The morning sun’s rays crept through a bronze wood circular-shaped window, which was more like a carving into the structure, and slowly slithered over to Leonard as he slumbers sideways on a brown rectangular futon mattress.

Leonard’s features scrunch as the sun’s warm touch caresses the right side of the stallion’s face, prompting a low whinny accompanied by flaring nostrils. His ebony eye opens slowly seconds later, but he abruptly closes it shut due to the sudden sunlight intake.

The stallion stirs and lifts himself up from the futon, performing a stretch by arching his back with a resulting crack along the way before rising to his full stature. He then proceeds to loosen the joint and ligaments in his neck, followed by his eyes scanning the inner portions of a brown hallowed out tree that acts as his current and possibly permanent residence.

He doubly made sure to thank Mulan last night for her kindness when she and Rain Shine offered and thoroughly delivered on these accommodations. The red-maned, brown-coated stallion would’ve been satisfied with a simplistic horse stable, yet here he was, occupying something far more than he’d ever expected.

It even puzzled him that Mulan offered a genuine apology for, in her own words, ‘Not being able to offer him something a bit more spacious and luxurious.’ By Radahn’s grace, THIS was already overkill as is…

His cozy little abode consists of a soft futon bed and a nearby closet built into the ‘tree home,’ complete with a red sliding door for storing items and clothing, both of which he currently lacked. Apparently, what stirred regret within Mulan most was the absence of a kitchen and bathroom.

Granted, he had no need for a kitchen. Seriously, they’re in a forest. There’s food everywhere. And a bathroom? Again…forest. He could literally just relieve himself anywhere he pleased. And yet, despite that, why did it feel so…wrong to do so?

Why did it feel so…indecent? Rude, even.

It was all so strange and alien to him…

Ever since Malenia’s blooming and waking up in Peak Village, he’d been able to think and feel on a spectrum far more vast than ever before. Heck, a part of him felt like he shouldn’t even know what a kitchen or a bathroom is, yet it felt like he was familiar with the concept all his life.

This was impossible, yet his current situation, feelings, and thoughts screamed otherwise. This truly was reality. This was Leonard.

Three abrupt knocks on the home’s circular, red closed door startle the stallion and tear him out of his thoughts as his ears shoot upward, and his head fires toward the entrance.

“Leonard?” Mulan’s slightly muffled voice beckoned from the other side. “Are you awake?”

Leonard neighed loudly in response as he hurriedly stepped off the futon to answer the door, his hooves clopping against the light-brown wooden floorboards in the process. He sets a forehoof into the horseshoe-shaped doorknob and turns it clockwise, the locking mechanism clicking upon reaching a 90-degree angle.

The wind of the outside world immediately breached his home as Leonard pulled the door inward with a slight creak. His ears immediately pick up the sounds of nature surrounding Peak Village and the distant voices of its inhabitants going about their daily lives. Still, his eyes focused on the gray orbs of the kirin smiling up at him on his doorstep, her umbrella folded and strapped onto her back.

“Good morning~!” Mulan greets merrily, her gray and ebony beauty reflecting and practically becoming enhanced by the sunlight behind her like radiant obsidian, her jade-colored mane complimenting the white and pink silks she currently wore.

It was enough to cause a crimson patch to form on the stallion’s cheeks. There was something particular about these kirin that remained consistent between every individual: they were all paragons of beauty.

“Sleep well, I hope?” She inquired as the stallion was now lost in those eyes of hers. “Was the futon to your liking? And, again, I’m so sorry for not having a bathroom or kitchen in there. Before we repurposed it to your living space, it was, uh…a storage place.”

The following silence was Mulan’s only answer as she waited for a proper response.

Leonard, seemingly realizing the awkwardness passing by, shakes his head with a snort to snap out of his folly, earning a joyful giggle from Peak Village’s leader. He folds his ears against his head, offering a sorrowful expression and whinny.

“Hmhmm. It’s ok,” she assured with a dismissive cloven forehoof. “Trust me, you being one of the few stallions surrounded by multitudes of mares and lionesses in our village is sure to have some effect.”

The stallion’s head cocked inquisitively. ‘Lionesses?’

“Oh! Right, right.” Mulan nods in realization, having deciphered the gesture. “You’re still quite new to our ways, but we kirin are considered a chimeric race. Calling us mares, lionesses, and even dragonesses are all accurate. While we’re at it, I’ll be assigning Udrako as your tutor following your assessment match with Flare Burst. For now, though.” She turns away and waves a cloven hoof for him to follow.

“Follow me. Sandy’s mother offered to prepare some breakfast for us, so we’d best be off. I’ll explain more along the way.”

Leonard nods and nickers in understanding, closing the door behind him and prancing forth before pulling up alongside Mulan as the duo sets off together along a dirt pathway stretching and bending into the village up north from his residence.

Glancing back over his shoulder as they walked in silence, save for Mulan humming a rather catchy tune, and now that he got a good look at it in broad daylight, the displaced horse realized that his tree-based occupancy, its’ healthy green leaves fluttering in the wind and rooted on brown barked arms, was on the opposite side of Mulan’s own home.

Before turning his head forward, he also notes that his tree-rooted house was set on the village’s southern edge, a wall of dense forestation seeming to act as a natural barrier or indication of territory.

As they continue onward and nearly reach the village’s epicenter, the presence of armed members of the Blades of Peril, farmers tending small to medium fields of crops, and young kirin—pups, cubs, foals…Leonard was just going to stick with foals for now—playing while being overwatched by several lionesses…dragonesses…mares…

Okay, this chimeric terminology stuff was starting to throw him off.

‘Yeah, no. Sorry, but I’ll just stick to equine terminology. Huh… Terminology. How do I even know that word…?’

“Don’t look now,” Mulan’s words steal the stallion away from his sight-seeing as his eyes now set on her, “but you’re turning heads.” She finished with a chuckle.

Leonard proceeds to absorb his surroundings as, sure enough, several bystanders are drawn to his presence. While guards maintain their stations with stoic expressions, giving Mulan a respectful bow as the duo passes by, some of the farmers halt the tendings of their fields to look upon the stallion with great curiosity, others even whispering amongst themselves.

But as Mulan and Leonard approached two farmers seemingly taking a break against a fence located to the right of the path—both being identical with light-green coats, white manes with black spots, purple eyes, and a pair of forward-facing white horns with black edges—they immediately garner their attention.

One of the farmers, noticeably taller than their identical twin, whistles while displaying a particular look and locking eyes with Leonard.

“Howdy!” The shorter kirin boomed with a waving cloven hoof. “Mighty fine pleasure to see ya ‘round these parts, Empress Mulan!”

“Good morning, girls,” Mulan greets, stopping alongside the twins and turning sideways to present them to Leonard. Up close like this, the stallion could make out the pink marks or glyphs dotting their horns.

“Leonard, it’s my great honor to introduce you to the Guan sisters of the Prairie Family. The taller and older sibling is Guanfeng, and the younger one is Guanlin. The resources their family produces are one of our greatest food sources here in Peak Village.” Mulan performs a respectful bow. “Be sure to forward my eternal gratitude to your matriarch and your father.”

“Will do, empress!” Guanlin beamed with a salute gesture.

Mulan sighs in resignation while shaking her head. “There’s the empress thing again.”

The younger Guan sibling giggles, “And you’d best get used to it!”

Meanwhile, Guanfeng remains silent during the exchange as she stares with half-lidded eyes at Leonard.

“Speak’n of pleasure…” She finally comments, gaining Mulan and Guanlin’s attention as she walks forth gracefully. The elder Guan sibling rubs herself along Leonard’s chest with a low purr, being mindful of her horns as she slips around and proceeds to his rear, flirtatiously rubbing beneath his chin with her tail.

Leonard’s crimson-cheeked and wide-eyed features follow after her as he turns his neck. ‘By the Elden Ring…’

“Leonard’s a mighty fine name~.” Guanfeng eyes the stallion’s lean-built frame and, momentarily, the entirety of his hindsection. “Mighty fine indeed~.”

A loud sigh sounds off from the direction of Mulan and Guanlin, the younger Guan sister facehooving—Mulan, wearing a slightly embarrassed expression.

“Fer the love of Buddha, big sis…”

“S-sorry about this, Leonard.”

Guanfeng rubs herself alongside Leonard’s left section as she ventures toward his front, gently nuzzling the left side of his face.

“You a new breeder ‘round these parts, honey?”

The stallion’s eyes darted side to side as the only thing he could manage was a low whinny.

Guanfeng chuckles in amusement, shifting her sights to Mulan. “How about it, empress? This fine feller available?”

“Guanfeng! Guanlin!” A powerful and deep male voice suddenly appears from nearby, causing all heads to turn to its source as the Guan sisters jolt in fear of who they see approaching on a path stretching from a large tree home and along one of the surrounding fields.

“What in tarnation are you two doin’?!”

“D-daddy!” They cried out in unison.

“Don’chya ‘daddy’ me, little ladies!”

Leonard observes curiously yet cautiously, a feeling that was slowly growing as a large, hardy black bull with horns identical in color to their daughters’, only without the pink glyphs and far longer in comparison,

The bull’s powerful steps signaled his approach, and the seven-foot mass of muscle stopped and stood before his youngest daughter, the eldest hurriedly running over to join them.

“Your mothers and ah are working the fields while you two are mess’n with some stallion?!”

“N-n-n-n-o, s-sir,” Guanfeng answered.

“Y-yeah,” Guanlin hesitantly agreed before pointing a hoof at her elder sibling. “It w-was only big sis f-flirt’n with ‘em.”

The elder sibling responds with a deathly side glare.

A powerful snort accompanied by hot air is let loose from their father. “Enough! You two join yer mothers out back! Now!”

“Y-yes, sir!” The Guan siblings cried out as they panicked around their father and stampeded away.

The bull watches his daughters’ departure until they reach a certain distance from the house before setting his sights on Mulan, his features softening.

“Sorry y’all had to see that, empress.”

The empress giggles while shaking her head. “There’s no need to apologize, Angus Prairie. I understand the need to discipline one’s young. And just Mulan is fine, please. No need for the title.”

Angus hummed in understanding and nodded, followed by his muscular neck carrying his black eyes over to Leonard. “And you…” His orbs narrowed furiously, causing Leonard to swallow a lump. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t trample over ya right here and now? Ah saw you gett’n little too close with mah baby girl.”

‘Radahn’s balls!’ Leonard roared internally, horror plastered on his face. ‘Fuck me!’

“It’s a misunderstanding, Angus,” Mulan lept to Leonard’s defense. “Leonard here only recently arrived in our village and is new to our way of life. You see, uh, your daughter made the first move on him, but he didn’t take advantage of her in any way, shape, or form.”

Angus snorts as he shifts his sights back to Leonard. “That true, boy?”

The stallion quickly and repeatedly nods his head with folded ears.

“Hmmm.” The bull stares into Leonard’s eyes as if he were picking him apart. After moments of silence that felt like eons had passed, Angus sighs, takes a step back, and morphs his features into neutrality.

“Apologies fer that, boy. Although, if ah’m being honest, you’d already be splayed on the dirt were it not for Empress Mulan here.”

Leonard offers a low whinny, causing confusion within the bull as he turns to Mulan for clarification.

“He’s a saddle arabian who’s more in touch with his horse ancestry,” Mulan states.

The horse in question nods pridefully.

“I see…” Angus trailed, satisfied with the answer. “Alright then. Now ah best be return’n to the fields with mah darlin’ wives and youngins and have a few words with a certain daughter of mine.” He tilts his head, “Ah bid you good day, both o’ yas.”

“You too, Angus!” Mulan responds, waving as the bull turns around and starts to venture off. Leonard raises a nervously waving gesture of his own. “And give your pride’s matriarch my best!”

“Hah!” Angus laughed in the short distance. “That dragoness practically runs the place! Ah jus’ give her and the others mah love and seed!”

Mulan blushes as the bull’s laughter fades while he distances himself with every step. She then looks to Leonard, who still watches the bull.

“W-well, my friend,” she began, gaining his attention with perked-up ears, “that’s what a breeder is.”

Leonard looks to Angus in the distance and back to the dark-gray kirin, shaking his head.

‘Nope. I’m good.’

“Then you’d better win that match with Flare once the clock strikes noon,” Mulan emphasized with an appointed cloven hoof and a wink. “It was you who agreed to those terms, after all. The original plan was to see if you were fit to be counted as a warrior amongst the Blades, but you just had to accept Flare’s wager, huh?” She playfully ends with a raised brow.

Although his face was filled with determination, Leonard’s ears slightly falter. In truth, his agreeing to that wager was something he thought deeply about last night. His warrior’s spirit welcomed the challenge, yet the more logical side scolded him for jumping in blindly.

A cloven hoof tenderly rests on his chest, prompting him to look down at Mulan.

“You’ll do great, Leonard. I know you will.”

A grateful neigh escapes from his lips as the kirin lowers her appendage to the ground. The duo continues their venture once again, and as they near the epicenter of the village, Leonard finds himself side-glancing down at Mulan, whereupon a smile forms on his muzzle at an interesting thought.

‘If I do lose to Flare, and if a pride has the same concept as a herd… I definitely wouldn’t mind having you in it.’

Now, within the heart of Peak Village, Leonard spots a familiar stone bridge that reaches over pristine waters—stretching and originating from a vast and circular water source—and grants one access to the wooden platform used for general announcements and assemblies.

He turns his head to the right while Mulan greets Peak Village’s residents, some of whom have set up booths and concession stands circling the outskirts of the wooden platform, as the stallion spots a familiar blacksmith’s forge set alongside a tree with golden leaves.

Snorting in affirmation, Leonard proceeds toward the forge, giving a gentle nod to those who said their greetings along the way. He then spots Sandy Scorch turning around the bend of the golden-leaved tree home, but the stallion stops dead in his tracks as something much larger and taller follows seconds after.

The being’s legs were exceptionally long, like four bamboo stalks covered in orange fur carrying their owner across the land. Their elongated neck possessed dark-brown stripes underneath, matching the coloration of the mohawk-like streams of hair going down the top of their neck, across their back, and to the edge of their tail.

But the key features of the tall entity are its jade-colored scales that start from the center of its face, go over its head, down the top of its neck, and along its back, stopping at the base of a long tail with stripes similar to those that lined the under portions of the elongated being’s neck.

All while a pair of back-facing, peach-colored antlers with orange bulbs on the edges rests on the towering individual’s head.

“Hey!” Sandy’s voice called out, but Leonard was simply too fixated and admittedly amazed by what he saw. “Leonard! You made it!”

Sandy approached the stunned and amazed stallion, bringing along the long-necked individual responsible for his trance.

The dark-orange saddle arabian and kirin hybrid laughs boisterously. “Looks like you’ve blown his mind, Udrako. Don’t worry, Leonard, she has that effect on most studs she meets.”

“Oh, forgive me, dearie!” Udrako exclaims apologeticly in a high-pitched voice, lowering her neck to meet Leonard’s gaze with her green-slitted eyes. “It’s an absolute treat to finally meet you, though. I recognize you from when Mulan introduced you to the village.”

Leonard’s muzzle imitates a goldfish as his widened gaze turns to Sandy as if begging for answers, earning a hearty chuckle from her. Udrako giggles as she lifts her neck up high, wiggling a pair of long ears.

Sandy rests a hoof on Udrako’s right foreleg, “This towering beauty’s name is Udrako Wendlulamithi.”

Udrako raises her head skyward with pleasantly closed eyes.

“And if it wasn’t already obvious from her appearance, she’s half giraffe.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 17~ Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 17 Minutes