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Oleena Bauthwana

Chapter 1

By: Michelle Angelica Catalina Wolfen

Oleena was a gentle woman, living a simpler life in the wilds of the lake country. A shaman by profession, she was of the water wolf tribe, though she herself was not a wolfess. Oleena was a hippo, calm and serene of temperament, with a knack for swimming and heavy labor. The woman was liked by all around her, both for her hard work and her devotion to the faith. While the woman had no Thymion magics to speak of, she was still well versed in the rituals that her adoptive people believed and loved.

She was easily the largest of the clan, both in weight and sheer size. She dwarfed all but the largest of her siblings, and had to restrain herself when growing up because of her unique physiology. It was this fact that made her a bit self-conscious. Not because of her large belly, but because of just being large and powerful. She knew she was quite strong, and purposefully kept her motions gentle to prevent accidents. She towered over many of her friends and neighbors, and her weight alone could hurt someone seriously if she accidentally landed on them when diving from the cliffs. Adding to that, her body density was far greater due to her homeworld's increased gravity, giving her thicker muscles, stronger bones, and a much more powerful heart.

Taking a day to herself, she spent time sunbathing under the cool light of the sun. The warm day was perfect, as she rested nude upon her rock perch. This was her stretch of the beach, with her home built nearby. It was her private sanctuary, and no one dared intrude upon her personal time. She liked to meditate while sunbathing, and being the local shaman meant that others revered her presence. Her appearance was simple, and more refined than other shamans of the Thymion religion.The soft brown of her skin was only broken by the pink shade that splotched her chest, stomach, and privates. Her ample body was decorated with no jewelry save for a single crystal ring about her tail on occasion. Though today was not such a day.

Her smooth skin glistened with a bit of sweat in the warmth of the sunlight as she enjoyed her relaxing for the day. She was self-conscious of her heavy body, and just a bit shy of the beings around her. She knew that she was well loved and no being mocked her. However she looked upon the wolves and hybrids around her, at their naturally toned and lean bodies. Though there were many thick hybrids and purebloods, only the mortals were actually fat like she was. And so she felt that her body was not desirable for courtship or mating.

She wore only her loincloth and breast cover normally, feeling so free in those. They sat beside her on the rock, drying after her morning swim in the waters. She rolled over slowly to let the sun soak into her back when she spotted a being coming toward her. He was accompanied by what looked like the empress. Oleena leaned up on her elbows as she watched them come her way, her heavy breasts swaying under her as she smiled. "Good morning empress. How are you?" the hippo asked softly. She felt no shyness around the Imperial Family, given that the empress herself was a hybrid and openly nude most of the time. The wolfess was a bit on the chubby side, and enjoyed the fact greatly.

Empress Angelica smiled softly and tilted her head, "I am well Oleena. It is a gorgeous day, so I thought to take my friend for a walk to the lake country. He hasn't been up this way yet. How are you my friend?" Oleena sat up slowly, her ample form jiggling a little as she smiled back at them. Her dreadlocks swaying behind her as she shook her head a bit. "I am well enough. Who is your friend here?" She said, motioning to the stallion. The equine himself was impressed by the female before him. She was a large female, but proportioned properly and beautiful in her own way. She seemed comfortable in her size and he had to admit that she was certainly strong as he watched her legs swing over the rock with ease.

"This is my best friend, Sled. I have known him a long time, and he is a member of the Royal family to me," Angel said with a soft smile. Oleena smiled and slid from her rock perch, her feet hitting the ground with a firm thudd, making it vibrate softly.

Sled was a bit surprised she was that heavy. She was big yes, but certainly not big enough to impact with that kind of force. Was there thicker muscle hidden under her roundness? He pondered that fact a moment before putting the thought away for later. Angelica seemed to notice his expression and smiled, already well able to figure out what he was thinking. Patting his shoulder she motioned him to introduce himself.

Sled smiled up at the larger woman, her height just a bit over his as she smiled back at him. Taking her offered hand, he kissed it softly, "It is a pleasure to meet you my lady." he said gently. She giggled softly and kissed his hand in return, "And a pleasure to meet you as well sir."

Angelica shifted her hips and let her wings stretch a bit as she smiled. Though her smile faded when her pager went off. Uttering something that was likely a swear she looked at the pager before clipping it back to her belt. "I must apologize Sled, the council is being called into an emergency session. I must go. I will try to show you the lake country tomorrow alright?" He smiled with a soft sigh, "It's okay wolfy. You got things more important than being a tour guide."

Oleena thought for a moment before speaking, "Empress, if I may; I can show him around if you like. There are no duties for me to attend today, and my family owns much of this area. I can certainly show him everything interesting." Angelica smiled, "That would be appreciated. Sled, have fun today alright? Oleena, take care of him for me. I'll be back as soon as this is over."

As Angelica flew away, Oleena slid her clothing back on. Then she pat Sled on the shoulder, "Come, I will show you the sights of our part of the realm." Taking his hand, she led him over a hill and smiled. Below was a rather extensive estate, with small houses dotting around the outside of the fence. The center house was large, at least three stories tall and an acre width. The house was meant for a massive family. Sled could see wolves working the rice patties and others fishing all around the property and fields beyond. He spotted several younger wolves, hybrids, and mortals playing, and what looked like a festival in a small area that appeared to be a marketplace.

"You have come on a good day. It is the festival of neighbors. Each year we gather in the market to give gifts freely, to drink and eat in company, and to sing songs and spin tales. We draw strength from it and grow closer as a community. Being an isolated part of the realm, we usually depend upon each other more than help from the outside," She said softly.

Sled nodded as he looked at it all. Walking down the hill, he could smell food cooking and the sounds of laughter reached his ears. The stallion kept close to her as they came to the more crowded area. Sled found himself a bit intimidated by the sheer size of the crowd. Many of these beings were large, even by Thymion standards. However, Oleena held his hand firmly and guided him to a more open area where there were tables and free food. Taking a plate for herself, she smiled and motioned him to grab one as well.

"Come, let's get some food and have a seat. We can have a meal and get to know each other better. Then I can show you the interesting places to see here." Sled took a small plate and picked up a little of the varied offering. Oleena looked over the fare, before taking a sampling of the fruits offered. As the pair made their way to the tables to sit, they noticed the crowd thinning out some.

"Must be past luncheon time. Most are returning to work," she commented. Settling down she ate quietly, looking over the area as Sled took time to enjoy his meal. Thymion foods were always so different than things he knew from Earth. Yes there was the usual things he could identify, but there were other things like the strange meats, veg., and unusual fruits that were always in abundance. Though the stallion steered clear of anything that looked like it came from the Dark Moon.

He had no actual prejudice against them, merely that he was scared of them, and the fact the moon was also home to the penal colony. Any escapee would be forced to contend with what were usually referred to as the savage murders of the Thymion people. Tales of them frightened even older wolves, meaning Sled stood no hope of combating them. The kicker was that the theories of their savagery all revolved around their food.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Oleena asked softly. Sled was startled out of his thinking and dropped his food on his plate. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking about the Dark Moon. Kind of a creepy place to think about. I've never been there myself," Sled replied as he picked up his food again.

"I see. Yes, the Dark Moon is a place few travel too. Most give the moon a wide berth because of the rumors. I, however, have been there. I find it most disturbing. The things that take place there are horrid in the dark. Civil beings have no business there. I can not understand why the Empress allows such a place to exist in our realm. However I assume it acts as a deterrent for crime. Knowing that one will be sent to that moon as punishment may prove a better deterrent than traditional means."

Having finished her say, she looked at the world around them. "To think, my home world may have once been this beautiful. It is a shame I will never see it again," she sighed in lament.

"What happened to your world? Why can't you see it again?" Sled asked as he set his food down to listen more intently. He could see the shift in her eyes, knowing this was both a vivid and painful memory, but it also carried more, including hope. Oleena settled herself on her elbows and looked at the stallion. Her face was soft, those eyes glistening as she spoke. Sled felt connected to those eyes, as if he could feel her emotions through them. One ruby red, the other sapphire blue; a perfect blend of fire and ice. And her soft voice lulled him in deeper, as if he could experience the tale first hand.

"I was a baby. Barely over the age of 3. So my memory has a few holes in it. But from what I can remember, the world was not like this when I was born. Our sun had begun to swell, and so it was causing much of the atmosphere to change. It was hot, and most of the water had become vapor. It only rained in the mountains, up too high where beings like myself could not go, so we depended upon the small rivers that made their way to the plains. We were a primitive and tribal set of races. Our weapons were bone and wood and stone, as were our tools. We stood on the brink, all tribes near collapse and begging the gods for salvation.

"And then there were orphans like myself. My mother was slaughtered for a bucket of dirty water by another being. I can not remember his face. But he left me with her corpse. I stayed there for two days trying to wake her before wandering off in hunger and thirst. I stumbled into a muddy pond. I knew it was too muddy to provide me water, but it was cool on my burning skin. Sinking myself in, I cared not what happened from there. Another tribe was there as well, predators. They would prey on my kind, and yet, seeing me they took pity upon a poor orphan. They spared me, provided me water and sent me on my way."

She paused to take a deep breath and look at her empty plate, as if seeing the memories there. "Then one night we saw in the heavens a great battle. The gods were waging war. We thought to ourselves that it was the end. Enemy embraced enemy, friend cowered with friend. Lovers hid themselves in their tents and elders watched in stoic acceptance. And then the first ship came down. Gleaming bright like clean water, humming with power and life of its own. I later learned that it was just a small scout ship, only a few crew on board to run information gathering missions. As it landed, many fled, while others waited. I came to see, an unsuspecting child in the wilds. I barely had time to realize it was not natural before we got to see for ourselves who the gods were. The door opened, and from it emerged a tall, blue furred wolf with an impressive wingspan. He removed his face mask and looked upon the pitiful inhabitants of a near dead planet. And he wept for us. The gods wept tears for us. Most of us fell on our knees, but that wolf spoke in a song like language, helping us to stand, telling us not to bow to him. He called for others of his kind to come to our aid. The Wolves of Thyimon were on training exercises. They thought the planet was uninhabited and so sent the scout ship down to see if there were any salvageable minerals left to get before the sun swallowed our world. We were saved by the sheer dumb luck that they picked our world instead of one further from the sun.

"The next few days were a bit of a blur. I remember being brought upon a larger ship, and taken to a shining white room where doctors tended my body. They wore white suits and helmets to prevent infections from passing to us from them. Food and water were brought to all, though some refused it. I had so much damage they were afraid for my life. But their love and care saw me through. Others were not so fortunate, and many we laid to rest when we arrived. Proper rituals were given to them by the elders. Their cemetary rests up upon that mountain over there.

"That left quite a few survivors, but there were so many orphans that the surviving adults were outnumbered ten to one. There was no hope for all of us to be adopted. The empress ordered an orphanage to be built for us. Each child had their own room, and was given their own clothing and toys. We were treated with kindness until it became apparent that many of us would never be adopted." Sled saw her eyes start to glisten, knowing this was something sensitive to her. However he could also see the smile upon on her lips.

"That was when aomany of the wolves began to step up. Single parents, young couples, older herams with want for many children. I was given to an older water wolf couple that adopted many of us. I have 14 siblings from my homeworld alone, with many more from other worlds and all of us are loved and cherished.

"My youth was spent in education and play. We were taught of our new home, and how the various languages worked. The technology of this world was wonderous to us, and provided us the powers we dreamed only gods having. Longevity, health, physical prowess, knowledge, and skills to make our own lives whole and full to the best possible point. We were fed so much food and water was free for all. It was like a paradise. Never had we dreamed of such. We forgot our instincts of predator and prey. My closest sibling in age is from the same tribe that spared me. He sees me as his sister, not a food source."

She pointed to what looked like a large muscular croc. He wore a kilt like cloth that was made of animal furs. Seeing her point, he waved to her and Sled before returning to his work. Sled was beginning to see from her point of view now. She came from a dead world, with no hope. And Thymion had given her new life, new hope, and a new home.

"We spent much of our youth in blissful rest. Play, learning, food, and slumber together. Our adoptive parents kept us safe and loved us so much. We were treated with respect, and not like outsiders. As we grew more mature, we learned crafts and trades. We all share time upon the rice farm here. And each of us has special talents. I am a priestess. My brother there is a chef. Each of us was given so much opportunity."

Sled smiled, seeing her so passionate about her words and her place in the world. She was confident and knew she was well liked. That made her such a beautiful person. He could feel that pride in her new life welling up around her like an aura. He could read it in her eyes, like a story. She was who she was because she chose to be this person. It was not thrust upon her by those above her.

"I would love to meet your parents. They seem so wonderful," Sled said softly, pushing his empty plate aside as he watched her stand from her seat slowly. He was attracted to this woman's personality, her bright and vibrant outlook upon life.

"I believe we can see them today. Mother and Father are home today, since it is the festival. They want to be here for their children and friends." Standing, she gathered their plates and took them to the receptacle. Once done, she led him up a cobblestone path to the main house. Children ran about happily, laughing and playing without a care in the world. Older children sat in the shade, working on their lessons and textbooks. Sled was amazed that there wasn't a teacher in sight. But his mind came to the parents again as they entered the house. It was well lit, large, and smelt of flowers inside. Sled guessed this was the home of noble water wolves, judging by the oceanic decorum.

Oleena led him to a large lounge, where many older wolves and beings sat having drinks in quiet conversation with a few smoking what smelt like an aromatic leaf of some kind. She took him to a back corner, where a pair of water wolves were lost in each other's eyes. They were young looking, but that meant little in this realm as Sled knew. Many of the wolves Sled knew looked younger than himself and were thousands of years old.

"Mother, Father. I have brought a friend to see you. This is Sled, friend of the Wolfen clan," she said as she introduced him. Sled gave a polite bow and offered a hand to shake. Both wolves shook his hand lightly with smiles.

"Welcome Sled. How has our family been treating you?" the female asked as she stood. "Very well. Oleena has been showing me the area and it's sights. And the festival today is lovely," Sled replied with a gentle voice. He did not want to disturb nearby conversations.

"Thank you. And we are pleased you are enjoying yourself. Please, feel free to stay as long as you want. We do not often get company," the male said as he gave a light bow. Sled smiled and nodded to them.

"I think I will. This place is wonderful. And Oleena has told me about how kind you both are. So many children, and you have raised them wonderfully." The stallion wasn't even laying it on, this was simple truth to him.

Both wolves giggled and blushed, but nodded and smiled kindly to him. The female stood and kissed his cheek. "A handsome gentleman you are. We look forward to your company." As Oleena led Sled back outside she smiled and took his hand. Leading him toward a low sloping hill behind the house, she did not speak a word. As they crested the hill, Sled got a look at the sprawling rice patties, large lakes, and gentle rivers of the area.

"Welcome to the lake country. My parents own everything from here to that large lake in the center, and about as far left and right as the next hills. The water is naturally self filtering as it passes through the limestone canals, and is allowed to flow from the mountains over there, all the way here. It then flows into the ocean on it's own. We do everything as responsibly as we can to protect our world," Oleena whispered softly.

Sled smiled, as he felt her squeeze his hand a bit tighter. She was proud of her family, and it showed. But what was more, was that this shy woman was still making her own way in the world. Seeking her own path and taking it at her own pace. Sled was impressed, and admired that kind of will. Maybe he could impart a bit of his own knowledge to her, and help her on her way.