THANK YOU WEBNOVEL! (For real!) If you didn't see it, this past week it was officially announced that Aaryn and Elreth won a Bronze Trophy in the 2021 AllNovelFull Spirity Awards! I am so thankful and surprised. This is a serious compliment.

Thank you to YOU for being here, and for supporting this book. If you hadn't loved these characters so much, they wouldn't have made it this far. So thank you for helping (and Aaryn & Elreth) reach this point!

Here's praying the added exposure will bring us a lot of new friends to share this journey! (This message added after publication so you aren't charged for the words)

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RIKA

Rika knew she should sleep. That the rest of the day was going to be hard and emotional, and likely frightening. But her body was buzzing, and her mind wouldn't stop.

Sitting there, in Gar's home, was surreal. She couldn't quite fathom it, and yet her eyes were drawn around the room, examining every little detail, wondering if it was something precious to him, or only an item that had been put in his home by someone else.

There was a book on the little round table next to the fat chair under the window. She got up and went to it, to see what had held his attention in a quiet moment when no one else was watching. But before she reached it, there was a quiet knock on the door, and Rika froze.

Who knew she was here? Should she answer it? Or could she get Gar in trouble if someone found her there who wasn't aware?

But the decision was taken from her when the door creaked and Rika watched as an older woman just as short and small as herself, but with golden-blond hair beginning to gray at the temples peered around it, her face breaking into a beaming smile when she caught sight of Rika.

"You must be Rika!?" she said delightedly. Slipping inside, she closed the door behind her then turned around, hugging herself, her smile wide. "I'm Elia. I'm Gar's mother."

Oh. Wow.

Nothing like meeting the parents. When you hadn't slept. Or bathed. Or come to terms with the fact that you were in another world and defecting from your own people.

She stood there gaping—too long. Elia's expression began to grow concerned. But then Rika remembered.

"You're human!"

Elia nodded and her beaming smile returned. "Yes! How are you, Rika? I imagine it's quite overwhelming to be here. Gar just needs to have some time with his father, so I thought I'd come say hello and see what you need?"

Rika looked down at herself. Her thick pants were wrinkled and dirty. Her shirt drab and sagging, because she'd gotten so sweaty running through the WildWood with Gar. She didn't want to know how her hair looked, since she hadn't touched it for a full day. She looked up at Elia and just stared, uncertain how to even begin.

"He didn't even take you to the bathing pools, did he?" Elia sighed. "I'm so sorry. The males in our family are wonderful, but they are utterly oblivious at times. I'll see if Elreth and Aaryn are home. I'm sure they won't mind you using their pools if they aren't. It's far more private that the public pools the Anima use."

Rika's eyes went wide. The Anima bathed publicly?

Elia snorted. "Yes, there's quite a few things to adjust to, here. But don't worry, I can help. It's been over twenty years since I was brought here, but those days are burned into my memory," she said with a good-natured chuckle. "But first, did my son feed you at least?"

"I was given a meal when.. earlier," she said. And it had been delicious, if a little odd. Mostly raw fruit and vegetables, but some strips of dried meat, and a lovely fresh bread.

Elia nodded. "Good, good. Well, why don't we sit down? I thought it might be good if I told you my experience of this place and the things that almost drove me insane when I first arrived. I wish I'd had someone to give me the heads up."

Not quite certain any of this was real, Rika walked back to the couch and sat down, clasping her hands in her lap.

Elia, warm and still smiling, sat on the other end of the couch, but she leaned over to pat Rika's knee. Rika did her best not to flinch.

"Don't worry. You're making the right choice, being here. It will be an adjustment and there's times you'll miss the convenience of your old life. But I wouldn't give up Anima for anything," Elia said, her eyes sparkling. "I'm just so glad you're here, Rika."

Rika wasn't used to warm, affectionate outpourings. She tried not to show her discomfort, to just thank the woman. But she squirmed under Elia's open, fascinated eyes. She supposed she couldn't blame her—if she hadn't seen a human in twenty years, she'd probably be pretty excited too.

Would that happen to her, she wondered? Would there be a day when she would welcome another human into Anima and sit back, comfortably in this place, to tell them all she'd discovered?

Rika found that she suddenly hoped so. She cleared her throat and tried to smile. "So.. how did you end up here?" she asked awkwardly.

Elia's eyes widened. "You probably wouldn't believe it if I told you. I was kidnapped by the wolf-tribe and brought here for the Rite of Survival. They knocked me out and when I woke up I was out in a clearing with Anima females, one from each tribe. And they were all killing each other."

Rika waited for her to laugh, but she didn't. "Wait.. what?"historical

Elia did laugh then. "Don't worry, you won't have to undergo that kind of torment. I don't think Gar would allow it."

Rika blinked. But before she could ask, Elia continued.

"Look, I know this is all a shock. I don't want to overwhelm you since you've just arrived. I want you to know that no matter what happens, no matter how long it takes, if you ever have questions or are finding something confusing, come ask me. The culture here is very different. The way they think is.. alien to us. But it's become second nature to me now. So.. just ask me. I promise I'll always want to help."

"Thank you, I.. I don't know if I'll be here a long time. I don't know if I'll be allowed to stay."

"Oh, you're allowed," Elia said, flapping her hand as if it were no question.

"That's.. I mean, I'm grateful," Rika said. "But part of my being here is a threat to everyone. And.. I just think.. I mean, I might have to go back and try to convince them that this place is worth saving, instead of conquering. That the Anima are.. they're amazing. Not a threat."

Elia tipped her head. "How many Anima do you know, exactly?"

Rika blushed to her roots.