I walked outside and sat on the steps leading up to my castle. The view from this high up the cliff face was impressive, and the sun was beginning to set in the west, bathing the buildings below in orange tones. When I started this project, the only thing I wanted was to get rich and become famous.

I should be in space right now, not stuck in this forsaken place. Orcs, goblins, griffons…I missed my family and friends. I wasn’t some God. I was only—I paused, I’m nineteen. When was my birthday? I missed my family.

I rested my head in my hands and closed my eyes trying to get a grip. The smell of wet fur and feathers finally registered in my mind and I sat up and looked around. Don sat not five feet away from me, watching with an amused cock of his head.

Sad.

“No, lonely. Well, maybe a little sad. I’m a long way from my family.”

I’d never been so vulnerable with Don before. I mentally slapped myself for not paying attention.

Mate?

I snorted. “No. I have no mate.”

No mate, make me sad.

“I’m not a v—,” how do you do tell a Griffin you’re not a virgin? “Forget it. Why are you not with your mate?”

Mate angry.

I started laughing, and Don’s fur ruffled. “Sorry. You’re in what we call the doghouse? Better to be outside than in the den with your mate?”

He cuffed. Safer.

“For you?”

Mate.

“Aww. I think I understand. How are you kittens?”

Big.

“I’m glad they are growing.”

I’m not exactly sure why I wasn’t afraid of Don. Perhaps it was because we were both outside to get away from the women in our lives. Granted, Theia, was never truly away from me, but I needed time away from Magus Sonshel to contemplate what I’d done. Regardless, for his or my reason, we were out here to get away from whatever madness awaited us inside our respective homes. This shared reason seemed to bond us together as brothers. Of sorts.

You smell female.

“I guess I would. I have a female here. I tried to heal Magus Shoshel's wounds and caused her great pain.”

Heard.

“I guess you would of if you were sitting out here. Sorry.”

Don took a few steps towards me, closing the gap to mere inches, and I flinched. He sniffed.

You fear. Not food.

“Easy for you to say. I’ve seen you take an elk down. I guess you don’t know what an elk is…it’s the big animal with the antlers you eat.” I held up my hands imitating antlers and immediately put them down again when I realized how stupid it looked.

He cuffed again. Many females below. Find mate.

“Uh…they’re different than me. More…wild.”

I could tell Don didn’t understand. The longer we spoke, the more I feel his thoughts and feelings. Females were females to Don, and I doubted he understood the nuances of human intimacy. At least, until he surprised me.

You same animal. They smell different. You are Mana.

Don caught me off guard. I’d forgotten I’d explained Mana to Don. “I’m not Mana. Mana is in me.”

No. You smell Mana. Same.

I’ll be the first to admit Don’s three word sentences were hard to follow but his intent was clear. He was saying that Mana smelt like me and vice versa. Since I had to take his word for it, I made a note to myself to follow up on that line of thought later.

“I’ve always had the earlier versions of Mana in me. It’s possible we share the smell. What’s your point.”

You are more.

I chuckled. “Don, in my time we’d call that privileged not more. Those people have never had the same opportunities as I have. I doubt we are very different on the genetic level.”

You are more. You meaningless words.

“I may be different, but we’re the same species.”

A distant roar sounded, and Don cuffed and shook his head.

I go now. You mate soon. You feel better.

Don took flight, and I took a deep breath of relief. I may not have felt fear, but my anxiety was high the entire conversation. One swipe of his paw and he could have eviscerated me. Not a pleasant thought. His encouragement to “mate” was wrong. I’d “mated” many times, and if I’d learned one thing, it was that my life became more complicated after mating. The worst part was that the thought of having intercourse with those savages turned my stomach. Their hygiene and behavior turned off any desire for flesh.

###

The sun fully set before I made my return to my quarters. When I entered my room, I was surprised to find Magus Sonshel awake and dressed in a baby blue sleeveless skater dress. She looked amazing, yet I could tell she felt uncomfortable since she had her arms folded.

“Theia, please make Magus Sonshel a sweater or shall.”

I think she looks dashing.

“I think she looks uncomfortable.”

Maybe I’ll make a mirror as well.

“Something for her shoulders first.”

Don was right. You do need to mate. I’m available.

“Thanks for the offer. I’ll keep it in mind.”

I gave Magus Sonshel a brief smile and spoke in her language. “How are you feeling?”

“What happened?”

“I’m sorry for the pain; I hadn’t realized it would…” I rubbed the back of my neck. “The Mana has reversed much of the damage life caused you.”

“Um,” she looked down at her body, “I never looked this way.”

Magus Sonshel weighed maybe 115 pounds, and her Asian facial features were more pronounced than her old body had shown previously. I was sure she’d have coarse black hair when it grew out since that was the villager's hair color.

“I’m sure you would have had your environment not been so…harsh.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You use words I don’t know, and I’m old. Are you a god?”

I sighed. “No. I’m human, same as you.” She looked at me doubtfully, but I didn’t feel the need to continue trying to change her mind. “Other than not ever looking this way, how do you feel?”

Magus Sonshel looked down and blushed. “Naked.”

“Uhh…I…That kind of dress is common where I come from. We can make you whatever you want, just let Theia know what you want, and she’ll make it happen.”

“Who’s Theia?”

I blinked a couple of times before answering. “I guess you can’t see her. Um…”

“I’m Theia,” a voice sounded in the room startling both of us.

“Wha—who—”

“That was Theia, although I hadn’t realized she had speakers in the room. Theia is—Theia runs the house.”

Magus Sonshel looked ready to run at any minute from freight. “Is—Is she Mother?”

I started laughing drawing a rebuking look from both Magus Sonshel and Theia who suddenly appeared in the room at a holographic projection. “I’m sorry Magus Sonshel. I’m not laughing at your question as much as laughing at Theia.”

“Please, call me Shel. I’m the Magus to my people.”

“What does Magus mean to your people, I don’t understand the title.”

“Magus is—was the speaker for the Spirit.”

“Was?”

Shel cast her eyes down again but didn’t say anything.

“Mag—Shel, please. Why do you say ‘was’?”

“The eldest is considered the closest to death and thus closer…”

“…to soon be seeing the Great Spirit,” I filled in.

She gave me a weak nod, and I noticed droplets of water falling onto the floor.

“Hey, hey, hey,” I said walking over to Shel and putting my arm around her. “I’ll have none of that. Are you upset I healed you?”

“No…it’s just…If you are not the Great Spirit…”

“If I’m not the Great Spirit, is there one?” Another head bob. “Well, I’ll be honest with you. I’m not rightly sure. Many people from my home believe in Gods.”

Shel’s head snapped up and met my eyes. “You’re truly not a God or the Great Spirit?”

“No, and neither is Theia. We could easily die, and I’m not all-powerful.”

“But…but…,” she waved her arms at the room, “you healed me, and you have…,” Shel’s voice trailed off.

“Let me clarify. I have the means to do things you can’t comprehend yet, but there is an explanation for everything I can do. This castle was made by a similar means to how you were healed. However, anyone from my home could do the same thing.”

“There are more of you?”

Theia started to laugh, and I shot her a warning look. “Not here.”

“Near?”

“No. I’m very far from home.”

“That must be lonely.”

A pain stabbed my heart. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, I made a mistake, and I’m here.”

“Xumblend?”

The word she used didn’t translate, and I looked at Theia for help, and she shrugged but thought banished to me.

“I’m not sure what that word means but I’m not able to return home yet. I hope that will be possible in the future.”

Shel gave me a slow, steady nod and I took it that the word closely matched banishment. She gave me a look of sympathy, and I started to get uncomfortable with the line of conversation. Luckily, Theia changed the topic. Either she understood my discomfort, or I got lucky the topic changed.

“Would you like clothing matching you people’s clothes? I could have it made any way you’d like.”

Shel looked at Theia projection. Theia had toned down the golden body paint look and stood in a Roman toga with a golden tan that was nice and not tacky. I about snorted as I noticed her elvish ears but kept my humor contained.

“You—we are not the same?”

“I’m not human, no.”

“Human,” Shel rolled the word around off her tongue as if it was a new taste.

“You are human, same as Just Caden,” Theia winked at me, “but I’m not human.”

“Are you a spirit?”

“Not exactly. My body is very different from yours.” She glanced at me. “However, if you’re in this castle you can say my name, and I’ll be there.”

Shel was about to ask more questions, but I cut her off. “—try not to overthink about what Theia is. It’s confusing to me nearly as much as it is to you. Theia runs the castle, and you can ask her for help anywhere while you’re here.”

A roar cut off any further questions, and Shel took a few steps towards the bed in fear. DJ’s barking sounded, and it was more than Shel could take, and she passed out.

“I thought she was doing alright.”

“Until Don came calling?”

“And DJ’s barking.”

“Yeah,” I looked down at Shel’s crumpled form and sighed, “can you make sure she’s alright and have Robbie put her back in bed. Let me know when she wakes up. I need to see what Don needs.”

“Yes, Just Caden,” Theia said with a lilt in her voice.

“Smart ass,” I said while turning to leave. “Thanks, Theia. I guess someone can only take so much shock in one day.”