Komo-Doubutsu

i. The Calling

By: Midori Ushi Law

"It will all be worth it, soon. I'll become the strongest in the world, once I see him," said a fatigued small boy as he scaled the steep, rocky edge of a mountain deep in the wilderness. "I will be the strongest in the world," he repeated softly to himself. His tan, dirty backpack was almost out of food and his canister was low on water. It was the twelfth hour of his journey, and his body was too worn out to continue the climb up the incline.

When the child reached the edge of a cliff, his stinging hands gripped as tightly as they could to the sharp angle. Pain shot through his entire body, when he pulled himself up. The boy's chapped lips moved, but he spoke in his mind, "Only a little further, Lipagron." He laid on his back on the snow-covered slab of rock that he climbed to. His big, amber eyes looked at the clouds above release white, glistening flakes. "Only a little further..."

Just three days ago, Lipagron was listening to his friends awfully singing, "Haaaaappy Birthday to you!" The boy smiled, made a wish, then blew the wisping flames from each of the eight candles on his cake. Everyone cheered. After the gathering came to a close, LeMarrqueo, Lipagron's father sat down with him to discuss what the youth had been hoping to talk about.

His father was a skinny man, who wasn't very tall. He sat with a slouch and his eyes were overly relaxed. He sighed and said, "I remember when I was your age. My pop parked me in a wooden chair, stared deep into my eyes, and gave me the same talk I'm about to give you."

The child could hardly contain the grin that his face wanted to express. He knew that this was something important, but it's also something extremely cool.

"Our family is the last remaining wielder of the Light Beast's abilities. Did you know that?" asked LeMarrqueo.

The boy let his smile emerge as he replied, "Yeah, dad. You and mom tell me every day. I can't wait!" He had to just shout it. He was soon to have special powers like the majority of people in the world; like his best friend.

A weary smile appeared on the father's face in response to Lipagron's enthusiasm. "Then you must know why we're some of the only few left. Many years ago, those who held the Light Beast's abilities were beaten, ridiculed, spat upon, and even killed. People were afraid to accept the Light Beast's abilities for those reasons, and those few who had them never used them. Eventually, hundreds of years passed and the most that the Light Beast is to anyone this day and age is merely a fairytale. We know differently though, don't we, Lipagron?" asked LeMarrqueo playfully as he put his hand on his son's head and messed up his short, stringy hair.

The child's smile had faded. Now, Lipagron was thinking beyond the awesomeness of being one of the only kids his age to have powers. He looked away from his father and asked, "How do I know different from them? I've never seen you or mom use your powers at all. You never showed me, dad. Why would I want to have powers that people are going to want to kill me for anyway?"

LeMarrqueo leaned back in his seat for a moment and thought to himself. He had an idea. "We don't show our powers, because they soooo powerful that they would blow whole house up!" his father exclaimed with a laugh.

Lipagron looked back at his father in amazement. "Really!"

LeMarrqueo smiled and replied, "Yes! They are just too powerful to use all the time!"

"Cool!"

Three days passed, leaving the boy atop a bitter mountain.

Lipagron regained a bit of his energy and stood up. He had no idea why his parents couldn't accompany him on this journey. All they did was took him into the wilderness and told him to walk towards and climb the mountain that he saw in the distance. That's where they claimed the Light Beast would be. That's where he'd be able to receive its abilities.

The boy looked around and realized that he made it to the peak, but all he saw was a big, dead tree. "Light Beast!" he yelled. "Where are you? I came to be granted your powers!"

There was only silence. The wind blew fiercely for a moment, but everything seemed hopeless. There was no Light Beast. He figured that his parents only desired to abandon him by lying and deserting him far from any civilization. Lipagron turned around and started to search for a way to get down from the mountaintop.

Suddenly, a very soft voice spoke from behind the old tree. "Very well."

Lipagron quickly turned around to see a small, frail sheep emerge. "I am the one you are seeking. I am the Light Beast."

The boy stood in disbelief. "Y-You are the one my dad spoke about? You are the Doubutsu who gave my parents the abilities they have?"

The sheep walked towards Lipagron saying, "No. I am not the one who gave your father and mother anything. My father was the last Doubutsu to grant humans his power, but he's not here anymore. You were correct on your assumptions, though. They did lead you here, but it's so you could be weakened."

"But I found you. That means that they didn't lie," said the boy in slight frustration. "So, grant me your abilities and I'll be on my way."

The sheep started to shiver. "I have no abilities to give you, but-"

"What the heck! You mean I walked all day looking for you, but you have nothing to offer me?" Lipagron saw that the other side of the mountain was less steep, so he walked in that direction. "I'm going to go find the real Light Beast; not some stupid sheep Doubutsu," he grumbled under his breath.

The sheep watched as the boy walked away.

About five minutes later, Lipagron found a cave a short distance down the mountain. His body was fatigued again and his stomach growled. He played with the thought that he should have eaten the sheep, while he had the chance.

Inside the cave's entrance, the child sat on the chilly, rocky ground and hugged his knees. "It's getting cold," he said to himself.

"Yessssssss, I agree," Said a voice from deeper into the cave.

KOMO-DOUBUTSU