《Aether: Book of Mao》 Mao I Mao I ¡°Awaken.¡± A deep voice called out. ¡°Nya! It is time to wake up!¡± Another voice said, this time more feminine and soft. Everything felt wet and sticky. I couldn¡¯t remember anything but this moment and how it felt. Trying to open my eyes I was met with a stinging sensation that caused me to close my eyes shut tightly again. Impulsively I tried to scream at the pain but it was muffled out. It almost felt like I was choking but I didn¡¯t feel the need to breathe. I was submerged completely in some sort of liquid? In the distance I could hear a voice that was muffled by the liquid surrounding his ears. ¡°He¡¯s waking up!¡± Someone said, as I could start to feel the liquid moving. I felt like I was falling and someone must have caught me, they felt really more or maybe I was really cold. ¡°Shaoran.¡± Called out a female voice. Is that me, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s my name. Wait, what is my name? I felt myself being squeezed as someone held him tightly. ¡°M-mom?¡± I said hesitantly. I wasn¡¯t positive it was my mother but it just left right. I could feel a warm cloth rub against his face removing the remaining moist substance. I could now open my eyes. Where am I? There was a faint blue glow in the room that stung my eyes. It felt like I was looking into the sun. As the adrenaline of waking up started to wear off I felt a sharp throbbing pain. I grabbed the sides of my head as the pain became more and more intense. ¡°Shaoran what¡¯s wrong?,¡± Mother called out, embracing me tighter. ¡°This is normal.¡± Said a manly voice unknown to me. The voice was rough like sandpaper in how direct it was. ¡°He is experiencing mana withdrawal, it will only be temporary.¡± It was starting to set in how cold I really felt. The pain had gotten so intense I was almost numb to it. I tried to open my eyes again, which was a mistake. The moment the blue light hit my eyes again the pain reached a level I couldn¡¯t handle and I passed out. I slowly opened my eyes. My eyes felt heavy as if I needed more sleep. The surroundings were different now. Instead of feeling cold and wet I felt warm with a soft material around me. This is a bed. Where was I before? My thoughts were interrupted as I realized I could hear the same voices from earlier. ¡°How can you be so sure he is okay?¡± I could hear my mother ask.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Just look at his breathing, he no longer needs help from Mother Nya.¡± Said a tall catkin male with aged grayed tabbed fur. My mother''s gave then fell upon me, meeting my eyes. ¡°Mommy.¡± I said, my voice was so soft I surprised myself. Is my voice this high pitched? ¡°What happened to me?¡± I sound like a mouse! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that now Shaoran-kun.¡± She came to the side of the bed and patted my head affectionately. The warm sign of affection did comfort me. I found myself tearing up overwhelmed with emotion, blushing. I looked away which only caused his mother to embrace me more. My memory was fuzzy. When I tried to push myself out of bed but my arms gave out and I fell hard onto my side. What happened to me! I can¡¯t even get out of bed on my own. ¡°It will take time to fully regain your strength. You have been out of commission for y-er um I mean a while.¡± The Tall catkin reassured me, I noticed my mom seemed to leer at him when he was saying how long I had been out for. My mother made me stay in bed. Everything felt weird to do. Even when they brought me food to eat, my taste was super sensitive. My jaw even cracked when I tried to chew on crackers. I needed help doing a lot of stuff. I wasn¡¯t even able to bathe myself on my own. However with each passing moment I regained more strength. I was able to feed myself and within a few hours of waking up. The next day I was finally allowed to try and stand up. My knees almost buckled, the support staff with me helped me stand. It was as if I had to learn how to walk again. At first it was only a few steps but on future attempts I was able to start to walk around the room. I came across a mirror on the wall and froze. ¡°Was my hair always brown?¡± I asked and everyone in the room seemed to pause. Ever since I had woken up I hadn¡¯t had a moment to myself. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± I questioned with a raised eyebrow. ¡°No, not at all.¡± My mom said, touching her hand to my forehead. I tried to brush her away but she persisted. ¡°I think you are still just adjusting, baby.¡± I pouted back at her. She didn¡¯t even try to answer my question; she just brushed it off. I could¡¯ve sworn my hair wasn¡¯t brown before! With every passing day I gained more strength. A week after my mother wanted me to try casting magic again. We sat in our study with magical textbooks laid out. "Envision the molecular formula of the chemical or compound in your mind and visual it in front of you." My mother lectured. "Okay I''ll try." I raised my hands up in front of myself. Water was is it was H2O, I could see it clearly in my mind. I left like common sense to me but nothing happened. "It''s not working." I pouted at my mother. "Close your eyes and focus on water, how it feels to touch water, how it feels to drink water, think of everything water is in." Encouraged my mother. I closed my eyes and held my hands out again this time over my head. "Good now take a deep breath and think about what it would be like if there was water over you." My mom said calmly as if this was something I easily could do in the past. I took in a deep breath and let it out. I could then feel water running over my hands. I opened my eyes in shock to see a giant ball of water floating over me. However it didn''t stay there longer as it came crashing down on me as I lost my focus. My face was red with embarrassment but my mom embraced me. "That was amazing Shaoran-kun!" She said squeezing me tightly. "I think that one of your best summonings yet!" My mother boasted. "I did it I really did it!" I then went about changing as my clothes since they were soaking wet. As I did I thought about what my mom said. So I was able to summon before but now my powers might be better. This felt overwhelming. I had an urge to "post about this" however I don''t know what making a post means. This also seem to be happening more, I thoughts and ideas about things I don''t remember. Mao 2 The following day I spent my time regaining my strength. I felt as if I was new to this body. I don¡¯t want to say this isn¡¯t my body as it clearly is but, when looking at photos I don¡¯t remember being taken it is hard. The whole estate seemed to be full of stuff like this I swear I had never seen before. I sat on my bed looking through photos my mom gave me. My first day with my academic tutor, learning how to fight with a sword and with magic. Even a photo of my dad holding me when I was about three or four. I didn¡¯t remember him or the boy in the photo. I or he looked happy, I just don¡¯t remember even having a dad. I looked up as I heard someone knock at the door twice. ¡°Yes?¡± I said my voice was shaky, someone knocking at the door scared me more than I had realized. The door opened and one of the catkin maids spoke. ¡°Mao-kun, it is time for your fencing lesson.¡± I nodded and rose from my bed to follow her. The estate staff need to escort me around so I don¡¯t get lost. I hated feeling like I was a lost puppy being led around. She led me to an open courtyard in the estate garden. Waiting for us was a stern looking catkin man. He had short silver white hair wearing battle armor. My eyes went to his partial exposed torso as we approached. He must be a confident fighter to have so much of his lower abdomen exposed. His skin was tanner than anyone else in the manor. Looking up I met his eyes. Oh no did he notice me staring at him like that? I turned away trying to play it off. The man clapped his hand together once loudly, snapping me out of it. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He then knelt down so he was sitting on his own heels. I mimicked him as best I could but I wasn¡¯t used to sitting this way. ¡°You seem uncomfortable.¡± He spoke for the first time. His voice was kind of monotone and gravely. ¡°Sorry I am just not used to sitting this way.¡± I apologized. ¡°You should be used to it, we always start this way.¡± he rubbed his chin thinking. ¡°You are likely still sore from being in bed for so long.¡± ¡°Yeah I guess so.¡± I said sheepishly. I hate coming off so unsure but I wasn¡¯t sure of anything really. ¡°Are you questioning your teacher?¡± the man barked at me. ¡°No sorry.¡± I said back in reflex. ¡°Sorry sir.¡± he retorted coldly. ¡°Sir?¡± I said back. ¡°That is how you should address your teacher kitten.¡± He said as I looked down. So many social rules I seemed lost on. It was so embarrassing to have to constantly explain the whole world to me. Everyone is expecting me to just know stuff I don¡¯t know. After a long sigh I rose my head again. ¡°I am Lord Banji, I am a high warrior who served the Mao Clan and I have done so since your mother was your age.¡± After introducing himself to me he stood up and motioned for me to do the same. He handed me a wooden sword. ¡°Come at me with all you got, let¡¯s see if you remember anything I taught you.¡± He commanded. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, my voice cracking as I said the word sure. "I am the master. Everything about combat you learned is from me, you can¡¯t hurt me even if you really wanted to." I nodded at him and raised my sword into a position that felt comfortable. I rushed toward him and tried to strike upwards towards him. He easily parried my wooden blade with his own. He then struck at me and without thinking I blocked it! I stopped back and he struck again. I block again effortlessly. I could actually sword fight! We danced like this until my breath started to become labored. He closed the distance between us and with the back of his sword struck my forehead ending the mock duel. I started to stumble backwards and Lord Banji grabbed my jacket stopping me from falling. He pulled me back onto my feet. ¡°You did great, even if your mind is weak your muscle memory is still strong.¡± He said as he patted me on the head. ¡°I am honored that you are my student again.¡± Mao 3 Whenever there was down time from training I would try and learn more about the estate. The grounds of the estate were so massive I would often get lost between the endless hall and gardens. My mom assigned staff to always escort me so I wouldn''t get lost. It wasn¡¯t as fun exploring with someone following behind you. I hated having the estate staff help me. One day after my lessons instead of going to my room for bed I set off to explore before my escort could arrive. I found myself way to the gardens I had wandered into an area full of shrines. Some of the shrines were to my family''s ancestors, some to our gods. It was starting to get dark outside and hard to see. I wasn¡¯t scared of the dark or anything, I just didn¡¯t want to worry everyone too much. *Meow.* I heard, causing me to jump. I looked around trying to see what made that sound. *Meow!* It called out again louder than before. ¡°Whaaa!¡± I called out as something climbed up my leg then up my back to rest on my shoulder and shoulder blade. ¡°Meow!¡± it screamed into my ear. I was frozen with fear. *Hehe, are you scared?* The feminine voice said. ¡°N-no!¡± I replied but in a shaky voice. I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around what was happening. *You sound scared to me.* Whatever was on my shoulder jumped down and came to sit in front of me. Even though it was dark I could tell it was something small. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. *Don¡¯t you remember me?* The coldness of the question sent shivers down my spine. I was scared to answer incorrectly so I remained silent. *Cat got your tongue I see.* She said as she stepped forward out of the shadows. I could make out it was a gray cat! Wait when it speaks its mouth doesn¡¯t move. *Oh so you figured that out already?* it said with a snicker. ¡°Eh!?!¡± but I didn¡¯t even say anything. How did she know what I was thinking? *That¡¯s correct, you are hearing my thoughts well, the ones I want you to hear.* She said into my head. It was common for catkin to be able to talk to cats but to know their thoughts and her being able to hear mine was something else. *Yes.* She declared with a triumphant meow, her mouth moving for the first time. She then jumped at me like a long lost pet. Catching her instantly I fell backwards onto the grass of the gardens. *Don¡¯t worry, I am here to protect you. Your mother helped me forge the contract. You are my new master.* She said before rolling around on my chest and then curling up into a purring ball. ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked aloud, still not used to talking through thoughts. Opening one eye she spoke into my mind. *I don¡¯t have a mortal name. You will have to give me one.* Jeez, I don''t know anything about them. I just met them and they want me to name them. All I know is they seem to like purring, rolling around and scaring me. A purring roll, Poro? *I like that name, Poro it is!* Poro agreed. ¡°Wait! No! That wasn¡¯t a serious suggestion, it sounds like a name a baby would come up with!¡± ¡°Yawn!¡± *Too bad you gave me a mortal name and I already accepted it. The contract is now forged Master.* ¡°Wait Master? Contract? What are you talking about?¡± However Poro was already asleep on me and I was too stunned and scared to awaken her. Mao 4 I wake up each day with fragments or moments of clarity and confusion tangled together, like pieces of a puzzle scattered across my mind. Some of them feel distant, like old dreams, and others are startlingly vivid, as if they¡¯ve just happened. But the more I try to reach out and grab them, the more they slip away. I am gaining more and more strength with every passing day. I found skills coming back through muscle memory I didn''t even remember learning. Before I knew it I was able to keep up with my Master Banji. I still felt like he was going easy on me but it was different now. My legs were buzzing with energy as our pout started. It felt like everything was finally clicking, like I was finally starting to understand the movements the way Master Banji always talked about. The way my feet slid, my blade moving as if it was an extension of my arm, it all felt natural, like I could predict my opponent''s next move before they even thought of it. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and it wasn¡¯t because I was nervous anymore. I was excited! When I lunged, it wasn¡¯t clumsy like before. I could feel my balance, the precision of my thrust, and when my sword connected to strike my master, it was perfect. When he patted me head in approval I didn''t want to swat his hand away. I was proud of the praise. It was then time to pack up so I grabbed my belongings, bowing to master Banji and made my way back to my quarters.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Back in my room I catch a glimpse of myself in a polished mirror, and my reflection is strange. The face is mine, yet foreign as if it is another boy¡¯s face, not one I recognize as my own. I don¡¯t know why I feel this disconnection, but it¡¯s there. I am still getting used to the names people call me even. I¡¯m not alone in this palace, though I often wish I could be. My attendants hover around me, like shadows that don¡¯t know how to leave. They are always here and always watching me. waiting for me to speak, to make a decision, to act in ways I¡¯m supposed to. Their eyes, I swear, are always on me. It¡¯s unnerving. They help to dress me, feed me, remind me of the things I should know. I catch fragments of their murmured conversations, and sometimes I feel like I¡¯m supposed to be someone I no longer am. I''ve even heard old members of the nine families talk about me. I only ever caught small glimpses but I was able to put together they were questioning me. But then there¡¯s Poro. The cat, who¡¯s never far from me. She seems to sense my restlessness. Poro doesn¡¯t question my existence, doesn¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m some stranger or some prince bound by responsibility. She curls at my feet, her fur soft against the cold stone floor. Her purring is the only sound that brings me peace, a constant kindness I can rely on. I sit on my bed with my legs crossed. Poro runs over excitedly to be in my lap. When I reach down to scratch behind her little ears, her eyes half-close in contentment. It feels like a shared secret between us, like she knows who I am when I¡¯ve forgotten, like she remembers something I¡¯m still piecing together. The warmth of her in my lap feels like a grounding force against my confusion and anxiety. I was about to explain what happened but I heard her comforting voice in my mind. ¡°I know and I am so proud of you Shaoran-chan.¡± Mao 5 It seems like not everyone is able to hear Poro. I could hear a lot of her thoughts and it seemed like she could hear all of mine. She sometimes would disappear and I couldn¡¯t find it. I even would check under my bed and nothing but it still felt like she was with me. My mom wanted me to go along with her to Meeting of the Nythan Council. There was a big meeting to discuss our end of the Fall harvest. The Council met in a palace at the center of the Purrian capital. It was the focal point of the city. ¡°This is why Lady Nya annotated the nine families, we are all descendants of her.¡± My mother explained to me as we approached. *That¡¯s right.* Poro chirped in. I looked around trying to find my cat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± My mom asked, I shook my head in response as I failed to spot Poro. ¡°Try to focus on Shao-chan. Today is a very important day.¡± My mom said as she squeezed my shoulder. I nodded in response, I would have to try and figure out more about Poro later. Massiving hand painted scrolls covered the walls featuring designs of nature that fit with the fall season we were in. Large shoji screens made of rice paper blocked out light and separated the rooms. The very same rice paper was a product we had to sell at port. The meeting room was very intimidating, with high ceilings adorned with wooden beams I could barely make out from the low light and their height. The floor is covered in smooth just like our home estate, tatami mats to make it more welcoming and also so everyone had to sit eye to eye with others in the room. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. When we arrived my mother took her seat and I sat behind her. Two of our clan retainers were then behind me. All of the nine families were here. Even the Hattori Clan with their dark gold tortoiseshell hair. I noticed their Oya or head of their household leering at us. I went to hiss but my mom raised her hand motioning me to stop. I don¡¯t know why they have alway seemed to hate us. Looking around I realize the other clans were judging how we responded. Everyone else was a variety of hair and fur variance. Shades of void black, silver, orange, blonde to brown like us. Honestly I zoned off during most of the conversation looking at all of the art on the walls in the room. I also studied all of the people. It wasn''t common for all of the Nine families to be together in one place. A lot of the conversation had to do with if we would make enough of a profit from our harvest and concerns over being ready for the upcoming winter. The conversation then piqued my interest. ¡°It is not fair for our house to bear more of a burden! Not only do we oversee the silk trade that is more costly than something like rice but we have been at the forefront of protecting the caravans for many seasons.¡± Parked the Oya of the Hattori, the elderly man''s voice was hoarse but sharp like a dagger. There was some yelling back and forth. The clans with larger families and household guards wanting everyone to have to contribute equally to the caravan protection. Hattori really seems to have it out for Mao Clan this time. ¡°You want me to risk my only heir?¡± My mom spat back in frustration to a comment calling for me to be part of the caravan. ¡°My eldest son will be there so yours should be as well!¡± Hattori declared. ¡°Shino Hattori, you know how that is a far far comparison. You have many sons and I have one.¡± My mom said calling out his first name knowing that would anger the opposing clansman more. Something inside of me was telling me this was my time to act. I crawled close to my mom to whisper to her. ¡°Mom, I can do this.¡± I tried to whisper to her but Shino heard me. ¡°Wow, the tailless one isn¡¯t spineless! Here, I was worried there was no spine at all.¡± I shot him a dirty look. My mom looked me in the eye and sighed. ¡°I guess I have no trust, I trust you to be careful Shaoran.¡± She then shifted her gaze to Shino. ¡°However if any harm befalls him because of your sneaky ways you will bring a plague upon your house.¡± ¡°I only want equality.¡± Shino said with a sly smirk. Mao 6 When we arrived back at our home estate I was excited to finally be able to head out on my own but my mom didn¡¯t share my enthusiasm. My enthusiasm seemed to make my mother furious. She made me sit on my bed when we got home so she could ¡°explain¡± how Hattori viewed us but it felt more like a lecture. ¡°Look Shaokun¡± My mom said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I hated when she called me that shortened version of my name to be cute. ¡°The Hattori and their retainers have been looking for a way to attack our position for a while.¡± She kept lecturing. I looked down not really wanting to meet her eyes as I started to feel embarrassed about my enthusiasm. ¡°You need to make sure you are careful.¡± My mom put her hand on my chin, raising my head so I was forced to look at her. ¡°I am not sure what they may try and do but we can¡¯t rule out that they might try and hurt you or worse. I want you to stay near Master Banji the whole time. Do I make myself clear?¡± ¡°Yes mommy¡± I said reactively, wishing I didn¡¯t respond is such a childless way but I said it without even thinking. With that my mother let me rest. There was much prep that had to be done. A few days later the day to disembark had arrived. I still did not feel comfortable with all the protocols and I needed to remember. The warnings my mom gave about the other clans, Master Banji was confident I was ready but I still didn¡¯t fully remember everything he claims to have taught me. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The caravan is made of big wooden wagons pulled by ushi, and the wagons are packed with crates, barrels, and bags of food and other things to sell. I approached one of the ushi and looked at them in awe. Ushi are huge! They are like giants that walk on all fours. They got super long, fuzzy hair all over their brown bodies, like a big, woolly blanket. They have big, pointy sharp horns that look like they could poke through anything! They are so tall it almost feels like they could poke the sky. Their horns are super big and curve out like a giant swirl on each side of its head, almost like it could poke the sky! When they walk, the hooves go thud, thud, and it sounds like a drum. The one I was staring at lookin at me with his large eyes with varying shades of amber. I jumped a little nervous to have it focusing on me. I felt a hand on my shoulder looking back. I looked up to see Master Banji smile down at me. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He said, I nodded back in response. All of our supplies were in the waggons so there was no need for us to have bags. ¡°Listen to Master Banji and st-¡± My mom tried to say by I cut her off. ¡°Stay by his side I know!¡± I whined back. My mom hugged me tight causing me to blush. I could see another smirk from Banji out of the corner of my eye and scowled at him. I wasn¡¯t a little kitten anymore, I was finally doing something for my clan! My mom eventually let me go and we set up. Master Banji, a few of Mao Clan¡¯s retainers and a similar party from every other clan. Looking around there were many different hair colorings. I was hit with a pang of annoyance realizing again everyone has a tail but me. But that didn¡¯t matter right now. I finally had a chance to interact with others and make allies. From the looks of it everyone was in the teens as far as the Nine Clans. Most likely 3rd or 4th sons. They all had something to prove just like me. Romulus 1 The last thing I wanted to be doing was go to this backwater island. Apparently something the Catkin had was worth protecting but I feel like the Senate is greedy chasing something not worth it. This is the current state of Aetherian politics, doing what idiots who have never left the capital want. Well maybe I can find a new play toy while out here at least. ¡°My lord, Catkin Island will be visible within the hour.¡± Declared a rank and file Knight of Aetherium Invicta. I let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°I said to tell me when we are almost there within the hour isn¡¯t really almost there.¡± I said and arose. My armor clanked as I stood. The fool was doing his best to mount together an apology but I waved him to silence and left the room. I might as well make my way back to the bridge of the ship. Going from my chambers to the bridge took longer than I would have liked. There were many sharp turns down the halls filled with an annoying no hissing hum of the mana core firing. I was told this was to keep passengers safe in case the core had a meltdown. Every few feet there the metal was reinforced and you could not go far until you passed an open doorway that would be close with health metal doors to seal off segments of the ship if needed. I don¡¯t think it was worth the extra seconds of walking personally to protect those who were too slow to evacuate if need be. I arrived at another of those doors. This one was reinforced more than the others with two guards posted outside. The guards had on black armor similar to mine with no colorings of rank, the overlapping plates resembled dragon scales to remind everyone where we were powerful and why this ship could fly. Both guards saluted and the door opened adding more hissing noise to the air as it did. I walked through and the hissing continued until the door slammed down again. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Lord Caedus, thank you for joining us so quickly.¡± The captain of the ship said, turning to salute me. He wore similar black armor with white trim signifying him as the capitan. The room was a glow of a white light from the consoles in front of those controlling the many parts of the ship. ¡°Oh you need me?¡± I said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Yes I sent the ensign to come find you.¡± The captain said with some concern in his voice. You know I don¡¯t think I bothered to ever learn his name. Well anyway it seems like there was a reason to summon me early. Guess I was a little mean to the other guy, oh well. ¡°Get to know what''s going on.¡± I ordered, I doubt there could be anything exciting enough to catch my attention here. ¡°As you know we are coming to escort food from the Nyathan Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°No no, they are not a kingdom, they are a territory.¡± I interrupted to correct the capitan. We have given clear directions to no longer refer to Catkin as if they have any autonomy. ¡°Sorry sir yes the Nyathan territory is bringing their fall harvest to port much of which Aether could use as winter approaches.¡± The captain said, trying to keep my attention. I walked across the metal floor to pour myself a glass of Aetherian whiskey. I then turned back to look at a map being projected in 3D on a table. Our ship was replicated rather well, even capturing the observation windows on the side of the ship. The tiny caravan of the Catkin was always show and some green blobs seemed to be moving toward them. ¡°Orcs my lords. I know we are supposed to escort the shipment when it arrives at the port but I don¡¯t think we can wait. I fear the Catkin will be outnumbered with a size of this force approaching them.¡± The captain pleaded. I smirked so that was why we were here. ¡°Looks like we will get to have some fun, captain!¡± I said and downed the rest of the glass. ¡°Double time getting to that caravan!¡± I said and the captain quickly saluted bringing his right hand down on his chest, mimicking as if he was stabbing his heart. ¡°As the Emperor wills!¡± The captain said and went to work barking orders at his crew. I walked up to the 3D projection going close enough to count the caravan wagons. It was time to show the Catkin why they are better off as our pets. Mao 7 My heart was always racing and I was sweating a lot. There was a face that stood out to me. He had fair white skin, golden hair and eyes that almost seemed to glow. He felt familiar but I don¡¯t fully remember him. The other boy seemed to be trying to tell me something. To stop me from going somewhere. There was a sharp pain in my back. I don¡¯t know what happened but I remember the piercing pain. The boy reappeared. He was far away now, it looked like he was crying as he looked at me. I felt like I was covered in something like sweat but it was more jelly like. I was grasping for help but there was no one to help me. I was struggling to move. I then felt like I couldn¡¯t breath, I tried to move my hand to grab at my throat and mouth but I couldn¡¯t reach. Some force was holding me back. My eyes watered and I tried to cough but couldn¡¯t find the air too. My throat was burning and felt tight, I didn¡¯t know what to do to stop it. My chest started to hurt and burn too. My mind was racing and numb at the same time as I helplessly tried to do anything. Then there was calm. Gasping, I woke up and held my throat. It was just another scary dream. It was the night before the caravan was setting out and I could barely sleep. I feel like I just laid in bed watching the stars forever. When I finally fell asleep it wasn¡¯t peaceful sleep either. It is hard to explain what I was dreaming but I know it wasn¡¯t fun. The dreams had been pretty constant since I woke up with little memory. At least I kept waking up in the middle of the night but I rarely could remember the dream at all so this was new. Sitting up to look outside I saw it was still the middle of the night. I fell back down onto my pillow in defeat and sighed into the pillow. Why did I have to have a bad dream the night before we set off! When morning came I felt like I was an exhausted mess. Looking in the mirror of the bathroom I sighed as I noticed bags under my eyes. I was about to be meeting people from the other clans on this trip and I looked horrible on day one. I felt like I was in a daze. I had been wanting to do something out of the estate for so long and now that it was here I left like an anxious ball. As the Mao Clan servants were helping me get dressed in my adventure outfit I just found myself zoning out. Normally I hated being touched since the leather and cloth materials were so tight to my body they had to get super close but this time I just stood there. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Shaorankun are you sick? If you aren¡¯t feeling good you shouldn¡¯t go.¡± My mom pleaded, shaking my head. I brought my gaze to rest on her. ¡°It¡¯s okay mom I promise, I was just too excited to really sleep last night.¡± I said doing my best to smile back at her. There was no way I could back out now. Our clan was depending on me. ¡°They don¡¯t need you there, I can go in your place.¡± She was coming over and placing her hand on my head. ¡°I am strong enough to do this mom, you have to stay here you are needed.¡± I said, trying to reassure her. ¡°I know you are strong baby but the world is scary and getting scarier by the day.¡± She said, giving me a hug. I then felt a smack on my bottom and I judged. It didn¡¯t hurt too bad but it stung. Blushing I tried to push my mom away from me in embarrassment. ¡°Be a good boy and listen to everything Master Banji says, that was a reminder to listen to him. I gave him the full ability to discipline you if needed.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± I whined back and he laughed. My mom pulled me tightly into a hug. ¡°Now you are starting to sound like my sweet boy again. Please be careful I would be lost to lose you again.¡± Wait what does she mean by again I thought. Before I could answer Master Banji patted me on the back looking up at him he nodded at me. It was time for us to set off. I would have to wait to ask my mom what she meant later. The caravan is made of big wooden wagons pulled by ushi, and the wagons are packed with crates, barrels, and bags of food and other things to sell. I approached one of the ushi and looked at them in awe. Ushi are huge! They are like giants that walk on all fours. They got super long, fuzzy hair all over their brown bodies, like a big, woolly blanket. They have big, pointy sharp horns that look like they could poke through anything! They are so tall it almost feels like they could poke the sky. Their horns are super big and curve out like a giant swirl on each side of its head, almost like it could poke the sky! When they walk, the hooves go thud, thud, and it sounds like a drum. The one I was staring at lookin at me with his large eyes with varying shades of amber. I jumped a little nervous to have it focusing on me. I felt a hand on my shoulder again looking back. I looked up to see Master Banji smile down at me. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He said, I nodded back in response. All of our supplies were in the waggons so there was no need for us to have bags. ¡°Listen to Master Banji and st-¡± My mom tried to say by I cut her off. ¡°Stay by his side I know!¡± I whined back. My mom hugged me tight one last time causing me to blush. I could see another smirk from Banji out of the corner of my eye and scowled at him. I wasn¡¯t a little kitten anymore, I was finally doing something for my clan! My mom eventually let me go and we set up. Master Banji, a few of Mao Clan¡¯s retainers and a similar party from every other clan. Looking around there were many different hair colorings. I was hit with a pang of annoyance realizing again everyone has a tail but me. But that didn¡¯t matter right now. I finally had a chance to interact with others and make allies. From the looks of it everyone was in the teens as far as the Nine Clans. Most likely 3rd or 4th sons. They all had something to prove just like me. Romulus 1* The last thing I wanted to be doing was go to this backwater island. Apparently something the Catkin had was worth protecting but I feel like the Senate is greedy chasing something not worth it. This is the current state of Aetherian politics, doing what idiots who have never left the capital want. Well maybe I can find a new play toy while out here at least. ¡°My lord, Catkin Island will be visible within the hour.¡± Declared a rank and file Knight of Aetherium Invicta. I let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°I said to tell me when we are almost there within the hour isn¡¯t really almost there.¡± I said and arose. My armor clanked as I stood. The fool was doing his best to mount together an apology but I waved him to silence and left the room. I might as well make my way back to the bridge of the ship. Going from my chambers to the bridge took longer than I would have liked. There were many sharp turns down the halls filled with an annoying no hissing hum of the mana core firing. I was told this was to keep passengers safe in case the core had a meltdown. Every few feet there the metal was reinforced and you could not go far until you passed an open doorway that would be close with health metal doors to seal off segments of the ship if needed. I don¡¯t think it was worth the extra seconds of walking personally to protect those who were too slow to evacuate if need be. I arrived at another of those doors. This one was reinforced more than the others with two guards posted outside. The guards had on black armor similar to mine with no colorings of rank, the overlapping plates resembled dragon scales to remind everyone where we were powerful and why this ship could fly. Both guards saluted and the door opened adding more hissing noise to the air as it did. I walked through and the hissing continued until the door slammed down again. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Lord Caedus, thank you for joining us so quickly.¡± The captain of the ship said, turning to salute me. He wore similar black armor with white trim signifying him as the capitan. The room was a glow of a white light from the consoles in front of those controlling the many parts of the ship. ¡°Oh you need me?¡± I said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Yes I sent the ensign to come find you.¡± The captain said with some concern in his voice. You know I don¡¯t think I bothered to ever learn his name. Well anyway it seems like there was a reason to summon me early. Guess I was a little mean to the other guy, oh well. ¡°Get to know what''s going on.¡± I ordered, I doubt there could be anything exciting enough to catch my attention here. ¡°As you know we are coming to escort food from the Nyathan Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°No no, they are not a kingdom, they are a territory.¡± I interrupted to correct the capitan. We have given clear directions to no longer refer to Catkin as if they have any autonomy. ¡°Sorry sir yes the Nyathan territory is bringing their fall harvest to port much of which Aether could use as winter approaches.¡± The captain said, trying to keep my attention. I walked across the metal floor to pour myself a glass of Aetherian whiskey. I then turned back to look at a map being projected in 3D on a table. Our ship was replicated rather well, even capturing the observation windows on the side of the ship. The tiny caravan of the Catkin was always show and some green blobs seemed to be moving toward them. ¡°Orcs my lords. I know we are supposed to escort the shipment when it arrives at the port but I don¡¯t think we can wait. I fear the Catkin will be outnumbered with a size of this force approaching them.¡± The captain pleaded. I smirked so that was why we were here. ¡°Looks like we will get to have some fun, captain!¡± I said and downed the rest of the glass. ¡°Double time getting to that caravan!¡± I said and the captain quickly saluted bringing his right hand down on his chest, mimicking as if he was stabbing his heart. ¡°As the Emperor wills!¡± The captain said and went to work barking orders at his crew. I walked up to the 3D projection going close enough to count the caravan wagons. It was time to show the Catkin why they are better off as our pets.