The Realms of Animar (2 page)

Lady Trussil reached down and gave him a gentle pat on his head. “Very good Castor, thank you,” she said. “Quite impressive.” She then turned her attention back to the class. “By now most of you should have learned to control the morphing process. Of course you will most likely slip up and change from one form to the other on accident but in time you will all master it as any other talent. Just remember—”

The teacher interrupted herself and gazed down at the furry creature near her feet. “Castor you can change back now.” Trussil paused and watched as Castor slowly transformed back into a boy.

A puzzled look briefly blanketed her face. “Ok now, where was I...oh yes! Just remember you cannot change your form when in contact with any metal object. We can morph any matter organic in origin, but metal of any kind will prevent the transformation. Does everyone understand?”

She looked out over the class and then handed Castor, now in his human form, back the necklace he had been wearing. He paused a moment while he regained his balance and then returned to his seat beside Thane. Suddenly Mephitis raised his hand and she motioned for him to speak.

“So how did we get here?” he asked. “Where did we come from?”

“Excellent question Mephitis!” Trussil replied. “Actually most of us came from different parts of the world. The majority of the people that make up this village were led here by Avryn Pendergast, who also happens to be Thane’s father.”

The students turned to look at Thane who had once again managed to shift his attention to the fields beckoning through the window beside him. A smattering of giggles startled him.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“Thane, I don’t want to have to move you to the front of the class again,” Trussil said. “I know how you love the window, but…”

“Yes, ma’am I’m sorry,” he begged. “Please don’t move me. I’m really sorry.”

A blonde-haired girl seated several rows in front of Thane blurted, “If you
do
move Thane, may I have his seat? I would really like—”

Trussil shook her head and quickly quieted her. “For now we will stay where we are. I think Thane has learned his lesson.” She noted the grin on his face as she continued, “It is very hard for some of us to resist the instincts of our animal form and that is perfectly understandable, it’s part of who we are. However, it is vital that you control those instincts and morph to your animal forms only when told to do so by your parents or superiors. Is that understood?”

She paused a moment and looked over the assortment of nodding heads before she continued the discussion. “Alright now, where was I? Ah yes, our history. Well, a little over five years ago, Avryn, leader of the Blackhorn Rams, led the migration of a variety of people here and established this village to be a place where we could unite in our efforts for a peaceful life. Prior to coming here the villages we lived in were small, scattered and poorly organized. We were so grateful for his efforts that we named the village after him and it’s called Avryndale to this day.”

Trussil watched Thane look down at his feet. He was always uncomfortable when she talked about his father. She then continued, “The journey here was difficult, but the reason we came was obvious. Although it is said that there was a time when the four realms were equal in number, there is no doubt that this is no longer the case, mainly due to the large numbers of—” she pondered the last word and then said it, “predators.” There was no hiding from their reality.

Obviously disturbed, she tried to redirect the thoughts of her students and change the subject. “Learning to morph is one of the things most of you picked up from your parents, much like learning to walk. Do any of you, especially our newer students, need help with this process?” She waited a few moments and then continued, “Your parents have probably helped you along well enough. Ok well—”

She was interrupted when a heavy set, dark-skinned boy who was seated among the new students raised his hand. Lady Trussil nodded at him.

“My parents told me not to change my shape so I don’t,” he said. “They said I did when I was a baby but I don’t remember.”

Trussil was puzzled. The boy had to be twelve or thirteen, clearly too old to not know his morph. “Javan is it?” she asked. When he nodded she continued. “Right, well what is your animal form Javan, do you even know?”

He shrugged and shook his head, dejected. A quiet murmur trickled through the room. It was highly unusual for a boy his age to not know his morph.

“Alright then,” she said confidently. “Come on up here where Castor was standing. We can sort this out for you.”

The boy struggled a bit due to his size but eventually managed to make his way to the front of the class. As Castor had done before, the boy turned and faced the other students. He was obviously mortified by being the center of attention.

“Ok Javan, just relax and close your eyes,” Trussil said softly. She peered down to make sure he was doing as instructed. “Ok good. Now, just let your mind go blank, let it lead you somewhere. Think about the various animals you have seen. Picture them in your mind and one will seem familiar for some reason. When that happens, just think about becoming that animal and it will take over from there. Don’t be afraid. You might tingle a bit but it won’t hurt.”

She patiently waited while her eyes, like those of her students, remained fixed on the large boy, curiously anticipating what was to happen next. The boy’s face was solemn, his mind searching for an answer. A smile then crept across his lips and his body began to tremble.

“I think I have it!” he proclaimed.

“Excellent!” Trussil encouraged. “Just keep picturing yourself as that creature. Let it happen.”

The classroom watched as the hair on Javan’s head gradually crept back into his skull and he leaned forward and placed his hands on the floor. His jaw began to stretch outward and his large mass began to expand even more. The clothes he wore were soon replaced by a thick gray skin that was almost armor-like in texture and covered every part of his body.

It was then that Lady Trussil realized what Javan was about to become. Suddenly panicked, her heart began to pound and she motioned for the children that had crept close to back up.

“Give him some room!” she shouted. She then shook her head and added under her breath, “I should have guessed.”

His transformation complete, standing before them was a large, grey, hairless creature with two horns atop its head, one at the tip of its snout, the other smaller and directly behind the first. The boy had become a rhinoceros.

Pivoting on a thick neck, his large skull peered from side to side. It was clear that he was petrified by his surroundings. The animal kicked at the ground several times with his hind feet and unleashed a loud yelp as the children near him scattered across the room.

Trussil tried to calm him with a gentle stoke on his back. “It’s ok Javan, remember you are in school. You just changed your form. It will come back to you soon.”

It was no use. What was once a wide-eyed young boy was now a frightened animal that feared for its safety and desperately wanted to flee.

Suddenly the creature emitted a deafening roar and charged down the walkway that split the classroom. The startled children screamed and only fueled his fright and quickened his pace.

Without hesitation, Javan plowed through the back wall of the classroom, sending shards of wood in all directions. The galloping beast plunged into the outer courtyard, nearly running over two men that were on the other side.

“Watch where you’re going!” one of the men yelled.

Just before he was about to smash into a small shop across from the school, Javan realized his actions and changed back into his human form. Unfortunately for his skull it was not in time to prevent the collision and, with a resounding thud, the boy ran smack into the wall and fell in a heap. He sat dazed for a moment as the dirt began to settle, along with his thoughts.

Javan’s eyes began to tear up, mainly from fright and embarrassment but also provoked by the large bump that had begun to swell atop his head and the ache that accompanied it.

The two men that he had ambushed rushed to help him to his feet. “Ah, I bet they are teaching the new ones how to morph,” a tall, sandy-haired man said.

“Looks like it,” the other replied. “Perhaps the Lady could let us know in advance so we can stay clear of the school!”

The men chuckled while they dusted Javan off and looked him over for damage.

“You are certainly a tough lad,” the taller man said. “Don’t fret. You will be just fine.”

Javan looked over at the hole he had freshly made in the school wall and the laughing children that gazed out from inside.

The tall man combed Javan’s ruffled hair with his fingers and then turned the boy’s dusty face to his own, capturing his attention. “Some day you will be protecting them and they will look up to you. Hold your head high. We need you.”

Javan was confused by the words but replied with a nod. Gathering his dignity, he slowly made his way back to the classroom.

***

It took several minutes but eventually calm was restored. After the children returned to their seats Lady Trussil resumed her lecture, this time with a stern look on her face.

“Those of you who laughed at Javan should be ashamed of yourselves. There was a time when you all were like him – confused and unsure of how to control it.” She paused and focused her eyes on the most guilty of her students before she continued, “Now when we morph it is very important to maintain awareness of
who
we are and
where
we are since the transformation process is quite taxing on the mind. In time, and with practice, the process will speed up and flow much smoother. Adults can generally morph in an instant.”

Javan, still a bit uncomfortable due to his lack of knowledge, stopped rubbing his sore head and raised his hand.

“Yes Javan, what is it dear?” Trussil asked.

“So how did I wind up like
that
when my parents are an elephant and a moose?” When some children around him giggled he added, “I mean, their animal forms are.”

“Very good question,” Trussil replied with a smile. She chose her words carefully. “Well, that can be tricky because when two people of different animal morphs mate the animal form of their children is uncertain. This is obviously not as tricky when the parents are of the same kind. Teop’s parents, for example, are both elephant morphs and thus he too is an elephant.”

A heavy, round-faced boy with dark hair grinned widely when he heard his name. Lady Trussil smiled at him and once again looked over the faces of her students, fairly certain that she had bewildered a few of the younger children.

“Ok class,” she said, anxious to move on, “I think it’s time to head out to the fields and practice what we have talked about.” A wave of excitement filled the classroom and Trussil raised her voice. “Everyone follow me out and
please
try to stay orderly. No morphing until we get to the fields or we are coming back!”

After gathering her students Trussil led them through the double doors at the front of the room and down the dirt road that ran through the center of the village. Along the way they passed by a small bakery that filled the air with the mouth-watering smell of fresh breads, momentarily disrupting the order of the group. A few children ran and peered inside an open window, hoping to see what treats were being prepared.

With a few firm words, Trussil gathered the group back together and then led them past a collection of shops and small gardens and finally to the edge of the village. They stopped at a giant wooden gate that served as the portal in and out of Avryndale, the only opening in the massive stone wall that encircled the village.

Several guards were standing watch on planks atop the wall, a comforting feeling to the villagers who relied on them for safety. The guards wore blue tunics emblazoned with the golden crest of Avryndale, a ram’s head surrounded by a number of small paw-prints of various animals. They were armed with various weapons, mostly bows, swords and spears.

An extraordinarily tall and thin black-haired guard who was standing near the gate approached the convoy heading his way and bowed to the teacher. “Good day Lady Trussil. Taking the children out?”

“Good day to you as well Dugan. Why yes, if it is safe I would love to. Might you join us?”

“Certainly my lady!” he replied happily. It was no secret that he was fond of her. “That would be splendid. We haven’t seen any sign of trouble for quite some time now. It should be safe just outside the walls.”

Dugan motioned to two guards standing watch on the wall. They quickly began turning a crank that was attached by a rope to the top of the gate. The sound of creaking wood filled the air as the gate slowly rose up and allowed them to pass.

Led by Dugan and their teacher, the caravan of children approached the opening, anxious to reach the majestic countryside they so deeply treasured.

A sturdy, dark-skinned guard stood in front of the gate as they approached. He peered out into the distance, his trained eyes warily searching for signs of unrest.

Dugan smiled and patted the huge man on the shoulder as they passed him. “We are going to go play Semu,” he said. “If you decide to join us you are most welcome.”

Semu shook his head as if annoyed by the proposition. The children increased their pace as they walked by the menacing guard, frightened by his size and the occasional growl he emitted as they looked up at him. He had never been accused of being fond of children.

As the group entered the fields surrounding Avryndale, the breathtaking surroundings that circled their village warmed Trussil’s eyes. The village was positioned atop a large hill, providing a picturesque view of the rolling countryside around them. Golden crop fields and lush green pastures extended out in the distance and were being tended by a number of farmhands, both animal and man. Far to the west, a series of snow-topped jagged mountain peaks pierced the sky, a beautiful sight that also served to protect them from predators.

“It never stops stealing my thoughts,” Trussil said to Dugan.

“Nor mine,” he agreed. “I will never forget when we arrived. What a magnificent day.”

Trussil and Dugan had arrived with the original settlers and memories of the journey were still fresh. Led by Avryn, they had migrated for nearly two months, losing many along the way to the harsh winter and constant attacks by predators. The caravan had struggled through the vast, dry desert to the southwest and then the spectacular yet treacherous Bluemist Mountains. They eventually arrived at a warm, green peninsula, naturally hidden from predators and offering plentiful resources to sustain their lives for years to come. By a stroke of luck Avryn had discovered the area on a trek several years prior and he was indeed correct that it would be an ideal location for their new village.