Shidah quickly cleared up the misunderstanding and the subject was dropped. I wanted to ask her why she thought I was kidnapped, but the conversation went back to our rooms and I lost my chance. She gave us the keys to the two rooms and told Estra he could take any empty roof nest he wanted.

We went to our room, which was little more than a square space with two beds and a window. The room looked clean and comfortable, despite the sparse decor. Andrian led me down to a communal bathhouse that the inn allowed its guests to use. The bathhouse was an enormous wooden structure separated into several sections. There were giant tubs filled with hot sudsy water in one area, a large pool filled with cool water for swimming in another, and a collection of small rooms along the wall where you could relax in hot steamy air created by pouring water onto stones that were heated by fire magic. Andrian told me that these rooms were called saunas and were quite popular. First, we enjoyed one of the private sauna rooms and luxuriated in the sweaty heat before we climbed into one of the giant tubs that easily fit both of us.

The bathhouse was shared by both genders, and at one point I saw a giant serpentine beastman slide into one of the saunas to bask in the warmth. I couldn’t help but look around the enormous bathhouse in awe, though I did my best to avoid looking at the other bathers, as I was a little uncomfortable being surrounded by so many naked bodies.

No one else shared my discomfort and it seemed that going to the bathhouse was somewhat of a social event. People sat around the edge of the pool talking and laughing like they were sitting around the table of a cafe. Andrian and I enjoyed our bath for a time before heading into the pool to revitalize ourselves in the colder water. At first I’d been hesitant regarding the big pool, but after the hot sauna and the equally hot bath, I was overheated and willing to risk exposing myself to cool off.

Upon entering the pool, I noticed the whispers that began almost immediately. We’d been quite discreet when we entered the sauna and moved into our tub, located in a far corner away from prying eyes, but I was fully on display when we entered the open pool. It seemed that the beastmen had finally noticed there was a human in their midst.

I froze up for a second, realizing that so many eyes were on me. In that moment, I felt like I understood a little better what the beastmen had gone through when they came to Vrayna. The whispers that echoed through the air were mostly curiosity and speculation, but I felt like I could feel their stares on me. Taking a lesson from how the beast generals handled themselves among the humans, I ignored the voices and dunked my head underwater as if I hadn’t noticed their interest.

When I came up for air, someone less discreet called out, “Hey human! You’re a human right?”

I turned to face the one who spoke and was greeted by a young beastman, probably a wolf, and likely quite new to his human form. At most, he was fourteen and he looked at me like I was the weirdest thing he had ever seen. Perhaps I was. Cautiously, I nodded my head. There was no point in denying the obvious. I felt Andrian's hand grasp mine under the water.

“Why are you here?” he asked bluntly. His parents looked a little embarrassed by his upfront question, but I understood what he meant. There was no accusation in his tone, simply a genuine interest in how I’d ended up here. I thought about how to answer and decided to just go with the simplest of truths.

“Joining ceremony,” I replied after carefully clearing my throat. Andrian hugged me from behind as I answered the boy, leaving no question as to whom I would be joining with. I did my best to tune out the noise of the small crowd as their curious whispers increased.

The boy furrowed his brow for a moment and asked, “But don’t you hate us? I thought humans hate beastmen. That’s why you attacked us, isn't it?”

“No, don’t hate,” I said simply. I didn’t feel the need to elaborate. I couldn’t speak for all of Vrayna, I could only say that I held no hatred for him or any other beastman.

“I apologize,” his mother interjected, looking very uncomfortable, “both his father and I served in the war. I think he overheard some of our conversations as a cub… well, I won’t say we were wrong, but the war’s over now and we all need to try and get along, don’t we?” She didn’t sound like she really meant what she said. Her words sounded stiff and rehearsed, like a script she was being forced to follow.

Our conversation had begun to attract a little too much attention for my liking. No one confirmed nor denied her words but a couple people got up and left the poolside, shooting me unhappy looks as they left. I winced a little at each glare but I was okay. I’d been through worse, and it was only a few of them. I was used to this kind of treatment. Besides, I couldn’t deny that I was still technically Julien de Ramport, son of the man who instigated the war. Maybe I deserved their anger.

“Fine, I’ll say it,” the boy’s father said after a few moments of silence, “I know that there’s some fancy marriage treaty with the humans and that we’re supposed to all act like friends now, but didn’t it occur to you that you shouldn’t have brought him here?”

“Are you hearing yourself?” Andrian growled at the man, “We didn’t come here for your approval, we came here to bathe.”

“You probably feel that way, but I doubt I’m the only one you’re making uncomfortable,” he argued, gesturing at me, “Maybe he wasn’t among the armies that invaded our villages, but he’s still a human. He doesn’t belong here.”

“Who do you answer to, soldier?” Andrian suddenly barked, startling me. It seemed like he’d startled everyone who remained at the poolside as well.

The man instinctively hopped to attention before realizing what he’d done. He looked resentfully at Andrian and said, “I don’t think I need to answer that. Who are you to ask?”

“I’m your superior and that’s all you need to know. Now answer my question while I’m still asking nicely,” Andrian’s voice was unsettling, even for me. The man’s face paled.

“General Harlow,” his wife said, trying to appease the situation a bit, “We reported to General Harlow. However, we’re both retired now so he really isn’t obligated to answer you, whatever your rank might be. Now please, there’s no need for us to be arguing. Need I remind you that there’s a child present?”

All eyes fell on the boy who’d started the whole mess. He shifted uncomfortably and said, “I was just curious. I’m glad you don’t hate us but, since you don’t belong here you should probably leave.”

“He belongs here as much as anyone else does and he won’t be leaving,” Andrian answered curtly, but more gently than when he’d spoken to the father, “There are a lot of bad humans out there, but there are also lots of good ones. If we judge them all together, without getting to know the individuals, then we’re no better than the humans you condemn. He's my chosen mate, and that’s all that should matter.”

“What would you know, lion?” the father countered, looking agitated, “You were sent to the eastern front. You didn’t see it. Humans are vile and vicious creatures.”

“You’re right. I fought in the east. That doesn’t mean I’m ignorant of what happened in the west. And that has nothing to do with my mate, who wasn't involved in the war at all. He’s nothing like those vile soldiers you’re trying to lump him in with.” Andrian was getting equally agitated and I didn’t like where this was going. I didn’t want to see any violence, especially not on my behalf.

“Andri,” I said softly and placed my hand on his arm, “No need. Our situation… special. What… they feel, normal.” I didn’t see the point in trying to convince these people of anything. Humans had hurt them and they weren’t ready to let go of that. They were angry, but they weren’t doing anything wrong. “Let it go… Please.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Andrian asked me, searching my face for signs of unhappiness.

“No, not bothered,” I responded, “I know… I saw… what they saw…” My final words, which were spoken so softly that they shouldn’t have been audible, echoed through the bathhouse. My raspy, painful voice sounded pathetic as I added, “Let’s just go.”

Andrian nodded to my request and we moved to get out of the pool. As we were climbing out, I inhaled deeply to calm myself and ended up triggering another coughing fit. Thankfully, it was a minor one and I recovered quickly without collapsing. Andrian rubbed my back as I regained my breath.

“Are you okay?” a new voice asked from beside us. I looked up and saw a man I hadn’t noticed before, with elongated pupils in the center of his yellow eyes and scales decorating his temples.

I realized that he was probably the snake I had seen entering the sauna. He must have heard me coughing, or perhaps he heard when Andrian shouted, and come out to see what was wrong.

“He’s fine,” Andrian answered for me, “his vocal chords are damaged and he overdid it a bit. Nothing to worry about.”

“Good, good,” the snake beastman said as I nodded that I was indeed okay. He gave me a sympathetic look and added, “I heard your conversation with that family over there. Don’t waste your time listening to them. Those who took an early retirement from the war effort didn’t cross the border with the rest of us.” He looked over at the couple we’d been talking to. “They only saw the invading soldiers, but didn’t see the people of your villages and the state they were in. I’m on my way home from one of those villages, so I get it.”

He held out his hand to me and I grasped it gratefully.

“I’m Talak. Snake tribe. Lieutenant.”

“Good to meet you Lieutenant. This is Falyn, soon to be of the lion tribe and my mate. I’m General Andrian of the lion tribe. Remain at ease, this is an informal meeting,” Andrian introduced us and interrupted Talak on his way to a salute.

“Good to meet you,” Talak responded after putting his arm down. “I won’t keep you, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Safe travels General, Falyn.” With that he went back to his sauna and closed the door. The two wolves we’d been talking to had the courtesy to look sheepish but we exited the bathhouse without saying anything further.

We returned to our room and quietly got dressed. I could tell Andrian wanted to say something but was holding himself back. Finally, I grabbed his arm and asked, “What?”

“It’s… nothing. I just feel bad,” Andrian admitted, “You had to go through something unpleasant because I brought you there. I know you said you weren’t bothered, but I was bothered. I understand where their feelings are coming from, but I want everyone to treat you well and make you feel at home here. I kind of feel like I failed you by not expecting that.”

“Andri, not fail…” I answered slowly, mindful that I should be resting my voice, “I expected… this… Not everyone forgives…”

Andrian looked like he wanted to convince me otherwise, but he didn’t pursue the argument. In the end, I couldn’t fault the beastmen that held a grudge against humans, because I understood how they felt. They had been called monsters, invaded, and attacked. If that was their only experience with humans, of course they wouldn’t be fond of my presence. So far, I had only met beastmen who were in favor of the treaty and getting along with humans, but I couldn't expect all beastmen to look upon me favorably. If they'd only encountered humans like my father's men, it only made sense that they would be wary, fearful, or angry.

However, my concern at this point wasn’t whether all the beastmen would welcome me, but how the friends Andrian was bringing me to meet would feel about it. I said I expected this and I did, but I’d stopped being vigilant because of how good the generals were to me. When Andrian offered to let me meet his friends, I’d assumed they would be glad to meet me. But what if I was wrong? I was beginning to worry that my presence would ruin their reunion.

“Andri…” I started cautiously, “Should I… not go? …Your friends… might feel–”

“No, don’t think like that,” he interrupted, seeming to know where I was going with my thoughts, “They’re all people who already know about our history. They’ll be glad to meet you. Rather, try not to take anything they say about me too seriously.” Andrian ran a hand through his hair and laughed awkwardly. “To be honest, I’m a little worried about what they might say to you.”

That piqued my interest but I didn’t inquire further. I could ask him more when we got back if I hadn't already figured it out. He seemed very certain that they would want to meet me, so I trusted his judgement. Plus, Gregor had been quite friendly towards me and was technically the one who had invited me.

We finished getting dressed and left the inn. Andrian said we could walk there, so I hastily grabbed a cloak to wear and pulled the hood up over my head. In Vrayna I would have looked like a suspicious person, but from what I’d seen of the village so far, no one would notice another randomly dressed figure in the crowd. Andrian took my hand and began leading me down a series of streets and alleyways. Darkness had fallen on the village while we were in the bathhouse and the streets were generously lit by torchlight. Every ten feet or so there was another tall pillar with a flame burning atop it, creating a warm and bright atmosphere despite the sun having gone into hiding until morning. The streets were just as lively at night as they were in the daytime, with beastmen of every variety out to shop, eat, and revel in the night.

Though the alleyways were dim, there was residual light from the streets that ensured we were never in complete darkness. It only took about a quarter of a movement before we reached a large building with a wooden plaque that had a glass and what looked like eating utensils engraved upon it. The inside was brightly lit, almost as if it were still daylight. I’d never seen such brightness at night before. Hanging from the ceiling were these round orbs of white light, like miniature suns, illuminating the open space.

In the center was an enormous bar that ran in a circle around a space filled with kegs and tall shelves full of bottles. Stools decorated the bar the length of the bar and six different bartenders worked tirelessly to get drinks out to the many tables as well as keep the people in front of them happy. The place was so loud that it was almost deafening due to almost every table being full. Next to the front door where we were standing was a counter with an attendant waiting to seat people.

“Joining a table or need one?” the attendant asked us as we approached.

“Do you have any private rooms available?” Andrian asked in response to the attendant’s question.

“Yes, we do,” the attendant responded automatically, “Up the stairs, go to the second room on the left. The red door. How many will be joining your party?”

“Five more,” Andrian answered and told him, “Gregor, Thalton, Willow, Vargas, and Orion are their names.”

The attendant nodded and asked, “You’re Andrian then? You should go to the black door on the right instead. Your party arrived before you.”

Andrian nodded and proceeded to guide me through the crowded tavern to a stairway in the back. We followed the stairs, which were lined with red carpet, up to the second floor. When we reached the top of the stairs, there was an open space with couches and a smaller bar with only one bartender. Both to the right and left, there were four doors on each wall, colored black, brown, yellow, and red. As instructed by the attendant, Andrian led me to the black door on the right and opened it.

As soon as we walked through the door, there were three steps leading down into a small room. A bench with cushions built into the walls surrounded the entire room, with a large square table in the center. Everything was made of light wood, except for the colorful cushions. Sitting on the bench were five beastmen, Gregor and four new faces.

“Ooooh! Looks like the fancy dancy General isn’t too good to visit his old friends after all,” one of them shouted out as the others called out their greetings to Andrian. Their chatter died off quickly when I stepped out from behind Andrian on the stairs.

“Well holy shit, he really went and found the human,” a different voice sounded out. I was surprised to realize the voice belonged to a female.

“Come on now, introduce him already,” the first voice added.

“Guys,” Andrian said, “I’d like you to meet Falyn. My old friend and my chosen mate.”

Andrian introduced his friends to me one by one. Gregor, I’d already met. Thalton was the youngest looking of the group and also the largest. I couldn’t speak to his height, as they were all sitting down, but Thalton had a thick layer of muscle coated in a healthy amount of extra fat, with a youthful face and flowing orange hair. Willow, the female, was as large as the males and equally muscular. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she greeted me. Vargas, the one who had called Andrian ‘fancy dancy’, was the smallest of the group with unruly shoulder-length black hair and a wild aura about him. Orion seemed to be the quiet one of the bunch. He had slightly darker skin than the others, but his hair was even lighter than Gregor’s golden knot. All five of them, just as Andrian had promised, seemed genuinely happy to meet me. Even though I hadn't doubted Andrian's words, I was relieved to see that he hadn't misjudged them.

Everyone shifted over so Andrian and I could sit down with them and a server came into the room to take our food and drink requests. The beastmen ordered a collection of beer and wine pitchers and what sounded like a mountain of food to share. Once the server had left to relay our requests to the kitchen and bar, all eyes in the room suddenly turned to me.

"So, just so we're clear," Vargas began, "you really became a general just to go all the way to Humanland to find this guy?"

 

***

Hello readers!

Due to some major life changes, I really can't seem to keep up with my usual two chapters per week. I recently changed jobs and my new work schedule is all over the place, leaving me tired and constantly behind on my various projects. After a lot of internal struggle, I've decided to slow down to only one chapter release per week to ensure I have proper time to proofread and edit my work, as well as rebuild my stockpile of unedited drafts. I hope that I'll be back to a normal schedule soon (both irl and here). 

Many thanks to all of you who have followed the story up to now - your support means so much to me. My apologies for the recent chapter delays as well.