Chapter 6

The First Key

There was so much I still had to learn, fighting, hunting, surviving in the wild, how to cook, I haven’t met many other Xenos. It was interesting the individuality each Xeno had from one to the other. Even within their own species. They were all different.

I liked it. There was something special inside of everyone.

Celentine had taught me nearly everything she knows.

It’s been a few years that I’ve been here already. I had visited the village a few times a month, learned politics and how our leadership works. I’ve met the King and Queen, though they didn’t seem so happy to meet me. But I know the things they have to do, they’re in charge of the whole village and it’s not just a few Felines.

I continued my training, learning how to hunt with my bare hands. Each catch was faster than the last until I could catch anything I set my eyes upon.

I climbed trees, I hopped branches and led my life out in the wilderness for quite some time, just me alone, sometimes I brought along Celentine. I watched the soldiers fight and sometimes joined in, seeing who I could catch off guard. I hid in the trees and watched the wildlife, each I knew by name, including the insects.

I knew where I was within ten miles of the village, I knew the farms and the people that worked there, what they grew and what animals they slaughtered for food.

And at this moment, though it looks entirely like every other part of the jungle, I knew I was on the far side of the hill which held my home, the Temple.

It was getting dark and I had just finished a two day trip around the village, stalking prey and eating them raw, checking bushes for unknown scents, that was more like instinct, nearly unnecessary, I had to always be sure.

I kept walking through the forest, aiming for the Temple, I found it, the corner brick twenty feet away from me. I came to the exact point I was heading for though I couldn’t see it at all my whole journey.

I went inside, found Celentine reading a new book. I had read most of them that were on the bookshelf. All the instructional ones at least. Celentine wanted me to be educated, take advantage of the old knowledge and compare it with the new. She told me I had to see for myself and find if anything was true, for if it wasn’t true for me, it wasn’t. I said goodnight and made it to be bedroom, it was bare, I had nothing worth keeping other than a few changes of clothes. Everything I had was outside, the wilderness, plants, animals and life around me, I was one with the forest.

I laid down and got ready to sleep. But I remembered something. I hadn’t seen the sunset at the top of the mountain recently, not since Celentine had taught me about astronomy a few months ago. Maybe I can still see the end of it. The last vestiges of the day, until tomorrow.

I ventured out to the top of the mountain. It was cold, maybe the sun had already set. I wouldn’t know until I was up to the top

I made it and found Celentine had already beat me to it. She was there standing at the top, in front of our bench. She was staring up at the moon. It was bright and shining down in it’s own manner that moons do. It was a comfortable yellowish light. Celentine hadn’t noticed me. She seemed happy to be staring at the moon, talking to it as if it was right in front of her. She seemed happy and younger than before. Age regression, something that I shouldn’t know about, yet it was happening right in front of my eyes. She had been turning younger and younger and finally had taken the looks of the young Huntress that was somewhat familiar to me. Something like my future self.

I started closer to inspect the darling Celentine that was my mentor. She was beautiful, her eyes were still closed and she muttered something. She said it again. “Thank you.” I saw who she was talking to. Ares and Xeres. They were here, but their shadow was invisible, just a faint glimmer at the edges.

All three of them looked satisfied and Celentine got up, and started walking forward, melting into the moonlight becoming a shadow just faintly visible at the edges.

And she disappeared into a mist and glimmering in the moonlight.

Is she gone now? It must only be the proper way, like Ares and Xeres, moon and mist.

I hadn’t know this would happen. I thought she would teach me more. I knew how to fight, hunt, cook, but I didn’t know that much, but maybe I did. Maybe she didn’t leave. I should be able to find her in the morning.

That satisfied me and now, having come up here to watch the sunset, I found that it was past sunset and approaching morning soon. Maybe there’s more to this moon than I thought.

I don’t want to go too far, maybe I’ll go to see my family. They would be sleeping, but I’m the Huntress now, I’m the one to make sure the village is safe, and family comes first.

I set off down the path, winding down the mountain and finally into the village. It was pleasant, moonlight shining, illuminating the streets between the houses.

I found my parent’s house and peeked through the window. They were there. Mom, dad, brothers and sisters. It warmed my heart in the cool night. I’ll let them rest, they must stay safe and learn life themselves.

It was a long time that I stood there watching them until the moon faded and was overtaken my the sun itself. Dawn was encroaching faster than I thought.

I briskly walked back to the temple. A few people had already woken up and started setting up tents to sell breakfast or had started in the gardens. I passed them unnoticed.

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I went back into the Temple and something caught my eye. A key on the table. A little letter underneath, “To: Dawn”. It must be from Celentine.

I opened the letter.

May your journey begin.

Love, Celentine.

I flipped it over, nothing on the back. The key? For what?

My heart stopped. the doors, that’s the only thing it could be.

I…

I ran down the stairs to the bottom of the temple, hoping to find the door cracked open, it wasn’t.

I tried the key. Nothing. It didn’t open it.

Another thought.

There were many other doors that were locked and had been locked since I arrived and curiously tried every one for months. Eventually I had given up and forgotten about them.

I ran up the stairs.

Across from my bedroom there were three doors set tight together. I tried the middle one. It wasn’t the key. Maybe there was something on the key itself that told me what is was for. I looked, nothing there either. It looked like a key one would find in a fairytale. Big and simple looking.

I tried the other doors. Finally, the door on the right opened.

I stepped inside. There was a huge assortment ofitems, the house seemed so barren, and here was everything.

I stepped inside. It wasn’t like anything I’ve seen so far. Nothing like what I’ve seen in the village or on my journeys.

Here was technology that was beyond anything I’ve seen in the village. It seems Celentine had something more to teach me, the basics I knew, but what was here was a whole new world.

I studied the roomWeapons of all sorts, knives, axes, pistols, guns and big guns. More and more that I had no idea what they were. There were a lot on the walls, some in cabinets and some in single pedestals inside glass frames. I looked at them all, I didn’t know what any of them would do besides the knives.

I got back to the center of the room. There was a pedestal with writing on it. Blue letters, not handwritten, on a black background. I touched it and the letters seemed to ripple like water.

I knew how to read already, I read quite a few books, and here was something, not a book, that had writing.

Huntress,

The room you have come to is an important one on your journey unto full being.

You have been chosen by us, handpicked.

This room is a test and a challenge. You will learn new skills by fulfilling the quest.

There is no cheating, there is only fulfillment.

If you do not fulfill the quest you will not gain entrance to the next quest. If you do not accept the quest you will suffer in your search for knowledge, abilities and suffer more in gaining the trust of your fellow Xenos and Felines.

The room will not always be here for you to come and go.

Would you like to accept and receive the challenge of the first room?

Accept Decline

What was I going to say, a young feline unworthy, or indifferentto the acceptance of such an adventure. But I don’t even know what the test is yet. I guess I’ll find out.

Now how do I choose?

“Accept,” I muttered, reading the word aloud. The words started changing and a new text appeared.

Good choice.

The first test is a simple one. Merely a casual day of any Huntress, yet you must prove you worth and fulfill, if unfulfilled, it will be understood that you are indeed not a Huntress, injured to total incapability or a fraud and had the misfortune to step into this temple.

Confirm your identity.

A blue circle started to fade in and out, a paw print flowed faintly. I stared at it for a moment. What is that? I touched it and the screen changed again.

State your name.

“Dawn.” I said and the screen changed to reveal the quest.

The first quest:

In a week’s time the King and Queen of the Feline village will be holding a party for the village. All are welcome to attend, being Feline and residents of the village.

Your job as Huntress is to provide food for the table of the King and Queen and the villagers.

The weapons you see on the wall will be your choice of only one. Choose wisely as once you pick your weapon, there will be no chance to change.

Descriptions of weapons will now be found on a plate corresponding to each pedestal, case or wall.

Small screens like the one is was reading turned on and went blue with writing. The room seems to change color as well and it started to feel alive like it was buzzing with energy.

The center pedestal continued it’s script.

Population of village attending: 305

List of meat consumable to a Feline: Boar, Cow, Deer, most kind of Fowl, Monkey, rabbit. (Remember, variety is wanted at such an event.)

Weight of meat eaten per Feline: 1lb. (Takeaway boxes are available.)

The list continued, explaining the weight of meat able to be retrieved from each animal, small, medium or large.

Large boars and cows seemed to have the most meat, but not necessarily the easiest to kill. Especially for me.

I did the math, that’s nearly a thousand pound of animal!

I took a look around to see what I might be able to use.

Guns, not sure if I’d be able to use them.

I spotted a note at the bottom of the screens.

*Guides are available for advanced weapons and most mechanical devices.

Difficult to decide. Guns, tasers, knifes. I looked around some more. There were so many, maybe twenty on just one section of the wall and several other sections.

I looked at the big cases in the middle of the room. They were covered in glass. I tried finding an opening, somehow I should be able to at least pick it up. It touched the screen and it changed it’s blue letters.

Would you like to opens the case?

Contents:

Grenade launcher ZX-750

Plasma grenades (100 ct.)

Concussion grenades (100 ct.)

Plasma whip

Electric whip

Silent subsonic disintegrator gun

Yes No

I decided to at least look at a them. I pressed yes.

The case opened with a hiss. I looked inside. A huge gun and a some other things that looked like some very complicated sticks.

The screen started to display a video of them in action. I figured I should have to keep the animals in one piece before the dinner so I closed it and started looking around some more.

What caught my eyes were the knives. Long swords, short daggers, some that were very intricately designed.

I took one down. It was a set of three that could be held on the hand by a couple loops. I tried it on. It fit alright, though it was a bit big for me. I think I’ll grow into it.

The claw extension seemed like a good pick. I’ll try it outside.

I walked over to the door and figured that I’d have to open it with the screen. I pressed it and the screen asked me another question.

Would you like to leave?

If you have chosen a weapon you will not be able to exchange it for the one you have. Choose wisely and make sure you will know how to use it.

Yes No

I thought about it and felt the claws in my hand. They extended as I extended my claws and retracted to less than an inch sticking out.

I pressed yes on the screen, the door opened with a click and I walked out.

Boy, was I tired. I’ll need to sleep. I went to my room and curled up in a ball on my bed after putting the claws down beside me.