original

In a Magical World But Not Human Enough

Chapter 1: Just a Day In The Frontier

In a forest on the border between the Empire and the Coalition, a wounded foot soldier with an arrow lodged in her right shoulder runs desperately, trying to save herself. At least her light leather armor was good enough that her shoulder might not be permanently damaged—or so she hopes.

"Shit, shit, shit! Damn Imperials! How the hell did they find the camp?!"

She still remembers the battalion gathering at the gates of the newly established camp. No one noticed the Imperial forces until it was too late. Thinking about it now, someone probably sold them out to the Empire—that's the only explanation for the mobilization of 300 soldiers to this isolated forest, especially in the middle of winter. Looks like trusting those merchants from Eridania wasn't such a good idea after all.

But that doesn't matter now. She needs to reach the next camp and report the situation as quickly as possible. There's no time to treat the damned wound—if she stops, the Imperial dogs will surely catch up to her.

At least the cold has helped slow the bleeding, and the rare full moon lights up the night just enough for her to run without the need for a torch.

After running for what seems like hours, the soldier finally begins to relax—either that, or the blood loss is causing her to slow down. A big mistake.

Whoosh

She hears the familiar hiss of an arrow slicing through the air. In an instant, as if bitten by a snake, a sharp pain stabs into her left thigh.

"WE FOUND A FUGITIVE!"

An Imperial soldier shouts, no more than 30 meters away.

"Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!"

Realizing the gravity of the situation, she quickens her pace, doing her best to ignore the agonizing pain in her leg. There's no way she can fight in this condition, and even if she could, it would be futile. One wrong step now, and it's all over.

But as the old saying goes, "No bad day that can't get worse." Suddenly, she comes across a wide river with violently turbulent waters, glowing unnaturally. Strangely, despite scouting the area around the camp multiple times, she doesn't remember ever seeing this river before.

It's impossible she veered off her route—unless all her ranger training really wasn't worth anything.

One moment of doubt, one moment of hesitation—that's all it takes to lose everything.

Whoosh

The sound of an arrow slices the air once more, like a messenger of death ready to claim her life. In an instant, the soldier feels the arrow pierce her spine, the force of the impact sending her plunging into the river. Maybe this isn't so bad after all—at least those Imperial dogs will never lay their hands on her body or the Coalition's intel.

On the banks of that same river, the battered and bloody body of the now familiar soldier drags itself ashore. She has lost all feeling in her legs, and what little strength she has left is used to move her one good arm, barely managing to pull herself out of the water. She has no idea where she's going.

"An tainted soul invades the sanctuary!"

Suddenly, a thundering voice breaks the silence along the riverbank. It's a shame the soldier can no longer understand anything around her—being alive at this point is a miracle in itself.

"What a disgusting creature. I will have to purge such an unwanted presence."

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground repeatedly echoes—footsteps? She isn't sure.

One step. He's close. Two steps. He's closer. Three steps. He's here. A gigantic shadow is cast over her fallen body, preparing to cleanse the filth before it.

Neigh!

Another voice, this one feral and wild, more like the howl of a beast, but somehow gentler than the last.

"You abuse your favors! I will not tolerate you bringing your filth onto this sacred ground!"

The first voice returns, much louder and more violent this time. Are they arguing?

Neigh!

But the second voice stands its ground, howling even louder than before.

"Petulant beast! Her protection can only take you so far!... Enjoy your victory. There will be no second time."

The first voice speaks again, this time in a lighter tone, though it still reverberates like thunder.

Neigh

This time the second voice sounds much more... respectful? Yes, that seems right.

Not that she can really tell—her consciousness is already fading after all that has happened. Then, everything goes black.

In a river that flows through the tall southern mountains, a territory unknown to all civilized beings, a small cradle floats to the banks. A strange group of people looks on, all with shiny bronze skin. The men are at least two meters tall with extremely defined muscles, and even the women share that strength. Their clothing isn't exactly what you'd call... sophisticated, being only wraps of different beast skins.

"What is this thing?" one of the men asks to no one in particular, as no one there has ever seen anything like it before. Well, not quite like this.

"Why is it so small?"

"Why does it look so weak?"

"Why is its skin so light?"

"Why does it have hooves?"

Questions float among the people as they gaze at the small, weak, and pale "thing" in the cradle. Their curiosity is great, but their fear is even greater. What if it's one of the demons of the mountains, mimicking a baby to lure them into a trap? Well, someone should tell the demon it's not doing a good job—Their babies weren't THIS ugly.

"MAKE WAY! Mama Huiya is coming!" An imposing voice silences the crowd.

The tall people part slowly, making way for an even taller figure to pass—likely the owner of that commanding voice—followed by a smaller figure, even with three skulls stacked atop her head. Still, there's a clear respect in their eyes as they look at her. The woman, Mama Huiya, approaches the cradle and extends her long arms to pick it up, eliciting gasps and protests from the crowd.

"By the ancestors, what are you doing?!"

"Mama Huiya, get back! It could be dangerous!"

Most are worried the "thing" is indeed a demon, one that might suddenly reveal its claws and attack the old woman.

"Oh, shut up! I know what I'm doing, you bunch of greenhorns!" But Mama Huiya pays no heed to their concerns, pulling the cradle ashore and—worse—taking the "thing" out of it!

She brings it close to her face, sniffing it with her large, crooked nose, observing it with her blind eyes, which can see what many cannot. After turning it upside down, shaking it, and examining it in every possible way, she finally makes her conclusion.

"It's..." She draws the moment out, the crowd hanging on her hoarse voice, tense with expectation. What could it be? A bad omen? A message from the spirits? The end of the world?

"It's a baby."

And everyone promptly falls to the ground, dumbfounded.

"You old hag! Were you trying to scare us to death!?"

"Hahahaha! You were the ones all tense! It's just a baby—if you weren't shitting all by yourselves, you could've seen that!"

Ah, the good old Mama Huiya, always playing around, no matter the situation.

At that moment, with everyone somewhat annoyed but relieved, the baby slowly opens its eyes and, like any good baby, starts to cry.

Bweh Bweh

"Oh, it's awake now."

Mama Huiya again brings the baby close to her face, staring at it with her blind eyes.

"Alright, who's going to take care of this child?"

She says loudly, surprising everyone. But even if it's Mama Huiya asking, no one steps up to take responsibility for the strange baby from the river.

"No one? I didn't know the tribe bred such cowards."

Bweh Bweh

Looking at the still-crying child in her arms, she makes a decision that shocks the entire tribe.

"Alright, if no one will take care of this child, then I will do it myself. I will not accept any objections."

And just like that, she walks away with the crying baby in her arms, leaving everyone by the river in disbelief. Meanwhile, the baby in her arms is thinking:

"WHERE THE F*CK AM I?!?!?!"]