The Story of the Seven Brothers
#56 of Out of the Shadows: AnthroLover's Version
This part of the story is Salen's narration.
Long ago, the whole world was different. This world was a world in that all the dinosaur species had not appeared yet, so it was very different. This was a world with the sweet air in winch you could even smell the peace.
This was a place where there was beauty, with the great mountains and the fields full of life. But it was too a place of danger were you could die in a quicksand or in a fall from a cliff. In this place, lived a happy family composed of seven brothers. They all looked the same, walking in two legs, two front legs that used for support and as hands, one horn in the tip of the nose, and flat teeth, great for eating the plants they loved so much. But they could eat actually anything, but they would always got plants.
One fateful day, when they were eating in the field, came a great light from the sky, making a light pillar. The brothers were startled by this. The younger of them, the smaller and most timid, quickly jumped behind a rock to hide and stayed there. Then was this powerful, resonant voice that was hard to tell if was male or female. "Do not fear, my sons. We are the spirits. The entities made by the spirits of your ancestors and the ones that lived before. We're admired as you all did so well in the world. So we'll give at each one of you a prize. Tell what you want and be not afraid of being laughed at."
The brothers were hesitant at first, but soon one of them, the oldest, stepped forward and talked to the Great Spirit. "I always wanted to reach in the hingest trees to eat the best leaves on top of them." The spirits smiled at him and said "So this will be." So the body of the older brother started changing.
The other ones watched in amazement as their brother's body started growing bigger. His paws becoming more firm and strong and planting definitely on the ground. His body became bigger and more powerful. His tail elongated. His horn sunk on his nose and his neck stretched. When it was over he was completely different. He looked down at his brothers, now way shorter than him.
"B-brother?" one of them asked. The great creature smiled at him "Yes" he said as he examined his new body "But now you can call me Longneck."
The great spirit then smiled "Who wants to be next?"
Then the second brother stomped forward, he was far the most brave of all. The Great Spirit then asked "What is your wish my son?". Then he answered "I want the ability to fight. I want qualities that allow me to defeat even the greater of the enemies." Then his body to started to change.
His body became larger and more muscular. He didn't become as large as his brother, but was a respectable size. He too turned a four-legged, it growed a shield protecting his neck, and his nose horn become sharper as two more horns sprouted from his forehead. Soon it was over and he inspected his new form. "You may call me Threehorn now."
Soon the next brother stepped in, and said "I want to have a strong body too. But I don't want to be like Threehorn, I want something that allows me to protect myself if someone attacks me." And so his body too changed.
He too become a four-legged for good, and his horn on his nose to disappeared, but this time, plates growed on his back, as four bone spikes formed in the tip of his tail. He inspected the newly formed body, specially the tail, and informed to his brothers "You can call me Spiketail."
It wasn't long before the next one stepped in. "Sires, I always wanted to run fast. I want to run faster than I ever was able before." So his body changed.
Unlike his brothers, his body bended in a way that now he was a two-legged, his legs become more prominent and stronger, his fore-members become thin. In his face appeared a strong, toothless beak, and feathers sprout from several places in his body. When it was over he inspected his new body and made a test. He ran around faster that he had ever ran before, and didn't got a bit tired. He stopped close to his brothers "I'm Fast Runner"
Then the next brother stepped forward. "I wish I could swim better and in deeper waters, but without losing my connection with the ground." Then his body changed.
He became a two-legged, like his brother, but bigger. He inspected his new body and tested by swimming in the lake. When he got of he said "Call me Swimmer"
Then it was the turn of the next brother. He stepped forward, but hesitated in talking. What if the spirits said that it was impossible? What if they though of him a fool for having such an impossible wish? "So, young one?" The spirits asked "What is your wish?" He then spoke "I... I wish I could move free on the sky." He expected the spirits to say that was no way of that happening, or even laugh at him, but instead they only said "So it will be." Then he changed.
His body become thinner and lighter, as his tail shrunk until it almost vanished. The horn on his nose disappeared as his muzzle turned into a beak, and his forelimbs become arms, with a membrane connecting them to the torso. When it was over he inspected in amazement at his new body. Then he flapped his wings, hoving over the ground, so he took to the skies, flying around his brothers. He let out a content laugh. Then he landed on Longneck's head and said "My name is Flyer."
The spirits saw that the brothers were happy with their new forms, so they departed. That was when the younger brother came out of the hiding "No, wait!" He had been hiding the whole time, watching in amazement as his brothers were changed to be able to fulfill his wishes. But he had forgotten that he needed to be seen by the spirits to have his wish fulfilled. But now was too late, they were gone. His head dropped.
Flyer, feeling his brothers sadness, flew to his side and put a hand on his shoulder "Don't worry." He comforted "I'm sure that when they perceive that they forget about you they will came back to give you a wish." His brother tried to smile at him, but the moment quickly was ruined by Threehorn "Bah! Why would then bother."
Swimmer turned to his brother "Threehorn, how can you say something like this?" "Because is truth." was threehorn blunt answer "He has always been the smaller and weaker of us. he always got into trouble and we always had to save him. He would be nothing without us, maybe that was why the spirits didn't gave him something. And even if they had he would probably still being the smaller and weaker of us."
That was all the younger brother could take. He ran away crying. Fast Runner was about to go after him, but Longneck intermitted "No, he is to sad now to speak with anyone. Just let him alone to calm down, he will come back." Then he turned to Threehorn "And we are going to have a talk."
The younger brother ran away from the others until a part that they normally would not go. He went inside a cave and lay there, crying. He would never guess that going in that cave would change his life forever.
While he cried, a dark smoke started to lure from inside the cave to around him, then it came those strange voices "What is wrong little one? Why are you crying?" The younger brother looked up to see the black smoke all around him, but he was far to sad and angry to be scared "Because the spirits gave presents to all my brothers, and I was left out. And like it was not enough one of them told me that it was because I didn't deserve anything."
The black smoke them swirled around him and said "Oh, how sad little one. But don't worry. We think that you deserve something, so we will grant you a wish. What would you like?" The younger then though for a few moments, he could ask anything his brothers had asked for, or even more, but his thoughts went back to Threehorn and what he had said, then he made his decision "I want to be powerful. I want the power to fight and defeat my enemies. I want to be feared by the others. And I want the power to make Threehorn gulp his words." The black smoke them said "So it you will have." Then his body started to change. A terrifying change.
His body started to grow and become most muscular, as his feet planted on the ground and his arms shrunk until they were really small. His legs become more muscular, along with his whole body. Then the definitive: his feet and hand claws and his teeth all become pointed and sharper than Threehorn's horns or Spiketail's spikes. Soon it was over, and he inspected his new body. Then the black smoke said "There is what you wanted. Now go for your brothers and show what you can do."
The younger brother grinned and followed to outside, heading towards where he last saw his brothers.
Back in the field, the others were waiting for their brother to return. They were starting to get worried. Longneck had a serious talk with Threehorn about what he had said to their younger brother, and they were going to continue this talk when he arrived. Then they heard stomping in their direction. They turned around and saw that a creature that they never saw before was heading towards them. And it looked not friendly.
Threehorn and Spiketail quickly took fighting poses in front of the creature. But they were surprised when it spoke with a familiar voice "My, my, this is a way of welcoming you sinbling back?" The others were shocked by this "Brother?" The creature smiled "Yes my brothers, but my name is Sharptooth now."
"What happened to you?" asked Swimmer. Sharptooth smiled, flashing his sharp teeth to all of them see "I found someone who made me the stronger of us all, that's what happened. And now, you can bow down to me."
"Are you insane?" asked Threehorn "There is no way we are going to do such a thing." Sharptooth then snarled angry at him "Do it or I'll kill you."
The others were shocked by hearing this. This thing was really their brother? Their shy, kind brother that would never do anything to hurt anyone?
"Brother, did you heard what you just said?" asked Longneck "This doesn't sound like you. You were not serious right?" Sharptooth snarled at him "And you stay out of this. This is between me and Threehorn." He then turned back at him "So brother, you will bow down to me and see me as your superior?"
Threehorn laughed at him "Force me." Then it was, Sharptooth charged at him with teeth bared. Threehorn tried to counter with his horns, but Sharptooth, who had become swiftly too, dodged the charged and plated a foot on his brother's flank, pinning him to the ground.
"So, Threehorn, what was that again of I being weak?" Was all that Sharptooth said before roaring and biting down at Threehorn's hide. He screamed as the sharp teeth dug in his skin. Sharptooth would had held on stronger if he had not received a blow that made a wound on his flank, making him roar in pain as he let go. He then turned to see Spiketail, who had used his spikes to attack him and let him go of Threehorn.
"You dare to intervening!?" He screamed as he lunged at Spiketail, but he was not able to make contact with him, as his side as his by a powerful tail blow from Longneck. Sharptooth reeled in the ground untill stopping. He got up coughing and looked at Longneck with murder. He was about to say something when he felt something hit him in the face, it was Flyer beaking his nose. Sharptooth clawed trying to hit him, but missed all.
"Brother stop this!" Longneck screamed "This is not you." But Sharptooth roared louder "I'll kill you all!"
He was about to charge again, but in this moment the sky darkened and a thunderous voice screamed "STOP!" It made everyone stop on their tracks, it were the spirits again.
"You!" said Sharptooth "What are you doing?" The spirits answered angry "We should be asking this to you, Sharptooth! With what right do you think you can rule or attack your own brothers?"
"With the right that you took from me." He snarled at the sky "I was the only one left without nothing. All the others gained their gifts, but I was left out." The spirits spoke again "Sharptooth, do you know why we left without giving you your gift?" Sharptooth answered "Yes, because you thought that I deserved nothing." Then the spirits answered "No! It was because we wanted you to discover that you deserved."
Sharptooth's eyes widened "What?"
"You always was the smaller of the brothers, and always had to be saved. But yet you always got a strong will and a strong spirit, and a kind heart." The spirits said to him "And for that traits you deserved a wish like all your brothers. But you didn't realized that you were really strong, like all your brothers did, so we decided wait to you discover this to give you your gift." Sharptooth was speechless for a few moments, then the spirits spoke again "But look what you have done. You accepted a gift from dark, evil spirits, and used this gift to try take your own brothers lives."
Just in this moment Sharptooth seemed to realize what he had just done. With horror in his eyes he noticed that he had really tried to take the life of his own family. He saw their looks of fear towards him, and he saw Threehorn's wounds made by his teeth, and he realized, terrified, that he could still feel the taste of his blood in his mouth. The the spirits spoke again "You tasted of the blood and flesh from your brother, now from now on you, while you walk in the living, you will have to eat flesh to survive."
"No!" Screamed Sharptooth "Please, I'm sorry.". He pleaded them, but the spirits were relentless "For now on if you want to live you will kill and eat other creatures. Now go, leave this place now Sharptooth."
The poor Sharptooth, once again leaved crying, letting his brothers behind as he ran away, now having to face the world alone.
Later Sharptooth was far away. Next to him was a carcass of a recently made kill, his face and claws stained with dried blood. He looked to the side to a tree. Hesitantly he tried a bite of its leaves. It tasted horrible! He quickly spat up and went to lick the carcass to get hide of the taste. In this moment he realized that he would never be able to eat plants again, so he would never be able to live in peace with his brothers again, it if they would ever consider forgiving him. He then started to cry again. That was when he heard someone call him "Brother."
Sharptooth turned away to face his six brothers. They were all facing him, but they didn't seemed angry, they seemed to be sad, well, except for Threehorn, that seemed indeed angry. "Brother." Longneck spoke "We came here to talk." Sharptooth looked at him, and then turned his look away "I'm sorry." He said crying "My behaviour was inexcusable. If you want to scream at me and say that you don't want to see me ever again I'll understand."
Threehorn seemed about to say something, but a quickly glance from Longneck silenced him. Then he spoke "Sharptooth, we came here to say that is everything okay." Sharptooth looked at him "What?" Longneck sighed and said to him "Brother, you were sad and angry, and so you acted without thinking. It wasn't really your fault."
Sharptooth looked at them "But... I tried to kill you." Fast Runner so spoke "Yeah, and so? You are still our brother." Flyer than landed on his nose "No matter what happens you are still being our brother." So it was Swimmer turn to talk "We lived to much together to let something like this to do us apart." Then Spiketail talked "Yeah, we are a still a family." Then they all turned to Threehorn, who sighed and said "Yeah, I think we are still relatives after all."
Sharptooth looked at his brothers. He never knew that his family cared so much about him. He never knew. And neither did the spirits, as they said from the sky "You are willing to forgive your brother, even after all that happened?" Five of them answered "Yes" Threehorn took a few moments, but he too said "Yeah, why not?" The spirits considered this and asked "Sharptooth, you are really regretted of your actions?"
"Yes, I am" He said without a moment of hesitation "Can I go back to eat plants?" He asked hopeful, but the spirits answered sadly "It's not that simple. We cannot undo what is done." Sharptooth lowered his head in sadness "But, we can tell you that, we can work for the future, for your descendents to be able to live in peace with one another. with our help, and yours when you join us here, this can happen." And so the spirits leaved again. leaving the brothers alone.
Sharptooth looked uncertain at his brother "So, what happens now?" Longneck sighed "I guess that we are now follow each one our way." Sharptooth's eyes widened "But, if you leave I will be alone, and I don't want it." Longneck smiled at him "We cannot protect you forever. You have your own legs, now use them to walk."
And with that they turned around, but sharptooth had one last question "And if we meet again?" Longneck turned slightly to look at him "You are always going to be our brother. And someday our descendents will play, laugh and live together like we used to. It may not be soon, but it will happen. We will always be a family" He then turned away to leave along with the other six, leaving Sharptooth alone, but he was not crying anymore, in fact, he was smiling. His heart was far lighter now.