Looking around as I walk the streets, I see money changing hands from person to person.
The beastkin's economy, while not the worst, it isn't the greatest. All in all, they were still recovering from the war versus the Fanalis all those years ago, and till today they only have one city still standing, which is Prosúnfore, and the little village the Fanalis lived in.
Most of Nialathrú for years was filled to the brim with corpses, and only recently has one been able to go anywhere without bodies everywhere. A horrific sight to be sure.
So we have not integrated all of the humans into their economy, and instead we decided to handle the humans' needs by using the spare beastkin forces to cover our essential needs like food, and shelter.
We have also made efforts to cover the Fanalis' needs as well because, for the most part they have not been allowed to fully transact with the beastkins market except for certain days.
So in general everything is going well, and we should be able to eventually integrate both the beastkin and the humans, though I don't know what financial system we should keep.
We could ask that scholar from Cordum, called Christopher, to allow us to use the world's reserve currency of Lupas, so if we ever do break out into the world, we will use it, but maybe it would be better not to add another big change.
As I stare at the money called Red branch seeds, I hear someone shout, "THIEF!"
Through the market, I see a man running, so I use spirit energy and manoeuvre my way across the shops until I am right above him. I quickly put him in a headlock with my legs, and say, "Stop right there!"
The man whom I hold is wearing a cloak, and as I hold him down, people gather around me with one saying, "HE STOLE MY SANDWICH!"
Looking at a loaf of bread with some stew inside, I say, "OH,H that looks tast-, Orb no, focus."
Taking the hood of the man in front of me, I say, "Musa?"
"I told you not to call me that, it is Musa."
Musa here was the leader of the humans who kept complaining about our living conditions, despite all initially choosing to stay. It seems these guys got used to the people of Aplos doing everything for them when they were freed as slaves.
Taking the bread from him, I say, "You do realize stealing is wrong. Take a moment to look around at all the beastkin who have welcomed us with no home of our own into theirs."
"So what am I supposed to do if I want this? I have no money to participate in their market."
"It's like I told everyone, it is coming."
"So what should I do, just wait?"
"Yes. Because we shouldn't take things from the beastkin."
Angered he breaks free from me, and says, "Why the fuck should I care!"
Looking around and pointing at all of them, he says, "These monsters spent decades destroying humans to their destruction, then spent the time after destroying themselves.
The only reason these guys have a future is because we humans came here to save them, and these animals can't even be gracious enough to allow me to take some bread. I can clearly see why they're moments away from killing each other."
Taking a moment to look around, I see the shamed and saddened faces of all the beastkin. For a while now, I think the beastkin have been overcompensating since hearing their true history.
They have been feeling ashamed and embarrassed, which is probably the reason why they have put up with all our complaints, and all the massive changes and uncertainty in their future.
But they shouldn't be.
I have been outside and have seen the things humans have done as well. Right now we need to stand together not be afraid.
"Musa, you need to stop right now!" I say, stretching out my hand.
Knocking it away, Musa says, "Don't touch me! If you try to silence me from speaking the truth, I will just leave and tell the whole world about all I have learned here!"
"You do realize how much danger that puts us all in?"
"Unless you feel like putting a collar on me and locking me up like a slave, it doesn't matter, does it. So either let me take this right now, or I could just leave."
Walking up to me, the vendor named Kian says, "Orb, it's ok he is right."
"Kian no. You worked hard to make that it isn't right for someone to steal all your hard work."
With a shaky smile, he rubs the back of his head and says, "No, it's my fault, I wasn't thinking about his needs. Besides, it's not like we beastkin really have anything to complain about compared to you humans."
Seeing his face, and the face of others around me, my hair turns read, and I turn to Musa. With a fury building in my belly, I glare at Musa, and whilst scared, he says, "Are you really going to attack me, you tyrant?"
I grip my fist and rein in my anger. I search for words to diffuse this situation, but as I try to think, I can feel a wave of sleep wash over my head. Crap I am so tried I can't think of a way out of this situation.
As the situation grows more tense, my mind grows more hazy, and in front of all of us, Musa starts to stuff the sandwich in his mouth, so I move to stop him, but before I reach him, he is punched in the face onto the ground.
Looking at who did that, I see Quant(The slave who betrayed Willow on Basileia) and his young daughter Xia beside him.
Musa, looking at the sick man, Quant says, "What the hell was that for? You just assaulted me for no reason!"
Quant punches him in the face again and says, "Shut your mouth, you big baby!"
Moving up to him, Quant grabs him by the collar and says, "Do you know how many years I was a slave? How many years I was traded by humans for their own benefit. I have met many people during that time, those who laugh at the sight of me, those who look away out of disgust at me, and those who would try to help and even forgive someone like me.
Being human doesn't make you better than anyone, you parasite, and thinking you can use your humanity to hurt all the beastkin who have been kind and accepting to us just because they're a different race.
I don't care for such nonsense, and I will never hate anyone for being in a better or worse situation than me. I simply judge people by who they are, regardless of all of this, and these people have truly had big hearts towards us all.
So if you think I will allows scum like you to try and get away with nonsense even my daughter wouldn't you have another think coming you grown man child."
Quant throws him onto the floor and grabs the sandwich, then, walking in front of Kian, he holds the sandwich with mud and grass on it, and takes a bite out of it then says, "I will be paying for this with whatever labour you need me to do."
Seeing this, Kian smiles and says, "But it will cost you a good amount of time."
Musa says, "You piece of trash, haven't you ever heard of solidarity? We're all humans here who have been eaten and beaten by all those scum outside who think they can trade humans for profit."
Looking at me, he says, "A home for all of the humans who have nowhere to go? Look at your big and bright home, where people think it's ok to go around hurting each other just to bow down to a new master. Did we not escape slavery so we can stand together and respect each other's lives, why are we splitting ourselves apart?"
Looking at him with a smile, I say, "I see. Then leave."
"Huh?"
"You heard me. I have no right to stop you from doing whatever you want, so leave."
With sweat trickling down his face, he says, "You do realize I still have all the information about this place, I can sell it and get a pretty penny."
"Go ahead? Besides looking around, I can say these people around me can handle a lot more than I gave them credit for."
Freaking out he says, "Are you seriously picking a animal?"
I move forward and grab him by the mouth, and I say, "I didn't pick anyone, I simply gave everyone a chance to work together and reach common ground. You speak of respect, but you can't even respect the passion, love and kindness that went into creating that meal. You demand it like it is some form of right, as if it is some simple task. I made this place to give people without a place to go somewhere to build, but it seems I have been too kind. Those who can and don't want to contribute can simply leave, and we will all weather whatever storms you bring together."
I turn around and walk away, and Musa says, "But how am I supposed to get down Fimbulwinter by my own?"
"We have a path already cleared out, and you can take any of the stuff you were given or have made when you leave."
Musa looks panicked for a moment, and tries to speak, but I close to him mere centimetres away from his face, and say, "What do you some how find this unfair? This is a fair deal, isn't it? Oh, wait, you have nothing except clothes to take with you because you have made anything with your hands since you got here."
He stutters again, and again, then as he tries to speak and says, "Will you really let me di-."
I put my hand over his mouth and say, "You can try to guilt trip me or bullshit me, but it doesn't matter. Because I am no fool, no matter how much I wish this to not be true it is, those who can work but don't will not eat. Now leave!"
Dropping my hand, I allow his face to fall to the floor, then turn around and walk away. As I do, I hear him whimper for a bit, and eventually get up and walk away to meet with everyone else.
Name: Gigantoad
Height: 400 cm
Type: Wonderbeast, Carnivore
Description: A giant frog-like wonderbeast, with brown skin and golden markings. It has four large warts on its back that it uses to release a mucus that it uses to restrain large prey, and to defend from attacks. Its tongue can shoot out at the speed of sound to catch any prey it sees.
Fact: They tend to be rather dumb, so they have a habit of not understanding things they like and do not like, so they simply that things into their mouth and spit them out. A place with a giant tree at least 80 meters tall with orange leaves, and underneath that tree is what looks to be a city covered in an area surrounded by lush green leaves.
Name: Unseen Toad
Height: 4 cm
Type: Wonderbeast, Herbivore
Description: A small frog-like wonderbeast, with rainbow skin, with two antennas that hang in front of it's head. It has the ability to control the way light reflects off its body, granting it a form of invisibility.
Fact: They are known to sneak into farms at night and then eat all of the crops before sneakily leaving. During eras of slavery, this was often blamed on the workers, causing them to be known as the bloodiest herbivore.
Name: Unicorn
Height: 170 cm
Type: Wonderbeast, Herbivore
Description: A gleaming white horse-like wonderbeast, with a shining horn on its head. It has the power to radiate light from its horn, which can illuminate the way or burn its enemies. It is said that when riddled by a human with a pure heart, even greater power can be found.
Fact: They are known to spend time with evil people, for the sake of purifying their hearts and turning them into good people by spending time and illuminating their lonely hearts.