Intro: A story of my setting called Dunia, shamelessly stealing the name of Lescatie and geography of our world.
After Megiddo, year 21
"Now, where to find a research paper interesting enough to tickle the fancy of my yokai students..."
Quiet thumps of hooves echoed on the corridor where a Hakutaku teacher, a woman of great beauty, A graceful humanoid face with horns, a tail and white fur, trod slowly to find any literary item to stimulate her students' interest. The city's new conqueror and ruler, Vierna Van Rose, a controversial Dark Elf had funded a co-ed school to educate and socialize monstergirls and human youth.
She was an Eastern monsterwoman, a yokai, a female species of bodily bovine features, but of great sagacity and education, and a graceful human face to boot.
She didn't enjoy this turn of events.
So far the university classes were a mixture of student fights and other unsavory acts such as an Ushi-Oni student organizing a foot race, Satyros girls getting drunk and Danuki girls starting gambling rings. It wouldn't do.
Entering the Library, she found the librarian human woman reading a purple, silk-bound tome.
"Evening, Yusa-Sensei!"
"Evening, Marie!" The Hakutaku smiled wearily.
The librarian human woman bowed. "Looking for something in particular?"
The Hakutaku sighed. " Yes, Marie. This co-ed school feels like torture. My students of both races need SOMETHING to find common ground in. But tales of slavery and wars and rapine and pillages are just not good taste. And it's not right to make them read such sorrowful tales or worse, let the Dark Elf student get ideas again.." Temirburg Co-Ed school Project was not going smoothly, and it was apparent on the haggard Hakutaku's features. Even her fur felt less shiny, her face more gaunt.
The librarian had an idea after some thinking. She snapped her fingers:
"There is one paper, Sensei, that well... is also about underdog humans and our oppression but...it speaks of romance, sacrifice and charity. Even the Inquisition records confirm its truth. It's on shelf B-32."
Marie was a freedwoman from older times. She always made references to the plight of people like her even to her friendliest aides, and carried a small necklace which showed a bleeding heart and a sword, a sigil of an ex-slave who changed the world brutally.
"Have you had a chance to read it yourself, Marie?" The Hakutaku raised her eyebrows. The human librarian smiled.
"Yes. Some parts are torn and smudged but it is a good read. Some pages are diaries, some are explicitly written novel chapters but...it checks out."
"Thanks." The Hakutaku took small, gentle steps not to make loud noises with her hooves. Slowly seperating the files on the shelf, she took the folder in her hands, and started perusing.
"Mind you, Sensei. You should censor some of the...saucier tales within!"
**
The label read:
Research papers by Slade concerning Mamono Ophiology: research about serpent women that classify as Snake-form. This paper concerns the Western history of Shirohebi. The appearance of albino-white snake-women mamono known as Shirohebi a century before the battle of Megiddo seems to be coinciding with this manuscript's contents.
The Manuscript : The Divine White Serpent of Rossburg
Author: Kanji letters reveal it as co-authored by "Mamo" and "Moru".
Content: It speaks of a charity event held within the United Shogunate of Zipangu to help enslaved humans between both western empires. Apparently they even gave a Shirohebi away voluntarily as a slave and took a lot of freed humans to Zipangu, repatriating the rest. The Shirohebi seems to have volunteered to serve , entertain and persuade the vicious mamono of earlier times to give up on poor humans and shift the mamono politics of the West towards a milder tone.
**
The Hakutaku squinted, opened the file and started perusing. She briefly frowned at the giggles and moans coming from a cubicle where a Manticore and her boyfriend had snuck in, and in another, a harpy eagle-girl was cuddling with her boyfriend, kissing as an essay lay before them, unwritten and undone.. Swearing quietly in Canton, she kept reading.
**
*smeared letters*
-Year of Serpent, 501, Autumn.
[New calendar, 100 pre-Megiddo]
We left Hallowed Shores of God-Island, Zipangu with a magnificent fleet of forty Red-Seal ships, of hallowed wood and sacred Jorogoumo silk. The ships are full with the most in-demand goods in the western side of Dunia. Our goal is to pass Choson first, then Bharatiyya Peninsula and through Misrani Strait into Ermorea, where two kingdoms are locked in war.
Human Empire of Lescatie and Monstergirl Empire of Mamono-Reik.
Two Empires, one governed by humans only and another by Yokai and Yasha. Reik sees humans, our neighbors and friends and lovers, the ningen, little more than cattle. My Lady, the Lady-Ryu Asuka's tender heart is touched by the suffering of men and women, and being a creature of utmost piety and kindness, she worked her estates and organized charities and gathered a small Merchant fleet donated by kind men wanting to clear their conscience and earn good karma (and marry Shirohebi maidens that want good moral husbands).
My Lady's shrine of Goddess Akaru-Hime was staffed by a cadre of devout Shirohebi, yokai women of great appearance, skin of purest ivory and the body of a snake. They are faithful women who tend to their flock, blessing and asking for donations. Their molted skins are the temple's property, sold for good luck.
As are their services of tail-and-body rubs appreciated, since it brings great luck. Of course it would not be lewd if intimacy was involved: Shirohebis only mate with their married husbands for life.
My Lady Asuka is kind and generous. She swore to take all of her liquidated assets save for the shrine and buy the freedom of many enslaved humans from cruel Western yokai and entice them to mercy.
Of course there is a catch. Some will have to accompany my lady to Zipangu and give account to the Shogunate about the West and the war. Of course, Ermorean features of blue eyes, and red and yellow hair is sought for the testimonials, to persuade the Shogun and his Oni Queen wife. We will not fail the Shogun, and earn a lot of Good Karma for giving unlucky people their lives back.
To avoid boredom on the journey and spread wisdom and joy, Asuka-Sama requested the services of many of her handmaidens in her journey. Her husband, Akechi, the Shogunate's strongest samurai stayed behind, persuaded to protect the shrine.
I can only pray that the Gods are with us.
Ai Shoigu, Imperial Scribe, Blue Oni.
**
The crackle of firecrackers and flutes filled the Zipangu evening air. Dancing Hinezumi, human Geisha and entertainers made a lovely spectacle for the visitors, as well as vendors full of fried squid, rice wraps and other snacks providing the hungry some relief. A Shirohebi girl hummed a prayer, rubbing the heads of children for good luck and alms. The fair was directed at gathering alms for charity for a heavenly task to promote Zipangu's name.
A Hinezumi girl, wearing a silk robe, twirled around a smooth metal pole clenched between her legs, earning a round of applause and alms.
It also brought many yokai and human together, unlike the Dark Era where individual shoguns wrecked the island with wars and feuds. An impossibly tall Red Oni woman, wearing a green kimono and cuddling her lover human, a man half her size, on her arms attested to the beauty of the scene. Her lover rested his tired head on her abdominal muscles, heritage of her snake body , her crimson hand softly caressing his neck.
Zipangu was at peace. Time to spread that peace.
The shrine overlooking the festivities was a quiet, wooden structure built in the old traditional way. Inside, a human samurai in spartan clothes sat and drank sake with his heavenly wife.
His wife, a regally dressed Ryu, a serpentine woman with priestly robes and a coiled body, relaxed with an opium pipe. The music and laughter drifted softly from below, filling the air with mirth, the lights reflecting on the woman's scaly body to produce an eerie mix of lights and reflections.
They had talked for weeks about the preparations to redeem human slaves under monster rulership. What made Akechi frown was her plan to bring all her handmaidens to the voyage, young ones included.
"Yuki? Why her?" Akechi raised an eyebrow. His wife, the Ryu, smiled gracefully.
"You see the urges of womanhood taking its toll on the poor shirohebi, revered husband. She deeply enjoys smuggled lewd Ermorean stories of women being kept like trophies and sold to slavery. Romance, women taken by force. Intimacy stories and kidnappings. Tales of whipping and humiliation. It is not healthy. And the Kuro-Erufu yokai I will meet would do her some good and understand it's immoral and wrong."
The man's handsome features twisted in a frown, as he looked down. Finally, sighing, he nodded, taking another sip.