Origin of the Effee

“And no Effee are allowed property?”

“No, Master. No belongings and a life of service.”

“Why?”

I took another sip of my drink before kneeling opposite him again at the table. “I do not pretend to know the origins of the Mume Race. They seem so mysterious in history, but so earnest in life. We Effee do know, however, that their Goddess existed before they came to Mash'ta, because our Lord Rabbit and the Living Goddess were once lovers at the birth of Annalow.

“At the time, Lord Rabbit watched his kin being slaughtered by the Wolf in the Forrest near here. Effee Forrest West and East teemed with many rabbits at the time, but a pack of wolves put our kin to the test of it's survival. Lord Rabbit is 'quick, but reckless' it is said and like our kin, he has mellowed with age. Back then, eight-thousand seasons back, he was still young and reckless and filled with purpose to make things better for his kin.

“He spoke with his lover, Mandra, the Living Goddess, and asked her for help. He said 'I see these other beasts anaviated and able. They have grown strong and clever and thwart the wolf. How can I make my kin like them?'

“And the living Goddess said to Lord Rabbit, 'You are not meant to, my love, as it is natural for the rabbit to feed the wolf. It is not kind, but it is the way of things.'

“Lord Rabbit could not accept that. He pleaded with the Living Goddess, knowing she had a race of her own and begged for the knowledge to make his kin like hers. She said 'It is not a gift that can be given, my Love, but I can favor you in return for a favor. Soon, I will take this city of Annalow from the Ixxar. If I help you Kin become like the other strong two legged ones, I must insist that your kin serve me in my city. Outside Annalow, my future home, they may become free, but always inside they serve my kin.'

“Lord Rabbit weighed the few in the city against the many outside and agreed. It is said that Lord Rabbit was so without patience that he forgot to give Rabbit-kin a gift as all the other two legged ones have, but our kin was born none the less and Lord Rabbit named us Effee. We hunted the wolf and guarded ourselves against other stronger foes and some even helped the Mume Kin. So we became over two millennium ago, Master Drate.” I took another sip of the Bean-juice.

He was silent most of the time, placing his hand to his temple, feeling his thoughts turn. “And you accept this?”

“Most of it."

--From the unpublished account of Quill, an Effee.