Kenan was well awake before the sun broke its moon-weaved seal. Summer wasn’t the time of the year he particularly enjoyed. The moments spent in the cold brought the most amount of comfort. The seeping frigid of nights made him more awake than any radiance ever could. Dion had been away for some amount of weeks. The fox set out to hunt and fatten himself for winter, where he would enjoy a long nap.

He looked out the window. Neither of the moons played tonight. Both took longer and longer hiatuses when it was the season for the sun. He heard the faint rustle of movement, it echoed through the wall with hushed whispers. A door opened, and footsteps followed. Kenan got up. Grabbed and put on a set of clothes he had prepared the day beforehand. He strapped his boots on and walked out the door.

It didn’t take long for him to see and catch up to the figure of his uncle. He did not match his stride but kept a respective distance. He didn’t talk, and he thought that Doco didn’t want to either. In the assumptions of his head, it was much too early for any form of syllable. Their short walk was summed up in silence, but not peace.

Kenan's body hadn’t been optimal for months. Today it felt like his own body set up a rebellion against the function of his brain. His legs cramped with every step, and even his hands were tight. The difficulty for his lungs to punch through fatigue was tougher than it had been in days.

His uncle stopped. It was too late when Kenan realized they were already at the horse circle. Then Kenan cursed inside of his head. There was a point. Beyond that section, there would be no return. He had crossed it. Doco turned to look at his nephew. It was not his stance, or the body language that sent Kenan’s senses off. It was his uncle's countenance. A smile. It spoke louder than any words. Between the teeth sprung insidious intentions and it made Kenan's spine shiver.

“Uhh. Hi. Uncle.” He took a tentative step inside the circle. He couldn’t. His foot felt like it kicked an object rather than wade through the air.

“Hello, my favorite nephew.” The cheeriness in the words almost made Kenan turn tail.

Kenan looked at the entrance, passed it, and through it. In the corner of his eyes the sparks of magic spread. Like straight lines that went to jagged points. “Are you going to let me through?”

“Oh, whatever do you mean?” The smile deepened. It was so vibrant that it broke his entire face in half. His uncle looked up and Kenan followed. In the sky, purple and orange fought for dominance and then the great symbol of lathander unfurled and showed its greatness. “Oh. Would you look at that? Dawn.”

The air shifted. The temperature changed, and the wind swept seasonal scents. It was neither of those factors. Doco. His grin melted to a hard frown. It wasn’t of malice but formed from indifference. To pour on the growing aurora. It was his eyes. The spark that had brightened them for so long was snuffed under an intolerable darkness. Kenan’s mind and body synchronized at once. He took a step back, turned, and ran.

If it wasn’t for the massive magical grip that strangled his entire body. Kenan would’ve escaped the clutches of whatever monster possessed his uncle. He was lifted in the air, turned around, and shot in front of Doco. “You're late.” His speech was cold. Lacked passion. It would’ve been better with emotion, it would’ve been something to latch on to. Whatever confusion or betrayal Kenan felt slid off of Doco’s apathy.

“I-I… wasn’t” The force around him tightened. Threatened to crush him.

“You will speak when permitted. Only then. Understood?”

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“Yeah…”

“It's yes, sir.”

“Yes sir.”

“Say it. Louder.”

“Yes sir!” There was a sudden altitude change in Kenan's perception. Then he felt a rush and his flesh was not enough for him to cushion the kinetic force that was sent throughout his body. His breath was shunted out of his lungs and the shock of pain almost forced the contents of his stomach out but was impeded from the dirt going down.

“Arms shoulder with! Palms down! On your toes!” Doco yelled but the normal sentiment behind them lacked a foundation. The tone left no room for question. He was to obey.

There were ramifications to disobedience. Kenan didn’t have the capability to do so. He followed the orders. “Now. Push!” There was a crack. Something hit Kenan's back and a twinge of pain twisted his nerves. “Back straight! Hold!” Doco walked toward his nephew, crouched. “These are called push-ups. When I say down, you will bend your elbows but do not touch the ground. These will be your best friend.”

“Down! We will be here at the same time every day. You will be here at dusk…” Kenan’s strength failed. He was hit three times in quick succession. “Off the ground!” He forced his abdomen to suffer the pain and made his legs carry him to the correct position. “Up! For the duration of this week, your other duties will be relaxed. Next week that will change. Understood?”

“Yes…” He struggled with his own weight. His voice felt pressed and his breath stressed. “Sir!”

“Stand!” Kenan stood. An invisible foe struck him at his legs, arms, and hands. “Feet together! Fists at your sides! Back straight! Toes forward!”

“When you are here, this will be how you stand. Understood?”

“Yes sir!”

“Now. Run!”

Kenan paused. Just for a moment. He felt the incoming telekinetic smack before it arrived. Saw the glare before it formed. Then he set off. Ran in the circle like he was an equine himself. For the next two hours, he learned the best ways to torture his body. Exercises that taunted his muscles and egged them on to pull more. Be more. He held a haybale over his head and squatted as low as he could. Tried to pull himself from a beam Doco magically held. Sprinted in spurts.

In the exercise, his mind found a shell to hide in. The pain and stress of his body fled, and his nerves failed to contact his brain. The disconnect was a haven. Before he knew it, he stood before his uncle. Dismissed.

Doco smiled again. Kenan almost dropped with fear but the grin wasn’t the odd creepiness from before. The monster inside of Doco was gone and he was his uncle again. “Wasn’t that fun? And we get to do it all over again tomorrow. And remember. If you're late, we can double everything.” Doco patted his nephew's shoulder. “You should go eat breakfast. Twice if you can. Lunch too. Have a big lunch. I think that’ll help. Dinner is a must. Maybe a few snacks in between.”

Kennan wavered on his feet. Too numb for any sort of response. He didn’t know how, or when. But his body subconsciously moved to the nearest source of sustenance. Breakfast was devoured without utensils.

***

For the rest of the day, he remained in a subliminal space of fatigue. With the exception of meals, he stayed in bed. Sometimes his mind rested but he could perfectly feel his body, its wear and pain. The process of its repair. He felt his insides move and active. Other times it was the other way around with his brain overclocked, and manually took over certain things previously automated.

He dreaded the end of his dinner. The family all talked like normal. Prodded and poked at Kenan’s recent “studies”. Talked about what they had accomplished today and what the plan was going into tomorrow. Kenan had been silent. His mouth had been filled with his food and everyone else's left over. He also wanted to avoid the odd glances his uncle had been giving him.

Then Lucy excused herself to her room. Ava set about to clean the dishes and Tyris quickly followed. Kenan hadn’t had any food on his plate for a while and his anxiety tipped upward. It was just him and his uncle at the table.

“Well, nephew. I’m dreading this, honestly.” Doco got up and brushed a few crumbs off of him. “Alright. Let's go.”

Kenan gulped. Mentally fortified himself and followed. If his uncle wasn’t looking forward to this, he sure wasn’t.