He's Here

Warmth suddenly lifts from the grounds and dances gleefully all around me. Mother's out now for Harvest so I'm alone here… again. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to feel from what I've seen. From what Mother did. Certainty isn't dimming on me. What did she even do? Is that one of her healing spells? She hasn't spoken about anything like that in any of our lessons so that's probably an advance magic or something. Teleportation? That's probably it. She teleported that poor bird back outside after she healed it. That must be it. I may need to ask her about that just to ease this undesirable feeling of confusion.

          I decided to visit the library to read more stories about the Beast of Hiraya. It's starting to tickle my interest even more so I want to engross my attention to its lore. Maybe I can learn something worthwhile. However, I can feel that I'm being watched. I slowed my pace, trying to evaluate the situation. I'm on high alert. Even a gentle drop of leaf will not be safe from my senses. I've trained for years for this moment but I can't stop my legs from shaking. I scan the area: Looking up, glancing down, and inspecting from east to west. Nothing. But I still feel a sense of… longing. I ought to feel that it's something sinister but my guts say otherwise. My feet, as if having a mind of its own, walk towards the cave's pathway. If there's something off-putting here, it's most likely lurking somewhere in the abyss-like state of that area.

          "Hello?" I called out, circling my hands at the edges of my mouth, hoping my voice would sound more profound. Nothing. It's just pitch black and coldness in there. It can't be Mother. She just got out and it's still too early for her to come back. Whatever it is, I hope it's not something like the ones she told me to be wary of. It's probably just a bunny, right? How I wish it is.

          Flashes of a pair of golden lights glimmer in the distance. They're looking as sharp as knives hovering in the darkness of the pathway. They are eyes and there's no doubt they're watching me. A sense of trepidation overwhelms me that my body isn't listening to me pleading to it to run and hide somewhere safe. I feel stones blocking my throat making me unable to scream. Every bone in my body starts to seem brittle and even a single sudden movement will render me in a vegetated state. I stand my ground and watch it watch me back. It's getting closer.

          There's no way it's Dalakethnon. He's just a myth. A legend. A children's fable. This isn't how I'll die. I refuse. Not when I haven't seen the great outdoors again. I will not fall without retaliation. I must stand my ground and protect myself. There's no time for me to let the fear linger. Fight! "Saints." I mutter under my breath, trying to grab my daggers but they're not here. I usually have multiple sheaths of them across my torso but I just remembered I unbuckled them before doing gardening with Mother, leaving them lying on my bed. Just my luck.

          A deep guttural growl echoes from inside the pathway. It's preparing to strike. What on earth can I do? Fight it with my bare hands? That's suicide, instant death. No one in their right mind has the strength to fight the beast barehanded while drenched with unfathomable fear. Mother wouldn't be able to say her farewells to his only child. I'm long dead as soon as she comes back from her Harvest and she'll probably avenge me and kill the beast in my stead. I know she's powerful enough to do so. I just hope that she'll learn that I didn't go down cowardly. I will not make the job of slaughtering me as easy as predators hunting for their prey. I will not fall without a proper fight. I motion myself to my combat stance, and lift an arm, gesturing my fingers at it to come and brace myself for impact. Thinking about it, this is going to be my first and, if unfortunate enough, my last actual combat. I hope my training amounts to something. It blasts towards me. I hear its every rampaging footsteps as they touch the ground. I can feel their heaviness all the way here. It's coming.

          Closing my eyes, I couldn't help myself to surrender my bodily functions to terror as I awaited my untimely demise. I expect it to thrash me with its immeasurably strong assaults, mangling every muscle in my body, and leaving me to die and rot right where I'm standing. However, I feel its touch, careening from my chest to my back. Then, I hear a deep, heavy yet calm purring. Something soft caresses my face. It's like a fuzzy pillow you wake up on every morning. I unintentionally blurt out a giggle as it reaches the back of my right ear where I get easily ticklish. I slowly open my eyes and what a great surprise it is. Readying to pounce directly at my face, my jaw drops in awe-filled disbelief.

          "Masid!" He pounces at me, rubbing his head intently on mine. He misses me and I do miss him too. A huge lot. I bear-hug him as he playfully nudges on my chest, arms, and then my back. We fell to the ground simultaneously. I never laughed so hard all this time. I've never been this ecstatic. I always believe that he'll come back one day but I can't deny that there's a pinch of doubt with that notion. All those worries are gone now. Masid is really here. I can't wait for Mother to see him alive and doing so well. We started to play fight like we used to do when we were still both young and not giving any mind to the world around us.

          I can't believe this. Masid is back. I won't be lonely anymore. Well, I wasn't ever truly lonely because of Mother but having my own companion is a different tale. I can see that he has matured all these years. From a small, frail, and cutesy cub, he has matured. He has become a full-grown forest cat similar to the ones I envisioned him to be with my earlier wooden carvings of him. His massive frame towers mine, his paws seem to be sculptured to perfection to hold those lethal claws of his, and his coat became even darker than the shadows now. It appears to be at par with the abyss. But, he's still the Masid I know and love. I wonder where he was all this time. Was he just roaming around town? What happened to him when the townspeople burned our home? How did he manage to survive that and get here unscathed? I bet Mother already has the knowledge of them all but those aren't important right now. I'm just beyond elated that Masid is back. I have to say it often to believe it.

          "I missed you, boy!" We find ourselves kneeling against the huge tree in the middle of the cave, relaxing. He looks at me, considering me for a minute. It's as if he's mirroring my sentiments. I pat his head and he rests it back on my lap. I never knew this day would come. I almost got to the point where I was ready to leave my memories of him behind and accept that he's not coming back but the Gods seem to have other plans. For that, I'm eternally grateful.

          I usher Masid to the entire cave so he can be familiarized with it like I did. I know he'll also fall in love with this place. I'll have him witness my progress as well both in craftsmanship and in combat. I wonder if I can carve a life-size sculpture of him. I bet I can because why not, right? My excitement intensifies as I plan to show him how great I am now with fighting especially with blades. With his mature frame, I wonder if he can become my sparring partner. That will definitely be wonderful. I can surely learn a thing or two from his animal instincts. After all, black panthers are naturally born predators.

          "I see we have a visitor." Mother says as she comes back from her Harvest with Calista. Her smile is as bright as ever. I know she's tired but she's not letting it show. Calista slithers excitedly towards Masid. That's one of the rare times I see her unwrapping herself from Mother.

          It does look unusual but that unusual friendship has been strengthened through time. A black panther and a black mamba playing around each other is an astonishing sight to behold. It's like they're just kids huffing and puffing about. Mother and I proceed to make supper. I couldn't help but notice that she acquired a few more bruises and scratches across her arms. Noticing me looking at them, she adjusts the sleeves of her cloak to conceal them from sight and pats my head as if telling me I don't need to worry about it but I do. I just look at her with a forced smile, hoping that she can one day tell me what really happens during her Harvest. I know that she gathers crops and herbs for her enchantments and she even forages food for us on the side but I feel it in my heart and bones there's something else happening. One day, I'll find the answer to that.

          "Mother?" I ask as we're about to feast for supper. "Did what you say is true?" I try not to look straight into her face.

          "Which one, my child?" She responds, scooping a plate of salad and handing it over to me. "I tell you a lot of stuff." She chaffs, the light from the fireplace reflects from her white teeth as she smiles.

          "That you really want me to explore the world?" She sits straight back down, her eyes are locked on her empty plate. The sudden tensing of her body that's ever so familiar to me now is happening again as her lips tighten but I can't afford to fear anything at this point. All the terror the day has to offer has been drained down to the ground from my reunion with Masid who I initially thought was a mythical creature.

          "I do, Vatic." She looks at me with a strained smile. "I really do but you why you can't, right?" How can I defy her with that loving tone of hers?

          "I understand, Mother." I offer her a similar smile.

          "Tell you what," A whiff of enthusiasm hastes from her tone. "I have something for you." My excitement skyrockets. It's rare for Mother to give me something when it's not my birthday. Maybe she realizes that Masid's return is enough cause for a celebration. That I don't argue.

          She gestures at Calista and as if she understood, the snake slithers away and comes back into the kitchen gripping something with her tail. It's something shiny. Something gold. I recognize a carving on the coin-shaped material Mother now holds between the palms of her hands. Her necklace dangling on her neck catches my attention as it aggressively reflects the light from the fire behind me as well. I notice the pendant's carving as it slowly reveals itself. The insignia on the pendant is similar to the carving on the item Mother is holding. Intrigue is now fueling my excitement. I can't wait to examine the thing even closer.

          Mother grips the item in her right hand and extends her reach to give it to me. I accept. I reach for her hand with both of mine. I can see the golden material as it falls to my hands, glimmering as it does. "It's a broach." I realize. As expected, it has the same insignia as the pendant Mother has. "Who's it from?" I ask. The ingenuous smile on my face seems to be glued still.

          "It's your Father's." Holding the pendant intently with her left hand and her right resting on her chest, I can see the bottom of her lips quivering. She's about to cry. A burning sensation in my throat sizzles its way up to my nose and straight to my tear ducts. My eyes start to water, making my vision blurry. "More specifically, it's your Father's family crest. Look here, I have the same one." She ardently lifts her pendant to show me the insignia carved on it. "I originally planned to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday but you've been maturing right before my eyes with such haste so I decided that it's the best time for you to have it." A teardrop reveals itself from underneath the black silk cloth that covers her eyes, running towards her chin as it meets some of the freckles on her face.

          "Thank you, Mother."