The smell was the first thing that hit Leniver. It was sterile and metallic. All around her were humming machines that had pipes attached as though to let the steam out. The lighting in the room was bright and the tables were covered in tools that seemed foreign to her. 

She made her way around the room almost amused at its messy organization. She could see that someone spent a lot of time here. The shelves were gleaming with glassware that Leniver could not for the life of her name. 

She picked up and observed many pages of documents. The handwriting was messy but they were clearly marked with dates like journal entries. The one she had in her hand was marked for 1021 SH. 

“The experiment seems to have succeeded. The effects were instant, the forget-me-not flowers have worked wonderfully. It is nevertheless impossible to ascertain the long term effects from such a short test period.” 

The world around her shook as Leniver looked wildly around. Debris was falling from the walls as the ground threw her off balance. Leniver collapsed onto the floor as a rock fell onto her. Panic rose within her as she threw her hands up instinctively to shield her face but the impact never came. 

The rock floated in place but Leniver could not stay still to appreciate this development as the shelf on her left threw one of the glass tubes into her face. Leniver blinked in shock and held her eyes tightly closed as she felt the glass make contact with her face. 

When she opened her eyes she first registered the entirely different surroundings. She was staring up at a chandelier on the ceiling with a woman looking down at her. The lady had what seemed to be fish scales covering her collarbone up to her neck, the scales were beautiful the kind that you would see on a mermaid and the colors were more vibrant than a thousand rainbows stacked atop one another.

Leniver reluctantly forced her eyes away from the lady’s neck and onto her face, immediately she was grateful for having done so, the lady’s face did not rival her scales for it played a game of its own. Leniver was tempted to stare at the woman’s eyes forever, the most brilliant blues imaginable. 

“My gods” Leniver breathed out. 

“Can you see?” The fish lady said, shining a torch in Leniver’s eye. 

Leniver sat up straight and hit her head on the fish lady’s chin before doubling back in pain, “Who, no, what are you?”

The lady blinked in surprise, “‘What’ am I? I'm a Pisari. Have you never seen one?”

“I haven’t. Or, I might have. I don't recall.”

“You don't recall? Are you suggesting that-”

“That I am suffering from memory loss, that's correct.” Leniver swung her feet to sit up straight, “I don't recall anything sans the dream I had just now.”

“A dream?”

Leniver looked at the lady, it wasn't that she didn't want to ask for clues about the dream, but she didn't think it would be wise to tell the lady about it. 

“A bunch of colors floating around. Nothing too solid.” She made a hand motion to show bubbles popping, “Rather, I remember my name.”

“What is it?”

“Leniver de Recardia”

Rhaeos paused before responding, “Anything else?”

“Yes, are you going to tell me why you're part fish?”

Rhaeos chuckled, “You're lucky I find your behavior charming, others might not. I'm a Pisari, we're amphibians. The royal family are part-Pisari as well, so I wouldn't suggest you ask something like this to anyone in the streets. Be it Khyli, Chatines, Koffkae, or Shotikalis.”

“What are those? Those words you said?”

“Wow, have you really never seen anyone of another race? The only place on the planet with a population of only one race is Antheria.”

Leniver shrugged in response indicating she didn't know anything about this. Probably the memory loss.

“Khyli are part Canidae and Chatines are part Felidae. They have features similar to your common dog or cat but I'd say it's a vast step up from” She motioned at Leniver.

Leniver blinked, “What?”

Rhaeos cleared her throat, “Koffkae, which is you, are the only race not to have gained evolutionary traits outside your own genic family. That is; Apes.”

Leniver didn't respond. 

“Your closest race is the Shotikalis, who are really similar with the only difference being the lifespan and longer ears.”

“Well they didn't gain evolutionary traits from outside the ape family either!” Leniver felt strangely defensive of her ancestry. 

“They can live for a thousand years, Leniver, I don't think they care. Come on, let's get you some fresh air.”

She led Leniver through the house. It was quite lavish and large. The floors were tiled and the walls and roof were made of mahogany with potted plants all around.

Rhaeos led her to a veranda and slid open the glass door to reveal a breathtaking cityscape. Leniver was awestruck by the sky scrapers framed in the evening sky. 

Leniver’s eyes landed on a statue in the distance, A Kofkae woman with long hair holding a sword in an outstretched hand pointing towards- 

“The Royal Palace.” 

She looked back at Rhaeos, “Who was she?” 

“That is the First Queen Reagent Quinn Aquine, the Conqueror. She started the long line of rulers that still holds the honorary title of Princess to this day. She was the greatest conqueror this land has ever seen.”

“But you said that the current Princess is a Pisari? How can she be a Pisari if Quinn was a Kofkae.”

“It is not so unusual for cross-race marriages to occur, especially not in a place such as New Aquinia where all the races live together in harmony. Well, they do for now. In Quinn’s case, her granddaughter Quinn II named her niece, Elizabeth, heir over her own children. Her niece was half Pisari on their mother's side.”

“Why would she-?”

“Quinn II was in love with a Pisari. Eventually she married her and named her Queen Consort giving yet more legitimacy to Elizabeth’s claim. Elizabeth was born of an affair between the Pisari, Rhea, and Quinn II’s cousin, Adam. Historians debate if Quinn II knew beforehand but regardless, she named Elizabeth heir. There was a war but it wasn't very long, it was however quite impactful. It cemented Elizabeth as Queen by both blood and right of conquest. Princess Milicent got the Darron peninsula and Dalius isles as a consolation. She renamed herself Milicent Aquinie-Jamestown in honor of her Father. King Consort James Darron.”

Leniver stared at the statue in the distance, thinking of the war and politics that have reshaped the world. Could she ever hope to do a fraction of what Quinn had done? Could she ever have a statue of her own?

“Leniver, I understand you have no memories but do you have any plans of what you might do to survive? It isn't very easy to live in New Aquinia, this place is a hub of commerce, politics, and trade. You're going to have to work like a dog.”

Leniver sighed, “I don't even remember what my talents are, or what I'm good at. How can I?”

Rhaeos thought for a second before she went into the dining room leaving Leniver to look at the scenery below. The city was gorgeous, there were large towers of marble and stone with people on the streets bustling about. Despite what one might think, the aesthetic of the city complimented itself surprisingly well. 

Leniver leaned on the veranda as she drew breath. Surprising herself, she could tell a lot just by the air. The wind seemed to awaken something inside her, she simply knew things. 

She knew which way the bay was, how far the nearest ocean was. She knew when it would rain, how moist the surface was, how hard it would rain. How she knew, she could not say. 

Eventually, Rhaeos returned, “When I found you, you had this with you.” She handed Leniver what looked to be a sheathed sword, and Leniver almost laughed. 

“A sword? What am I supposed to do with this? A nation this advanced and you don't have guns?”

Rhaeos raised an eyebrow, “We do have guns, they just aren't given out to the public.”

“But swords are?”

“Swords are just pointy sticks, besides, if you tried to strip the citizens of every weapon conceivable there would be riots in the streets.”

Leniver scoffed, “With what weapons?”

Rhaeos simply shrugged in response and motioned for Leniver to unsheathe the sword which Leniver did. 

It was a backsword, with a wooden handle covering the back of her palm with a long slick metal. The blade was made of a foreign steel, Leniver immediately recognized it as Carbonised Steel from the mines of Taino in Antheria. 

“Antherian steel? Aren't we in Mekhora?”

“Yes, it seems you were quite a connoisseur. Besides, your name is Antherian aswell.”

Leniver looked at her reflection in the blade, “My name?”

Rhaeos explained, “Leniver de Recardia, you are clearly named after the patron goddess of Antheria. Leniver Arkyenthea. Besides, your surname simply means “of Recardia”. It wouldn't be astonishing to me if you hail from the Recardian regions of Romaria in Antheria.”

“You seem to have quite a few conclusions about my identity. You've done your research.”

“That leads me to why I have done so much research. You see, I'm second-in-command of a political party. Our opponents are radical supremacists and I am quite wary of new people.”

“Then why did you help me?”

“When I was on my knees as a child, no one helped me. I couldn't forgive myself if I did the same to anyone else.”

“I'm not a child.”

“That's right you're not, but you have nothing to your name and if I didn't help you then I wouldn't be able to live with myself.”

Leniver found it odd how Rhaeos could've known that Leniver had nothing to her name despite her not being conscious but she chalked it up to hyperbole.

“Fine then, tell me about your political party.”

“I want you to work for me, in the political party I mean.” 

“You don't even know what I'm good for.”

“Leniver, if you have a sword that is finely crafted and tailored to you.” She motioned to how perfectly the handle seemed to fit Leniver’s hand, “I can come to the conclusion you are either adept at swinging it or are adept at stealing it. Either way you'll make for a fine assassin"

Leniver froze, did she hear that word correctly? Assassin. “You want me to be an assassin?”