hm?” Lilly didn’t seem to understand, but I did. Especially so since I had just seen that room packed full of families. Mixed families.

The woman noticed my gaze and nodded. “Yes. I mean our kind. I know… there are many human men, who would look past it. But if Celine would forgive me, I’d rather not settle for a human man just yet,” she said.

“Celine would be angry if you didn’t?” Lilly asked worriedly.

“I’d hope not,” I said stiffly.

The woman nodded and smiled. “She wouldn’t. She’d just be upset that I hate humans, is all,” she clarified.

Ah…

“Hmph. Such a bull-headed woman. Are pandas dumb, Vim?” Lilly asked.

The woman next to me laughed again, and squeezed my arm again. I released hers, now sure she was fine… and I didn’t like how she seemed upset I had let her go. “Well… to be honest, some say they are, yes,” I said.

“I knew it,” Lilly whispered.

“You know what a panda is?” the woman asked me. She finally released my arm.

I nodded.

“Huh… are you one too?” she asked.

Lilly laughed, her wings went to fluttering wildly in the process.

Smiling up at her, I wondered if she was laughing because she found it hilarious, or because the idea itself was ridiculous.

“No. I’m not. My name is Vim. The young bird is Lilly,” I said with a nod up to her.

“I’m not shaking your hand, I don’t want to bed you,” Lilly said to her before she could offer her hand in greeting.

The woman blinked, then went to laughing again.

I smiled too. “I see! My name is Wincy. It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” she greeted us.

Lilly squirmed as I sighed and looked away from her, and back to the original focus of our conversation.

“Do you want Vim to bed you, Wincy?” Lilly asked, and I realized I’d not be able to return the conversation to the window.

Wincy laughed again, and nodded up at Lilly. “Yes, I guess. I was hoping to see if we could be a match for each other. Though it seems he doesn’t like me much,” she said to the bird.

“Oh? You don’t like her Vim?” Lilly asked me with her childish innocence.

“I don’t like anyone,” I said.

“Aww… don’t lie. You like me don’t you?” Lilly asked worriedly.

I couldn’t. “I do. Feathers and all,” I said.

Lilly giggled happily as her wings fluttered.

I ignored Wincy’s odd smile that I saw out of the corner of my eye, and turned away from the window… since we were obviously not going to be talking about them anymore. “So what… you just go up to anyone new to see if you like them or something?” I asked her.

“Well… kind of. I know, it’s stupid, but I’m lonely and everyone else keeps rubbing it in my face. Ever since Bram got pregnant it’s only gotten worse…” she complained.

“Huh…” Lilly seemed to find that as odd as I did.

Though… maybe not. I guess I kind of understood it.

“Not a single one? There seems to be… quite a few here,” I asked her as I thought of that packed church earlier. There had been at least a hundred of our kind in there, and now I was sure that hadn’t been all of them.

And although she did indeed have a nasty scar on her face, I hadn't lied earlier. She was stunning. There should be no reason for anyone to not find her attractive enough to pursue.

Though her personality was a little... off...

“There are more women than men. I’m not sure why. Even with you to add to their number, we still outnumber you two to one. So…” Wincy shrugged.

“Oh, that was true for our village too, Vim. My sisters always complained about it,” Lilly patted my head, as if it was important for me to know.

Frowning, I wondered why. Was it just… happenstance, or something more sinister?

“You’re… not married are you?” Wincy then asked.

“Married,” I said the word and held back a smirk. This place was indeed being taken over by the religious, wasn’t it?

Non-humans used to not even have the idea of marriage. Or monogamy in any shape. Though I guess... them advancing past that basic animalistic instinct was partly my fault, wasn't it?

“Oh… you are…? Hm…” Wincy looked genuinely upset, as she misunderstood what I meant… then she glanced up at Lilly with an odd look.

“No. Jeez. She’s just a kid. I’m not married, I was just scoffing at the word,” I said.

Wincy quickly calmed down, and I wondered how she had actually allowed such an idea to even enter her head.

Though… maybe it wasn’t as outlandish as I thought it was. Lilly’s age was a problem, yes, but she was also not human. And many non-humans could look as young as she, even though older. So… if one didn’t know…

“I thought you said you liked me, Vim,” Lilly asked, and I noted the happy tone in her voice. She was teasing me.

“Enough to roast you, yes,” I teased her back.

She giggled as I turned to the tanned woman. “I’m sorry. Right now my heart is neither willing or ready for such a thing. Maybe one day, but not today,” I told her honestly.

It was why I had abandoned that adorable librarian so easily. At least, that was what I was telling myself.

Wincy blinked at me… then softly smiled. “That almost makes me want to wait for you,” she said.

“Hmph,” Lilly made a noise, and then I heard the sound of quick footsteps.

Turning, I watched as Celine ran towards us. Her grey robes fluttered behind her as she ran down the hall, and skidded to a stop a few feet from me.

“You left early!” she shouted at me.

“Lucky I had waited that long,” I said to her.

Celine frowned and glared at me, and then her face morphed into a happy grin as she realized who was next to me. “Wincy!” she greeted the woman, and stepped around me as to step over to the tanned one and give her a tiny hug.

“Yes yes, Celine. It’s good to see you too,” Wincy sighed as she let Celine wrap her in a hug, but I noticed she only halfheartedly returned it. She had a smile on her face though, so it didn’t seem she was too bothered by her actions.

“And you little bird! How was your nap?” Celine asked the one on my shoulders.

“That was hours ago,” Lilly said.

“Well… yes, but I haven’t seen you since then,” Celine said.

“You took a nap?” I asked the bird. She giggled at the way I had asked the question, telling me she found it funny that I was jealous.

“And you, Vim! Really… you left before you heard me sing!” Celine turned to me, and pointed at me. At least she wasn’t trying to hug me.

“Not everyone finds pleasure in singing about your god, Celine,” Wincy said.

Celine wasn’t fazed. “I’m talking about the pleasure of my voice, not the topic of what’s being sung,” she argued.

The scarred woman giggled and nodded. “I'll admit you sing well, Celine. But forgive me for not being gullible enough to let a pretty voice trick me,” she said. Although her comment was a little confrontational, she spoke with a lighthearted tone. One that told me they were used to bickering back and forth over their different perspectives and beliefs.

They were friends. Good ones.

“My point still stands,” Celine argued back… then turned to me and smiled. “I’ve heard you’ve been meeting our members! And? What do you think of them? What about Wincelia here? She’s a grouchy heretic, but one of the most steadfast friends you could have,” Celine once again stepped over to the scarred woman and wrapped her in a hug.

Wincy sighed, or rather Wincelia. I wonder why she introduced herself with such a nickname… especially since it was so similar to her real one.

“Heretic?” Lilly asked about the word Celine had just used.

“Guilty,” Wincy nodded, admitting it.

Hm. Maybe I’d be okay with her after all.

“She doesn’t believe in the same god as Celine,” I explained to Lilly.

“Oh! Then I’m one too,” Lilly sounded a little too happy over that fact.

Celine grumbled, but didn’t seem too bothered by such a statement… then she stepped forward, and leaned forward just enough to make her very conservative religious garb become something else entirely.

“May we speak? Alone? I have an hour before my next meeting, and I’d like you to join me before then,” she sounded a little… too polite in her request.

“What the heck? Are you trying to steal him from me?” Lilly defended me as her wings unfurled a little, as if to become intimidating.

Wincy immediately started to laugh again, and then held her arms out. She stepped forward, and even with Lilly wiggling and somewhat trying to stop her… Wincy took Lilly off my shoulders, lifting her away.

“Vim!” Lilly cried out, helplessly, but I noted she wasn’t really trying to fight back. And she had a smile on her face.

Wincy hefted her, and placed Lilly on her own shoulders. It was… amusing to see Lilly’s troubled face as she moved her hands around Wincy’s head, wondering where to grab. It seemed she didn’t have it in her to grasp and hold the woman’s hair as she did to me.

“Go on then. Let me and her become friends. If I want to win him over, winning her over first is probably a pre-requisite,” Wincy said with a wink as she stepped away.

“What! I knew you were weird!” Lilly shouted, but laughed as she was carried away. Wincy took Lilly back down the hallway we had just come from.

Watching them go… I sighed as I realized I was going to not have a choice in the matter.

I had planned to say no.

As I watched them go… I noted the way Lilly’s wings flapped a little in excitement. She was asking Wincy something, and the two seemed to be genuinely hitting it off.

Fly high, and stand tall, little bird. May your claws always be sharp and swift.

“Let’s go!” Celine reached over and grabbed my hand, and wished for my own claws to be the same one day.