Post by Novi on Aug 7, 2021 0:58:47 GMT -5
DescriptionThe humans have finally done it. They destroyed themselves and devastated the world with their weapons. The animals that somehow managed to survive were left changed. Some mutated and others were granted abilities that are typically left to fiction. Evankhell is one of the afflicted. In a different world where everything is changed, he will have to make new friends with unlikely animals.
PrologueIt happened in the middle of the night. All the humans disappeared one day. No warning. No trace left behind. What greeted me in the morning was a mist in the air. It made it hard to breathe. I couldn't go out without feeling like fire was being poured down my throat. There was pain. The screams echoed in the den. None of my humans survived. I did. I don't know why. When it finally subsided enough for me to move, I left my den to see if anyone else was around. A red moon stained the ruins of what I once called home. I found many bodies and it became apparent that any survivors had already moved on. It became time for me to do the same. There was nothing left for me here.
Character List
Beware of Spoilers.
If there's any character you'd like me to try to find a visual for, just let me know and I'd be happy to go hunting. These are just all the ones I found on my own. Sometimes the image came first, sometimes the character~
Evankhell
Kodiak
Gideon
Without the crown of course ^^"
Grace
Mahila
Seta
Lunaria
Arlo
Fray
Kyro
Geography
Regional Map
Made utilizing Inkarnate. Very rough outline of where key locations are in the community.
More coming maybe soon?
Note
Hello hello, it's me again. Some of you may remember this title from..I actually think it was around this time last year that I started and posted this to the forums. I moved it over to wattpad for a bit, but ultimately I've decided to bring it back to the forums for one big reason: While I liked the separate chapter parts on wattpad, it made it a true nightmare to try and go back and edit and check consistencies and the like. As this is the farthest I've ever written in a story of mine, I didn't realize how difficult and annoying it would be. I'd rather deal with faulty fonts and funky indents than having to open and close every chapter I needed to check. So I'm back. And as such, purely for organizational purposes, I've separated the story into 'arcs'. Yes, I know one chapter is split between Arcs 2 and 3 and that, from a professional standpoint it probably shouldn't be, but we're ignoring that right now ^^"
For any who remember it, as you can see I have gotten farther than I did before so I hope you enjoy the chapter throwup :3
This story has become a battle against my lack of motivation. Wish me luck
Description
Character List
Beware of Spoilers.
If there's any character you'd like me to try to find a visual for, just let me know and I'd be happy to go hunting. These are just all the ones I found on my own. Sometimes the image came first, sometimes the character~
Evankhell
Kodiak
Gideon
Without the crown of course ^^"
Grace
Mahila
Seta
Lunaria
Arlo
Fray
Kyro
Kodiak
Gideon
Without the crown of course ^^"
Grace
Mahila
Seta
Lunaria
Arlo
Fray
Kyro
Geography
Regional Map
Made utilizing Inkarnate. Very rough outline of where key locations are in the community.
More coming maybe soon?
Made utilizing Inkarnate. Very rough outline of where key locations are in the community.
More coming maybe soon?
Note
Hello hello, it's me again. Some of you may remember this title from..I actually think it was around this time last year that I started and posted this to the forums. I moved it over to wattpad for a bit, but ultimately I've decided to bring it back to the forums for one big reason: While I liked the separate chapter parts on wattpad, it made it a true nightmare to try and go back and edit and check consistencies and the like. As this is the farthest I've ever written in a story of mine, I didn't realize how difficult and annoying it would be. I'd rather deal with faulty fonts and funky indents than having to open and close every chapter I needed to check. So I'm back. And as such, purely for organizational purposes, I've separated the story into 'arcs'. Yes, I know one chapter is split between Arcs 2 and 3 and that, from a professional standpoint it probably shouldn't be, but we're ignoring that right now ^^"
For any who remember it, as you can see I have gotten farther than I did before so I hope you enjoy the chapter throwup :3
This story has become a battle against my lack of motivation. Wish me luck
Arc 1 : AwakeningChapter One - Blood MoonPart One I sit back and stare up at the red that dominates the sky. What isn't red, covered by trees, is pitch black. Gone is the luminous blue moon I'd known. After five nights, it's clear this change is here to stay. With a shake of my head, I return to the task I started. The rest doesn't take long. With a heavy sigh, I place the flowers I scavenged on the graves as markers. Even they have been tainted by the red. The once colorful petals are now dark and sagging, but still beautiful in their own right. "Farewell." My breath escapes and billows with the cold wind. Normally, it's pale and white. Barely visible. This time, it comes out grey and smokey. Even my breathing is changed by this. I wonder if they knew what they were getting into when they started.
Everything's scent is changed. Fish have gained land limbs and I hunt them now more than I do mice or squirrels. The mice are large. Bigger teeth, bigger paws, longer tails, and tougher skin. Squirrels seek refuge in trees that are none too happy if I attempt to climb them. I have yet to see how the bushy tailed prey is changed, if at all. Now the fish, they're clumsy on land. Unused to breathing air and walking. Easy prey.
Around me, the trees begin to shift. I know that the moon is starting to lower when the trees become antsy, getting ready to move again. It appears they don't like the red any more than I do. It also means that it's time for me to go. I wasted an entire day marking graves for friends and family. I turn on my paws and head down what was once a straight road. Now, it's broken up. I know something, feline or otherwise, walked the same path. Bits and pieces are knocked aside, as if my predecessor was angry. Still, perhaps they are not far. If I hurry, I may catch up with them and we can brave this new world together.
~~~
When the red light returns, I settle under the roots of a tree. They don't mind if I use them for shelter. Curled up, I watch their leaves break off and land on the cold ground. They seem to wilt at the cold touch. Strangely enough, I am unaffected by the chill. Actually, it's quite comfortable. Perhaps I have this change to thank for it. Closing my eyes, I listen to the leaves rustling as my mind drifts off. My dreams are largely silent. For that, I'm grateful. If I were younger, my brain would likely come up with all sorts of gruesome scenarios when facing the unknown. Especially an unknown that changes us the way it has. Instead, my brain decides to go through the day's events. I can manage that. I finally found enough mental and emotional energy to bury those who didn't survive. And then I walked, following the path of what I hoped would be a comrade. If not a traveling companion, then at the very least a source of information. Someone who, perhaps, has a better grasp on what this new world is. Someone who'd been awake for longer than me.
~~~
Some time later at the crack of dawn, the fur along my spine is up and my head along with it. Something is coming. The tree around me is twisting its roots, clearly agitated. "Thank you for not squishing me." I whisper to it. Noticing I'm awake, it makes a hole for me to squeeze out of. The ground rumbles as the trees begin to move away from the area. I wonder how far they get each day. Are they in search of a home too? The first thing I notice is the sound. Shuffling, slow but steady. I could easily outrun it, but I doubt the trees thought the same. It's a strange idea to me, putting thoughts and feelings on things I hadn't done before. Were they always sentient, just unable to find a way to communicate with us? As it comes closer, I take a step back and move into a slightly defensive position. My initial thought is the recently mutated fish, but noise can be deceiving.
Out from the bushes, a fish scurries towards me. Well, free food. I lunge forward and catch it in my jaws. I give it a swift kill. My stomach growls at the prospect of breakfast. As I lean down to eat, my fur stands on end once more and I jump sideways from where I was before, the fish coming with me. Right where I was, four long marks in the earth are present. Marks that were not there before.
Instantly, my eyes turn upward in search of my attacker. A black streak is circling back around. I stand on my hind paws to bat it away, but my claws go straight through it and it disappears. My weight pulls me forward unexpectedly. "What?" A sudden burst from behind sends me forward all the way, my chin grazing the ground. I twist around. My attacker is standing on the fish, its red eyes trained on me.
"That'll teach you to steal prey." The crow caws. His feathers looked to be streaked with silver.
"I didn't steal." I inform him, standing and shaking my pelt out. I reach behind me and feel for any open wounds, but it doesn't seem as if there are any. Odd. With the force the crow hit me with, I expected him to be using his talons. "It came running at me and I killed it." The crow hrmphed.
"Yea, well it was mine first." He flaps his wings, about to leave with the fish, and I lunge, claws outstretched. He gives an outraged cry and takes off. I miss, but only barely. "Argh. You asked for it!" I watch as he seems to start vibrating. Soon enough, four more crows join him in the air. I realize this crow is mutated. But are these duplicates real? I'm about to find out.
I do my best to dodge him, or rather them?, to minor success. I discover that I can manage three, but the other two give me trouble. I also find out that the duplicates must mimic the real thing, or become nothing more than illusions. Shaking my head, I glare at the crow. "Caw-ha. Have you given up yet?" I feel my rage begin to build. This crow is getting on my nerves.
"Not even close." I snarl. I open my jaws to make a snapping motion at him, but feel something else come out. A stream of red goes flying towards the bird and he quickly dodges it. When it touches the ground, the grass lights up and smells of smoke. Fire! Did I just breath fire?!
"Holy-" The crow gives a caw of surprise. "Forget it. I'm outta here." He flies away. The fire spreads. I grab the fish and hurry towards where the crow went and where he and the fish came from. There must be a source of water in that direction. Behind me, the fire seems to build strength and the smell of smoke follows me. I just breathed fire. And now I am going to die.
Part Two I don't believe in an afterlife which means I am still among the living, somehow. My paws grab at the bank, trying to pull myself up, but the water feels so heavy. More so than I think it should be considering I have shorter fur. My hind paws brace against something in the water and I manage to haul myself up and over with a slight push from behind. Panting, I drop the fish and I shake the water out of my fur, eager to get it off. I turn around to thank my helper, but no one is there. Strange. I swear I felt something while I was in the water. All this for a fish... I stare down at it. Why didn't I let go? Well, too late now. Might as well not let it go to waste. I settle down and begin to eat. The fish tastes slightly charred.
For the first time since the incident, I am cold. My whole body shivers as I eat. Passed the blackened parts, the fish is actually quite tasty. I can see why humans would often risk their houses burning down in exchange for a little fire. Something to add flavor to their normally bland food. My thoughts stray to the fire I spit out during my fight with the crow. I want to know how I did it, both for safety and offensive purposes. I would like to practice, but I don't want to risk setting off another forest fire. I can still smell the previous one smoldering. It doesn't look like it got very far, but it still gave me a scare. One I have no desire in reliving. Movement above me catches my attention and I stand, claws unsheathed, ready to defend myself again.
"Ca-hoooow?" The annoying crow is back. "I was expecting to come back to a feast of catfish." He lets out a guffaw at his joke. "But here you are." His red eyes glitter as they meet mine. "Say, you fire proof or somethin?" The thought never occurred to me. Could I be? Is it a risk I'm willing to take to find out? Still, the question throws me. Can the crow not see my damp pelt? I casually lay my tail over my paws and can't feel any traces of water. Somehow, I managed to dry off in seconds. Even so, this newcomer doesn't need to know that I don't know for certain the answer to his question. "Confidential." I reply, evasively. I raise my chin defiantly. "Would you like to find out if you're fireproof?" I take a deep breath and exhale, hoping I blow out a puff of smoke in his direction. It seems luck hasn't left me entirely and I watch in satisfaction as the grey wisps send the crow in a slight panic, even if he attempts to hide it.
"Now, now. As much as I'd love to be fireproof, I don't think it mixes with my attribute." He tries to keep his voice even. He succeeds, for the most part, but after seeing him flap his wings in an effort to push the smoke away, I know not to be fooled. I tilt my head to one side. "Attribute?" I inquire softly. I don't miss the look of surprise that crosses the crow's face. "Wait, don't tell me..." He squinted. "I'll admit, I haven't seen you 'round before, but are...are you just awoken?" I don't understand the words in this context. Awoken? It makes it sound like I participated in some sort of ritual. The confusion must be apparent on my face. The crow flaps his wings in surprise. "Sweet nibblets. You are." He starts flying in circles above me. "Ah-ah. Gideon is gunna want to see this. We thought by now that everybody would be up." By now? I ask him what he means exactly. He seems hesitant to respond, but decides it would be best in the end. "The flash and then the silence. They happened, like, ages ago."
I try to match his words to what I know. The flash must be the humans' doing. But silence afterwards? For me, the aftermath of the human war was anything but silent. It was cold when the war started and it's cold now, doubtful an entire year has passed...but still. My gut twists. Can it be? Could I have been out for that long?
"How long ago? Can you be more specific?" My voice shakes as I ask. The crow's wing reaches up to scratch its head. "Uh...let's see. Like, a couple months maybe?" I let out a slow breath. Not as bad as I thought. Still, to now know that I was out for so long when it felt like days is a weird feeling, granted those days were filled with agonizing pain. But that's now a small detail as I drink in this new information. Of course, I knew there were others. But it sounds as if those others have congregated somewhere? Even if the crow annoys me to pieces, I know I shouldn't burn him. Especially if he can take me to those who are able shed some light on the situation for me.
"You mentioned a Gideon?" I inquire casually.
"Yea, yea. Our head honch-caw." The crow flaps his wings. "He's the one who brought us all together. Takes care of us, ya know? And helps us learn to control our powers. We've been collecting stragglers for a while now. Come on, come on. Gid'll bite me if I don't bring you back to see him."
"We wouldn't want that to happen." I murmur thoughtfully, following after the crow. Although I wonder what kind of leader threatens to bite their followers, even if in a joking manner. My thoughts stray towards what kind of animal this 'Gideon' is. Biting implies it's something with teeth, but that doesn't really help me much. It could be a cat, a dog, a lizard, or even a rat. Or, if this Gideon has a sense of humor, it could be that they can't bite at all.
~~~
Voices ahead bring me back to the present. The ragtag group appears to have made their home in an old twoleg town. It looks as if, with the collective efforts of other powered animals, they've rebuilt much of it. Birds are flitting in and out of one den. Deer and other animals similar to them are grazing down the weeds that are clinging to the sides of the dens. I'd never seen such a wide variety of different animals together all at once before. I follow the crow to a den that looks largely complete and I realize I don't know his name. I'm about to ask when he calls out "Yo, I got a newly awakened." "What? That's impossible." The dog standing guard gives us a long look.
"No joke, my dude. Open up so Gideon can meet 'im." There's a pause and I wonder if I should say something when the door to the den swings open. We walk, well, I walk and the crow flies, inside.
"An awakened, you sssay, Kody?" A voice speaks in a drawl. "How fassscinating." I feel the fur on my spine slowly stand up. "Well, come clossser. Don't be shy."
Part Three The owner of the voice stares at me with gold eyes. Slowly, he uncoils himself. The sun sinks into his black scales and I can see speckles of gold. "Ah, Kody did find you. I wasssn't sure he would." Kody flapped his wings. "W-wait, Gid, did you know this guy's attribute?!" Gideon blinks slowly.
"I saw hintss at what it wasss."
"So you sent me to get charred? Squawk!"
"You can fly, can't you?" The two continued to talk, giving me a chance to think.
I assume attributes are what the group has been calling these new mutations. Saw hints to mine? When I didn't even know it? A sensory type mutation? Potentially, but I feel like that would have some sort of distance limitation. And it looks like this snake has been sleeping most of the morning. What could it be...? Perhaps a form of foresight?
"Well," Upon being addressed, I look up. "as you've probably gathered, I am Gideon." The snake sways and I can clearly see his hood. "And the one who brought you here is Kodiak. He'ss one of our sscoutsss. What might your name be?" For some reason, this snake unnerves me. Of course, snakes and cats never really got along even before the disaster. But I don't trust this one even more than usual. Perhaps because I've never met one of his kind in person before, but I do know its reputation. A former friend of mine lived with humans who worked with such species. She said the king cobra is one of the deadliest. Maybe this one knew her. Maybe he can tell me if she's still alive. "I'm Evankhell." Gideon nodded slowly.
"Well, Evankhell, you're welcome to sstay with our group. I'm sure we could usse your assssistance." I tilt my head to one side. Assistance with what? He reads the expression on my face and continues. "Ssince the incident, ressourcesss have been sscarce. There's a number of groups living in the area and we...argue over who getss what and, on occasion, those argumentss esscalate." Ah, so that must be why he sent Kody to find me. "Of coursse, you would benefit as well. It's clear you're newly awakened, and that can be disorientating. We offer shelter and guidance. A community, if you would." I nod slowly. It makes sense. Still, I want to know what these other groups are like before I commit to one.
"Is there any way for me to meet these other groups? Peacefully." If snakes could smile without appearing creepy, I'm sure he would be right now. "Actually, there isss. Every full moon, the groupss gather at the willow tree grove. We swap newss and take care of each other as bessst we can." I tilt my head to one side.
"If you're all friendly enough to meet every month, why not just consider yourself one big community?" Kody flaps his wings and lets out a squawk. I almost forgot about him.
"Ha! You must be some-"
"Hushh Kody." Gideon shakes his head as I bristle. "For the same reason that most folksss don't get along. Too many mouths to take care of and too many ideass to take into account. And when ideass don't match up, conflict arisesss. Alsso, ssome other groups aren't as inclussive. Even though we're all in this together, many still hold grudges about what wass done in the passt." He pauses and looks as if he's ready to say more, but decides against it and lowers his head back down. I can imagine being a snake, and a venomous one at that, doesn't sit well for some animals. "You are welcome to sstay with usss for the next couple days and come to the gathering." I nod my thanks and accept. "You must be exhausted. Kody, pleasse sshow our friend where he can sleep. And let Grace know we have a guesst." Grace?
~~~
Grace is another cat. Blue-grey with amber eyes, she's pacing around a rundown building. Her eyes seem to glow when she turns towards us. "Grace!" Kody glides down and lands on a piece of rubble. "We have a visitor-squawk." He gestures between us with one wing. "Evankhell, this is Grace, our deputy. Grace, Evankhell." She stares at me and I give her a slight nod. "Hello."
"Hi." Deeming me unimportant, she turns back to the building. Kody hops closer.
"Gid wants you to find a place for him." I give him a questioning look behind her back. That wasn't exactly what Gideon. I shrug when he waves his wing at me. It's not any of my business of he wants to push extra work on her. She seems like the kind of cat who'd deserve it given her attitude.
"Ugh. You do it, Kody." She responds without looking at us.
"Squawk. No can do. This is your job, right? 'Sides, his attribute is dangerous. Gotta make sure his housemates don't mind it." That gets her attention. She turns and scrutinizes me. Her nose wrinkles and her whiskers twitch.
"He doesn't look like much."
"Looks can be deceiving." It's the first time I've spoken to her and she seems surprised that I can speak. "You don't look like much either." Annoyance flashes in her eyes and in seconds I'm floating in the air. What the? I look around and my limbs flail uselessly. Straightening a bit, I gaze down at her. She's wearing a smug expression, the yellow glow back in her eyes. So this must be her mutation. Fine, if that's how she wants it to be. Taking a deep breath, I dig into my core, trying to remember how I did it before. I exhale and can feel the heat coming from my mouth. She lets out a satisfying yelp and I feel myself drop. Flipping over, I give her a smug look of my own as I land and watch her backpedal away from the hot embers on the ground in front of her. Serves her right. Her fur is standing on end. Well, I guess now is as good a time to test it out. I step forward and watch her take a step back, her eyes weary. I step on the embers and am relieved to feel no pain. Once I'm sure they're out, I give her some room and move back again. That's good to know. Although, still not sure if I'm immune or simply resistant. I'd have to test it out in an actual fire, but that's not something I want to do any time soon.
"Fine. Point taken." She huffs and smooths down her pelt with a few licks. "I'll find housing for him later." Kody flaps his wings.
"Gid said he ought to rest now."
"Well, he can do it in the grass for all I care." She snaps. I wave my tail at Kody.
"It's no big deal. I can wait." Besides, I want to see what Miss High-and-Mighty is doing that seems to be so important. Kody makes a whatever gesture and flies off with a squawk. "Is he ever quiet?" I mumble to myself. A snort comes from the side and I give her a strange look. She ducks her head and gives her chest a few embarrassed licks.
"He may be annoying, but he's a great scout. Especially with his attribute." I think that's as much talking as I'll get out of her as she returns to the task she was doing before. Watching her work is fascinating. She's moving rubble and branches out of the way. I follow her inside the building where she sweeps the ground of broken human leftovers. It's obvious she's cleaning it out for something, but what? Another den maybe? Storage? Could also be a medical den. But I feel like they should have those already.
From what Kody told me, I'd been out for a number of months. If I were getting a ragtag group of animals together, one of the first things I'd make is a place for the wounded and ill to rest. Unless they're making a separate one for some reason. But that would split their resources, which could be good or bad considering the state of the world at the moment. It seems she's done clearing things for now as she heads back outside. I trail quietly behind her. She makes no comment as I follow her into the woods.
In the daylight, the woods are actually quite peaceful. We pass by a grove of traveling trees, stepping over their roots as they move. It's not the first time I've seen them move, but it never fails to turn my head. I wonder what they're looking for. It's clear that the mutation didn't touch all trees, though, as some can only move from the ground up while others still can't move at all. Grace leads the way to a clearing where many trees are fallen. She inspects them carefully and circles one in particular. "Alright." Her voice commands my attention. "Make yourself useful and come stand over here. I'll need you to tell me where to move it." I give her a questioning look and she rolls her eyes. "Come on, birdbrain." We'll have to come up with new insults, given that we now live with several birds. "We need support structures." I shrug and do as I'm told. Her eyes glow and I think I can see whisps of yellow coming from them. Slowly but surely, the tree she selected rises to hover off the ground. She starts to back up and I follow after, moving branches and stones out of her way as well as giving her instructions to lift higher on occasion.
"Almost out of- Hey!" The trunk drops with a hard thud and I leap out of the way on instinct. I scramble up over the trunk. "Was that payback for befo-" I cut off when I see her collapse. Hurrying over, I give her a sniff. She's still breathing. Utilizing her mutation must've taken its toll. Carefully, I gather her scruff and drag her into the shelter of the trees. "You're heavy, know that?" I mumble through fur, feeling safe in knowing that she won't remember my comment upon waking up. Setting her down partially covered by growth, I head out to do some hunting.
I sit back and stare up at the red that dominates the sky. What isn't red, covered by trees, is pitch black. Gone is the luminous blue moon I'd known. After five nights, it's clear this change is here to stay. With a shake of my head, I return to the task I started. The rest doesn't take long. With a heavy sigh, I place the flowers I scavenged on the graves as markers. Even they have been tainted by the red. The once colorful petals are now dark and sagging, but still beautiful in their own right. "Farewell." My breath escapes and billows with the cold wind. Normally, it's pale and white. Barely visible. This time, it comes out grey and smokey. Even my breathing is changed by this. I wonder if they knew what they were getting into when they started.
Everything's scent is changed. Fish have gained land limbs and I hunt them now more than I do mice or squirrels. The mice are large. Bigger teeth, bigger paws, longer tails, and tougher skin. Squirrels seek refuge in trees that are none too happy if I attempt to climb them. I have yet to see how the bushy tailed prey is changed, if at all. Now the fish, they're clumsy on land. Unused to breathing air and walking. Easy prey.
Around me, the trees begin to shift. I know that the moon is starting to lower when the trees become antsy, getting ready to move again. It appears they don't like the red any more than I do. It also means that it's time for me to go. I wasted an entire day marking graves for friends and family. I turn on my paws and head down what was once a straight road. Now, it's broken up. I know something, feline or otherwise, walked the same path. Bits and pieces are knocked aside, as if my predecessor was angry. Still, perhaps they are not far. If I hurry, I may catch up with them and we can brave this new world together.
~~~
When the red light returns, I settle under the roots of a tree. They don't mind if I use them for shelter. Curled up, I watch their leaves break off and land on the cold ground. They seem to wilt at the cold touch. Strangely enough, I am unaffected by the chill. Actually, it's quite comfortable. Perhaps I have this change to thank for it. Closing my eyes, I listen to the leaves rustling as my mind drifts off.
My dreams are largely silent. For that, I'm grateful. If I were younger, my brain would likely come up with all sorts of gruesome scenarios when facing the unknown. Especially an unknown that changes us the way it has. Instead, my brain decides to go through the day's events. I can manage that. I finally found enough mental and emotional energy to bury those who didn't survive. And then I walked, following the path of what I hoped would be a comrade. If not a traveling companion, then at the very least a source of information. Someone who, perhaps, has a better grasp on what this new world is. Someone who'd been awake for longer than me.
~~~
Some time later at the crack of dawn, the fur along my spine is up and my head along with it. Something is coming. The tree around me is twisting its roots, clearly agitated. "Thank you for not squishing me." I whisper to it. Noticing I'm awake, it makes a hole for me to squeeze out of. The ground rumbles as the trees begin to move away from the area. I wonder how far they get each day. Are they in search of a home too?
The first thing I notice is the sound. Shuffling, slow but steady. I could easily outrun it, but I doubt the trees thought the same. It's a strange idea to me, putting thoughts and feelings on things I hadn't done before. Were they always sentient, just unable to find a way to communicate with us? As it comes closer, I take a step back and move into a slightly defensive position. My initial thought is the recently mutated fish, but noise can be deceiving.
Out from the bushes, a fish scurries towards me. Well, free food. I lunge forward and catch it in my jaws. I give it a swift kill. My stomach growls at the prospect of breakfast. As I lean down to eat, my fur stands on end once more and I jump sideways from where I was before, the fish coming with me. Right where I was, four long marks in the earth are present. Marks that were not there before.
Instantly, my eyes turn upward in search of my attacker. A black streak is circling back around. I stand on my hind paws to bat it away, but my claws go straight through it and it disappears. My weight pulls me forward unexpectedly. "What?" A sudden burst from behind sends me forward all the way, my chin grazing the ground. I twist around. My attacker is standing on the fish, its red eyes trained on me.
"That'll teach you to steal prey." The crow caws. His feathers looked to be streaked with silver.
"I didn't steal." I inform him, standing and shaking my pelt out. I reach behind me and feel for any open wounds, but it doesn't seem as if there are any. Odd. With the force the crow hit me with, I expected him to be using his talons. "It came running at me and I killed it." The crow hrmphed.
"I didn't steal." I inform him, standing and shaking my pelt out. I reach behind me and feel for any open wounds, but it doesn't seem as if there are any. Odd. With the force the crow hit me with, I expected him to be using his talons. "It came running at me and I killed it." The crow hrmphed.
"Yea, well it was mine first." He flaps his wings, about to leave with the fish, and I lunge, claws outstretched. He gives an outraged cry and takes off. I miss, but only barely. "Argh. You asked for it!" I watch as he seems to start vibrating. Soon enough, four more crows join him in the air. I realize this crow is mutated. But are these duplicates real? I'm about to find out.
I do my best to dodge him, or rather them?, to minor success. I discover that I can manage three, but the other two give me trouble. I also find out that the duplicates must mimic the real thing, or become nothing more than illusions. Shaking my head, I glare at the crow. "Caw-ha. Have you given up yet?" I feel my rage begin to build. This crow is getting on my nerves.
"Not even close." I snarl. I open my jaws to make a snapping motion at him, but feel something else come out. A stream of red goes flying towards the bird and he quickly dodges it. When it touches the ground, the grass lights up and smells of smoke. Fire! Did I just breath fire?!
"Holy-" The crow gives a caw of surprise. "Forget it. I'm outta here." He flies away. The fire spreads. I grab the fish and hurry towards where the crow went and where he and the fish came from. There must be a source of water in that direction. Behind me, the fire seems to build strength and the smell of smoke follows me. I just breathed fire. And now I am going to die.
I don't believe in an afterlife which means I am still among the living, somehow. My paws grab at the bank, trying to pull myself up, but the water feels so heavy. More so than I think it should be considering I have shorter fur. My hind paws brace against something in the water and I manage to haul myself up and over with a slight push from behind. Panting, I drop the fish and I shake the water out of my fur, eager to get it off. I turn around to thank my helper, but no one is there. Strange. I swear I felt something while I was in the water. All this for a fish... I stare down at it. Why didn't I let go? Well, too late now. Might as well not let it go to waste. I settle down and begin to eat. The fish tastes slightly charred.
For the first time since the incident, I am cold. My whole body shivers as I eat. Passed the blackened parts, the fish is actually quite tasty. I can see why humans would often risk their houses burning down in exchange for a little fire. Something to add flavor to their normally bland food. My thoughts stray to the fire I spit out during my fight with the crow. I want to know how I did it, both for safety and offensive purposes. I would like to practice, but I don't want to risk setting off another forest fire. I can still smell the previous one smoldering. It doesn't look like it got very far, but it still gave me a scare. One I have no desire in reliving. Movement above me catches my attention and I stand, claws unsheathed, ready to defend myself again.
"Ca-hoooow?" The annoying crow is back. "I was expecting to come back to a feast of catfish." He lets out a guffaw at his joke. "But here you are." His red eyes glitter as they meet mine. "Say, you fire proof or somethin?" The thought never occurred to me. Could I be? Is it a risk I'm willing to take to find out? Still, the question throws me. Can the crow not see my damp pelt? I casually lay my tail over my paws and can't feel any traces of water. Somehow, I managed to dry off in seconds. Even so, this newcomer doesn't need to know that I don't know for certain the answer to his question.
"Confidential." I reply, evasively. I raise my chin defiantly. "Would you like to find out if you're fireproof?" I take a deep breath and exhale, hoping I blow out a puff of smoke in his direction. It seems luck hasn't left me entirely and I watch in satisfaction as the grey wisps send the crow in a slight panic, even if he attempts to hide it.
"Now, now. As much as I'd love to be fireproof, I don't think it mixes with my attribute." He tries to keep his voice even. He succeeds, for the most part, but after seeing him flap his wings in an effort to push the smoke away, I know not to be fooled. I tilt my head to one side.
"Attribute?" I inquire softly. I don't miss the look of surprise that crosses the crow's face.
"Wait, don't tell me..." He squinted. "I'll admit, I haven't seen you 'round before, but are...are you just awoken?" I don't understand the words in this context. Awoken? It makes it sound like I participated in some sort of ritual. The confusion must be apparent on my face. The crow flaps his wings in surprise. "Sweet nibblets. You are." He starts flying in circles above me. "Ah-ah. Gideon is gunna want to see this. We thought by now that everybody would be up." By now? I ask him what he means exactly. He seems hesitant to respond, but decides it would be best in the end. "The flash and then the silence. They happened, like, ages ago."
I try to match his words to what I know. The flash must be the humans' doing. But silence afterwards? For me, the aftermath of the human war was anything but silent. It was cold when the war started and it's cold now, doubtful an entire year has passed...but still. My gut twists. Can it be? Could I have been out for that long?
"How long ago? Can you be more specific?" My voice shakes as I ask. The crow's wing reaches up to scratch its head.
"Uh...let's see. Like, a couple months maybe?" I let out a slow breath. Not as bad as I thought. Still, to now know that I was out for so long when it felt like days is a weird feeling, granted those days were filled with agonizing pain. But that's now a small detail as I drink in this new information. Of course, I knew there were others. But it sounds as if those others have congregated somewhere? Even if the crow annoys me to pieces, I know I shouldn't burn him. Especially if he can take me to those who are able shed some light on the situation for me.
"You mentioned a Gideon?" I inquire casually.
"Yea, yea. Our head honch-caw." The crow flaps his wings. "He's the one who brought us all together. Takes care of us, ya know? And helps us learn to control our powers. We've been collecting stragglers for a while now. Come on, come on. Gid'll bite me if I don't bring you back to see him."
"We wouldn't want that to happen." I murmur thoughtfully, following after the crow. Although I wonder what kind of leader threatens to bite their followers, even if in a joking manner. My thoughts stray towards what kind of animal this 'Gideon' is. Biting implies it's something with teeth, but that doesn't really help me much. It could be a cat, a dog, a lizard, or even a rat. Or, if this Gideon has a sense of humor, it could be that they can't bite at all.
~~~
Voices ahead bring me back to the present. The ragtag group appears to have made their home in an old twoleg town. It looks as if, with the collective efforts of other powered animals, they've rebuilt much of it. Birds are flitting in and out of one den. Deer and other animals similar to them are grazing down the weeds that are clinging to the sides of the dens. I'd never seen such a wide variety of different animals together all at once before. I follow the crow to a den that looks largely complete and I realize I don't know his name. I'm about to ask when he calls out "Yo, I got a newly awakened."
"What? That's impossible." The dog standing guard gives us a long look.
"No joke, my dude. Open up so Gideon can meet 'im." There's a pause and I wonder if I should say something when the door to the den swings open. We walk, well, I walk and the crow flies, inside.
"An awakened, you sssay, Kody?" A voice speaks in a drawl. "How fassscinating." I feel the fur on my spine slowly stand up. "Well, come clossser. Don't be shy."
The owner of the voice stares at me with gold eyes. Slowly, he uncoils himself. The sun sinks into his black scales and I can see speckles of gold. "Ah, Kody did find you. I wasssn't sure he would." Kody flapped his wings.
"W-wait, Gid, did you know this guy's attribute?!" Gideon blinks slowly.
"I saw hintss at what it wasss."
"So you sent me to get charred? Squawk!"
"You can fly, can't you?" The two continued to talk, giving me a chance to think.
I assume attributes are what the group has been calling these new mutations. Saw hints to mine? When I didn't even know it? A sensory type mutation? Potentially, but I feel like that would have some sort of distance limitation. And it looks like this snake has been sleeping most of the morning. What could it be...? Perhaps a form of foresight?
"Well," Upon being addressed, I look up. "as you've probably gathered, I am Gideon." The snake sways and I can clearly see his hood. "And the one who brought you here is Kodiak. He'ss one of our sscoutsss. What might your name be?" For some reason, this snake unnerves me. Of course, snakes and cats never really got along even before the disaster. But I don't trust this one even more than usual. Perhaps because I've never met one of his kind in person before, but I do know its reputation. A former friend of mine lived with humans who worked with such species. She said the king cobra is one of the deadliest. Maybe this one knew her. Maybe he can tell me if she's still alive.
"I'm Evankhell." Gideon nodded slowly.
"Well, Evankhell, you're welcome to sstay with our group. I'm sure we could usse your assssistance." I tilt my head to one side. Assistance with what? He reads the expression on my face and continues. "Ssince the incident, ressourcesss have been sscarce. There's a number of groups living in the area and we...argue over who getss what and, on occasion, those argumentss esscalate." Ah, so that must be why he sent Kody to find me. "Of coursse, you would benefit as well. It's clear you're newly awakened, and that can be disorientating. We offer shelter and guidance. A community, if you would." I nod slowly. It makes sense. Still, I want to know what these other groups are like before I commit to one.
"Is there any way for me to meet these other groups? Peacefully." If snakes could smile without appearing creepy, I'm sure he would be right now. "Actually, there isss. Every full moon, the groupss gather at the willow tree grove. We swap newss and take care of each other as bessst we can." I tilt my head to one side.
"If you're all friendly enough to meet every month, why not just consider yourself one big community?" Kody flaps his wings and lets out a squawk. I almost forgot about him.
"Ha! You must be some-"
"Hushh Kody." Gideon shakes his head as I bristle. "For the same reason that most folksss don't get along. Too many mouths to take care of and too many ideass to take into account. And when ideass don't match up, conflict arisesss. Alsso, ssome other groups aren't as inclussive. Even though we're all in this together, many still hold grudges about what wass done in the passt." He pauses and looks as if he's ready to say more, but decides against it and lowers his head back down. I can imagine being a snake, and a venomous one at that, doesn't sit well for some animals. "You are welcome to sstay with usss for the next couple days and come to the gathering." I nod my thanks and accept. "You must be exhausted. Kody, pleasse sshow our friend where he can sleep. And let Grace know we have a guesst." Grace?
~~~
Grace is another cat. Blue-grey with amber eyes, she's pacing around a rundown building. Her eyes seem to glow when she turns towards us. "Grace!" Kody glides down and lands on a piece of rubble. "We have a visitor-squawk." He gestures between us with one wing. "Evankhell, this is Grace, our deputy. Grace, Evankhell." She stares at me and I give her a slight nod.
"Hello."
"Hi." Deeming me unimportant, she turns back to the building. Kody hops closer.
"Gid wants you to find a place for him." I give him a questioning look behind her back. That wasn't exactly what Gideon. I shrug when he waves his wing at me. It's not any of my business of he wants to push extra work on her. She seems like the kind of cat who'd deserve it given her attitude.
"Ugh. You do it, Kody." She responds without looking at us.
"Squawk. No can do. This is your job, right? 'Sides, his attribute is dangerous. Gotta make sure his housemates don't mind it." That gets her attention. She turns and scrutinizes me. Her nose wrinkles and her whiskers twitch.
"He doesn't look like much."
"Looks can be deceiving." It's the first time I've spoken to her and she seems surprised that I can speak. "You don't look like much either." Annoyance flashes in her eyes and in seconds I'm floating in the air. What the? I look around and my limbs flail uselessly. Straightening a bit, I gaze down at her. She's wearing a smug expression, the yellow glow back in her eyes. So this must be her mutation. Fine, if that's how she wants it to be. Taking a deep breath, I dig into my core, trying to remember how I did it before. I exhale and can feel the heat coming from my mouth. She lets out a satisfying yelp and I feel myself drop. Flipping over, I give her a smug look of my own as I land and watch her backpedal away from the hot embers on the ground in front of her. Serves her right. Her fur is standing on end. Well, I guess now is as good a time to test it out. I step forward and watch her take a step back, her eyes weary. I step on the embers and am relieved to feel no pain. Once I'm sure they're out, I give her some room and move back again. That's good to know. Although, still not sure if I'm immune or simply resistant. I'd have to test it out in an actual fire, but that's not something I want to do any time soon.
"Fine. Point taken." She huffs and smooths down her pelt with a few licks. "I'll find housing for him later." Kody flaps his wings.
"Gid said he ought to rest now."
"Well, he can do it in the grass for all I care." She snaps. I wave my tail at Kody.
"It's no big deal. I can wait." Besides, I want to see what Miss High-and-Mighty is doing that seems to be so important. Kody makes a whatever gesture and flies off with a squawk. "Is he ever quiet?" I mumble to myself. A snort comes from the side and I give her a strange look. She ducks her head and gives her chest a few embarrassed licks.
"He may be annoying, but he's a great scout. Especially with his attribute." I think that's as much talking as I'll get out of her as she returns to the task she was doing before. Watching her work is fascinating. She's moving rubble and branches out of the way. I follow her inside the building where she sweeps the ground of broken human leftovers. It's obvious she's cleaning it out for something, but what? Another den maybe? Storage? Could also be a medical den. But I feel like they should have those already.
From what Kody told me, I'd been out for a number of months. If I were getting a ragtag group of animals together, one of the first things I'd make is a place for the wounded and ill to rest. Unless they're making a separate one for some reason. But that would split their resources, which could be good or bad considering the state of the world at the moment. It seems she's done clearing things for now as she heads back outside. I trail quietly behind her. She makes no comment as I follow her into the woods.
In the daylight, the woods are actually quite peaceful. We pass by a grove of traveling trees, stepping over their roots as they move. It's not the first time I've seen them move, but it never fails to turn my head. I wonder what they're looking for. It's clear that the mutation didn't touch all trees, though, as some can only move from the ground up while others still can't move at all. Grace leads the way to a clearing where many trees are fallen. She inspects them carefully and circles one in particular.
"Alright." Her voice commands my attention. "Make yourself useful and come stand over here. I'll need you to tell me where to move it." I give her a questioning look and she rolls her eyes. "Come on, birdbrain." We'll have to come up with new insults, given that we now live with several birds. "We need support structures." I shrug and do as I'm told. Her eyes glow and I think I can see whisps of yellow coming from them. Slowly but surely, the tree she selected rises to hover off the ground. She starts to back up and I follow after, moving branches and stones out of her way as well as giving her instructions to lift higher on occasion.
"Almost out of- Hey!" The trunk drops with a hard thud and I leap out of the way on instinct. I scramble up over the trunk. "Was that payback for befo-" I cut off when I see her collapse. Hurrying over, I give her a sniff. She's still breathing. Utilizing her mutation must've taken its toll. Carefully, I gather her scruff and drag her into the shelter of the trees. "You're heavy, know that?" I mumble through fur, feeling safe in knowing that she won't remember my comment upon waking up. Setting her down partially covered by growth, I head out to do some hunting.
Part Four There's a ringing in my ears. Ugh. I overdid it again, didn't I? Slowly I open my eyes and withhold a scream. Sitting in front of me is a large fish. Its eyes are open and its mouth is wide. The limbs are twisted slightly. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty." I bolt upright. Did the fish just talk?! "Took you long enough." The voice speaking was him. Evankhell. With a groan I stretch, trying to hide my racing heart. He gave me a scare on purpose, he must have. I give him my best glare and he doesn't seem fazed. "Well? Are you going to eat or not?" He indicates the fish in front of me. I don't take my eyes off him as I give it a sniff. The fish is black in spots and smelts slightly charred. "Relax. I'm getting used to cooking stuff, but I didn't poison it." Carefully, I take a bite. It does taste good, outside of the blackened bits. As my appetite returns, I dig in ravenously. It's been a while since I fainted outside of town so I'm grateful to still have something to eat upon waking up. "Thanks." I mumble, sitting up and licking my muzzle. He nods. I can see the curiosity in his eyes. Most people show concern, but not him. I guess it's because he's newly awakened. He's more curious about attributes than health. Which is good for me. I hate being pitied. I stretch and shake my pelt out. "Let's head back. Folks will wonder where we are." I also don't want to be out when night falls and red blankets the land. It's...unnatural. Well, I s'ppose this whole thing is unnatural. But the red light just makes everything feel..dirty. With Evankhell's help, we manage to make it back to town. Carefully, I maneuver the log inside and let it rest. We'll finish the building later.
For now, I need to do my night rounds. I bound back towards town center. Like a shadow, he trails behind me. Being so used to Kody or the kids following me everywhere and asking questions, having such quiet is a little unnerving. Every so often I'll see him turn his head more fully to look at something. No doubt our group makes for an interesting sight. We are, after all, the only town in the area that houses predators and prey together so closely.
"Miss Grace!" A couple pups come running towards me, tripping over themselves. Evankhell is momentarily forgotten as I brush against them. "Have you three been behaving yourselves?" They nod solemnly. The trio were the first to be born within our group after the incident. So far, it doesn't seem like they have any attributes, but that can always change later. I'm just grateful that those of us who survived still seem to be able to have kids, although no one has tried cross species mating yet. "Good. Pretty soon you'll have a place to play where you won't be underfoot of everyone." Whoops of excitement come from their tiny bodies before they run off to rejoin their family. I let out a purr and watch them for a moment. Despite all the destruction the incident caused, things seem to be looking up for us now. I bring Evankhell to our pet house. Since we assumed that everyone was awake by now, we converted our old guest house into a storage unit. While I wouldn't have any issues forcing him to sleep there, Gideon would protest and say something about hospitality. Inside, most are settling down for the evening. It's been an adjustment for us cats. Normally, we do our hunting in the dark. But no one wants to be out now. The only ones who still go out at night are the owls. I gesture to him with my tail. "This is our pet house. If you stay with us, this is where you'll be sleeping. Don't cause any trouble. We will kick you out." I give him a hard look despite the guilt in my stomach. He did take care of me earlier today after all. But the good of the community comes before any personal obligations I may feel towards him. He doesn't seem bothered by my warning and just nods. The others come forward to give him curious sniffs and I leave them to it.
~~~
Luke nods to me as I enter the main house. Inside, Gideon and the other leaders are waiting for me. As I settle, Gideon nods. "Welcome back Grace. You took sso long we debated sending ssomeone out to find you." "Guess you overdid it with your little display earlier today, huh?" Shira sneers. "I saw you flip our newcomer and almost get charred. Thought you were smarter than that, Gracey." I bristle and am about ready to flip her when Don clears his throat.
"Right. Shall we begin?" We all nod and he continues. "Well, our trainees are coming along well enough. So far disputes have been settled without violence, so I can't say how they would do in actual battle." Shira reports that none of her scouts have found any new species that have been affected the way we have. With attributes of power. A relief, really. It would be tough if we had to fight rats off that could run quickly or throw up walls of earth. Their changes have only been physical as far as we're aware. Pastal informs us of her progress in the medical den, sorting herbs and figuring out what works across species and who can't have what. If I had to say, her job is the hardest. Especially when she has to tend to little ones with teeth.
On that note, I rise to give my own. "The daycare is coming along well. I've found adequate support for it. It has plenty of space and spots where the little ones can be watched. I can definitely section it off so we can rotate between carnivores and herbivores." At the mention of the kids, everyone seems to relax. They may grow up in this dangerous, new world, but at the very least their youth will be fun filled. We go over a couple more details about needs and scheduling before the meeting ends.
As I'm getting ready to leave, Gideon reaches out with his low, wispy voice. "Gracce." I pause and glance back and he beckons me closer. I obey cautiously.
"Hm?"
"How iss our newcomer faring?" I offer a shrug. "I left him in the pet house. Considering we didn't have any folk run in screaming that something was on fire or that there was a fight, I'd say he's faring o-kay. Why the interest?" I tilt my head to one side. Normally, if Gideon is so keen on someone it means he's seen something. "You clearly know of his attribute, no?"
"Of course." I huff. I saw it first hand. "But it's not that big of a deal. He doesn't seem to have much of a handle on it." He did burn my fish. Well, fish that he got for me. And I mean, how difficult is it to manage? Not that I've tried, but I'm sure I could do better. Ugh. Now I'm irritated. Just thinking about him seems to do that to me. My whiskers twitch.
"Do not underessstimate the power of fire, m'dear." Gideon murmurs. "If posssible, I'd rather have him as an ally than an enemy."
"Okay.." I think I'm starting to see where this is going and I don't want to continue.
"I'm tasssking you with ensuring he seess and thinkss the besst of Sherwood." I scowl and Gideon interrupts me before I can protest. "It'ss important. And only you can. You know everyone elsse's tasskss. You're the one who staysss in town the mosst."
"Can't Kody do it? He did find him after all." My mind is whirling. I don't want to have to entertain some guest. Gideon shakes his head.
"Kody hass to patrol our borderss. I don't want our guesst to get caught up in the middle of any conflict right away." Why not? It's not as if our group is the instigator of such fights. It wouldn't damage our image. Unless Gideon doesn't want him to meet someone else...? Ugh. This is too confusing.
"Fine. I'll keep him near town. But you owe me Gideon." I give him a hard look and he blinks gratefully. Finished, I whirl around and stalk to my nest upstairs.
Part Five My denmate snores. Groaning, I roll over in my nest. I can't sleep with such noise. It's strange, normally it's not that big of a deal. I just bury my head and ignore it. But this is ridiculous. Popping my head up, I glance around. Everyone else is fast asleep. It appears some of them are wearing moss in the ears. Would've been nice to know, but all well. The source is a ferret named Oscar. I swear his long exhales shake the whole building. Maybe his mutation is sound based. With a yawn, I step outside and blink up at the red moon. The mist seems to hang in the air lighter than usual. Or maybe I'm simply adjusting to it. As another monster snore comes from inside, I sigh and start walking out of town. Technically speaking, there is no curfew or anything. Folks can come and go as they please. It's just advised to not be out after dark. Still, a short walk never hurt anybody.
Finally able to hear myself think, my mind wanders through the day's events. I came across an annoying crow named Kody and an equally annoying shecat named Grace. Both of whom possessed mutations that ran deeper than simple physical changes. I wasn't able to get a decisive answer on what their leader's power is. Gideon makes the fur on the back of my neck stand on end and I'm not sure if it's because he's a snake or if he truly is hiding something. Meanwhile I didn't have the chance to get any of my questions answered. After Kody dumped me on Grace, she was simply too busy to answer my questions. My denmates are nice enough, but they didn't seem too keen on filling in a newcomer. The rest of the night was spent gossiping about the going ons around town. I s'ppose it gave them a sense of normal. Of the time before all this happened. While it's not something I would argue against, simply ignoring the issues of the present will surely come back to haunt one. I'll have to try again in the morning.
I think my senses have gotten better since I woke up. So when I feel as if someone is watching me, I whirl around and let out a puff of smoke. Someone starts coughing and I'm glad I didn't breathe fire. The individual winks into sight, their wings beating ash off themselves. They land on a nearby branch and brush it out of their eyes. I give them a moment to compose themselves before asking why they're following me. "I wasn't following you exactly." I think they still have some ash on them as they seem to settle. Only with closer inspection do I see the unnatural lines and patterns of black on their white feathers are there for good. "I'm Mahila. I was practicing my attribute and saw you and thought it would make for a good exercise. It's rare to see walkers out at night, ya know. Even other fliers don't try it. We owls are different, though." She puffs her chest out. "We're not afraid like everyone else is." "Is your mutation invisibility? Or camouflage?" I blink at her curiously. She flaps her wings silently, as if testing to make sure they're still functioning. My whiskers twitch. It's not like I actually damaged her. Besides, served her right for tailing me.
"I don't change my colors or anything when I'm gone, so I think invisibility?"
"You think?" My head tilts slightly. How can she not know?
"I mean, I know it's not camouflage because whenever I step away from something it's not as if I'm a beacon against something else. But I can't see myself when I disappear either."
"Have you run into anything while in that state?" Her mutation is rather interesting. She shakes her head.
"No. Even though I can't see my limbs, I'm still aware of where everything is..." Trailing off, she gazes into the distance for a beat before hopping off the branch and heading out. "Come on. My brother is trying to find me, but I don't want to go with him. You seem much more interesting." I follow after her, curious to know where she's going to get away from this brother.
I have to run a bit to keep up with Mahila. Every so often she'll disappear. As silent as she is, I'm sometimes certain I've lost her until she reappears tail lengths ahead of me. I'm still not sure where we're going, but I don't mind. It's a chance to see owls up close without have to fight them off. They liked to come after my neighbors' rabbits. The thought brings a pang to my chest. I was never too close to them, but I liked being able to think of their space as a place that needed my protection. She takes us to a large lake. The water has a red tint to it, reminding me of a pool of blood. Landing softly, she lets out a sigh.
"This should be good." Eyeing me from the side, she tells me that this is the Basin. Across the water we can see the Great Willow and its grove of trees. So that's the place of these 'gatherings'. Perhaps she'll know... "So, what's the difference between your groups? Why are you separated?" Her shaking head tells me she doesn't know much. She lives in Sherwood because her parents do and, despite all her complaining, she's not ready to completely leave their roosting tree.
"Why? Are you thinking of leaving us?" She turns towards me completely without moving her body. I shrug, only slightly disturbed. Of course, I know that it's one of many natural skills owls always had, but to have one do it in front of me is going to be weird regardless.
"I don't know. But I don't want to commit to...Sherwood until I've seen the other places." I'm not even sure if I'll be staying in the area, but I don't tell her this. At the moment I'm looking for answers about what's been happening. My response seems to satisfy her and she returns her attention back across the water.
"Well, I hope you stay." I give her a questioning look and she shrugs. "You're one of the most interesting folk I've met since Sherwood started. Not many folk can give Grace a shock. And Kody was talking about how you nearly burnt him to a crisp, although I think most of his story was exaggeration." She rolls her eyes. "And you're not afraid to get out at night. All that is adventures just waiting to happen." Her words bring more questions to mind.
"You keep saying that everyone is afraid to go out at night. Why is that?" Is there something to be frightened of? Another shrug.
"The unknown? We owls aren't afraid of death, so we embrace this change with open wings." Spreading her wings wide, I can see black spots along the outer edges. "Everyone else is just skittish. Too afraid of potential attributes of those who might hold a grudge?" I'm not sure about that. Other birds aren't typically nocturnal so it makes sense they're not out and about. And 'walkers' as she calls them are still at a severe disadvantage. In this case, a little caution won't hurt. In my case, I think I'm more curious than afraid. And my mutation is a great defense, even if I'm still getting the hang of it all. We discuss other things before it appears she's ready to return to her family.
Oscar's...condition is well known throughout town and Mahila brings me to some moss patches so I can plug my ears. I bid her a goodnight and settle back down. It was nice to have an actual conversation with someone rather than having to defend my meal or being ordered around. Sleep comes quickly.
Part Six Sherwood has kept me busy. Despite being far enough along in construction to be building a daycare for the kids, there's still plenty to do. I practiced my mutation. Taking out debris and heating up rocks to keep folks warm has taught me control and I've gotten pretty good if I do say so myself. Kody comes and goes. Since he's the one who found me, I think he likes to pop in and make sure I haven't done anything to get him in trouble. While I still find him annoying, he does have a certain appeal. His open honesty and active imagination make for an interesting companion. Mahila and I have continued our nightly talks. It's good practice for her and keeps my instincts sharp. Grace is still a mystery. Her duties as deputy keep her busy, yet she still finds the time to patrol or hunt with me. Normally I wouldn't mind, except she makes it out to be a chore every time. If she doesn't want to so much, why doesn't she just assign someone else to me? I just don't understand that she-cat.
The full moon seems to get everyone excited. I'm not sure why they make it such a big deal. If all the towns considered themselves as one, there wouldn't be an issue of visiting friends and family and sharing news. It would flow freely. I'm interested to see what this 'clash of ideals' is all about. The day is busy. Everything that would normally have hours to complete needed to be crunched into the morning. The walk around the the Basin was a long one, unless one wanted to go for a swim. Being a fire mutant, I did not. Sherwood is the farthest of all the settlements so we're the last ones to arrive. Since Gideon is a snake and, well, snakes aren't exactly known for their speedy travel, he rides on the shoulders of Don. The guard leader sets him down at the base of the tree where a tall buck is already waiting.
So I 'wouldn't make a fool of myself', Grace told me a little about the other leaders. The buck is Seta. He's much larger than most deer I've encountered. I'm not sure if that's his natural build or if he mutated to become that big. Supposedly, his mutation is illusions and Grace told me to never look at the point between his antlers. A bit difficult considering if I want to avoid them, I kind of have to look at them. But it shouldn't come to that tonight as fighting is strictly prohibited at these gatherings. Our closer neighbors' leader is Lunaria.
Grace kindly informed me to never address her as anything less than her full name unless I wanted to end up dangling in the air with her tails wrapped around my body. It seems tempers run in foxes. Her snow white pelt is easy to spot among the willow branches. As those from Sherwood settle beneath the tree, she lowers herself gracefully by one of her tails. Squinting, I can see it splits away from the end. It makes me wonder if she lost her tail to something before the incident. In a clear voice, she announces the beginning of the gathering.
There appears to be an unspoken order. The leaders go first. None have encountered anything of interest yet. A few new kids have been born in the Restless Shire. Bears if I understand the report correctly. There's murmurs of congratulations from the crowd. My whiskers twitch nervously. While I know there's a truce between species, knowing that there's a family of bears living a ways away from where I'm sleeping makes my heart race just a little more. The healers go next. Restless' is a badger. I'd know those black and white markings anywhere. Her voice is old and slow, but it's clear she knows what she's saying. They've experienced mold that makes some ill when breathed in. Grace thanks Lucy for the information. I can already hear her nagging me to go deep cleaning the dens for mold. It seems boundaries aren't set in the community. The guard and scout leaders discuss adjusting them. It seems they're already in agreement on the changes, but they're announced at the gathering so all know. I can feel my jaws tighten as a yawn takes over. I'm practically asleep on my paws, but Grace said it was important I attend. Not sure why until Gideon stretches and brings up a 'newcomer'.
"Evankhell," The crowd from Sherwood parts and I pause mid yawn. Blinking, I duck my head and pad forward a bit. "iss newly awakened. While hiss attribute is code red, he hass shown conssiderable control during his time with usss. I asssk ssafety for his movement until the next gathering." Having the eyes of a number of species who could have killed me before the incident now on me is unsettling, to say the least. Seta's in particular. Maybe because I barely come up to half his leg. "And what is his attribute?" His deep rumbling voice sounds like rolling thunder. Gideon hesitates, looking towards me. Is he asking me for permission? I guess some would want to keep their mutation hidden. What will the other leaders say, though, if I'm one of them? With a shrug, I inhale deeply and as I exhale, the smell of smoke fills the gathering site. Cries of panic ensue and the others from Restless and Moonlit step back. Those with fur bristle. "You dare to house such a wild attribute?" Seta's voice calms the outcries, but it's clear all else are still on edge. No wonder Gideon waited until the end of the gathering to announce my presence.
"He isss training." Gideon spoke patiently. "Who can claim absssolute control over their attribute upon awakening?" None respond. Lunaria's eyes , a darker red color than Kody's, gleam. They make it even creepier.
"I grant him permission to set foot in Restless territory until next gathering." She announces calmly. Seta stamps his hooves. "As do I...under supervision of superiors." The gathering breaks up and the members of the groups mingle. It seems the end is determined by the leaders' whim. With nothing else to do, I sit on the edge and observe. I still don't know what sets these groups apart from each other. What could drive them to live separately, but still be willing to gather like this? I don't think I'll find out until I visit the others.
Chapter Two - DaybreakPart One I stay with the residents of Sherwood for a while longer before I'm escorted to the south border. I assume the river I almost drowned in is the one flowing underneath the bridge. With how cold it's been, the top is frozen over. Waiting for me is Lunaria and who I assume is her deputy, a cat sized green lizard. The incident must have mutated him because I'd never encountered a lizard so large before. Lunaria nods her head.
"Greetings. This is Shilo." The lizard's tongue flickers out, but he doesn't speak. It must be cold for him. Perhaps he's been mutated to be warm blooded. Can lizards shiver? Regardless, when he turns to start back he's quick. I glance back and nod to my, well, I guess I'd consider them friends. Mahila, at least. Maybe Kody. They wave and I scoop up the feathers they left for me, one silver and black, the other white and black. Grace is as impassive as ever. I give her a long look. She just doesn't make sense to me. Last night she was telling me to be careful, but now she just looks bored. Why come at all? Her gaze meets mine for a moment and holds. She breaks away, giving her chest a couple of licks. Is she embarrassed?
Shaking my head at her antics, I turn and walk across the border. While I'd crossed the bridge before during the gathering, I had yet to see the other side of the road that split the north and south sections of the area. Vegetation wise, there isn't much change. Not that I expected there be. But when it came to the structure of the shire, the difference is apparent. They have watch towers, of a sort. I can feel the eyes on me as we walk. Lunaria seems completely at ease with it, Shilo as well. In addition to their towers, every so often we'll run across a patrol largely made of carnivores and they straighten as she passes. She'll give them each a nod, her red eyes sweeping across them. I'm not sure if they do so out of respect or fear. Guess I'll find out.
The town is bustling as well. Relatively, it seems to be the same size as Sherwood. Unlike Sherwood, though, it's clear each building has a specific purpose. I don't see any kids and no one is hanging out on the roof of one house or lounging in the windowsill of another. Sherwood separated sleeping arrangements mostly by size, which made sense to me. Smaller animals got the smaller buildings and the larger ones were reserved for those who needed the space. From what I can tell, animals of all kinds are going in and out of a single building. As they blink sleep from their eyes and stretch, I wonder if the people we passed on our way in were patrolling all night long. My fur stands on end. It's one thing for me to go out at night on my own of my own accord. It's another to force someone to patrol while the mist is so heavy. Even I struggled to breathe on some of my outings with Mahila. Still, I didn't see a shred of exhaustion in the faces of those we encountered. Maybe if you got used to it it wasn't as bad.
I follow Lunaria to a central building. As we enter, Shilo glides away silently without a backward glance. She leads the way into a room with a high, round table. She hops up on top of it and waves her tails for me to follow. I do so and we settle. I can feel an information dump coming. "Right." She licks one paw and passes it over her ear. "Your attribute is fire, correct?" I nod. "Excellent. I'll place you in the guard unit, then." I tilt my head to one side and she explains.
Restless Shire is broken into units of purpose: guards, healers, and tenders. Guards, of course, take care of everything that they deem 'combat based'. This includes patrols, hunting, escorts, and other areas in which combat is a potential outcome. All those in the guard unit have an attribute of some sort. As the name suggests, healers are in charge of anything medical related. Doing things like gathering and growing herbs and providing medical attention to those in the med house. I imagine there's quite a few members there. Tenders do all the dirty work around town. From the way Lunaria speaks of them, it's clear they don't rank very high in the system. They tend to be those who were deemed to have a 'useless' mutation or were weak. The lowest of the tenders are those placed in the 'punishment house'. A home offset from the rest of town, those folks consisted of ones relegated after failing some sort of monthly assessment. Their tasks include cleaning houses and tending to the young, which some might actually enjoy. I can start to see where ideals spread out.
The Shire is...harsher to say the least. In Sherwood chores for the town were delegated by skill and desire while chores within houses were spread out and decided on by those who live there. Here, it seems rank is everything. Those who do better in assessments get first choice in which patrols they want, such as day or night shift. They also get first dibs on food. Meal times are taken at once rather than whenever one is hungry. One thing that alarms me, though, is how casually Lunaria says they withhold food from some who are deemed to not be doing their part. While you may get a scolding from Grace and have someone tacked onto you for the next couple of days, Sherwood would never tell someone they weren't allowed to eat. Here, though, it appears it's a rather common occurrence. Especially for tenders. Lunaria finishes with an apologetic smile, saying that I'd have to start at the bottom of the unit. But she was certain with my power I'd shoot right to the top. I tell her I don't have any questions at the moment and she leads the way to the guard unit training grounds.
"Dimitri!" She raises her voice and a tall, black and brown hound turns towards us. "You have a new recruit, temporary, but I'm sure you'll be able to show him a couple things." Dimitri gives me a long look. Their eyes are a dark yellow. They humph. "Seems like a waste, to train someone who isn't guaranteed to stay." They rumble. Lunaria lets out a light laugh.
"Come now. Don't be like that. It can't hurt to show him a couple things. Besides, we want to show him what it's like here." She gives me a sympathetic look. "I bet Grace put you to work doing construction." My whiskers twitch. While she is, correct the way she says it irritates me. But I don't let it show beyond my initial reaction. Turning, she waves her tails and leaves me in the questionably capable care of Dimitri.
Part Two I'm awoken rather rudely at the crack of dawn. Newbies in the guard unit don't get bedding, apparently. Even though it's a matter of just collecting moss and placing it in a circle on the ground, it's frowned upon to take 'luxuries' when they haven't been 'granted' to you. After being forced to run drills for Dimitri yesterday, to say I'm pissed would be an understatement.
Momentarily, I allow my temper to get the best of me and a low growl rumbles in my throat as embers shoot out. A feeling of satisfaction blooms in my chest as my company let out yelps of surprise. Based on their scent, I imagine they're canines. As my eyes adjust to being awake, I'm proven correct. The largest of them reminds me of Dimitri.
"So you are a code red." They grumble, glaring at me. "Listen here, punk, just because you impressed Dimitri yesterday doesn't mean anything." My whiskers twitch. I impressed him? I got the feeling nothing ever impressed that guy. "I'm still top dog around here." I snort. Was that meant to be a joke? Their nostrils flare. "You think this is funny?" They take a step forward, but I'm not afraid. I exhale smoke and they pause. "You'll get yours, punk." They whirl around, their companions following while glancing back at me warily. I guess there's hot heads even now.
Well, since I'm awake I might as well get moving. I stretch and step outside. Restless is a name well chosen, although I don't know if it was intentional. The town is already a flurry of activity, or maybe it never went quiet. Lunaria told me to report to Dimitri for duties. Considering I'm a 'grunt' here, I can imagine my duties for the day won't be very glamorous. Nothing new about that, though. Dimitri's voice carries easily through the crowd and I find him quickly. The night patrols are giving him their reports. Nothing terribly important. But if they're patrolling so much, what are they worried about? Surely it can't be an attack from Sherwood or Moonlit.
Once the group is dismissed to food and bed, I pad forward. Dimitri's gaze is cold and I can't imagine him being impressed with me. "You're awake." They note. Wow, we've got a genius here. No, I'm sleep walking. I refrain from rolling my eyes. I've seen what 'disrespect' gets you. A whole week of cleaning the nursery. I shudder mentally. While I haven't been in, I've smelled the bears from a distance and that is not a mess I want to clean up. "You'll hunt with the other rookies today." Their yellow eyes squint curiously. "You should be able to keep up after your assessment yesterday." He leads the way and I groan internally. The rookie group is, naturally, the ones who rudely woke me up this morning. "Jax," Dimitri addresses who I assume is the chosen leader. "This is Evankhell. He'll be joining your raid today. I expect you to treat him well." "Of course, Captain." Wow, talk about an attitude change. My whiskers twitch. Looking at the two more closely, I'm certain they must be related. Dimitri nods before padding off. Jax zeroes their yellow eyes on me and thrusts their muzzle into my face. "Listen here, punk. This is my shot at a promotion so don't you dare mess this up for me, got it?" I shrug and he growls.
"Jax." A soft voice catches their attention. "Come on. We need to get going." Jax pulls back and turns on their heels, diving into the forest.
While I consider myself pretty fit, keeping up with the group is a struggle. My stubborn side forces me to continue running, though. As Jax slows, I can smell the scent of prey. It's heavy in the air as a ruined building comes into view. Huge mice are wandering in and out. Ah. This kind of raid. I'd been worried when I first heard about the day's plan. This building must have been a human storage place before the incident. "Alright." Jax lifts their nose to the air. "You, get climbing." They nudge my side towards a tree. I swipe at their nose. They inhale sharply, no doubt holding in a yelp.
"There are better ways to ask me to do something." I snap at them. They snort.
"You don't question orders." They growl. I wasn't questioning them. I was telling them to ask nicely. Besides, I'm not one of their underlings yet. And at the rate things are going, it doesn't look like I will be any time soon. "Climb and you'll smoke 'em out." They indicate the group behind them. "Then, we'll catch 'em." I wave my tail and start up a tree carefully. Was that so hard? Apparently.
Once above the building, I inhale deeply. As the smell of smoke fills my nostrils, the sound of panicked squeals in my ear makes me wince. Through the haze, I see blobs running out of the building. My eyes widen as a huge shape pounces on one after the other. No member of the hunting group was that big when we left. This must be a mutation. The others take on the mice in teams of two and three. Once safe, I slide down from the tree and take count. Seven mice. A hefty amount for a single raid. Jax nods in approval as their form shrinks back to normal size.
"Nicely done." I peer closer at the mice. I've never caught on on my own before. Their teeth are the size of my paw. I prod one carefully. They're sharp. Most of the kills are ugly. The teams had to tear apart the skin to land a killing blow. Jax's are decent. It looks like when they grow, their teeth and claws do the same and enable them to sink deeper into the mouse's fur. "Let's report back." The group gathers the prey and we set a much easier pace than before.
Since I'm about the same size as the mice, I'm not asked to carry any which gives me a chance to examine the all-dog group. I didn't see any others use their mutations, but that doesn't mean they didn't. And I know they must have one, otherwise they wouldn't be in the guard unit. From what I gathered on the run there, the one who calmed Jax is Mickey. If I had to guess, before the incident, she was a racing dog. Her lean build had been easy to spot through the smoke and it looked like she ran as bait, drawing the prey's teeth and giving her teammates a chance to get on the mouse's back and knock it over. Gunner is solidly built. His weight easily sent the prey skidding across the ground into the waiting clutches of the others. The tension that was between use before seems to be gone now. I think it's because the raid went so well. They must be thinking about their potential promotion.
Dimitri is waiting for us, or maybe for Jax. It's the first time I see any emotion on their face. They seem pleased. Jax's chest puffs up when they see the look on Dimitri's face. The report runs smoothly before we're dismissed. Dimitri places a paw in front of me as I start to walk away. "Moment, rookie." They tear a chunk of meat from one of the mice and sets it in front of me. "Take that to the nursery for Kaila." Kaila is the mother bear if memory serves me. My stomach growls and my muscles beg for a break, but I pick up the chunk and head towards the nursery. At least the Shire feeds its mothers and young. I don't know how I'd feel if they didn't.
The bear cubs are larger than I thought they'd be. I step out of the way as they roll around together. Kaila gives me a grateful look and gobbles the meat up swiftly. I'm told the mothers eat periodically throughout the day so they don't have to fight at meal times and so they have a constant source for their milk. From a distance, the cubs are actually fun to watch. It makes me feel a little sad, though. It reminds me of me and my human. Noticing my mood, Kaila gives me a big bear lick. "You'll find a new family, Evankhell." She murmurs confidently. "Even if it's not with us." I blink up at her gratefully. A mother is a mother no matter what it would seem. I thank her and say I'll visit again before heading to the dining hall.
~~~
I know now why I was the one to make the run to the nursery. Much of what we brought in is long gone. All that's left are some scraps. With a sigh, I gather a bit and drag it towards me. No one's told me that I couldn't eat. I didn't think I'd been long at the nursery, but most everyone is done eating and has gone to bed or night patrol. A sigh from the corner catches my attention. A pair of large, round eyes is staring at the scrap pile longingly. Curious, I head over. The stranger has what looks like frills on their head and at the end of their tail. Their paws, too, are webbed. Two long tendrils extend from either side of the back of their head, ending in a blue fan shape. An otter? "Eep." He lets out a surprise squeaked. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." He ducks his head.
"You weren't a disturbance." I tilt my head to one side. "What are you doing?"
"What? What do you mean?" He rubs his paws together anxiously. "This is my punishment." Ah. I quickly understand his situation. Looking at him more closely, I can see how thin he is.
"How many days has it been?"
"H-huh?"
"Your punishment." He glances around.
"T-three." My fur bristles. Three days without food. Good grief. I set my portion down in front of him and nudge it closer. He takes a step back.
"I-I can't."
"Oh come on. It's not that much."
"But I don't deserve it." My tail lashes and he squeaks.
"Everyone deserves to eat. I won't tell if you won't." It's clear he wants to continue arguing, but I push it closer. With shaking paws, he pulls it towards him. His first bite and his resolve crumbles. He devours it in seconds. I return to the scrap pile and bring him more to eat. He licks his muzzle and paws.
"T-thanks." I nod. "H-how can I repay you?" I hesitate. Maybe now's my chance.
"I'm newly awakened." I explain carefully and his eyes widen. He must realize who I am by now. "Can you tell me what happened? From what I understand, the three groups used to be one. Why aren't you anymore?" He rubs his paws together, carefully weighing his options. Is it really so secret?
"W-well. Our group was founded by all our leaders. Lunaria, Seta, and Gideon." As he starts, I settle and listen intently.
The otter introduced himself as Arlo. He hadn't woken up right away. About two months after the incident. Their starting base of operations had been the Moonlit Villa. Originally, there'd been a lot of hostility in the area. The Villa's territory will show it, he tells me, when I do my visitation with them. Through a combination of persuasion and intimidation, the three leaders brought the community under a single goal: survive. Utilizing Gideon's ability to foresee the future, they brought lost awakened ones back to the villa and helped train them. It was a weird loop. Gideon would be able to see someone's mutation in use and could then turn around and assist them. Lunaria helped keep the peace and break up fights when they arose. Seta's mutation was used to calm people and assist in planning things like builds. Being able to see what the villa could become motivated people to work towards it. Arlo woke during the peak of cooperation. With everyone working together, he mostly helped look after newcomers. While it gave him satisfaction, it didn't really develop his mutation. Shields, he tells me. When things fell apart, this proved to be his downfall. Since he wasn't a high ranking member of the community when it happened, he isn't entirely sure what exactly went down. As far as he gathered, it was a vision Gideon had that started it. Something was coming. During the first few moons, the group had blows with other groups in the area. But up against Lunaria, Seta, and Gideon, they won every time and opposing groups moved on. To where, Arlo isn't sure. But far enough away where the groups haven't had contact since.
Some vision Gideon had caused the others to believe another group was coming, one that was powerful. And, naturally, the leaders had differing opinions on how to face it. Lunaria wanted to prepare immediately for combat. Gideon insisted that the event might not even happen and that they should focus on rebuilding their community. When questioned if it would come to a fight if the groups did meet, he said he wasn't sure and admitted it would be safer to prepare than be sorry they didn't. Seta disagreed and argued that if they appeared ready for combat then it was exactly what the event would result in. Instead they should focus on living peacefully, together. And if this new group did come to the area, they could be invited to live alongside them. The rift broke the leaders apart as well as the group itself. It's been about a month and a half since the split.
Part Three Now that I know what drove apart the community in the first place, I can see how the groups ended up where they are now. Restless' obsession with mutations and ranks and combat is in preparation for this possible event. But what would they do if it never came to that? Would its residents feel as if they wasted their lives away? Additionally, such an emphasis on combat capabilities draws a natural divide between carnivores and herbivores, as evidenced by the all-dog hunting group I'd been part of yesterday. The guard unit had to participate in all aspects of combat, including fighting and hunting. Although I'd argue that some herbivores could easily fight back. Antlers are no joke. In Sherwood, that was how we'd been split. Hunting was done by those who wanted and combat training was given to whoever asked. I can't imagine a deer wanting to hunt meat, but defend themselves? Absolutely. I've yet to see the villa, so I'm not sure what to make of them yet. I don't believe it to be a bad thing to try to make friends with any newcomers, but I got the impression that that is exactly what Gideon will do. So what makes Gideon and Seta different? Guess I'll have to experience it first hand.
Dimitri visits me while I'm eating breakfast and coolly informs me that I have the day off to explore. As they walk away, they add that if I cause any trouble to anyone I'd be running drills the rest of the day. I nod politely, but don't say anything more. I already know the shire isn't the place for me, but before I go I want to make sure of something. I finish my food and head off in search of housing for those in punishment.
Arlo is outside with some of his friends. At the sound of my paw steps, they bolt upright and sit down on what they were crowding around. Visibly, they relax when they see it's me. Arlo bounds over and I rub muzzles with him. I found quickly that he is very affectionate. Part of their punishment is cleaning the dining hall after every meal. Scraps are taken out, but they're not allowed to eat them. Which is ridiculous because how will anyone ever know? But he said they have their ways. So I just told him to say I ate a lot and helped him bring the leftovers to his friends. My fur bristles when I see how thin they are. Still, their eyes are shining so it's clear the food helped.
As they return to eating, I ask the question that's been burning in my mind since last night. "Why don't you all leave?" Arlo's paws rub together in the way they do when he's anxious.
"Ah, while we can leave any time, it's not really the best..." He sees the confusion on my face and quickly explains. There's a certain...bias against those who leave after choosing a leader. Because many of them had that choice, they face what I don't being a newly awakened one. Loyalty and ideals are brought under question. People from the shire face especially harsh expectations given their militaristic approach. It's believed that those who couldn't make it in Restless would bring a combat based attitude and would turn to bullying to feel power that they weren't able to have before. I ask Arlo why he chose Restless to begin with. "Family. My sister is...a high rank in the guard unit. And, well, I thought we'd have each other's back. But I guess she'd been training her power when I wasn't with her because when we had our assessment, she passed with flying colors. I...fell short."
My whiskers twitch. Another sibling pair. It makes me wonder why some of us survived and others did it. Was it truly based on chance? Were we the lucky, or unlucky depending on how one looks at it, ones to come out alive from the incident? I ask Arlo if he's busy for the rest of the day and he tells me no. Those who face punishment don't have many tasks to do in a day and his was cleaning the dining hall. I consider this to be less punishment and tell him so. He shakes his head, the tendrils attached sway back and forth.
"No, no. Well, maybe at first it looks like that. But one can only get out of punishment housing by doing a deed that impresses the higher ups." Rubbing his paws again, he continues. "With only one or two tasks to do, and low quality at that, we're pretty much stuck where we are." He informs me that, once someone is deemed lower than the tenders, they're considered a lost cause. My whiskers twitch at this. Restless is harsh. I take him and the others to the water. Of course, before the incident I'm sure plenty of them hunted. But after they chose non-combat based jobs, they were out of practice and unfamiliar with the newly mutated prey. It was time to change that.
Fish are the easiest prey and as we walk the long distance to the river, I ask them to tell me about themselves and what they can do. I already know Arlo can conjure shields. The rabbit Coco is able to spread skin on her sides and glide similar to flying squirrels. I was surprised she chose the shire given her nature, but she explained that, if it did come to combat, she placed her bets with the shire for safety measures. She expected to be a low ranking member, of course, but to be stuck in the punishment house for the rest of her life? She wasn't anticipating that. I ask how they prevent herbivores from munching on grass and she tells me they don't. Instead, they give them the grossest tasks possible. Mostly cleaning out soiled bedding. I can see the lack of appeal to being stuck in the house.
The others lack power mutations. Instead, they merely grew larger. Being unused to using their new bodies for combat, they failed their assessments miserably. After arriving at the river, we go over the plan once more before moving into position. I intend to let the others do most of the work. It'll help their positions as well as give their confidence a much needed boost.
There's a crash through the woods and I see several figures coming towards me. I refrain from groaning. I told Arlo to herd, but I can see him clumsily trying to chase after the fish they found. The fish zigzags, bumping into shield walls. Coco is flying back and forth between the trees, trying to toss acorns on its head. Her aim could use some work... The iguana Hans seems to be making the most noise, his newly mutated and enlarged figure must be unused to running. Twigs snap under his weight and his tail slaps against tree trunks as he tries to keep up. I blow smoke at the fish as it comes towards me and it veers left. Seeing her chance, Karolin tackles it. The pig's weight knocks the fish down and pins it. Its limbs flail wildly and its eye roll around in its head. Arlo catches up to it and bites it. Its an ugly kill, but they caught it nonetheless. That makes it theirs according to the rules of the shire.
I purr as Arlo and Karolin dig in. The others munch on some leaves nearby. "That was great!" Coco lands beside me. Her upbeat attitude reminds me of a less cocky Kody. "Thanks so much. I never thought I could be a hunter." Hans nods in agreement. It seems quiet natures run in reptiles. Or maybe its because its cold out that they reserve their energy.
"It was well done." I nod to their efforts. "Keep it up. You may not make it out of the punishment house right away, but at least you shouldn't starve in the process. Plus, you'll get better. More used to using your mutations creatively." Karolin pauses mid bite.
"You make it sound like...you're leaving?" I nod slowly and see her swallow. "B-but...you just got here." It's true I haven't spent more than a couple days in Restless, but I already know this isn't the place for me. With that in mind, I'd rather not stay and waste everyone's time. I inform them of this and they seem sad, but understanding. I add that, if they follow me wherever I end up, I'd be sure to treat them without bias. Arlo says they'll think about it. With a wave of my tail, I bid them farewell and return to town in search of Lunaria.
Part Four Kody is rambling again. It makes me miss...him. At least he kept Kody busy. Now I have to remember to give the occasional 'huh' again or I'll end up with feathers in my face. He'd always been quiet. Not because he was shy or didn't have thoughts, I saw the way his eyes watched every little thing that went on in town. Maybe it was because he thought I was too busy for idle chatter. That is the air I attempt to give off after all. Kody either ignores it or doesn't notice. Or maybe both. Still, something he says catches my attention.
"Is he really off to the Moonlit Villa already?" I tilt my head curiously. Kody nods enthusiastically. He's always been a gossiper. He flaps his wings for emphasis. "And I saw him and a couple cahaws from the punishment house hunting. They seemed pretty happy, even if their kill was a mess." My whiskers twitch. He helped them hunt? I ask about these 'cahaws'. Coco, Hans, Karolin, and...Arlo. My heart saddens at the thought of the sweet otter. Vague memories of him asking for herbs for little ones comes to mind. I know his sister, of course. I'd clashed with her enough to know just how powerful their shared attribute can be if trained and utilized properly. It seemed when push came to shove and assessments rolled around, Delilah didn't offer any assistance to Arlo. I notice Kody is waiting for an answer and give my chest a few licks. "I'm glad to hear he did something good even if he didn't stay for so long." Normally newly awakened split their time between the groups. I expected him to spend at least half a month with the shire. He didn't even stick around a week. Normally he's polite, but I guess it's only if he sees reason in it. A flash of guilt comes and goes. No matter what I asked of him, he always did it without complaint. At least to my face. Not even a dirty look, something I'm used to when those of higher position are asked to do things like change the bedding in their home. Was that really because he didn't mind? He's already shown he has strength. Our initial encounter proved that. I let out a sigh of frustration without even thinking about it. He confuses me so much.
"What's wrong?" Kody hops closer.
"Isn't it obvious?" A soft voice chimes in from above us. A white feather floats down and lands on my nose causing me to sneeze. Mahila. The young owlet thinks herself so smart. I consider her a nuisance...and a bad influence on the little ones. I raise my head to her and give her a look indicating she should continue. What's so obvious? "She misses our fire breather." She lets out a hoot at the expression on my face. What ridiculousness! I bat a paw at her, claws sheathed of course.
"What nonsense." I snap. The only reason I'm worried is because his attribute is a code red. I tell them so, and Mahila points out that I could have assigned anyone else to keep an eye on him during his time with Sherwood. My fur bristles. What now? It's not as if I can tell these two of all people that Gideon asked me to stick close to him. "That's because it's my job as deputy to ensure that newcomers have a good experience."
"You didn't do that for the others." Great, now Kody is throwing in his two cents. I refrain from rolling my eyes. It wouldn't do for a deputy to be so childish.
"Because they had each other." Which was true. Newly awakened ones could go to each other for comfort and advice when they felt like they were a burden to others who had jobs and purpose within the group. "Besides, Mahila, don't be so confident." Her black eyes widen and it's my turn to be smug. "Didn't think I'd notice you sneaking over to the shire in the middle of the night?" From the surprised squawk Kody lets out, it's clear he wasn't aware of her escapades. "The only reason I haven't put a stop to it is because you have yet to cause trouble. But if I noticed you, the sentries definitely have as well." Her fur ruffles uncomfortably and I wave them away with my tail. As they prepare to take off, I order them to take the moss to the day care before retiring. That was the reason Kody and I had left town to begin with after all. I have no doubt that they're off gossip with the other scouts about how the 'deputy is moony', but hopefully my warning to Mahila will keep her from doing anything dramatic.
She believes that town is too boring. While I would never tell her so, I consider her to be lucky. She woke after the conflict in the community was largely resolved. Those were bloody times... Such a large space with access to human houses and sources of food and water was a prime spot. Not wanting to deal with Kody and Mahila just yet, I head towards the Basin. Staring at the water, I'm reminded of the time when it did actually run red. The beginning was absolute chaos. Facing off against people who could see the future or send you off to your doom without you even realizing it...Gideon and Seta's factions dominated for most of the time. Lunaria was formidable as well, able to throw whole trees at opponents. I lay down, resting my head on my paws as my head swirls with memories of the past. Memories that I share with only a few others...
~~~
"A truce?" Seta's voice is skeptical. "Why now? Of all times, why now?" He paws the earth with his hoof, leaving deep marks that resemble a single claw mark. "Because I have seen-"
"Bah! What haven't you seen?" Lunaria's red glow with hostility.
"What haven't you sseen?!" Gideon rises up and flairs his hood, causing Lunaria to back down. But only just. I can tell she's afraid, but pride keeps her from shaking. "Friendss, family, innocent livess have been lossst because of this war!" The other two go quiet. "What do you propose, Gideon?" Seta inquires softly. While I can still feel my pounding heart, my fur lays flat. Conflict has been avoided, for now.
"There iss an outsider. Fray." The other stiffen at the mention of the wolf. "He is able to manipulate memoriesss, to an extent." Gideon begins slowly, his hood returning to a neutral position. At the mention of such deception, Lunaria looks ready to throw down again. Seta places a hoof on her tail stub and gives her a long look. Only after she relaxes does he release her. "I cannot and will not ask you to forget the past and what we've done to each other." He looks each leader in the eye. "But this must stop." He explains the shared memory he wishes for the group to have.
Fray is skilled. He will be able to do it all in a single night, Gideon believes anyways. Perhaps it's a good thing that the populations of our clans have dwindled to so little. It will make it much easier. My throat dries as the thought flickers through my mind. Am I callous for thinking such a thing a blessing? Instead of in fighting among the community, we will have been fighting outsiders who are long gone now. Seta, Lunaria, and Gideon will continue to hold the positions of 'leader'. Originally, we will have been a single group driven apart by a vision Gideon had. Factions will remain the same, for now, but change between them will be allowed to an extent. I can see in their eyes that they're considering it. Lunaria jerks her chin in my direction.
"And what of her?" She demands. I step forward into the light more. I wasn't trying to hide, of course, but I didn't want to be in Gideon's way either. "Gracce shall be my deputy." Gideon explains slowly. The deputy is a chosen one from each faction who will also retain memories of the true events that occurred around the lake. Someone who can share with the leader when things become too much and be able to look for any signs of those who begin to remember. The deputy will, of course, be the second in command as well.
We will continue to meet under the full moon to exchange helpful information. No longer will the young be forced to fight in raids as fighting within towns will be off limits. The groups will be able to focus on surviving the long winter. We will at last have time to repair damages to human buildings, caused by the incident as well as us against each other. We must avoid fighting between the groups for a time or we may risk undoing Fray's work. Gideon looks to each leader once more.
"I propose this. For our survival." Seta opens his mouth.
~~~
With a start, my head pops up. Someone is watching me. I stand and move into the cover of the trees. Scanning the darkness that's blanketed the land, I try to pinpoint where the gaze is coming from. Mahila? No. It doesn't feel the same. Slowly I look across the water. A dark shape is sitting across the way. I can barely make it out. A ring of black smoke is rising from his paws into the red air.
Evankhell.
Part Five Needless to say, Lunaria was severely disappointed when I told her the shire wasn't the place for me. Of course, she hid it behind her disdain, saying that 'not everyone could handle the strict regimen of Restless'. Seta's cold gaze waited for me at the border between the villa and the shire. I could tell he didn't quite trust me. Is that because of my attribute or merely because I'm new? While I have yet gotten a clear explanation on the color coding system of attributes, I imagine a code red is a big deal. I regret not asking Arlo about it while we had the time, but it just didn't seem right. They all seemed so happy to have caught something on their own. And then I leave the next morning. All well. I'm sure I'll find answers elsewhere.
As we walk, I can see the remnants of battles from before. Places where the earth has been upturned, the ground scored with claws marks, and rocks stained red. Deeper into the territory I'm surprised by how well the vegetation seems to be doing despite the winter cold. Noticing my interest in the green plants, Seta pauses.
"My deputy, Everloo, has a way with plants." He explains. At my questioning look, he continues. "Within the Moonlit Villa, violence is prohibited. Exceptions being self defense, of course." I can feel his eyes on me as I digest this information. "Even...?" He nods firmly.
"Even hunting." My mind ticks away. Restless and Moonlit are almost complete opposites of each other. One idolizes mutations of power and the other forbids violence, even for food. So why are they neighbors? Seems easy picking for the shire if they ever wanted more territory. Does this mean that no one within the villa is trained in combat? Or are there a select few? They have to be ready to defend themselves. I know Arlo said that conflict with an incoming group was the reason the community broke apart in the first place, but I would think that Seta would at least prepare for the worse. He doesn't seem like the kind who would willfully ignore a problem. "We are evolved now." The way he says it makes my whiskers twitch. It's like Mahila's arrogance, except worse. "There is no reason for us to involve ourselves in needless conflict. All disputes within the group are decided peacefully as well."
As we enter the villa, I notice a severe lack of carnivores. There's plenty of deer, rabbits, and other herbivores present. Many buildings are covered in vines with flowers and branches hang in windows and doorways to provide some cover. The residents of Restless would laugh at this. My whiskers twitch. Decorations. My humans did it, sure. But this is...a bit much. Well, I guess if they don't have anything better to do. Seta's deep voice returns my attention to him.
"Do you think it funny?" While his tone wasn't threatening, I could tell he was watching me closely. I shake my head. "Personal happiness is important." It's one of the reasons why Grace had been so desperate to make the day care. To give children the chance to have a childhood. It was why Sherwood allowed its residents choice when it came to positions and chores. But to completely abandon combat? That was taking happiness a step too far, in my opinion that is. I don't voice this of course, but Seta seems to accept my response. The way he gazes at his group proudly says it all. He wouldn't care to listen to me anyways. Perhaps he was confident enough in his ability to protect them all.
"Seta!" A cheerful voice calls from behind us. A bat glides down and hangs from one of the buck's antlers. "I thought our visitor would be coming later than this." She gives me a curious look.
"Everloo." Seta greets his deputy warmly. So he does have a nicer side. "Our guest decided the shire was not the place for him, and so his visitation was cut drastically short." Everloo nods.
"Brutes, the lot of them." She sniffs. "Are you hungry?" Without waiting for a response, she flaps her wings and takes off towards a building with more than just vines growing out of it. Seta indicates for me to follow her and heads off in a different direction. With no other choice, I obey.
Inside is a greenhouse my humans would be jealous of. I give each plant a sniff. Everloo hangs from one of the vines, content to watch me admire her work. Seta wasn't kidding when he said she had a way with plants. Vines have crept along the walls and covered cracks to ensure there weren't any drafts. Light filters in through repaired windows. There's a hard thud and I look up. Everloo is still hanging, so she wasn't the source. She points down, drawing my gaze to a large, round apple sitting in front of me.
"Try it." While it's not something I would have on my own, she sounds too excited for me to say no. Carefully, I take a bite. It's sweet. The juice runs down my muzzle and I lick it. The remain is sticky. I finish it for her sake, but I can already tell this isn't going to work out. I'm a carnivore. Hunting is simply something I do. Even Karolin who is technically classified an omnivore was delighted by the fish dinner she'd shared with Arlo last night.
Even though I know I won't be staying, I let Everloo show me around the villa. The villa is separated similarly to the Shire, where buildings are matched to an animal's size. Inside, colorful rocks and sands decorate the walls and floors. I imagine they crushed berries to make paints. Paw prints litter the walls and even some of the ceilings. Normally I wouldn't waste such food, but I guess if you have someone who can make plants grow you can afford to have a bit of fun with paint.
Still, it's dangerous. To be so dependent on a single mutation for food during the winters. What happens if Everloo is unable to use it? Or when she dies? And what about nutrients? How filling can food grown in such a way really be? While the apple tasted good to me, I'm still hungry. How many does it take to feed Seta? And while the villa seems to be the lowest in population among the three groups, I doubt that will last. A population boom is bound to happen as mating seasons return. I've been silent for too long and Everloo asks if everything is all right. I tell her yes, but that I must speak with Seta. She seems concerned still, but takes me to him. He's easy enough to find. I greet him with a nod and he dismisses those he was speaking to.
"I don't think the villa and I are a good match." I inform him without hesitation. He nods. "I figured as much." There's no surprise in his voice. Or hostility. Perhaps he wasn't cold to me because he didn't trust me. Maybe he knew I wouldn't stay. "Giving up part of your diet is a lot to ask of an individual. I know you noticed our lack of carnivores." He flicked his tail. "No doubt Restless has led you to believe it's because of bias." It has. "I have no personal grudges against those who eat meat. But I will not put aside my belief that violence of any kind must be eliminated in order to have a peaceful world. We have a few carnivores who have chosen this change and they do quite well, if I say so myself." I refrain from pointing out that it's only been a few months and that it may change in a couple years. "This is proof that the decision to eat meat is just that: a decision." Lowering his head, I stretch a bit to see him better. "I won't tell you that your decision is wrong, or even an evil one. But it's not one I will condone. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you didn't turn right around and head for Sherwood when I said hunting was prohibited." Something glimmers in his eyes. Amusement? Raising his head again, he turns his gaze towards the lake. "That being said, I'm sure you're still hungry. Moonlit's territory ends at the Broken Path. I'm not sure if you saw it, but there's a human campsite around the Great Willow. I'm sure you can shelter there for the night if you'd like. And head back tomorrow." I dip my head in thanks and accept. Seta leads me to the border and bids me farewell.
~~~
The campsite is easy enough to find when I'm looking for it. Admittedly, I hadn't noticed it during the gathering. But I argue that's because my attention was elsewhere. This is also a great chance for me to practice more. After my work with Grace, my control has gotten a lot better. Now I want to see if I can cook like I saw my humans. After a quick hunt, I drag the fish over to what I know to be a fire pit, or the remnants of one. Still, considering the pit wasn't that much to begin with it's not a huge change from what it was before. I drag a couple broken branches over as well and place them inside. I try to make a tower the way my humans did it. There's little luck. Bracing up against the stones, I manage to push the metal grate into place, but end up knocking over my tower. Not to mention the grate is lopsided. This makes me miss the bossy shecat, honestly. Her power to move things with relative ease would make this go by much faster. All well. Taking a deep breath, I let a steady stream of flames flow from my jaws to the wood. It catches easily. My training also showed me that I am, in fact, fire proof. I step in and out of the pit, feeding my fire and gently turning my fish every so often. Once the smell starts to make my mouth water, I pull it off and drag it to the lake side. Nothing like a cooked meal and a great view to finish off the day.
Movement across the water catches my attention. Squinting, I can see a small shape step out of the woods and glance back. From this distance I can't be certain, but my instincts tell me it's Grace. Probably trying to escape Kody and/or Mahila. Those two together. I shake my head and continue to eat my fish. Watching curiously, she curls up. An odd place for a nap, but who am I to judge? Of course, my outside naps were because of Oscar's insistent snoring.
Once finished my meal, I sit up and move closer. The figure bolts up and looks around. She stands and retreats into the forest quickly. I wait a couple heartbeats until she comes out to the water's edge. I think she sees me. Letting out a huff, a ring of black smoke rises from around me. Surely she'll know for sure that it's me now. A faint amber glow comes in response. I wonder if she's trying to dunk me in the lake. I chuckle at the thought. Luckily, I'm too far away. A few more heartbeats and she's gone. I head back to the willow grove and knock on a few trees. When one shudders, I ask "May I?" Slowly, it unravels and I slip beneath its roots. As I close my eyes, a thought runs through my head. I'll be back soon.
Part Six I awaken to the sound of someone sniffing around my tree. As I sit up, the roots uncurl and I slip out. As soon as I'm out, I'm face-to-face with a white wolf. Their green eyes seem to glow and I'm rooted to the spot. No matter how hard I try, I can't move. My chest feels tight. Then, a second later, the feeling is gone. I let out a huff and smoke billows out. The wolf blinks and sits back. Their eyes are no longer glowing.
"So you're the dream I visited." I give him a questioning look. Dream? What did I dream about? Images flash in my head. My friends; Kody, Mahila, Arlo, and company. Playing, hunting, talking. My time with all three groups, even though it was brief. Ranks and responsibilities. Ideologies and the split it made within the group. Grace. Bossy and secretive, but determined to do the best for Sherwood that she can. Stepping out of the woods and curling up. Eyes glowing, up close and at a distance. Did this wolf see them all? He chuckles and I return my attention to him. "Ah, the way your eyes dart about tells me you're a thinker. Allow me to introduce myself." He licks his chest fur calmly. "I am Fray. My attribute enables me to see other peoples' memories." As I take a step back, he quickly shakes his head. "I assure you I had no intentions of visiting your dream. I know how invasive my powers can be. But sometimes I get pulled in. If it's a particularly important and powerful memory or," a pause and I tilt my head curiously "or a particularly strong mind. Both will call to me. Proximity also makes the pull stronger." "I haven't seen you around before." I speak at last. "Which group do you belong to?" Fray shakes his head.
"I don't belong to any. For my sake and theirs, I do my best to avoid others. And they do the same." Isn't that lonely? As if reading my thoughts, he lets out a softer chuckle. "I don't mind. I was a lone wolf before. Still, when I was pulled last night I got curious and came to check it out. Are you a loner as well? You obviously know of the three groups in the area, so you're not newly awakened." Well, I sort of am. Compared to everyone else that is. I nod anyways.
"I just finished my trial period. I'm heading back to Sherwood. If you're all alone, where do you live? Not the campsite. I would've smelled you then." His eyes glitter with amusement.
"Oh? What if I'm just really good at hiding my presence? You didn't wake up until I was right outside your tree." I flick my tail.
"Perhaps, but you had to come right up against it to see me." My black pelt blends easily with the shadows the roots cast. He nods in acknowledgement. "So? Your home?" I'm too curious. I don't recall seeing this wolf at the gathering either. Was he invited and just didn't come? Or did he stay away even then in order to avoid being pulled into memories?
"There's a cave northeast of here. With a bit of renovation, it's warm. The lake has a water vein leading into it so I can drink without going too far. Or I can just drink from the river." I'm offered a tour of his home. I'm out and about. I might as well. We both stand and I follow him past the campsite. "Sherwood doesn't really patrol the patch of land between the two bridges, so it's unlikely you would've encountered me coming from the west. And, of course, Moonlit's territory ends at the Broken Path. I guess you could consider me a fourth territory."
~~~
Fray's spot in the cave is nestled into downward slope the hits the wall. Moss covers the floor and branches are wedged up against the walls horizontally. Vines hang down to offer some privacy. I think it's interesting. Carefully, I settle into the nest and look around. The slope keeps me below the wind and, as he's much larger than I, I'm sure the vines offer further protection. Based on the curve of the indent, my guess is the slope was formally inhabited by a large rock. It's cozy at least. Comfortable even. But still..
"What do you do all day?" Tilting my head, I look up at him. It's not as if he has patrols or other mouths to feed. I can understand being okay with being alone, but I would get bored so quickly. I need purpose. He shrugs and I scoot over so he can curl up beside me. "Oh, various things. I keep an eye on the Great Willow Grove and campsite. I hunt. I make up stories in my head. Sometimes I leave. Some trips may be weeks long and some may only be for a day and a night." My whiskers twitch. Weeks?
"Have you encountered any other groups?" He shakes his head.
"Can't say that I have, not as large as this one anyways."
"Have you...been across the ocean?" Before the incident, my humans used to take summer breaks at the beach. I slept through most of the trip so I didn't know how long it took to reach, but once there I could see another landmass over the water. My humans would visit there sometimes on day trips, but they never took me. If Fray can walk there in a couple weeks... My mind whirled. I've always wanted to visit the other side.
"I haven't, personally, but I'm sure there are some who would be able to take you if you really want to go." Go...do I really want to go? I planned on staying in Sherwood, but the potential to explore new areas is tempting. Maybe I could explore and come back? Being so close to him, I feel his deep laugh run across my pelt. "Your eyes are darting again." He murmurs. "Don't overthink it. Gideon is a reasonable leader. If you want to leave and come back, I'm sure he'd let you." I flick an ear at him.
"That's assuming Gideon is leader if/when I come back."
"Mm. True." We chat a bit longer before he leads me back to the eastern border. I'm surprised when he asks about Grace's wellbeing. While I'm certain he would know of Sherwood's deputy, I wouldn't have thought he would have any attachment to her. I tell him she's doing well and he nods slowly. Even if I'm unsure if I'll get an answer, I ask anyways.
"Did you...see something to make you worry about her?" Strong minded definitely fit Grace's personality. And if the community all lived in the Moonlit Villa at one time, she may have been in close enough proximity to him to have dragged him into a dream-memory like apparently I did. He glances down at me and I don't think he'll respond when he shakes his head.
"Something like that..."
~~~
Midway in 'the patch' as Fray calls it, we bid farewell and he tells me that I'm welcome back any time. Across the bridge and a few steps into the forest and something heavy lands on my back. Feathers tickle my nose and I sneeze, puffing out smoke. "I knew you'd come back to us." An airy voice comes from behind my ear. I stand and Mahila hops off of me. "I've been stuck with Miss No-Nonsense and Kody while you were gone." "Squawk! Puh-lease, don't act like you're better than me." Kody cries indignantly from a tree. An exasperated sigh follows.
"Children." Grace rolls her eyes and pads forward. There's mild amusement on her face, though and I know she's fond of them. While she likes to talk about how she can't stand their antics, I know she enjoys their light heartedness because I'm the same way.
"Where are the feathers we gave you?" Mahila circles me curiously. If she were human, I imagine she'd have her hands on her hips. I shake my head and inform her they were deemed 'decorations' by the residents of Restless and they were taken away. Kody huffs.
"Decorations! Mahila plucked that from me." Of course, I know Kody wouldn't have issues with 'useless' trinkets. He is a crow after all and those are notorious for collecting shiny objects. Grace shushes them and regards me carefully.
"So? Are you officially joining us?" Am I? Before, I was so sure. But after talking with Fray... I ask to speak with Gideon first and she nods. Turning on her heels, she leads the way back to Sherwood. I ask them how they knew I was coming back, I am early after all, and Kody explains that Gideon saw me and sent them to retrieve me.
~~~
As I enter Gideon's room, I'm struck with a sense of deja vu. He uncurls himself in the afternoon sun and blinks at me calmly. "Welcome back, Evankhell." He speaks in his slow murmur. My whiskers twitch.
"Did you know I'd come back?" If he had shoulders, I'm sure he would shrug them.
"I figured asss much. While you were only with uss for a short time, I gathered enough about you to know you're neither extreme of the three groupss. Which meant we would, inevitably, be your choice." While I'm not sure I believe it, I just nod.
"Kody said you saw me coming..?" It's his turn to nod. "Was I..?"
"I saw you and Fray, yess. What did you make of him?" Gideon slithers closer. I'm not sure which eyes I find more unnerving, Gideon's gold ones or Lunaria's red ones.
Considering who they're attached to, for now I'd have to go with Gideon. Lunaria has too fiery of a temper, too predictable, for me to be as intimidated by her as I'm sure her underlings are. But this snake? I'm struggling to get a read on him. Meanwhile he seems to have me all figured out, or his future sight has been giving him an edge. Maybe both. I don't know the extent of his mutation so I can't tell what he would have been able to see. Did he know I'd encounter Fray before I did in the first place? Or did he simply see a vision of us walking together back to Sherwood? The patch of land would have been pretty recognizable in a vision, what with rivers on either side of it.
"He's interesting. And nice. I was thinking of following his advice and exploring this new world more rather than settle right away." I don't beat around the bush. It would be a waste of both our times. Once again, he doesn't seem surprised. "I underssstand. You're more than welcome to do what makess you happy." We're face to face now and I refuse to back away. His tongue flickers out. "But, I have a requesst." I wait to hear it out. "Pleasse, take Grace with you if you go."
Part Four
There's a ringing in my ears. Ugh. I overdid it again, didn't I? Slowly I open my eyes and withhold a scream. Sitting in front of me is a large fish. Its eyes are open and its mouth is wide. The limbs are twisted slightly. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty." I bolt upright. Did the fish just talk?! "Took you long enough." The voice speaking was him. Evankhell. With a groan I stretch, trying to hide my racing heart. He gave me a scare on purpose, he must have. I give him my best glare and he doesn't seem fazed. "Well? Are you going to eat or not?" He indicates the fish in front of me. I don't take my eyes off him as I give it a sniff. The fish is black in spots and smelts slightly charred. "Relax. I'm getting used to cooking stuff, but I didn't poison it." Carefully, I take a bite. It does taste good, outside of the blackened bits. As my appetite returns, I dig in ravenously. It's been a while since I fainted outside of town so I'm grateful to still have something to eat upon waking up.
"Thanks." I mumble, sitting up and licking my muzzle. He nods. I can see the curiosity in his eyes. Most people show concern, but not him. I guess it's because he's newly awakened. He's more curious about attributes than health. Which is good for me. I hate being pitied. I stretch and shake my pelt out. "Let's head back. Folks will wonder where we are." I also don't want to be out when night falls and red blankets the land. It's...unnatural. Well, I s'ppose this whole thing is unnatural. But the red light just makes everything feel..dirty. With Evankhell's help, we manage to make it back to town. Carefully, I maneuver the log inside and let it rest. We'll finish the building later.
For now, I need to do my night rounds. I bound back towards town center. Like a shadow, he trails behind me. Being so used to Kody or the kids following me everywhere and asking questions, having such quiet is a little unnerving. Every so often I'll see him turn his head more fully to look at something. No doubt our group makes for an interesting sight. We are, after all, the only town in the area that houses predators and prey together so closely.
"Miss Grace!" A couple pups come running towards me, tripping over themselves. Evankhell is momentarily forgotten as I brush against them.
"Have you three been behaving yourselves?" They nod solemnly. The trio were the first to be born within our group after the incident. So far, it doesn't seem like they have any attributes, but that can always change later. I'm just grateful that those of us who survived still seem to be able to have kids, although no one has tried cross species mating yet. "Good. Pretty soon you'll have a place to play where you won't be underfoot of everyone." Whoops of excitement come from their tiny bodies before they run off to rejoin their family. I let out a purr and watch them for a moment. Despite all the destruction the incident caused, things seem to be looking up for us now.
I bring Evankhell to our pet house. Since we assumed that everyone was awake by now, we converted our old guest house into a storage unit. While I wouldn't have any issues forcing him to sleep there, Gideon would protest and say something about hospitality. Inside, most are settling down for the evening. It's been an adjustment for us cats. Normally, we do our hunting in the dark. But no one wants to be out now. The only ones who still go out at night are the owls. I gesture to him with my tail. "This is our pet house. If you stay with us, this is where you'll be sleeping. Don't cause any trouble. We will kick you out." I give him a hard look despite the guilt in my stomach. He did take care of me earlier today after all. But the good of the community comes before any personal obligations I may feel towards him. He doesn't seem bothered by my warning and just nods. The others come forward to give him curious sniffs and I leave them to it.
~~~
Luke nods to me as I enter the main house. Inside, Gideon and the other leaders are waiting for me. As I settle, Gideon nods. "Welcome back Grace. You took sso long we debated sending ssomeone out to find you."
"Guess you overdid it with your little display earlier today, huh?" Shira sneers. "I saw you flip our newcomer and almost get charred. Thought you were smarter than that, Gracey." I bristle and am about ready to flip her when Don clears his throat.
"Right. Shall we begin?" We all nod and he continues. "Well, our trainees are coming along well enough. So far disputes have been settled without violence, so I can't say how they would do in actual battle." Shira reports that none of her scouts have found any new species that have been affected the way we have. With attributes of power. A relief, really. It would be tough if we had to fight rats off that could run quickly or throw up walls of earth. Their changes have only been physical as far as we're aware. Pastal informs us of her progress in the medical den, sorting herbs and figuring out what works across species and who can't have what. If I had to say, her job is the hardest. Especially when she has to tend to little ones with teeth.
On that note, I rise to give my own. "The daycare is coming along well. I've found adequate support for it. It has plenty of space and spots where the little ones can be watched. I can definitely section it off so we can rotate between carnivores and herbivores." At the mention of the kids, everyone seems to relax. They may grow up in this dangerous, new world, but at the very least their youth will be fun filled. We go over a couple more details about needs and scheduling before the meeting ends.
As I'm getting ready to leave, Gideon reaches out with his low, wispy voice. "Gracce." I pause and glance back and he beckons me closer. I obey cautiously.
"Hm?"
"How iss our newcomer faring?" I offer a shrug.
"I left him in the pet house. Considering we didn't have any folk run in screaming that something was on fire or that there was a fight, I'd say he's faring o-kay. Why the interest?" I tilt my head to one side. Normally, if Gideon is so keen on someone it means he's seen something.
"You clearly know of his attribute, no?"
"Of course." I huff. I saw it first hand. "But it's not that big of a deal. He doesn't seem to have much of a handle on it." He did burn my fish. Well, fish that he got for me. And I mean, how difficult is it to manage? Not that I've tried, but I'm sure I could do better. Ugh. Now I'm irritated. Just thinking about him seems to do that to me. My whiskers twitch.
"Do not underessstimate the power of fire, m'dear." Gideon murmurs. "If posssible, I'd rather have him as an ally than an enemy."
"Okay.." I think I'm starting to see where this is going and I don't want to continue.
"I'm tasssking you with ensuring he seess and thinkss the besst of Sherwood." I scowl and Gideon interrupts me before I can protest. "It'ss important. And only you can. You know everyone elsse's tasskss. You're the one who staysss in town the mosst."
"Can't Kody do it? He did find him after all." My mind is whirling. I don't want to have to entertain some guest. Gideon shakes his head.
"Kody hass to patrol our borderss. I don't want our guesst to get caught up in the middle of any conflict right away." Why not? It's not as if our group is the instigator of such fights. It wouldn't damage our image. Unless Gideon doesn't want him to meet someone else...? Ugh. This is too confusing.
"Fine. I'll keep him near town. But you owe me Gideon." I give him a hard look and he blinks gratefully. Finished, I whirl around and stalk to my nest upstairs.
My denmate snores. Groaning, I roll over in my nest. I can't sleep with such noise. It's strange, normally it's not that big of a deal. I just bury my head and ignore it. But this is ridiculous. Popping my head up, I glance around. Everyone else is fast asleep. It appears some of them are wearing moss in the ears. Would've been nice to know, but all well. The source is a ferret named Oscar. I swear his long exhales shake the whole building. Maybe his mutation is sound based.
With a yawn, I step outside and blink up at the red moon. The mist seems to hang in the air lighter than usual. Or maybe I'm simply adjusting to it. As another monster snore comes from inside, I sigh and start walking out of town. Technically speaking, there is no curfew or anything. Folks can come and go as they please. It's just advised to not be out after dark. Still, a short walk never hurt anybody.
Finally able to hear myself think, my mind wanders through the day's events. I came across an annoying crow named Kody and an equally annoying shecat named Grace. Both of whom possessed mutations that ran deeper than simple physical changes. I wasn't able to get a decisive answer on what their leader's power is. Gideon makes the fur on the back of my neck stand on end and I'm not sure if it's because he's a snake or if he truly is hiding something. Meanwhile I didn't have the chance to get any of my questions answered. After Kody dumped me on Grace, she was simply too busy to answer my questions. My denmates are nice enough, but they didn't seem too keen on filling in a newcomer. The rest of the night was spent gossiping about the going ons around town. I s'ppose it gave them a sense of normal. Of the time before all this happened. While it's not something I would argue against, simply ignoring the issues of the present will surely come back to haunt one. I'll have to try again in the morning.
I think my senses have gotten better since I woke up. So when I feel as if someone is watching me, I whirl around and let out a puff of smoke. Someone starts coughing and I'm glad I didn't breathe fire. The individual winks into sight, their wings beating ash off themselves. They land on a nearby branch and brush it out of their eyes. I give them a moment to compose themselves before asking why they're following me. "I wasn't following you exactly." I think they still have some ash on them as they seem to settle. Only with closer inspection do I see the unnatural lines and patterns of black on their white feathers are there for good. "I'm Mahila. I was practicing my attribute and saw you and thought it would make for a good exercise. It's rare to see walkers out at night, ya know. Even other fliers don't try it. We owls are different, though." She puffs her chest out. "We're not afraid like everyone else is."
"Is your mutation invisibility? Or camouflage?" I blink at her curiously. She flaps her wings silently, as if testing to make sure they're still functioning. My whiskers twitch. It's not like I actually damaged her. Besides, served her right for tailing me.
"I don't change my colors or anything when I'm gone, so I think invisibility?"
"You think?" My head tilts slightly. How can she not know?
"I mean, I know it's not camouflage because whenever I step away from something it's not as if I'm a beacon against something else. But I can't see myself when I disappear either."
"Have you run into anything while in that state?" Her mutation is rather interesting. She shakes her head.
"No. Even though I can't see my limbs, I'm still aware of where everything is..." Trailing off, she gazes into the distance for a beat before hopping off the branch and heading out. "Come on. My brother is trying to find me, but I don't want to go with him. You seem much more interesting." I follow after her, curious to know where she's going to get away from this brother.
I have to run a bit to keep up with Mahila. Every so often she'll disappear. As silent as she is, I'm sometimes certain I've lost her until she reappears tail lengths ahead of me. I'm still not sure where we're going, but I don't mind. It's a chance to see owls up close without have to fight them off. They liked to come after my neighbors' rabbits. The thought brings a pang to my chest. I was never too close to them, but I liked being able to think of their space as a place that needed my protection. She takes us to a large lake. The water has a red tint to it, reminding me of a pool of blood. Landing softly, she lets out a sigh.
"This should be good." Eyeing me from the side, she tells me that this is the Basin. Across the water we can see the Great Willow and its grove of trees. So that's the place of these 'gatherings'. Perhaps she'll know...
"So, what's the difference between your groups? Why are you separated?" Her shaking head tells me she doesn't know much. She lives in Sherwood because her parents do and, despite all her complaining, she's not ready to completely leave their roosting tree.
"Why? Are you thinking of leaving us?" She turns towards me completely without moving her body. I shrug, only slightly disturbed. Of course, I know that it's one of many natural skills owls always had, but to have one do it in front of me is going to be weird regardless.
"I don't know. But I don't want to commit to...Sherwood until I've seen the other places." I'm not even sure if I'll be staying in the area, but I don't tell her this. At the moment I'm looking for answers about what's been happening. My response seems to satisfy her and she returns her attention back across the water.
"Well, I hope you stay." I give her a questioning look and she shrugs. "You're one of the most interesting folk I've met since Sherwood started. Not many folk can give Grace a shock. And Kody was talking about how you nearly burnt him to a crisp, although I think most of his story was exaggeration." She rolls her eyes. "And you're not afraid to get out at night. All that is adventures just waiting to happen." Her words bring more questions to mind.
"You keep saying that everyone is afraid to go out at night. Why is that?" Is there something to be frightened of? Another shrug.
"The unknown? We owls aren't afraid of death, so we embrace this change with open wings." Spreading her wings wide, I can see black spots along the outer edges. "Everyone else is just skittish. Too afraid of potential attributes of those who might hold a grudge?" I'm not sure about that. Other birds aren't typically nocturnal so it makes sense they're not out and about. And 'walkers' as she calls them are still at a severe disadvantage. In this case, a little caution won't hurt. In my case, I think I'm more curious than afraid. And my mutation is a great defense, even if I'm still getting the hang of it all. We discuss other things before it appears she's ready to return to her family.
Oscar's...condition is well known throughout town and Mahila brings me to some moss patches so I can plug my ears. I bid her a goodnight and settle back down. It was nice to have an actual conversation with someone rather than having to defend my meal or being ordered around. Sleep comes quickly.
Sherwood has kept me busy. Despite being far enough along in construction to be building a daycare for the kids, there's still plenty to do. I practiced my mutation. Taking out debris and heating up rocks to keep folks warm has taught me control and I've gotten pretty good if I do say so myself. Kody comes and goes. Since he's the one who found me, I think he likes to pop in and make sure I haven't done anything to get him in trouble. While I still find him annoying, he does have a certain appeal. His open honesty and active imagination make for an interesting companion. Mahila and I have continued our nightly talks. It's good practice for her and keeps my instincts sharp. Grace is still a mystery. Her duties as deputy keep her busy, yet she still finds the time to patrol or hunt with me. Normally I wouldn't mind, except she makes it out to be a chore every time. If she doesn't want to so much, why doesn't she just assign someone else to me? I just don't understand that she-cat.
The full moon seems to get everyone excited. I'm not sure why they make it such a big deal. If all the towns considered themselves as one, there wouldn't be an issue of visiting friends and family and sharing news. It would flow freely. I'm interested to see what this 'clash of ideals' is all about. The day is busy. Everything that would normally have hours to complete needed to be crunched into the morning. The walk around the the Basin was a long one, unless one wanted to go for a swim. Being a fire mutant, I did not. Sherwood is the farthest of all the settlements so we're the last ones to arrive. Since Gideon is a snake and, well, snakes aren't exactly known for their speedy travel, he rides on the shoulders of Don. The guard leader sets him down at the base of the tree where a tall buck is already waiting.
So I 'wouldn't make a fool of myself', Grace told me a little about the other leaders. The buck is Seta. He's much larger than most deer I've encountered. I'm not sure if that's his natural build or if he mutated to become that big. Supposedly, his mutation is illusions and Grace told me to never look at the point between his antlers. A bit difficult considering if I want to avoid them, I kind of have to look at them. But it shouldn't come to that tonight as fighting is strictly prohibited at these gatherings. Our closer neighbors' leader is Lunaria.
Grace kindly informed me to never address her as anything less than her full name unless I wanted to end up dangling in the air with her tails wrapped around my body. It seems tempers run in foxes. Her snow white pelt is easy to spot among the willow branches. As those from Sherwood settle beneath the tree, she lowers herself gracefully by one of her tails. Squinting, I can see it splits away from the end. It makes me wonder if she lost her tail to something before the incident. In a clear voice, she announces the beginning of the gathering.
There appears to be an unspoken order. The leaders go first. None have encountered anything of interest yet. A few new kids have been born in the Restless Shire. Bears if I understand the report correctly. There's murmurs of congratulations from the crowd. My whiskers twitch nervously. While I know there's a truce between species, knowing that there's a family of bears living a ways away from where I'm sleeping makes my heart race just a little more. The healers go next. Restless' is a badger. I'd know those black and white markings anywhere. Her voice is old and slow, but it's clear she knows what she's saying. They've experienced mold that makes some ill when breathed in. Grace thanks Lucy for the information. I can already hear her nagging me to go deep cleaning the dens for mold. It seems boundaries aren't set in the community. The guard and scout leaders discuss adjusting them. It seems they're already in agreement on the changes, but they're announced at the gathering so all know. I can feel my jaws tighten as a yawn takes over. I'm practically asleep on my paws, but Grace said it was important I attend. Not sure why until Gideon stretches and brings up a 'newcomer'.
"Evankhell," The crowd from Sherwood parts and I pause mid yawn. Blinking, I duck my head and pad forward a bit. "iss newly awakened. While hiss attribute is code red, he hass shown conssiderable control during his time with usss. I asssk ssafety for his movement until the next gathering." Having the eyes of a number of species who could have killed me before the incident now on me is unsettling, to say the least. Seta's in particular. Maybe because I barely come up to half his leg.
"And what is his attribute?" His deep rumbling voice sounds like rolling thunder. Gideon hesitates, looking towards me. Is he asking me for permission? I guess some would want to keep their mutation hidden. What will the other leaders say, though, if I'm one of them? With a shrug, I inhale deeply and as I exhale, the smell of smoke fills the gathering site. Cries of panic ensue and the others from Restless and Moonlit step back. Those with fur bristle. "You dare to house such a wild attribute?" Seta's voice calms the outcries, but it's clear all else are still on edge. No wonder Gideon waited until the end of the gathering to announce my presence.
"He isss training." Gideon spoke patiently. "Who can claim absssolute control over their attribute upon awakening?" None respond. Lunaria's eyes , a darker red color than Kody's, gleam. They make it even creepier.
"I grant him permission to set foot in Restless territory until next gathering." She announces calmly. Seta stamps his hooves.
"As do I...under supervision of superiors." The gathering breaks up and the members of the groups mingle. It seems the end is determined by the leaders' whim. With nothing else to do, I sit on the edge and observe. I still don't know what sets these groups apart from each other. What could drive them to live separately, but still be willing to gather like this? I don't think I'll find out until I visit the others.
I stay with the residents of Sherwood for a while longer before I'm escorted to the south border. I assume the river I almost drowned in is the one flowing underneath the bridge. With how cold it's been, the top is frozen over. Waiting for me is Lunaria and who I assume is her deputy, a cat sized green lizard. The incident must have mutated him because I'd never encountered a lizard so large before. Lunaria nods her head.
"Greetings. This is Shilo." The lizard's tongue flickers out, but he doesn't speak. It must be cold for him. Perhaps he's been mutated to be warm blooded. Can lizards shiver? Regardless, when he turns to start back he's quick. I glance back and nod to my, well, I guess I'd consider them friends. Mahila, at least. Maybe Kody. They wave and I scoop up the feathers they left for me, one silver and black, the other white and black. Grace is as impassive as ever. I give her a long look. She just doesn't make sense to me. Last night she was telling me to be careful, but now she just looks bored. Why come at all? Her gaze meets mine for a moment and holds. She breaks away, giving her chest a couple of licks. Is she embarrassed?
"Greetings. This is Shilo." The lizard's tongue flickers out, but he doesn't speak. It must be cold for him. Perhaps he's been mutated to be warm blooded. Can lizards shiver? Regardless, when he turns to start back he's quick. I glance back and nod to my, well, I guess I'd consider them friends. Mahila, at least. Maybe Kody. They wave and I scoop up the feathers they left for me, one silver and black, the other white and black. Grace is as impassive as ever. I give her a long look. She just doesn't make sense to me. Last night she was telling me to be careful, but now she just looks bored. Why come at all? Her gaze meets mine for a moment and holds. She breaks away, giving her chest a couple of licks. Is she embarrassed?
Shaking my head at her antics, I turn and walk across the border. While I'd crossed the bridge before during the gathering, I had yet to see the other side of the road that split the north and south sections of the area. Vegetation wise, there isn't much change. Not that I expected there be. But when it came to the structure of the shire, the difference is apparent. They have watch towers, of a sort. I can feel the eyes on me as we walk. Lunaria seems completely at ease with it, Shilo as well. In addition to their towers, every so often we'll run across a patrol largely made of carnivores and they straighten as she passes. She'll give them each a nod, her red eyes sweeping across them. I'm not sure if they do so out of respect or fear. Guess I'll find out.
The town is bustling as well. Relatively, it seems to be the same size as Sherwood. Unlike Sherwood, though, it's clear each building has a specific purpose. I don't see any kids and no one is hanging out on the roof of one house or lounging in the windowsill of another. Sherwood separated sleeping arrangements mostly by size, which made sense to me. Smaller animals got the smaller buildings and the larger ones were reserved for those who needed the space. From what I can tell, animals of all kinds are going in and out of a single building. As they blink sleep from their eyes and stretch, I wonder if the people we passed on our way in were patrolling all night long. My fur stands on end.
It's one thing for me to go out at night on my own of my own accord. It's another to force someone to patrol while the mist is so heavy. Even I struggled to breathe on some of my outings with Mahila. Still, I didn't see a shred of exhaustion in the faces of those we encountered. Maybe if you got used to it it wasn't as bad.
I follow Lunaria to a central building. As we enter, Shilo glides away silently without a backward glance. She leads the way into a room with a high, round table. She hops up on top of it and waves her tails for me to follow. I do so and we settle. I can feel an information dump coming. "Right." She licks one paw and passes it over her ear. "Your attribute is fire, correct?" I nod. "Excellent. I'll place you in the guard unit, then." I tilt my head to one side and she explains.
Restless Shire is broken into units of purpose: guards, healers, and tenders. Guards, of course, take care of everything that they deem 'combat based'. This includes patrols, hunting, escorts, and other areas in which combat is a potential outcome. All those in the guard unit have an attribute of some sort. As the name suggests, healers are in charge of anything medical related. Doing things like gathering and growing herbs and providing medical attention to those in the med house. I imagine there's quite a few members there. Tenders do all the dirty work around town. From the way Lunaria speaks of them, it's clear they don't rank very high in the system. They tend to be those who were deemed to have a 'useless' mutation or were weak. The lowest of the tenders are those placed in the 'punishment house'. A home offset from the rest of town, those folks consisted of ones relegated after failing some sort of monthly assessment. Their tasks include cleaning houses and tending to the young, which some might actually enjoy. I can start to see where ideals spread out.
The Shire is...harsher to say the least. In Sherwood chores for the town were delegated by skill and desire while chores within houses were spread out and decided on by those who live there. Here, it seems rank is everything. Those who do better in assessments get first choice in which patrols they want, such as day or night shift. They also get first dibs on food. Meal times are taken at once rather than whenever one is hungry. One thing that alarms me, though, is how casually Lunaria says they withhold food from some who are deemed to not be doing their part. While you may get a scolding from Grace and have someone tacked onto you for the next couple of days, Sherwood would never tell someone they weren't allowed to eat. Here, though, it appears it's a rather common occurrence. Especially for tenders. Lunaria finishes with an apologetic smile, saying that I'd have to start at the bottom of the unit. But she was certain with my power I'd shoot right to the top. I tell her I don't have any questions at the moment and she leads the way to the guard unit training grounds.
"Dimitri!" She raises her voice and a tall, black and brown hound turns towards us. "You have a new recruit, temporary, but I'm sure you'll be able to show him a couple things." Dimitri gives me a long look. Their eyes are a dark yellow. They humph.
"Seems like a waste, to train someone who isn't guaranteed to stay." They rumble. Lunaria lets out a light laugh.
"Come now. Don't be like that. It can't hurt to show him a couple things. Besides, we want to show him what it's like here." She gives me a sympathetic look. "I bet Grace put you to work doing construction." My whiskers twitch. While she is, correct the way she says it irritates me. But I don't let it show beyond my initial reaction. Turning, she waves her tails and leaves me in the questionably capable care of Dimitri.
I'm awoken rather rudely at the crack of dawn. Newbies in the guard unit don't get bedding, apparently. Even though it's a matter of just collecting moss and placing it in a circle on the ground, it's frowned upon to take 'luxuries' when they haven't been 'granted' to you. After being forced to run drills for Dimitri yesterday, to say I'm pissed would be an understatement.
Momentarily, I allow my temper to get the best of me and a low growl rumbles in my throat as embers shoot out. A feeling of satisfaction blooms in my chest as my company let out yelps of surprise. Based on their scent, I imagine they're canines. As my eyes adjust to being awake, I'm proven correct. The largest of them reminds me of Dimitri.
"So you are a code red." They grumble, glaring at me. "Listen here, punk, just because you impressed Dimitri yesterday doesn't mean anything." My whiskers twitch. I impressed him? I got the feeling nothing ever impressed that guy. "I'm still top dog around here." I snort. Was that meant to be a joke? Their nostrils flare. "You think this is funny?" They take a step forward, but I'm not afraid. I exhale smoke and they pause. "You'll get yours, punk." They whirl around, their companions following while glancing back at me warily. I guess there's hot heads even now.
Well, since I'm awake I might as well get moving. I stretch and step outside. Restless is a name well chosen, although I don't know if it was intentional. The town is already a flurry of activity, or maybe it never went quiet. Lunaria told me to report to Dimitri for duties. Considering I'm a 'grunt' here, I can imagine my duties for the day won't be very glamorous. Nothing new about that, though. Dimitri's voice carries easily through the crowd and I find him quickly. The night patrols are giving him their reports. Nothing terribly important. But if they're patrolling so much, what are they worried about? Surely it can't be an attack from Sherwood or Moonlit.
Once the group is dismissed to food and bed, I pad forward. Dimitri's gaze is cold and I can't imagine him being impressed with me. "You're awake." They note. Wow, we've got a genius here. No, I'm sleep walking. I refrain from rolling my eyes. I've seen what 'disrespect' gets you. A whole week of cleaning the nursery. I shudder mentally. While I haven't been in, I've smelled the bears from a distance and that is not a mess I want to clean up. "You'll hunt with the other rookies today." Their yellow eyes squint curiously. "You should be able to keep up after your assessment yesterday." He leads the way and I groan internally. The rookie group is, naturally, the ones who rudely woke me up this morning. "Jax," Dimitri addresses who I assume is the chosen leader. "This is Evankhell. He'll be joining your raid today. I expect you to treat him well."
"Of course, Captain." Wow, talk about an attitude change. My whiskers twitch. Looking at the two more closely, I'm certain they must be related. Dimitri nods before padding off. Jax zeroes their yellow eyes on me and thrusts their muzzle into my face. "Listen here, punk. This is my shot at a promotion so don't you dare mess this up for me, got it?" I shrug and he growls.
"Jax." A soft voice catches their attention. "Come on. We need to get going." Jax pulls back and turns on their heels, diving into the forest.
While I consider myself pretty fit, keeping up with the group is a struggle. My stubborn side forces me to continue running, though. As Jax slows, I can smell the scent of prey. It's heavy in the air as a ruined building comes into view. Huge mice are wandering in and out. Ah. This kind of raid. I'd been worried when I first heard about the day's plan. This building must have been a human storage place before the incident. "Alright." Jax lifts their nose to the air. "You, get climbing." They nudge my side towards a tree. I swipe at their nose. They inhale sharply, no doubt holding in a yelp.
While I consider myself pretty fit, keeping up with the group is a struggle. My stubborn side forces me to continue running, though. As Jax slows, I can smell the scent of prey. It's heavy in the air as a ruined building comes into view. Huge mice are wandering in and out. Ah. This kind of raid. I'd been worried when I first heard about the day's plan. This building must have been a human storage place before the incident. "Alright." Jax lifts their nose to the air. "You, get climbing." They nudge my side towards a tree. I swipe at their nose. They inhale sharply, no doubt holding in a yelp.
"There are better ways to ask me to do something." I snap at them. They snort.
"You don't question orders." They growl. I wasn't questioning them. I was telling them to ask nicely. Besides, I'm not one of their underlings yet. And at the rate things are going, it doesn't look like I will be any time soon. "Climb and you'll smoke 'em out." They indicate the group behind them. "Then, we'll catch 'em." I wave my tail and start up a tree carefully. Was that so hard? Apparently.
Once above the building, I inhale deeply. As the smell of smoke fills my nostrils, the sound of panicked squeals in my ear makes me wince. Through the haze, I see blobs running out of the building. My eyes widen as a huge shape pounces on one after the other. No member of the hunting group was that big when we left. This must be a mutation. The others take on the mice in teams of two and three. Once safe, I slide down from the tree and take count. Seven mice. A hefty amount for a single raid. Jax nods in approval as their form shrinks back to normal size.
"Nicely done." I peer closer at the mice. I've never caught on on my own before. Their teeth are the size of my paw. I prod one carefully. They're sharp. Most of the kills are ugly. The teams had to tear apart the skin to land a killing blow. Jax's are decent. It looks like when they grow, their teeth and claws do the same and enable them to sink deeper into the mouse's fur. "Let's report back." The group gathers the prey and we set a much easier pace than before.
Since I'm about the same size as the mice, I'm not asked to carry any which gives me a chance to examine the all-dog group. I didn't see any others use their mutations, but that doesn't mean they didn't. And I know they must have one, otherwise they wouldn't be in the guard unit. From what I gathered on the run there, the one who calmed Jax is Mickey. If I had to guess, before the incident, she was a racing dog. Her lean build had been easy to spot through the smoke and it looked like she ran as bait, drawing the prey's teeth and giving her teammates a chance to get on the mouse's back and knock it over. Gunner is solidly built. His weight easily sent the prey skidding across the ground into the waiting clutches of the others. The tension that was between use before seems to be gone now. I think it's because the raid went so well. They must be thinking about their potential promotion.
Dimitri is waiting for us, or maybe for Jax. It's the first time I see any emotion on their face. They seem pleased. Jax's chest puffs up when they see the look on Dimitri's face. The report runs smoothly before we're dismissed. Dimitri places a paw in front of me as I start to walk away. "Moment, rookie." They tear a chunk of meat from one of the mice and sets it in front of me. "Take that to the nursery for Kaila." Kaila is the mother bear if memory serves me. My stomach growls and my muscles beg for a break, but I pick up the chunk and head towards the nursery. At least the Shire feeds its mothers and young. I don't know how I'd feel if they didn't.
The bear cubs are larger than I thought they'd be. I step out of the way as they roll around together. Kaila gives me a grateful look and gobbles the meat up swiftly. I'm told the mothers eat periodically throughout the day so they don't have to fight at meal times and so they have a constant source for their milk. From a distance, the cubs are actually fun to watch. It makes me feel a little sad, though. It reminds me of me and my human. Noticing my mood, Kaila gives me a big bear lick. "You'll find a new family, Evankhell." She murmurs confidently. "Even if it's not with us." I blink up at her gratefully. A mother is a mother no matter what it would seem. I thank her and say I'll visit again before heading to the dining hall.
~~~
I know now why I was the one to make the run to the nursery. Much of what we brought in is long gone. All that's left are some scraps. With a sigh, I gather a bit and drag it towards me. No one's told me that I couldn't eat. I didn't think I'd been long at the nursery, but most everyone is done eating and has gone to bed or night patrol. A sigh from the corner catches my attention. A pair of large, round eyes is staring at the scrap pile longingly. Curious, I head over. The stranger has what looks like frills on their head and at the end of their tail. Their paws, too, are webbed. Two long tendrils extend from either side of the back of their head, ending in a blue fan shape. An otter?
"Eep." He lets out a surprise squeaked. "S-sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." He ducks his head.
"You weren't a disturbance." I tilt my head to one side. "What are you doing?"
"What? What do you mean?" He rubs his paws together anxiously. "This is my punishment." Ah. I quickly understand his situation. Looking at him more closely, I can see how thin he is.
"How many days has it been?"
"H-huh?"
"Your punishment." He glances around.
"T-three." My fur bristles. Three days without food. Good grief. I set my portion down in front of him and nudge it closer. He takes a step back.
"I-I can't."
"Oh come on. It's not that much."
"But I don't deserve it." My tail lashes and he squeaks.
"Everyone deserves to eat. I won't tell if you won't." It's clear he wants to continue arguing, but I push it closer. With shaking paws, he pulls it towards him. His first bite and his resolve crumbles. He devours it in seconds. I return to the scrap pile and bring him more to eat. He licks his muzzle and paws.
"T-thanks." I nod. "H-how can I repay you?" I hesitate. Maybe now's my chance.
"I'm newly awakened." I explain carefully and his eyes widen. He must realize who I am by now. "Can you tell me what happened? From what I understand, the three groups used to be one. Why aren't you anymore?" He rubs his paws together, carefully weighing his options. Is it really so secret?
"W-well. Our group was founded by all our leaders. Lunaria, Seta, and Gideon." As he starts, I settle and listen intently.
"W-well. Our group was founded by all our leaders. Lunaria, Seta, and Gideon." As he starts, I settle and listen intently.
The otter introduced himself as Arlo. He hadn't woken up right away. About two months after the incident. Their starting base of operations had been the Moonlit Villa. Originally, there'd been a lot of hostility in the area. The Villa's territory will show it, he tells me, when I do my visitation with them. Through a combination of persuasion and intimidation, the three leaders brought the community under a single goal: survive. Utilizing Gideon's ability to foresee the future, they brought lost awakened ones back to the villa and helped train them. It was a weird loop. Gideon would be able to see someone's mutation in use and could then turn around and assist them. Lunaria helped keep the peace and break up fights when they arose. Seta's mutation was used to calm people and assist in planning things like builds. Being able to see what the villa could become motivated people to work towards it.
Arlo woke during the peak of cooperation. With everyone working together, he mostly helped look after newcomers. While it gave him satisfaction, it didn't really develop his mutation. Shields, he tells me. When things fell apart, this proved to be his downfall. Since he wasn't a high ranking member of the community when it happened, he isn't entirely sure what exactly went down. As far as he gathered, it was a vision Gideon had that started it. Something was coming. During the first few moons, the group had blows with other groups in the area. But up against Lunaria, Seta, and Gideon, they won every time and opposing groups moved on. To where, Arlo isn't sure. But far enough away where the groups haven't had contact since.
Some vision Gideon had caused the others to believe another group was coming, one that was powerful. And, naturally, the leaders had differing opinions on how to face it. Lunaria wanted to prepare immediately for combat. Gideon insisted that the event might not even happen and that they should focus on rebuilding their community. When questioned if it would come to a fight if the groups did meet, he said he wasn't sure and admitted it would be safer to prepare than be sorry they didn't. Seta disagreed and argued that if they appeared ready for combat then it was exactly what the event would result in. Instead they should focus on living peacefully, together. And if this new group did come to the area, they could be invited to live alongside them. The rift broke the leaders apart as well as the group itself. It's been about a month and a half since the split.
Now that I know what drove apart the community in the first place, I can see how the groups ended up where they are now. Restless' obsession with mutations and ranks and combat is in preparation for this possible event. But what would they do if it never came to that? Would its residents feel as if they wasted their lives away? Additionally, such an emphasis on combat capabilities draws a natural divide between carnivores and herbivores, as evidenced by the all-dog hunting group I'd been part of yesterday. The guard unit had to participate in all aspects of combat, including fighting and hunting. Although I'd argue that some herbivores could easily fight back. Antlers are no joke.
In Sherwood, that was how we'd been split. Hunting was done by those who wanted and combat training was given to whoever asked. I can't imagine a deer wanting to hunt meat, but defend themselves? Absolutely. I've yet to see the villa, so I'm not sure what to make of them yet. I don't believe it to be a bad thing to try to make friends with any newcomers, but I got the impression that that is exactly what Gideon will do. So what makes Gideon and Seta different? Guess I'll have to experience it first hand.
Dimitri visits me while I'm eating breakfast and coolly informs me that I have the day off to explore. As they walk away, they add that if I cause any trouble to anyone I'd be running drills the rest of the day. I nod politely, but don't say anything more. I already know the shire isn't the place for me, but before I go I want to make sure of something. I finish my food and head off in search of housing for those in punishment.
Arlo is outside with some of his friends. At the sound of my paw steps, they bolt upright and sit down on what they were crowding around. Visibly, they relax when they see it's me. Arlo bounds over and I rub muzzles with him. I found quickly that he is very affectionate. Part of their punishment is cleaning the dining hall after every meal. Scraps are taken out, but they're not allowed to eat them. Which is ridiculous because how will anyone ever know? But he said they have their ways. So I just told him to say I ate a lot and helped him bring the leftovers to his friends. My fur bristles when I see how thin they are. Still, their eyes are shining so it's clear the food helped.
As they return to eating, I ask the question that's been burning in my mind since last night. "Why don't you all leave?" Arlo's paws rub together in the way they do when he's anxious.
"Ah, while we can leave any time, it's not really the best..." He sees the confusion on my face and quickly explains. There's a certain...bias against those who leave after choosing a leader. Because many of them had that choice, they face what I don't being a newly awakened one. Loyalty and ideals are brought under question. People from the shire face especially harsh expectations given their militaristic approach. It's believed that those who couldn't make it in Restless would bring a combat based attitude and would turn to bullying to feel power that they weren't able to have before. I ask Arlo why he chose Restless to begin with. "Family. My sister is...a high rank in the guard unit. And, well, I thought we'd have each other's back. But I guess she'd been training her power when I wasn't with her because when we had our assessment, she passed with flying colors. I...fell short."
Arlo is outside with some of his friends. At the sound of my paw steps, they bolt upright and sit down on what they were crowding around. Visibly, they relax when they see it's me. Arlo bounds over and I rub muzzles with him. I found quickly that he is very affectionate. Part of their punishment is cleaning the dining hall after every meal. Scraps are taken out, but they're not allowed to eat them. Which is ridiculous because how will anyone ever know? But he said they have their ways. So I just told him to say I ate a lot and helped him bring the leftovers to his friends. My fur bristles when I see how thin they are. Still, their eyes are shining so it's clear the food helped.
As they return to eating, I ask the question that's been burning in my mind since last night. "Why don't you all leave?" Arlo's paws rub together in the way they do when he's anxious.
"Ah, while we can leave any time, it's not really the best..." He sees the confusion on my face and quickly explains. There's a certain...bias against those who leave after choosing a leader. Because many of them had that choice, they face what I don't being a newly awakened one. Loyalty and ideals are brought under question. People from the shire face especially harsh expectations given their militaristic approach. It's believed that those who couldn't make it in Restless would bring a combat based attitude and would turn to bullying to feel power that they weren't able to have before. I ask Arlo why he chose Restless to begin with. "Family. My sister is...a high rank in the guard unit. And, well, I thought we'd have each other's back. But I guess she'd been training her power when I wasn't with her because when we had our assessment, she passed with flying colors. I...fell short."
My whiskers twitch. Another sibling pair. It makes me wonder why some of us survived and others did it. Was it truly based on chance? Were we the lucky, or unlucky depending on how one looks at it, ones to come out alive from the incident? I ask Arlo if he's busy for the rest of the day and he tells me no. Those who face punishment don't have many tasks to do in a day and his was cleaning the dining hall. I consider this to be less punishment and tell him so. He shakes his head, the tendrils attached sway back and forth.
"No, no. Well, maybe at first it looks like that. But one can only get out of punishment housing by doing a deed that impresses the higher ups." Rubbing his paws again, he continues. "With only one or two tasks to do, and low quality at that, we're pretty much stuck where we are." He informs me that, once someone is deemed lower than the tenders, they're considered a lost cause. My whiskers twitch at this. Restless is harsh. I take him and the others to the water. Of course, before the incident I'm sure plenty of them hunted. But after they chose non-combat based jobs, they were out of practice and unfamiliar with the newly mutated prey. It was time to change that.
Fish are the easiest prey and as we walk the long distance to the river, I ask them to tell me about themselves and what they can do. I already know Arlo can conjure shields. The rabbit Coco is able to spread skin on her sides and glide similar to flying squirrels. I was surprised she chose the shire given her nature, but she explained that, if it did come to combat, she placed her bets with the shire for safety measures. She expected to be a low ranking member, of course, but to be stuck in the punishment house for the rest of her life? She wasn't anticipating that. I ask how they prevent herbivores from munching on grass and she tells me they don't. Instead, they give them the grossest tasks possible. Mostly cleaning out soiled bedding. I can see the lack of appeal to being stuck in the house.
The others lack power mutations. Instead, they merely grew larger. Being unused to using their new bodies for combat, they failed their assessments miserably. After arriving at the river, we go over the plan once more before moving into position. I intend to let the others do most of the work. It'll help their positions as well as give their confidence a much needed boost.
There's a crash through the woods and I see several figures coming towards me. I refrain from groaning. I told Arlo to herd, but I can see him clumsily trying to chase after the fish they found. The fish zigzags, bumping into shield walls. Coco is flying back and forth between the trees, trying to toss acorns on its head. Her aim could use some work... The iguana Hans seems to be making the most noise, his newly mutated and enlarged figure must be unused to running. Twigs snap under his weight and his tail slaps against tree trunks as he tries to keep up. I blow smoke at the fish as it comes towards me and it veers left. Seeing her chance, Karolin tackles it. The pig's weight knocks the fish down and pins it. Its limbs flail wildly and its eye roll around in its head. Arlo catches up to it and bites it. Its an ugly kill, but they caught it nonetheless. That makes it theirs according to the rules of the shire.
I purr as Arlo and Karolin dig in. The others munch on some leaves nearby. "That was great!" Coco lands beside me. Her upbeat attitude reminds me of a less cocky Kody. "Thanks so much. I never thought I could be a hunter." Hans nods in agreement. It seems quiet natures run in reptiles. Or maybe its because its cold out that they reserve their energy.
"It was well done." I nod to their efforts. "Keep it up. You may not make it out of the punishment house right away, but at least you shouldn't starve in the process. Plus, you'll get better. More used to using your mutations creatively." Karolin pauses mid bite.
"You make it sound like...you're leaving?" I nod slowly and see her swallow. "B-but...you just got here." It's true I haven't spent more than a couple days in Restless, but I already know this isn't the place for me. With that in mind, I'd rather not stay and waste everyone's time. I inform them of this and they seem sad, but understanding. I add that, if they follow me wherever I end up, I'd be sure to treat them without bias. Arlo says they'll think about it. With a wave of my tail, I bid them farewell and return to town in search of Lunaria.
"It was well done." I nod to their efforts. "Keep it up. You may not make it out of the punishment house right away, but at least you shouldn't starve in the process. Plus, you'll get better. More used to using your mutations creatively." Karolin pauses mid bite.
"You make it sound like...you're leaving?" I nod slowly and see her swallow. "B-but...you just got here." It's true I haven't spent more than a couple days in Restless, but I already know this isn't the place for me. With that in mind, I'd rather not stay and waste everyone's time. I inform them of this and they seem sad, but understanding. I add that, if they follow me wherever I end up, I'd be sure to treat them without bias. Arlo says they'll think about it. With a wave of my tail, I bid them farewell and return to town in search of Lunaria.
Kody is rambling again. It makes me miss...him. At least he kept Kody busy. Now I have to remember to give the occasional 'huh' again or I'll end up with feathers in my face. He'd always been quiet. Not because he was shy or didn't have thoughts, I saw the way his eyes watched every little thing that went on in town. Maybe it was because he thought I was too busy for idle chatter. That is the air I attempt to give off after all. Kody either ignores it or doesn't notice. Or maybe both. Still, something he says catches my attention.
"Is he really off to the Moonlit Villa already?" I tilt my head curiously. Kody nods enthusiastically. He's always been a gossiper. He flaps his wings for emphasis. "And I saw him and a couple cahaws from the punishment house hunting. They seemed pretty happy, even if their kill was a mess." My whiskers twitch. He helped them hunt? I ask about these 'cahaws'. Coco, Hans, Karolin, and...Arlo. My heart saddens at the thought of the sweet otter. Vague memories of him asking for herbs for little ones comes to mind. I know his sister, of course. I'd clashed with her enough to know just how powerful their shared attribute can be if trained and utilized properly. It seemed when push came to shove and assessments rolled around, Delilah didn't offer any assistance to Arlo. I notice Kody is waiting for an answer and give my chest a few licks.
"I'm glad to hear he did something good even if he didn't stay for so long." Normally newly awakened split their time between the groups. I expected him to spend at least half a month with the shire. He didn't even stick around a week. Normally he's polite, but I guess it's only if he sees reason in it. A flash of guilt comes and goes. No matter what I asked of him, he always did it without complaint. At least to my face. Not even a dirty look, something I'm used to when those of higher position are asked to do things like change the bedding in their home. Was that really because he didn't mind? He's already shown he has strength. Our initial encounter proved that. I let out a sigh of frustration without even thinking about it. He confuses me so much.
"What's wrong?" Kody hops closer.
"Isn't it obvious?" A soft voice chimes in from above us. A white feather floats down and lands on my nose causing me to sneeze. Mahila. The young owlet thinks herself so smart. I consider her a nuisance...and a bad influence on the little ones. I raise my head to her and give her a look indicating she should continue. What's so obvious? "She misses our fire breather." She lets out a hoot at the expression on my face. What ridiculousness! I bat a paw at her, claws sheathed of course.
"What nonsense." I snap. The only reason I'm worried is because his attribute is a code red. I tell them so, and Mahila points out that I could have assigned anyone else to keep an eye on him during his time with Sherwood. My fur bristles. What now? It's not as if I can tell these two of all people that Gideon asked me to stick close to him. "That's because it's my job as deputy to ensure that newcomers have a good experience."
"You didn't do that for the others." Great, now Kody is throwing in his two cents. I refrain from rolling my eyes. It wouldn't do for a deputy to be so childish.
"Because they had each other." Which was true. Newly awakened ones could go to each other for comfort and advice when they felt like they were a burden to others who had jobs and purpose within the group. "Besides, Mahila, don't be so confident." Her black eyes widen and it's my turn to be smug. "Didn't think I'd notice you sneaking over to the shire in the middle of the night?" From the surprised squawk Kody lets out, it's clear he wasn't aware of her escapades. "The only reason I haven't put a stop to it is because you have yet to cause trouble. But if I noticed you, the sentries definitely have as well." Her fur ruffles uncomfortably and I wave them away with my tail. As they prepare to take off, I order them to take the moss to the day care before retiring. That was the reason Kody and I had left town to begin with after all. I have no doubt that they're off gossip with the other scouts about how the 'deputy is moony', but hopefully my warning to Mahila will keep her from doing anything dramatic.
"Because they had each other." Which was true. Newly awakened ones could go to each other for comfort and advice when they felt like they were a burden to others who had jobs and purpose within the group. "Besides, Mahila, don't be so confident." Her black eyes widen and it's my turn to be smug. "Didn't think I'd notice you sneaking over to the shire in the middle of the night?" From the surprised squawk Kody lets out, it's clear he wasn't aware of her escapades. "The only reason I haven't put a stop to it is because you have yet to cause trouble. But if I noticed you, the sentries definitely have as well." Her fur ruffles uncomfortably and I wave them away with my tail. As they prepare to take off, I order them to take the moss to the day care before retiring. That was the reason Kody and I had left town to begin with after all. I have no doubt that they're off gossip with the other scouts about how the 'deputy is moony', but hopefully my warning to Mahila will keep her from doing anything dramatic.
She believes that town is too boring. While I would never tell her so, I consider her to be lucky. She woke after the conflict in the community was largely resolved. Those were bloody times... Such a large space with access to human houses and sources of food and water was a prime spot. Not wanting to deal with Kody and Mahila just yet, I head towards the Basin. Staring at the water, I'm reminded of the time when it did actually run red. The beginning was absolute chaos. Facing off against people who could see the future or send you off to your doom without you even realizing it...Gideon and Seta's factions dominated for most of the time. Lunaria was formidable as well, able to throw whole trees at opponents. I lay down, resting my head on my paws as my head swirls with memories of the past. Memories that I share with only a few others...
~~~
"A truce?" Seta's voice is skeptical. "Why now? Of all times, why now?" He paws the earth with his hoof, leaving deep marks that resemble a single claw mark.
"Because I have seen-"
"Bah! What haven't you seen?" Lunaria's red glow with hostility.
"What haven't you sseen?!" Gideon rises up and flairs his hood, causing Lunaria to back down. But only just. I can tell she's afraid, but pride keeps her from shaking. "Friendss, family, innocent livess have been lossst because of this war!" The other two go quiet.
"What haven't you sseen?!" Gideon rises up and flairs his hood, causing Lunaria to back down. But only just. I can tell she's afraid, but pride keeps her from shaking. "Friendss, family, innocent livess have been lossst because of this war!" The other two go quiet.
"What do you propose, Gideon?" Seta inquires softly. While I can still feel my pounding heart, my fur lays flat. Conflict has been avoided, for now.
"There iss an outsider. Fray." The other stiffen at the mention of the wolf. "He is able to manipulate memoriesss, to an extent." Gideon begins slowly, his hood returning to a neutral position. At the mention of such deception, Lunaria looks ready to throw down again. Seta places a hoof on her tail stub and gives her a long look. Only after she relaxes does he release her. "I cannot and will not ask you to forget the past and what we've done to each other." He looks each leader in the eye. "But this must stop." He explains the shared memory he wishes for the group to have.
Fray is skilled. He will be able to do it all in a single night, Gideon believes anyways. Perhaps it's a good thing that the populations of our clans have dwindled to so little. It will make it much easier. My throat dries as the thought flickers through my mind. Am I callous for thinking such a thing a blessing? Instead of in fighting among the community, we will have been fighting outsiders who are long gone now. Seta, Lunaria, and Gideon will continue to hold the positions of 'leader'. Originally, we will have been a single group driven apart by a vision Gideon had. Factions will remain the same, for now, but change between them will be allowed to an extent. I can see in their eyes that they're considering it. Lunaria jerks her chin in my direction.
"And what of her?" She demands. I step forward into the light more. I wasn't trying to hide, of course, but I didn't want to be in Gideon's way either.
"Gracce shall be my deputy." Gideon explains slowly. The deputy is a chosen one from each faction who will also retain memories of the true events that occurred around the lake. Someone who can share with the leader when things become too much and be able to look for any signs of those who begin to remember. The deputy will, of course, be the second in command as well.
We will continue to meet under the full moon to exchange helpful information. No longer will the young be forced to fight in raids as fighting within towns will be off limits. The groups will be able to focus on surviving the long winter. We will at last have time to repair damages to human buildings, caused by the incident as well as us against each other. We must avoid fighting between the groups for a time or we may risk undoing Fray's work. Gideon looks to each leader once more.
"I propose this. For our survival." Seta opens his mouth.
~~~
With a start, my head pops up. Someone is watching me. I stand and move into the cover of the trees. Scanning the darkness that's blanketed the land, I try to pinpoint where the gaze is coming from. Mahila? No. It doesn't feel the same. Slowly I look across the water. A dark shape is sitting across the way. I can barely make it out. A ring of black smoke is rising from his paws into the red air.
Evankhell.
Evankhell.
Needless to say, Lunaria was severely disappointed when I told her the shire wasn't the place for me. Of course, she hid it behind her disdain, saying that 'not everyone could handle the strict regimen of Restless'. Seta's cold gaze waited for me at the border between the villa and the shire. I could tell he didn't quite trust me. Is that because of my attribute or merely because I'm new? While I have yet gotten a clear explanation on the color coding system of attributes, I imagine a code red is a big deal. I regret not asking Arlo about it while we had the time, but it just didn't seem right. They all seemed so happy to have caught something on their own. And then I leave the next morning. All well. I'm sure I'll find answers elsewhere.
As we walk, I can see the remnants of battles from before. Places where the earth has been upturned, the ground scored with claws marks, and rocks stained red. Deeper into the territory I'm surprised by how well the vegetation seems to be doing despite the winter cold. Noticing my interest in the green plants, Seta pauses.
"My deputy, Everloo, has a way with plants." He explains. At my questioning look, he continues. "Within the Moonlit Villa, violence is prohibited. Exceptions being self defense, of course." I can feel his eyes on me as I digest this information.
"Even...?" He nods firmly.
"Even hunting." My mind ticks away. Restless and Moonlit are almost complete opposites of each other. One idolizes mutations of power and the other forbids violence, even for food. So why are they neighbors? Seems easy picking for the shire if they ever wanted more territory. Does this mean that no one within the villa is trained in combat? Or are there a select few? They have to be ready to defend themselves. I know Arlo said that conflict with an incoming group was the reason the community broke apart in the first place, but I would think that Seta would at least prepare for the worse. He doesn't seem like the kind who would willfully ignore a problem. "We are evolved now." The way he says it makes my whiskers twitch. It's like Mahila's arrogance, except worse. "There is no reason for us to involve ourselves in needless conflict. All disputes within the group are decided peacefully as well."
As we enter the villa, I notice a severe lack of carnivores. There's plenty of deer, rabbits, and other herbivores present. Many buildings are covered in vines with flowers and branches hang in windows and doorways to provide some cover. The residents of Restless would laugh at this. My whiskers twitch. Decorations. My humans did it, sure. But this is...a bit much. Well, I guess if they don't have anything better to do. Seta's deep voice returns my attention to him.
"Do you think it funny?" While his tone wasn't threatening, I could tell he was watching me closely. I shake my head.
"Personal happiness is important." It's one of the reasons why Grace had been so desperate to make the day care. To give children the chance to have a childhood. It was why Sherwood allowed its residents choice when it came to positions and chores. But to completely abandon combat? That was taking happiness a step too far, in my opinion that is. I don't voice this of course, but Seta seems to accept my response. The way he gazes at his group proudly says it all. He wouldn't care to listen to me anyways. Perhaps he was confident enough in his ability to protect them all.
"Seta!" A cheerful voice calls from behind us. A bat glides down and hangs from one of the buck's antlers. "I thought our visitor would be coming later than this." She gives me a curious look.
"Everloo." Seta greets his deputy warmly. So he does have a nicer side. "Our guest decided the shire was not the place for him, and so his visitation was cut drastically short." Everloo nods.
"Brutes, the lot of them." She sniffs. "Are you hungry?" Without waiting for a response, she flaps her wings and takes off towards a building with more than just vines growing out of it. Seta indicates for me to follow her and heads off in a different direction. With no other choice, I obey.
Inside is a greenhouse my humans would be jealous of. I give each plant a sniff. Everloo hangs from one of the vines, content to watch me admire her work. Seta wasn't kidding when he said she had a way with plants. Vines have crept along the walls and covered cracks to ensure there weren't any drafts. Light filters in through repaired windows. There's a hard thud and I look up. Everloo is still hanging, so she wasn't the source. She points down, drawing my gaze to a large, round apple sitting in front of me.
"Try it." While it's not something I would have on my own, she sounds too excited for me to say no. Carefully, I take a bite. It's sweet. The juice runs down my muzzle and I lick it. The remain is sticky. I finish it for her sake, but I can already tell this isn't going to work out. I'm a carnivore. Hunting is simply something I do. Even Karolin who is technically classified an omnivore was delighted by the fish dinner she'd shared with Arlo last night.
Even though I know I won't be staying, I let Everloo show me around the villa. The villa is separated similarly to the Shire, where buildings are matched to an animal's size. Inside, colorful rocks and sands decorate the walls and floors. I imagine they crushed berries to make paints. Paw prints litter the walls and even some of the ceilings. Normally I wouldn't waste such food, but I guess if you have someone who can make plants grow you can afford to have a bit of fun with paint.
Still, it's dangerous. To be so dependent on a single mutation for food during the winters. What happens if Everloo is unable to use it? Or when she dies? And what about nutrients? How filling can food grown in such a way really be? While the apple tasted good to me, I'm still hungry. How many does it take to feed Seta? And while the villa seems to be the lowest in population among the three groups, I doubt that will last. A population boom is bound to happen as mating seasons return. I've been silent for too long and Everloo asks if everything is all right. I tell her yes, but that I must speak with Seta. She seems concerned still, but takes me to him. He's easy enough to find. I greet him with a nod and he dismisses those he was speaking to.
"I don't think the villa and I are a good match." I inform him without hesitation. He nods.
"I figured as much." There's no surprise in his voice. Or hostility. Perhaps he wasn't cold to me because he didn't trust me. Maybe he knew I wouldn't stay. "Giving up part of your diet is a lot to ask of an individual. I know you noticed our lack of carnivores." He flicked his tail. "No doubt Restless has led you to believe it's because of bias." It has. "I have no personal grudges against those who eat meat. But I will not put aside my belief that violence of any kind must be eliminated in order to have a peaceful world. We have a few carnivores who have chosen this change and they do quite well, if I say so myself." I refrain from pointing out that it's only been a few months and that it may change in a couple years. "This is proof that the decision to eat meat is just that: a decision." Lowering his head, I stretch a bit to see him better. "I won't tell you that your decision is wrong, or even an evil one. But it's not one I will condone. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you didn't turn right around and head for Sherwood when I said hunting was prohibited." Something glimmers in his eyes. Amusement? Raising his head again, he turns his gaze towards the lake. "That being said, I'm sure you're still hungry. Moonlit's territory ends at the Broken Path. I'm not sure if you saw it, but there's a human campsite around the Great Willow. I'm sure you can shelter there for the night if you'd like. And head back tomorrow." I dip my head in thanks and accept. Seta leads me to the border and bids me farewell.
~~~
The campsite is easy enough to find when I'm looking for it. Admittedly, I hadn't noticed it during the gathering. But I argue that's because my attention was elsewhere. This is also a great chance for me to practice more. After my work with Grace, my control has gotten a lot better. Now I want to see if I can cook like I saw my humans. After a quick hunt, I drag the fish over to what I know to be a fire pit, or the remnants of one. Still, considering the pit wasn't that much to begin with it's not a huge change from what it was before. I drag a couple broken branches over as well and place them inside. I try to make a tower the way my humans did it. There's little luck. Bracing up against the stones, I manage to push the metal grate into place, but end up knocking over my tower. Not to mention the grate is lopsided. This makes me miss the bossy shecat, honestly. Her power to move things with relative ease would make this go by much faster. All well. Taking a deep breath, I let a steady stream of flames flow from my jaws to the wood. It catches easily. My training also showed me that I am, in fact, fire proof. I step in and out of the pit, feeding my fire and gently turning my fish every so often. Once the smell starts to make my mouth water, I pull it off and drag it to the lake side. Nothing like a cooked meal and a great view to finish off the day.
Movement across the water catches my attention. Squinting, I can see a small shape step out of the woods and glance back. From this distance I can't be certain, but my instincts tell me it's Grace. Probably trying to escape Kody and/or Mahila. Those two together. I shake my head and continue to eat my fish. Watching curiously, she curls up. An odd place for a nap, but who am I to judge? Of course, my outside naps were because of Oscar's insistent snoring.
Once finished my meal, I sit up and move closer. The figure bolts up and looks around. She stands and retreats into the forest quickly. I wait a couple heartbeats until she comes out to the water's edge. I think she sees me. Letting out a huff, a ring of black smoke rises from around me. Surely she'll know for sure that it's me now. A faint amber glow comes in response. I wonder if she's trying to dunk me in the lake. I chuckle at the thought. Luckily, I'm too far away. A few more heartbeats and she's gone. I head back to the willow grove and knock on a few trees. When one shudders, I ask "May I?" Slowly, it unravels and I slip beneath its roots. As I close my eyes, a thought runs through my head. I'll be back soon.
I awaken to the sound of someone sniffing around my tree. As I sit up, the roots uncurl and I slip out. As soon as I'm out, I'm face-to-face with a white wolf. Their green eyes seem to glow and I'm rooted to the spot. No matter how hard I try, I can't move. My chest feels tight. Then, a second later, the feeling is gone. I let out a huff and smoke billows out. The wolf blinks and sits back. Their eyes are no longer glowing.
"So you're the dream I visited." I give him a questioning look. Dream? What did I dream about? Images flash in my head. My friends; Kody, Mahila, Arlo, and company. Playing, hunting, talking. My time with all three groups, even though it was brief. Ranks and responsibilities. Ideologies and the split it made within the group. Grace. Bossy and secretive, but determined to do the best for Sherwood that she can. Stepping out of the woods and curling up. Eyes glowing, up close and at a distance. Did this wolf see them all? He chuckles and I return my attention to him. "Ah, the way your eyes dart about tells me you're a thinker. Allow me to introduce myself." He licks his chest fur calmly. "I am Fray. My attribute enables me to see other peoples' memories." As I take a step back, he quickly shakes his head. "I assure you I had no intentions of visiting your dream. I know how invasive my powers can be. But sometimes I get pulled in. If it's a particularly important and powerful memory or," a pause and I tilt my head curiously "or a particularly strong mind. Both will call to me. Proximity also makes the pull stronger."
"I haven't seen you around before." I speak at last. "Which group do you belong to?" Fray shakes his head.
"I don't belong to any. For my sake and theirs, I do my best to avoid others. And they do the same." Isn't that lonely? As if reading my thoughts, he lets out a softer chuckle. "I don't mind. I was a lone wolf before. Still, when I was pulled last night I got curious and came to check it out. Are you a loner as well? You obviously know of the three groups in the area, so you're not newly awakened." Well, I sort of am. Compared to everyone else that is. I nod anyways.
"I just finished my trial period. I'm heading back to Sherwood. If you're all alone, where do you live? Not the campsite. I would've smelled you then." His eyes glitter with amusement.
"Oh? What if I'm just really good at hiding my presence? You didn't wake up until I was right outside your tree." I flick my tail.
"Perhaps, but you had to come right up against it to see me." My black pelt blends easily with the shadows the roots cast. He nods in acknowledgement. "So? Your home?" I'm too curious. I don't recall seeing this wolf at the gathering either. Was he invited and just didn't come? Or did he stay away even then in order to avoid being pulled into memories?
"There's a cave northeast of here. With a bit of renovation, it's warm. The lake has a water vein leading into it so I can drink without going too far. Or I can just drink from the river." I'm offered a tour of his home. I'm out and about. I might as well. We both stand and I follow him past the campsite. "Sherwood doesn't really patrol the patch of land between the two bridges, so it's unlikely you would've encountered me coming from the west. And, of course, Moonlit's territory ends at the Broken Path. I guess you could consider me a fourth territory."
~~~
Fray's spot in the cave is nestled into downward slope the hits the wall. Moss covers the floor and branches are wedged up against the walls horizontally. Vines hang down to offer some privacy. I think it's interesting. Carefully, I settle into the nest and look around. The slope keeps me below the wind and, as he's much larger than I, I'm sure the vines offer further protection. Based on the curve of the indent, my guess is the slope was formally inhabited by a large rock. It's cozy at least. Comfortable even. But still..
"What do you do all day?" Tilting my head, I look up at him. It's not as if he has patrols or other mouths to feed. I can understand being okay with being alone, but I would get bored so quickly. I need purpose. He shrugs and I scoot over so he can curl up beside me.
"Oh, various things. I keep an eye on the Great Willow Grove and campsite. I hunt. I make up stories in my head. Sometimes I leave. Some trips may be weeks long and some may only be for a day and a night." My whiskers twitch. Weeks?
"Have you encountered any other groups?" He shakes his head.
"Can't say that I have, not as large as this one anyways."
"Have you...been across the ocean?" Before the incident, my humans used to take summer breaks at the beach. I slept through most of the trip so I didn't know how long it took to reach, but once there I could see another landmass over the water. My humans would visit there sometimes on day trips, but they never took me. If Fray can walk there in a couple weeks... My mind whirled. I've always wanted to visit the other side.
"I haven't, personally, but I'm sure there are some who would be able to take you if you really want to go." Go...do I really want to go? I planned on staying in Sherwood, but the potential to explore new areas is tempting. Maybe I could explore and come back? Being so close to him, I feel his deep laugh run across my pelt. "Your eyes are darting again." He murmurs. "Don't overthink it. Gideon is a reasonable leader. If you want to leave and come back, I'm sure he'd let you." I flick an ear at him.
"That's assuming Gideon is leader if/when I come back."
"Mm. True." We chat a bit longer before he leads me back to the eastern border. I'm surprised when he asks about Grace's wellbeing. While I'm certain he would know of Sherwood's deputy, I wouldn't have thought he would have any attachment to her. I tell him she's doing well and he nods slowly. Even if I'm unsure if I'll get an answer, I ask anyways.
"Did you...see something to make you worry about her?" Strong minded definitely fit Grace's personality. And if the community all lived in the Moonlit Villa at one time, she may have been in close enough proximity to him to have dragged him into a dream-memory like apparently I did. He glances down at me and I don't think he'll respond when he shakes his head.
"Did you...see something to make you worry about her?" Strong minded definitely fit Grace's personality. And if the community all lived in the Moonlit Villa at one time, she may have been in close enough proximity to him to have dragged him into a dream-memory like apparently I did. He glances down at me and I don't think he'll respond when he shakes his head.
"Something like that..."
~~~
Midway in 'the patch' as Fray calls it, we bid farewell and he tells me that I'm welcome back any time. Across the bridge and a few steps into the forest and something heavy lands on my back. Feathers tickle my nose and I sneeze, puffing out smoke.
"I knew you'd come back to us." An airy voice comes from behind my ear. I stand and Mahila hops off of me. "I've been stuck with Miss No-Nonsense and Kody while you were gone."
"Squawk! Puh-lease, don't act like you're better than me." Kody cries indignantly from a tree. An exasperated sigh follows.
"Children." Grace rolls her eyes and pads forward. There's mild amusement on her face, though and I know she's fond of them. While she likes to talk about how she can't stand their antics, I know she enjoys their light heartedness because I'm the same way.
"Where are the feathers we gave you?" Mahila circles me curiously. If she were human, I imagine she'd have her hands on her hips. I shake my head and inform her they were deemed 'decorations' by the residents of Restless and they were taken away. Kody huffs.
"Decorations! Mahila plucked that from me." Of course, I know Kody wouldn't have issues with 'useless' trinkets. He is a crow after all and those are notorious for collecting shiny objects. Grace shushes them and regards me carefully.
"So? Are you officially joining us?" Am I? Before, I was so sure. But after talking with Fray... I ask to speak with Gideon first and she nods. Turning on her heels, she leads the way back to Sherwood. I ask them how they knew I was coming back, I am early after all, and Kody explains that Gideon saw me and sent them to retrieve me.
~~~
As I enter Gideon's room, I'm struck with a sense of deja vu. He uncurls himself in the afternoon sun and blinks at me calmly.
"Welcome back, Evankhell." He speaks in his slow murmur. My whiskers twitch.
"Did you know I'd come back?" If he had shoulders, I'm sure he would shrug them.
"I figured asss much. While you were only with uss for a short time, I gathered enough about you to know you're neither extreme of the three groupss. Which meant we would, inevitably, be your choice." While I'm not sure I believe it, I just nod.
"Kody said you saw me coming..?" It's his turn to nod. "Was I..?"
"I saw you and Fray, yess. What did you make of him?" Gideon slithers closer. I'm not sure which eyes I find more unnerving, Gideon's gold ones or Lunaria's red ones.
Considering who they're attached to, for now I'd have to go with Gideon. Lunaria has too fiery of a temper, too predictable, for me to be as intimidated by her as I'm sure her underlings are. But this snake? I'm struggling to get a read on him. Meanwhile he seems to have me all figured out, or his future sight has been giving him an edge. Maybe both. I don't know the extent of his mutation so I can't tell what he would have been able to see. Did he know I'd encounter Fray before I did in the first place? Or did he simply see a vision of us walking together back to Sherwood? The patch of land would have been pretty recognizable in a vision, what with rivers on either side of it.
Considering who they're attached to, for now I'd have to go with Gideon. Lunaria has too fiery of a temper, too predictable, for me to be as intimidated by her as I'm sure her underlings are. But this snake? I'm struggling to get a read on him. Meanwhile he seems to have me all figured out, or his future sight has been giving him an edge. Maybe both. I don't know the extent of his mutation so I can't tell what he would have been able to see. Did he know I'd encounter Fray before I did in the first place? Or did he simply see a vision of us walking together back to Sherwood? The patch of land would have been pretty recognizable in a vision, what with rivers on either side of it.
"He's interesting. And nice. I was thinking of following his advice and exploring this new world more rather than settle right away." I don't beat around the bush. It would be a waste of both our times. Once again, he doesn't seem surprised.
"I underssstand. You're more than welcome to do what makess you happy." We're face to face now and I refuse to back away. His tongue flickers out. "But, I have a requesst." I wait to hear it out. "Pleasse, take Grace with you if you go."