Dogfolk History Lesson

Heilan followed you into a private room off of the lower stage. Kara followed and you were about to kick her out, but after thinking about it for more than a second you just shrugged.

“It involves you too, as a dog, so come on in.”

“I’m not a dog.” Kara argued with a furrowed stare.

“Sure you aren’t honey.” You waved dismissively at her.

“Carac… Whatever.”

“I’m not a Carac!” She insisted.

“Good for you. You’re not either. You wanna try to make this all about you?” You asked incredulously.

Kara leaned forward, fists clenched, and said assertively. “Yes! Always!”

“I am going to return to my duties.” Heilan had heard enough and turned on her heel. You got up and quickly stopped her.

“Wait wait! Sorry… We’ll both be good. Right, Kara?” You looked at her. Her eyes were looking off to the side and her lips were pursed in a catlike manner. She nodded without saying anything.

“Okay.” Heilan nodded, turning back around. She leaned back against the door with her arms crossed.

“What’s this history lesson and why should I care?”

“I’m actually curious. How much do you know and how much are you taught by your Elders on Elga?”

Heilan shrugged. “I learned the codes of the kingdom growing up. When I was old enough to hold a sword I learned that. Everything else I learned from my Mother and Sister was about being a girl and being an Elgan.”

“Do you know how your people got split off from wolves?”

“We moved south and since we were separate for a long time we became different. We joined up with humans and humans helped us against our own kin and against others. It’s the oldest standing alliance. Older than Trysk.”

“Yeah. That would be the line…” You muttered.

“What was that?” She pushed off the wall and walked towards you.

“You know, just because I am loyal to Teor and humanity and thankful to you doesn’t mean that I won’t call you out for stepping out of line. You’re here to do a duty, not act up and play grab-ass with boys.”

“That’s-” You blushed deeply.

“That’s not what I’m doing!”

Heilan sighed. “This is a waste of time. Your effective hours should be spent doing something of value, not offering unsolicited history lessons.” As she turned to leave once more you decided to just get to the point.

“You are the culmination of thousands of years of experimentation into genetic and social brainwashing.”

She stopped and looked back, squinting at you with her deep blue eyes. “What?”

“That’s right. Got your attention, didn’t it?” You smirked.

Heilan stopped and shook her head. “Uhm… No, what does all that mean? Social washing?”

“O-oh…” You were taken aback.

I forgot she must be a simple girl… You thought about how to explain it, then just got right into the easiest possible way to make it make sense to her.

“The way your brain works was decided before you were born by humans from more than a thousand years ago. Same with your Sister’s, your Mother’s, your Father’s and your Grandfather’s.”

Heilan looked to be in disbelief. “Decided? By who?”

“By…” You paused, then let out a deep sigh as you admitted.

“My family. Well… my ancestors.”

Her face scrunched up in confusion. “I don’t know your family. I don’t know your name.”

“You don’t think you do. But… you do. I’m a Vara. Not proud of it, but I am.”

“Vara…” Heilan felt like she had heard that name before, but she was unsure where. The dogfolk felt dizzy just hearing it. She shook it off and stared at you defiantly.

“You’re just saying things. They’re not-” You felt it was clear that you needed a demonstration, so you closed the distance. Not quickly… not suddenly or swiftly but slowly and calmly with no sense of threat or urgency. She gulped as she watched you, then watched your hand raise, then your hand move to her face. She lifted her chin and shuddered as your fingers pushed between her lips and deep into her mouth. You grabbed her tongue, then with your other hand you grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her off to you. Kara was watching the whole thing intently. You could see the confusion in Heilan’s eyes as you played inside her mouth, tugged on her tongue and pulled her into your arms as she just helplessly stared at you with wide eyes.

“You can’t bite. Not unless you’re being told to. Not unless I’m an enemy and not unless I’m acting aggressive. That’s just one of the things I know. There are five levels of Knowledge in all of Trysk regarding books and Libraries. Common, Professional, Noble, Royal and… Vara.” You got behind her as her eyes moved around rapidly. You tapped each and every one of her teeth from back to front to make a point as she salivated over herself and shuddered deeply. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly.

“Vara Libraries are typically private and they are guarded against even Royal eyes due to a longstanding agreement with the Varas all over the world. I had one in my house. I learned a lot of things. That my portion of the Vara Family on my Dad’s side is from Northern Teor. That one of our Ancestors, Lydia, made Elga her personal project until the day she died and beyond. That… hell, I am very likely related to you very distantly, because almost all of the dogfolk on Elga are going to carry some degree of Vara blood… If not that, some degree of Vara interference.”

Heilan gulped. You asked, “Are you scared?” She nodded,

“You should be.” You offered in a frank tone, lowering her down to the floor with you and lowering her head into your lap. She was staring up, unable to move because you had two fingers in her left ear and your full hand exploring her overflowing mouth.

“Your mind and body aren’t your own. I learned a lot from Lydia’s journals about botany and about beastfolk. I know how to make a dog be still… I even know how to make a Carac purr.” You sighed, looking up to see Kara leaning very close with an intrigued expression. You told her to back off with a look and returned to Heilan.

“You’re lucky that Vara’s don’t know everything about other Vara’s. You’re lucky that I’m the first you met. We’re not good people. This family is obsessive, inhumane and utterly… insane.” You smiled. Heilan whimpered and squirmed a bit you patted her head.

“Relax. I’m decidedly not crazy. I don’t share any similarities with my father… not my ancestry. Certainly not my nomadic psychopath scientist cousins around the world.” You stopped and furrowed your brow.

“Why’re you looking at me like that? I’m trying to help you. I’m trying to explain to you how you’ve been negatively affected. Then hopefully… through experimentation we can find a way to fix you. To free your people from brainwashing. Because I’m a good person.” You craned your head down close to hers.

“I don’t like what they’ve done to you. You, who used to be wolves. Proud and free. Strong and independent. You’re looking very blank. Nod if you understand what I’m saying.” Heilan nodded. You smiled and gave her cheek a light tap.

“Good. I’m gonna let you go now. Be nice.”

As you released Heilan she sat straight up, gagged and bent over, vomiting her guts out. You were surprised, but politely held her hair back to get it out of the way. When she was done she spat, wiped her mouth and shook you off of her as she crawled away. Heilan hopped up and faced you defensively.

“Y-you. You’re evil! You did something.” She uttered frantically.

“I promise that whatever was done to you was done long before either of us was born.”

Heulan slowly dropped her guard and asked. “Say you’re right. What the hell am I supposed to do? What else do you know?”

“I think there’s about two sides to this. There’s the cultural and genetic aspects. Culturally you’ve been indoctrinated into what’s essentially a ‘cult’ that worships authority. You’re genetically predisposed towards agreeability when it comes to in groups and aggression towards outgroups. To this end, you’ve been taught your whole life about an ‘enemy’ in the context of Teor being the ‘ally.’ Am I off?”

“N… No.” Heilan shook her head and relaxed fully.

“You’re right about all of it. That’s what I’ve learned. Not all of it, but that’s a part of it.” She clutched her stomach.

“It’s not real? Is none of it real?”

“It’s all real, but here’s the hard truths you gotta face. Number one, you’re being funnelled into a system that is designed to mould you into a certain shape and stick you there for the rest of your life. You can technically ‘try’ to make it wherever you want. You can try to become a Knight, but it’s subtly rigged to keep you out. So, instead you get funnelled into the Guards or the Banners, which you perceive as an honour and a position of authority where in fact you are just being used as a tool of authority to perpetuate the ongoing subjugation of your own kind. Your attempts at success are held up as proof by others that you belong where you will eventually end up.”

Heilan came to a sudden realisation. “I- I thought my sister failed to become a Knight because she was inadequate. But there's no way she was inadequate. I thought that if I worked even harder-”

“Number two.” You interjected assertively. Heilan piped down.

”You can’t beat a system from within by playing within its rules. That’s because the rules are designed to fit you into a certain slot and keep you there. You wanna become a Knight?”

“Yes!” She shouted.

You smiled proudly. “Then Number three. You can’t just stand out like you have been. You gotta make some noise as well. Nobody supports you even though you’re the best. Nobody wants you to succeed even though you deserve it. If you’re quiet, you’re gonna get swept under the rug.”

“Like my Sister…” Heilan’s fists clenched.

“Like my Father.”

“Since I’m here for however long I have to be before my own shit is figured out, I’ll help you.” You held out your hand to her.

“You got any. Knights at all in your family?”

“Not at all.” She frowned, staring at your hand intently.

“Then let's make you the first. Take my hand and submit to me.” You offered suddenly and very seriously. She looked up in shock, her cheeks reddening.

“W-what?”

“Submit.” You smiled brightly.

“Submit to me. I’ll make you great. Be a good girl, take my hand and kneel.” You stared down your nose at her, waiting and observing for the right moment. Heilan was sweating and obviously considering the offer. Eventually she reached out slowly and shakily. You kept a straight face as her fingers touched yours. Her legs were close to buckling. Just as you were about to let out a displeased sigh she slapped your hand away hard, causing the wound to open back up.

“Ow! Fuck!”

Heilan shouted angrily. “I’m not gonna be the right type of person if I get it by submitting! I’m just bending to a different authority!” Tears filled her eyes.

“You ARE evil!” As she was wiping her eyes you clapped for her using your left hand and your right wrist. She squinted at you questioningly.

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m clapping for the girl that has what it takes. If you actually submitted I would’ve stopped caring about your plight because… well… kind of a lost cause. But, you seem to have the ability to avoid some common pitfalls. You can maybe actually become your own ma-” Before you could even finish speaking she stepped forward and hugged you tightly. A bit too tightly.

“Ow…” You wheezed.

“Thank you, friend, for believing in me enough to test me.”

“I mean… We got a lot to work on. A normal person would be pissed, you know?”

Heilan chuckled. “I’m not normal, right? I’m extraordinary. I think now more than before that I’m gonna become the first Knight in my family.”

“Alright, alright.” You patted her. Then a few seconds later you felt Kara join the hug.

“Stop… both of you…” You grumbled. As it went on you shouted.

“Down girls! Off!” They both suddenly stepped back, hands up. Their ears were twitching. Kara was pouting and Heilan was fretting.

“Relax. I know you dogs barely have personal space with each other… I’ll consider it a compliment. Like you see me as a part of the family.”

“You’re like a big Sis to me.” Heilan admitted.

“Can I call you Sis?”

You stared at her. “I guess.”

“When I become a Knight, and as a Squire I need to complete service for a Noble family. Can I complete a service to yours, Sis?”

“You’re not serving me.” You stated suspiciously. It felt like she was still trying to sneakily submit to you.

Heilan smiled and endearingly offered. “If I’m going to be a Knight, that still requires some deferment to Authority, right?”

“I guess…” You begrudgingly admitted. You closed your eyes and tried to think.

I have a few options. If I refuse, it’s possible that Teuta might actually come through at some point and that Service would probably be more helpful than anything I can give. Other than that I can technically offer her a Service as a Vara on my dad’s side. Otherwise I could ask my Mother if she’s still in town to throw the girl a bone. The girl was staring at you hopefully.