Day 1: Orc

I have heard many stories of first times that were filled with happiness and a sense of accomplishment, I have seen my share of trideos following that trope too, perhaps that's why I thought that was the way it would go with me too, that one day I would get powers and everything would be better. Boy was I wrong. The first time I used my powers there was nothing happy about it, no, I felt down right awful. My tusks had just started to grow back then, bringing a whole world of pain with them, of course, school had not taken that as an excuse and my grades were a proof of how good pain and focus got along; to top it off, I had been left alone with my sister to watch over me. Me, an ork that looked old enough to be her boyfriend and with enough muscle to bench press her with ease. It felt degrading, dismissive, offending. It had all been a perfect recipe for disaster.

It all started with a fight, I can't no longer remember how it started or what it was about, heck, I'm sure it was something stupid, I did a lot of stupid things back then. But what I'll never forget are the screams, the glares, the pounding headache that made me wish my head would explode already. I had been on the other end of the room, pacing like a trapped beast, with a sofa as the only buffer between the two of us; my fingers rubbing my temples, trying, to no success, to placate my headache; each shout only made it worse, the pounding growing louder in my ears, drowning her voice. Fire burned my throat, an unsettling pressure expanded inside my chest, like a globe that's being inflated. It scared me, but I couldn't show it, my sister would worry, my parents would worry and we didn't have the money for worry. So I just growled. She had shouted something at me then, her voice already rough after our earlier shouting match; her brows set in a judging scowl, her eyes shining with fierce stubbornness. It had all happened so fast, a snide remark had pierced my defenses and struck home, a new kind of pain awakening in my heart. My body had grown stiff and my growl had died in my throat; for a single moment there wasn't a single thought or emotion in me. It was peaceful, comforting, addicting. Then, a wave of anger burned through my body, a haze of red filling my vision, my growl returning in full strength. I half screamed half growled at her, my hand cutting through the air in defiance. A flash of blue filled my vision, followed by a loud thud; the piercing smell of ozone hanging thick in the air.

My mind refused to take in the sight before my eyes, my sister no longer stood in front of me with her angry face and biting words, instead she laid crumpled on the ground, her body curled in on her self and bits of red paint sticking to her blouse. My mouth went dry, a sour taste filling my mouth at the same time a heavy weight settled on my stomach. My legs failed me then, my knees hitting the ground with a dull thud while I clutched the guilty hand close to my chest, a trail of whitish smoke coming from my fingertips. A deep growl left my throat, full of hate and anger, all of it directed at myself, but there was also fear, fear for my sister and fear of me, of what I could do, of what I had done. Warm trails of tears fell down my face as I pondered what to do, wave after wave of nausea hitting me with each breath, the ozone in the air reminding me of what I had done. I don't know how long I laid there, frozen, my heart running wild with emotions. But eventually, I forced my body to crawl towards my sister. I swallowed hard at the sight of the dark mark on her yellow blouse, the smell of burned flesh making me gag; her body lay still but for a slow rising and falling from her chest, it was strange, unnatural, scary. And it was all my fault.

A new wave of nausea, forced me to lay on my side, my sinful hands cradling hers, the cold of her skin sending shivers down my spine. I cursed myself, cursed my luck and that she had paid the price.

"It should had been me," I thought as I looked at her face, her bronze skin looked pale and lifeless, like a broken doll, "I should be the one on the ground."

That single thought stuck on my head, haunting my mind, setting aside everything else. There was only the thought and my will. Once more I felt a sudden rush of energy feeling my body, it was as if a dam had been broken and the waters ran free once more. I looked at my sister once more, the memory of her strength hanging heavily on my heart as I took the plunge. I let the thought consume me and freed the energy into her body, spikes of pain coursing through my body as I felt my skin break and burn over my chest; my muscles tingled and spammed uncontrollably before I lost all feeling in them. Life slowly came back to her skin as darkness haunted the edges of my vision, consuming it until only a sea of black remained and my body gave out.

I woke up days later in the hospital, my body aching with old pain and heavy with exhaustion. For long minutes I wondered where I was and what my family would think of it, I hoped against hope that I wouldn't lose them. A teary eyed mother and sister soon arrived there, pulling me into a big family hug and repeating it when dad showed up, dispelling all my fears. They believed it had all been a freak accident, an appliance that had gone haywire, a cable that was badly insulated and for the following weeks, they were there to help me recover. But I knew the truth, I could feel it deep in me from the moment the meds wore off. A simmering fire, a fountain of power that hadn't been there before. It was tantalizing, the power to do everything I had seen in trids at my fingertips. Except it wasn't like trids, it was wild and dangerous, untamed and waiting for a weakness to explode into the world.

I knew I needed help, a mentor, a guide, even a friend would help. But it wasn't easy to find anything on the matter, you couldn't just put "I almost killed my sister with a lighting bolt" on a search engine and expect honest results. Those were some horrible months for me, between the growing pains and my newfound paranoia I barely got any sleep or hung out with my friends, I couldn't risk it. It was one of those days as I was laying on my bed, chatting with a friend to pass the time, when I got my lucky break. It all started like a game, a dare that Daniel, that thick headed troll, put me up to. A new app had become the word of town, fabled for its ability to let you enter the supernatural world of mages and dragons, well, to help you enter it more fully than our corporate overlords allowed. I was wary at first, my only brush with magic hanging heavy on my mind, but I was also desperate.

I quickly downloaded the app and the moment it was ready, I clicked it open. A flurry of light crossed the screen, a rainbow of colors filling every inch. Then it turned black, the words "Spellbound" moving down from the top till they rested at the middle of the screen. A flurry of symbols, blue as the tittle appeared below it, soon forming a rotating circle before the words "Enter" appeared on the circle's center. I let out a chuckle, the whole dramatic flair of the air already lifting my spirits. My finger touched the screen, selecting the only option; the moment I did, electricity ran up my arm, familiar, dangerous, real. I dropped my comm, my breaths grew short as memories of the accident flashed through my mind. A shrill tone pierced the room's silence as a bluish glow emerged from the phone to form a perfect circle in front of me; images soon forming on its surface, showing glimpses of strange forms and colors. First there was a hound, fierce white fangs looking my way, only to be replaced by an elderly lady, her form clad in shadows; a fiery bird came next, its wings opened wide, followed by a ivory skeleton. Hundred of images flashed my eyes, their forms calling to my very being, urging me to choose them. And yet, something kept me from doing so, my hands remaining steady at my sides until I saw her. Horns of ivory white, fur of golden yellow and eyes both kind and determined. My hands moved before I could process what I had seen, touching the screen with the tips of my fingers. Twin streams of green light came from the screen, surrounding my wrist until it became a ring of energy.

The screen flashed twice, growing larger until a ghost-like minotaur lady stood in front of me, an approving smile of her face. Her hands took hold of my wrist, their touch warm and light, golden rays poured out of hands, casting the room in ethereal light. When she removed her hands, a band of interwoven roots laid on my wrists, its touch reassuring and familiar, it was brimming with magic. She looked at me one more time, whispering her name into my very mind before she vanished in a whirlwind of winds.

"Alacea" was her name, and that day she became my spiritual mentor.

---

Day 2: Bugbear

Tarruk looked down at his prey, the elk munched on the bushes without a care in the world, unaware of the predator in the shadows. The bugbear smiled darkly as the elk stepped closer towards him, its strong meaty legs made the bugbear's mouth water with every move. The bugbear held his breath when the elk head shot upwards, its ears flicking for a few moments. Its eyes glanced all around the forest, only seeing thick tall trees and endless greenery, yet it didn't go back to eating. The elk walked back a few steps, looking for the danger it could feel watching it. It didn't have a chance to do more, before an arrow found its neck and another buried itself on its side. The shots were strong and precise, the elk could do nothing but drop on its side as the bugbear ran towards him knife in hand. It only lasted for a few seconds, but the elf was released from its agony with a thrust from the bugbear's hand. The creature said a little prayer, thanking his gods of hunt and luck for such a quarry. He went back towards his hiding place and pulled out a rope from his sack, a few knots and muttered curses later, the bugbear had the elk strapped behind his back and a pleased smile on his face. His family would eat well for a few days, he thought as he started his trek back home

---

Day 3: Demon

Kathalaz looked down at his latest contract, the black ink still drying on the paper, and he left out a sigh. A pounding headache was beginning to show and this was only the beginning of the decade. The red skinned demon massaged his temples and a soft thrumming came from his horns, their ivory surface covered in annoyed yellow flames. Kathalaz didn't know how it had all gone wrong so fast, maybe they had gone too far with the temptation or maybe their methods had been too effective, but the one thing Kathalaz was that he hadn't worked so hard since the humans did their world wars. The demon glanced to the left were pillars of papers were piled on his desk, taller than the demon's own ten foot height.

With a flick of his thin tail, another document fell into his hands, the blood red ink indicated its unsigned status. Karthalaz's eyes took in the letters, a few moments of silence passed as he took in the conditions on his deal with another mortal before a frustrated growl left his throat. Flames rose for his fingers as his eyes took in the last letter, singing the edges of the contract before a deadly cold breeze came from the ceiling and put out his fire. The demon grumbled under his breath, he cursed human stupidity and obsession with sex before he burned his seal at the edge of the page and the ink turned charcoal black. The process repeated thousands of times more during that hellish day, the human's request had ranged from the most insensate drivel to delirious love letters, and by the end of it all, the young demon was cursing to the coldest end of the Abyss whoever thought the frigging plan of making humans produce novels about sexy demons.

---

Day 4: Lich

Sancy Adagio struggled to keep a polite smile on her face as her new client prattled on about her worries. The old dwarf in front of her was crying crocodile tears and pulling on her braided hair with clear desperation, something that Sancy had not experienced since the third year as a undead. A new wail left the dwarf's mouth as she retold the story that had brought her to Sancy's office for the thirteenth time in that hour, this time in words that the animated skeleton could understand.

"And then, then those ruffians picked up my Tronker's body and they, they, oh Gods, they put their abominable magic in him and forced him to return." the short lady said, muffled by her handkerchief. "My poor husband had that sick green light force him to get up and walk with them to Gods no where."

Ever the professional, Sancy smoothed their suit with skeletal hands, they took one of their pens from her desk and whispered a few mysterious words to it; a cyan glow surrounded the pen, the light dim but unsettling, and the pen levitated towards a sheet of paper. The skeletal head gave the dwarf a nod and the pen began to trace strange symbols over the page with inhuman speed.

"Now, Mrs. Ironwood. I know this must be a hard time for you, I sympathize, really, but what would you have us do?"

A glint of steel shone in the dwarf's eyes, she cleaned the last of her tears and looked at the ivory veil that hid the skeleton's face. "My Tronker always got into trouble, so I got him an insurance just in case he-- just in case he died. That insurance is with your company."

"I'm afraid ma'am, that can't be done." replied Sancy with a spectral voice, their fingers intertwining in front of their lap before she continue. "Your policy establishes that such money will not be made available if the insured party is brought back from the dead by other magical means."

"What do you mean you won't pay for his revival! My Tronker was brought back against his will and he's still serving them as an undead spawn! "

"I understand your frustration ma'am but-"

"You understand nothing, how could you understand the pain and powerlessness I feel when my husband is being used for Gods know what by some snobby humans"

"I'm sure you must be going through a lot of pain at the moment ma'am, however our poli-"

"Your policy can burn for all I care, I bought this policy precisely for this. You corporate types only care about the money and blame us, your clients, for everything that could cost you even a copper."

"Ma'am, please understand, as long as your husband is alive we cannot-"

"He's very much not alive you overgrown dog bone, he was pierced by a lance and bled out before they brought him back ILLEGALLY."

"Ma'am, article 135, vesicle 2 of the Venabentura Legal Code for Necromancy clearly states that any person is considered alive as long as he is experiencing their life or unlife-"

"You greedy soul suckers, to the Abyss with you all"

Sancy could feel their temper raising, their skeletal hands tightening their hold as they fought to control it. Red light flashed in their vacant ocular cavities for a single moment when she contemplated reuniting the couple in unlife. They set this plan aside however as the image of a certain bugbear colleague flashed in their mind; the lich smoothed their richly tailored suit once more and waited for a chance to interrupt the dwarf's tirade.

"You're completely right ma'am, this is an injustice." the woman grew silent at the admission, her eyes wide as platters. "In fact, why don't you go talk to my manager. Here, let me write you a note so you can go there and set all this right."

"Thank, thank you" the dwarf mumbled, still recovering from the shock.

"It's what Seven Throne services is all about ma'am"

---

Day 5 and 6: Kobold and Dragonborn

Draken breathed a ring of fire to the air as he read the letter once more, anger made his blood boil while his claws scratched the wood of his desk. Smoke shot out of his nose as he bit back a growl but he was too late to stop his tail from beating the stone floor. He let the letter fall to his desk and stared at the only resource assigned for his mission. The small lizard in front of him was so scrawny he looked like a toothpick, his red scales so pale he could as well have been white and the cracks running through their surfaces betrayed the kobold had at least one disease, maybe more.

The dragonborn stood to his full height, more than twice the size of the smaller lizard, and closed the distance between the two with heavy steps. The dragonborn lifted the kobold's muzzle with a sharp silver claw, his forked tongue tasting fear, excitement and happiness in the air. Gold orbs met his crimson ones, conflicting emotions clashed in that field of yellow and that twisted Draken's lips into a grin.

"So tell me young one, why did you ask to work with me?" Draken said with a raspy voice, fire licking his lips. "It's a well known fact that none of my pawns last more than a year."

"I'm different." replied the kobold with a high pitched voice, her tail smacking the floor in defiance.

"You think you're the only one who said that."

"No, but they weren't me."

"They were also healthier and bigger and more experienced." Draken let go of her muzzle and snorted, turning around, her act meant nothing when he could taste her fear."Why do you think you will survive were they couldn't?"

"Because they won't expect me. They'll underestimate me, just like you." her last word said, the kobold launched through the air; a long ragged knife appeared in her hands and a hiss left her throat as the edge drew closer to the dragonborn's back.

A wall of fire erupted in front of her before a sudden force sent the kobold crashing against the wall. She fell to her side, clutching her stomach while her lungs burned for air. The dragonborn looked at her from the distance, an azure fire resting in his clawed hands.

"A nice attempt but your scent betrayed you." the dragonborn walked closer to the prone kobold, his eyes shinning a deep red. "You just attacked a high ranked official, your life is forfeit and you accomplished nothing."

"Heh, are you sure? what if you catch my disease or if I explode now?" the kobold said with a rough voice.

"Then, you'd have removed only one cog in the machine. One that will be replaced by this time tomorrow."

"Enough time for another to shake the status quo."

The dragonborn's forked tongue tasted the air once more and a smile appeared on his face, twisted and cruel.

"So you fancy yourself a liberator or a revolutionary."

"No, but I know how this all works. Just like you."

Draken's tail smashes the ground, fire licking his muzzle before he made his way back to his seat, his claws scratching the desk once more.

"You got potential, sure, with some work you may even get to be a good one." the dragonborn let out another ring of fire, his eyes glaring holes into the kobold's crumpled form. "But we'll need to do something about that mouth of yours, it'll get you in trouble."

"So is that a yes to my application?"

"It's a maybe. I'll send you over to Raega, if she says you're good enough, you'll get your mission. If you fail, we'll let you rot with the other bodies."

"You won't regret it, sir."

"I better don't, the last thing I need is a useless piece." A stream of smoke shot from the dragonborn's nose, dark and thick. "Now leave before I decided charred kobold is my next meal."

"Yes sir." The kobold said with a low bow, her own tail smacking the ground.

"And Andrea," the dragonborn said before the kobold stepped through the door, "next time you do something like that, you'll be a tail-less disgrace."

"Understood sir."

"Good, that fear is good, it'll keep you alive." The dragonborn said after his forked tongue tasted the air, his malevolent smirk returning to his face. "Good luck recruit."

---

Day 7: Tiefling

A green cloud rose from the test tube, an acrid smell like rotten oranges reached the tiefling's nose, her face scrunching in disgust. She moved the concoction away from her with her tongs, the red liquid's surface bubbled slightly as it moved. The tiefling secured the vial with a clamp and adjusted her lamp so it shone on the liquid. Her eyes widened as she saw how the red changed to green under the light, her hands writing down all the details on a beaten journal. She waited for a few more minutes, her whip like tail swinging behind her in excited nines and sixes. Once she was sure there were no more changes to the mixture, she picked up a small paper slip where glinting metallic pieces laid. Carefully, the alchemist transferred the pieces into the vial and shook the mixture vigurously with a glass rod; the results didn't take long to appear, the liquid turned more viscous with each passing second while its color changed to a deep blue. The tiefling's eyes narrowed as she looked closer, the bubbling from earlier had come to a stop and no matter how hard she looked, she could not find a single piece of metal in the mixture. The alchemist hummed in glee, her hand writing down every detail in her notes with quick scratches of her pen.

The tiefling grabbed another vial, this one filled with a viscous purple liquid, and poured a few drops into the other vial. The reaction was instantaneous, bubbles spread all over the blue liquid, its level raising rapidly. The alchemist didn't have time to understand what was happening before a green fire appeared on the surface, the strong smell of sulphur filled the air and before she had time to do something, the vial exploded, green flames expanded in a flower, the heat caressing her skin without burning her. The tiefling turned her face away, bits of glass clashed against her skin and horns, but fortunately none harmed her. When she looked again, there was no trace of the flame flower or the vial, only the top of the vial remained, trapped by the steel clamps. The tiefling let out a growl of frustration, her project once more a failure. She picked up her journal, cleaning the bit of glass that had fallen on it, and started to write all she had seen; this time she may have failed but she could feel success waiting just around the corner, she just had to calculate the perfect way to mix the ingredients together.

---

Day 8 and 9: Oni and Ogre

A soft humming came from the blue oni, an old tune her grandma had sung to her in her youth and that she sung to her own grandchildren in turn. Her agile hands moved with precise movements, knitting the yarn into colorful sweater though many would have mistook it for a mantle or a bed sheet. The old oni smiled as she finished another flower with a couple of movements from her needles; the blue jasmine, her granddaughter's favorite, stood in a field of yellowish white, the mix of colors made it seem soft and full of life, like the future owner of the sweater. The horned humanoid checked her work for a few more minutes before she continued, unconciously shifting to one of her old songs. She didn't get to spend too long on her work before the jingle of keys broke her concentration. Her front door opened with a screech of metal, the sounds of heavy steps followed before she heard another screech and a bang, she would have to scold her granddaughter later. It took only a few seconds before a hulking figure crouched into the living room. Bronze skin was covered by a baggy gray hoodie and some tattered jeans.

"Blessings on you grannie, I'm back from the shop." said the ogre with affection in her grave voice and lifted the plastic bag in her hands so the oni could look at it easily. "They were out of milk, so I brought you some juice."

"May God bless you my dear and thank you for picking those things for me." replied the oni, a kind smile making the way to her face."I'd have gone earlier, but you know how these all bones can get."

"It's no problem grannie, I needed to pick up a few things myself." the ogre deposited the bag next to the sofa the horned humanoid was sitting in and took on of her grandmother's hand in her bigger one, she placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand. "How have you been feeling lately? Have you had more accidents?"

"No, no, child, there's been no more accidents. I may be old, but I'm not helpless."

"You know I don't think that grannie, I just-"

"You just worry, I know, I have been there many times before." replied the oni with a tired smile. "I've been good, not as strong or as quick as I once was, sure, and the bones hurt whenever it is going to rain, but I'm good, you don't get to be as old as your grannie without getting a few hurts here and there."

"Okay, but if anything happens-"

"I'll call you or your dad, I know sweetie, I know." the ogre just nodded at her, a slight smile on her lips. "Now, sit over there and show me that back, I need to take some measurements."

"Grannie, it's okay, you don't need to knit me another sweater."

"I know, child, I want to. When you get to be my age, you'll want to spoil your grandchildren too."

"Thank you grannie."

"No, thank you sweetie."

---

Day 10: Chimera

Chelsea stared at her reflection in the mirror, a leonine face with gentle curves to her muzzle, the cream fur painstakinly brushed and powdered while her ears sported silver earrings that tingled with every flick of her ears. She bared her fangs, afraid that any remain of her last meal could ruin her chance in the spotlight, fortunately, an impressive set of yellowish white fangs greeted her. A hiss brought her attention to her side, where her snake like tail was glancing over her shoulder at the reflection, brown scales glinting under the white light.

"You look beautiful dear." Said the lioness with a purr to her voice before she turned back to look at her reflection. "We look beautiful."

The snaked hissed once more, their long forked tongue tasting the air near her ear, and made her smile. The strange appendage was only partly under her control but in times like this it reassured her, made her feel loved and cared for, something that had not been common in her life.

A buzzing sound brought her out of her reverie, the blinking of a red light near the door told her she didn't have much time before her appearance. She stood up and walked towards the large mirror in the corner of her room, she struck a few poses, looking for any imperfections that she could fix, but was glad to find none. Her forest green gown held close to her body without being too restrictive and the color meshed well with her fur; the dark brown scales on her arms looked like long gloves that ended shortly before her elbow, while the clawtips at the end shone like pearls.

Another buzz came from the door, announcing it was time for her grand entrance; the chimera took a deep breath to steel her nerves and her snake like tail joined on the exercise. She did this a few times before she gave a nod to her reflection and left the room with a sure step. It was time to show the world what she was all about.

---

Day 11: Cerberus

"How about this one?" Asked Russel with a deep bass voice, his hands holding a crimson shirt against his chest. "I think it goes well with the pants, red on black."

"No, it does not go well with your fur, besides, it's cold tonight, so that shirt won't work, remember the last time we took it out. Try something else." Replied a soft but low voice, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Okay then. How about this one? We got it at the concert last year, shows one of our favotire, so we got a conversation starter, and it's made of cotton, so we'll be warm no matter what."

"Nah, I don't think so bro. Last Midnight Call is a swell band and all that but they're not first date material, too much drama and blood. " a third voice commented, this one rougher and more confident than the other two. "Let's see what we got to work with. Hmmm, Nah, next, good for home bad for date, wait, stop, go back, that one, no bro, not the flowery one, do you plan to give him flowers with each date? No, I meant the other one, the green one, that'll knock him off his feet."

"But isn't it a bit...small? I mean, look at it, it'll be a tight fit, maybe too tight, I'm not sure it is even legal." asked the first voice with a whine at the end.

"No, we may be onto something this time." chimed in the second voice, eliciting a grunt from the third one. "It goes well with our eyes and it shows off our muscles."

The cerberus's middle head looked back at his reflection in the mirror, holding the long sleeved shirt against his chest. The forest green fabric stood out against his thick dark brown fur and it made his three sets of green eyes shine like emeralds. The middle head scrunched his face in concentration, his tringle like ears flicking as he weighted the pros and the cons. Meanwhile, the right head beamed proudly at his choice and the left head hummed his approval.

"Yes, yes, I think it could work." conceded the middle head after a few minutes. "It makes our eyes really shine."

"And it brings out our muscle, don't forget that. We worked hard for these babies, we should show them off." added the right head.

"He did say he liked muscular guys, so we may make a good impression if we wear that." pointed out the left head, earning a nod from his brothers.

The next few minutes were spent in a flurry of motion as the big hell hound brushed his fur and trimmed his nails; the shirt came on next, the garment fit him like a glove, bringing a smile to the three faces. The cerberus fuzzed over his dress for a bit longer, the three heads discussing if the black trousers were too casual or if the shirt was too forward, his phone ringed. The fated message had come, the canine's tail beat against his tight trousers with vigor. The kiss stickers at the end of the message made their cheeks flush red, the right most head letting out an approving growl; the three heads worked together to write what they hoped was an appropriate response and left the house with a spring to their step.

The ride to the apartment complex felt both too long and too short for Russel, the nerves were eating them up and all three of their heads showed it. The left head couldn't stop muttering about plans and etiquette, the right hid was grumbling about traffic and yelling when other cars got too close, meanwhile, the middle head counted the streets left until they reached their destination. Russell turned off his truck with a turn of the key, resting his middle head against the steering wheel for a few moments as he took deep breaths; the left head leaned toward's his brothers ears and guided him through breathing exercises. Meanwhile, the right head looked around the area until he spotted a humanoid silhouette near a set of glass door.

Russel left his truck with a couple more of deep breaths and looked towards the glass doors, where a short human gave him a shy smile. The hell hound returned the smile with three of his own while butterflies flew in his stomach. The big canine closed the distance with half a dozen step of his powerful legs, the middle head's eyes locked into the human's azure ones.

"Hello, I, I hope we didn't keep you waiting lone." said the middle head once they were one step away from each other, their hands shaking at their side while their tail beat happily behind him.

"No, don't worry, you're just in time. " replied the human with a soft voice while his cheeks flushed with a soft red. "It's nice to finally see you, I mean, like this, only the two of us. I'm glad we can finally do this."

"Yeah, I'm glad too, to meet you. I, I mean, I'm glad to meet you too Dave." The middle head's voice quavered a little. "You are, you are very handsome tonight."

Both left and right's ears dove close to the skull at the comment, a shiver going down their spine. The middle head's eyes grew wide as plates as he realized what he had said.

"No that you aren't handsome every day, or that we're only dating you for that, we lik you, the real you, no that this is fake either but-"

"We think you're beautiful and sexy." butted in the right head with his husky voice, winking at the human.

"And we're honored you accepted to date us." added the left head.

"Yes, yes, we think you're beautiful." conceded the middle head moments later. " And we're very glad you accepted to go out with us."

The young human laughed softly, his bronze face tinting a deep red, and looked at up at Russel's eyes.

"I'm happy too, Russ, just, be gentle. it's been a while."

"For you, of course." replied the right head, a touch of affection in his voice.

Day 12: Coatl

Tiara glanced down at her coils, her scales seemed so much interesting as her boss went into another tirade. Her feathered wings closed around her while her fingers typed down the heated exchange of yet another conflict between the project heads. It had become a routine by now, Timothy, the bear lead would move forward without consulting the dragon first, then a couple of days later the accounting chief, a no-nonsense shark would come to shew out the dragon. The next day like clockwork the dragon would summon the bear to his office to shout his head off.

Tiara's coils tightened as a glass shattered against the far wall."Another one that needs to be replaced." She thought and wrote down a memo to buy a few plastic glasses, hoping those would last. The shouting match lasted for a couple of minutes longer before the bear stormed off, closing the door with a bang.

"Tiara," said Mr. Firetooth once he had calmed down, "did you get all of it?"

"Yes sir, I think so. I'll ring the storehouse later for new glasses, maybe plastic ones this time, just in case. "

The dragon smiled at her, his whiskers moving in lazy and tried patterns. "Thank you, that will be helpful, I doubt that bear will change his ways anytime soon. Also, make sure to keep add the transcription to the file, in case HR gets involved in this."

Tiara's wings shifted uneasily behind her, the taste of anger and frustration was clear to her forked tongue. She gave her boss an unsure nod and moved to leave when a polite cough made her look back towards the dragon.

"And thank you, for being here. You've been a big help. You can take tomorrow off, I'll inform HR about your paid leave."

The coatl let out a happy his and left the room with a flapping to her wings.

Day 13: Lammasu

The click clack of hooves could be heard on the large room, rows upon rows of books acted as the only witness for the Guardian's rounds. Eagle like wings flapped with every step, little whirlwinds of dust forming with each beat of the feathery appendages. It had been a slow night for the Lammasu and yet a cautious expression adorned his handsome human-like face. There was something in the air of his library that was wrong, he could feel it in his bones. The Guardian continued his rounds, his black eyes took in every detail of the darkened room better than most cats and only that let him see the spectral figure running down the hallway.

A soft laugh reached his bovine ears as the figure hid behind some shelves; the Guardian lifted his horned head high, his eyes shinning with golden light, and rushed towards the nearest shelf. An earth-shaking roar left his mouth moments before he collided with the wooden furniture, bright golden light filled his vision and the next moment he appeared in front of the spectral figure.

The would be thief didn't have time to turn, his frenzied pace bringing him straight into the Guardian's lowered horn. An explosion rang through the old library and the specter was thrown back to the other end of the hallway, its lime green form waving slightly before it reformed into a humanoid shape. The lammasu let out another roar and his horns dug deep into the spectral shape once more. Golden light bathed the room, followed by the sound like glass breaking and when the light died, only the Guardian was left, a pleased smile on his face. Crimson fur rippled as the bovine body tensed in preparation, but when no attack came, the Guardian flapped his wings and resumed his rounds. There were still several hours before his shift was over.

Day 14 and 15: Selkie and Owlbear

Dahlia looked over as her charge tried and failed to stay afloat, his bear like limbs flailed all around him, doing little but scaring the fish away from the two of them while the splashing of water muffled any other sound from the coast. Dahlia for her part was glad there were no other creatures to witness this bumbling disaster.

"At least this time he's keeping his head above water." The selkie thought before she dove into her water. She felt the magic travel over her skin as she sank deeper; shivers coursed through her body and an electric tingle took hold of her arms and legs, webbed membranes formed between her fingers and toes while her arms and legs morphed into flippers. Dahlia opened her new eyes, the thin membrane in them allowing her to see while her whiskers helped her locate the owlbear cub. Her skin changed next, turning a deep gray with white dots, the thick layer of fat that lay beneath keeping her warmth inside the water.

Her transformation done, she swam in a line to rest below her charge, her wide eyes and long whiskers analyzed the movements of those strong limbs for a few moments. The selkie shook her head, the kid still had much to learn.

Dahlia broke through the surface with a strong beat of her hind-flippers, she took a deep breath, quenching the burning of her lungs, before she swam lazily towards the cub.

"Cody, cody, stop." She ordered of the noise the owlbear was making, her voice firm and precise. The big cub grew stiff, stopping in the middle of a stroke, and turned to look at Dhalia with a tilt of his ochre feathered face.

"Was I doing something wrong Ms Dhalia?" the cub asked with big yellow eyes filled with innoncence, his body floating on the still water.

"yes dear, you were. Remember what I told you before?" The cub's only answer was tilting his head to the other side, his bird like eyes looking at her with an unspoken question. "You need to move your arms and legs in tandem, like the waves."

"Swing, grab and drag?"

"Yes dear, swing, grab and drag. Let's try this again. I'll lift you up and you'll do each of the steps on my count, okay?" Cody nodded at the selkie and remained calm as her now human hands lifted his torso with ease.

"Okay, one arm close to you, the other one fully extended, same for your legs. Yes, just like that, ready?" The owlbear let out a happy squeak and vibrated with barely contained energy. "Here we go. Swing grab, drag, swing, grab drag."

"Like this, Mrs Dahlia" Cory shouted between wild strokes.

"No Cody, I said drag, no splash, there, that's better. Once more, Swing, grab, drag, swing, grab drag."

The two kept going like this for a few minutes, the selkie correcting the cub every so often before he would get excited and fell back into his old habits. By the end of it, Cody had made some progress and he only looked like a half drowning owlbear whenever Dhalia let go of him. Dhalia shook her head once more, knowing that the kid would need a few more sessions before she could teach him a few advanced forms.

"Dahlia dear, I've come for Cody." Came a shout from the forest's edge, the voice powerful but tender.

The young owlbear shot towards his mom with renewed efforts, his form improving with the added motivation. Louds shouts of "mom, look at me" left the cub's beak until he left the waters and tackled the larger owlbear. Her mom was ready and spun him around in a circle before she cradled him close to her chest.

"Hello Amelia, we were about done for the day." Said the selkie after she came out of the water in her human form.

"I see. Cody didn't give you any trouble?"

"Nothin that I couldn't handle, right Cody?" The younger owlbear beamed at the two with pride and shook his head, a soft chuckle leaving his beak. "He still has a bit to go before he's swimming on his own, but he's been doing well."

"So, I should bring him a few more times then?"

"Yes, don't worry, he'll be swimming like a fish by the time we're done."

Day 16: Werewolf

Wulfric stared at the moon, the celestial body shone with a lonely silver glow, no other stars clear in the dark sky. The werewolf silver eyes shone with sadness moments before a mournful howl left his throat. The sound traveled over the whole valley, piercing the silence of the night but there was no answer. Wulfric's ears hid in the light brown fur of his scalp as a pitiful whine made its way to his throat. The werewolf collapsed on his side, his eyes still fixed on the celestial body and his mind full of questions. The moon provided no answer and no platitudes, only the comfort of her presence when one of her children was in pain. Another howl left the werewolf, pain clear in its notes. Large hands took hold of furred arms, their sharp claws digging into the thick skin while the beast closed in on itself; the heartbroken wolf cried his heart out for hours, his body trembling as emotions repressed for years came out in a strong torrent.

Wulfric couldn't wrap his head around it, his rejection by his crush, his expulsion from the pack, the race of death that had followed. It had all happened in a matter of hours, but to the tired wolf's mind, they may as well had been decades. The cold air of night drove the spike of abandonment even deeper into his heart, his mind realizing all he had lost. There would be no more hugs from his parents, no more nights out to watch the stars with his siblings, no more jokes with his friends and there would be no comfort of home. Tears ran down his face as he turned towards the sky, his heartbroken howl begging the moon for an answer that would never come.