R U [ I ] N E D

A Crash Course on Manabe & Fantastic Beasts (Not Where to Find Them)

Nimanuhn waited for the rest of the group— even Dala and Merritt— to gather before beginning their tale. "Most people best know Manabe to be monstrous hybridized beasts with no control— would rip you to shreds soon as look at you— if they even believe in them at all. But does anyone ever talk about what causes the anomaly in shapeshifter genes?" Nim sat up straight, resting their hands in their lap. "Obviously I'm not from here. You can tell just looking at me. Back home, my parents studied magical beasts, Manabe included, but the world pretends like we're the only rare beast of shifter blood. But we're not, not by a long shot. In their studies, they discovered something— a link between another kind of shifter and Manabe children."

A link?

Callan furrowed his brows. His gaze settled on Sachi during Nim's momentary pause, but his attention returned to the other Manabe once Nim started up again. "According to their research, most Manabe are born to shifter families with a mythical lineage. Not always recent, but somewhere in the line is a shapeshifter of legend."

"What do you mean of legend?" Cal cut in.

"Legendary beasts," Nim clarified. "Like dragons, kitsune, the great elemental birds, pegasi, unicorns. Fabled unnatural creatures. Shifters with those kinds of forms are those of legend. They're more than your average shifter; their power and strength can be just as fantastical as their beings." The Manabe cleared their throat. "Anyway, families like that are more likely to create Manabe because both are magical alterations of the shapeshifter DNA that enhances their abilities. Which brings me to what I was saying earlier about shifter classes. Canines, felines, reptilians, and so on— that much is pretty straight forward, yeah?"

Cue resounding assent from Nim's attentive audience.

"It's obviously a bit more complicated with Manabe, since we're often part of more than just one class, but most tend to identify with their most prominent animal, especially since that's the scent that they project the strongest. Take my form, for example, I'm primarily a drake, so that smell overwhelms my more bird or fish-like aspects. I smell like a dragon. It's a more vibrant smell than your average reptilian because of the heightened magic of those mythic beings. As Manabe go, I'm a fluke. Legendary beast as a part of one of us? Ludicrous. I've never met anyone else like me." Nim stared at Sachi, their air slightly anxious as much as it was excited. "It's not your primary animal— feline, I think?— but that sweet draconian smell is a part of you too. You're like me."

Sachi didn't seem the least bit taken aback by that information. He wasn't even looking at Nim, his full attention on Callan instead. That glint in the boy's eyes— was it worry?

"I'm a reptilian shifter, sure, but I'm not anything that impressive," Callan started, "I shouldn't smell anything like—"

"The scent doesn't lie. People can."

"Orin..." Sachi mumbled, nearly making Cal jump out of his skin.

"Huh?" The shifter saw how distressed the boy looked. "Sachi, what's wrong?" Sachi shook his head, not wanting to reveal the secret that Callan had kept to himself. "You can say it. I vaguely remember something."

Sachi peeked over at Phoe, who tilted her head at him, her brows furrowing. The blonde looked from him to Callan, and Cal realized that Sachi was going to clam up until he said it himself. Callan took a calming breath, slowly exhaling. "I honestly don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it. He's my brother. I— I almost died. The Grand Commander had me revived and my memories replaced." He swallowed roughly as Phoena blinked at him, her mouth slightly agape, and Cal imagined that Sol would've had a similar reaction had she been there too. They were the only two of his own party that hadn't become privy to that information in one way or another. "I was— well, I am Orin Crue."