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Ashlyn's voice flowed smooth, staying in perfect unison with the other initiates around him. Not that it was very difficult; the High Songstress guiding them was only just beginning the trial. Still, Ashlyn sang through even this warm-up as if his life depended on it, for it very well did. Examiners of the Lyrieum watched from the shadows cast by burning oil lamps, a few already eying them with a cynical gleam.

The High Songstress began to soar into a more complex piece. Ashlyn followed flawlessly alongside the others, eager for the challenge. Up and down, soft and bold, pieces in which they played chorus before returning to join the high songstress, portions in which they played off each other, singing in pairs and triplets, their voices forming a cascade of sound. It was without doubt their best and most beautiful work.

"So they can sing," an old ursine male said as he adjusted his spectacles. He was seated above and across from them, gazing down with an air of disinterest. "I'd sure damn well hope so. What I want to know is if they're of any use to queen and realm."

The Songstress didn't pause in her song, a subtle flicking of her tail the only evidence of annoyance. She moved fluidly into a new song, her words becoming intelligible as she shifted into the elder language, Fonian. The room immediately filled with a pressure that steadily grew, a ghostly presence Ashlyn felt with each beat of his heart. This wasn't any normal song; it was an Aria. The initiates let their voices fade into silence.

The gathered examiners murmured to themselves and nodded, each pulling out a small device that looked like a pocket watch. After a few moments the male above them waved his hand and looked up from his device.

"Proceed," he said.

The High Songstress immediately lowered her voice and glanced towards the first of them, Shihu, a fox-like girl with rich dark hair and fur the color of honey. Shihu picked up the song with ease, her voice soaring high to overlap that of the High Songstress. She sung with confidence, though the pressure emanated by her Aria of Trials was considerably less than the Songstress. Still, the gathered examiners nodded and whispered to one another.

"Next," the ursine male above said with a satisfied nod.

Eliza came next, a tall girl bearing the same fox-like features of the Fenn, though her own fur was a northerner's silver and her short, jagged hair was white, matching the tip of her tail. She sung with less confidence than Shihu, but her voice didn't falter and the radiating power from her Aria of Trials was strong and clear.

Again a satisfied murmur circled the trial chamber and the male above grunted. Eliza's voice faded, and the Songstress turned her gaze to Ashlyn.

A knot formed in his stomach even though he had been practicing the Aria of Trials for years in anticipation of this very moment. It might have a lot to do with the fact that he felt incredibly out of place--and the fact that many of realm's most powerful were gathered here. Every last one of them would demand his execution without so much as rising from their seats if they learned of his secret.

Like with most of his life though Ashlyn was left without much choice but to cope. So he parted his lips, closed his eyes, and sang the Aria. His voice came clear and smooth, loud and strong. Once the words came unbidden, the familiar thrill streaking through his body, it was easy to lose himself. The trial chamber echoed his voice, the elder tongue in itself a piece of art, his Aria thrumming with sorcerous power.

It was intoxicating to Ashlyn, a vibrant sensation he wished he could hold forever, bu the Aria had to come to an end. He reluctantly rose into a climax, ending the song with a flourish, and blinked as his heart pounded in his ears and the mundane world once again became apparent to his senses.

"Extraordinary performance, young lady," the male above said as Ashlyn's voice faded. "And such power! Hah, there might be hope for us yet."

Ashlyn gave a deep bow and allowed the Songstress to move on to the finial initiate, Daeli, a Kansai girl with caramel fur, long leporine ears, and a cotton-puff tail. The girl's voice immediately rose to a high enough volume that she elicited several raised eyebrows, but Daeli continued on heedless of them, singing with less than perfect form yet with no lack of passion. The examiners frowned and looked ready to administer a negative verdict, but Ashlyn knew that beside himself Daeli was probably the most promising candidate of their group.

A moment passed and the surprised expressions of the examiners reflected Ashlyn's thoughts when their eyes rose from the little devices. Grudgingly, they nodded, and the ursine male above gave his own approval with a nod.

"A bit rough," he murmured as Daeli stopped and bowed. "But also overflowing with power. Another with promise. This year's harvest has been good indeed." He nodded as if agreeing with himself. "Yes, yes. Good indeed, the gods know we need more Songstresses." The silver ursine paused to cough, then regarded the chamber. "Then without further delay I decree that all presented candidates for the year may study within the Lyrieum. Objections?" When he saw that the gathered examiners were silent, he nodded and rose from his seat. The others followed suit. "Then the Trials are concluded."

#####

"Woohoo!" Daeli shouted, voice thick with a melodic accent. "We did it!"

Ashlyn watched with amusement as the girl practically jumped off the walls, grabbing Eliza's and Shihu's arms and swinging them in a circle. She let the other two girls go and spun towards him, grabbing his big, squirrel-like tail and draping it around her shoulders like a scarf.

"We made it!" she cried out again, grabbing him by the arm and spinning them together until he was dizzy.

They broke apart and he snatched his tail away with a laugh. "Calm down already. Jeeze." The other two girls giggled.

"That's just Daeli," Eliza said with a shrug.

Shihu nodded. "Half crazy, I think."

Daeli frowned. "Hey! Don't be such boring downers."

"Oh, we're just as excited," Eliza countered. "We're just keeping it under control. It's called being refined."

Daeli snorted while Shihu laughed. Even he grinned and shook his head.

"Hearing you of all people say call herself refined is funny," he said teasingly.

"Hey!"

Eliza gave her a mischievous smile and said, "Well, it is."

Ashlyn left the three girls to their friendly bickering while they walked down the long hallways of the Lyrieum dorms. It seemed excessively lavish to him, the carpet thick and rich enough to sleep on, the way lighted by colored crystalline chandeliers. He examined one as they strode by, losing himself in his thoughts. Though he had been anxious at the Trials he had always expected to make it into the Lyrieum. That was the easy part. The hard part would be becoming a Songstress while still keeping his secret. He sighed, tail waving side to side, and idly scratched at his chin with one finger.

"Ashlyn!"

He yelped and jumped, turning to come face to face with a grinning Daeli. The other two girls snickered while they opened a heavy oaken door to their left.

"We're roommates, apparently," she said, showing him the number on her key and watching as the two Fenn glanced inside their room.

"I'm aching for some sleep, so I'll see you two tomorrow," Eliza said with a wave as vanished through the doorway.

"Sleep sounds good," Shihu murmured, following after Eliza. "I'm too tired for dinner."

He watched the door shut before turning towards Daeli and frowning.

"Don't make that face," she said with a grin. "We'll get along just fine."

They made their way to their room. Ashlyn opened it with his own key and they both stepped in, shutting the door behind them and looking around. It was a simple room, but still extravagant in a way; two beds laden with pillows were tucked away at each corner. A single closet opened to the right, a pair of cherrywood

ers to the left. An enclosed latrine alcove was hidden beyond them, and directly across was a wall-sized window looking out over the city of Aselia. The sun was just setting, sending fragments of pink and gold over the squat buildings and flickering lampposts.

What little luggage they had been allowed had already been set in the center of the room, but he ignored them and went to sit on one of the beds. Daeli moved around examining the room with an overabundance of interest, her ears down behind her and pressed against her shoulder length hair. Watching her, Ashlyn couldn't help but smile. Though he had only just met her a week ago, it hadn't taken him long to decide that he liked Daeli. Aside from being the type of person one couldn't help but smile around, he felt Daeli's beautiful accent gave her songs a spicy essence others lacked, and thought the fact that she sang more with passion than technique made her even more unique.

"What'cha staring at, Ash?" Daeli asked curiously when she caught him watching her.

He shrugged. "Oh, I was just thinking that it won't be so bad being your roommate, considering how wonderful your Arias are. We really could learn a lot from each other and improve our singing."

Daeli grinned and moved to him, clasping her hands behind her back. "Actually, I very happy to find we'd be roommates for that same reason. Well, that and... another reason."

"Oh? What's that?"

She flashed him a predatory smile and leaned over him, using a hand to push Ashlyn down onto his back with alarming ease. Then she clambered onto him. He was so surprised that he didn't offer any resistance until she started laughing softly.

"W-what are you doing?!" he demanded, voice cracking.

Daeli simply stared down at him for a moment, then repositioned herself and leaned forward. When he tried to sit up, she pushed him back down, and when he rose his arms to push her off she caught them and pinned them over his head. He struggled beneath her, but Daeli's body moved with him and she held him in a surprisingly tight grip.

"I know Takitsu and all the body's focal points," she said with a shrug. "Not that I really need it to hold down a little thing like you."

He growled, but she laughed and bent down to lick his cheek. "I didn't mean that as an offense. I think Elera are cute."

"Daeli, get off me!" he pleaded, trying another surge of struggling but finding it was pointless. Daeli merely smiled down at him, so he stopped, feeling helpless and angry.

She chuckled when he stopped resisting. "Good girl." Holding his arms with one hand, she sent the other to stroke Ashlyn's creamy brown fur, then played with a tuft of his soil-brown hair. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," she whispered, putting her weight on top of Ashlyn.

Ashlyn watched her with growing alarm, his heart pounding. "Daeli, stop! Please! I'm serious!"

She ignored his cries, nuzzling his chin. "I just want to celebrate a little bit, and you know, I've had such a crush on you since we met. You're really cute... and since we're going to be roommates for a long time anyway, don't you think we should become closer friends?" She moved her head and to Ashlyn's surprised pressed her soft, warm lips against his. A moment later she forced her tongue into his mouth, exploring it wetly, and then broke their kiss nosily. He stared up at Daeli, eyes wide, and she giggled.

"I-I'll scream," he bluffed as she began to nose up the side of his jaw and head.

She ignored him, moving up to one of his short, pointed ears and running her tongue along the inside edge. A shiver ran through him as Daeli teased him, eliciting a satisfied noise from her. Cupping his chin, she began slowly circling deeper and deeper inside. It felt weird being tongued in his ear, but the wet and warmth sent pleasant tingles through him whenever Daeli stroked the sensitive pink inside, drawing him to flick his ears.

He whimpered and turned his head away from her, but she followed and let her free hand fall to caress his leg. "I mean it, Daeli!"

She paused and nipped his ear. "Go ahead, Ash. Scream if you want. After I'm done with my side of the story we're just both going to end up getting kicked out."

"You wouldn't risk that! Not after we just got accepted!"

Daeli shrugged, a motion that rubbed her large breasts across his own flat chest. "You won't risk it either."

That was true, though for a different reason than what she thought. But if this went where he feared, it wouldn't really--

"Daeli!" he exclaimed, his voice pitching.

"Yes?" she whispered with mock innocence.

He tried to close his thighs, but her own leg kept his spread apart. Her invading hand crept further up the skirt he was wearing, her fingers toying with the hem of the panties he wore.

"Don't!" he whispered desperately. "Please! I'm not--er, I--I don't want to do this! Daeli--"

She kissed him again, cutting him off, her tongue hungry for his.

"Mmph!" he pleaded, feeling her hand slip into his panties.

A moment passed, though it felt like an eternity, and she cupped her hand around his prick. Daeli broke their kiss, eyes wide, and stared down at him. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, cursing the Dreaming Mother for her cruelty. As luck would have it that on the very same damned day he managed to enter the Lyrieum he would have his secret discovered. He waited with anxiety for the accusation he knew would come.

"You're a... boy?!" Daeli near shouted, almost as if she had read his thoughts.

"Yes," he replied quietly. What point was there in refuting it now?

Daeli was quiet for a long moment, then fell back on her knees and shook her head. "You had me completely fooled. By the Dreaming Mother, you had everyone fooled!" She shook her head again. "Why go through all the trouble, Ash?"

He hesitated, then sat up. She let him this time, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, because I have the Goddess Voice."

"You're right..." A look of confusion came over her face. "I thought--"

"Obviously not," he snapped. "You fondled my cock yourself."

"Well, maybe--"

"I do like females. Not males." He made a face. "Despite how it looks."

Daeli shrugged, her ears twitching. "I've never heard of a male Songstress."

"Because there aren't any," he said with a sigh. "They're all executed as soon as they're discovered."

"What? That's ridiculous."

"It's the same thing that happens to failed Songstresses," he insisted. "Do you honestly think everyone is accepted into the Lyrieum? That every initiate who is graduates? What do you think happens to the failures who don't make it to Songstress?"

Daeli thought for a moment, arms crossed. "Dunno. I never really thought about it..."

"They're killed, Daeli. Executed in secret. I guess the queen doesn't want any untrained sorceresses she doesn't control running about. Males with the Goddess Voice are killed too, but I don't know why."

"And you know this how?"

He hesitated again, but this time he shook his head. "I don't want to say."

Daeli didn't look happy with the answer, but digested what he told her quietly. After a moment, she glanced over at him. "You've been pretending to be a female a long time, haven't you? I mean, your hair, how comfortable you are in female clothing, even the way you walk!"

"I didn't have much of a choice" he said defensively, curling his tail onto his lap. Ashlyn didn't feel like drawing up memories of his very confusing and frightening childhood, but he was starting to hope he could appeal to Daeli and have her keep her silence. "Only females can become Songstresses, so when the Seekers found out I had the Goddess Voice my mother let them think I was a female and pledged me as a candidate for the Lyrieum when I came of age. Really, I was lucky that my name is also a female name and that I was too scared to protest when my mother called me a girl."

"You still wouldn't have passed the physical examination we had," Daeli insisted.

"I did," he said simply. Daeli didn't need to know that his medical records had been forged, and at any rate the person who given him his examination and forged his records was someone he cared dearly for, so he'd never speak her name. "But I wouldn't have even made it that far if I weren't Elera." His people were smaller on average than the other races, built with lithe, agile bodies, and Elera males didn't gain the same masculine traits males of other races did. Instead he appeared virtually the same as a female, breasts aside, and had the same soft, pleasant voice all of his kind had. Elegant, fragile, and beautiful were how others described the Elera and that was the main reason his parents were able to keep up their deception as he grew older.

"Mm," Daeli said, nodding thoughtfully. "So if you become a Songstress you're hoping you won't have to worry about all of this anymore."

"Exactly," he said. "No one will question a Songstress, especially if I stay out of the way. Besides, it's not like I'm really lying about that. I do have the Goddess Voice."

"Somehow," Daeli said.

"Somehow," he agreed. "But if you tell anyone I'm really a male..."

"They'll kill you," she finished. "Or so you think."

"They will! This is serious, Daeli! I've been hiding the fact that I'm male for most of my life!"

She snorted. "I barely know you and I found out."

"I didn't expect you'd try to rape me!" he snapped.

"Oh, calm down," she said, stretching with a yawn. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Thank you," he said, emotion flooding through him. "You don't know what this means to me."

"Hold on now," she said, leaning forward again. "I didn't say it wouldn't cost you anything. I'll keep your secret... if you promise to do anything I ask."

Ashlyn frowned, his tail whisking out of his lap. "Blackmail?"

"If you want to see it that way," she said with a shrug. "It's not like I'm going tell you to murder someone or anything. It'll just be easier for us to have fun this way." Daeli cocked her head thoughtfully and grinned. "Well, easier for me at least."

Ashlyn froze, staring at her. "You can't be serious?! You just found out I'm a male!"

"So?" she replied. "I said I thought you were cute, not that I liked females. I like males too. Actually, it doesn't really matter to me either way, but in this case..." She leaned forward until her nose was a hair-length away from his. "I find you even more attractive now."

"Daeli!" he exclaimed.

She only giggled in that way that was quickly becoming infuriating. He growled.

"You're really cute when you're mad, you know that?" she teased. "So, what's it going to be?"

He let out a breath. "You know there's only one answer I can give you..."

"Good!" she said cheerfully, clapping her hands. "This worked out a lot better than I had hoped. We're going to be such good friends!"

He let out another sigh. Daeli didn't really seem to understand the gravity of his situation, and he didn't know if his nerves could survive worrying about how vigilantly she would kept his secret.

"Oh, stop pouting," she said. "And come here." She repositioned herself and then patted her lap.

He hesitated a moment, tail waving uncertainly, but eventually scooted over and sat in her lap, facing away.

"You're so adorable," Daeli breathed along his neck. "You look every bit a girl."

Ashlyn blushed, but didn't move or protest when Daeli began petting him again, her fingers playing with his silky hair. Her tongue returned to tease his ear, poking deep inside, and her fingers slipped into his blouse. He jumped when her warm fingers pinched his nipples, but she didn't stop, twisting them cruelly, her breath tickling his ears. His breathing deepened while she played with him, his fluffy tail curling back around the both of them. One of Daeli's hands slid down his stomach and toyed with his belly button. It was a weird feeling, but he decided he liked it.

"Have you ever been played with like this before?" Daeli asked.

He shook his head. "O-of course not."

"Well, you seem to like it," she said, giggling as she pressed down on his skirt and fondled his growing erection.

He fidgeted in her lap. "Do we really have to do this?"

"Lift up your skirt," she commanded, ignoring his question.

Ashlyn obeyed with a sigh, lifting his skirt and revealing his panties. His half limp cock was poking against the fabric, precum staining a little spot on the front.

"Do you like female clothing?" Daeli whispered, her fingers toying with the outline of his cock, encouraging it to harden further.

Ashlyn gave a noncommittal shrug, ears flat against his skull. "I guess I'm used to it by now..."

"You look cute in them," she breathed.

Daeli slipped her hand into his panties as she spoke, grasping his prick with warm fingers. She gently thumbed the tip, and began stroking him. Caught by surprise, he jumped a little, his fur standing up. Daeli cooed at him, her free hand caressing him up and down his chest and stomach, stopping every so often to tease his nipples, pinching and twisting them so they sent embarrassingly pleasant streaks of pleasure through him. Her tongue traveled all along his throat, chin, and cheeks before she moved back up to nibble at his ears. The pain mixed with pleasure, sending another shiver down his spine. Daeli giggled again, then began stroking her tongue along the inside of his ears once more. His sensitive ears tingled at the weird sensation and he found himself becoming even more aroused. Already his cock was hard and twitching in her hand, the tip oozing precum freely and giving off a pungent smell, both normal for his kind.

Daeli didn't seem to mind and used his precum for its intended purpose, rubbing it all along his prick while she stroked him, making squelching noises and letting little rivulets course down between his ball sack and thighs.

After jacking him off for a bit she withdrew her hand from his panties, showing it to him proudly, spreading her fingers apart and watching the sticky strands glisten between them. "My, you're really wet!"

"That's not funny." he murmured, feeling his face burning.

Daeli just grinned and slipped her hand back into his panties, giving his pink cock a tight grip and treating him with strong, deep strokes. Ashlyn closed his eyes, his breath deepening as even more pleasure rushed through him.

"Look at me and stick out your tongue," Daeli ordered.

He turned and glanced up at Daeli, cocking his head, and then did as she commanded, sticking out his tongue hesitantly. She leaned forward and played with it using her own, tapping the tips of their tongues together, tracing lines over and below, connecting them with wet strands. Then she forced herself into his mouth without warning.

"Mmph!"

Daeli ignored his surprised cry and had her way with his mouth, stroking him faster and harder. Her efforts made naughty, wet sounds, and her other hand rose to torture one of his nipples. He felt an orgasm building, strong, hot, and hard. Closing his eyes, he let the pleasure wash over him, shivering as it built into a burning climax. He came so hard it hurt, shooting streams of creamy cum into his panties and arching his back in pleasure. Daeli refused to let him go, giving him quick, short strokes with her hand as he came, her kisses became deeper and more deliberate, her tongue suffocating him, her free hand pinching a nipple hard. Ashlyn struggled in her grasp, but she held him tightly, forcing the pleasure on him. He was lost in a white bliss for an intense moment, then the world flooded back and a shudder ran through him.

Daeli broke their kiss wetly, glistening strands attaching their lips. She watched him with satisfaction as he leaned back against her large bosom, eyes half closed, sucking in large breaths. His ears and tail drooped lifelessly.

"That's a good girl," Daeli whispered, her tongue brushing along his cheek. "The face you made when you came was so adorable I thought I'd die." She removed her hand from Ashlyn's soaked panties, placing it before his face so he could see the sticky gobbules of cum covering it. "You sure came a lot."

"Um, sorry," he said hesitantly.

"Oh, you don't have to be sorry." To his surprise, Daeli began licking her fingers. "Did you like being played with like a girl better?" she asked between licks.

He let out a long breath, watching her lap up his cum and finding it strangely satisfying and arousing. "That was my first time doing this kind of stuff, you know."

"Wait, what?"

Basking in the afterglow of his orgasm, Ashlyn waved his tail lazily. "It's not like I just get naked in front of anyone..."

"Well, worry not my little cutie..." she said mischievously, kissing Ashlyn on his cheek and teasing his hair. "I'll--"

A knock at the door cut her off, prompting both of them to turn.

"Sorry to bother you, girls. I know you're tired and were told you didn't have to come, but the headmaster changed his mind and is insisting you join us in starting the new year by attending the Starlight Ball." She didn't sound particularly happy about that, but Ashlyn couldn't guess why. "We have special guests, so formal wear. Be down in an hour, freshly bathed and looking your best."

"We'll be there," Daeli called, looking over at Ashlyn quizzically. "Did she sound upset to you?"

He nodded. "I thought she did too. I wonder why?" He didn't really care, though. It had been an exhausting day, and not without its surprises. All he wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep, but he wasn't stupid enough to ignore the headmaster's order when it wasn't even their first day. Still, it wasn't all bad. There was opportunity here. Ashlyn smiled, pushing Daeli and his weighty worries away from his thoughts and cocking his head thoughtfully.

In fact, this was the perfect chance to leave a good first impression with the Lyrieum's leaders.