The classroom was always very quaint and comforting to Ruth. It was a large cavern carved into the ancient bark. Desks had been carved in like bumps on a log. A shelf in the back held pamphlets and scrolls. There were a score of kids, most of which were like Aunt Kathy. They had humanoid faces with pointed ears. A couple of them had cloven hooves and a couple more had antlers, yet they might as well have been the same compared to the other group.

  They were like Mother, they had faces of deer, wolves, cats and bears and fur covered their bodies. They could still walk, talk via sign, and Mother made it clear they were as smart and capable as anyone else. After all, they still had hands, of which they signed to each other back and forth. Ruth couldn’t read what they were saying. Their signs were tight and enclosed.

  Ruth took a seat with the latter group. She turned wistfully to watch the others. Their lips were moving back and forth like a pulsing beat. Ruth didn’t know what they were saying. Every now and then Ruth thought she could read a word but they felt like they were in a different world. It was times like these when she wished she wasn’t deaf. Maybe she could be with them instead.

  She felt like the odd one out. She had to stay with the Animites because they were taught via signs. Yet she didn’t belong here, she didn’t look like them at all! The others clearly felt the same way. Ruth tried to sign to them, to get involved in whatever chat they were having. But the most she ever got was a curt one sign reply and a bitter glare. There were no lips she could read and they huddled in close so she couldn’t read their body language either. She pouted, with nothing else to do, she turned to face forward.

  It was just as well, Teacher was shouting to get their attention. Ruth knew it must have been a shout, since she felt the weirdest sensation on the sides of her head. From her ears? Was this sound? Ruth didn’t know for sure, but whatever it was, it got the rest of the class to pay attention quickly.

  Another teacher joined him, an Animite with black fur and a kindly expression on his feline face. Eli was his name. He repeated everything Teacher said in sign. “First things first, let's go over the types of Novalim. Who can name them?”

  Several students raised their hands, Ruth included. Teacher saw Ruth’s hand and lit up. He gestured to Eli who signed for her to stand up and list them.

  “All Novalim are cousins of the true Nephilim, just smaller,” Ruth recited in her signs. “There’s the Benelim, fair and pure, the Maelim, corrupted and twisted.” Eli gestured her to stop for a moment, so he could correct her signs. Ruth grumbled, she always forgot how many fingers were needed to sign ‘Benelim’. He gestured to her to continue, a reassuring smile on his lips. “ There’s the harpies, chaotic and mad, the ghouls, hungry and fallen, and the Horrorlim, mutated and broken.” Eli and Teacher both nodded and smiled widely. Ruth grinned in turn.

  The other students glowered at her. Ruth trembled under their gaze. Some were pouting in jealousy, some had their arms folded and their faces in a deep frown. One of them raised their hand, as she spoke orally. Ruth could read her lips, “What did the human say?” Ruth scratched her head, “human”?

  Teacher frowned before gracefully answering back. Ruth tried to read his lips, she could only catch certain words. Benelim, Maelim. Ah, Teacher was repeating what she said, just orally. But didn’t all Benelim learn sign language? That’s what Mother said.

  Eli waved to get her attention. “Very good, Ruth! Let’s move on to today’s lesson. We shall be finishing the history of the Second Novalim war. Where the Benelim and Maelim joined forces against the Horrorlim.”

  Eli picked up a series of plaques from the shelf and handed them to Ruth. She was afraid to look at them. How could the good guys win? They were losing and the Benelim were hopelessly outnumbered. Terra herself was injured! Eli gestured to Ruth to pick them up. Eli’s face softened. “Everything will be okay, I promise,” he signed.

  With nervous hands, Ruth picked up the first tablet.

  It featured a Benelim with a golden wreath and an emerald crown, his arm raised, a sword in his hand. Benelim were rallying from all over the world! From a dozen places, Benelim were gathering around him. Ruth saw a wide variety of colors in their banners. An inscription was engraved below it. “King Ioannis, the Founder of Lexicons, left his son in charge of his kingdom. His Majesty went around the world, gathering Benelim to his cause. Domina Terra had been injured, the Golden Wood must not fall!”

  The image filled Ruth with hope. Maybe they had a chance after all. Ruth picked up the second tablet more eagerly. It showed a large battle. The left side showed this grand alliance of Benelim, in front of a extensive forest of golden trees. The right showed the Horrorlim retreating. They looked scared! Ruth grinned at the sight. “Under His Majesty’s leadership, the forces of the Twisted Gods were driven back, all the way to the Northern Spire!”

  Ruth picked up the third and final tablet. It showed a cold northern wasteland with an odd looking mountain coated in white. The Horrorlim were dead, gathered up in a massive pile. The Benelim were cheering in celebration. Even Domina Terra was there. She was okay too! Many of the Benelim had surrounded Ioannis. They bowed on one knee to him. “The Twisted Gods were cast out by Domina Terra and the Horrorlim were destroyed. King Ioannis stepped down from his throne, and became a High King. Of which he remains to this very day!”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Ruth sat back in her chair, taking everything in. Eli smiled and he took a seat next to her. “What do you think?” he signed.

  “What’s a…” Ruth frowned, she didn’t know how to sign High King, so she pointed to the word.

  Eli nodded and he signed the word, gesturing to her to repeat it back. That done, Eli signed, “A High King is a king of kings. Someone special enough to rule more than one kingdom. To bring them together.”

  Ruth gasped. “That’s incredible!” she signed back, her excited motions sloppy. “High King Ioannis must be a real hero then!”

  Eli nodded. “He is. Did you know he created Benelim Sign Language?”

  “No I didn’t!”

  “He made it for his friend Orion, the father of Animites.”

  “Wow!” signed Ruth. Something smacked Ruth in the back of the head. Ruth picked it up, it was a tiny piece of wood.

  She turned and scowled to see the other Animite kids jeering at her. They were signing to her and Ruth didn’t need to translate to know what they were saying. Eli frowned and he got up to scold them. Ruth examined the wood, there were words carved into it.

  “Go home human.”

  Ruth scowled. Again with that word! What was a human?

  Ruth stood up. She’d had enough. She burned with anger as much as she burned with questions. She stomped over to them and threw the piece of wood down on the closest one’s desk. “What is your deal?” she signed, her hands nearly vibrating in anger. “I just want to be your friend. Why are you so mean?”

  Eli tried to sign to her but she was focused on the Animite kids. One of them, a tall kid with the face of a black bear, stood up. His fur bristled and his eyes narrowed. “You’re a human,” he signed, “My father told me humans are bad. That they hate Benelim. We don’t want you here.”

  “What are you talking about?” signed Ruth, grumbling in exasperation. “I’m a Benelim just like you!”

  It was the Animite’s turn to be baffled, before he started to laugh. “No you’re not, you idiot! You’re a stinky human!” A faint murmuring on the sides of Ruth’s head made her turn to see the other kids all staring at her. They joined in on the laughter, much to the anger and dismay of Teacher and Eli. Yet they couldn’t stop them.

  Eli calmly moved Ruth as far away from the others as he could. “Don’t listen to them,” he signed. Ruth ignored him and slumped into her seat, hoping that the bark would devour her. At least Eli was sincere, the micro expressions didn’t lie after all. But it was little comfort to Ruth, since he couldn’t get them to stop. It’s not like she didn’t like this class. She loved learning! She loved learning history, the story of her people. These were her people . . . right?

  Ruth could see the signs in her mindseye and they brought doubt with them.

  Was she a Benelim?

  ……………….

  Ruth was happy to leave class. The day felt so terribly, miserably long. While she loved learning about the world, about numbers, about geography and so much more, nothing they covered could make up for the terrible confusion and loneliness in her heart.

  Mercifully classes were over for the day, and she slid down the ladder onto the ground. The sky turned dreadfully grey and dark. Clouds had come from overhead, rolling in like a wave. A stray flash of light illuminated the sky, followed by another strange feeling in her ears. Mother told her it was thunder. According to her, thunder was incredibly loud, and thus even she could hear it, ever so slightly.

  She always hated it.

  The sensation was uncomfortable to her, it disturbed her inner peace, her inner silence. The day just kept getting worse. Ruth found Mother and Aunt Kathy waiting for them. She dashed eagerly into their embrace.

  “How was school?” signed Mother.

  Ruth pouted and she looked away.

  “What’s wrong?” signed Aunt Kathy. She spared a glance to Mother.

  Ruth raised her hands, before bringing them down. She struggled to find how to sign it at first. “I don’t fit in.”

  Mother grew sad, “What do you mean?” she signed. Ruth said nothing at first. Mother knelt to get on Ruth’s level. She gently caressed Ruth’s face, bringing them eye to eye.“Baby girl, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

  “What’s a human?” signed Ruth.

  Mother stiffened and so did Aunt Kathy. There it was, the flickers of concern again. “What do you mean?” signed Mother.

  “The other kids don’t like me. They said I was a human and that I should go home. That humans are bad.”

  “You’re one of us! Don’t let what they say bother you.”

  Ruth pushed Mother away and stomped a foot down. “Am I a human?” she signed, her arms and gestures sharp and tense.

  The pause that followed felt like an eternity. Mother and Aunt Kathy gazes flicked between each other. The baffling nervousness never left their faces, and it was only joined by resignation. With an exhale, they turned back to Ruth.

  Aunt Kathy joined Mother in kneeling, putting both of them at Ruth’s level. “Yes, you’re a human.”

  “We found you as a baby. Seven years ago,” Mother signed. “The humans abandoned you because you were deaf.”

  Ruth gasped before she signed, “So the kids were right?” Ruth frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me!?”

  “We were going to when you were older,” signed Mother.

  “The humans left you,” signed Aunt Kathy. Ruth’s heart sank, she saw the same disdain in her face and demeanor as the kids in her class. “They’re ignorant and foolish. They don’t have sign language. They don’t understand you like we do.” Mother frowned and pushed Aunt Kathy away, shaking her head.

  Ruth teared up. “But I’m human? Am I just as bad?”

  Mother signed frantically, “Of course not! They’re only right about you being human. The rest was wrong.” Mother caressed Ruth’s face. “You’re still my daughter. This is your home.”

  Fear, anger, and confusion swirled in Ruth like a hurricane. She glanced around, every tree now felt foreign and out of place. She felt alone, she felt far from home. She didn’t belong here. She didn’t belong here! Panic followed and when Mother tried to bring Ruth closer, Ruth shoved her away.

  Without another sign, she ran off.