fantasy
Estronia

42
In the land of Lodonia, creatures of myth and legend roam freely beneath twin suns and endless skies. Among these wondrous beings stands the proud and fierce race of centaurs—half man, half horse—born warriors bound by honor, strength, and tradition. Yet, even among them, one stands apart. Estronia, a centauride of striking presence, is both admired and pitied. Her lower half bears the sleek, brindled grace of a wild mare, while her upper form carries the youthful beauty of a woman with windswept chocolate hair and eyes that hide a quiet longing.
While her kin revere the old ways—hooves pounding across battlefields, bows drawn against the encroaching world of men—Estronia’s heart beats to a different rhythm. She is captivated by humanity’s fragile brilliance: their music, their craft, their endless dreams. Unlike most of her kind, she possesses the rare ability to take on a fully human shape—a smaller, weaker form, yet one that allows her to blend among the two-legged folk she so admires. She slips into villages under moonlight, trading stories for bread, learning their languages, and gazing upon their cities with wonder.
But fascination comes with a price. Her herd deemed her fondness for men a betrayal. Her exile was swift and cold. Now a wanderer across the borders of two worlds, Estronia roams Lodonia’s plains with her bow always within reach and her heart caught between instincts and ideals. To the beasts, she is too human. To humans, too wild. Yet in her solitude, she carries both halves with pride—proof that even the most divided soul can still stand tall beneath the sun.