Tiger's Eye - Book 1

Chapter 5

Book 1: Tiger's Eye

Book 2: Concealment

Book 3: Ignited

Book 4: Fidelity

Chapter 5

I sat on the couch and he kissed me on the forehead before heading to the bathroom. I opened the book and started reading. The story differed from the article I read on the internet, but I guess I already suspected that. I skipped to the part about where my country is and skipped all the history stuff. I need to find all these other people because if I do I will finally feel wanted. I'll feel like I belong somewhere in this world and not stuck in my room away from it all. Being here in this apartment is the closest I've ever felt to belonging somewhere. "That's because you do, with me," Pilote said walking out of the bathroom.

"Are you going to make that a habit?" I asked, "Reading my mind?"

"Don't act like you haven't been doing it," he said sitting down next to me. Obviously I read his mind. I could not learn everything I wanted to know about him without reading his mind. Besides, Pilote and I received this ability just today I am genuinely curious about this new ability.

"Fine, want to read this with me? I have a lot of catching up to do," I said.

"Of course." He put his arms around me and I leaned against him. We spent the rest of the night reading the book and he told me all about the Tigmas. A war drove the Tigmas away from the humans and they created their own world that the humans couldn't get to. Apparently the King and Queen knew it might happen so they built an underground city to protect the Tigmas. A few decades later the Tigmas tried to gain their freedom, but it did not work. According to the book battles happened every 30-50 years, but the Tigmas never succeeded at gaining their freedom back.

What surprised me the most was Pilote telling me that we had our own God. I should have expected it. It would not make sense for a completely different race to have the same religion as any other already existing on earth. "We have our own God too?" I interrupted him as he told a different story about one of the battles.

"Yes. The God is a long descendent of the King and Queen's family. It's a woman named Caprika and her soul mate Odyss. They were the first Maror and Tigrera couple to form. Before that no one thought it was possible for people of different races to be soul mates. They created our race and it's said that they've been looking after us ever since from above. They are the King and Queen that created the underground city we look for. They saved the Tigmas from extinction."

"That's amazing."

"The Tigmas truly believe in them too. They view Caprika and Odyss as ancestors who give them strength. They are Gods that help protect them and strengthen them from enemies."

"I finally have a God to believe in." My parents did not raise me in any religion. I never thought about it unless brought up. Scrolling through websites over the years I learned a little about Catholicism, Buddhism, Protestantism, and a few others, but I never got myself to fully believe in any of them. It did not feel right. I did not feel like I fit in with any of them. This, however, makes sense. They made their creator their gods. One prince and one princess, from enemies, fell in love and united two different races. They married and went on to protect their people from extinction. When they died they must have felt shattered by the grief. They did not want to let them go so they made them their Gods. The second Pilote said it I believe in it. "Is there a name for this religion?"

He nodded, "They call it Cartigism."

"You believe?"

"I have no doubts about it. I understand why Caprika and Odyss are our Gods. Every choice they made turned out to be the right choice and they protect the Tigmas like no one ever has. Considering I am a chosen one I look up to Caprika and Odyss the most. I want all of our people to be free, but I think we all have to channel Caprika and Odyss to make it happen."