Good genetics
A.N - This is mostly a joke chapter but it was written seriously as a result of my flawed belief that Falnas are always visible. They are not. They can be hidden by a God if they so desire but Hestia and Bell are dumb af. Anyway, everything between --- and ---- is nerd talk that can be skipped.
(Also, please drop some reviews if you like the story so far)
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Amazonesses were a so-called demi-human race, but I heavily doubted that.
They were most likely the result of either of an accidental mutation (or an intentional one) of a woman in the distant past of this world.
Why? Because their only difference compared to human women was that they were twice as strong as normal humans and that they could only give birth to female children.
Sure, they could mate with other races, but couldn't humans do the same?
I was pretty sure there was a half-elf in a show, working at the guild or something, and don't even get me started on the degenerates that created human-animal hybrids.
Genetics clearly worked differently in this world but I was pretty sure the baby-making was being done the same way.
The gametes of the parents meet, and merge, and the chromosomes of the parents mix and match, giving rise to the genetic makeup of the child.
Someone decently versed in genetics might know that not all genes are created equal though.
And that the strong ones Dominate the weak.
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Imagine a human's genes are like contestants in a race, each trying to take the lead and show their traits.
They come in pairs, one from the mother and one from the father, and they dictate every single characteristic of the child.
Eye color, hair color, height, and so on and so forth.
Dominant genes are like stronger, more assertive racers that push the other contestants out of the way or at least suppress them if they can't completely overtake them.
For instance, brown eyes are a dominant trait, so if a person inherits a brown eye gene from one parent and a blue eye gene from the other, the brown eye gene will dominate, giving them brown eyes.
It's as if the brown eye gene is a faster, stronger racer that takes the lead and makes it hard to notice the blue eye gene.
On the other hand, recessive genes are like quieter, less aggressive racers that only get to show their traits if there are no dominant genes pushing them out of the way.
They express themselves only when both genes for a trait are recessive; if a dominant gene is present, the recessive gene is effectively "hidden."
For example, blue eyes are a recessive trait, and to have blue eyes, a person needs to inherit two blue eye genes, one from each parent, like having two less aggressive racers who finally get to take the lead because there's no dominant racer overshadowing them.
Taking another example, curly hair is a dominant trait, so if an individual inherits a curly hair gene from one parent and a straight hair gene from the other, their hair will be curly because the curly hair gene is the stronger racer.
Only if they inherit two straight hair genes will they have straight hair.
Now, one should know that these genes are usually stored in chromosomes inside the cells of each person.
For the sake of this theory, the only ones that matter are the sex chromosomes, those that contain the genes that dictate a child's sex.
Imagine chromosomes as pairs of dancers on a stage, each performing intricate moves that determine various traits.
Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (on Earth at least), with one chromosome in each pair coming from the mother and the other from the father.
Among these pairs, there is a special pair called the sex chromosomes or heterochromosomes, which are like the lead dancers that play a crucial role in determining an individual's sex.
In most cases, females have two X chromosomes (XX), while males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY).
The X chromosome is like a highly-skilled, versatile dancer with many roles, containing numerous genes that affect various traits beyond sex determination.
The Y chromosome, on the other hand, is like a specialized dancer with a more focused role, primarily determining male characteristics.
When it comes to these heterochromosomes, for normal humans, if a person inherits two X chromosomes, the body performs a routine that leads to female development.
If a person inherits one X and one Y chromosome, the presence of the Y chromosome, with its specific instructions, leads to male development.
The Y chromosome's instructions act like a decisive signal, pushing the development towards male traits, while the X chromosome still contributes essential genetic information.
In males, because they have only one X chromosome, any recessive genes on the X chromosome are more likely to be expressed since there's no second X chromosome to potentially mask them.
This is similar to a solo dancer whose moves are fully visible without a partner to influence the routine.
In females, with two X chromosomes, dominant and recessive gene interactions can occur, similar to two dancers coordinating their moves, where the stronger, dominant genes may push the recessive ones out of the spotlight or at least suppress them.
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'And my theory, without delving too deep into Mendelian Inheritance, is that a long time ago, through a mutation, a random woman was born with the Most Dominant X Genes that ever existed since the existence of the fucking world.
This woman's X chromosome was so strong that it should have been called differently.
UltraX or UX for short.
That woman, the First Amazoness might not have been all that strong herself as gods probably hadn't even descended from heaven back then, but it didn't matter.
Because her genes were strong as hell.
Then, she got herself a husband who made her pregnant.
Usually, her child would have ended up as a girl if it had a UXX genome or a boy if it had a UXY genome, but the UX was so freaking strong that it suppressed both the normal X and the normal Y of the child, basically enforcing a few COMPLETELY DOMINANT characteristics on her children l corresponding to the genes that happened to be carried by the Ultra X chromosome.
For example :
Female sex
Darker coloured skin
Dark Hair?
Denser bones, stronger musculature, etc.
And only passing over the UX chromosome to their potential children when the time came.
In the end, it didn't matter what the genetic makeup of the children was, because the UX suppressed it...mostly.
Though to be fair, the X or Y taken from the father must have had some recessive genes that pushed through, enhancing or lowering the strength of the Amazoness
That may be why they searched for strong males to mate with, for their genes to support the UX Dominant genes.
The difference between UXX and UXY might have also been seen slightly as some Amazonesses were more Feminine than others from what I remembered, their secondary characteristics clearly more developed.
Random mutations might also happen, just like in humans when something goes wrong somewhere and a child ends up with a fucked up genotype like UXYYYYYYYYYY
Usually, a human child like this would either die or be mentally retarded, but the UX was probably strong enough to keep everything working somewhat.
It would lead to one ugly-ass Amazoness though, with all that male characteristics fighting the UX...'
I allowed my mind to wander as I watched the back of a woman dressed in what I could only call underwear.
She had dark skin that glowed under the soft light of the sunset, accentuating her curves.
Her long black hair cascaded down her back in silky waves, reaching just above her waist.
Various gold decorations adorned her chest and abdomen, catching the light with every subtle movement.
She wore a purple strapless top that beautifully showcased her smooth shoulders and left her midriff alluringly bare.
The combination of her chocolate skin, striking hair, and shimmering gold created a captivating and sensual image, just as she probably intended.
As she and her Amazoness-filled party walked out of the Tower underneath a shower of cheers and cat-calls from the male adventurers, they sent winks and sly smiles in response.
My eyes remained glued to the purple one throughout, burning a metaphorical hole in her back.
She moved with a confident grace that commanded attention.
With each step, the golden decorations on her body glinted teasingly, her hips swaying in a rhythm that seemed to mesmerize those watching.
Occasionally, she would glance over her shoulder, her purple eyes sparkling with a mixture of amusement and challenge, leaving the adventurers yearning for more of her presence.
She might have glanced at me as well.
I didn't care about any of that.
Appearance would decay with time and lust was merely the result of one's instinct to propagate their genes.
An inferior form of immortality so to say, passing over at least part of yourself to your descendants...but that was a whole different can of worms I had no intention of opening for now...
...even if it might have served as a good distraction, just like my wonky, probably false theory about Amazonian genetics.
What did I need to be distracted from, though?
Well, it surely wasn't the fact that I COULDN'T FUCKING SEE ANY FUCKING FALNA on that woman's back.
From the way she carried herself, she was obviously the leader of her party, and it seemed unlikely that they were diving as mortals unenhanced by falnas.
This meant that not having a tattoo on one's back was actually considered normal, and the gods could make them invisible to the naked eye somehow...
"..."
My meta-knowledge turned out to be wrong...again...
"..."
Which in turn meant that the horrible ache I felt on my back, the one that woke me up every time I rolled over in my sleep...was completely unnecessary...
"..."
"Well, maybe not completely, as I at least made sure I don't have any falna whatsoever...given that the pieces of skin I cut off were clean..." I mumbled to myself, even as I rose from the ground and stretched my aching body.
This wasn't a big mistake, as it was better to be safe than sorry, but it served as a great lesson.
Relying on unverified knowledge would only lead me to an early and permanent grave...so maybe it was time to interrogate a native about some things I was curious about...
I began to casually walk toward the gaping hole in the hall's center, noticing that the number of adventurers coming and going had dwindled as the sun began to set.
The few who saw me might have found my appearance intimidating, or perhaps they just didn't want to risk provoking someone who looked capable of tearing their throats out with his teeth, because they gave me a wide berth as I passed by.
I might have been insulted if my skill hadn't turned that small possibility into a complete certainty.
'Either way...'
I thought as I began descending the gentle marble stairs into the darkness below, illuminated by small blue lights on the walls.
The sound of my footsteps echoed softly as if to ease my descent into the abyss of death.
It was time for another delve...