-Break-

One month later

Location: Campsite

It has been one month since the day we confronted Dónal, and since then something new has been added to our lives to do every week.

Looking towards Charles, I whisper, “Go give him the signal?”

Walking up to get his food, Charles says, “Popopo, tatatato.”

Some beastkin in the area laugh at Charles's words, but on the face of Dónal, I can see him smiling with all his might.

What the hell is with that smile, stop making it obvious! I knew Charles lacked a sense of awareness but I think I just figured out where he got it from.

-Break-

Location: Far east of the River Lúide, inside a nearby forest

As I stand in the forest beside Charles, from the forest I see Dónal appear, and when he sees us he runs towards Charles, and asks him, “How are you doing?”

Tasteless as ever he says, “Fine.”

With a bright but disgusting smile Dónal, says, “GREAT!”

This interaction now has become our new arrangement. Since Dónal can’t talk to Charles anywhere else we have started to meet up in the forest, at least once a week.

During the morning we give a signal, and then Dónal makes arrangements to allow us to skip our duty, by either making a blind spot in their incagement of us.

While it can seem risky the beastkin would never suspect their own, especially a coward like Dónal to do something so dangerous, so at least for now, it is working.

Looking at Dónal hands, Charles asks, “What’s that you’re holding?”

“Oh, it is just a basket with some treats?”

“Treats?” Charles asks.

“Oh I requested some gifts from my family back home, and begrudgingly they sent me this. So now I can give you some muffins for your special day,” He says as he opens the basket.

Looking inside the basket, I see some yellowish gold things, that have what looks to be fruit inside them, but ignoring that what did he mean by special day?

Grabbing one, Dónal hands them to Charles and says, “Now try it.”

Taking a strong bite out of it, Charles says, “It tastes nice.”

Full of happiness, Dónal says, “Really that’s wonderful to hear.”

Moving closer to them, I say, “Let me try one.”

Taking his basket and moving it away, he says with eyes full of silent hatred, “These aren’t for you.”

Φ It is so unfair, that this boy gets to spend all day with my Charles whenever he wants. It should be me, it should be me, die human!

Φ Though despite this wonderful turn of circumstances, Dónal affection only seems to flow towards Charles, leaving me constantly on the receiving end of his jealous affection.

But you see I have a trump card against him. Looking towards Charles, I say, “Charles.”

“Dónal, let Nero have some.”

Saddened he says, “But.”

“Are you a bad person, because I don’t like bad people.”

“NO!”

“Then you should be nice to Nero.”

Holding back his bloodlust and rage, Dónal says, “Here you go human!”

Grabbing it, I say, “Oh thank you so much.”

Then I start eating it with all my heart and soul. With my mouth watering from the sheer tastiness, I scream, “AMAZING!”

“Then instantly I grab and take another one, which causes Dónal to hiss out of anger, but it doesn’t stop me as I start to eat the next one, and unable to stop myself I take another one after that and another.

-Break-

Holding the empty basket, Dónal is curled up into a ball, then says, “Those were for Charles, and you finished them all.”

“Hey don’t overreact, of the ten Charles had three, almost half so I don’t see the big deal.”

Walking over to Dónal, Charles gives him a thumbs up and says, “It’s ok,” with a smile.

Seeing this causes Dónal to let go of the basket, and gives Charles a hug. It has only been three months since he learned how to say good job, and now he is giving encouragement just like that, I am so proud it almost brings me to tears.

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Stopping his hug from Charles, Dónal turns around and says, “Well it doesn’t matter since your teeth are going to be rooting from taking in that much sugar anyways!”

Charles asks, “Why?”

Φ Wait, this is my moment! I can use this moment to enlighten Charles on how intelligent I am. All that study I did back home is finally coming in handy for something.

“Well you see Charles-,”

Nero interrupting me, says, “Your teeth are a hub for countless diseases to thrive and grow, and some foods can make that process worse. So you must make sure to clean your teeth.”

How did he know that? I thought this human was an idiot!

“How do you do that?”

THIS IS MY MOMENT! “Well you see it can be done in countless ways-.”

Interrupting me again, Nero says, “Well there are a few options for that. First, you can chew on the end of some twigs, but that only works with certain trees.

Another one requires the use of something to clean your teeth with, like cotton from sheep can work, or the frayed end of some twigs, then you brush throughout your teeth to remove the leftover food in your mouth.

This process can be helped with the use of some sort of substance to help remove the food and kill any diseases that are still there. My family like to use substance from the plant caelestis remouens, it produces a substance that burns really bad but is great at whitening the teeth.”

“I see, but I have never done any of that and my teeth are white.”

Seeing Charles interact with Nero, I fall to the ground in the defeat.

Φ “Charles that’s impossible,” I say as I walk over to him.

But staring at his teeth, I say, “They are in fact white. HOW!?”

“I think it might be because I have flowy stuff constantly going through my teeth.”

Dónal behind us says, “What flowy stuff.”

“None of your business.”

Looking at me, Charles, asks, “How do you know this stuff.”

“I actually know a lot of stuff, like how this entire plantation was the home of countless wonderbeasts before.”

Dónal shocked says, “How did you know that?”

“It is the ecosystem. When areas have had wonderbeasts within them they cause the local plant life to forcefully adapt so it doesn’t completely die out. This process is also made faster by the fact that the ecosystem gets life from the decomposing bodies of wonderbeasts.

It is something my clan saw a lot as travellers, places with wonderbeasts were extra dangerous even if the beast themselves were easy to hunt, and places without them were extremely easy to get through.”

With a face of utter surprise, Dónal says, “You really aren’t dumb, I thought your head was filled with water.”

“WELL FUCK YOU THEN!”

As me and Dónal give each other looks of anger, Charles says, “How do you know all of these big words? It doesn’t seem like you.”

“I feel like you just called me dumb.”

“Cause you are,” Dónal says.

This annoying little brat, aren’t you twenty-seven years old?

Turning my head towards Charles, I say, “Well this is information passed down in my clan.”

Dónal says, “Don’t lie to him, no way you humans would have such knowledge.”

“I guess that is true on some level because the reason my clan has this information isn’t because we figured it out but because we were given the information by the great sage Cordum.”

“Cordum,” Charles says.

“Yes, I am sure most humans know of her. The immortal sage who travels all around the world sharing important information with all of humanity. You see my clan used to have a lot of deaths before she taught us information about hygiene and other important pieces of knowledge.”

“No way a human has that knowledge, and there is no way a human could ever live that long.”

“Yet it happened. So shut up and listen.”

“I REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THIS NONSENSE.”

Charles sticking up his hand, says, “I want to listen.”

Instantly, I make a smug face towards Dónal. He responds by looking over toward Charles, and says, “I have lots of interesting information to share as well.”

“About what?”

Dónal has a panicked expression as if his mind is about to explode while trying to think of something. Then with a crazed expression, he says, “I can tell you about things back home.”

Wait, isn’t this situation too good? If I find out more info about the beastkin it could help me find out more about how mom and my friends are doing. Ok Charles I need you to accept.

Looking away from Dónal, he says, “No that sounds boring.”

As Dónal and I both look at Charles with equal amounts of heartbreak. Moving over towards Charles, I grab his head and say, “Of course, he wants to hear about your stories.”

“I don’t.”

Giving Charles a creepy smile, I say, “Yes you do.”

Staring at Dónal, Charles says, “Yes I do.”

With a smile, Donal says, “Far towards the east of Victoria, is the first home of the beastkin, Tír na n-iontas. It is split into four provinces which are watched over by the twelve families of the red branch, including mine the Fuinseog.

Each of the four provinces is ruled by one of the families of the red branch within it, and I happen to be from eastern one; Gorias. However, my family aren’t the ruler of that area.

All four families serve the high king, who lives in the centre of the four provinces, and is called-.” Suddenly Dónal puts his hands over his mouth, and says, “I have said too much like an idiot.”

Charles says, “That’s good.”

“No, it most certainly isn’t. I have to go now, you two need to return back to your posts.” With those words Dónal runs off.

As he leaves eye view, I say, “I would have liked to get some more information.”

Staring at me, Charles says, “Good job?”

“Yep, really good job.”

-Break-

Location: Campsite

Laying my back against the floor, I look up at the ceiling of my hut and try to relax, but the pains from my work today are attacking me.

Even though I did less work than usual I am still feeling it, maybe even worse. I guess the moments of relaxation, just made the work more painful.

Though it is funny to think that I used to be allowed to be like that whenever I wanted. Now those moments of freedom are a luxury. I truly wonder if a day will come when it is normal again.

Beside me, Charles says, “Nero.”

“Yes, Charles?”

“What’s you’re family name?”

“Well, each family in my clan had the same last name, Anima. But why do you want to ask.”

“I just thought it was interesting, family names.”

“Well of course it is, that’s what unites us to each other, and to our ancestors.”

“Then am I not with anyone since I don’t have one.”

Understanding my mistake, I say, “No not at all. But why are you asking all this.”

“Dónal told me that today is my birthday, and he said you're supposed to celebrate it with your family. But there is no family where I belong.”

“Well you always have me, and even that weirdo Dónal.”

“But still you each have your own families, to care for, and that care for you. I don’t, but I feel nothing towards it. So I was just wondering what I should be doing and who I should be doing it with for today?”

That idiot Dónal couldn’t just tell him, he wanted to celebrate it with Charles, and now he has this stupid idea. “Ok then Charles, well then if you have no family let’s make one. My family name is Anima, so ours will now be Animus.”

“But don’t you already have one?”

“I discard it from this moment on. My bond with everyone else is stronger than a simple name, so it shouldn’t be a problem, but from now on me and you are both part of a new family; Animus.”

“Animus,” Charles says as he smiles.

“Do you like it?”

Tastelessly he says, “Yes.”

Some more passion would have been appreciated. “My birthday is in the fifth month, so two months from now, and I would appreciate if you got me some muffins from Dónal then.”

“Ok, I will.”