My father confessed that he's a former imperial knight working for the princess. He got demoted and discharged when he fought off the decree of being the princess' mate and father of her unborn child. But prior to that, he was oblivious to the fact that he was helping the princess for her studies and research on palaeogenomics.
He frequents the caves, even until now. That's why he was able to nearly find me in the caverns. Also explains his weird relationship with the princess.
I cocked my head to the side and asked what that paleo is, and my father said it's a big word for genetics and ancient fossil. He mentioned that the princess is trying to revive the dormant traits of the royals and the lower werewolves to make a superior race. He said that even if the princess was difficult to deal with, her intentions of making the country stronger was undeniable.
My father peered the window and the checked the outdoors. "I fully supported her despite the underhanded trick she pulled. Because I've always wanted to explore the world and let my children enjoy the things I wasn't able to have." But my mother seems bothered by his revelations, she can't help but look distraught the whole time. My father eased her worries and reassured her again that it was purely out of curiosity and selfish ambition that he was aiding her. "And now she has effectively created what she wanted, I want to let you know that I'm going to pledge my loyalty to the new king."
My mother couldn't help it, but slapped my father across the face. "Are you out of your mind? Look at what happened to Karah! She's now a shifter. Do you know what that means?!" I'm now with a wolf, and I couldn't be happier. However, I couldn't bring myself to fully enjoy the moment as it appears that my mother isn't happy with these changes. I tried reverting back to my old self, but failed.
My father hugged me abruptly and miraculously, I went back to my normal state. I cried and urged them not to fight anymore. My father hugged me tighter and said "I will protect her. I can protect our child! Shifting signifies power, don't you understand?"
My mother sobbed, "Can you imagine?! A shifter and an omega?! She'll be taken away from us!" She buried her face on her hands. So me being a female shifter, is bad news? "Would you be able to defend us if they decide to pour in like water? You are overestimating yourself!"
"Don't be so pessimistic! Our Karah is strong! Didn't you see the carcass of the Hagerman she brought home?" His eyes beamed with pride. "Our Karah also earned the favor of His Majesty! He won't let anything bad happen to her." My father placed his hand over my mother's nape, forcing her to look at him. "Sefer, this is our future we're talking about. Do you always want to live with people scorning us? If this were offered to any other people here, they would've grabbed it and devour us! Think about it!"
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My parents aren't talking to each other for days now. My father has been bringing home plenty of goods, from delectable foods to precious stones. But my mother refuse to budge and chose to keep giving my father the silent treatment, I just don't know for how long.
I have decided to go outside and hunt. I don't like seeing them like this. I wonder what I can do to patch things up. I readied myself and took my spear and bait. The neighbors gave me strange looks and one of the kids tried throwing a snowball at me, which – I have successfully evaded. The people gave out oohs and awes, and the perpetrator, out of embarrassment, tried hurling another one. When I let out my spear and threw it right back at him. He exclaimed their favorite nickname for me, Prune face, before hastily removing the cold flakes from his face.
Strangely though, I heard someone snicker. Is it Shiavur? I eyed him suspiciously, but the sound never came out again. He wasn't looking at us neither. Weird… I must be imagining things.
I made my way outside the village. There was a time I wanted to leave this place, but getting kidnapped and thinking I won't be able to go back made me sad at some point. I wonder what Alphos is doing. I shook my head, quickly erasing any thoughts of him. He might be around somewhere and read my mind, then make fun of me for missing him.
Raising my nose up in the air, I savored my surroundings for any possible den the animals might be hiding in. I followed a trail, with my sight and hearing heightened. Elevated and stony paths have been a home of blue Churis as they can go to mountain slopes to avoid hunters. I saw a herd standing leisurely at the peak, their horns pointing at my direction, threatening me not to get too close.
I raised my spear and aimed. I made a short sprint and flung the weapon with ease. I smiled triumphantly, but I threw it too strongly it went over their heads, like my father's jokes when he tries hard to make my mother smile. The antelopes have excellent eyesight. They are normally skittish, but they just stood there, predicting the trajectory of my weapon.
"Darn it!" I should've brought a spare or practiced with stones or sticks. My father would lecture me again, no doubt! Maybe I should learn to craft my own weapon.
I heard a chorus of laughter, not them again. A-nac and his gang didn't hide any longer and ridiculed me for my outrageous throw, calling me daft and inept.
"Did you see her face? She was so sure she'll hit them."
"Oh my gosh, she even did this.." A-nac moved and jogged like a monkey, and throwing an imaginary spear. He placed his hand over his eyes like I have poor vision or something.
"The Churi didn't even move. If they could laugh, they'll be laughing with us!"
I stomped my feet and marched home, but as always, these antics have never been enough. "Don't even think that your father is going to save you now." A-nac dashed in front of me. He scowled at one of his underlings.
"I –I – I checked. They are both at home, they were fighting over something." My parents? Has my mom decided to talk to my dad? But fighting? This is not good, I have to go home.
They all surrounded me, eager to cause me harm. I recall the hunting I had with Suri and Alphos. These kids don't even share a shred of ferociousness as with the creatures of the caves. As they throw their kicks and punches, I smear them with the regrown warts from my body. Their laughter turned into cries of revulsion and pain.
"It was better when Adir was hitting us. This is so disgusting!" They removed the flesh off their faces but not the scent. A-nac vomited his breakfast that day.
"I did it. I did it, Alphos…" I turned around, expecting him to be there. Then I remembered how we parted ways, I cleared my throat.
"You'll pay for this, Prune face!" A-nac decided to use his snow knife to cut my hand, but I dodged it, just scraping the back of my hand. This is the first time he used a weapon, and a rather dangerous one.
"Are you serious?!" I shrieked. He's now intent to kill me. Good thing his friends have sense and locked his arms and legs.
"Stop, A-nac! You're going crazy!" But they weren't enough to stop his movements. He is too blinded with fury.
"I'm going to kill you, you b---" A-nac's movements became faster, his eyes growing red in rage. "You think you're so strong! But you're weak, ugly and stupid!" He kept on slashing and I leapt on a high icy rock, but slipped. "GOT YOU NOW!" A-nac aimed for my neck, grinning maniacally.
I'm going to fall head first, but I need to protect myself. I let my claws burrow on the ground and spin my legs, kicking A-nac's snow knife and breaking his wrist. I regained my footing and hid my hands on my back, retracting them slowly. A-nac screamed, clutching the arm with the limp hand. 'Don't shift, don't shift', calming myself.
He's still going at me despite his injury. His hair started to grow, the fur on his skin growing, along with the sharp nails on his hands and toes. He really is some talent with a bad temperament. Weres don't shift for as early as twelve. A-nac must be a special case.
His clothes and shoes ripped from his body, unable to contain the size of his wolf. His mouth is salivating and his forepaw scratching the ground, readying to pounce. I rolled to my side, grabbing the snow knife he dropped. I crouched and studied his wolf. He snaps his snout towards me. I glared. His wolf's behavior isn't so different from his human form.
His wolf snarled and jumped, wanting to use its weight to overpower me. I squeezed myself in between the trees, limiting his mobility. I struck his paws with his knife as he tries to reach me with his claws. His snarls getting louder and louder in frustration. With one swoop, he scratched my arm, releasing my grip over the weapon. The trees blocking him, unfortunately, snapped and he's now up in the air, over me.
I know I can't shift but I still have my weapon. I spun around, creating a smokescreen of ice dust around us. I released my claws and jabbed the pad of his paw, twisting it to induce more agony, like thorns in his flesh. A-nac whimpered and fell back. But I'm not finished with him, I clawed his face and chest and was about to dig my hand to his neck, when he returned back to normal.
I realized I haven't fought a person before, finishing him off as a human makes me feel guilt-ridden. Shifters have quick regenerative ability, but A-nac's wounds recuperated at an alarming speed.
The dust cleared and A-nac's underlings saw him unconscious on the ground.
"Prune face defeated A-nac, the tribe prodigy…"