Chapter 15: Gurion

The next day, the Elder Healer approached me with a baffled expression on her face, carrying the cute little hatchling in her hand.

She asked curiously, "Ari, did you do something to this hatchling last night—his condition became stable right after you visited him while I was brewing the herbs for him?"

"Nothing, I just patted his head a little, but I promise I washed my hands before doing so and did not use my gloves, then I left the room to go to sleep early," I nervously answered.

"Oh, really?" she gasped, excited upon hearing that my condition didn't get triggered when touching the hatchling, and she asked, "You touched this hatchling with your bare hands, and you didn't get ill afterwards?"

"Yes, Grandma Lony, I didn't—I slept well after," I replied.

She then asked, "Would you like to try holding him for a while—I want to check if your condition is stable when holding a male hatchling?"

I nodded and took the hatchling from her hand.

She observed me as I held the sleeping hatchling in my hand.

"Grandma Lony, can I name him?" I asked.

"Sure—it seems he is also comfortable with you, and you seemed good while holding him," she replied happily, smiling sweetly.

"I want to name him Gurion, and if possible, can I raise him?" I asked, looking at the little hatchling in my hand. "I want to take care of him until he becomes old enough to take care of himself,"

"You can ask the Alpha for permission first once he goes back from the meeting at lunchtime—I will also report to him some good news regarding you and Gurion," she said, smiling.

We waited for my father to arrive, and the Elder Healer talked to him in private to report a few things regarding me and Gurion, but I don't think she asked my father's permission for me to take care of the hatchling.

I went to my father and hugged him while still holding Gurion after he and the Elder Healer talked at a distance.

He asked, patting my head while smiling, "He looks better now than yesterday—did you help the Elder Healer take care of that little hatchling?"

"I did it because he looks so cute, and I petted him last night, but I suddenly felt so sleepy, so I went to bed early," I replied excitedly, and then I told him about how I slept so well that night that I woke up too late the next day. "Sorry I didn't wake up early to accompany and help you today, Father—I don't know why I was so lethargic till this morning."

"It's alright," he replied with a smile.

I then started telling him how we fed him some milk given by the lactating female mothers and elders in the nursery and how I thought he wouldn't survive. "But he miraculously became healthy overnight, according to Grandma Lony—I felt so happy seeing him healthy like this," I added before excitedly asking permission to keep the hatchling, "Can I keep him?"

He immediately replied angrily, "No!"

I was stunned. It was the first time my father had gotten so emotional about one of my requests. I wasn't even sure what impression I had made at that time.

My eyes got wet, and I was about to cry, not because I was rejected but because I was suddenly scared at the thought of my father getting angry at me because of my absurdity.

His expression softened when he looked at my surprised face. He sighed a few times, thinking carefully about how to redeem the situation.

He sighed while taking the hatchling from my hand, grabbing Gurion's scruff, and raising him in the air. "Ari, dear, you do know this is a male beastman, even if he is still a hatchling, right?"

I pouted as I replied, "Yes, Father."

"You also know you were still too young to keep a hatchling," he said, and I nodded in agreement while looking down. "I can hunt and tame a pet for you, but this is not a pet but a little beastman—do you understand?"

Gurion looked helpless while looking at me as if he were begging me to get him back.

"Okay, Father, I understand," I replied as I frowned, then walked away from my father with a defeated look.

He was taken aback. He placed Gurion on the table, then chased after me and hugged me.

He stated emotionally, as if he were afraid of something: "You can still visit him in the nursery often if you like, and you can play with him and bring him here to learn herbs with the Elder Healer once he has grown enough to communicate properly, but we just can't keep him here all the time—you can also adopt him officially, only once you have already come of age."

"Okay, Father," I replied, then hugged him back.

The Elder Healer shouted as she finished preparing lunch, "I'm done preparing the food; let's eat!"

I took Gurion from the table, who almost got scalded by the newly heated food on the table, then sat beside my father. My father always glanced at my hand as I stroked Gurion's back while we were eating.

After eating, he took Gurion from me and observed me as if he were confirming something.

"Take a nap, and I will take this brat to the nursery now," he suggested as he took the hatchling to the nursery in haste.

My father was right. I suddenly felt exhausted, as if my energy was drained for some reason I don't understand, but I was sure that my father knew the reason.

I decided to ask him the next day and took an afternoon nap to regain my strength.

When I woke up, it was already morning the next day. I was shocked upon seeing the sun rise.

My father was sleeping on the chair just beside my bed. He seemed exhausted and stressed out.

He opened his eyes upon hearing the rustle of my wooden bed as I sat down.

"Awake?" he asked with a worried tone. "Are you hungry?"

My stomach suddenly grumbled loudly, making me embarrassed in front of my father. I nodded while looking away due to the awkwardness.

He laughed as he sighed in relief. Sure enough, I made him worry for a reason I didn't quite understand. He prepared a light vegetable soup for me to eat and then sat beside me while I was eating my food.

He asked, "Do you understand why I refused to keep Gurion by your side for a long time?"

I shook my head, baffled by the connection between Gurion and my sudden exhaustion.

He asked eagerly for confirmation: "I can see your energy being transferred to the hatchling while you were petting him a few times; though unnoticeable by a normal beastman, I believe you can see a faint light glistening as you stroke his head—am I correct?"

"I thought it was just my imagination, so I didn't mind it," I replied in confusion. "Isn't it that only males have the ability to transfer energy to others?"

Only males have the ability to transfer or share energy with other beastmen, but they can never perform healing using this method. Hence, they can use this method to prolong the life of another beastman in dire condition until a cure is provided.

He insisted, "It's true, but promise me not to tell anyone—someone might take advantage of your ability, and I'm not sure how long I can protect you inside the tribe."

I agreed and limited my contact with Gurion until he became healthy.

After Gurion fully recovered, I always went to the nursery after accompanying my father on his daily tasks. I played with him, took good care of him like a sister would, and we grew up together despite his stay in the nursery.