BOOK 1, CHAPTER 9.2 – The Contract, Part 2

The mother snake looked at the shrunken form of the boy before her. Such pain she had seen many times before. Had experience herself recently. She knew the pain. It was necessary.

She turned her head to more fully see him. With a look she could tell his body had recovered what it could. His mana was fully restored. These last two days she witnessed him rapidly strengthen. He was Little Green’s best chance of living.

He sat there, hunched against the wall. Little Green ran off, feeling too guilty to face him. Hours passed. Then, a small movement. He looked up, his eyes unfixed. The burn marks had healed over, leaving healthy white scars behind across his upper cheeks, the bridge of his nose, and his eyes.

“Why?” He asked aloud.

The mother snake wiggled her massive body back to fit more of her face.

“Why?!” He yelled.

“Calm yourself, boy.” The mother snake said.

She called some of her mana forward, pushing it outside her body through her eyes and to the boy across from her. Her mana entered him, telling her all the information she wanted to know. She scanned him thoroughly. Some of the information surprised her.

“Boy, you never stop surprising me.” She said, withdrawing her mana.

“Tell me why.” He insisted.

“Be patient. That beast core you have. Have you noticed anything of it?”

The boy scowled. “I’m not sure. How am I supposed to know?”

“When a beast activates their beast core for use, it will have a unique trait. It is discovering this trait that let’s a beast activate it’s core. This is why some beasts never will be able to activate their core. The chances of awakening their inherent power is completely random.”

“For example,” she continued, “Little Green was able to activate hers. She is the only one of her brood to do so. That is one in a thousand.”

She licked the air, smelling distrust. She ignored it. “You have activated your beast core. You must have used it’s ability at least once. Perhaps several times? I sensed a beast core’s ability use when fighting that white ape last. Do you not remember?”

She watched as the boy’s face scrunched up more, captivated by the boy’s many emotions. He struggled to remember. She licked the air, smelling frustration overriding distrust. “You may recognize it as another energy or ability from mana?”

“Force?”

“That appalling human-made fake ability?” She pondered. “It did seem rather familiar. Instead of an inherent ability, it would be better to label it a secondary set of mana.”

“Your beast core must carry mana as force. This allows you to use the stored mana to enhance yourself during battle. Interesting."

“That’s wonderful. Now what good will it do me? Tell me.” The boy said scathingly.

“You like to rush things. You will understand with time.” She admonished. “Your beast core must hold more secrets. It is not showing you everything. Meditate, seek out the core, and learn more about the true you.”

“Says a snake that contradicts herself with every other word.”

She snapped her teeth. “Careful, boy! You are not so different than us. You, also, are part beast.”

She withdrew her head, leaving only her side exposed. She grew tired. Her time was growing short. This boy, this mere human. He had a greatness about him. He would take her Little Green far.

Artien waited for her to continue talking, but only got noise and rumbling cave floors with silence. It was at this time that Little Green returned. She hesitantly came forward. She shared regret with him. He sighed and held out a hand.

“I’m not mad at you. It wasn’t you that did this.”

Little Green bumped his hand, happy. He rubbed her head. A feeling of comfort came over both. Little Green grew happy, then excited. She started hissing at him.

“Hah.” He laughed softly. “What are you doing?”

She moved across his legs back and forth, making snake-conversation at him.

“I don’t get what you’re saying.”

She sent something across to him. A feeling of power. Of magic.

“Mana? What about it?”

She continued to hiss. She curled up in his lap, not resting her vocals as she lay there.

He listened to her banter, not understanding any of it. He grew comfortable. His mind wandered. He came back to his last dream. The mist-filled place.

“What was that bubble? A memory?” He asked allowed.

“When that boy touched it, I touched it. Is it like she said it was? I’m recalling what I’ve lived before?”

Little Green hissed softly, falling asleep.

His hand stopped stroking her, growing still as he reimagined what the little boy had seen after absorbing the bubble.

Golden light dancing through the air. Patterns tracing the walls. Symbols beneath the feet. “Mana sight.” He sighed. “Beautiful.”

He kept replaying the image in his mind, the memory becoming clearer each time. The symbols was second-nature. He wasn’t born of them, but they were part of everything. The making of mana. All of existence.

They danced in the air. They were embedded in trees, rock, soil – the very air was alive with them. The thoughts of the bubble’s creator super-imposed on his own. As if all of it were originally his memories. He was simply taking them back.

Ah, yes. To open the eyes and see the world for what it was.

Artien slowly opened his unfocused eyes. There, in the air before him, something started to glimmer.