The Beginning of the End and A New Beginning
By: Ainoko Ironrose
Staring down at the broken, bleeding body in front of him, Jheramie tried to make sense of what was happening. The last thing he was able to remember was disjointed scenes of flashing lights, screaming, pain, and then an all encompassing darkness.
“Wha-wha-what happened? Where am I?” He said in confusion as he wearily woke up from what appeared to be a deep sleep. As he looked and turned around to see where he was, and stopped at a vaguely familiar scene. Then it hit him, he was looking down at his mangled and broken body, noting that it was laying through a car’s shattered windshield.
“What is this place? Am I dead?”
“Jheramie.”
“What do you want?” He asked in confusion trying to locate the direction the voice came from.
“Jheramie, your journey is at an end, come home.”
“NO! I will not go back home!” He said angrily, I left because no one cared for me, no one loved or wanted me, I have no home now. What in the holiest of the deepest hells has happened to me? And why am I looking at my body?”
“Jheramie, stay there, I will come tell you what happened and take you back home. Your family awaits your return.” Said the voice.
Looking around, Jheramie became aware of a few odd things, for one, nothing or anyone around him was moving, it was quiet, and he felt that something big was happening right now and it concerned him, how and why though was a different matter. Suddenly there was a change in the cold, stale air around him as he felt a presence near him.
“Jheramie, look behind you.” The calm voice said behind him. “I am here to help you go back home.”
Turning around, Jheramie screamed in fright as he saw a large, majestic, and imposing Snow Leopard. As he was about to turn and run, he realized that the Leopard was not moving, it just standing there. Puzzled, he looked more closely at the large feline, noticing that he was glowing with a soft, angelic light. “Who – who – who are you?” He asked nervously. He was afraid of the coming answer as he had a good feeling that he knew who this fur was and a good reason as to why he was here at this particular time.
“Jheramie, you know who I am. Your long journey is at an end and it is time for me to come and help guide you home. Now shed your old form and let your original form free.”
Suddenly, and with elation, he knew who it was he was talking to! “Father!” He exclaimed happily as he ran to his open arms. “Where am I? What happened to me?”
“Jheramie, you were being tested by the gods to see if you were worthy of achieving adulthood. You have passed your tests and can now continue on with your life. You are no longer a cub but a full adult in our tribe. Your future is now in your paws, now please shed that form and reveal your true form. Your mate awaits your return; he has been worried that you were going to fail your test.”
“Yes father.” Jheramie said as an intense blue light enveloped his body. He felt his body start changing from human into something familiar yet different. The transformation was not painless at the beginning, especially those of bones growing, muscles changing to accommodate the new body. Soon the pain diminished into pleasure as Jheramie grew from a four foot tall human into a seven foot tall wolf/feline hybrid, and from what he could see, his fur was black with dark red spots on the back of his arms, legs and back. After a few minutes the transformation was complete and Jheramie looked at his body in confusion. “Father, why have I not changed back into my original body? Why do I have this body instead?”
“Jheramie, the body that you were born into no longer exits, the answers that you seek will be answered in due time. The test determines what your new body will be, and it determined that you are to have this form. Now it is time for you to go home and let the world and your mate know that you have returned.”
“Yes father,” He said as he felt powers surge through his new and untested body. “I look forward to seeing my mate upon my return, not to mention exploring the limits of this new body.”
At that the world around Jheramie and his father vanished to be replaced with a lush green forest that stretched for what appeared for hundreds if not thousands of miles in all directions. Jheramie’s ears perked up when a loud cheer arose around him as he and his father walked into their village.
‘I have finally come home.’ He thought happily to himself as the villagers poured out of their homes and danced around him in celebration of his return from his life’s test.
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