The first thing that Lion taught me was that I should never be alone. He told me that the world I'm in is divided into several classes:
Predators
Prey
The Unknown
The neutral
Deserters
Ords
Predators are the top class. True to their name, they can eat almost anything, even members of their own class. Most predators are educated and evolved, so they rarely consume 'moving creatures' unless they are wild.
Yeah..... I do not trust that fact.
Lion proudly told me that he is a predator and that being one came with the best privileges. For instance, you could float and fly everywhere, do almost anything and basically rule your own territory.
I asked him about the rules.
He looked confused for a moment and told me that he didn't understand what 'rules' were. He explained that they simply follow whoever is at the very top and if they don't like it, they can just try to kill and eat him.
I see...
Suddenly, I didn't feel very safe anymore.
He immediately assured me that he could protect me, since his job was to control the magic in the territory.
Hmmm..
Sort of like a sorcerer or a wizard.
The rest of the classes are easier to understand. Prey are usually those particularly bred for consumption, typically those that didn't eat 'moving objects' themselves.
Like me?
I can feel myself trembling at this moment.
Lion looked concerned for a moment and told me that it wasn't necessary, as one can create a 'moving object' as long as they have enough magic power.
He also added that I am considered prey since I seemed weaker.
I don't know what to say.
....
The Unknown are beings that almost everyone avoids. Lion told me that I almost encountered one the other day. He said that their presence can be sensed.
What are they?
Lion thought for a moment before replying that he didn't know how to describe them, but any creature who went near the Unknown would either disappear, die or be twisted into something that couldn't be described properly.
He warned me not to go near places that have almost no color or light.
....
The Neutrals have no gender and don't need a mate to reproduce. The triangular being with many eyes I saw the other day was a neutral.
They usually just mind their own business, though they might approach you if they need something. They won't harm you or eat you.
Lion admitted that he hadn't seen them eat anything.
What do they do?
Lion shrugged and told me he wasn't sure what they usually did. However, he said that whenever there was something he didn't know, or if he needed information, he usually approached them.
....
The Deserters come from an ancient bloodline that once dominated the world until a mysterious event nearly wiped them out.
They are exceptionally tall and large, and because they lack females of their own, they mate with other classes.
Strangely, their offspring always end up being Deserters.
It's common for one female to have several Deserters as mates, as there have been no female Deserters for a long time.
....
Ords are creatures like Pinky and the gate.
They don't speak, but communicate through other means. They are usually objects or organisms that have absorbed enough magic to become independent beings, capable of thinking and reasoning.
....
Lion explained that no two creatures in this world look exactly alike. Everyone has a different appearance, which makes each of them truly unique.
Offspring often inherit traits from their parents, so I asked if his were nearby.
With a sigh, he admitted he never knew his parents. Instead, he grew up in a massive facility for parentless younglings, where they remain until they reach the age of fifty.
Fifty?
Wait..
How old is he?!
Lion laughed and told me that he is still young, as he is only a couple centuries old.
CENTURIES?!
HE IS ANCIENT!
There is no exact number, as time flows differently here, but I estimate that he must be around 500-800 years old, give or take.
Oh, gosh...
With a curious look on his face, he asked me how old I am.
I told him that I was 25 years old in my previous world.
He spent a moment trying to compute the difference mentally but soon gave up. He explained that our worlds' ages don't align well, but at a rough estimate, he'd be about 5-7 years older than me physically and 10-15 years old mentally.
He looked pretty unconvinced by his own logic, though.
Intrigued, I asked why he separated physical and mental age. He told me that some creatures develop their bodies quickly while their minds remain unlearned. Since mental growth is a gradual process involving various tests, ages are only ever estimates.
Basically, the concept of an exact age simply doesn't exist here.
Fascinating...
....
Lion was fascinated by my appearance. He kept poking and prodding me until Pinky noticed my discomfort and began pelting him with fruit.
He wanted to know how we moved, looked and communicated in my old world.
I shared everything with him.
Like how we call ourselves humans and see ourselves as distinct from animals and plants...
How we tend to inherit various physical traits from our parents..
And how we communicate to build connections with one another.
Most of all, I described how life back there could feel unpredictable yet monotonous all at once.
He listened intently, asking several questions along the way.
He was fascinated that I looked like a 'complete' being, whereas he felt like he had different body parts that were simply attached to a central core.
He felt sorry that humans don't have any magic, nor the ability to fly or float, but was interested to learn that humans invented all sorts of ways to travel.
I was starting to enjoy the conversation when suddenly he asked me how humans mate and produce offspring.
At this point, I felt my face turn red.