The Looming Future

“Ain’t no way a human in their right mind would lay with a monster, even if they looked like you.” Stucker chided.

I crossed my arms, it seemed that they had no reference for Demi-humans, so they must be extremely rare if they exist at all.

I wasn’t sure how to continue without this discussion.

“Have you ever seen or heard of a beast person with a human face, or a human with animal like features?”

Stucker’s face contorted even further.

“I once read – I mean I’ve seen a picture of a Minotaur. Once. Oh, an’ there was this other creature I heard of called a Harpy.” Lyle offered to the conversation.

“They’re two legged and got abs and them harpies got boobies, but I’d never confuse them for human an they’d never let any creature near enough to lay with ‘em’”

“I’m jus’ offerin’ up suggestions, Stucker.”

“The answer is no. We ain’t never heard of anythin’ like what you’re askin’. At first we thought you might have been the Bunyip that’d taken residence out here. One of our patrol men got cut up bad a few nights ago.”

“A Bunyip?”

“Yeah, it’s a large green creature with a tough hide and giant tusks. It lives in swampy areas.”

It seemed that these villagers had an official name for the creature I’d assimilated.

“I did battle and kill the creature. Your village will not have to worry about it. And I do not plan to attack anyone unless provoked.” I wanted to assuage their worries and perhaps get an invite to their village. I needed to get information that I’m sure these two most likely didn’t possess.

“I wish I could believe you miss.”

“I believe her.”

“Pipe down, Lyle. The thing is us folks living in the Aligned villages got just enough to get by, for now, but the Season of Apoc is coming. It would be catastrophic if we did anything to jeopardize our standing with the Mother City. “

I think I could string together some context from that information dump. The village they live in is being supplied by a ruling body of some kind located within a capital city called the Mother City.

“What is the Season of Apoc?”

“It’s…?” Stucker’s mouth began opening and closing like a fish as he tried to grasp for an explanation.

“It’s the Season of Apoc.” Lyle added.

Stucker shot him a look, “Well, it’s a big event that happens once every hundred years or so. It’s real bad.”

“It’s terrible.”

“Yes, but what is it?”

“The SEASON OF APOC!” Shouted Lyle.

“What he said.” Stucker was just as in the dark as Lyle.

“Can you give me an explanation without using the words “Season of Apoc?””

They looked at each other.

“We don’t know what happens, or what it is really.” Stucker finally admitted.

“We’ve just overheard Madame Stella and Chief Willis, and a few of the guards chatting about it here and there. It’s big gossip among the other village folk.”

It was at this point that I realized I’d extracted all the information I could from these two.

“If you two promise not to follow me or interfere, I will promise no harm will come to you. I do have one last question. Does your village have a healer?”

“There’s Doctor Ricardo.”

“I love Doctor Ricardo, he’s great.” Lyle seemed to have great admiration for the man.

“Can this Doctor treat serious, even grave injuries? How would you evaluate his skill?”

“Well, I once got stung by a hive a bees and got all swelled up, but he mixed up some stuff into a lotion and I was healed up in less than a month.”

“The guys a pro” Lyle added.

“I’m not exactly talking about bee stings, I’m asking about life threatening injuries.”

“Hmm, well, if you’re that injured you’ll probably have to accept death. Suppose you had a connection to the Mother City and were stable enough to survive the trip, and had a small fortune, well, I’ve heard tell they have people who can use magic.”

“Like healing magic?” I probed.

“Mayyybeee.” Stucker said in an airy voice.

“But you’re probably dead though.”

“Yeah, no way around it.” They both seemed pretty certain.

It seemed like my only chance of healing was to make my way to the Mother City and hope there was someone with a healing ability. First I would need a way to disguise myself and then some money.

Perhaps there was a creature like a Mimic creeping around somewhere.

“Do you two know of any creatures that can disguise themselves as humans?”

They shook their heads. “We don’t know nothin’.”

“May I…may I ask a question?” Lyle popped his hand up.

“You two have been helpful. Sure, why not.”

“You’re not a demon are ya?”

Did demons exist here?

“Demon?”

Lyle seemed nervous, “I, us, heard that the season of Apoc brought harbingers like demons and such.”

I was very curious about this Season of Apoc was. If it brought dangerous creatures with it…

“Do either of you – have either of you seen an unnatural dark cloud in the sky?”

“No.” They again shook their heads.

“I heard someone say a star crash landed over by the Rainbow Forest a week er’ so ago.” Stucker added.

“Thank you. I’m not a demon by the way.”

“What about a harbinger?” Lyle was still not totally assuaged. I actually found his childlike naivety kind of cute. I don’t know if it was because I was so old or because of my newly acquired femininity. I had to say I was little bit charmed by these two.

“I don’t think so.” I smiled.

Another question popped up in my mind, “What were you two doing out here to begin with? You’ve telling me about demons, and harbingers, and the Season of Apoc, and falling stars, so if things are that chaotic right now what are you doing all the way out here.”

“Hunting” “Searching for aliens”

Their answers were at odds with each other. Stucker looker looked over at Lyle in disappointment.

“The star might have brought aliens.”

“What my friend means to say is, there have been many unusual creatures roaming about lately and we decided to do some investigating.”

Now that I thought about it, I might have been the Alien. It’s possible the star was me. There were a few last things I needed to confirm.

“By unusual creatures, you mean…”

“The Bunyip. There were folktales about it but we ain’t never seen the likes of it before the crash. Plus some unnaturally colored deer have been spotted. And there’s the sky fish, that’s been circling recently. And then there’s-”

There was me.

It seemed that none of the creatures I’d encountered and assimilated on my short journey were naturally occurring in these parts. That might also be a factor in what I can assimilate. It was something to test. The energy dispersed upon my arrival caused some of the animals in the area to mutate. Or at least that was my guess at the moment. It was difficult to say if this was deliberate or unintended on the Angel’s part, either way it was up to me to deal with the fallout.

“Alright.” I sighed.

“We didn’t mean nothin, we wouldn’t dare think you was to blame. Right, Lyle?”

“Sure, yes’m”

Things might go smoother if I gave them something at least close to the truth.

“What if I said I’m human?”

“Human?” They finally stood up.

“Yes, human. I’m under a curse of sorts. That’s why I look like this.”

“Curses are real?” Lyle was immediately concerned.

“Are curses not real? You said there’s magic right?”

“Yeah, but curses are straight of some fantasy book.” Stucker crossed his arms.

“Shit.”

“It sounds like you’re just pullin’ stuff outa yer ass.”

“No, I swear I’m human, or I was human!” They were eyeing me carefully, “A curse was laid upon me. I’ll admit I was feigning ignorance before. I met a demon.”

Lyle’s eyes opened in shock, “You met a demon?”

I nodded, “He transformed me into a half-monster and tied my life force to an injured familiar of mine.”

Lyle seemed into my made up plight, “How cruel!”

“If my familiar doesn’t receive aid soon, both he and I are fated to die.”

Stucker still seemed a bit skeptical but he was still listening.

“Unfortunately, due to my appearance I cannot enter the any of the surrounding villages let alone the Mother City without being chased down and killed. I’m sorry I’ve been dancing around the subject and that I hurt you. I wasn’t sure how reasonable you were. I needed to be sure you would listen to me.”

“I understand. Assuming we believe your story, what would you like us to do.”

“You’re fairly strong?”

“Yes, I’d say outside of the Patrol and the Chief’s guards, Lyle is probably the strongest in the village. He has the blessing of Strength after all.”

Blessings were a thing here. Noted.

“And this chief, what do you think of him?”

“He’s a bit dainty if I’m bein’ honest, but Chief Willis does his best for us and he’s one of Madame Stella’s husbands, so even if we did have a problem with him, it’d be a waste of effort complainin’”

Stucker squinted his eyes, “Speaking of, you’re a woman like Madame Stella. How did you end up outside the Mother City?”

Did every woman in the kingdom live in one place? This was obviously a matriarchal society. It was probably best if I kept things vague until I knew more about the politics at play.

“I was a wanderer, I came from a different country entirely, maybe even a different continent. I’ve been traveling for as long as I can remember and probably even before.

“You came from another country?”

“Yes. And given your standing in the community I would like it if you could vouch for me so that I may seek temporary asylum in your village, under the protection of your chief.”

They looked at each other. Their expressions were a bit harder to read this time.

“Sure.”

“We’ll lead the way, uh… what is your name?”

My name. I couldn’t keep calling myself Jiro as that was a masculine name and no longer fit me considering my appearance.

I had actually been giving it a bit of thought.

“Shia. You can call me Shia.”

They then took the lead. I would now be taken to my first human village, this would be my biggest test since coming to this world. I, of course, had no idea the amount of danger I would soon face as I went to meet my looming future.