The little trip helped a lot on my mental stability. I feel a lot better now but I cannot just remove the thought from my mind. I placed my hand over my chest area. I still feel a little bit bothered by the fact that some weird mark appeared on my chest. There was also the jet black wolf, trying to wake me up. It’s not something that you can forget that easily. Thanks to the walk, however, I feel a lot better than I was this morning.
Since there is nothing else eye-catching to see in the town, Bel and I started walking towards the mountains. It was quiet and nice, a little too quiet I say but with all the commotion going around, I prefer this one over the other. Different wild lives can be seen such as small plants and animals. They’re doing their own stuff and living quite nicely. I say that but life in the mountains is anything but nice. You can get killed as easily as you were born. Survival of the fittest. The strong dominate the weak as they say. It was a difficult back then since I’m part of the weaker side of the food chain. I’m fortunate enough that wolves hunt in packs.
As we walk towards the mountains, we noticed some hunters, preparing to go inside the mountains as well. They are probably hunting for food for the day. It was a good thing that people don’t usually hunt wolves for food, they prefer wild boars, deers, or on occasion, bears as well. People near the mountains usually hunt wolves in winter, since wolves’ furs are a great material for coatings and other clothing that fight against the cold. That’s a relief since you don’t want your family members to constantly get hunted.
It’s also good to know that the ones that get hunted are those who stray away from the pack. Literally, no one wants to battle against a huge pack of wolves. So in some rare case that a wolf wander away from the pack, hunters usually take the chance to ambush and hunt it down. So, if you value the safety of your life, stay close from the pack, at least to the point that you’re old enough to assume your human form.
If a wolf’s age reaches twelve, they can assume human form given enough time for practicing and meditating. It was also the day of adulthood for wolves. Going outside the mountains is not an easy feat, however. Assuming human form is only the first step for civilized life. You need to control your instincts and show that you can control it the point that you won't transform into a wolf and lash out people across the streets. It requires maturity of the mind and is responsible for your actions.
Usually, wolves move out the mountains at the age of fifteen but some can take longer depending on their state of mind. There are also some that are completely forbidden to go outside the mountain as they can be dangerous to mankind. They are treated as criminals in the family and are probably killed if they show no signs of changing.
“Bel, is your family here already? I kind of wanted to stay at your family’s cave since my family won’t come until later. They’re always late.” Since I have nothing to do, I want to help Bel in the full moon later. We can prepare as early as now to avoid complications later on.
There are a lot of things you can do in preparation for the full moon. There are some places that can relax and numb your body. A prime example of this is the mountain’s peak. It will make you controlling your mind easier. The downside is that you will have a hard time integrating the power to your body later on. This is kind of place are for those who have a hard time maintaining their sanity. The younger generation of wolves uses this place since their mental capabilities are lower than of adults.
Another thing is you can prepare some herbs that help you focus your mind. There are a variety of herbs that will help in this kind of event. Some have relaxing capabilities and other herbs are mixed with other herbs to strengthen its effectiveness.
Other than using special places or special materials, preparing a set of training activities will help to absorb the moon’s power easier and faster. Adult wolves that have strong mental fortitude usually have heavy and taxing training regimes that will increase the efficiency of absorbing the moon’s power boost.
It is also a must to find a quiet spot for meditation afterward. Disturbance in meditation will make one’s inner peace be chaotic and some results in going berserk and rampaging around the forest. It is a must to meditate with someone you are on good terms with and someone you trust. Since I don’t receive any kind of power, I usually help around the family by standing beside them and making sure that there won’t be anyone disturbing them. Being prepared in any kind of situation lets you handle any types of disaster or errors you may encounter. It plays a vital role during a full moon.
“Yes, you are most welcomed, Master. My siblings should be there already but my parents should arrive at the same time as your parents. You can stay in the cave as long as you want, Master.”
I’ll help Bel with her preparations in the meantime while waiting for my other relatives to arrive. I’m not particularly inclined on meeting my family except for my little sister, instead, I want to meet some of my friends back then who holds to discrimination towards me. They played a little factor in making my childhood a little bit better. Still, some of them can be a handful but they are good friends nonetheless.
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“Let’s go then, how is Lette? It’s been a while since I saw her.” Lette is Bel’s little sister.
“She can assume her human form now so I guess you’ll feel different when you saw her, Master.”
Last time I visited Bel’s family, Lette is only a small wolf. I played around with her on my last visit, I even thought her a few things like ‘sit’ or ‘roll’. It’s cute how you play with wolves like dogs knowing that you are one yourself. It brings some kind of weird sensation but not too uncomfortable to bear.
“Oh, that’s good then. I wonder if she still remembers me.” A long time has passed since I last visited, she may not remember those days since I only visited once.
“Ever since Lette can assume her human form, she constantly asks me when you will visit again. She still remembers you even though you only met once and I think she will be happy when you come and visit.” I asked about some stuff about her sister for a while and then we arrived at her cave. It was medium sized but it was fine knowing it was only a temporary shelter for the full moon.
“Please come in, Master.” Bel stood at the side and welcomed me. I told her that she didn’t need to do that since I was the one visiting this time and she could act normally. Apparently, for her, this is the ‘normal’ so I can’t do anything about it. It was like this last time I visit as far as I can remember.
“Lette, I’m home. Master is here as well so behave yourself.” After Bel and I walked inside, Lette was there cooking something. It smelled nice and delicious.
Before that, I’ll have to say that the inside of the cave is… nothing like a cave at all. The floors are covered with mats and there are various types of furniture such as tables and chairs. There are lightings as well. I wonder how they installed electricity here. Lette was cooking on an electric stove and there are even some gadgets such as toasters and microwaves.
“They recently found out a way to get electricity running inside the mountains, though it is only limited. They prioritized your the main family’s rooms and the kitchen, to make cooking easier. Our family’s cave was changed as well since my mother is the head maid. Other than that, the other’s caves are normal ones.” Bel explained since she noticed the surprised expression in my face.
“The furniture here is temporary as well, they can be removed as easily as they are placed, which made it convenient to clean afterward.”
I’m shocked at how well our family integrated modern technology to our advantage. I can probably sleep on a comfortable bed if I found a chance to do so later on. This can change our lives inside the mountains if given the chance, but I doubt my parents would approve of that. They are upright about traditions and all that stuff about our ancestors. Given their mentality, I doubt they will change the tradition anytime soon.
“Hi, Lette. Do you still remember me?” Lette noticed us came in and immediately came to welcome us. She look like a little Bel, they have the same gray hair and eyes, but some features are clearly lacking, like in the… chest area. Hey, what do you expect from a kid? Her face looks childish as well and lacks the gentleness and warmness Bel has. You can clearly tell them apart from the aura they are emitting.
“Of course, brother! How can I forget you?” Lette ran towards me and hugged me. Brother? That’s news to me. Still, she kind of reminded me with my little sister when she was younger. Bel tried to stop to show some respect but I told her it was fine. It was rare for people to be this close to me, even my own family.
Lette looked at Bel and stick her tongue out. Bel’s brow twitched a little bit but she showed maturity by not ignoring her childish acts. I pretended I didn’t see that and continued on with the conversation.
“How are you? It’s been a while since I last visited. Oh, here’s some candy.” I handed some of my candy to her. I have boxes full of candies anyway.
“I can assume human form now! I’ve been wondering when brother Kane will visit next time so I can show it to you!” We talked about various things that happened lately. Apparently, she will be assigned to my little sister after she finished her training. Bel also served us coffee while we ate the candies I brought. I’ve been eating candies ever since I came here, I hope my stomach doesn’t hurt.
“Train really well and maybe next time, we can meet outside!” We continued to talk for a little while until I decided to leave. Some of my other relatives should be here already, I’m planning on looking for them and spending a little time together.
“Eh? You’re leaving already brother? Let’s talk some more!” Lette doesn’t seem to let go of me as she hugged and latched towards me, I don’t think she will let go any time soon.
“Lette, let go of Master. He has other things to attend to.” Bel gave her a meaningful look. It’s somehow scary and threatening as Lette immediately let go. I guess Bel still has the upper-hand in the family.
“Don’t worry, Lette, I’ll visit again sometime soon.” Lette’s eyes immediately sparkled as she heard that. I wonder if she wants someone to play that badly, don’t Bel play with her? At any case, it was good to relax from the worries inside me.
As I bid farewell, I went outside the cave and was planning to wander alone in some areas in the mountain. It was then I saw, some kind of shadow in the distance. I immediately went towards it but it disappeared quickly.
The bad feeling I’m trying so hard to forget reappeared.