Where's Casper?

Lion tail

Apparently, I have to share a room with someone since there aren't enough rooms for all of us, and Dante (a.k.a. Legend, that's what I found out) isn't going to let me freeze outside, but isn't going to get me a room for myself, either. Some people are filthy rich but won't even spend a cent for the ones who need it.

"Me! I will share my room with you!" The lion tamer yells, excited. I smile. I was actually planning to ask someone else to share with me, most likely another girl, but, if she offered...

"No, me!"  The guy with the snakes offered a few moments after. He is a tall, unappealing boy around my age, who had curly blonde hair and green eyes. He has tiny scars on his jaw, most likely from getting cut while shaving. I'm jealous. I can't grow a beard yet.

Aric grabs my arm and pulls me closer to him, pointing towards me and then pointing towards him. Looks like he wants to stay with me, too. How did I not think about it? He's way taller than me and taller than the snake tamer. He has pretty muscular arms and legs, and he almost looks like one of the heirs to the Meridian Empire's throne who have been introduced to us before, although he isn't a boy who takes care of himself, clearly, having uncombed hair that might be wavy and wrinkled clothes.

The two other ones look at each other and burst out laughing. I wonder why. Aric just puts his arm around my neck and forces me to follow him.

The North isn't as boring as I imagined, although I wish I had brought a coat with me. The performers clearly have brought appropriate clothes, the girls being dressed with dark gowns with ornamental belts and double skirts, and the guys with doublets and leather pants. Take the boy next to me, for example. He's wearing a tight, red doublet that makes his muscles pop, but also makes him look lean and a pair of black leather pants. The snake tamer and the lion tamer follow us, keeping a small distance. He starts walking faster.

"Have you found a new boyfriend, Aric?" The lion tamer laughed. I feel bad for the lion. "I didn't think you'll find yourself another zoophile. Good for you!"

"Did you know his mother was a human, and she did it with a real lion? Imagine knowing you resulted from the love of an animal and a human." The snake tamer told me, and I try not to listen.

Aric smirks; I wonder why. I wouldn't be smirking if I were him. He stops and then turns around , facing them. I don't know what he did, but they suddenly started running.

We start walking again; unlike Valenda, the North doesn't give you that feeling, you know? In Valenda, we have lots of dangerous things and people. For example, children are not allowed to go in the Spice Quarter because of thieves and mercenaries. Here, I bet there are no such things. Who would like being a thief in such a beautiful part of the world?

______________

Honestly, I like our room, but Aric doesn't give me any kind of space.

Firstly, I realized he needed the whole closet, then, there's only one bed, not enough room for both of us, and many other things.

As I made it very clear in this chapter, Aric is a big guy, and I think it would have been more comfortable if I shared this space with a girl. He insisted on sleeping on the ground, but my heart wouldn't have let me accept it. I'm only an intruder, after all.

He smiles from the top of the table; yes, he's sitting on a table that is threatening to break under his weight. I just wonder... is this because of his lion genes? How much does he weigh?

"The mute thing... were you born with it, or is it something else?"

He writes on his notebook and then throws it at me. That's how we communicate.

I'm half animal, half human. I like to consider myself a human, but there are things I'm not able to do.

"Like?" I ask and giggle, throwing the notebook back. He catches it perfectly.

For example, I can't buy clothes from a normal store. I can't stand loud noises. But I'm happy, though. I'm not one of the circus freaks.

"Circus freaks? You have them?"

Yes, we do, but we don't use them in the big cities. I got my big city role last year. Before that, I was Helion, the half lion half human boy, with a human body and a lion tail.

"Lion tail? I had no idea you had a lion tail. Do you hide it?"

I don't. They cut it off so my contortionst suit would look more appealing.