“Master is waiting for us over the mountain top,” said Gorgiev as I lay in the tall grass, bolt in hand. “He’ll teach you many secrets. He’s even considering turning you into a vampire when you become a beast. Don’t you—”

I ran, activating my black haze the moment I moved my feet. I squeezed out all the mana from my core. Once the haze covered everything around, I turned and ran in the opposite direction from where Gorgiev came. I tried to flap my wings. It only slowed me, but instincts were hard to kill. Branches cut my exposed calves, and poisoned leaves left burning sap on my ankles. A bolt ripped through two small trees. I dashed between large trees. That’s when I heard it. A different voice, a voice I had heard somewhere I had never been.

“Over there. I hear his crossbow.” The knights. My eyes swelled up, I held in my tears, afraid they might impair my vision.

I fell.

A bolt struck me. It shattered my right shin. I couldn’t help but scream. To screech.

“It’s Julian,” the knights screamed. “Fast, for King and Kingdom!”

It was too late. The man with velvet eyes stood next to me. No, it wasn’t too late. For Rose I would slay a dragon. For Rose, I would kill this man.

“Why must you make me do this?” His hands trembled. “I never wanted to release the bolt. You are like me. You are my brother. But he compels me.” He loaded another bolt in the crossbow. “I’m sorry.”

The mist was dense. He too couldn’t afford another miss, so he came closer, but far enough that I couldn’t reach him before a bolt pierced my flesh. I’d have to take one.

I pushed off the ground with my left hand, getting up a bit off-centre. A bolt struck my upper chest. I screamed and ran at Gorgiev. He tried to load another bolt. When I got within a few steps of him he swung it down. It hit my shoulder. I didn’t care. I plunged my bolt into his eye socket. He screamed and clutched the wooden tail. I fell back on my ass and looked down. The bolt had really pierced my upper chest. Like him, I clutched the wood and fell on my back. I looked up and saw a felt-tipped tree grow out of my body. It reminded me of my childhood. When I had tumbled into a bush as a baby bird. Back then, I couldn’t differentiate between tiny branches and trees. And once again I was reminded of the indomitable nature of wood.

You killed Gorgiev, a vampiric puppet, you gained 1000 Exp.

First kill bonus x2 Exp.

You levelled up twice and are now level 3, you gained 2 skill points.

#

Ten years and some months earlier.

I glanced down from the tree. Everything was so big; the fall was so high. I hopped to my mother’s side, she pushed me back.

“You have to jump.”

I shook my head. “I can stay here. You can feed me until I grow up.” I looked up and pleaded with my round baby eyes.

She shook her head. “If we do that, I’ll be long dead before you can fend for yourself. Flight isn’t a skill, magic isn’t going to assist you. If you have wings, use them. You don’t want to become like those earth dragons who hide beneath rocks, do you?” She gave me another nudge. My claws clung over nest’s edge.

“But I don’t care about any of that. I don’t mind hiding beneath rocks or inside trees.”

“What a lazy child.” My mother scoffed. “Look, if you max out your level, you’ll get a chance to evolve. If you do so again and complete missions from gods, you can make a wish.”

“I don’t care about a wish. I want to sleep.”

“You won’t be saying that once you leave the nest. The world is a beautiful place. You’ll fall in love with it soon enough and realize that there are too many jewels and too little time. Then you’ll dream of the gods’ gift.”

I couldn’t lie, getting a wish fulfilled by a god sounded more than great. “Can I wish for anything?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Mother laughed. “As if. The gods will judge your life and the missions you completed. Then, and only then will they grant your wish if it’s comparable in value to the deeds you completed. And that’s why you can’t stay locked up in this nest.”

My eyes shot open. “Mom, if you evolve, can you wish for a worry-free life? I mean for me?”

“I’d never waste my wish on something like that. And I’ve already maxed out my level. I can’t evolve.”

“Never?”

“Well, some evolutions may have conditions but since I’ve done just about everything possible in this forest and I’m now stuck raising you and your siblings, I can’t hope for much. There’s probably no way for me to evolve. After all, evolution is a rare and special thing, or else there’d be as many dragons and griffins as there are lizards and birds. Now go, fly.” She pushed me over the edge. I flapped my wings, but nothing happened. I fell.

I landed on some leaves. They were soft, however, something pricked my back. I jerked my wings about to turn me over. Needles. I flapped my wings to escape it, but the best of my efforts only threw me out of the bush.

“Ow!” I yelped and turned around. A few needles had pricked my ass. I tried to reach back and pull them out, but my neck was too shor—

A hiss—and before I could even think of running a bark and growl rumbled through the air.

A snake, striped red and brown, turned to me. On the other side stood a baby black wolf.

The snake hissed, but before it could wind up and attack me, the black wolf bit its tail, flung it aside, and ran to me. I couldn’t outrun a wolf. I put up my wings and waited for death. Yet, it didn’t come. Paws… Leathery skin touched my wings, sharp claws touched the top of my wings, and drew them down. The wolf’s eyes were strong and set. They did not waver or tremble like mine.

“Mom, mom!” I croaked at my nest, stepping back. Mother didn’t come. The snake slithered towards me. I beat my wings thrice, then twice again. The snake slithered faster and faster.

The snake hissed and slithered back towards us. The wolf lowered his hind legs, getting ready to pounce on the snake. Seeing this I found my resolve and faced the snake.

I wouldn’t be able to kill it, however, I could distract it. I crowed and flapped my wings. Making as much noise as possible. The snake faced me. It wound up its neck and struck out like a dart.

The wolf jumped, bit down on the snake’s throat, and flung his head around until the snake fell limp in his mouth.

“We did it,” I croaked and jumped in joy. Something touched my head. “Mom, I looked up.” It was the black wolf. Its teeth long and sharp, yet its claws massaged my head. I wasn’t used to standing all the time, my legs grew tired. But without a nest and with needles still on my bum I didn’t know where to sit. The wolf laid down, his breathe ragged. I made my way on his stomach and rested on my side.

#

Present day

I opened my eyes. Huddled around me were two women and a man dressed in white robes. Their sweat shimmered and their hands were pressed near my chest. Their eyes were hollow, greyed out, dead. However, when I moved, blood flooded their cheeks and their pale white skin flushed red with life.

“Young lord, you’re alive!” One of the women reached into a bag and pulled out a jug of water. “Here, drink it. It should dispel the curse.”

Although slightly hesitant, the water was forced down my throat. I couldn’t hold it in my mouth or voluntarily swallow it. The blue sky above started to sparkle yellow, the people’s faces warped and dimed. I would be plunged in the boy’s memories once again.

#

Julian’s POV

“Julian, come here,” My father’s voice travelled down the marbled floor. I did my best to run over in my new tight new pants. I tried to pull them off earlier; the maids hit me and begged for my understanding.

I bowed. “Yes, Father.”

“I’ve heard the magic lessons haven’t gone well.”

Under golden chandeliers, I remained mute.

“If you continue as such, I’ll have to legitimatize a bastard. You know how much that will cost us? Look, I understand there is a great deal in magic that is inherent, however, your mother and I are great mages. You have the talent in your blood. It must be there.” He raised my chin with his index and thumb. “You have your mother’s eyes and my nose. You have your mother’s hair and my cheeks. You are our son. Even the mystics have Duke William. This is your last chance. I don’t want to have you killed. You are my son.”

My pants tightened once again and squeezed my bladder. “Yes.”

My father looked down. “If you have to go, do it in the corner.”

I looked to the yellowed corner of the corridor. Maids stood at the ready with buckets, sponges, towels, and perfume. I always preferred the baths.

#

I waited in the reception room. On a velvet couch flanked by five knights, I sat cross-legged. Behind me hung grand portraits of Julian I, Julian IV, and Julian V. Them who cast grand spells and swung swords wrapped in rose flames. They were my icons. They were my future, present, and past.

Dressed in heavy pearls and light diamonds, I waited for the guest. Three knocks reverberated through the great gilded wooden doors, painted white, and blue.

Two men entered. The first had deep-set eyes painted blood red. The second didn’t seem to have human eyes in the least. His were made of velvet and painted a pinkish red. They weren’t humans. They held the mark of beasts, coloured eyes. However, neither the knights nor my father reacted to that fact. Open secrets were all too common for nobility. It was a pain to guess what these were and act accordingly. Whether a wave of my father’s hand meant to court a count’s young lady, to ignore a certain noble’s son, or to avoid the meal of a guest. There were a thousand and one signals, from the beat of his fingers on a dinning room table to a flick of the foot under a side table. At least if I gained great magical powers like him, I could make my own rules one day. But for now, I’d have to sit back straight, eyes calm, and voice firm in front of beasts.