Azela had awakened late. The sun was already high in the sky and very warm.

She hadn't had a bath since coming to Jastria, or changed her clothes. So far she had been too embarrassed to bring up hygiene to Shi-Yon, but judging by her smell, she would soon have to.

As she stepped out of the tower, something odd caught her sight. There was a sheet of red cloth several feet from the entrance, partly concealed by mud and fallen leaves. Walking closer to investigate, she could see that the cloth had a vaguely human shape, and as soon as she was close enough, could tell that it was actually a robe. One almost exactly like that of the woman that had attacked her on the beach.

Stepping up to it, she froze with the realization that this robe was not empty.

Slowly, cautiously, she reached down and pulled back the hood. Under it was the head of a man, not long dead. His throat had been crushed so entirely there was no doubt as to how he had died. There were very few signs of a struggle, though. Whatever killed him had taken him by surprise.

It must be destroyed, the robed woman had said. She had to have been talking about Azela. Odd that none of her rescuers felt the need to explain the strange woman's eagerness to end Azela's life. Not that she had asked, to be fair.

That this man had been killed so close to Azela may have been a sign that he was after her as well. She wondered if Shi-Yon would answer her questions about this when he returned, or if this was something about her past that she wasn't supposed to know.

She decided to visit MegaGlitch's tavern before going to the library today, and set off immediately, anxious to distance herself from the corpse. Shi-Yon told her that she could go to the library at any time until she got used to Jastria life, but he never said that she could go anywhere else. On the other hand, her dark-armored roommate was nowhere to be found, and he never explicitly said that she couldn't go anywhere else.

This was also a good opportunity to see what Jastria was like, but along the way it didn't take long to discover that there wasn't much to see. All of the buildings she passed were simple mycelium structures. The more interesting places, such as Shi-Yon's tower, the library, and quite a few odd, seemingly unused towers in the outskirts and center of the village, were clearly not built by the same architects or even in the same era. The streets weren't much more than dirt trails that ran along the rows of huts. At first glance, one could easily assume that the inhabitants of Jastria were living in destitution, but each hut was sturdily built and had a full garden, pipes for running water, and finely-crafted glass windows. A few were painted, each in a slightly different style, giving them their own unique appearance.

As before, the glitchen seemed to keep to themselves and showed no interest in her. No one offered so much as a hello, and if she greeted a passerby she was usually ignored or given only a nod. She didn't take offense; whenever she saw them speaking to each other, the exchange was also brief. Every conversation she overheard played out like an awkward imitation of sapient interaction, and they spoke of farming and other business mostly.

Children were outside today, playing in the streets and grassy lawns with little to no supervision. Unlike the adults, they had no qualms with being sociable and formed groups. Upon seeing Azela walk past, one little girl left her friends and ran up to tug at Azela's outfit.

"What's wrong with your ears?" the little girl asked.

"My ears?" Azela wondered, reaching up and touching her left ear. It was then that she noticed: her ears were different from all of the others she had seen. Every other glitch she saw had rounded ears like a sapien, but hers were pointed. "They're just a little different, that's all," she told her. The child gave her a confused and unsatisfied look, then ran off to rejoin the game that the others were playing.

She reached the tavern soon after, which appeared to have been built from wood instead of mycelium and by much more skilled hands than Jastria's huts. A quiet mix of conversations drifted out from the open doorway, along with the aroma of freshly cooked food. When Azela walked inside, she suddenly found her path blocked by a tall, wide man. "I'm sorry lil' lady, but you'll have to come with me," he told her in a drunken accent while scratching his greasy beard, "There's been tell of intruders about, and I don't remember you." Azela cringed at the mixed smell of alcohol, sweat, and various oils.

"It's okay, Five. She can come in," MegaGlitch said from behind the counter.

Five ran his fingers through his long brown hair and asked, "Ah, so you know her, then? Are you sure she's old enough to be in here? She doesn't look out of her teen years."

"No one doubts your observation skills when it comes to women, but this one has been appointed as the seventh apostle. That means any authority you have over her is questionable. Let her in," he replied.

Azela stepped past the man and walked up to MegaGlitch. "Hi!" she said, politely smiling.

"What is it that I can do for you, child?" the cyborg asked.

Azela's eyes wandered, avoiding the piercing gaze beneath his antique goggles. She noted that the tavern was filled with a much more diverse crowd than she had seen outside. Villagers in here had an array of skin tones and hues, predominantly sapien in essence, yet interspersed with individuals with fur, scales, or feathers. All had humanoid bone structure and size, though some had more reptilian, feline or avian characteristics. Attire varied too; some draped in the humble vestments she had become accustomed to, while others were adorned in more elaborate clothing not unlike her own. "Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you in private... if you're not too busy, I mean..."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Of course I will speak with you. Follow me."

The room he led her to was behind the counter. There was hardly any light inside, and when MegaGlitch closed the door behind her, it was hard for her eyes to adjust. Except for a slight murmur, the sounds of the room outside were suddenly silenced.

Azela was about to speak, but MegaGlitch spoke first, saying, "You wish to know who you are. I can see it in your thoughts. Do not be afraid. I do not have the knowledge required to reveal your past to you, but I can speak of your present, and your promise to Shi-Yon is safe, as you have asked me nothing." He moved a chair over to her. "I advise you to sit down, it is a long walk from Shi-Yon's tower. That he agreed to let you live with him surprises me. He guards his secrets as a mother would guard her children. You should learn to protect your secrets as well."

Though he told her not to be, Azela was afraid. Only now did she fully realize what Shi-Yon meant when he said that the cyborg could read minds. His mention of the promise told her that every thought was open to this creature, and she didn't have any idea how to resist him. If he meant to do her any harm, however, he could've easily done so earlier. Sitting down on the chair that was offered to her, she tried to relax.

MegaGlitch sat on a stack of boxes across from her. He began by saying, "You wonder if you are really a glitch. The body you inhabit is. Your ears, while uncommon to those outside, are nothing out of the ordinary in other parts of the haven. Long ago, glitchen with even more diverse traits such as horns or arm-blades were commonplace, though these days the glitchen of old don't spend much time in the streets of Jastria. The glitchen may be more physically varied than most peoples, but they are united in their wanderlust."

Azela tried in vain to stifle her racing thoughts. "You specified my body instead of just saying that I was glitchen," she stated.

"Indeed I did," he said. "Sometimes defining a species can become complicated. Shi-Yon told you of the collective known today as Jaiysaun. One physical body, but many many minds. Not all of them were the same species. At least not until they were ripped out into the harsh physical realm we know today."

Azela swallowed. "Then they became glitchen."

MegaGlitch motioned to the door behind her. "Those others out there, did they all seem part of the same species as each other?"

Azela hesitated. "No," she admitted.

"Yet they are all glitchen," he said, "You must have noticed an abundance of glitchen walking about that are sapien in appearance. Few of the first generation were capable of reproducing with each other. Even fewer, if any, had any desire to produce offspring. There are many factors to consider, but to simplify, the more sapien in appearance, the more sapien in nature, and the more fertile the glitch."

"But that doesn't explain why you specified my body," Azela said.

MegaGlitch nodded. "The first generation took the form of memories. Various lifeforms, various people, real or imagined. Their bodies reflected the parts of the minds that they were made from. Your body's appearance has changed since it was first brought to me. It has entered a state not unlike a first-generation glitch."

"So I might not be glitchen?" Azela asked.

"I am unsure how to classify you, yet," MegaGlitch said. "I do not think you yourself have finished finding your true form. For now, your body reflects ancient memories. But those memories are not you. The body you are in is changing. At first, it was what in ancient times would be known as a saipexen. When you came to the front, it reshaped itself to the memories that formed your ancestors. You were more like a sapien then. But my eyes can see that it continues to subtly shift. You are becoming more yourself every day, whatever that may be."

Azela did not know how to parse what he said. Instead, she kept her mind as clear of thoughts as she could and asked aloud, "You said that there was one way to restore my memories. Just tell me, what is it and why is it so dangerous?"

MegaGlitch hesitated, but said, "I ask that you do not panic at what I am about to tell you, or argue its authenticity. It will require some explanation that may directly contradict your faith, whatever that may be. But it is the truth, whether or not you choose to believe it. There are many misconceptions about the true nature of souls, and despite what many religions would have you believe, the truth is not what they wish it to be."

Azela listened intently, sensing the discomfort from the cyborg.

"There is a... we'll call it a plane of existence. It is called Celestion. This is the realm through which thoughts are sent when telepathy is used. It is part of a system, and one aspect of this system are souls. Celestion makes a copy of any sentient consciousness. A backup. It contains memories and personality, but that backup is not you. Most religions claim otherwise, making this a difficult subject to bring up. Souls continue to exist past the death of the body, and many people want very much to believe that death is not final.

"You are not your soul. A soul is a part of you, like an organ. Remember that as I tell you this. When we found you…"

"I have no soul," Azela said.

"You have one now," MegaGlitch corrected her. "The soul associated with your body had been extracted, yet you remained, undetected. We do not know how long you have existed in this body, but you appear to have only recently obtained control of it."

"Where is the previous soul now, then? In the afterlife?" Azela asked.

MegaGlitch gave a mechanical sigh. "If it still exists, it probably rests in some sorcerer's desk now. Your body's soul was stolen through magical means. If we could find it, we would have to fight for it, and if its possessor knew we were coming for it, he might destroy it rather than let us have it. It would contain a copy of your memories up to the point of its theft, but as I said, going after it may be too dangerous. The power of a sorcerer, one who bends reality itself at a whim, cannot be taken lightly."

Then after a second of silence, he responded to a thought as she had it, "Red robed attackers? I was not informed of this. This is a mystery to me as well, but it is my responsibility as well as Shi-Yon's to keep you protected. I will look into it. Come here tomorrow and I will share what I can."

Azela had more questions, but tried to keep her mind as blank as possible as she said, "Um... thank you. Please don't tell Shi-Yon I was here." She didn't try to think of an excuse, as MegaGlitch was certain to see through it. As she stood the chair fell away from her, but she didn't bother to pick it up. Despite the darkness she quickly found the door and left the room, wanting to get away from the cyborg so that she could have her mind to herself again.

Only when she was several huts away from the tavern did she stop and breathe a sigh of relief. She felt no ill will toward MegaGlitch, yet she couldn't stop herself from thinking that the ability to violate a person's private thoughts so easily should not exist at all, and hoped that she was far enough that he didn't sense that thought.