Half-beastkin

“I don’t recognize this fancy ceiling.”

Osric stares up at a beautifully elaborate coffered ceiling. Polished wood beams separate all the recessed panels. A complex scene of flowering branches carved into each panel.

He rubs his eyes in a groggy stupor, still captivated by the ceiling above him. He attempts to blink the crust out of his eyes. Each blink slowly brings him back to his senses.

He abruptly sits up; silky white bedsheets roll to his lap. He flings a white chemise off his small frame to examine his chest.

A deep scar travels down his chest. Starting before his left clavicle, it slices between his nipples, stopping right before his bellybutton. The scar brings back painful memories of lying in a pool of his own blood. The haunting image of Elayne painfully gasping for air springs to the forefront of his mind.

“Elayne!” He jumps to his feet, shaking the bed.

“Hmmm.” He hears a feminine groan next to him.

Catalina sits in a chair, her head resting on the side of the bed, asleep. She wears a new green and white kirtle dress. Her dirty blonde hair, strewn about the large bed, shimmers with light from the window behind her.

“Mother! Hey, wake up! What happened?” Osric shakes her, desperate for answers.

“Huh?” She rises, her hair covering her face. In a daze, she pushes the long mess of hair out of her eyes, and looks up at him.

“Osric! You're awake!” she cheers.

She scoops him up and the two spin in circles.

"Are you alright, dear?" She asks, speeding up.

Not this again. “Mother, I'm fine, but please don’t spin me!” Osric yells, fighting a queasy feeling.

She stops, setting him down on the floor. “You were asleep for two whole days!”

If you thought I wasn’t okay, why spin me like that? Osric wants to ask. Also... two days? I assume I was healed with magic — is it normal to sleep for that long after being healed with magic?

"I thought we agreed you'd stay in the village until you turned ten!" she yells. "What were you doing in Aurelith of all places?" A scowl on her face.

Catalina's anger is new to Osric, leaving him stunned

"Oh... there was stuff I had to do there," Osric meekly replies.

"Aurelith is a dangerous, lawless—"

“Never mind that! Is Elayne okay?" Osric stops her.

“Uh — who?” Catalina tilts her head, confused.

“The half-beastkin girl!” he exclaims.

“Oh… about that.” Catalina averts her eyes.

“What? She’s okay, right?” Osric grabs at her dress, concerned.

Angus walks through the fancy door frame.

“Everything alright in here? I heard yelling,” Angus says, scanning the room.

“Osric! You’re up!” Angus rushes over.

“Angus! Where is Elayne, the half-beastkin girl?” Osric asks, staring at him.

Angus freezes, halfway kneeling down to Osric’s level. “She's... She’s a few rooms down.” He says hesitantly.

“Take me to her!” Osric demands.

Angus stands up. “This way,” he beckons.

Osric follows after him. He hears a scuffling sound; Catalina sheepishly follows behind him.

Angus takes them down a spacious hallway. Osric looks to his right: many intricately carved doors line the wall. The patterns are much like that of the ceiling. On his left, a row of grand paneled windows. He briefly glances out a window at a sprawling meadow.

He shakes his head. This isn’t the time to sightsee.

“The girl’s been healed, right?”

“I had an old friend treat her — he was a barber-surgeon. He says she's stable for now,” Angus replies.

“Why wasn’t she healed with magic?” Osric asks, now irritated.

Angus stops in front of a door, and before he can respond, Randolf pops out.

“Angus, she’s not looking much better.” Randolf then swivels his head to see Osric standing across from Angus, visibly upset.

“Oh, Osric, you—”

Osric pushes past Randolf, storming inside.

He enters a rather small room, compared to the one he stayed in. The room is only big enough for a tiny wooden desk in the close-left and a pitiful bed frame across from it.

Elayne lies on the bed, a painful grimace on her unconscious face.

Osric rushes to her side. Angus walks in after him.

“She just has a few broken bones. She should be fine.” Angus explains.

“Don’t lie to him, Angus,” Catalina interjects, standing just outside the doorway, her red eyes tearing up.

“What — what's wrong with her?” Osric turns to them.

“The barber-surgeon said she only had a few broken bones and should wake up in a few hours… that was two days ago. He said he can come visit again tom—”

“There's no way she just has a few broken bones!” Osric cuts Angus off. 

He throws the white sheets off her.

She lays there in a white nightgown, the left sleeve is rolled up and one arm is in a wooden splint. Her chest, bound tightly with bandages, rises only slightly as she takes shallow breaths.

Osric puts his ear to her chest. He hears a hissing sound with every breath. Her shallow breaths and the hissing sound— the symptoms of a punctured lung... I can't believe I'm using information from a silly medical drama that girl made me watch back in middle school.

“She has a punctured lung! She doesn’t have much time — it's a miracle she's lasted this long. She needs healing — now!”

“How can you tell it’s so serious just by listening to her chest?” Angus inquires.

“I’m the Grand Sage, remember? Just do as I say!” Osric bellows.

“Remember I told you half-beastkin are taboo. Walking around outside with her would be asking to get arrested by the Holy Knights,” Angus argues.

“No, she’s not getting healed,” Randolf interjects. “If the injuries are as serious as you say, they can only be healed by a priest. Presenting a half-beastkin to a priest is blasphemy. As a former Holy Knight, I have devoted myself to the Kingdom and to the Church. No family of mine will go against the Church. If you need a slave, we can buy you another.”

Osric's mouth falls open in surprise. His then face twists with anger.

"Buy Another — What are you saying, Randolf? You say you're a Holy Knight? Holy Knight my ass! What's so holy about letting a little girl die?” Osric screams.

“This is why I hate you religious freaks. You'd let a little girl die and then hide behind your prayers saying it had to happen! If there is hell — this is how you end up there!"

Osric stares daggers at him.

The emotion flushes from Randolf's face as he glares at Osric, coldly.

"Don't you dare disrespect the Holy Knights!" He approaches Osric with a raised fist.

"Randolf!" Catalina barges into the room, wrapping her arms tightly around Randolf in an attempt to restrain him.

Her tearful sniffling calms him, and he lowers his fist.

“The Grand Sage demands that you bring a priest here and treat her!” Osric says through clenched teeth.

“Healing miracles are said to not work on beastkin,” Angus replies, trying to calm him.

“What about half-beastkin? Has anyone tried that?” Osric asks.

No one answers.

“Bring a priest here. Now.” Osric’s voice is slower, calmer, but anger still seeps through every word. “We’ll hide her ears and tail and say she’s a normal girl.”

“You want me to bring the priest here?” Angus asks.

“Yes,” Osric replies, his tone still firm. “Moving her could worsen her condition.”

“Please do it, Father.” Catalina says, wiping away tears. She puts a hand on Angus’ arm.

Angus signs. “Cinder!” he yells at the doorway.

A black cat beastkin maid appears at the door.

“Ready the carriage. I’m heading into town.”

“Yes, my lord,” Cinder replies, taking off down the hall.

“I’m coming too!” Catalina exclaims

Angus and Catalina exit the room, leaving Osric and Randolf alone. A skin-crawling silence descends over the room. Osric refuses to look at him.

I just can't stand the backwards way religious people think, but, Maybe I went too far? Osric plops down on the bed by Elayne, thinking of what to say.

He takes a breath, about to speak — and then he notices a lack of a certain smell. Wait... Elayne doesn’t stink anymore.

“Hey, did you give her a bath?”

"Yes, Catalina bathed her, with help from the maids," Randolf answers, his gaze fixed elsewhere.

That’s right… there are maids here. But where is “here”?

"Where are we?" Osric asks.

"Angus’ estate in Lumora. It’s the closest place to Aurelith," Randolf answers bluntly.

The room is silence once again.

Osric squirms in discomfort on the bed. He’s just standing there; he's not even looking at me. I definitely messed up. I've always been awkward, always end up saying something weird or hurtful — one of the reasons I never really had friends...

Just as the silence becomes unbearable for Osric, Catalina bursts through the door. She scurries over to Elayne and ties a white cloth around her head, covering her ears. She tucks her tail under herself before turning toward the door.

She stops at the doorway. "Osric, dear, you should get changed. Angus has a new shirt and cloak waiting for you in your room."

Osric glances down and realizes he’s wearing only the white drawers he woke up in.

She takes off down the hall, leaving the two boys alone again.

Osric sits there nervously scratching his chin for what feels like hours. Maybe I can use the excuse of getting changed to leave the room? Should I just walk past him and say nothing?

He glances at Randolf. He stands there, arms crossed, staring at the wall.

I've gotta say something! This is too awkward. Osric opens his mouth to speak — as he does, Randolf grabs the chair from the desk, spins it around and sits down across from him.

"Look, Son—"

"Father—"

They talk over each other.

"You first." Randolf recedes.

"Father I — I've never been good at watching my words. I should have chosen them better. But what I meant still stands, I cannot accept that you would choose your religion over her life," Osric says frankly.

Randolf sighs. "I must say hearing the Grand Sage insult the Holy Knights and my beliefs did sting, but I'm sure you have plans beyond my comprehension. What you're doing is surely best for the Kingdom." He finally looks into Osric’s eyes.

"Well, you see, I needed an assistant for my magical research. She needs to be a half-beastkin because — because... well, let's just say I have my reasons." Osric deepens his voice to make it sound sage-like, as he thinks.

He cringes slightly. Yikes, what a terrible lie. I should just tell him the truth, well, some of it. I can't admit I wanted to buy a cat girl for... "personal reasons" after blowing my top at him.

"Actually, I just happened across an auction. Sitting there in the gallery, I wasn’t planning on buying anything, but then this half-beastkin girl was brought on stage. She was helplessly trapped in a cage with her hands shackled. When given the opportunity, she attacked the auctioneer. She was powerless, yet she still tried to fight back. I felt bad for her, sure — and there was a creepy old guy who wanted to buy her. But… I don’t know, I think her tenacity just spoke to me."

"I understand completely." Randolf enthusiastically nods 

"A woman with tenacity is my weakness too. Your mother would approach me every time she went to the royal ball. A lord’s daughter approached me, a lowly knight on guard duty, and asked me to dance. I turned her down each time, knowing a guard like me couldn’t take her hand. Her tenacity pushed me to work harder."

I wouldn't say that tenacity is my "weakness" but whatever. We seem to be on better terms now, I think. Osric holds out his hand.

"So, are we good now?"

Randolf seems hesitant to shake his hand.

"Raising my fist at the Grand Sage is basically treason, so how about we forget that happened?"

"Yeah, and you can forget what I said too," Osric adds.

"No, I will not forget what you said. I proposed letting the Grand Sage's assistant die. After hearing her story, I now know why you chose her. I apologize," Randolf asserts.

"I accept." Osric sticks his hand out further.

Randolf shakes it.

"So, what is so bad about a half-beastkin anyway?" Osric asks.

"Are you not familiar with the Holy Scripture?" Randolf questions. "I would assume the Grand Sage would bestow that information upon you."

"Uh, of course he did! Just jog my memory a little." Osric strains his childlike voice lower.

"I see, the holy scripture explains that beastkin are lowly creatures, lower even than monsters, for they cannot use magic. To lie with a beastkin and bear a half-beastkin child is to forsake the dignity of being human, and a dishonor to God. Thus, such offspring are taboo, as they have the appearance of our creator, yet are not of him," Randolf explains.

"I see you understand well." Osric strokes his chin, taking in the information. This sounds familiar. religion was often used to justify discrimination and slavery in my world too.

While thinking, he notices the fancy sword at Randolf's waist, reminding Osric of his clash with the mercenary.

"What happened after I passed out, did you defeat that big guy?"

"Yes I—"

Randolf is interrupted by Angus stepping into the room.

"The priest is coming. Maybe you want to hide, Osric? This priest is good freinds with the king," Angus says.

"Oh, right." Osric steps out the room.

Angus points to the next room, Osric steps in.

"Make sure he doesn't see her ears. Also, hopefully it works, but what are we going to tell the priest if it doesn't?" Osric asks.

Angus holds out his hand, "I've got it figured out."

"Alright, I trust you. Just please, let it work." Osric says as Angus shuts the door.

He sits down at the desk, much like the one in the Elayne's room, and waits.

>>>

He waits for a quite a while, twiddling his thumbs. He can only hear faint mumbles through the wall.

He's uninterested in the chatter; the only thing on his mind is if the healing will be successful.

He eventually hears a knock; Angus opens the door.

Osric jolts to his feet. "So, did it work?"

Angus nods, "Yes."

Osric runs past Angus, rushing over to the room.

The grimace on Elayne's face is gone, along with the splint on her arm and the bandages.

Osric plops down next to her in the chair, relieved. Good thing healing miracles work on half-beastkin.

"She should wake up soon. Randolf is out shopping with Catalina, and I plan to join them. You want to stay here, I assume?" Angus asks.

"Yeah."