//------------------------------// // Not Alone // Story: My Son, My Soldier, My Hero // by That_Random_Pony //------------------------------// Moon grunted as he felt his shoulder dislocate, then yelped in surprise as he was thrown into the far wall. His vision blurred quickly, and he barely made out his opponent cantering over. "You need to keep your guard up," he heard a throaty chuckle. "Your nose and ears won't do much if your bleeding from them." "Then… I won't be," Moon retorted, forcing himself to stand on his other three, scratched knees. "I think that's enough for today," he heard, the sounds of bone crushing and regenerating followed by flesh crawling over the new form. Moon looked away out of both disgust and embarrassment as his opponent turned back into his original form. "Tell me again, how many Signa develop a bestial form instead of a second?" "Not many," he chuckled, placing the clothing device on his chest. The black material covered his torso and went down to his knees, but no further. "It's actually one out of every million Signa. But we still have our acquired abilities." Moon turned back to him and limped over, just as Inagro gently grasped his leg. "And is your clan filled with healers?" Moon asked. "Not particularly. My father is a general in the Nasgasa fleet, my uncle is a stealth operator, my sisters are leaders of their own platoons, and my mother is a herbal expert." "And why are you here?" Moon questioned. "If your family is in high places, why keep you to train others?" Inagro laughed softly and shrugged. "Bestial Signa usually gain their rites earlier than regular Signa," he said. "I learned to control mine at 5 cycles. I honed them until I was 10, and from there I've mastered it." Moon rose a brow. "You can master this ability?" Inagro nodded. "A Bestial isn't limited to energy in their second form," he told Moon. "We get tired when we are tired, and we aren't as protected as others." "So how do you survive a battle?" Moon asked. Inagro laughed and pointed towards the training room doors. "Perhaps I'll show you one day," he smiled. "Let's get something to eat." Moon rose is brows as he heard Inagro's stomach growl, which sounded ferocious. His own belly gurgled in hunger, and he nodded. The two exited the room, walked down the hall towards the mess hall, and met with the other Bestials. Two men, and a young woman no older than Ember. She was still very tall, however. "Niraka!" Inagro called. She smiled as she saw her brother approaching, and she ran over to hug him lovingly. "Dot'ik evvo i ulako, eh mijor ewal? (It's been a while, eh little sister?)" "Dro (Yes)" Niraka chuckled as she playfully punched his side. "Dot grim (It has)." Inagro let go of his little sister and looked to the other two. "This is the rest of the pack?" He asked his sister. "Yes," she nodded. "This is Orgos," she said, gesturing to the bigger Bestial, "and this, is Hutono." The smaller Signa wasn't much shorter, but it was noticeable. "They are brothers, I assume?" Inagro chuckled, seeing their visible canines. "Good to meet you both." "You are the Hiro? (Alpha?)" Orgos asked. "Yes," he nodded. He stretched his hand out, his left, and Orgos took it with his own. Moon rose a brow, then gasped silently as their marks flashed white. Inagro did the same to Hutono, and the two growled gutturally, but softly. "What was that for?" Moon questioned, gaining the other there's attention. Inagro's sister and pack looked to him, and he smiled. "This is Midnight Moon," he said. "He is our pack member, and family to the Doshu'um." Their memories seemed to come to them as they offered their hands. "You are Limir's son, yes?" Orgos questioned. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Niraka smiled gently. "I'm eager to spar," Hutono nodded with a grin. Moon chuckled softly as he used his paw to shake their hands. "I'm glad to see I'm welcomed," Moon smiled. "And yes, my mother is Limir." It was strange for him to be known as their goddess' son, and even stranger and surprising when he found out his mother and aunt were the daughters of Minira, the goddess supreme. Most Loki'irians greeted him formally and with the utmost respect, perhaps more than Draco. His mother was also confused with her Loki'irian name. And even more confused as to how they knew her mother's existence. "From what I sense, you are not a naturally born creature," Orgos said. "There are many different energies keeping you… bound together, almost." Scratching his ear nervously, Moon sighed as he glanced to the ground. "My mother created me from magic," he told them. "It's a weaker form of energy, in your terms, but to them, I'm made of powerful magic and enchantments. Even a few forbidden spells." "Is she sterile?" Hutono questioned. Moon shook his head with a chuckle. "I don't think so," he murmured. "But… she never told me why she made me… or why she made me this way." They could see he was in a small lapse of question of his existence, and so they went to move him off of that topic. "So, will you be staying with us?" Niraka asked. "He will," Inagro said, placing his hand on Moon's shoulder. "He will share a room with Hutono, and you will sleep in the same chamber as me, Niraka." They all nodded, but Moon was still a bit lost. "And where are our beds?" He asked. They all gestured for him to follow, and they started sprinting down the hall. Moon followed behind, barely able to keep up as they started entering a stranger and more clear hall. He could see Inagro's beast form take hold, his legs transforming as his back hunched to let him run on all fours. Niraka's body changed, slimming down slightly as a tail sprouted from the base of her back, and she started bounding gracefully. Hutono grew a second pair of arms, which changed along with his other limbs into quadrupedal legs. His back glowed as a shimmering shape left his body, and soon the shine died down to reveal a club-like tail. His older brother's transformation was a bit… brutal. His arms and legs expanded before his torso and head, which had changed to accommodate his new form. Jagged, iron-like pikes grew out from his head and trailed down his back, going along his legs and jutting off from his joints. He looked as though he could plow through an entire pack of soldiers and kill them all without swiping or clawing. He felt his muscles tire, but the others only sped up. Remember, Midnight Moon, your body is energy itself. Your limits don't stop until you've gained as much as possible, and you're nowhere near that breaking point. He felt a second mind connect with his, and at the same time, Niraka glanced back to him. Draw power from us, Midnight. We give our power freely to our pack, and you are no exception. You can do it. We know you can. Moon felt his body tremble as a sudden growth occurred, which hadn't happened since he was around Draco when they were younger. His stamina felt like it replenished, and he started catching up, his legs pumping faster and powerfully as his body drew in magic. Soon, he was trailing Inagro and Orgos, Niraka and Hutono just a bit ahead of him. Their energies felt… happier… proud. He hadn't noticed that the ground beneath them had changed to dirt and vegetation. The others yelped and spoke mentally, then broke off from one another, Inagro sticking with Moon. They found their way to a large tree, and Moon could see the others scaling it from the sides. Follow Hutono, and he'll help you settle in. Moon gulped silently as he tried to measure how tall the Defili tree was, but he decided that he wouldn't be able to guess. He dug his claws into the bark, and quickly climbed up, moving around the branches to catch up with Hutono. The bestial adolescent climbed into an opening in the tree, and by the time Moon had reached it, he had changed back. The lunar wolf looked around the room with a small sense of curiosity. "This is our chamber?" He asked. "Yes," Hutono nodded. "We won't be doing much in here, so it's only our beds and enough space for the both of us. Choose whichever bed you'd like." Moon looked to the one near the door, to the one near the back. "I'd prefer staying away from the door," he chuckled. "I'm not… used to being so high." Hutono laughed lightly and nodded, then made his way over to his bed and layed down. "You should get some rest," Hutono told him. "We'll be sparring our hardest tomorrow, and everyday after that." Nodding, Moon went over to his own bed and went to sleep. The bed felt softer than his mother's own mattress, and it was only a pile of alien furs. "Moon?" "Yes, Hutono?" "Is your brother… and Niraka—" "Orgos is married, and Niraka hasn't found her love yet," Hutono laughed. "Inagro just has a brotherly instinct to her, as most of us are." Moon laughed as well, then turned on his bed and glanced out the window, noticing the lights had dimmed to nearly pitch-black. "I'm still a bit hungry."