I was sure that I was positively salivating, because what a moment! I would finally get to see my father in action! Although I had seen some displays of his power, I was more than sure he had been holding back at the times I had seen him. Those tendrils in the Sherwood, incapacitating Cuswoth's students, and kicking away Aldeous' sword— that was all I saw.
But maybe now, I would see something else?
My father walked silkily through the grass, making sure each step was carried out to utmost perfection. It was mind boggling— how he moved through the terrain without making a single sound— like he was a fleeting shadow. His feet left no prints, and his breath left no memory.
SNARLLL…..
The low, breathlike growling returned, though it was much closer this time. I felt my heart thump against my chest as adrenaline rushed into my body. Kicking my feet and waving my arms, I tried to point to the right.
Since I saw a silhouette of something there, at most a hundred meters out.
"There? Hmm… you've got good sight, Amir. You'll probably do good with long distance weapons…" My father mumbled to himself under his breath. He deliberately crushed the gravel and dirt under his feet, alerting the monster to his location. Closing my eyes, I squinted.
Unconsciously, I clasped my hands tight.
Was I really… scared?
No.
Gently, my father smiled, turning his head towards me. His hair fluttered, and
moonlight reflected off of his eyes. Taking both my puny hands, he wrapped them around his neck tightly, narrowing his gaze.
"Just watch and learn, Amir. This will be your first lesson." He chuckled lightly as he finished preparing my grip. "I know you can pretty much understand what I'm saying already— don't hide it from me. Remi was right once again…" Sighing, my father ducked low, staying out of the creature's sight.
He knew… that I knew?
No, that couldn't be right…
How had I been suspicious in any way?!
Fuck…
"See? There you go again! I suspect the 'Mark' has something to do with it… I haven't explained that to you either, have I? What a terrible father I am…" Expertly stalking through the plains, I saw lines of stress and worry on my father's face.
At that moment… he seemed old. And tired.
Hmphh… I loved my father as well.
Yes… Yes I did.
Taking my hand, I patted my father's beard.
"You're the only father I would ever ask for, dah-dah." I smiled, letting a high-pitched babyish giggle leave my mouth. I vaguely realized my eyes were shimmering slightly, and a solemn smile was painted on my face.
Snarlll!
It was closer now…
My father's eyes had widened.
And then just as quickly, they returned back to normal as his entire demeanor softened, and an unexplainable rush of something filled his body once again. It was a nostalgic feeling… something ancient.
"... That's my son."
Th-thump!
My heart beat wildly against my chest as my father leaped from the high grass, lifting his rusty axe into the air as it shone against the moon. Dancing through the air, he whooped as he tucked downwards, angling his feet towards the creature, which leapt up at him.
It was like a wolf… except twice as large.
Plus, it seemed like it had rabies.
And finally, it had crimson eyes.
Hah…
My father's feet connected with the monster's snout, bashing it downwards while sending blood spurting from its nose. More of its blood splashed onto me and my father's faces, but my father didn't pay it any mind. I watched with awe as he expertly kicked downwards, prepping his axe.
Lifting it in the air, he roared!
A rush of adrenaline filled my body as I went breathless. Sparks of energy flared around me, twisting into a vortex filled with living tendrils that wrapped around the axe, which now glowed with a radiant light. It seemed to cut through the air itself as my father swung down…
SPLASH!
Landing in front of the world, my father lowered the axe. He hadn't even broken a sweat, but the monster's head lay split from its body, eyes and mouth wide open in an unforgettable look of shock.
The rush… the feeling!
It was utter madness.
But it was amazing!
As stillness filled the air, my father broke the silence with his voice.
"That, Amir, was Am. Hmm… now that I say this, it kind of sounds like a pun on your name, doesn't it? Basically, uh… how do I explain this?" Widening his arms, my father tried to gesture something, but it didn't make any sense. Facepalming, he sighed. "Think of it as life energy. Am is reality, and reality is Am. We are all built from Am, and Am is built from us."
The growling picked up again as the stars sparkled in the sky. I watched the trees far off in the distance cast their shadows against us as my father raised his axe once again, face twisting into a smile. Taking one last look at the faint light of home, I looked back at the noises.
"I think I get it, dah-dah." I nodded sagely.
"Do you?" My father asked doubtfully.
Pushing off of the gravel, we blurred through the air. I was barely aware of the speed that we were going, but it must have been immense, because the grass split for us as we pierced through the thick atmosphere. Vaguely aware of the monster in front of us, I let out a joyful scream as my father turned his axe, letting the blunt side hit the monster. This time, I saw four silhouettes.
Four monsters?
Well, it didn't matter.
Father was father. He could deal with this.
Turning, my father calmly stepped backwards, grabbing the snout of a wolf that had pounced at him. As soon as he did that, the other wolves ran at him, trying to cut him, but my father simply shook his head in exasperation.
"... Weak." He spoke, disappointed. "I felt an ominous aura, so I had expected beasts from Hell, but you guys must just be mutated creatures. Ah… My second outing with Am-Am is ruined!" My father shouted a little loudly, pumping his fist into the air as he spun, roundhouse kicking one wolf while gouging and ripping through the chests of the others with his bare hands.
Glaring down at the final wolf, he stepped forwards, raising his axe again.
Whimpering, the wolf moved to run away.
Acting quickly, my father raised his hand, and black tendrils sprouted from his fingers, moving like vines and quickly wrapping around the wolf's legs. Smiling a bit wider, he balled his hand into a fist, and the snapping of bones filled the air.
Oww… that must have hurt. Peering at the beast, I noticed something.
Was that creature… Was it crying?
How terrible.
Water ran from its eyes as it screeched loudly, sending a strange voice into the night. I saw a flicker of shadow somewhere near the forest, which quickly disappeared… strange.
"Well Amir, if you understood it, why don't you kill this one?" My father asked.
Father…
Could you be a bit soft in the head?!
What kind of man are you, asking your own child to kill a monster for you? I'm not even two years old, mind you! The fuck do you think someone like me can do? I'm not going to take the 'Mark' as an excuse this time…
Well, whatever.
I could probably do it, right? After all, I wasn't a normal child.
Biting my lip, nervousness washed over me.
"I'll try, father." I said quietly, lifting my tiny hand.
Peering at me curiously, I could almost read the thoughts coming from my father's mind. Father? Not dah-dah? He must be serious! I'll let him do it, then! Yes… that was probably what someone as simple-minded as my father was thinking.
"Alright then… um… I'm not sure how to explain it to you. It's like instinct. You've seen it before, so it should be easier… right? Ah, whatever, just do your best!" My father gave a half-hearted comment of motivation as he patted me on the back while humming a tune.
Poor wolf, having to watch all that. I'll end your misery soon.
It couldn't even move! How cruel life is… for the weak.
Bringing me closer to the wolf, my father pinned it against the ground as he lifted me from the comfortable spot around his neck, into the cold, threatening air. Brr… damnit. Whatever. Gulping, I flexed my fingers.
"Whenever you're ready…" My father nodded.
He probably didn't think I was going to get this!
I'll prove him wrong…
Right?
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, holding my inhale for four seconds, and then exhaling for double that time. I felt my own hot breath push against my skin, opening up my pores. Focusing all my willpower onto my hand, I forced my blood to rush to my fingers, causing my nerves to tingle.
Almost… I'm close, damnit!
Close…
The bubbling sound of water and waves filled my ears as everything seemed to mute. All the sounds had softened to a mere daze, and my vision was hazy. Everything in my sight blurred together, acting as one.
And there… WAIT! YES!
THERE IT WAS!
FUCK, I DID IT!
The particles of energy which I had once simply watched began to act under my order, becoming strands of light that whispered to me, draping my arms and body as it covered me in a light feeling. Unexplainable ecstasy and pleasure penetrated into my mind as I began to laugh.
Forcing every pore in my hand to open, I watched as energy poured from the air into my hand like water filling a cup. Faintly, I was aware of my hand shimmering with a light glow, like holiday lights. Balling my fingers into a fist, I shouted as loud as my baby voice could muster, turning my fist into a glowing ball of energy.
I'll admit it… it was a mess. Nothing was under my control.
It was more like a guided, chaotic construct.
I looked toward my father, who seemed positively overjoyed. He squealed like a little girl, clapping his free hand against his other hand, which was gripping my body. Smiling, a few tears shed from his eyes as he softly gazed into my eyes.
"You know now… everything feels real."
"It's such a trivial moment… So then why do I feel this way?"
"Because we are father and son," I replied quietly.
Smiling, I took my fist, punching it forward with all of my might, letting the lethal bits of Am penetrate into the wolf…. But wait.
This… What was this?!
The energy from my hand quickly dissipated, thinning out into a faint veil of light that washed over the wolf… what was that in the monster's eyes? What…
It looked at me like I was the most horrifying creature it had ever met— even as its body exploded into flesh and blood, its eyes never left me. Even in death, it eyes…
They never left.