‘Also, did you notice her eyes? She has six of them, like Lith and Morok.’
‘Oh, I noticed them alright. Especially those right in front of your face. The others are a bit higher.’
“Lord and Lady Ernas, nice to meet you.” The Fomor unfolded her wings while giving them a curtsy. “Please, just call me Ryla. I haven’t done anything to deserve Morok’s name and I don’t want to sully it with my ignorance of etiquette and the ways of the Kingdom.
“I may be an adult woman, but please take care of me like I was a child because I know very little about the outside world and I’m eager to learn.”
“Don’t be silly, dear.” Jirni returned the curtsy before taking Ryla’s hands into her own and forcing her to stand up. “I’ve barely met you and you’ve already made a better impression than Morok ever did.
“In a while, you are going to be part of the family so there’s no need for formalities. Just call me Jirni.” She had to raise the ground with chore magic of almost one meter (3′) to not feel like a child.
Jirni’s pride couldn’t be hurt by something as irrelevant as the height gap. She was used to be the shortest person in the room. Yet first impressions mattered and she wanted to face the Fomor as a peer and look her in the eyes.
“Indeed.” Orion raised a shorter dais and shook Ryla’s hand as well. “Feel free to call me Orion. If there’s anything, like a tour of the nearby shops, you need, just ask. From what I understand, unlike this handsome young man, there’s nothing stopping you from leaving the Mansion.
“After you learn how to shapeshift, I would be happy to teach you how to interact with humans and about the value of money.”
“Yes and no.” Ryla sighed. “We can both move, the difference is that Garrik’s life force would be forever compromised while mine already is. If I were to leave the geyser’s premises, my body would forcefully revert into a Balor.
“I’d lose my current appearance and even my magical powers. Shapeshifting can’t help me, but thanks for the offer anyway.”
“Man, if you are short.” Garrik looked at Solus and Jirni who were barely taller than the five years old Fomor.
“Don’t you have things like extra eyes, horns, wings?” He asked, receiving a streak of no in reply. “Not even fur? I’m so sorry for you, your life must be very sad.”
“Garrik!” Rya flushed in embarrassment. “This is no way to talk with friends.”
“Why? It’s not like I insulted them. I just told the truth.” The honest confusion in his tone made his rude words even worse.
“There’s nothing wrong in being different, young man.” Lith said. “Yet remember that words have a weight and up here, everyone is like them. How would you feel if they pointed out at your eyes and wings, claiming that they must make your life sad?”
Garrik opened his mouth and raised his finger to reply when everyone shapeshifted into their human form to let him understand what the standard appearance in the Kingdom was.
Suddenly surrounded by pink-skinned, short, wingless people with only a set of eyes, the young Fomor realized how different his mother was from them and him from her.
No one else’s eyes moved freely along their bodies. No one had skin the color of the snow.
“Am I the strange one?” He made his eyes go back to their original place, closing all but two.
“Not strange, different.” Morok patted his back. “You, I, and Uncle Lith are all unique members of our respective races, but that doesn’t make us better or worse than them. Just different.
“If you want others to respect you, however, you must respect them first. No one likes being treated like a freak.”
“I’m sorry.” Garrik nodded to his brother before giving Jirni, Orion, and Solus a bow. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I just hoped you to be cool.”
Morok facepalmed and Ryla flushed even more when the boy managed to ruin his apology one step away from the finishing line.
“I can definitely see and hear the resemblance between you two.” Orion laughed. “There’s no need to apologize, Garrik. You are Morok’s brother, but unlike him, you are still young and there’s hope for you.”
“Hey, I resent that!” The Tyrant snarled.
“Thanks, I guess.” Garrik looked at the two men, having no idea why his big brother reacted that way to such nice words.
“Resent what you want.” Orion scoffed, turning to Garrik again. “For your information, I am cool. I’m just not as flashy as these youngsters. Look.”
He took enchanted clothes and toys out of his dimensional amulet, giving them to both mother and son after explaining to them how to use each one of the artifacts.
“Thank you, Grampa Orion!” Garrik hugged Orion’s legs before stripping naked and wearing his new clothes in front of everyone.
“And here he goes again.” Orion laughed again, stopping Ryla before she apologized for the third time in less than a minute.
“Is this our new friend?” Aran asked, riding alongside with Leria, Lilia, and Leran on their respective steeds.
“Yes, he is. Guys, this is Garrik, Morok’s brother. I invited you here because he literally doesn’t know anyone and can use learning about human customs through experience.
“Garrik, these are Aran, my brother, and Leria, my niece. Lilia and Leran are family friends and are special, like you.” Protector’s children shapeshifted back and forth into their hybrid form, becoming red-furred humanoid wolves for a split second.
“So cool! What about them?” Garrik pointed at the magical beasts. “Are they pets? Can I have one too?”
“These are Onyx, Abominus, Slash, and Crash.” Garrik had no idea what a teacher was but Leria’s lecturing tone gave him a solid example. “They are not pets. They are our friends and are part of our respective families.”
The magical beasts nodded, leaving the Fomor flabbergasted.
“But yes, you too can have one. Otherwise it wouldn’t be fair when we play.” At a snap of her fingers, a Ry, a Shyf, a Gylad (stag-type magical beast), and a Byk, walked out of the woods, each with an expression more annoyed than the other.
They were the youngest members of the four clans of the kings of the woods and had been sent there by their leaders per Lith’s request.
“Pick one and give them a name. They actually already have one, but they are impossible to pronounce.” Leria said.
“That’s not true!” Abominus said. “Anghrrwhonghayrmr just rolls off the tongue.”
“No, it doesn’t.” The sheer number of guttural and howling syllables made Garrik’s throat hurt just at the thought of saying it out loud.
The young Fomor examined the four magical beasts, from looking under their paws to checking the inside of their mouths and teeth.
“You look majestic, but you’re definitely too fat.” He said to the Byk. “You look more suited for an afternoon nap than taking part in a glorious battle…”
“Guilty as charged. You can’t win them all. No hard feelings on my side.” The Byk trotted away with a huge grin on his face.
