AN: Did anyone get part VIII? If not I'll resend it. Anyway this part is the
heart and soul of my story.
A Day in the Life - IX
"I win mamma." Kaysar giggled, picking up my last white checker.
"You did big guy." I laughed and tussled his guard fur. "You're really good at
this."
"Yeah! Play again!" I smiled.
"One more game." Kaysar clapped as I set up another game. I had our fireplace
burning wood but not boiling water. Most reptiles keep a pot of water going so
they can have comfortable humidity. I am not like that, I am much worse. I need
almost two pots going to feel comfortable. A Sailfin Lizard needs lots of
moisture to feel comfortable.
But the humidity made Kaysar miserable so I quit boiling water. A sacrifice
like that was easy for my son.
In the crackling golden light Kaysar's face was half in shadow. His golden eyes
laughed, his smile warmed me deeper than the fire. His little fuzzy hands
looked so bizarre compared to my narrow blue ones. His claws scratched at the
board every time he moved a piece, it was a sound I had grown to love.
I had taught Kaysar checkers a few weeks ago, now we played every night (he
always won). He loved beating his big tough mother while I just liked seeing
happy.
The board was a weather beaten thing with its corners rounded from lots of
use. The black and white pieces were scratched and chipped. Nothing is more fun
then pulling the set out and playing a few rounds beside the fire.
"I caught one." Kaysar gave another laugh, which is when I noticed one black
spot on the side of his face.
' That's Kaysar's first spot. He's growing up.' I bit my bottom lip. 'Soon
he'll need an education. What do I do then?'
"Mamma it's your turn!" I shook my head.
"What? Oh it is, how silly of me." I moved a piece, deliberately setting up an
easy capture for Kaysar. Before you judge me for babying my son, I want to say
that was not my intent. I tried instead to set up the board where there would
always be one easy piece to capture and the rest were dummies.
This way Kaysar learns to pay attention to the whole board, to pick the right
choice out of many. This way we can also do something we find fun. The smile on
his face when he wins is just a bonus.
"I win 'gain!" He exclaimed after a few more minutes. "It's fun!"
"It's very fun." I said. Fun enough I've almost forgotten about Marnie. "But
we're done playing for tonight. It's time for you to get ready for bed."
"Kay!" My son stood and took off like an arrow, and I watched his legs churn
and little tail bounce. He's a little ball of energy. I want to freeze this
moment in time.
In public I know all eyes are on my son and I. It should come as no surprise
that a reptile with a mammal son raises heckles from others no matter their
species. My son being a mammal lead to my fight with the Fellowship, it has
lead to many arguments with well meaning people who believe I can not raise
Kaysar. This I do not understand.
My son was born and not hatched, as a babe he wanted milk and not meat. These
things do not make me an unfit parent but for some (such as the louder members
of the Fellowship) the difference in our species was a deal breaker.
Let them say someone else should raise my son, I don't care. I love him that
is all that matters. I will raise my son to be a devout Follower, an
intelligent man and a good citizen of Metamor Keep. Everyone who sees us
together will know just how much I love him.
I followed Kaysar into our shared bedroom, opening the door since his tiny
arms couldn't reach the knob. After getting his nightshirt on he hopped onto my
bed with me. "I wanna story!" He giggled. "Story mamma?" I nodded. "Yay!"
We had to share the only bedroom. Kaysar sleeps in a smaller bed wedged
against the wall. My bed was the larger one and every night we sat on it and
read a story.
The small shelf above my bed held all the books I owned. I selected the red
leather commonplace book that stood beside my journal. I added to and rebound
this book every couple of months. Kaysar's eyes always lit up when I brought
the book back home, it meant new stories for him.
"Let's do one you've not heard for a while." I flipped to a story written on
rougher, shorter paper than the others.
"The Child from the Tree." Kaysar cuddled up beside me while I began.
"Once upon a time." I nuzzled him. "In a kingdom on the ocean, their lived a
beautiful princess..."
Once upon a time in a cursed valley full of amazing people their lived a
lonely Warden...
"She was beloved by all of her people but she and her husband could not have a
child. And they wanted one so badly."
She was unnoticed by the others in the Keep but she wanted them to see her
hard work. She wanted people to respect the Watch and to respect her.
"That night she went to the church and asked the priest what to do. He told
her to pray, pray that Eli will show her his blessing."
She tried to act like she was so above the others in the Keep, that she was so
special. She craved their attention though; she didn't have a reason yet to
serve.
"One day when the princess was walking through her garden, she heard the sound
of a child crying. She followed it to a tree where she found a baby hanging
from a branch in basket made of vines."
It was on patrol one cold morning in early April almost four years ago. The
lonely Warden found a box covered in cloth beside a well, completely abandoned.
Inside was a child, quiet and serene, the most beautiful child she had ever
seen.
"The princess had the child rescued from the tree and took him to her home. He
cried and fought with everyone, but the princess didn't give up on him."
He was so innocent, looking at him the Warden found a reason to serve. She
wanted to create a better Keep, one where he and all other children could be
safe.
"She believed he would change. He would be protected by her, loved by her"
And then the strangest thing happened. The human child changed, despite being
to young to be cursed. The Keep had changed him, it wanted to protect him.
"The Princess couldn't give up because..." Kaysar's head fell against my side.
His eyes were shut and he smiled. "Because she loved him." I kissed the top of
his head. "Because I love you so much Kaysar."
AN: I know children aren't suppose to change under the curse until they're
older, but it's not like MK has ever suffered from an over abundance of
consistency.
_______________________________________________
MKGuild mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.integral.org/listinfo/mkguild
