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Chapter 7

Lex looked at his hand, perplexed at what he had done. He had used a monster attack somehow, and with it, he had won a very important battle toward achieving his dream of being a tamer. It was thanks to what he had done that he and Mirabit were able to beat his grandmother, allowing him to finally begin his taming journey. He didn’t know how he had done such a feat, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he felt in that moment, it was something he couldn’t quite explain.

“What am I ?” he said, under his breath, as he turned his hand over, and looked at the birthmark on his right hand, the shape of it reminding him of a monster.

"A monster," he thought, letting out a faint chuckle.

"I think I'm too obsessed with taming."

He looked at Mirabit, who was sitting on his bed,

“Well, whatever I am, I'm glad I have you partner,” he said, feeling a connection with Mirabit ever since they met in Woodfield forest.

‘Mirabit,” the small light grey bunny monster said, tilting its head to its side.

“Lex!” his aunt’s words woke him from the little daydream he found himself in.

“When you’re ready, get down to the kitchen, I have something to give you.”

“Okay!” he yelled back, shaking off whatever had happened, right now was not the time to think about that, he had a journey to focus on, his taming journey.

“Ready partner?” he said, smiling at Mirabit.

“Mirabit,” Mirabit said, jumping on Lex’s head, excited to venture out as well.

“Let's do this partner ?” he said, ruffling his soft light grey fur.

***

“You look like an adventurer ready to venture out,” Lily said, smiling as she saw Lex coming down the wooden stairs. He had on a white silk shirt, light brown short pants, and leather shoes.

“Thanks,” Lex said, blushing a bit.

“If you fail you can always come back and dedicate yourself to the art of baking,” Nana said, as she entered the kitchen.

“Mom, be nice,” Lily said, shaking he head, and giving her a faint smile.

“I won’t fail,” Lex said eager to prove himself.

Lily looked at Lex's hands,

“Has anything happened?” she said, remembering that strange event she saw all those years ago in the forest. She wanted to say something, but she figured it was better this way. He already had a lot on his plate right now.

“You should keep what happened a secret," Nana said, finally coming to terms with the fact that her grandson, Lex, was going to be a tamer, and now she had to deal with the fact that Lex was special, wishing Anita was here, maybe she would have known what to do, or know why Lex was able to do something truly incredible, such as being able to do a monster attack.

Nana looked at Lex, what she had witnessed was something she had never seen, heard, or read about in her tamers days or old age. But there were many things they didn’t know about taming yet, many myths, tales, and history that had been lost to time. Perhaps in his journey, he would come across them.

But she knew that what Lex had done was something truly out of this world. She knew even if she tried to keep him in the village all his life, she couldn’t. Lex had earned his right to follow his dream, she just had to trust him and pray to the ancient one to protect and guide him.

The world was about to change, whether she tried to fight it or not. She just hoped that Lex was strong enough for what was to come.

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“Unless you want to be a science experiment,” she added, letting out a grin.

“A science experiment? ” Lex shuddered at the thought.

A moment of silence fell in the kitchen as if the weight of what had happened finally had come down on them and cemented itself to the reality of it.

“I heard, “ Nana said, cutting the silence that had lingered in the small wooden kitchen.

“From my younger days as a guild tamer,”

“You were a guild tamer!” Lex said, shocked at the revelation, he would not have expected that in a million years, considering how much she disliked taming.

“That’s right, and she was a really good tamer too,” Lily added.

“Well,” Nana said, hiding herself from blushing.

“Anyway,” she continued,

“Of a monster expert, well that was what she called herself back in the day, she loved to read everything about monsters and myths and whatnot, she might have read something about what happened here, you should pay her a visit.”

Nana looked out the window, the sun was particularly bright this morning, illuminating the kitchen, almost as if embracing them in its warm light like a blanket to a scared child

‘Last I heard she was living somewhere in Stonetopolis city, which is perfect since you’re going there. Tell her Nana Greyfield sent you.”

“I will,” Lex said, looking at his hand, and wondering what he would learn about his gift, which in a way it was.

“Ready partner?” Lex looked at Mirabit, as it was munching happily on a piece of bread.

“Mirabit,” Mirabit said, smiling.

“DING!”

A bell rang in the kitchen, which Mirabit turned to, anticipating the aroma.

“Oh! it's ready,” Lily said, as she put on her baking gloves,

“Maidanda put a plate on the table for me,”

“Maidanda,” Maidanda said, grabbing a plate and placing it on the wooden table.

“The reason I asked you to come to the kitchen is because I have a quest for you,” she said opening the stove door.

“Mirabit, ”Mirabit said, sniffing the air and catching more of the delicious aroma it adored.

“MIRABIT!”

Mirabit said as it jumped in excitement and as he was about to dash toward Lily.

Lex grabbed him just as quickly.

“No you don’t,” he said, grabbing Mirabit before he jumped toward Lily, and ate any more of the bread.

“Mirabit,” the small light grey monster said, waving its feet, not happy that it wasn’t allowed to indulge in its appetite.

“Here just for you,” Lily said, giving Mirabit another piece of bread.

“You really like Lily’s bread don’t you,” Lex said, petting his monster partner and smiling.

“Mirabit “ Mirabit said, as it ate the bread happily.

“Since your first stop is going to be Twin Rock Town, you might as well give Carlos the bread he ordered,” Lily said, putting the bread in a box and putting it in a brown leather bag.

He should be at his research place. He said he was going to come and get it but I figure I would save him a trip since he’s always busy, besides, there are monsters in Twin Rock Road, he might get hurt, ” she said, taking her gloves off, and putting a hand on her cheek,

“You know how Carlos fears monsters, he’s very brave to make the journey from Twinrock town to Woodfield village for our bread. He’s our precious customer.”

“He loves our bread a lot, he orders a whole bunch all the time “

Lily wondered why Carlos ordered almost a village worth’s of bread when only two researchers lived with him.

“Yes, I’m sure is our bread he loves,” Nana said, raising an eyebrow.

Lex let out a faint chuckle, he had noticed the young monster researcher's infatuation with his aunt. He was a nice man, and Lex liked when he came to visit since he knew a lot about monsters since that was his job. And even though he was scared of them at times, Lex could tell he loved his job.

“He already paid for it, just make sure you deliver the bread,” Nana said, as she got up from her chair.

“And Lex,”

Nana‘s face had a certain softness to it that Lex hadn’t seen before, usually, she had a very strong, and intense look on her, she was the strongest grandma in all of Woodfield village, of that he was sure of.

“Be careful,” she said, before leaving the kitchen.

“She can be honest with her feelings once in a while,” Lily said, chuckling.

“I’m going to miss you dearly, Lex,” Lily said, hugging Lex tightly, and kissing him on his forehead.

“Aunt Lily,” Lex said, blushing,

“I’m not a kid anymore, I’m thirteen now.”

“I know, but you’ll always be our little boy to us.”

“Aunt Lily,” Lex said, being grateful for having two of the most loving family members he could have hoped for. And even though at times he was sad he couldn’t meet his mother, Lily, and Nana provided more than enough love, for which he was grateful.

“Make sure to write to us every day and let us know how your journey is coming along, and kick butt at the Monster Taming examination, “ she said, wiping away a tear from her green eyes.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry.”

“I’ll make you guys proud,” Lex said, holding back tears as well.

“Isn’t that right partner?”

He looked at Mirabit who was happily eating another piece of bread, which Lex was pretty sure he knew where he got it from.

“Mirabit,” Mirabit said, smiling, as a crumb of bread on his fluffy cheeks lay there.

‘And Lex, “Lily said, looking at Lex, he was the spitting image of Anita, which made her happy, almost like she was never gone.

“She would have been proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Lex said, even though he never got to meet her, and despite Nana rarely bringing her up, which he didn’t blame her for it, Lily kept her image alive, and he was thankful to her for it.

“Anyway, you better get going, don’t want to waste some good sunlight.”

She wiped away any tears and gave Lex a heartfelt smile.

“This is not a goodbye this is a see you later, okay,” she said, ruffling his blonde hair.

“I know, Aunt Lily,’ he said, smiling, he was going to miss her a lot, both her and Nana.

‘Ready partner.”

He looked at Mirabit,

“Mirabit,” Mirabit said, just as excited as Lex.

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***

The summer heat from Woodfield Village was as vibrant as the sun that shone on it. Its luscious sea of green made it quite inviting for both humans and monsters alike. Something Lex was going to miss, but he knew that it wasn’t going to be the last time he saw it.

“Bye,” Lex said, as he waved goodbye to Lily and Nana. They looked at the young blonde hair boy as he left to begin his taming journey, leaving behind the house that had been his home for thirteen years, and hoping that he would be able to overcome any struggles that might come his way, but they knew he was strong, for he had a brave mother.

“Don’t forget to write to us!” Lily yelled as she waved goodbye at Lex.

“I will, I promise! “ Lex yelled back,

“Bye, Lily! , Nana! And bye Maidanda! ” he said, giving them one final goodbye wave.

“I will make you guys proud.”

He wiped away a tear that was filled with both sadness and excitement for his journey, for it had finally begun, just like her mother did all those years ago.

“Next stop, Twin Rock Town.”

Lex looked at the bright blue sky, a sky that felt different today, and together with Mirabit, who was inside his brown leather bag, no doubt eating more of the bread, embarked toward their new destination.