When I awoke the next morning I felt amazing. I had no nightmares. I was fully energized and ready to start the day.

I started the routine I've developed the past few weeks. I start with stretching my body until it is completely taught and I stay like that for about fifteen minutes or until Accalia wakes up and starts to feed me; it's usually the latter. Up until yesterday, one of the biggest mysteries of my life was how she always woke up when I woke up.

When I try to explain it to myself it usually goes something like this:

'She's a wizard H-Artemis,' I say in a cheery foreign accent.

'But even wizards can't see the future.'

'Well, what if she's a special wizard?'

'So far, no magic we've seen has been temporal. It isn't possible for her to do it.'

'Mmmm. Wha-... What!- mmm. I got it! She's a goddess! She's so kind and loving, she has to be a goddess!'

'Well, I don't think there is any other explanation. She is a goddess!'

I would then imagine her with a beautiful golden glow surrounding her and creatures of all sizes and shapes coming to her and acting as servants. She would then turn towards me with a warm inviting smile and say, "Come Artemis. You'll never be alone again."

My fantasy was shattered yesterday when I learned she could see and/or hear thoughts. That meant she wasn't a goddess who could see the future, she was just your everyday telepathic magic sentient wolf who was also an amazing woman and loving mother.

"She could still be a goddess!" A part of me said hopefully.

"Shuddup!" I responded. I didn't want my hopes and dreams to be shattered again.

----------------------------------------

When I was almost done stretching, Accalia got up and walked towards me. My mouth started to salivate at the thought of Accalia's food. It was always so warm and filling. It tasted like smooth honey and it always flowed down my throat gently, repairing my throat for another day of speech lessons.

I waited for her to pick me up and bring me to feed with closed eyes. I waited for about thirty seconds before I realized I wasn't going to be picked up. When I opened my eyes I saw tiny bits of rabbit meat being cut up into even smaller bits on a side table. Probably sensing my gaze Accalia turned towards me, gave me a warm smile, and said, "Artemis, you're going to eat some rabbit today. It's really yummy!"

She was almost done cutting the rabbit, so I waited to finish my routine. Accalia and the rest of the family usually ate their meat raw or slightly seared. Apparently, meat tastes best when raw and seasoning makes it even better, but you have to sear the meat with the seasoning to bring out the flavor. While disappointed I couldn't have Accalia's food, I was happy I could have her cooking. I would also be able to eat with the rest of the family now.

Accalia took the meat, sprinkled a little salt and seasoning on it, rubbed it in, and then started to feed me one my one. I was a little confused why I was eating in my room and not in the living or dining room, but I still ate it. The first bite I got tasted heavenly. It was superb. It had rich flavors, but it wasn't overwhelming. When I started to chew it melted like snow in my mouth. I wanted more, so I stared at Accalia.

Accalia seemed to chuckle evilly, but when I blinked, her warm smile was back.

She fed me more and more. The more I ate the more I hungered for it. She had to make a second batch and finish off the rabbit. On her way into the kitchen, she was singing a weird song that I only barely caught.

"On the scale~

Their blood weighs~

heavier than gold~"

...

It wasn't until the whole rabbit's worth of meat was gone that I was full. When Accalia was done cleaning me, she brought me out into the living room where Harou, Loki, Ptolemy, and Adolf all sat quietly. Harou looked at Accalia with an unsure gaze and Accalia returned a firm look. Out of the boys, only Adolf didn't seem to understand what was going on.

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Accalia looked at everyone and told them solemnly, "I'm going hunting with Artemis."

Adolf became really excited and asked, "Can I come?"

Before Accalia or Harou could answer Loki chided Adolf, saying, "Adolf. This is Artemis's first hunt."

"So," he responded with a dumb look.

"Do you not remember your first hunt, son?" Harou interjected with a grave look.

Adolf started to calm down and said, "Yes, I do."

Ptolemy jumped in, saying, "Why must Artemis do this? She is only a baby! She's still innocent! She doesn't have to do this now."

"I gave her some this morning," Accalia said suddenly. The room went silent with no one speaking.

"We will leave in an hour," Accalia said with no room for arguing and then walking off to prepare.

...

Unsure of what just happened and needing to finish my morning routine, I left it to future me to ponder about. I began to think about that menu again.

Name: Artemis

Age: 0 (Seventy-five bi-helios rotations)

Race: Primordial Wolf

Lv: 5 Experience: 52/982

Stats: Locked.

Skills:

Layer Zero Skills:

Lv. 2 Internal Mana Sense

Lv. 1 External Mana Sense

Lv. 1 Snow Stomach

Lv. 2 Perseverance

Lv. 8 Sound Recognition

Lv. 4 Speaking

Lv. 4 Reading

Layer One Skills: None.

Layer Two Skills:

Lv. 0 Biting Frost

First barrier exceeded. Level unlocked.

'...What?' I blanked.

I had no idea what this 'first barrier' was. Nor what caused it. What I did know was that I could now see what the Level category said. Up until now, this 'menu' has been totally useless. Sure, it reinforces the idea of my growth, but it had no tangible benefits. The Level and Stat category were my last hope for the menu to be helpful, but if this was all I was going to get from unlocking it, all hope was lost.

'Well, I should at least read its description,' I thought disappointed.

Lv: 5 Experience: 52/982

Certain actions including, but not limited to Skill creation and leveling increase experience. After a predetermined amount, level increases to- BLOCKED. Unlock Stats to reveal the remaining description.

'So this basically does nothing and even if it does, I can't tell unless I unlock the other category,' I thought depressingly.

'Whatever! I don't need it!' I cheered myself up and walked toward Accalia.

Accalia looked towards me and spoke, "Let's go."

I waited to be picked up, but Accalia just walked deeper into the forest. Realizing she wasn't going to pick me up, I started walking on my own to catch up with her. We walked in silence for nearly two hours before we stopped.

I wanted to ask her a question, but was quickly shut down with a hard stare. Accalia returned her gaze ahead of us. We stayed like that for about ten minutes before some thing happened.

A rabbit exploded out of the snow and started to run up a tree. I could barely keep my eyes on the rabbit; it was so fast. But Accalia was faster. She disappeared from where she was and appeared right next to the hare. in an instant, the rabbit was laying on the ground in a crater a yard deep.

My mouth started to salivate thinking about eating this rabbit, but in the back of my mind, I was wondering why I was brought along.

'Because I'm old enough to be on a hunt?' I thought.

Accalia reached her head in and picked up the rabbit with her mouth and I was really surprised. Not because she picked it up with her mouth or anything like that. No, it was because it was still alive. With Accalia's strength and speed, she could've easily killed the rabbit. I couldn't think of many reasons to keep it alive.

'Maybe it will stay fresher if kept alive? It could also be because it would be messy to clean if it was all bloody?' I started to reason to myself while Accalia walked over to me and dropped it in front of my face.

She commanded me very slowly and solemnly, "Kill this rabbit... take her life." 

Reminiscing about my breakfast, I opened my mouth to bite its neck and kill it, but before I could Accalia spoke, "...but when you do, I want you to think about her life and what you are taking to feed yourself. This rabbit probably has kids, most likely in her burrow, waiting for her to feed them, to care for them. If you kill her, not only will her life end, but so will her family's."

I froze. My enthusiasm died down, fast and realization dawned upon me. She told me to take a life and not only was I willing to, I wanted to. I wanted to kill this rabbit, take her home, and eat her. I looked down towards the rabbit. It was still conscious and looking me in the eye. When I stared back into hers, I could see fear and the will to live, but I also saw something familiar. I saw it once before when I saw my mother die. This rabbit has children that she loves, that she wants to care for and protect.

'I would cast this rabbit's children in the same hell I went through just to have a tasty meal?'

I started to pull my head back, but Accalia barked at me, "No! Don't cower! You wanted to kill her, so kill her! Her life is yours and you need to eat. This is nature. This is the cycle of life. If you want to eat you kill."

I wanted to eat. I loved food. But is that enough for me to take a life?

Accalia told me to kill this rabbit, but I just couldn't. I pulled my head back and looked at the ground, ashamed. Ashamed of what, I wasn't sure, but I felt like I let myself down and I let Accalia down.

I could see the rabbit on the ground out of the corner of eye. I looked over to see its face and saw relief all across it. Even a little thankfulness for the mercy, but I couldn't accept it. I wasn't merciful, I was cowardly.

A sharp *SHICK* sounded out, followed by a splash of liquid landing on the ground. Then a red line appeared on the rabbit's throat and a look of betrayal dawned on her face. I looked up to Accalia and said, "why?"