The Wolf, the Butterfly, and the Kraken

Chapter 10

The one in the cart was young. He was in incredible pain. It rolled off him in waves, but he was filled with intrigue and hope upon meeting me. Iara was curious.

“Are your kind sorcerers?” she asked.

“I have never thought of it that way. We all have a element. You meet them when you are young and they give you abilities according to where they come from.”

Ygr tilted his head in curiosity at that.

“So a woodcaster might have a element that is from a certain wooded area. With it he can get wood to do amazing things.”

“Like set fire?”

“That would be a firecaster.”

“What sort do you do?” Iara asked.

“I am a watercaster. My element is named Isa, after the creek where we met.

Iara set some candle holders on the table and asked, “What exactly does that allow you to do?”

“Many things. I can feel other people’s emotions almost as if they were my own. We watercasters are able to form a kind of link in water through this empathy to heal things. I can also tell when someone is lying to me. So I ask you, Ygr, would you like me to try to heal you, or at least see if I can help you sometime?” Ygr felt hope and it splashed on me like a tidal wave. But then he felt agonizing conflict.

I remembered Oyarg, having to have the equal deal. “You can come visit us to pay back anything you feel you owe. There is always more work.”

“I will come tomorrow,” he said, then added, “with Mothers permission, of course.”

She seemed outwardly thoughtful, but inside tremendous joy and gratitude, to the point where she needed a moment alone. She snuffled a yes, and I asked if she would mind stirring the soup inside for me. She went and my niece and nephews crowded around me, having to know more. Children were children everywhere.

I wondered if my child would be so tall at 5, or smart at 10. Or beautiful and strong. What if my child was severely stunted, ugly, and retarded because of its parentage? A tear tried to form in my eye, but one of the great things about being a watercaster was that I could hide my tears.

Especially since I didn’t have time for them today. Vam’s parents were coming, and I had to make a good impression. Vam placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. My fears quieted. “What if-” I started to ask him, but then the children were racing up the road, clamoring for their grandparents.

“What will be will be,” Vam whispered, and he led me down the road, holding my hand. Oyarg stood on my other side, a reassuring presence.

His mother had completely white fur and wore a long brown tunic with a red moon and green scythes on it. His father was grey and brown with many scars. He wore them just as proudly as he did the thick hide/armor on his shoulders, stomach, and legs. The children were excitedly clamoring to be first challenger. He sat proudly, watching them.

Then his eyes fell on me. He didn’t blink, or stop to see that I wore his sigil. He just leapt. But Vam and Oyarg were ready for this. Oyarg turned him aside from me and Vam put his body between mine and his father’s. I heard painful grunts, ripping and slashing. Then Vam was being shoved backwards. There was the sound of grunting, teeth clacking where they missed skin, but barely.

Vam was not armored. He would die. Then I, and our child would die. I felt anger like never before and saw a puddle. I summoned Isa and slammed every inch of the water from the puddle around my new father-in-laws face. I sent water down his snout and into his lungs. I was shaking with rage, “How dare you?! You come to our home and attack us AND our guest? Because of me? And at a family gathering no less.”