Brandon awoke with a searing headache and groins of frustration, holding his head as he drank water from the bathroom basin with cupped hands. He arrived home last night and looked for his father in his room while contemplating an excuse for why he was late. He was still thinking about what he should tell his father or Brandon's father about his whereabouts when he sighed and pushed the door open, he still needed time and a fresh to accept his situation about calling himself Brandon while showing that Original Brandon had died.
And all he got from the original was a body and memories, he was an intruder but at the same time, he was Brandon. He saw the old man peacefully sleeping.
Brandon grinned tiredly as he quietly said:
"Sleep tight, Dad"
Brandon closed the door and retired to bed as well. Now that he was awake, he cooked some oatmeal and brewed some morning coffee before taking a broom to clean the place, opening his room and kitchen window, and sniffing the cool, crisp air as he continued on the porch.
After he was done, Brandon knocked on his father's door, and when it opened, he heard a response. He handed the man the oatmeal, expecting what he would ask, and as he took a steaming piece of the fluffy food, he asked:
"So, are you going out again?"
Brandon sighed, adding:
"Pretty much, there are things I have to do for the academy which is opening in the next two days."
Richard gazed at his kid with wariness evident on his face.
"How are you handling Axel's death?"
'Axel' Brandon mused, recalling the youngster who was Original Brandon's friend. Brandon wanted to pretend that he was upset about his family's planned service today, which would run from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, but he didn't feel particularly depressed. Lesley Dorn, who didn't know this guy at all, was aware of how good friends original Brandon had been to the guy, so he needed to act like he cared.
But, as a gesture of goodwill to Original Brandon, Lesley wanted to try to feel anything for him. He took a breath and said:
"I can never tell how I should feel unless I go to the service and pay my condolences, then I will know"
His father continued with a mischievous smile:
"Wow so heartless"
"I am not that heartless?" Bran replied with a ponderous expression.
"Unemotional men are fearful and lonely, show care and diligence your heart will be heavy a bit with joy. Don't be afraid to show something that is beyond your normal routine"
Brandon glanced at his father, perplexed. Richard chuckled and exclaimed:
"You should consider this service as a lost cause; expressing passion for something makes us human and fallible. Go see the family, express your concerns, and care about the person you lost."
"But I am not human," said Bran.
Richard's smile was gone and looked at Brandon with a cold shivering stare and spoke:
"To me you are, don't forget that"
After that, he motioned for Brandon to depart and take a bath as he ate. Brandon smiled and waved as he entered the shower while putting on his mask which hid his emotions with a slight frown, The shower was rapid and hot enough to give him the energy to last a long time washing away his fatigue. He ran out of his house wearing a blue jean jacket, a green cap, comfortable slacks, black boots, and a white shirt.
These garments did not appear to be appropriate for a good friend's service. Because he wasn't heading to the burial right away, he grabbed a pager that the original had carried as a backup.
He stepped out of the house and toward the construction structure, not realizing that two individuals were watching him leaving his home. Rail got out his phone and called someone while hiding in an alley with Kalan.
The call has been answered:
"Talk with me," said a man on the other end.
"The husk left for the construction building again but with different clothing" went over Rail.
"You got his scent?"
Rail motioned for Kalan to follow the Husk and added:
"Kalan is following"
"Good, keep an eye out for that treacherous b*tch and also keep your distance"
"Will do," Rail responded, taking the call and following Kalan's track.
Brandon strolled on the quiet streets as usual; he was used to the lack of people in this suburb, so he was perplexed as to why two people were following him with a considerable space between them.
Even if he was in a different body, his training and instincts still exist everywhere.
He noticed the person with a blue Mohawk following him after he left his residence, and the diminutive man followed him after he passed the floating bubble house. He wasn't shocked, given that Brandon had created so many enemies, including Agent 6, wealthy men and women, the police, and Axel's family if they knew about what he had done. He had no idea who these two men were or who had ordered them to follow him.
He took out his pager and promptly texted Ashley to be on the lookout for any strangers who might come by during the day while she was caring for his father. He did not panic or adjust his pace at all, he kept the same speed and walking pattern.
He approached the construction building and inwardly asked the void:
"Can those feline sense when Curse's body is active?"
"Not really unless they are class 4 or 5 beings," said the void as he added with an inquiry that needed confirmation. "Do you wish to activate Curse's body?"
Brandon thought for a bit as he mounted the steps, and then asked:
"In that form will I be able to stretch my limbs, yes?"
"Only your wooden ones, nothing else"
"Great, how much length can I stretch?"
"Less than 3 to 5 kilometers" it replied.
Brandon smiled as he approached the top and end floors, then asked:
"Can you make my limbs to be more elastic like rubber?"
"Yes, but this is a one-time affair, Brandon or Lesley. "You must gain an understanding of your power I can't keep lending my experiences to you," Void stated.
Brandon brought his hands together and whispered Curse's body; his eyes went purple, and smoke poured from his mouth as he darkly smirked. To those who could see him now, Brandon appeared to be a demon ravenous for ecstasy and passion.
His arms and legs still looked the same as when they were sliced off by the Wight. Brandon's feelings did not surface as if his previous limbs weren't vital to him now that they had been replaced. He still pondered why his sorrow and torment felt muffled at times; on the roof, there were unfinished building structures.
Some blocks held steel as support. Brandon felt a thrill that told him to reach out and grab the support steel; he immediately removed his jacket and knotted it around his hips, ensuring that his cap was tightly attached to his head.
As he reached out, the tingle became frenetic and itchy; then he felt calm and was drawn toward something, which he gripped after a time. He repeated the process on the opposite side support block, grasping both blocks as they were steeled to the ground.
Then he gently pulled back. Lesley had once been a fan of Marvel's Spider-Man and One-Punch character Luffy. It wasn't because they were the most popular characters in pop culture; rather, he admired their abilities and how they applied them to the world.
Currently, Brandon couldn't help but think about Miles Morales from Marvel's Spider-Man 2 game. He was enamored with the way Miles and Peter used their webs in a slingshot formation which they propel themselves. Brandon recalled Miles and Peter's actions and came up with a single phrase that he went by:
"Leave your concerns behind and enjoy the air. "You are free; you are freedom."
He then let go as his torso was dragged forward, legs in the air, hands and arms behind him. Brandon's speed was quick due to the momentum of the release; he was gliding while the air assaulted his eyes nonstop as his eyes watered.
He lowered his head to look down, and he saw the woodland toward the inner city district. The sounds of people talking and the horns of passing cars were not as muffled as they once were. Brandon wanted to yell who like Spider-Man, but he held off on doing so until he mastered this. He had already passed the marketplace where the man sold apples and other foods.
Brandon's purple eyes possessed a weird capacity that was difficult to explain; he could see what was behind him as he soared, as well as what was in front of him and above him, a unique perception that comes with a cursed body.
His sense of sight felt omniscient since he could see and know everything as long as his gaze was focused on what he needed to see. Brandon was gazing down on the city when all of a sudden he felt his tingle return. He didn't even turn to look where the sensation was begging to look.
He quickly attempted to reach his hand toward the itch, but his wooden hand-stretched and grasped onto something as he moved in that way due to the force of the pull. He changed his course and headed in the direction where his hand grasped.
Brandon prepared for collision on the windows as his eyes spotted a building in the way, but to his astonishment, his outstretched hand was pulling him up the building, He swiftly used his other hand in conjunction with his leg to soften the impact. Brandon immediately ran up the building as the stretched hand pulled him high up the rush of the air made him run faster and harder.
After a while, Brandon landed on ornamental concrete pebbles and observed a door leading into the building. Brandon looked up into the sky before calmly stepping to the structure's edge.
The city looked gorgeous, giving an everlasting glow that made this spot appear serene from a distance. He looked to his left and noticed a black tower towering penetrating the sky.
The left side was dim and gloomy, adding to the city's mystique and chill, whereas the right side was a mix of nature, with green flora and white rooftops from buildings and flats that allowed for sunlight.
A gated park loomed to his front, buildings off to one side formed the main thoroughfare for passing traffic, and he could still hear people complaining from higher above. Elves, Goblins, humans, and vampires are unharmed by the sun, but the thought faded as quickly as it entered my thoughts.
He remembered because of the innumerable memories; Alice had told him about a ring she wore during the day. The ring was a device that lessened the effects of direct sunlight; nevertheless, it did not eliminate the sun's effects on their abilities, rendering them feeble.
Brandon smiled as the memory was now perfectly organized in his head. Some of Original's memories remained fractured and shattered, needing to be glued together; one day, they would slowly assemble to form a picture he could remember.
Brandon's mouth emitted purple smoke, and he then posed a question he didn't always have to ask:
"What is up with the smoke?"
"It's curse body eating at your Factor core's energy, the more smoke you produce the more Curse takes over your body"
Brandon gulped a mouthful of saliva before asking:
"What do you mean by take over?"
The emptiness was calm, and added:
"Curse body carries beneficial and bad effects. The most evident benefit is that the Curse body provides you with stored power from the curse within while using your factor's core as a bridge to take over your body because the core is related to the soul and body.
The more you utilize Curse Body, the more it takes over, and Curse Body has been essential to activating your plant-based skills since you planted the tree, which acts as a catalyst to give you new abilities to unlock the more you eat the curse's fruits.
Those fruits assist you in mastering the curse, which will eventually become a variable that syncs with your body as both an aid and a destroyer if you exercise caution when using the ability. But it's fine; I'm working on a technique to make these effects more favorable, and the curse becomes a part of your everyday body with catastrophic or fatal repercussions."
Brandon thought as he gained an understanding of his power:
I must, in other words, learn to use my energy wisely and avoid depleting my core, which is where it is stored. By planting trees near my core, I create a bridge that allows the curse to interact more effectively with my spirit and body while causing no harm. Please wait a minute...What would happen if I turned the curse into an additional organ that depends on the core, just as my body depends on my heart, brain, and other organs?
Brandon felt a fresh sense of exhilaration as he shouted:
"This is awesome" Brandon took a starting run up with a lingering sense, which caused some of his fractured memory to piece itself together quickly, as he remembered where the city cemetery was.
He hurried and jumped from the top of the building, yelling the word he wanted to say:
"Whooooooooooo" came from his lungs as gravity drew him down toward the ground, without the help of the sensation that itched at his thoughts. Brandon extended his hand and gripped the wall of a building as he propelled his body with one hand as he raced out of the park at breakneck speed, making him appear like a jet passing by to bystanders as they observed an unknown source shouting Whoo in the air.
Brandon used his limb with perfect control as he grasped a tree on the ground inertia stopped his glide due to his grip strength and returned him to the ground at the same speed as he left off.
He then had a thought as he was about to land on the ground, 'How do I land without being seen' Luckily where the tree was located in the park was empty and didn't have anyone nearby all thanks to the crazy perception of the curse body.
Because of his previous understanding of the situation, Brandon was able to learn from the excellent swinging games and was familiar with the landing mechanism.
He extended his right hand and grabbed onto a tree before turning his body and using his other hand to grab another tree in a slingshot form shooting for the skies, but this time toward the earth.
Brandon was quickly nearing the ground, his legs shortened to soften the landing, as he let go of the trees and his hands returned to their former form.
He landed on his feet and instantly performed a safety roll to reduce the shock of landing while avoiding ruining his clothing.
Brandon unfastened his jacket and looked to a tall tree to the walkway leading to the cemetery. He sighed and put his hands on his face as he removed his hand, Brandon was now in character.
***
At the cemetery of Saint Forlan's recreation park,
Nevel was dressed in a white suit with a fancy pattern with black spots, which he pulled significantly. He felt confined in the suit, but he had to put up with it since he wanted to show his respects to his late brother. Nevel was a very bright youngster growing up; he could have been a person of tremendous aspiration if he had looked to the light that was shining to entice people with amazing lessons.
But, tragically, Nevel succumbed to his animalistic side, which had a limiter named Tempt. A person of the Were race is said to be tempted by Tempt to crave power through organizing, subduing, or protecting other groups. This may be because Tempt's factor began to blossom early in infancy which is very rare. Nevel didn't know who he was or what to do with this.
Sometimes a Factor awakens when you start cultivating the energy within and forcing an awakening, but this only happens when you get a preview at 15 years old, and you are expected to be at Class 2 of your Race when you are 18 or 19 years old, but Nevel advanced when he was only twenty years old, which may have caused a bottleneck that made him slow down his advancement and also discourage him to advancement until he did a forceful advancement after he found out about his brother.
There were approximately ten classes for each race to surpass to attain immense power, thus for the time being, I will discuss five classes for the Were race.
Class 1: Aspirant
Class 2: Hybrid
Class 3: Materialist
Class 4: Spiritualist
Class 5: Night Stalker
Class 1 Aspirants already have an enchanted body, unlike the typical humanoid.
Owing to the advanced classes' restrictions on their energy and power usage, they possess extraordinary senses of hearing and scent. They can detect sounds up to kilometers away and smell.
So, they can't turn their body parts into respected animals like wolves and cats, nor can they fully transform the Were race's arrogant power, which is only available to hybrids and materialists. But curse Transformation happens at night, sometimes.
A short white tent stood close to the city cemetery's border, and black seats were arranged in rows. The first row is for key family members, the second for the branch of relatives, the third for friends, and the last for those who came to pay their respects.
After washing his hands in a small tab filled with bubbly water held by a sculpture of an angel, Nevel entered the cemetery.
Nevel appeared dried and exhausted when he was seen by family, friends, and close branch relatives; some may believe he was saddened by his brother's death.
But they were far from the reality; he had spent time in the bar's back rooms with some Mixers (1), whom he had been working with for the preceding two days without rest, to drown his anguish.
He wanted to cry without anyone seeing him, but all he could do was stay indifferent. He watched his mother greeting her friends and cousins; she saw him with teary eyes and moved on to see her eldest son, and Nevel grinned with a tingling sensation in his throat clawing to come out.
Nevel was ready to raise his hands to accept his mother's embrace after a long time when he was hit by an unexpected hook to the left cheek. He was knocked to the ground by the hit, clenching his cheek with a grimace and groan. He smiled and went on to say:
"Good to see you too, Old man"
Jeffrey, together with his wife Martha, were his parents. Jeffery was a man with wrinkles all over his body and a mane of straw-colored hair that covered his head with a set of feline ears on his head.
Old guy Jeffery was not pleased to see Nevel here while holding his cane, adding with a hoarse voice:
"Guests are to sit down and will only interact with the family once the service is over"
Nevel was not shocked at all, and he added:
"But friends to the family are allowed to interact with the main family, aren't I a friend?"
His father spat on the ground beside his former son and said:
"Those who are guests to this service are to sit down and wait for the service to start, I wouldn't repeat myself,lf Sir"
Sir, that was a first. To some, being addressed as Sir by a respectable senior was a source of pleasure, but to Nevel, it signified that he was no longer considered a member of this family and was treated as a stranger. He looked to his mother for assistance, but he saw none.
Everyone, even the priest, was watching the tiny family drama in quiet and murmurs; Nevel didn't need his increased abilities to figure out what they were whispering about.
"Is that the Banished kin?"
"Yes, it is"
"He doesn't smell like an Aspirant to me"
"Maybe he advanced a class"
"What shame he has brought to the family; he was regarded as a true heir to achieving the crowned transformation of this prestigious family."
Tom, the guardian, is nothing more than a boy who has been banished.
"Yeah, I know, how is he going to become the Guardian Tom without understanding what it means to guard a lineage or family when he doesn't have one? Wasn't it necessary for the power to have a sense of home and protection?"
"Oh, right you haven't heard, his clan's patriarch deemed him a failure due to the fact he let his limiter take control which had stamped his growth in power and class."
"Yeah, I heard he was immediately cast out after that, Poor kid"
Nevel heard the voices but did not express the rage that was building up. He stood up, darkly grinned, and lowered his head in penance:
"I apologize, Father Jeremy. I was a little melancholy after seeing Ms. Martha because she reminded me of my old mother, who was lost, and you reminded me of my father, who had ridiculous goals about a lost history and used them to mentally crush my brother and me.
For a while, seeing Ms. Martha made me nostalgic; she reminded me of my old mother, who was cruelly lost, and you reminded me of my father, who had idiotic goals about a lost history and used them to mentally ruin my brother and me. All I needed was for him to realize that we were his children, not the reincarnation of a long-dead, bone-rotting, flesh-eating freak of an ancestor who is as good as dead and wishes to stay that way.
After saying that, Nevel departed their sight and took a seat in the back.
Even yet, the rumors circulated among the throng, mostly about how he had treated his elderly father disrespectfully, even though Nevel had come to show his respect.
He ignored the whispers as the throng took their places and listened to the priest speak about Lord Lycan and his children, whether feline, wolf or any other animal.
Although Nevel wanted to make it clear that his family had treated him like a heretic, he didn't want to further tarnish his parents' bond. The service was quick and easy they showed Axel's pictures, and his fake friends talked about him so did his family expect Nevel; now it was time to show some respect by placing a flower in the box, which was gradually being lowered.
Everyone took turns approaching the hole, throwing flowers, and shaking the hands of the matriarch and patriarch. It was now Nevel's time; he took a flower from his inner pocket. He flung the flower with tears, which he swiftly wiped away with the stench of mucus via the use of tissue.
He embraced his mother with a handshake and hug, but he stared at his father with a hint of disdain. He ignored his father till he heard another grumble, this time it was not about him.
***
Brandon was in the throng as they queued up to drop a flower into the hole with the coffin; the guests must first kneel and drop the flower onto the casket before bowing their heads to the family's matriarch and patriarch as a mark of respect and grief.
After the guest's routine, it was Brandon's turn. He knelt close to the hole and dropped a wildflower he'd obtained. He got up, shook himself down, and made his way to the matriarch and patriarch.
He lowered his head to Martha; there was a custom in which you were to bow to show respect and condolences were expressed through the matriarch and patriarch, who would also bow or shake your hand.
They stood motionless as he glanced at the lower body; none of them bent their knees to make a bow.
Brandon sighed and raised his head to observe these two's faces. Brandon's entire body shivered as he glanced at the two parents of his friend.
The matriarch's expression was one of astonishment and dread as she gazed at Brandon for the woman who didn't show too much emotion except for sorrow, whereas the patriarch was a mix of focused malice and murder math.
Although Brandon could handle murder math, he is unable to apply it to someone considerably older than himself due to his past experiences as a soldier, death was experienced.
Brandon bent his head and wanted to leave because he understood what would happen if someone was identified as a Half-breed in this world.
Unfortunately, he was about to find out, when a stately voice with a tinge of gruff shouted:
"You!!! Boy, stop right there"
Brandon paused and did not turn his head; he heard the voice again:
"When you bow you state your name and race, so boy you will come back and do so now!!" he barked.
Brandon was confused, no guest had stated their name. He shrugged then turned and bowed:
"My name is Brandon Wilson, as you can tell by my ears, I am an elf."
The patriarch was the voice, and it was plain what he expected Brandon to say when meeting him. At his son's funeral, he pretended to be uninformed, but he knew what he was.
Brandon internally thought, "Now quo the correction," the answer the elderly guy desired.
The patriarch grinned and continued:
"It's surprising that an Elf would have such a surname if it wasn't influenced by nature. "Your surname sounds more human than elf, half-breed."
Brandon was not surprised by what the old feline had said; he shrugged, sighed, and shook his head.
"Wasn't that obvious sir when I stated my name?"
The patriarch laughed briefly and added:
"What brings your kind here, Husk?"
Brandon bent his head and remarked in a genuine tone:
"I am here to pay my respect for a friend and offer my condolences"
The patriarch spoke in a condescending tone:
"How dare you, Husk, claim to be a friend of my beloved child. Your kind is not welcome here, nor do they breathe the same air as us."
When he heard those remarks, Brandon wanted to say something meaningful and impactful enough to leave this man speechless.
He instantly remembered watching Naruto with his brothers and neighbor kids inside one of his friends' cribs/houses, where they would sit on the floor and discuss the ninjutsu being performed using hand gestures.
They would always discuss the fights and powers, but Lesley was most impressed by Naruto's ability to talk down an enemy and persuade people to see him differently.
Brandon groaned and internally wondered:
'Will Talk no jitsu work on this guy, Naruto?
Guess not, not yet at least.
Brandon bowed again, placing his hand in his pocket and turning away from the old man. The old man gripped his cane to the point where cracks appeared, saying with a tone of malice:
"I never gave the command for you to leave, Husk"
Brandon only paused for a moment, sighed, and continued going, dismissing what the old guy said.
Bran's response: "I am no slave of yours for a pussy like you"
Brandon's senses were suddenly activated without the use of Curse's body skill; he used his legs as an anchor to dodge and span like a dancer before immediately grabbing with his weak hand and securing the grip with his dominant hand.
He was surprised to be missed by a huge furry hand. Someone in the audience attempted to jump him and punch him while his semi-transformation was active, the use of advancement abilities is forbidden unless someone initiates a duel in front of witnesses.
Brandon didn't think at all as his instincts kicked in, and he gripped the arm's fur. Fortunately, the attacker's foot was in front when he initiated the straight blow. Lesley exploited Original Brandon's acrobatic skills to use the leg as a stepping stone, coiling up on the arm's fur while his other leg formed a knee that connected to the chin.
With a thud and a small squeal, the attacker bit his tongue as small amounts of blood flowed from his mouth, and he immediately flung his hand as if swatting a fly due to his use of the hand as leverage when attacking Brandon, who was flung to a nearby tree as he hit it hard, softening by his left ribcage and causing him to groan in pain.
When the semi-transformed man saw his blood, he cleaned it with his normal palm and smiled.
"Wow…the…husk…made…me…bled …when …powerless, interesting!!" he said parts of stops to build up a phrase.
"Walter, what do you think you are doing?" said the woman with brown hair and bags under her eyes.
"Come onMomm, he was very disrespectful toward the patriarch"
Brandon got up with the support of the tree, leaning on it to stand. He grabbed his left side with a hint of difficulty breathing and smiled as he removed a little rectangle from his pocket while small blue and red lights were made.
When the audience realized what Brandon had done, he sent out a distress signal to nearby cops, including foot patrol men and women.
"Wow… "I have to say that was easy to predict; what would I expect from a bunch of pussies?" Brandon replied, his eyes darting around.
Before the assailant could respond to the statement, several men and women in black and blue uniforms emerged from the crowd, one of them holding a badge at Walter. It was a bit surprising that police officers were fast in this world. This made Walter's transformation allow his change to diminish a bit, Walter held his hands up, and some of the police officers came to Brandon's help and took statements from the crowd, families, and relatives/friends of the family. Siegfried's Patriarch had many questions to answer.
And so did Brandon. While Brandon was being fed white lime flower petals to help him heal, Cormac and Joseph arrived with a few police officers who were led to the Half-breed. Brandon gazed at them with hints of boredom, obviousness, and attentiveness as he grasped his pager, implying that he was about to press a specific button.
A huge man and a thin pale man both wore teal trenchcoats.
"We received your message and are aware of the crime perpetrated here. Hello, my name is Cormac, and this is my partner Joseph. We would like to ask you a few questions regarding your acquaintance Axel Siegfret.
Brandon shrugged, but was stopped as the pain returned; he murmured between clenched teeth:
"What took you guys so long?"
Joseph responded:
"Paperwork"
"Figures, are you going to escort me out or do you need my statement about the friend's murder here at his funeral or should we go to the station?"
Looking at Walter, who was being questioned, Joseph stared at Brandon:
"Are going to press charges?"
Brandon checked to see where Walter was and added:
"This is my friend's family; what kind of friend turns the day we commemorate him into a police operation? No, thank you; I simply want to leave this location since I am not desired.
Brandon felt the petal relieve his pain as he rose und was led to a car for everybody to watch. He departed the funeral in Cormac and Joseph's SUV, giving the impression that he was part of the secret service.
Brandon gazed out the car window, a simple notion clearly on his mind: 'It's so new, yet familiar. I'm wondering if there's any link to Earth here. Perhaps the academy library has something that can educate me.
Brandon noticed something familiar: an Elf with lime white bits of silver hair wearing a linen dress fluttering in the wind, revealing her elegant legs as she didn't wear shoes walking toe to toe on the pavement in the late afternoon. She looked at Brandon, and their eyes met, causing him to blush slightly, followed by a wink from the Elf that sent shivers down his spine and a smile that made him want to tear his clothes off and jump out of the car's window.
He expected his little fellow to stiffen out of lust, but the urge was gone as the woman was now a distance away.
'What was that now?'
(1) Mixer is slang for a s*x worker in this world.