Chapter 6

My First Time

(that time I made a few new friends...)

“Is that a rat?” asked my Mother-Cass.

“No!” I shouted, holding Gob close in my arms.

“Dinner?” asked Mother-Sudra, she looked like she was drooling at the mouth, ready to eat my pet whole.

“Its Gob, he’s my friend, we can’t eat him,” I declared.

“Looks like a rat to me,” Moma-Cass stated again.

“It’s a Tenrec,” I corrected her.

“You mean a hedgehog,” Moma-Kalla tried to correct me.

“A Tenrec, look at its yellow quills,” I said. I moved my fingers along Gob’s quils and the little guy started to relax.

“Where did you find such an interesting creature?” Moma-Sudra asked. She still looked like she wanted to eat him.

“He found me,” I told her. It was the truth, I never imagined Gob and I would somehow be reunited. Tenrec’s were usually found in the southern continent, typically an island off the farthest shore, but somehow Gob had managed to track me down, here of all places. It was a miracle nothing ate him along the way. I wasn’t about to let all his hard work go to waste.

“There are plenty of rats to keep as pets. Why that one?” Moma-Cass asked. At least she was being nice about it.

“Gob is my familiar, I was practicing my magic and nearly burned him to death, the little Tenrec is my luck charm,” I said, trying my best to sound reasonable. Luck charms, familiars, these were all things my parents were familiar with, anything to give anyone an edge.

“A pet, sure you’re old enough?” Moma-Sudra asked.

“I train in combat everyday, meditate, and shoot fire from my fingers, I know I can, he doesn’t eat much,” I answered.

“Don’t get smart,” Moma-Sudra said, “I was just asking.”

“I think it will do him good,” Moma-Cass declared. I was happy she had taken my side. All I had to do now was convince Sudra not to eat him and Kalla that I was responsible enough for it.

“What will the others say?” Moma-Sudra asked.

“They’ll just think the boy has a pocket rat, I’ve seen plenty of kids his age running alongside ferrets and cats,” Moma-Cass answered.

“Cats, yummy,” Moma-Sudra smiled.

“We don’t eat our fur babies,” Moma-Kalla said striking Sudra’s hand.

“Right,” Moma-Sudra sat upwards and wiped the drool away from her mouth. Before she had met my father she had to survive by eating all kinds of things from fish to mammals. Still, last thing I wanted to think about was one of my moms eating a cat.

I frowned. “I won’t let anything happen to Gob.”

“Kid has named it, no way we can take it away now,” Moma-Cass nodded towards me with a smile.

“I’m fine with it,” Moma-Sudra winked.

“We’ll still need to see what Thomas and Mia think,” Moma-Kalla added.

“Mia will approve, Thomas won’t care as long as it doesn’t get in the way of his training,” Moma-Cass said.

“It won’t,” I smiled.

“Great, then it’s settled, you can keep the pocket rat, but you have to take care of it,” Moma-Kalla smiled back.

A week passed. I felt better tat taking care of Gob in this new life than I had in my last, the small Tenrec was even putting on weight because all my moms kept trying to see what scraps it liked best. Gob also grew into a habit of sleeping on the bed next to my head, same as he had in our past life. With each new day I was more and more sure that Gob was the same Tenrec and not some magical descendent. He was my familiar through and through, and I was sure that this life and the next he would be at my side.

Laying in bed one night, I woke up startled. This time however, it wasn’t a nightmare. It was half passed 3 a.m. I had heard one of my moms scream loudly, as if she had been stabbed. There was also crying coming from their room. Immediately, I jumped up and out of bed, grabbed a dagger I had hidden by a drawer beside my bed and ran with stealth towards their room. Worst mistake of my new life. I opened the door quietly, careful not to let any intruder I was there. My plan of action was to play it innocent and stab them in the eye. Raiders were rare in Haven, but it wasn’t impossible. Worst yet, it could have been a demon slipped through the guards. In that case I would use my magic as my first offense.

The light from the moon shined brightly through the window in my parents room. There on the bed I saw Moma-Mia had returned, her eyes staring at me upside down, the rest of her face covered in shadow. My father had returned, nearly unrecognizable from the back except for three giant slashes that went straight down across his back. Mother Kalla was bent forward on the bed alongside Moma-Cass and Moma-Sudra, both moaning, crying out as my father’s fingers disappeared inside of them.

“Oh GODS NO!” I screamed aloud in my mind.

I tried to run but I wasn’t fast enough. Sudra was the second to notice me, as Mia tapped her side. Sudra flash-stepped in front of me. She instantly was wearing a night-robe, made of wolf fur, the door closed behind her.

“Kai, what are you doing up so late?” she asked. She was shaking. Visibly as disturbed as I was. For a moment I wasn’t sure what to say. I was in complete shock. I felt for a moment any chance I had at growing up in this world normal was gone.

‘They won’t know that you know what they are doing,’ I told myself, ‘play it stupid, act like you are scared of the dark or…’

“I had a nightmare,” I finally said.

“I’m sorry, let me tuck you…”

“No!” I said, not quite meaning to shout.

“Ok,” Sudra smiled. And that was that. I walked off towards my bed as she pulled open the door and I heard more moaning. They were barely even trying to keep it down. That was when I noticed Gob was missing.

Gob missing was of course followed by a gargling scream. I turned back, ready to rush in and grab Gob whatever the risk. Whatever horrors I might have to see. Luckily, Sudra opened the door and Gob jumped out of her hands into my arms.

“Hurry back to your room,” she said urgently. All while I could hear Mia and my father asking what that was in the background.

That night I barely slept. I kept my door shut tight and placed a fur blanket under the door to keep out any sounds that might echo through our small house. Of course, I also kept Gob close and a pillow over my ears just in case. I would have to try and learn a sound-canceling spell or something, maybe make some kind of noise machine in my room. Any kind of memory erasing elixir would do wonders to me right now.

The next morning I sat awkwardly at the table with my father Thomas and all of my moms. Everyone except Kalla, who hadn’t noticed me at all, were silent, staring at our eggs and oats. It was all going great until my father opened his mouth. “Kai, I think the two of us should go on a hunting trip this afternoon. The village is low on supplies and…”

“Sounds great,” I said. I still couldn’t quite look him in the eyes.

“Great,” he smiled. We all went back to eating in silence.

That afternoon Gob and I followed my father to a tailor who gave me some leather armor. It was too big of course, and had been made for a woman but I wasn’t picky. An extra layer in the chest made it easier for Gob to slide in-between my linen shirt and pocket. My father’s armor on the other hand was black leather with a diamond shaped pattern that seemed iridescent in the sunlight. There was zero wiggle room.

“So what is with the rat?” my father asked.

“It’s a Tenrec, his name is Gob,” I answered.

“It’s a lot of responsibility, taking care of another,” he started. I answered with all the usual, ‘I knows,’ and ‘I am ready.’ The truth was my father had no idea how ready for all of this I really was. We traveled on horseback from the leather smith to the walls of haven where the armory was. From the outside it looked just like any other house in the village, but the inside of it was like a vault, stacked with several tiers of weapons. Some where divided into class while others were ranged.

“Here we are,” my father said. He was standing in front of a row of Air Rifles, each one high-tech looking. “.22 here will do. Should be enough to bag a couple of squirrels, maybe some rabbits for stew,” he smiled.

Over the next hour my father drilled me how to use the rifle right and 13 rules of gun ownership.

1. Always treat the gun as if it is loaded.

2. Always point it in a safe direction

3. Always keep your finger off the trigger.

4. Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it.

5. Never point the gun at anything you don’t intend to destroy.

6. Be sure of your target’s location and beyond.

7. Understand the mechanics and handling of your weapon.

8. Always use proper ammo.

9. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions.

10. If your gun fails to fire, hold your position, wait, then pointed in a safe direction, unload the gun.

11. Don’t rely on the gun’s safety

12. Be aware of your surroundings.

13. When in doubt, don’t fire recklessly.

My father explained all of this and more as it applied to firearms. He also explained that the same rules can be applied to swords, crossbows, and even magic such as Fire Bolts, Ice Blasts, and Cryo Charges.

The Air Rifle my father had picked out for me had 30 shots per canister of air. Small metal pellets each one loaded in a drum on the top one at a time. We brought three canisters of air with us as the guards opened the large metal gate that protected Haven from the wilds outside. It was here that I left the safety of the walls for the first time.

“Follow me, I know the perfect spot,” my father Thomas smiled. He was pretty much glowing. Taking this opportunity together for the two of us to bond. I was the son he’d always dreamed of having. Only I couldn’t let him know I had memories of another life, another family. I wish I could have told him. This second life, this family we have, how much they all mean to me. The love and support I missed the first time around I feel ten-fold. Despite what happened the night before Thomas was an amazing father, teacher, and inspiration.

I followed him for half a mile. We weren’t too far from the wall. I was the only one that brought an ranged weapon. My father just took his sword. A few other hunters had left at the same time as us off in different directions. It was our job to bring back meat and rare herbs for the village. We had even been given a small pamphlet with pictures of what was what on it. Continuing to follow in my father’s footsteps we found ourselves hiding behind some brush. Several deer ahead of us.

“Let me take the shot,” I asked.

“Are you sure? You miss, they are going to scatter. We won’t get a second chance at this,” he said.

I thought it over in my head. I know I shouldn’t have sounded so eager but in my past life I’d never shot anything like this. Crossbows, bows and arrows, grappling hooks, those were one thing. This high tech rifle felt totally different. It felt like I had a lightweight canon under my arm. Like the ballista crossbow Rak had used but smaller, compact.

My father thought letting me embarrass myself would be worth the trip. Maybe I’d learn something about the hunt.

I fired the air rifle with precision. Aiming just like my father had shown me inside the armory. The gun made a popping sound when it fired and a metal pellet ripped through the air. One deer fell, the other scattered.

“By the gods, you are a natural,” my father proclaimed. I could feel Gob squirming in my chest pocket, even he was impressed. As we gathered our prey and continued our hunt I made sure to purposefully miss a few times. I didn’t want my father to think I was cheating somehow, though I had no idea what he might think. Firing the air rifle was no different than a metal crossbow, even the sound the pellets made as they tore through the air was similar. A part of me wondered if I could infuse the rifle with mana, if I could convert the ether in the air to fire or ice or something else. Now wasn’t the time, this was my first real outing with my father and one I knew both of us would remember forever.

Hours passed in a flash. We had collected one deer, five rabbits, and six squirrels. As long as we weren’t the only ones who had a successful hunt our village would have a decent feast this night. My father swore up and down that we would celebrate this victory with song and dance and I couldn’t help but feel sick thinking of the night before.

We were nearly at the village gate when Gob sensed danger ahead of us.

-Bestiary-

Demonic Boar

Description: Lesser Demon. A boar infused with eternal flames. Demonic Boar are the offspring of demons who have gotten bored in the woods.

HP: 20 / 20

Weaknesses: Water, Ice, Lightning

Immunities: Fire, Poison

I fired first. Taking all the rules into account just as my father had taught me. Every shot hit it perfectly but the damage was barely 1 HP. All I did was scratch up its hide a little bit, that and I personally grabbed its attention. At once the boar started to rush towards us.

My father smiled, “Now it’s my turn to hunt.” He pulled his sword from his back and flash stepped forward. The boar didn’t stand a chance. My father completely overpowered it in one strike. After, my father showed me how to collect the tusks and we returned home.

****

My father was apprehensive about Gob at first but after seeing how the little Tenrec reacted to danger the two of them were best friends. Gob sat on my father’s shoulder being snuck treats as we celebrated our hunt and gave thanks to the Deer, the rabbit, and the squirrels.

Moma-Mia thought Gob was excellent, and even attempted to communicate with Gob several times, though she was never able to transform into a creature so small. Never once did Gob interfere with my daily training, even learning to move across my shoulders and pockets when I was fighting. In many ways Gob was more invincible than I was.

No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t shift. My mother took me to the ruins as much as she could, teaching me to cleanse my body of impurities by opening my meridians and meditation. She told me my power was just waiting to be awoken inside of me. That once it was I would be radiant, and from there I could become an advent, an adept, and a master.

I practiced everyday and even went several times by myself with Gob. I would watch in awe as she transformed time after time into a bear, a wolf, a deer. Once I thought I actually had it but all I did was give myself a pair of small deer horns for a week. The few other kids in Haven took notice, calling me funny names I didn’t grasp. One kid, a year older than me, a young boy named Ajax, and another my age, a girl, his sister, Pan, were the only two that stood up for me. Following me and Gob to the ruins one day they watched how hard I practiced.

I was struggling again, angry at myself for not being able to transform.

“Hey Kai!” Pan said, smiling as she and her brother walked up behind me.

“Pan, Ajax,” I nodded, trying not to sound out of breath.

“Can I play with your pocket rat?” Pan asked.

“It’s a Tenrec,” I smiled. Gob was already sitting on my shoulder watching the two of them. Gob had a natural talent, better than I did, of seeing what kind of people were good and bad. A part of me wondered if that was how he hand managed to stay alive so long before finding me. Not that being my side would make the little Tenrec safer.

“Ten-Rick,” she smiled.

“Gob, do you want to play with Pan?” I smiled. Moving my arm down towards the ground the little creature jumped down and began running towards her. It wasn’t long before she was chasing him with a smile on her face. She was the only person so far besides my father who Gob decided he liked, though part of that I was sure was because she snuck him home-made cookies once during a village festival.

“Have you tried meditation?” Ajax asked, surprising me from behind one of the ruined walls. I’d practiced throwing more Fire Bolts at the ruins than anything and it was pretty obvious how frustrated I was becoming.

“I meditate every morning with my mothers,” I answered.

“But have you tried it here, maybe the reason you can’t transform is because your mind isn’t clear,” he said.

For a seven year old kid he was bright. Some of the adults called him a prodigy. Of course a part of that was because of the world we were living in. While my training was magic based others in Haven were training to be warriors. Ajax and Pan were no exceptions. We all had to learn to survive this world which included managing supplies, resources, and understanding the dangers that waited outside our walls.

I stripped my clothes down to my underwear and put them in Ajax’s bag for safekeeping. I cleared my throat and sat with my legs crossed. Ajax and Pan joined me and I felt at ease. Closing my eyes my mind wandered back to the time before my birth. The world as it was long ago, the space between. For a moment I thought I had died again as I stepped through the darkness only to see an animal standing in the distance. The glow in front of me was a made of blue ether and shaped like a deer.

“Mom?” I said aloud, my voice echoing the darkness around me.

No, it was something else. A spirit guide? I floated closer to the ethereal being until I could make out more details. It had blue glowing fur and antlers that were just as wide as its body. Its face was human-like with a long white mane and across its body was a darker-tribal pattern that reminded me of the runes in the ruins I was training.

“What are you?” I said. My hand appeared in front of me and I felt its soft fur through my fingers. Everything else seemed to fade away.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them I saw Ajax and Pan standing in front of me, a look of surprise in their eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Ajax pointed and I turned. I thought he was pointing behind me but as I turned I felt detached from my body. My neck bent to the side and I realized I was standing on my arms and legs. I struggled to turn, my long legs unbalanced, my body weighed more than I ever had, I could even feel gravity pushing down against the back of my long neck. I had transformed into a white deer. I was practically glowing.

“You did it!” Pan said, there was a clear excitement in her voice as she reached forward to pet me. Her small soft hand brushed against my head and I felt calm. Ajax had been right. My head wasn’t on straight. I needed to shut out the world and stop worrying.

Ability Unlocked. Shape-Shifting.

You have Awoken.

“I did it!” I said falling down, my front legs spreading apart as I tried to trot forward.

“Looks like you’re going to need some practice,” Ajax laughed.

I’d seen my mother transform and move about like it was second nature. I had so many questions now, why hadn’t I felt myself transform, I thought it was going to be painful? And of course, the most important question running through my head, how do I turn back?

I panicked, “Go grab my mother!” I shouted. My legs seemed to press forward on their own as I tried to move forward. Ajax understood, I shouldn’t have discovered this power on my own. He turned to get help when I fell forward again. This time the stone ground beneath us cracked and before I knew it we were all falling.

A few minutes later we woke up in the underground ruin. The only light came from my glowing fur and the stars shining through the crack above us. We’d been knocked out and must have fallen at least thirty feet. Ajax, Pan, and Gob had landed on top of me and I was protected by magic. We were lucky to have survived with only a few scrapes and bruises.

“My mother’s will send help, they know I’m out here training,” I said. Realizing now that they couldn’t understand me. I wasn’t actually speaking. I was making strange ‘deer sounds’.

“Can you stand?” I heard Ajax ask.

“I can,” Pan said. Both turned to me as I tried to balance myself. It looked like I was going to have to learn to walk fast.

“So pretty,” Pan said petting my fur.

“I think we are going to have to find our own way out,” Ajax said.

I made a ‘deer sound’ trying to signal that was a big ‘NO’. We needed to wait, help would come. But he and Pan already began moving. Reaching inside a backpack he had Ajax pulled out a small torch. Striking a fire starter the ruins lit up around us. The walls were covered in an ancient writing I recognized as Dwarven. The two of them had no idea. In this future, dwarves had gone completely underground. Hiding away from the world as they dealt with their own demons underground. It was sad, dwarves made some of the best weapons.

“One step at a time, start with your front right foot than move your back left foot forward, do it again with your left side,” Ajax tried. The two began to walk away and I made more ‘deer sounds’ hoping they would think it through but the three of us, at least the two of them, were kids.

Gob stood on my back as I fell several times. Jumping down the small Tenrec began demonstrating for me exactly how to walk on four legs. I couldn’t shake the feeling the little guy was mocking me.

I started to get the hang of walking… slowly. Ajax eventually let me set our pace and Gob moved to the top of my head. I tried to move as slow as possible, not just because I was clumsy but because I hoped someone would come out to check on us. One of my mother’s would come and… I had forgotten. My father was home this night and that meant that my mother’s would be spending some ‘quality’ time with him.

I spent the next few minutes making aggravated deer sounds.