Chapter 2: Your not so human baby boy
[Warning: Systems Energy levels running low]
[Warning: Systems Energy levels running low]
[Warning: Systems Energy levels running low]
[Warning: Systems Energy levels running low]
"Dammit not now!." The woman suddenly got flustered when her suit began showing her a string of warnings.
This was exactly what she was trying to avoid, although the suit gave her a huge boost in physical power, it still had one epic draw back.
It couldn't be maintained for long and needed to be recharged with each use, but if she were to retreat now then that would mean losing the target and otherwise failing the mission entirely.
Although she knew it was dangerous, she still continued to give chase. When she saw the lioness was suddenly slowing down, her eyes brightened as she increased her speed. " Hahaha, Yes, she's finally running out of steam!." She said with excitement, unfortunately she couldn't be any more wrong.
" There's no way you can avoid me now, so just Die!!!!". The lady yelled.
The instant she got close enough to the lioness and was about to deliver a fatal strike, something she never expected happened.
Her eyes squinted sharply when she saw the lioness which was fleeing, suddenly came to a stop and dropped her cub before turning around and fighting back with everything she had.
In her moment of desperation, Lydia, which was actually the name of the woman, had forgotten that she wasn't dealing with an average beast, like the lion King, the Dark earthy furred lioness was also blessed with human level intellect since she was also a mythical creature.
The instant she noticed the humans powers decreasing, she made sure to decipher whether this was a ploy or not and the moment she came to a valid conclusion, she decided to retaliate!.
In her eyes this was her only opportunity to get rid of this nemesis of her's.
In the blink of an eye, a viscous bloodshed ensued, with the lioness using the full extent of her darkness ability to fight tooth and nail with Lydia who's strength was draining by the minute as her battle suit slowly lost power.
The battle was fierce, and the forest echoed with the sounds of their struggle. Eventually the lioness was able to deliver a fatal strike by slashing off Lydia's head with her viscous claws, but not without experiencing multiple injuries.
Bloodied and battered, the lioness stood victorious, but her victory came at a cost. She was gravely wounded, her life slipping away with each labored breath.
With some hints of caution, she went back and picked up her little cub while continuing to flee. Unfortunately after running for a kilometer or two, She finally couldn't continue anymore.
Stumbling to the edge of a river, she collapsed, the cool water lapping at her paws. Coincidentally, In the distance, which was actually several hundreds of meters down the river.
While her vision was beginning to blur, She saw an old man, his figure was a bit hard to make out due to her dimming vision, But she really didn't have the leisure to care about that right now.
She knew her time was short, and a deep sadness settled in her heart. She looked down at her cub, who meowed softly, unaware of the danger that had passed.
With a final surge of strength, she summoned a large amount of her remaining life essence through a phenomenal method, before channeling it into a powerful spell.
Though she didn't have her mate's destructive power, it still didn't mean that she was too weak in comparison.
In the blink of an eye, The cub's form shimmered, his fur melting away to reveal the delicate tanned dark skin of a human child, His paws turned to hands and legs, while his snout retracted inwards as his facial features shifted into that of a human child's, Moreover his eyes still retained their brilliant golden luster while his hair was silky as well as dark as the cold night.
In a few short moments, His transformation was complete, the lioness placed her now human looking cub on a lone log that floated nearby. With a gentle push, she sent him downstream, tears welling in her eyes as she watched him drift away.
(Several Moments Later).....
The old man, who had been planning to leave the forest after hearing the ruckus, was startled when he saw the small figure floating towards him. His eyes widened in disbelief as he realized it was a child, a child with hair as dark as the night sky.
Reaching into the river, he pulled the child out, cradling him in his arms. The boy was light, his skin still warm from the transformation.
" What kind of heartless bastard would dare abandon a child out here in these dangerous woods." The old man lamented, His heart aching with pity.
When he saw the child reach towards him with it's small chubby little hands, his heart was completely melted, A refreshing yet gently smile made it's way onto his aged face.
" Well I can't just leave you here now can I little guy, How about I take you home with me, sounds good right " The old man tickled the child with his finger and when he saw it giggle from his touch his mind became even more determined and he made a decision in that moment. He would not abandon this child to the wilds, He just couldn't.
Without caring for the reason he had ventured into the forest in the first place, He carried the boy home, where his wife awaited him. When he told her the story of how he found the child, she listened in awe, her eyes softening as she looked at the boy. "Why don't we raise him dear, You've always wanted to liven up the house ever since Molly left for the city." the old man's wife said, her voice filled with warmth.
" Hahaha, You don't have to persuade me dear, I've already thought about it on my way here " The old man chuckled. "It's as if fate has placed him in our care don't you think?."
His wife nodded, a gentle smile touching her lips. "Look at his hair, it's so dark, Similar to the the night sky don't you think?"
" That's what I thought too, Also you've reminded me, Why don't we give him a name now to celebrate" The Old man inched closer towards his wife before tickling the child with his finger's, seeing him giggle in return, a resplendent smile creeped onto his face.
"Hmm ok then, Since his hairs so striking and similar to the night, Why don't we name him Noir. I heard Molly say it's French for Black." The man's wife said cheerfully.
"Hahaha, Noir huh, What a great name. From today on we'll have another child in the family and his name shall be Noir" The Old man nodded happily, feeling satisfied with his wife's choice.
And so, the boy who was actually the legendary lions offspring was given a new name, a new life, and a new destiny. As he giggled peacefully in the arms of his new family, the old man and his wife could never have known the greatness that lay within the child they had chosen to call their own.
(Two Years After Noir's Adoption).....
The smell of freshly baked bread and roasted meat wafted through the small, cozy kitchen of the old couple's little home which was located a mile or two away from the dark forest.
The early morning light streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on the wooden table piled high with plates, bowls, and serving platters, each one scraped completely clean till the point of even looking spotless.
The old man, Gregory, scratched his head in bewilderment as he surveyed the small mountain of empty dishes stacked precariously beside him.
"Anna," he called softly to his wife, who was standing beside him with her arms folded across her chest, her brow creased in concern.
"Yes, dear?" she replied, though her gaze was locked on the source of their worry or to be specific, Noir, their sweet little adopted child.
Sitting in his baby seat, Noir was swinging his chubby legs happily, a grin plastered on his chubby face. He looked like the picture of innocence, his shiny black hair falling in soft waves around his forehead, his bright eyes twinkling with satisfaction.
"Did... did he just eat all of that?" Gregor asked, his voice low with disbelief.
Anna blinked, her eyes moving slowly from Noir to the empty dishes and back again. "He couldn't have, could he?, That was enough to feed a small battalion!" she said with exasperation.
Noir let out a high-pitched giggle, lifting his pudgy arms into the air in a triumphant gesture. "Yum!, Yum!, Noir wants some more!". he squealed in his baby voice, clapping his hands together.
Gregor and Anna exchanged wary looks. "Dear," Anna whispered cautiously, "maybe we should… ration the food a bit more? " She suggested while eyeing Noir from the corner of her eyes.
Gregor rubbed his grizzled chin thoughtfully. " I'm with you dear, Either that, or we'll eventually end up broke trying to feed him."
Noir's innocent grin widened, and for a moment, Gregor swore he saw a glint of sharp teeth in the boy's mouth. Shaking his head, he dismissed it as a trick of the light. "More food!" Noir demanded with an exuberant bounce, shaking his tiny fists. "More!."
Anna sighed. "Oh, Noir, you're going to eat us out of house and home, you little glutton."
"No!, Noir not glutton..., Noir big eater!" Noir corrected with a defiant nod.
"Yes.. a Big eater indeed." Gregor smiled warily chuckling to himself. "That's one way to put it." he said before shaking his head lightly.
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(Two More Years Later)...
The peaceful evening calm was shattered by a shriek from the living room. "Mom!, Dad!, Come quick!."
Gregor, who was sipping a cup of tea at the kitchen table, nearly spat out his drink. Anna, knitting beside him, dropped her needles in shock. With a guess as to what happened, They both bolted upright and dashed into the living room where their biological college-aged daughter, Molly, stood with her mouth agape, pointing a trembling finger upward.
"Molly, What is it, What happened?" Gregor demanded breathlessly, his eyes scanning the room.
Molly could only jab her finger frantically toward the ceiling. "Look!."
Gregor and Anna followed her gaze only for their jaws to drop simultaneously. There, clinging upside down to the ceiling like some sort of oversized lizard, was four year old Noir with a mischievous grin plastered on his face.
"Hi Mama!, Hi Papa!" he called cheerfully, waving down at them with one hand while the other seemed to stick effortlessly to the wooden beams.
Anna let out a horrified gasp. "Noir!, What in the world are you doing up there?!."
"Just playing!" Noir chirped, as if dangling from ceilings was a perfectly normal pastime.
"Get down here this instant!." Gregor roared, his face turning beet red. Noir blinked, seemingly confused by their reaction.
"Why?." he asked innocently. "It's fun!"
" This little brat.." Gregor mumbled before glancing around the room before his eyes saw something.
Without wasting time, Gregory turned and stumbled over to the corner of the room, frantically grabbing his old wooden stepladder. "Stay still Noir, Don't you dare move!." he shouted, setting up the ladder and scrambling up as fast as his old bones would allow. Reaching the top, he cautiously extended a hand toward his grinning son. "Come here, Noir. Nice and easy…"
Noir, oblivious to the tension in the room, swung one leg and then the other, flipping effortlessly to land on Gregor's outstretched arm. The movement was so fluid and quick that Gregor nearly toppled off the ladder.
"Oops!" Noir giggled, clutching at his father's arm with surprising strength.
Gregor stared at him in wide eyed disbelief. "Anna, I… I think we need to have a talk about what kind of kid we've adopted." he said with a darkened expression.
Anna, still pale, just nodded numbly.
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(Eight Years After Noir's Birth)....
The crisp forest air was filled with the rhythmic thunk of an axe as Gregory swung it with practiced precision, splitting logs into neat stacks of firewood. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he glanced over at Noir, now a lanky eight year old with the same jet black hair and bright, curious golden eyes.