Chapter 3 - Life decisions

Vaan now knowing he is a Tsuki descendant like his grandfather Kane has questions that need answering. The answers he receives will effect how he chooses to go about his life from now on.

Chapter 3 " Life Decisions

Vaan stared at Kane in disbelief.

"Its true lad we are descendants of the Tsuki".

Vaan replied 'If you're telling the truth, can you prove it? Can you change into an Spirit animal?'

Kane smiled and walked into the back room of the house. He returned holding what looked like a scroll.

'Grandpa what's the scroll fo-'

Kane cut in 'All will become clear my boy but I need you to just sit and watch, for only then will I explain everything to you. First though I have to make you believe'

Kane laid down the scroll and as he did a flash of bright white light engulfed him. Vaan gasped for where his Grandpa was stood was now a hovering Golden Eagle.

Vaan gaped at the eagle. He thought he might yell but his voice had failed him. The Eagle hovered watching him closely, Kane's golden feathers were magnificent. The talons were as sharp as any dagger and its eyes were so sharp they would be able to see incoming enemies from miles away. As Vaan gaped at Kane it looked almost as though he was laughing at him.

There was another quick flash and Kane was back in his form of a man.

'Believe me now Vaan?' He asked teasingly.

'I-wha-grandpa!? How?' Vaan spluttered.

'Sit down and listen, this is a lot to take in but I am afraid before you sleep this night I must share more with you' Kane said gently.

He held out the scroll to Vaan who took it carefully and unrolled it.

'Now Vaan, that scroll holds key information on the clan which I will go through with you now. The key to the Tsuki's power of taking a creatures form is hidden within shrines across the 9 kingdoms and beyond. For each shrine there is a trial' Kane went on.

'The trials themselves can range from navigating a course as such like a ravine, a cave or puzzle of some design. It can also be to engage and defeat the shrines gaurdian in a duel. Once the trial is completed said guardian will bow to the victor and allow them to take on its form when they so wish'.

Vaan managed to ask ' Can you change into multiple animals if you have the guardians blessing?'

'Good question and the simple answer is yes, if you have bested their trial you can become their form' Kane replied.

'But what about your clothing and anything you carry Grandpa? You weren't naked when you changed back from the Eagle'.

'Now then Vaan this is an interesting topic, one I have wondered for decades. When I or any other clan member change form, no matter what you are carrying as long as it is not living. It will disappear until you resume your normal or base form as the clan calls it' Kane instructed.

'Its almost as though you have a storage box in some unseen realm or void if you will' Vaan said.

'Exactly!' Kane shouted happily.

'How many shrines are there Grandpa?' Vaan asked in wonder.

Kane replied simply ' We do not know, no one has found all of them'.

'Are there any other Tsuki close by?' Vaan asked. He had been wondering this since his grandpa had come clean about their family.

'I know of three others' Kane said ' However they are not in the glades and may not even be where I last knew they were residing'.

'Now Vaan this next bit of information I say with remorse as I hope you will not hate me so for telling you the truth. I had to lie in order to protect you. Now that I have revealed that our family is indeed part of the Tsuki, you must realise that would mean your mother was also a member' Kane said carefully.

Vaan was silent, he had not thought of that between everything else that had been revealed tonight his brain was working a mile a minute.

Kane leaned in 'Your mother I am afraid was not killed by disease but rather she was murdered for being who we are. How they found out she could do what she could, I do not know. She too had the form of the Eagle and from my best guess someone must have seen her use it when she ventured far from Onka one time. You probably don't remember that she used to leave you with me for couple of days every now and then, you were only little'.

Kanes eyes began to brim with tears ' Whatever happened, she escaped barely but the damage was done. When she arrived back here covered in blood it was too late, no amount of the healing power that I possess was enough and with that she passed'.

Vaan stared at the floor, finding out what really happened was like tearing open an old wound that had closed. ' Did you ever try to find out what happened grandpa?'

'Oh Vaan, of course! Remember our little trips here and there? I was always on the lookout for stories, rumours, anything! My only idea is whoever did that to your mother was hushed up very well as that would have been big news to the world knowing that a Tsuki had been seen and others were possibly still out there.'

Vaan and Kane were silent for a long time, both were dwelling on the nights events. For Vaan a bedtime story had become a reality, it both excited him and in light of the truth of his mothers death, it scared him. Kane however felt relief that Vaan now knew the truth, he had owed him that much. Even if Vaan were to turn his back on his heritage and lived a life of his own means Kane had no more secrets to keep from him.

'Take a day Vaan, come see me when you feel this information has sunk in a bit more. I must ask though that you mention none of this to anyone in the village. They have unknowingly been good to us and if the truth of our ancestry was to leak it would only bring pain and suffering to Onka' Kane said.

'Okay grandpa, I wont say a word' and with that Vaan retired to his bedroom. He lay awake for a long while that night in bed trying to take in and think over everything that had been revealed. 'What now though? Do I take the path and go as my ancestors did and gain the power the Tsuki are famous for or do I ignore it and carry on here with what I have?'

He drifted..

Vaan was falling, there was nothing but darkness surrounding him but from the wind on his face it was obvious he was falling. There was Kane but he wasn't a man but instead in the form of an Eagle .Then King Rheardon was there too in his form of a Dragon. As Vaan fell and the other two hovered they both spoke in the common tongue to him.

'Transform lad!'

'Transform boy!'

'I cant' Van replied ' I don't know how?'

'You need to, the people and the enemy are below, we need to get away from this place' Rheardon said.

'What people? What enemy?' Vaan asked confused. He then saw it. Below were warriors, an army of them but behind them creeping over the hillside was something else entirely. It was smoke? No not smoke but fog? It wasn't clear though but jet black and within it came a blood curdling shriek that had not been heard in all the-'

Vaan sat up drenched in sweat, it was daylight and the morning bustle of the village was starting to ensue. Vaan went out into the large sitting room but Kane was no where to be seen, he wasn't in his bedroom either.

Outside Kane was again no where to be found. 

Across the courtyard Vaan saw his friend Troy who was one of the stable-masters boys. 'Hey Vaan' Troy called over.

'Morning, have you seen my grandpa?' Vaan replied looking around.

'Yea he stopped by earlier to rent a horse for the day' Troy replied.

'Did he say where he was going!?' Vaan asked urgently.

'No, only that he had matters to attend to in the South and that he would be back by nightfall' Troy replied 'Why, what's up?'

'Nothing, don't worry. Do you need me here in the Stable today?' Vaan asked hoping they wouldn't as he just wanted to be left alone and wait for Kane's return.

'We could but if you have something you need to do then we will make do' Troy said. He was good at reading Vaan. He knew when something was wrong, they had been friends since they both could walk.

Troy was taller than Vaan and stockier but not as smart. Troy was heir to the stables themselves when the day came for his father to pass the mantle to him and he was born to do it. His steeds were the fastest the glades had ever seen. The way they were bred were a family secret. 

Vaan had always wondered how they bred the horses so well and had asked jokingly on more than one occasion.

Vaan said his goodbyes to Troy and did a lap of the village before returning to his grandpa's house. As he approached, he saw a hedge rustling to the side of the house. Upon closer inspection he found it to be the horse Kane had rented from the stables. ' Why did he rent a horse if he was going to fly to his destination' Vaan thought to himself. Then he realised Kane did everything by the book to keep the secret intact even if it seemed pointless to others. If there were no questions asked then nothing was at stake.

Vaan spent the remainder of the day dozing and when Kane finally returned late that night he nearly jumped at the site of his grandson sitting motionless in the chair.

'Gods Vaan, don't scare an old man like that!' he cried.

'Did you take the horse back?' Van replied.

'I thought you might see that and put two and two together, truth is I was going to ride to my destination but now you know the truth I could transform in the garden safely as it is quite secluded from the village'.

'Where did you go?' Vaan asked eyeing his Grandpa carefully.

'Ah, I will tell but first I have but one question for you' Kane said smiling. 'After last night I did tell you to take a day for it to sink in however I know you to well and I bet you have came to a decision already'.

'A decision for what exactly?' Vaan asked confused.

'Are you Vaan, my grandson going to walk the Tsuki path? Visit the shrines as your mother did long ago and I before her?' Kane asked.

Vaan stared at him. He went to say no but found he could not. In truth the more he had thought about it, the more time he had spent fascinated about being able to visit the many places of the world with a purpose and that purpose was now open to him as a descendant of the Tsuki.

'Grandpa I...' he trailed off.

'My boy your now a man but you will always be that eager little boy to me. Hungry for stories and learning new things. Take my advice and walk the path. I will be here when you return and you'll have stories to tell of your own so I can take a break from telling the children them every night' He said smiling.

Kane opened a cupboard and walked over to where Vaan sat. 'This is for you should you take the path' Kane said and handed Vaan a travel sack and a bundle of items. This included a map, some light leather armour, a cloak, a small knife and a tinderbox.

Vaan took the items but didn't say anything. 'It will be hard going lad , there will be times you'll wonder what the hell you are doing and why you left to take this path but!' Kane stopped dramatically and stared into space thinking of the mountains and forests he had seen, walked and flown. He remembered the freezing chill of the top of the mountains in Voitek, to the dense forest of Doireann and also the the everlasting fog of the north where few venture through fear of getting lost forever.

'You'll see some amazing places, you will learn about our people but most of all you'll be able to change forms like all of the Tsuki can. Its time lad to break the bubble we've been stuck in and spread your wings. See the wide world and all it can offer'.

Kane beamed at Vaan and Vaan found himself beaming back. 'I'll go Grandpa' Vaan said

'Ill go and see the world, I'll fly the highest peak in the Voitek mountains as an eagle, Ill be the fastest in the pack of wolves in the forests of Doireann and Ill go beyond the Kingdoms into the unknown. But first Mundagen is calling. I need to head home'.

'Good Vaan my boy, spoken like a true Tsuki' Kane said. He wondered over to his cupboard and poured a drink for them both.

'A toast to new adventures and to the Tsuki legend that refuses to be extinguished!'

They both raised their glasses and cheered.

Reviews

[smclopez]

My suggestion is mild: what I mostly felt while reading this throughout, was a desire for more descriptions.

For example

'It will be hard going lad , there will be times you'll wonder what the hell you are doing and why you left to take this path but!' Kane stopped dramatically and stared into space.

Right about there! As Kane is staring into space, it is the perfect moment to slide in a little more description during the pause. It helps the reader to feel more emotionally engaged in the immediate happenings of the story. Or it would help me, lol.

That's all I have to suggest. Write on.

[Nanaki]

I will be going back over this in all fairness the feedback has been awesome in this site so far and just drafting has produced excellent feedback to how I can improve.

With your example when I was typing I am torn between describing it or having an "ohh thats what he was getting at" moment.

[Tony Jordan]

The reviwer 222333 said all that needs to be said with aplomb.
Keep writing.
:)

[222333]

"Vaan retired to his ROOMS" ~ How many rooms did he have?

"always wondered DIDN'T and had asked" ~ That's an odd way to phrase something.

It sounds like you have the beginnings of a very long, epic adventure story. It doesn't have to have a fixed plot. Instead you can create as many adventures for Vaan as you wish, as he goes about his travels. That means that the story can go any direction you want and it never really has to end until you get tired of writing it.