"What?!" Marshall, Dania, and I all blurted out at once.
If this were a high school drama Isola would have adjusted her glasses with flare.
"I will start at the beginning and tell you what I think. Whether that puts your mind's at ease is up to you." She stated.
I was still speechless. Marshall was silent as usual. Thankfully Dania spoke up.
"Fair enough. Tell us what you think." Dania said.
"Usually the ones blessed by the gods are identified when they transform, right?" Isola said, adding the 'right' to ensure we all knew this.
Marshall and Dania nodded affirmatively, however I did not know this. I knew they were identified early on, but not how they were identified.
Isola, noticing my lack of an answer decided to explain.
"When a Demi-human comes of age, they transform for the first time. It's after this transformation that they take on the attributes of their beast. However, that first transformation can tell you a lot about them. This how the blessed ones are identified. Their beasts tend to be larger than average, and have a unique birthmark on the left hind leg. After the first transformation, the tattoo is transferred to the demi-human body as well as the beast body. That is how we know who they are." She looked at me to make sure I was understanding.
I nodded to indicate that I followed her so far.
"Well," Isola continued, "Since you have never transformed, you wouldn't have a birthmark. Due to how weak you said your body was, it's no wonder he didn't force a transformation, I still wouldn't do it even now. So obviously he performed the Ka'an Chiua to assess your vitality. If he described you as a 'bottomless well' then you might be something like we have never seen before. You might be one blessed by the gods… but even they don't have limitless powers. From the weakest one who has but 2 mates, to the strongest who has 9 mates… there is always a limit to their vitality." Isola said, pensively
"So…" I said, kind of confused but still following her logic, "I am similar to those who are blessed, but…?"
"But you have the potential to be stronger than anyone we have ever seen. Possibly stronger than anyone since the progenitors." Isola said, looking at me like she wanted to pull me apart and see how i worked.
"Marshall's uncle told me about the progenitors." I said.
"Did he now?" Isola said, looking suspicious, "Was this after the ritual?"
"Actually no, he mentioned it along the way there." I said back.
"Interesting topic of discussion…" She held her chin and leaned in to stare at me, "Do tell, what made him decide to tell you that story?"
"Marshall was slipped a potion that made him a little…" I looked at Marshall and saw a slight blush creeping up his face, "crazy. I noticed that his eyes flashed a different color and we were able to break the spell. Dr. H thought that I could see traces of Mana."
Isola rolled on her back and squealed like a school girl. She was over-the-moon excited about this whole situation. She sat up quick and in a flash she was right in my face again.
"Do you know what this means?!" She said, excitedly with her tail swishing behind her.
"Um.. no?" I said back, a little stunned at her sudden closeness.
"It means that me and you are going to be good friends for a while." She said, with a manic smirk on her face.
*. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *
We arranged the temporary residence as best we could to allow everyone privacy. I felt a little awkward to be sharing a bed with Marshall while Dania was just on the other side of the room in her hammock. It was dark out by the time we finished making our tree leaf screen which served as a room divider.
"This should work." I said, looking proudly at our handiwork. Marshall fetched the sticks and leaves for us, Dania shredded and wove long grass for the thread, and I worked on sewing the leaves together using my makeshift needle (made from a fish bone I got from Isola).
"Won't help with the noises though." Dania said, nudging me with her elbow and giving me a sly smirk.
I blushed scarlet and pushed her away, "What you are implying won't happen!"
"Uh-huh." She winked as she disappeared around the screen and hopped up in her hammock.
Marshall sat on the bed, tail wagging, watching me intently. Clearly he AND Dania were having the same thoughts about how this evening was going to go.
"It's not going to happen, Marshall. Just sleep. That's all!"
His tail slowed down a bit, but he still looked happy. I walked over to the bed and was hit with his scent again. Why was it suddenly so powerful? My body reacted in such a weird way, like it was simultaneously relaxed and turned on at the same time. It felt like some kind of drug, making me want to melt into his arms. I stopped moving and held my head, feeling a little dizzy.
'You can feel it too?' I hear Marshall's voice in my head.
I looked up at him, feeling the dizziness intensify, "what…?"
'Do you understand why it was so hard to control myself around you? The bond is powerful.' His silky voice spoke in my head again. He moved closer to me, staring at me with darkened eyes.
I couldn't even process what he was saying, I felt lightheaded and the room started spinning. "Marshall… something's not right…" I whispered as I fell into the bed. "I feel…" before I could finish that sentence, I leaned over the edge of the bed and vomited.
I heard Dania and Marshall calling out to me, but I felt like I was in a daze. I felt myself being moved, and rocked violently. I felt the cool night air on my clammy skin, which was a relief. Then, just darkness.
*. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *
I woke up with a sour taste in my mouth and felt like I had a hangover. There were slivers of light streaming in through the gaps in the shutters. I felt fur underneath me and realized that I was laying on the rug in Isola's house.
I grabbed my pounding head as I sat up, "Ugh.. What happened?"
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to my left. I was face to face with a nosy Isola.
"Aaah!!!" I yelped in surprise.
"Good morning. How are you feeling today?" Isola asked, completely unperturbed.
"Like I have a hangover." I said, grumpily.
"Interesting." She replied, continuing to stare at me.
"What happened to me?" I asked her.
"I can't be sure, but I'm guessing that you were overwhelmed by the mate bond. You body can't handle such things yet." Isola said as she rocked back on her heels and stood up, offering a hand to help me up.
"Why not?" I asked her as she helped me up.
Her expression softened, as if she was looking at a cute kitten, "Because," she tapped my nose with each word she spoke next," You. Are. Too. Weak!"
She then patted my head and turned to head into the kitchen. I followed her.
"I've gotten so much stronger though!" I said to her, "How can I still be so weak?"
"Physical strength and spiritual strength are not the same." She told me. "You need to train your body and soul synchronously. This is why you need to train with Ishi." Her ears flicked, I felt mine react the same way as we heard a sound approaching. "Speaking of which."
By the time Isola reached the door, Ishi burst in and nearly knocked her sister out with the door. She was a slender and very attractive woman, but she was as menacing as the devil himself. I swear I could see flames erupt from her eyes as she looked down at me and said, "You are late."
"I.. uh.." I was stammering, trying to apologize, I felt the hair on my body stand on end as she approached me.
"Ishi! Take it easy, she was sick last night." Isola said from behind the door, rubbing her forehead that was now red from the impact of the door.
"You appear to be fine now." She said, standing less than a foot away from me and not breaking eye contact. "Let's go."
She grabbed the collar of my tunic and dragged me out like a mother cat carrying her kitten.
Isola called after us, "Mika, come back here tonight! Right after training! You are staying here until you get stronger!"
I heard Ishi grunt in frustration and tug me a little harder. For such an elegant beauty she sure was brusque.
She took me to the far end of the city before she finally released my collar. I hadn't been this far before since there were no shops this way. Ahead of me was an amazing sight. There was a huge tree, or maybe it was a bunch of small trees, it was hard to tell. It had grown in a circle from the ground up, leaving a large enclosed grassy area at ground level, creating a natural colosseum of sorts. Sunlight cascaded down and it was a beautiful sight.
"This is where we train." she said to me, noticing my awe.
"It's beautiful." I said, honestly, looking up at her with a smile.
"It's functional. Let's go." She said in her usual attitude. She then grabbed my collar and tossed me over the edge, into the colosseum.
I screamed in surprise, but landed steadily on my feet. Ishi landed a few feet away and looked at me with a smirk.
"At least you have good reflexes."
"Why did you throw me?!" I asked, half embarrassed and half agitated
"How else would you have gotten down?" She asked smugly
I looked around and noticed that there were no stairs, so the only way in and out was to jump.
"Let's get started." She said, drawing my attention back to her. She seemed oddly satisfied to have me alone in the training arena with no escape.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARSHALL POV:
I knocked on the bamboo door of Isola's house for the 20th time and continued waiting for a response. I have been out here for probably an hour and she hasn't answered. Dania told me that she never leaves her house so she should be here.
I sighed and sat down on the platform outside her house. I'm worried about Mika. Last night she got sick and passed out. I heard someone approaching so I looked up. Dania came up the stairs with a basket full of food and snacks.
"Oh! What are you doing out here, silly wolf?" Dania said.
"I don't think she's home." I replied.
"Sure she is. Move over." Dania pushed past me and called out at the door, "Isola! It's Dania and Marshall. Open up."
The door swiftly opened and Isola waved us in. I looked around and saw no traces of Mika. I could faintly catch her scent though.
Dania went right in and made herself at home, putting away the food and such. I turned towards Isola who seemed to care less about what was going on.
"Is Mika not here?" I asked.
"No, she's not." Isola said, crossing her arms, not caring to elaborate.
"Where is she?" I asked.
"She is with my sister, but you can not see her." Isola told me.
I don't see why I wouldn't be able to see her, she is my mate. I couldn't think of a good reason why she would say that so I I decided to ask, "Why?"
Isola sighed as if she was tired of stating the obvious, "Because being around you makes her sick."
"Since when?" She wasn't sick the other day in the woods…
"Since you became mates. She isn't strong enough to withstand the bond yet, you impatient wolf." She chastised me and used a rolled up bundle of papers to hit me on the head.
I grabbed my head and apologized, since I didn't know what else to do. "Ow… sorry. I didn't know."
"If you had bothered to consult me first then you might have! She is in my care!" Isola said, looking like a fierce mother cat.
"When can I see her, then?" I asked, cowering from the bundle of papers she held.
"When I say so. Until she gets stronger she will stay here with me! Now get out and don't come back unless I call for you." She waved the rolled up papers in my direction and I fled.