Chapter 25 - The beastkin people

Chapter 25: Chapter 25 - The beastkin people "Uh... Lady Yara, will this meeting take long?" "Oh, child. I see you must be tired from all that journey. Don’t worry, I’m told it will be just an informal introduction, then you can go to your tent to rest." "Thank you." We walk in silence, side by side, through the encampment. It’s not exactly a village, as there aren’t houses, only tents. "Your people move around frequently?" "Ohh, I discern you’re a smart one for noticing that. Yes, we will move on next week to another oasis." "Why?" "You see, the land is delicate. If we overstay our welcome, it will throw the balance off, causing harm to the land and ultimately to ourselves." That’s a wise environmental respect right there. I wish humans in my old world acted like that as well. "I see. It makes sense." Right at this very moment, we see a bunch of kids running and playing. They pass by us so full of energy that they almost throw Yara off balance. "Heyy! Be more careful! If you want to run, go to the field outside; don’t run between the tents!!" "Yes, head elder." "We’re sorry, head elder." I chuckle. Kids will be kids in any world we go to. Well, except for the ones like me. A normal girl my age would be playing with them right now. Those kids are around my age, and some might even be older than me, actually. Ugh, I feel so old now. It’s a bit awkward. As I look at the kids running, I notice that they are all fox beastkin. Male and female. I think now is as good a moment as any other to ask what has been bothering me since earlier. "Yara... why are all adult foxkin here female, and all males are of other races?" "Hehehe... Because they aren’t different races." "HUH?" She laughs at my bewilderment. "It’s a common misconception by humans. But there’s only one beastkin race, which is the beastkin race. The same way humans can be white, black, brown, or other ethnicity-related colors and traits while still being the same human race, the same is true for beastkin." "Oh, I get it... I was under the impression that there would be a fox tribe with only foxkin, a wolf tribe with only wolfkin, and so on..." "We are indeed divided like that. Each tribe, or clan, is a big family. And it isn’t right to marry inside your own family, don’t you think?" "Oh, so fox people don’t marry fox people?" "Exactly. It would be incest, and it’s a strong taboo." "That would explain the quantity of other kin here... but why only males?" "Because in our culture, when you marry, the man moves to the woman’s village, as inheritance and blood are passed through the mother’s line." Oh, I get it... it’s what we would call a matrilineal matrilocal society back on Earth. "And the children become the kin of the mother?" "Exactly. The children that are not foxkin that live here are either adopted or kids from other tribes that are here as guests." "I see..." "The only exceptions are the gay couples, of course. Gay men don’t need to move away." "So the adult foxkin men here are all gay?" "Or just not married yet." She winks at me, and I giggle. "Makes sense." ::: And chatting like that, we arrive at a big, colorful tent. It is readily distinguished from the others by its size and its bright colors. "Come, I’m told the council is already assembled inside." I step in with her. The first thing I notice is the strong, warm, and woody aroma of incense. It fills the air with a relaxing atmosphere. Inside the tent there are six old women, all foxkin. They are sitting on comfortable cushions, forming two semicircles around a large coffee table with dried fruits, bread, and other snacks. There are two empty spots. Yara moves to sit at the far end, taking the head of the table, and gestures for me to sit in the last empty spot, on the side directly opposite to hers. I do as told and take my seat, and Yara starts speaking. "I want to welcome you in the name of all beastkin. My name is Yara, and I’m the head elder, you can see." The one right in front of her then speaks. "My name is Tawane. As a member of the council of elders, I welcome you." Then the one at her left. Then all the others in turn. I know I won’t be remembering all those names, so I give up trying halfway. When they finish, I also present myself. "Thank you all very much. I’m Aurea, a human born a slave who managed to escape and reach the beastkin territory, thanks to the help and guidance given to me by Mimby." A commotion rises as the women talk between themselves. It seems that Mimby was held in high regard by these people. Yara coughs, trying to discreetly silence the chatter. "I’m told that Aurea here has had a very hard journey from the human town to here, fighting harsh battles. I’ve been able to witness her prowess with magic, and I can give testimony to her abilities, but she’s still a child, as you all can see." "If what you say is true, Lady Yara, then this is a truly exceptional child." "Can she be the thunder the Loa told us about?" Tawane answers the head elder, but soon someone else asks a question, and the room quickly descends into chaotic chatter again. "Alright, alright." Yara elevates her voice. "I see that you all have questions, and we have few answers. But this child has had an arduous journey and deserves a bit of peace and rest." The chaos calms again, with all the other women nodding and murmuring in agreement. "We’ll hold some meetings between ourselves, and we’ll summon you again. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow." Yara tells me. "Yes. Take this time to rest and recover. You can stay in Yaci’s tent in the meanwhile." To that, everyone agrees, and I’m dismissed. Great. Nobody even thought of telling me to eat some of the food on the table. But I won’t be a pushover, so I bow respectfully and head outside. Now I’ll finally have some time alone to take a look at that system that I unlocked. The only problem now is... Which one is Yaci’s tent again???