“Where are we going to find him a kid?” I asked.

He shook his index. “That’s not the mentality of a gin. Gins must be precise. Diligent. Pick our targets with care. We gotta find the highest emotion target with the most predictable wish.” He spread silver dust and painted the scene of a baby gin flying about a forest. “I was looking for a prey, when I fluttered into him. He was burying his wife under an oak tree, whining and preaching. Oh, why did you make me do this? I wanted to be with you forever. To have a kid with you. But you won’t give me this one wish.—”

“But that’s only two wishes,” I interjected. “To get his wife back and to get a kid.”

Gino nodded. “Yes, but you speak too quickly, I didn’t finish.” He waved his hand and the silver stars shifted around. “While he cried, a hunter from his village stumbled on him. He froze and let Zavier run away. Humans are social beings. Ever since then my Zavier’s been living in the woods. Well, it’s only been two weeks since then so it’s not really so grand a tale.”

“How will you get his village to accept him back?”

“To be honest I didn’t plan that far ahead but since you’re here and all.” He tapped his index together, tilted his head and looked down. “I was thinking you could threaten them into accepting him back.”

Zavier sat against a tree stump, unresponsive and resigned to his fate.

I used to wonder why my friends became jaded after coming back from the north, but it wasn’t too hard to understand if this was what one found outside the ebony forest. I didn’t like it; but it was something I’d accept if it meant resurrecting Rose… and gaining levels. “Ok. But you’ll have to give me information on how to get a wish granted.”

“Oh, I’ll take that deal.” He smiled. “Levelling up and information regarding the wish. The two most important questions to a beast. That’s why I hate animals so much. Their goals and aspirations vary too greatly. We, on the other hand, are much easier to read, our intentions are clear, and our hearts determined. We are pure, purer than animals at least. Now let’s go find this kid. Can you just take a locket of Zavier’s hair?”

Gino’s dust had transported me away but his words brought me back and I went to take some of his hair.

#

“What kind of trees are these?” I asked.

“Hmmm… I don’t know. I prefer snowy biomes; this is the first time I’m this Far North.”

“North?” I asked. “In the north it’s cold.”

“In the northern hemisphere, yes? How did you get here? Aren’t Ravns usually good with cardinal directions? Oh, it’s there.” The gin pointed to a wooden shack attached to a tree trunk. Gino motioned me to knock.

“Who’s there?” an old woman’s voice squeaked.

“Hi, this is Gino and Veero. We’re here for a wish request we must fulfill.

The door creaked open. “Can you pay?” Her long grey hair tangled into unkempt dreads. “And where’s the gin?” She asked through rotted teeth. Black tar dripped down her frosty white lips.

“Tell her that I’m just conserving energy, so I won’t talk, but when the request is fulfilled, I’ll pay her in mushrooms.”

I repeated his words.

“Then what do you want?” She asked.

“Tell her we want a homunculi child. We’ll give her a lock of hair.”

“A homunculi child from this lump of hair,” I repeated.

“Come back in a week.”

I wondered how they’d make a human from a few strands of hair. “Can I watch?”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

The lady didn’t answer immediately. “No,” she shut the door.

Gino tapped my shoulder. “Close, she considered it. But trust me, you wouldn’t wanna see. Anyhow, let’s go find those mushrooms. To be honest I think it’ll take more than a day. I should have offered her a fistful of frog kidneys instead.”

“Those are pretty good.” But they’d probably make me puke were I to try them today. Only hearts could appease my appetite. “So, what kind of mushroom do we need?” I asked.

“Any grade 6 or higher hallucinogenic mushroom. We should find some on the Grenold Mountains.” He looked at me. “Why are you staring at me?”

“What are grades?”

Gino’s mouth fell. “It must be nice not having to deal with humans. All you gotta do is find one and eat their heart. Life is unfair. I have to deal with their whims and concepts.”

“I wouldn’t mind learning more about humans. They’re interesting. In my couple days with them, I experienced more than in my ten years in the forest.”

“Well, I suppose they’re somewhat interesting.” His arms drooped down his cloud, and he stared into the distance. “But it’s a drain for me to talk to them. I don’t know what emotions the gods saw in my heart for them to think a gin was the correct beast to transform me into. Well, that’s that. I don’t like thinking about the past. Let’s go.”

I nodded. “How do we get to the Grenold Mountains?”

“It’s in the east.”

#

We progressed through the forest. The trees shrunk and thinned. Bushels and thorny plants started to creep up and crowded the ground. These stole sunlight from the grass and flowers. Soon, earth took the place of greenery, and one could count the hundreds of ant hills scattered afoot trees and rocks. Red snacks fought against black treats. I crouched down. Unfortunately, they were too small to eat.

“Hey, Veero, I hate to kill whatever mood you’re in but there’s a goblin at three o’clock.”

I jumped up. A wooden bat raised high stared me down. Crouched down, I couldn’t move. I spread my haze. Evidently, it was too late for me. I crunched up y eyes and let the bat strike my head. I opened my eyes. The goblin wobbled back, his bat high in the air and he tripped over a small bush.

Although odd I wouldn’t let this chance pass. I dashed and plunged my fingers in the goblin’s eyes. He struggled, flayed his arms. It reminded me of Tim.

The goblin went limp.

You killed a goblin, you gain 50 Exp.

LVL 3; 450/1100 exp.

“Ugh…pardon my language again but what the fuck was that?” Gino had covered his face with his arms even though blood passed through him.

I pulled my fingers out the goblin. “What do you mean?”

“I can understand you not noticing the goblin, but why were you afraid of its blow, and why the brutality?”

I rubbed my chin. “How am I supposed to kill him then? Well, I suppose I could use fire magic, I’m just not used to it.” I tapped my nose. Well, I didn’t have a beak anymore, I now had hands. I could use weapons, and magic. Regardless, “Isn’t it normal to be afraid of a blow? I’m lucky he only glanced me.”

“I don’t know what you used to be, but you should get used to magic. I mean you don’t even need to learn it; the main ability of beasts is our ability to invent magic. Do you not have attributes?”

“Shadow and fire for now.”

Gino facepalmed. “I really don’t understand you. How are you ten, know your elements but still don’t use magic?”

“Well, I became a beast a few days ago.”

His eyes went wide, but soon he started to nod. “I didn’t know Ravns were born so large. I became a beast a year ago, look at how small I am. Ok Look.” He pointed to a tree. “Imagine a ball of flames in the air. Then imagine it travelling through the air until it strikes that tree.”

“It’s not that I don’t understand how to use magic. It’s just hab—”

“Ok, even better,” Gino cut me off and pointed at the tree once again. “Habit is something one builds, do as I say and everything will work out.”

I concentrated on a point in the air. A ball of flame formed. The heat radiated and twisted the surrounding air. I pushed it forward and with the speed of a turtle, it hit the tree and disappeared, leaving behind a light scorch. “That’s all?” I was amazed with its weakness. Perhaps it was better to stick with my old ways. Diane would have felled the tree and I only left a scratch.

“I mean, if you just became a Ravn a few days ago, it’s to be expected. Just try to channel more mana into it. Try a quarter.”

I didn’t know how much a quarter of my mana felt like. I could open my status to check, but that wouldn’t be possible in combat. I poured in mana until the heat felt uncomfortable. I launched it. Flames engulfed the tree. Green leaves combusted into ash, and embers spread in the air. Nearby trees started to burn, and smoke drifted down wind. Never had I dreamt of being able to use such powers. “Hey, Gino, how do I stop it?”

He didn’t answer. I repeated myself. As fire spread, the heat increased. My skin started to tingle. The fire engulfed other trees. It blocked our path and threatened to surround us. My body grew weak. Mana exhaustion, I hadn’t stopped providing mana to the flames. I stopped its flow to the flames, the spread slowed, but it didn’t stop. I turned to Gino. He looked my way. And smiled “Why are you looking at me with concerned eyes? You’re a beast now, this is your right.”