Family R.O.O.Ts

Vegetables For The Cannibal

Narrator: Pein Yagasouri

The next morning I was quick to pull on a pair of slacks and a over coat, rushing out of my small room. It was still much too early and most of the villagers were fast asleep. Excluding those odd couple that would rise from their slumbers early to fish in the stream, or jog. I was used to getting up early, back at the academy rest past six was an abomination. My brother once showed up for class three minutes late and spent the following six hours washing barack room floors (using his powers of course). 

When I arrived back in the Mombaii village Sanyo was seated infront of Kyia's small home tent.  She brought out furs for us to sit on as she prepared some sweet cakes and tea to drink.

"If you want me to find your brother I need something with his scent on it," Sanyo said staring into his tea cup.

"His scent," I repeated?

"Yeah something that he had recently touched that I can use to track him, you know?"

Sanyo was an animal shapeshifter. he could transform into many animal forms and even being in a human state acquired some form of extrasensory. I quickly pulled out a small parcel from my pocket, taking from it a necklace strung together with weeds and silver string. It was a present from Hinai-sama on my sixteeth birthday, said to stir away nightmares and keep the wearer from bad thoughts. He said it would help me very soon, I didn't understand that, but I never questioned him either. I handed it to him being careful not to damage it.

"What is this," he said examining it still in the box?

"It's a cotton weed necklace, I murmured.

"Man jewely," he snickered.

"It was a present," I defended.

"You don't have to explain anything to me," he said whiffing deeply into it. His face lite up, a firework had just been set off deep inside himself. He closed his eyes for several seconds and began to smell the air, like the smell of sweet pastries were wavering somewhere off into the distance "It's faint but Hinai wreaks like all his kind do."

"Can you get us to them," I said trying to not sound the least bit impatient.

"Yes of course, surely you know i'm that skilled.

Conceided I thought.

Kyia came out with a tray covered in assorted colors of different cakes and small browned sausages. She placed it down and then sat on her own fur mat next to us. 

"What is this," Sanyo looked at the tray in disgust.

"It's sweet cakes, and sausages," she said in a confused tone.

"I can't eat this," he said in disapproval.

"Why not?"

"You know how I can communicate with animals and all?"

"Yeah."

"Well they tend not to like to be killed and eaten."

I could see Kyia trying to hide her amusement.

It was strange how the Qualcoom people found it wrong to harm an animal, yet cannibalism and the killing of humans in general was a common ordeal. I remember when I first met Sanyo at the academy, he was the first person that I talked to that didn't laugh at me or stare like I was completely crazy. It was my first day and I had already become a complete outcast at the school. I remember cramming my things sloppily into my locker and then walking quickly trying not to be noticed.

 "Excuse me do you know were I can find room 207 ," I said quickly realizing now how intimidating the person I had talked to looked.

 "Yeah it's the last room on your left," he said avoiding eye contact like he'd turn to stone.

 "Thanks."

"Hey wait a sec, are you new here?"

"Um yeah just started today."

"The names Sanyo Qualcoom," he said extending his hand.

"Pein Yagasouri, " I echoed concluding the handshake.

"What's your stitch?"

"I'm sorry?"

"That's right your new here," he snickered, "what's your power?"

"Oh," I thought. "I can control earth.," I said levitating a small rock from the floor into the palm of my hand.

"Decent, your looking at the best shapeshifter in all of Mendella, i'd show you something but i'd get expelled."

"Why," I questioned.

"No animals aloud, smell ya later" he laughed showing his sharp teeth and then disappearing into a crowd of weaponry students.

I actually did make it to that class on time. That's were I first met Hinai-sama. But that's another story.

"Okay, and what about you," she said gesturing to me.

I looked towards the tray and then up at Sanyo as he grimaced at me. 

"I'm fine, I had some fruit this morning."

"Well suit yourself," she sighed.