A Banner Torn (Book 1 Complete)

Brannic:

He identified a suitable clearing not far from the mine entrance, his pupils narrowing to thin slits as they adjusted to the late afternoon sunlight. The fallen log would serve the young ones as a resting place, and the stream provided clean water if needed. His nostrils flared, taking in the scents of pine sap, damp earth, and the nervous sweat emanating from the two human younglings.

Their body temperatures had elevated slightly since leaving the mine, a sign of their anxiety that was as clear to him as smoke rising from a fire.

He gestured for the boys to sit while he remained standing, positioning himself between them and the most likely approach paths. His tail swept a semicircle in the soft earth behind him, marking a boundary and clearing any debris that might impede quick movement if needed.

"What you experienced in the mine," he stated, seeing no value in delaying the assessment, "is not normal for humans."

The younglings exchanged glances, their skin temperatures fluctuating in patterns that indicated shared concern. The amber heartstone crystal in Kaelid's palm pulsed with a heat signature distinct from the boy's own body warmth. He saw the subtle heat glow emanating from the stone in a rhythm that matched the deeper pulse of the earth itself.

"We know," Rannek admitted, his scent sharpening with stress. "It started after..." After what? His scales reflexively tightened. His golden eyes fixed on the boys. "Explain." Not a question, but a command. Necessary to judge risk.

Kaelid's throat muscles contracted in a swallow, his temperature rising slightly. The boy had chosen honesty, a favorable sign. "Core shards," he said quietly. "Curio gave us each a small crystal shard. They were supposed to be carried like in a necklace or something, but they... they went into us instead. Disappeared into our skin."

Unexpected information, potentially dangerous. Brannic's tail flicked once, disturbing a small cloud of dust. "When did this happen?" Timing was crucial for tracking progression of changes.

"About two weeks ago," Rannek replied. "Right before the first frost. Curio said it was unexpected, that the shards were meant to be repositories for shared knowledge, not to be absorbed. It said it shouldn't have been possible."

He began a measured patrol of the small clearing, his clawed feet leaving precise impressions in the soft earth. His tail dragged behind him, creating a pattern that would alert him to any approach from behind. It was a hunting habit, deeply ingrained. Mulling over the implications methodically, he categorized potential outcomes by likelihood and impact on the community.

"And you've noticed changes since then? Before today?" He kept his voice neutral, modulated to avoid triggering further stress in them. Their answers would become clouded if fear clouded their thinking.

Kaelid's eyes tracked slightly to the left, accessing memory. His body temperature stabilized as he focused on recall rather than emotion. "Small things," he admitted. "Sometimes I'd think I saw movement from the corner of my eye, but when I looked, nothing was there. Or I'd reach for something falling before it actually fell."

"Same for me," Rannek added, his scent profile shifting to match his friend's calmer state. "And sometimes I'd hear things more clearly than I should, like conversations from across the village green."

Brannic halted his patrol, positioning himself directly before them. The sun at his back would make his form more imposing while allowing him to better observe their facial expressions without them easily reading his.

"What you're describing are enhanced senses and reflexes. Abilities beyond normal human capacity." He maintained precise control of his voice, neither threatening nor reassuring. Assessment was still ongoing. "In the mine, these abilities became more pronounced, didn't they?"

Both younglings nodded, their synchronized movement reminiscent of clutchmates responding to a nesting guardian.

"I could see in almost complete darkness," Kaelid explained, his pupils dilating slightly with the memory. "And the pulse beat, it sent waves of color across everything, letting me see details I shouldn't have been able to see."

"I knew exactly where attacks would come from," Rannek said. "Like I could feel them before they happened."

Interesting. Useful, potentially. His inner eyelids flicked once as he processed this, categorizing it alongside his knowledge of predator species and their hunting techniques. The boys were developing sensory abilities that paralleled some of his perception, though through entirely different mechanisms.

"The Petrakahrn noticed it too," he finally said, using the proper term for the stone people that humans. "'This one hears the Pulse,' it said of you, Kaelid. That's significant. The Petrakahrn believe only those with special connection to the earth can truly hear and see the Pulse as they do."

The stone people were ancient, their knowledge of the deep earth unmatched. Their recognition of the boy's changing perception wasaluable.

"Are we... dangerous?" Kaelid asked, his temperature dropping slightly as blood redirected from his extremities. Instinctive to humans when threatened.

He moderated his posture, lowering his head slightly and relaxing his tail to appear less threatening. The question required a careful response.

"No," he said firmly. "Different is not wrong. Changed is not dangerous, in itself." He settled his bulk onto a boulder nearby, bringing his eyes level with theirs. A gesture of temporary equality that would ease communication. "But power without discipline leads to harm, both to the family and to oneself."

This was fundamental truth. In his homeland, younglings with emerging abilities were rigorously trained to ensure their gifts served the community rather than threatened it. These human boys would require similar guidance.

"What should we do?" Rannek asked, his body language showing readiness for instruction. Good. Acceptance of guidance would make the path forward clearer.

"First, we continue our journey home," Brannic decided, the plan forming in his mind with the clarity of a hunt. "Then, I will speak with the Matron about what has occurred. She has knowledge of many things, including ancient magics and transformations."

The Matron was the closest thing the human settlement had to a proper clutch-mother, her wisdom respected by all. Her involvement was necessary for proper integration of these changed younglings back into the community structure.

He stood again, gathering his pack with efficient movements. "For now, keep your experiences to yourselves. Tell no one else what happened in the mine or about these changes you're experiencing. Not until we understand them better."

Both boys nodded solemnly.

"And one more thing," moderating his tone to indicate a shift from command to instruction. "You performed well today. You faced danger with discipline and effective coordination. Whatever changes you're undergoing, they don't define your place in the family. Remember that."

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This was important. They needed to understand the same principle if they were to develop properly.

With a gesture indicating they should follow, He led them back toward the village path. His senses expanded outward, scanning their surroundings. The forest revealed itself to him in layers: the ultraviolet patterns on flowers that guided pollinators, the infrared signatures of small mammals hiding in burrows, the complex tapestry of scents that told of recent passings and territorial markings.

He noted with interest that Kaelid seemed more aware of his surroundings than before, his head turning toward subtle sounds and movements that most humans would miss. The changes were progressing rapidly, then. The need for proper assessment and training had grown urgent.

They walked in silence for a time, with Brannic at point and the boys following in his wake. The amber heartstone crystal continued to pulse with heat in Kaelid's pocket, its rhythm detectable. The stone was responding to the boy, synchronizing with his life-rhythm.

As they crossed a small stream, stepping carefully on moss-covered stones, Rannek broke the silence. "Do you think we'll still be allowed to train with Curio?"

Brannic's hearing easily caught the whispered conversation behind him, though he gave no indication of listening.

"I don't know," Kaelid replied, his voice carrying the harmonic patterns of uncertainty. "Brannic doesn't seem angry, just... concerned."

"The slime didn't mean for this to happen," Rannek said, his tone shifting toward the protective notes that humans often displayed when defensives. "It was surprised too, remember?"

"I remember," Kaelid confirmed. "But that might make it worse in some ways. If even Curio doesn't understand what's happening to us..."

Interesting that they were already considering the implications of their changes on community structure and permissions. They showed promising awareness of hierarchy and protocol, despite their age.

He halted abruptly, his head lifting as his nostrils flared wide. More significantly, the background chorus of bird calls and insect sounds had ceased entirely within a roughly circular area ahead of them.

"What is it?" Kaelid asked quietly.

"Something's wrong," He kept his voice low to avoid carrying. "The forest is too quiet."

He gestured for the boys to stay close, placing his larger body between them and potential danger. His spear shifted to a ready position. They moved forward with increased caution, his feet finding silent purchase on the forest floor.

The path ahead curved around a large boulder, creating a blind spot in their approach. As they neared it, He detected a subtle shift in Kaelid's posture. Without speaking, Kaelid reached out and grasped Rannek's arm, halting his advance.

"Wait," he whispered, barely audible even to him.

He paused, turning his head to observe the boy with narrowed eyes. Kaelid's stance seemed almost afraid, or just hyper-aware.

"There's something around that bend," Kaelid explained, his voice maintaining the low volume appropriate for potential danger. "I can... feel it."

Interesting. The boy's developing senses had detected the threat before visual or auditory confirmation. A useful hunting ability, one that he had honed through years of training. He nodded once, acknowledging the warning without question.

With a gesture indicating the boys should remain in place, He moved forward alone. His posture shifted lower into hunting a stance, weight balanced evenly, tail held slightly elevated to avoid dragging and creating noise. Despite his size, he moved with the practiced silence, each step placed with deliberate precision.

As he rounded the boulder, he saw a large reptilian form partially concealed in the underbrush ahead. The creature's body temperature ran cooler than a mammal's but warmer than the surrounding vegetation, making it stand out clearly. Its scale pattern confirmed his identification even before its scent.

Forest drake. Juvenile male, approximately three seasons old judging by its size and scale development. Not yet fully grown, but already a formidable predator. Its presence this close to established paths was unusual and concerning.

The drake detected him simultaneously, its head snapping up as its pupils contracted to vertical slits. It released a startled hiss, recognizing him as a larger, more dangerous predator. Without hesitation, it turned and crashed away through the underbrush, abandoning stealth in favor of rapid retreat.

He considered pursuit briefly. The drake posed no immediate threat now that it had been detected, and his primary responsibility was to the younglings and their safe return to the village.

"It's safe now. Come ahead," he called back to the boys, his voice pitched to carry the short distance without traveling further.

They rounded the boulder cautiously, their postures still alert despite his assurance.

"What was it?" Rannek asked, his scent profile showing curiosity mixed with lingering apprehension.

"A forest drake," his tone conveying the seriousness of the encounter. "A young one, but still dangerous. They rarely come this close to the village paths."

"A drake?" Kaelid's eyes widened, his pupils dilating with excitement and fear. The boy had clearly heard stories of the predatory reptiles but never encountered one. "Why would it be here?"

"That's what concerns me," he said thinking for a moment. "Something must have disturbed its usual hunting grounds." He turned his attention to Kaelid. "How did you know it was there?"

The question was direct. The boy's new sensory capabilities needed to be understood if they were to be properly utilized for community protection.

Kaelid's expression showed the struggle of trying to articulate a sensation he had no proper vocabulary for. "I just... felt something wrong. Like a pressure in the air, or a change in temperature. I can't really describe it."

He nodded slowly, many species relied on senses beyond the basic five that humans typically acknowledged. The boy was developing something akin to the spatial awareness similar to experienced hunters.

"Another manifestation of your enhanced senses, perhaps. Useful, whatever it is." He gestured for them to continue walking, but adjusted their formation slightly, positioning Kaelid closer to his side where the boy's emerging abilities could complement his own awareness. "Stay alert. Where there's one drake, there may be others."

They proceeded with greater caution, He continuously scanning their surroundings with all available senses. He noted with approval that both boys had adopted more appropriate forest movement, their steps more carefully placed, their awareness expanded beyond the narrow focus humans typically maintained.

As they walked, he observed Kaelid's reactions to various stimuli, noting how the boy's head would turn slightly toward sounds before they were fully audible to human ears, how his eyes would track movement in the periphery that most humans would miss. The core shard was enhancing the boy's natural senses in some ways.

Rannek, too, showed changes, though different ones. His movements had become more fluid, more anticipatory, as if his body was responding to information slightly ahead of conscious awareness. A valuable trait.

These changes, properly harnessed and disciplined, could make both younglings valuable assets to the community's defense and provision. The potential benefit to the family was significant, assuming the changes could be controlled and directed.

That would require proper training, structure, and guidance. These human boys would need instruction adapted to their different physiology and psychology.

The forest gradually thinned as they approached the village outskirts, the dense canopy giving way to scattered trees and then the cultivated fields that surrounded the human settlement. Brannic's awareness shifted as they neared the community boundary, his instincts focusing now on potential threats to the village rather than just the small hunting party he led.

As they reached the edge of the village proper, Brannic halted them once more, turning to face both boys directly. "Remember," he said, his voice pitched low to avoid carrying to nearby dwellings, "not a word about what happened in the mine or about your changes. I will speak with the Matron tomorrow, and we will establish proper protocols for managing this development."

Both boys nodded their agreement, their scents indicating acceptance of his authority in this matter.

"Go to your homes now, rest. Your bodies and minds have been tested today. We will speak again soon."

With that, he turned and headed toward his own dwelling and forge on the far side of the village. His mind was already churning over the events. Kerethin's perspective would be valuable, particularly regarding the training and integration of the changed younglings into the community structure.

The boys' abilities represented both opportunity and challenge for the village. Properly developed, they could enhance the community's hunting success, defensive capabilities, and awareness of environmental threats. Improperly managed, they could lead to fear, division, and potential danger.

Balance would be required. Structure. Discipline.

As he walked, Brannic's senses remained alert. The scents of cooking fires, livestock, and human activity. The heat signatures of dwellings and their occupants. The subtle vibrations through the ground that indicated movement and activity.

This was his territory now, his family by choice rather than hatching. He had pledged his strength and skills to this community's protection and prosperity. The changed younglings represented a new factor in that equation, one that required careful integration.

Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new decisions. For now, he would return to his mate, share what he had learned, and prepare for the next phase of this unexpected development. The hunt continued, though its nature had changed. No longer tracking physical prey, but pursuing understanding and control of a power that could either strengthen or threaten the family he had sworn to protect.