~

The smell of stew filled the kitchen of the Evermore residence. While the guys sat at the table waiting, Shepa, Sign’s wife, patched his wounds. For what it was worth, she was a patient woman. At least until pushed. Even though he had yet again put her sons in danger and gotten himself hurt, she didn’t yell (though she was on the verge). She knew that hunting was a skill that the boys needed to learn. One day they’d be doing the same for their wives. Still, she couldn’t help but worry for her family.

As she finished wrapping the last bandage around her husband’s leg, Shepa parted her ginger hair. It was so long it often blocked her eyesight. Yet the beauty of her eyes were never hidden. She blew a hot breath as she looked Sign in the eyes. This time her eyes were stern. Sign knew what she was going to say just by how she was looking at him. He tried to avert his gaze, but it was hard not to look.

As she got up from the floor, Shepa scolded him. “You just had to go and get hurt, huh? Go and die on me why don’t ya?”

Sign puckered his lips. “It isn’t even that bad. Don’t nag me, I’m not in the mood.”

Scowling, Shepa kicked him in the knee, causing him to cringe in pain. That got his attention. Looking back at her, he cursed. “What the hell was that for?”

She put on a puzzled face. “What? Did I do something?” She shrugged carelessly, as if she had done nothing wrong at all. While she could be caring, and understanding, sometimes Shepa could be a tad harsh.

“Oh mom,” Seal sat melancholy, his chin in the palm of his hand. “Stop bullying him. He was only doing his job in trying to protect us. Give him a break.”

Thankful that his boy was sticking up for him, Sign smiled crossing his arms. “That’s my boy. Stand up for your father. It’ll gain you favor with the gods. They love an honest young man.”

Crest snorted. “Yeah, one day you might happen on a holy stone, like blondie over here.” He pointed his thumb out at Leo with a snarky look on his face. “You’ll have magic powers and still be the weakest hunter amongst us.”

Suddenly Crest felt a pain nipping at his ear causing him to yelp. Leo was pinching him by the lobe.

“Care to say that again, you powerless wannabe?”

“Alright, alright!” Crest conceded. “Powers are cool. I’m jealous! I’m jealous!”

Leo released him reluctantly. “Damn right you are! I’d be too if I didn’t have powers.”

“Now, now,” Crest retorted, holding his hand up to indicate he shouldn’t get too excited. “That stupid light sword isn’t all that impressive.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

The two were so riled up, they started to slap fight.

“Now boys stop that!” Sign commanded. But they didn't. Ignoring him, they just kept going.

Boys would certainly be boys.

Rolling her eyes, Shepa turned her attention toward the stove. Turning the heat down, she picked up a spoon and taste-tested what was in the pot. The taste and temperature were just right. The stew was done. She turned the stove off.

“Alright, foods ready. Everyone bring me your bowls.”

Crest and Leo stopped fighting instantly. Grabbing their bowls, they rushed to be the first to get served. Crest got to Shepa before Leo. Seal was in line behind them. Last was Sign who was in no particular rush. Crest stuck his tongue out at Leo as Shepa filled his bowl with stew. Leo only snarled in response. After the boys had their bowls filled, Shepa poured some for Sign.

“Thanks dear,” he said kissing her on the cheek.

“Always,” she spoke softly.

After pouring some for herself, they all sat down at the table together for their meal.

“Crest,” his father called for his attention. “Lead us in prayer.”

“Uh,” Zoning out, he could hardly think of a word to say. Crest was never really good at prayers, but he figured he’d try one. “Right.” He said. They all bowed their heads, and he began. “Dear gods of the realm above who bless us with your protection, thank you for this food. You are our shield, our everything. It is you who gives us strength. It is you who gives us shelter. It is you who gives us security. We really do appreciate it and hope that you will always be with us. Amen!”

After finishing his prayer, they all raised their heads and began to eat. Sounds of spoons hitting bowls filled the room. Every other second a mouth was filled with the delightful taste of swine's meat.

“So,” Shepa was the first to kick off a conversation. “You were the brave warrior this time also Crest? You’ve been putting in a lot of work lately. But you have to learn to be a team player. I’m sure it isn’t fun for your brother or Leo watching you kill every monster. Be generous. Give them a shot.” Shoving some stew into her mouth, she waited for a response.

“I’m not giving them no, nothing,” Appalled, Crest gave his mother the stink eye. Hunting required you to be on alert at all times, if you failed to make your move at the right moment, that was on you and nobody else. “Just because I am an elite hunter and they are scrubs doesn’t mean I should lower my standards.”

Chortling, Seal rolled his eyes. He began to pop his fingers, seemingly to release tension. “That monster was child’s play. Don’t get such a big head, or it just might pop. Save the bravado for when you beat something strong for a change.”

Looking smug, Leo added, “He’s already too big for his britches. He's just a showoff with a sword.”

Clonking Leo on the head just as he was putting food in his mouth, Crest caused him to spit up what he had consumed. “Weren’t you the one telling me to dream big. Now I’m a showoff? With a friend like you, who needs enemies?” Crest then turned his attention toward Seal who sat across from them. “And you! What about all the other monsters I’ve killed? The bora bull, the loocoo……the guardian gator for gods’ sake.”

Seal went on to ridicule Crest. “Yawn. I killed the calamity bear. The biggest game we ever had; we weren’t even able to carry it all. We had to chop off its limbs. Remember?”

“Ah gods’ when will you get a new argument? I want to know what have you done recently? The last time you caught dinner it was a measly terra bird.”

“Boys, boys,” Shepa interrupted, attempting to quash their argument before it got too heated. "There’s no need to be so worked up. Calm yourselves. Let’s just have a good dinner. Enough of that.”

The boys went silent as Shepa gave them deadly stares. After a moment’s hesitation, everyone went back to eating, except Crest. Crossing his arms, he whispered to himself ever so soft, but still able to be heard.

He mumbled. “With my power, I could kill a hundred men.”

Sign’s face scrunched. He wasn’t sure if he had heard what he thought he had heard. He took a spoonful of stew, swallowed, then questioned Crest. “I’m sorry I didn’t quite catch that.” He said. “What was it you said just now?”

“I said,” Crest began. This time he was a little bit louder than he had been before. “With my power I could kill a hundred men.”

Sign’s face became hardened as if he could not experience joy, as if it would pain him to smile at that moment. “Crest, don’t ever say something like that. We stick to hunting monsters never Joe Blow or little Suzy Q. It isn’t right to kill men.”

Crest’s face twisted in a weird way, then softened. He couldn’t figure out why his father seemed almost angry now. “What’s wrong with killing men?” He asked. “Soldiers do it on the battlefield. Enforcers do it on occasion as well. Killing is a natural part of life. We might have different philosophies for why we do it, but in the end, we kill just like them.”

“That doesn’t make us the same Crest,” Sign shook his head. “We’re on the other side of the law. When we kill people it’s considered murder, not justice. We don’t have jurisdiction to do such things. But more than that, humans are weak, fragile, and easily broken. You’re not like them. None of you boys are. We’re monsters Crest. We kill monsters, not men.”

“Sign!” Shepa seemed shocked. “I don’t care for you referring to the boys as ‘monsters’. What’s wrong with you?”

“It’s true Shepa,” Sign continued. “I’m no ordinary man myself. Any normal man would have been overtaken by those neo wolves, but I fought back. Crest, Seal and Leo are almost equally as capable. Normal men can’t do what we do, because we’re special. We are indeed monsters. But other monsters kill men because they lack a conscience. Unlike those other beast, the boys and I are thinking creatures, so we choose not to fight or kill the weak. We settle only for the best challenge….isn’t that right my boy?” He turned to Crest.

Crest was silent for a second. He had never seen things that way. But now he knew his father saw him, his brother and Leo that way. He viewed them as monsters, but smart monsters, who only did battle with their kind. Crest bowed his head meekly. “R-right dad.”

He began to think back on killing the gorgon swine, and how he gloated. He felt like a jackass now. His father said they should only settle for the best challenge. But the gorgon swine really wasn’t that tough, which was something that Seal and Leo had already made abundantly clear. Was the gorgon swine he killed also a weakling? Would Crest soon be too strong to fight monsters as well? It was cancerous to think that way, but maybe it wasn't far from the truth. And the truth was often hurtful.

He was cursed with strength.