Chapter 18: One Fateful Night (Part Two)

Heading back home with Gust, we're taking a longer way than usual, making sure to hit every single spot that monsters usually come from.

From dense forests, deep and strange caves, and anywhere else that monsters tend to form within two kilometers of the village.

I know this is to burn time, most likely to let my family set up a birthday party under my nose, but I'm not a fool.

There is a second reason.

Our guards are getting anxious.

Usually, during my magic studies and training, I'll overhear conversations from wounded guards coming to Blaze for healing, or active duty guards and hunters talking about their rounds and kills.

Recently, however, in the last month, it has been a different tale. There has been a huge change in the guards and rotations.

They've increased and increased and increased yet startlingly, there have been about four monster encounters within the last month.

Now that may seem typical to someone like me, who saw maybe one monster in my first few years on this planet, but it seems there is a startling difference.

Apparently, there used to be nearly daily monster encounters, it was just the way of living in the village of Taft. Now, there have been barely any monster encounters.

This is most likely Gust showing in a roundabout way, that it is most likely just something changing with the environment and that there is no danger in fewer monster encounters.

Returning from the hunt around two hours after normal, we're immediately peppered with questions from the reserve hunters and guardsmen. After a few minutes, Gust is able to calm them down and assure them that all was well.

Walking back home, it's around seven at night and there is near dead silence.

Yep, it's a party. Time to put on my best happy and surprised face. I mean come on, I enjoy birthday parties and gifts as much as the next guy, but it's a little embarrassing.

Canceling the healing mana that is second nature for me to cycle, I regain my full focus and walk through the door.

"Happy seventh birthday Antonio!" My adoptive mother, Marble, adoptive sister, Surge, and my adoptive father, Gust all yell in unison.

Wait, how did Gust get back here before me?

I walked right here from the outpost, are there teleportation devices in this world or is he simply the fastest man alive.

Regardless, I put on a huge smile and walk into the house.

"Thank you so much! I forgot my birthday was today!" I say, making a big show of it and running to hug my weird red family.

This feels, nice actually.

It's not like my old family or my old old family never hugged, but it never felt this, genuine.

These people took me in when I had been led astray by a person I trusted, and saved me when I failed at the one thing I tried to do.

I guess it just lets me know that at least these people care about me.

After the long embrace and a delicious dinner, came the part I was waiting for. Gifts!

Sitting in the living room, Marble gave me an ornate-looking earring and Surge a gold and silver bracelet.

Hmmm, it looks similar to the earrings and ornate jewelry that Gust and Marble wear. Traditional?

Then, Gust, my father, bent down and met my eye level.

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"This is my gift to you, but, please wait to open it under after we have a bit of a chat, okay?" He says with a soft smile, and pain in his voice and eyes. Handing me a wooden box around the size of my forearm, the rest of the family sit down with me in the living room.

Now, as a family, we're sat on the living room floor, but I've never felt more alien.

They're looking at me not like they usually do, they're looking at me like the first time I appeared in the village.

A look filled with sadness and remorse, almost pity.

"What's the matter?" I say, genuinely confused. Please, please don't say something I can't hear.

"Well, you're older now and I think it's time to have a chat. A chat about who you are, who we are, and what that makes you." Gust says, putting on a calm facade.

"What do you mean?" I say as I can feel my heart begin to drop.

It's happening again.

"Well, we think it's about time we explain to you some stuff. For example, look at your hand and look at mine. What do you see that's different?" He says, the pain, yet strange coldness palpable in his voice.

"Mine are smaller and less red, why?" I ask, knowing the full answer. Unable to even look at his eyes anymore, only my own hands.

"That's because, well, Antonio, you're not from here. You're something called a human, and we're all called a Tiamat. Your skin won't change colors like ours, your ears won't grow longer or pointed, and most importantly, you won't be able to do the same stuff we can." He says, in the calmest and nicest voice possible.

"So what?!" I say, raising my voice to a near yell. I'm sorry.

"Well, we just wanted to tell you that. In case you were ever confused about why you look different or why some people in the village may look at you funny. With that out of the way, please open your gift from me." He says, raising his chin and a bit of pride filling his voice.

However, I'm stunned. Not physically, but I feel as if I can't move.

That's it?

You're not leaving me because of that?

Just telling me?

Maybe I have the wrong idea of what parents are.

Opening the smooth beautiful-looking box, inside it is a dagger, covered in a palpable amount of mana to me. The second item, beneath the dagger, is a headband. The same headband I've seen on every guard and warrior within the village.

Marble seems to have one tied to her right arm as well.

"That is your first weapon and our village's symbol. You can tie it on any part of your body, and any other village or villager will be able to identify your home.

It's also what makes you, officially, my son." He says, as his voice increases with warmth, and I can see tears beginning to form in his eyes as I look up for the first time in the past minute.

This wasn't me being rejected by my family. No, I'm the one who's been wrong this whole time.

This is their way of saying that I'm one of them.

Looking up to the faces of my new family, I tie the band on my left bicep, tearing beginning to flow.

Just as we were all sharing one large group hug, exactly what I thought was gonna happen is happening.

With Gust, the best scouter in the village MIA, and the guards extra relaxed after our long hunt, it could only happen tonight.

The bells of alarm ring out, eight times in fact, signaling that something horrible was happening.

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