Book 3: Chapter 50: Misconceptions

Book 3: Chapter 50: Misconceptions

My core radiated joy as I stared down at Kallis’s newest spirit beast.

“Is...” Maria trailed off, searching for the right words. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

She smirked, raising an eyebrow at me. “Because he looks like he’s having an existential crisis.”

“It does look that way... Pretty adorable, though.”

When the meal’s chi had started running through the bear’s body and forming a core, he’d sat down, entirely overwhelmed by the process. After the loud pop that always accompanied the start of a spirit beast’s ascension, he hadn’t moved. Well, not much, anyway. His jaw was slack, his row of bottom teeth exposed to the air. His eyes were wide and staring into space as knowledge flowed into him in an unstoppable stream. If I was being honest with myself, the expression was hilarious, and it took all of my willpower to not dash forward and rub my hands through his coarse fur.

“It’s the same as when you ascended, Pelly,” Maria said, turning to smile at her. “You were just as overwhelmed.”

Pelly gave her some audacious side-eye, clearly not enjoying the comparison to the comatose bear.

“And just as cute,” I added, running a hand down her neck.

Pelly preened, puffing her feathers out at the compliment.

“How long do you think it will take?” Maria asked, leaning against my side.

“Not too long, I don’t think. Based on what all of our animal pals said, the process seems to have been sped up. It took you both days to receive all the knowledge, right?” I asked Claws and Snips, who were creeping closer to the bear.

They both turned to study me, cocking their heads.

“You have no idea what I said, do you?” I shook my head, laughing. “Never mind. Don’t get too close to him, okay? We don’t know how he’ll react when he comes to.”

Claws chirped defiantly and flexed, her tiny muscles bulging.

“It’s not your safety I’m worried about, you goose. I just don’t want to scare or overwhelm him.”

She blew air through her lips, making a dismissive gesture with one paw.

Smiling at Claws’s predictable behavior, Maria squeezed my arm. Her gaze drifted toward the bear. “What do you think he’s experiencing right now?”

“I’m not sure.” I put an arm around her. “But I hope the knowledge finishes streaming soon. I can’t wait to meet him...”

***

Trapped within the mire of his own consciousness, the bear watched the knowledge coming in, his mind somehow able to parse most of it the instant it arrived.

It was... wondrous.

The knowledge was of things that didn’t seem important at face value, yet he couldn’t help but yearn for understanding. He was aware of the two-legged being—no, the male human—that stood before him. It was the same person that had caught him raiding the beehive earlier in the day, and with a surety the beat couldn’t put into words, he knew that their souls were linked.

Words... he thought.

It was a stunning realization that everything he had ever experienced could be so accurately conveyed with language. Before, he had thoughts, but now... there was structure to them. They weren’t merely remembered images, smells, and emotions. He could understand them. Process them. Using this newfound method, he delved deep into his own awareness, the stream of information coming in now thin enough to be parsed by a portion of his mind.

When he revisited the pivotal scenes of his past, they were illuminated by an entirely new light.

She spared him one last glance and another grin, then dashed away, hiding behind her usual tree. She watched him as he devoured the food, barely chewing it.

His eyes were pinned to her as she stepped out from behind the trunk and waved.

“Bye, little bear!” she yelled, grinning. “Good luck!”

With that, she turned and ran, disappearing for the last time. She, a mere child, had saved his life.

His final interaction with humans had been only earlier today, and when he’d seen their faces, he once more saw the cruelty and anger of those that had attacked his mother. But now that his intelligence was burgeoning, he knew that to be false. They’d seemed shocked to see him, yes, but also overjoyed. Excited. It was the same with the animals, the crab and otter, who he now recognized as spirit beasts. They, too, had been only happy to see him. The otter reminded him of something, and after only a moment’s thought, he realized what it was: the eyes of the otter contained the same light as the little girl’s. They were both filled with boundless curiosity.

Despite how that look tugged at his emotions, it was nothing compared to the confusion boiling up from within when he considered the man standing there. His name was Fischer, and though he appeared ordinary, he was far from it. He was a little taller and broader at the shoulder than other humans, but it wasn’t his physical size that was anomalous—it was the weight of his soul. Fischer felt like a king. An emperor, whose words alone would cause the planet to bend, perhaps to break. He held all this power, yet he was kind. He cared about those around him.

Though the bear wasn’t aware how he knew, he was certain: Fischer, this benevolent leader, had caused his awakening. Their souls were somehow intertwined, and the more he felt of Fischer, the more confused the bear became. The man’s soul didn’t feel singular, for lack of a better word. At first, he assumed that Fischer had somehow stolen the souls of others, but that wasn’t it. He could sense the color of Fischer’s intentions—the man wasn’t the type of person to do that. Also, the other souls felt attached, not owned. Suspecting that he wouldn’t glean anymore understanding with his awareness alone, the bear dismissed the thoughts.

As musings about Fischer and images of the past floated away in his mind’s eye, he was left to consider it all. He’d encountered humans three times as an unawakened bear, and all had been drastically different. Because of the information still streaming into his awareness, he well knew how unique each human could be. But applying that knowledge to events he’d seen for himself was something else entirely. It made the encounters seem... profound.

Now that he was no longer lost in the past, he realized the information flowing in had almost crawled to a stop. The relative silence let him focus on his senses once more. Shaking his head, he blinked bleary eyes, the outside world slowly coming into focus. The entire time the universe’s knowledge poured into him, he was aware of Fischer’s physical presence before him.

What he hadn’t felt was the rest of them.

As the blurred shapes sharpened into distinct beings, all the bear could do was stare. The woman from earlier was there, and the smile on her face matched the one Fischer was giving him. Beside them, the crab and otter waved, the former with a deadly-looking claw, the other suspended in midair, Fischer holding her by the scruff of her neck.

“Stop struggling, Claws,” Fischer said, shaking his head at the otter. “I know you want to ride him, but I’m not gonna let go.”

Despite being detained, the otter only waved harder, displaying her needle-sharp teeth in what some would deem a smile and others would deem a threat.

Then, there were the creatures he’d never encountered before. A giant lobster that gave him a nod, its body thicker and longer than the surrounding tree trunks. A giant dog of nightmare, its skin darker than midnight, its tail wagging. On top of the dog, a cinnamon-colored bunny that shot him a wink and boxed the air when he looked her way. Two pelicans of similar size and different species, standing close to one another and staring at him with their intelligent eyes. A small cloud of insects that buzzed what was definitely a greeting. Just to the side of the dozens of bees, two distinctly different bees that bobbed up and down in acknowledgement.

With each of the spirit beasts he inspected, his suspicions were further confirmed. These creatures were the ‘souls’ that he’d felt linked to Fischer, and their connections weren’t forced—each bond was freely given. It was a stunning revelation, and the bear’s head drifted back toward the human in question, unable to escape his pull.

When their gazes met, the bear froze. Fischer had shrunk...? As the bear continued looking at him, though, he saw the truth: it wasn’t just Fischer that had shrunk. It was everything. Even the world seemed to have gotten smaller, the giant trees no longer as grand as they once were. It could only mean one thing. The world hadn’t shrunk at all—he had grown. The bear gazed down and extended his foreclaws, expecting the act to lift his body slightly. Instead, the earth cracked beneath him, splitting as if it were dried mud.

Confronted by his newfound strength, he lifted his paw, inspecting it. His claws, once blunted by use, had been enlarged and restored. Their tips were as deadly sharp as the otter’s teeth, and because of the muscle behind them, he suspected he could swipe through rock.

“Pretty amazing, huh?” Fischer asked. “Everyone’s body changes after they awaken. Well, all my animal pals did, anyway.”

The bear, feeling more than a little weird about the gesture, nodded. It was amazing.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, mate. Sorry to rush right into it, but there’s something time-sensitive we need to take care of...” Grinning, Fischer brought the hand that wasn’t grasping the otter from behind his back. He held a plate that was covered in food.

It looked to be fish, cut into small chunks and smothered in golden honey. The bear sniffed the air but couldn’t smell a thing. Odd.

“I’ve been shielding it with my chi to keep it fresh,” Fischer explained, smiling at him. “Before we eat it, though, there’s one more formality...”

“There is?” Maria asked, curling an eyebrow at him. “Hang on. Don’t tell me—”

“Yep,” Fischer replied, giving her an amused look. He turned back toward the bear, his eyes sparkling.

“Would you like a name, mate?”