Hanna POV

  Mental mutations suck. There's no euphoria tied to them, only a bitch of a headache and internal bleeding, but it was necessary. I had no one to teach me their nguage and I'm fairly certain no on in this world could understand me, either. Without someone who had common ground between both nguages, it was impossible to learn. So I spent a year of Bioenergy to instantly mutate the knowledge. The survival system surprised me in my capability to do so.

  But at my question everyone froze. Was it because I spoke? Or what I said? Then the stern-faced man shook his head.

  "I cannot let you see her."

  Yeah I supposed that was fair, considering the facts of what I had done.

  "I was not in my right mind when it happened. I will apologize ter." I spoke before I turned to gre at the swordsman. "You owe me a meal. You ruined it with your filthy bde!" I said, and a stunned silence washed over the crowd.

  I looked around. Did I say something wrong?

  Shai POV

  We froze at the monsters words. Before a snicker broke out among the hunters. Then ughter. I look over to the Chef and see a vindicated look in his eye before a dle comes flying to the Huntsman, knocking against his helm. Everyone knows better than to desecrate the Meowscur Chef's dishes.

  The tension was eased thereafter, and people went about their business, save for a group of researchers too enamored with a new life form to learn. It seemed to tolerate them after they paid for its next few meals.

  I couldn't help myself either. "The creature seems capable of willful and rapid mutation. It possessed four limbs and two wings like many elder dragons, and seems fully sentient and highly intelligent. I wonder how it's ability works."

  But I was cut off from my ruminations by the beast in question. "As far as I can tell, my stomach is a hyperefficient bioforge. Whatever I consume is turned to pure energy that I can expend to mutate traits. The process is initially painful but fades to euphoria, and eventually leaves me hungry. I more and more food to both fuel my body and any further evolution."

  We all pause before going wild with questions. Never had such a creature been so self aware of its own power. Nor had been so unique.

  "How intense are the sensations?" Asked one.

  "How much food do you need daily?" Pestered another.

  "Have you ever been full?"

  The creature held its hands up to calm us, ughing in a rather cute giggle.

  "Calm down, calm down. I'll answer your questions as best I can. The sensations vary for intensity of the mutation. For example, I mutated my wings and I had went mad with pain and pleasure. Some are just painful.." It said, holding its long, thick cws up. "Recently I ate two fire breathing flying creatures and four eggs before I was no longer starving, but I wouldn't say I was full."

  We paused, finding it hard to come up with new questions so we convened, leaving it to its meal.

  I?a POV

  I couldn't believe my eyes. The creature had walked right into Astera and was now having the chef cook up a whole aptonoth. I was watching from the window of my room, conflicted feelings swarming around in my head.

  I had missed my monthly day. I hadn't told anyone about this except for The Commander, and he told me that it's likely that I was just irregur from the trauma of the experience, but to prepare for the worst.

  His words were ughable to me. There was no trauma. The pregnancy couldn't be the worst case scenario if I never took the contraceptive herb.

  Something must be wrong with me for me to be so...okay with this. But I know what I want, even if I fight against it.

  I want her.

  Yes, her. The creature is intelligent. It's holding a conversation, and intelligently so for the senior researchers to be so enamored with her words.

  I can't hold myself back.

  I whistle shrilly and stared pointedly.

  She stares up at me. And stands up.