Author's Note: ...Okay, it's not gonna be my LONGEST fic ever, but hey, it's good. It's a school assignment that I'm quite fond of.

The boy shivered, even wrapped in the older man's musculoar arms. Cicadas sang in the warm summer night air, and stars sparkled overhead. The boy rolled over, brushing his long black hair out of his dark green eyes. The grass barely stirred around him. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of eleven people breathing around him. The man's grip on him tightened, as if this new position was an unfavorable one. The boy smiled, rolling back over. The man's hazel eyes sparkled in the darkness. His short blond hair drifted in the soft breeze, which also caught the boy's waist-length mane. The man sighed deeply, smiling.
"Little early to be awake, Eton," he said softly, not wanting to wake the sleeping bodies around them. The boy-Eton Sanaii-nodded, snuggling against the warm, strong body. He was only eighteen, one of the youngest people there. Also one of the smallest. He relied strongly on Gus Valdez, the brawny man he'd been sent into exile with. Eton had lived on the street for several years before they, the "real" humans, had accused him of one of the highest crimes... being non-human.
Eton, like so many others, had been accused of not being human. Those who had captured him had called him "unnaturally beautiful," at least for a boy so close to manhood. His charges were less severe than those of Arian Chalis and Angelo Jeddan, who were there for the same reason. They were both in their early twenties, and they were both, in the eyes of their accusers, too feminine to be accepted as men. Jon Tsutae was there because he had refused to leave Arian's side. Gus was there because of his adamant demands that Eton should receive a fair trial. Camrin Avisè, a fifteen- year-old boy, was accused of being, of all things, an angel. No one doubted it, but Camrin denied it. All six of them were humans. All of them were accused of crimes they hadn't committed. But there were others... demons, prophets, those from other races... no one judged race on such a simple thing as skin color. It was a bit more complex.
Natau and Zephyr were demons, captured during an outbreak of "freaks." Jack Aaron and Leranaz Usaji were both Caitarians-mostly human, but undeniably feline. Exodus was a demon, as well, a young fox-demon, and the greatest tragedy. He was a young thing, nothing more than a child... nine years old. He had arrived in the group crying for his mother, who he thought had come there. By the time news had reached him that she was dead, Exodus was already a strange, sad child who barely resembled any living creature at all. Natau, the cat-demon, was a fierce swordsman who had taken down several of his captors before finally being subdued. He couldn't have claimed to be human if he hadn't been so proud of what he was. Zephyr was a dove-demon, beautiful and gentle. He served as a father figure to the younger boys, especially Exodus, whose otherwise dead eyes lit up when Zephyr smiled. And then, there was Lucifer. Lucifer was a young prophet. His violet eyes were like liquid amethyst, but the pupils narrowed to slits and the irises became a strange, glowing red, remaining wide open, as he slept. No one knew why. The others in the group joked that he was human, though it was obvious that he wasn't. He was another one accused of being too beautiful. His accusers hadn't known about his strange eyes.
Eton yawned. "You mean it ain't mornin' yet?" he asked sleepily. Gus laughed quitely and shook his head.
"It's still pretty early yet." he replied, plucking a leaf from the boy's dark hair.
"Could you two keep it down a little?" Leranaz asked, glaring at them. His glittering green cat-eyes reflected strangely in the dim light, covered by wispy blond bangs. Eton glanced over at him.
"Sorry, Raz." he said, and the Caitarian sighed and rolled his eyes. He was the younger of the two Caitarians, thought they both appeared to be the same age-nineteen. Their looks were shared by any member of their village: blond hair, green cat eyes, tan skin, sharp eye teeth, semi- muscular build. They would appear to be nineteen their whole lives, no matter how old they became. Cats have nine lives, so they say. Raz was slightly more laid-back than Aaron, who loved being in control of his life. Aaron hadn't taken very well to the outcast life. Raz fit in perfectly, though he didn't care for it any more than the other of them. They had arrived together, and were rarely apart. Despite their feline qualities, they were nothing compared to Natau.
Natau was a thirty-three year-old demon. Every inch of his body was covered in a short, soft brown fur, and from a distance, it appeared he was merely dark-complected. His face was streaked with darker fur, symbolic of his whiskers. He had the same sharp teeth the Caitarians had, but they were even sharper. His nails were long and aciculate, deadly. He had an expressive feline tail that was currently lashing against Zephyr's leg. Natau seemed invincible. The most serious injury didn't seem to effect him for too long. He had arrived in the group beaten and bleeding. His golden eyes had been glazed and bloodshot, the gold irises glowing around the cat- eye slits. Despite his injuries, Natau had healed within a few days. He had become attached to Zephyr within his first few moments in the group.
Zephyr was poorly suited to life outside of a small village, but he did fairly well. He had lovely but useless white wings, as well as white- feathered arms. His hair was longer than Eton's, but just as dark, and usually pulled up in a 'pony-tail' near the top of his head. He looked not a day over twenty, though he was a year older than Natau. His dark eyes were always sparkling, though he rarely ever smiled. He had a soft, airy voice and a gentle personality. He adored natau, Exodus, Camrin, Lucifer, and Eton. They loved him-everyone did. And why not, Zephyr hadn't deserved his punishment. Along with his exile, he had been beaten nearly to death, and abused in various other ways. He had arrived just a few days behind Natau, and had been thrilled to learn that another demon was there, as well. He had been afraid of humans, all of them, until gentle and naive Camrin came along.
Little Cammie had weasled his way into Arian's heart on his first day in the group. Who could blame Arian for loving the boy, after all, he was adorable. He had huge baby-blue eyes that took in the world and everything in it. His silver hair was among the many things that incriminated him. It fell to his waist, and tended to be flyaway on top. He had a winning smile and personality that dominated even the coldest heart. His own accusers hadn't liked the thought of the boy having to live in the wilderness. His trial was the only time Camrin had ever really feared for his life. He loved everyone and hated no one, though, and he could curl up to a stranger just for warmth. He was so small... he looked so much younger than he really was. Petite. He usually followed Arian around, bubbling question after question. Camrin was a curious, lovable boy who cuddled up into Arian's arms every night, desperate for the same love and warmth he'd always had before he'd been sent into exile.
Arian Chalis was a real prettyboy. If someone didn't look closely enough, it was hard to tell he was male. His shoulder-length dark brown hair was streaked with bright red highlights. He had more highlights than he needed, but no one cared. His midnight-blue eyes were framed by long, dark lashes. He had soft, pouty lips. He was beautiful-and he liked to brag about it. He had a right to brag. Even living in an open field through harsh wind and rain, he somehow managed to look perfect. He had a huge ego, but he still loved Carmin and Jon.
Jon Tsutae was Arian's best friend. He was a lanky man, one year older than Arian, who hadn't quite grown from a teenage body. He had brown hair and green eyes, and usually looked scruffy. He was a friendly enough person; he got along well with the other exiles, expecially Arian and Camrin. He was usually an awkward, gangly person who bumped into things and broke them. He hated not being as graceful as Arian. In Jon's mind, Arian was the ideal human being. Beautiful, intelligent, and friendly.
They had all lived together for about two years in their open field, a field of tall grass that stretched on as far as the eye could see. A few tall trees provided shade and shelter, and a nearby pond provided fish and water. The scent of sweet flowers always fragranced the air, giving the field a constant relaxed mood. Despite the fact that they were all strangers at first, they were like brothers. Human or not, they could sometimes forget who was which. They all shared a strong bond of love-the love of brothers, a love that never wavers despite the fights or arguments. It took time to get used to things like Raz and Aaron's purring, Natau's fur, Zephyr's wings, Exodus's yipping voice, or Lucifer's eyes, but after a while, they just didn't matter anymore.
They had all been exiled for different reasons, and yet, for the same... they were different. Different from anyone else. They weren't alone, not at all. Millions had been sent into exile. They were merely twelve of a million. Twelve survivors. Those who had been charged heavily were beaten until they could barely stand, fed rotten foods for days, or otherwise mistreated. Milder punishment included whipping with a fire brand. Both ended the same way: exile. They were sent out, away from their homes and families, their clothing ripped and bloody. If they found a group to stay with, they were usually welcomed with open arms. Their wounds were taken care of to the best of the group's ability, and the clothing was washed out. A new member of the group was always accepted as a friend; it didn't matter whether they were human or demon. They had been cast out. They would be taken in.

Author's Note: Now, to divide it some more...