Rising Anew -Chapter 13- Learning About Your Enemy
#6 of Rising Anew
Rising Anew -Chapter 13- Learning About your Enemy
Narcenac had spent the rest of that evening with Narina pouring over the records, taking in all he could. The old recorders had just seemed to write a novel for him. He was able to trace families back through the clan to the beginning, learn of how their weapons gained beginnings, everything. Everything was there, the clan was never more clear to him than now.
As Narcenac walked quietly in the summer night after dinner had been served, his mind wandered. Narina had mentioned something one night about Marcerous killing his mother. This revelation had bothered him ever since and finally he grew unable to contain his curiousity. It had been years since his mother had died, a year after he and her had been seperated. He hadnt known then why she left. He never knew his father, only his step-father. Ryan had been a good dad, and Narcenac had loved him as one. They had been very close, until Ryan got remarried and had a son of his own. Then things changed. Ryan gradually lost interest in Narcenac, until one night, he had called him at college and told the boy to never try contacting him again. That night had crushed Narcenac inside and he had lain in his dorm room floor crying for hours. He had nothing left in his life at that point.
The young tiger silently climbed to the top of a tree on the perimeter of the glade. He wasnt far above the top of the wall, but would be hidden from most. He just wanted to think. Something he just couldnt do easily with others around.
As he lay back against the limb he was on, the stars dazzled the night sky above him.
"What did she do that made him want to kill her.. Who is he... and why does he want us..." All of these questions floated through his mind as he pondered Marcerous. There had always been enemies, creatures to fend off, humans who grew to curious and decided to attack. But Marcerous... Marcerous was different. He was bent on capturing Narcenac and Narina. The thought made the fur on the back of Narcenac's neck stand up.
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"Enjoying the night son?"
The sound of his grandfather's voice startled Narcenac out of his trance of thoughts. Glancing down to the wall, he could see the elder tiger's eyes shimmering in the moonlight.
"Just thinking Papaw, you are welcome to join me if you want." he replied quietly. Sidling over against the trees trunk, he made room for his company. As his grandfather climbed up, Narcenac caught sight of the locket his mother used to wear when he was little.
"Papaw... Why did Marcerous kill her..."
There was a long silence as the old tiger got comfortable on the limb and thought. Then with a silent sigh, he looked up to the moon and began his story.
"When your mother changed back and came home to the Glade, Marcerous was found in the forest to the north of here. Your mother being the kind heart that she was, took him in and cared for him. He had been in scuffles with all kinds of creatures, there were claw marks from bears, cougars, and many other creatures all over his body, and even a bullet wound from a run in with a hunter. So your mother nursed him back to health. But instead of being thankful to her for her kindness, he slew her. When we found her, he had fled to the mountains again, leaving what was left of her body there..."
"What do you mean what was left of her body Papaw?" Narcenac quiried with tears streaming down his face. His claws were digging into the limb beside him as he listened.
"Marcerous had been.. devouring her, bits and pieces... He even had the gall to leave a note saying that he would hunt down her children because he could only imagine that if she was this sweet, then they must be even sweeter." Papaw replied with a strained effort.
"He is a monster... We must do something about him Papaw..." Narcenac whispered. He looked down at his paw, blood trickling down his fingers from the force he had put into clawing the tree limb. Determination filled his very soul as thoughts of vengeance flooded his mind.
"Papaw... I want you to hunt... Its been a while since i have." he spoke silently.
"Where are you going to go son?" Carnisian asked thoughtfully. He lifted a paw to the sky and looked at a set of stars through two fingers. Silently the elder looked over to his grandson and searched for an expression in his face. "If you find him, killing him wont change anything..."
"Perhaps not, but i am not going to hunt for him just yet, i want to remember the feeling of hunting deer again." Narcenac replied.
Together the two tigers sat in silence as the moon reached its pinnacle. The evenings revelations bore on Narcenac as they settled on him, and Carnisian could only think of ways to help end this.