Resonance of Time, A Magic the Gathering Fanfiction

Different...

It took all but a moment for Jace to realize that he had spent a solid hour cuddling the Wolf's tail while the adults divulged into a deep conversation. Had he been asleep? He was not sure, but all he knew was that once the Wolf sat back down, the tail was back in his arms...and legs. It was a sense of security and possession that odd little Jace found comforting, and it seemed to be a gesture the Wolf did not mind in the least bit.

That is until Ranna prompted about dinner: meat pies, one of Jace's favorite meals. 

The Wolf found himself unable to move from the couch, given that his tail was cocooned by the boy. He nonetheless asked for one, then turned to Jace.

"...can I have it back now?" The Wolf inquired.

Jace shook his head. He replied, "This is mine now."

The Wolf chuckled lightly. It was an appealing noise to Jace's ears, and it wormed a smile on his face. He asked, "What's your name? And how did you know mine?"

"Catori," The young male replied, "It's a native language from my original culture. Catori means 'spirit', granted it makes sense given what I am. And I've always known your name."

"And what are you?" Jace asked, in which Catori replied, "An exemplary sorcerer who knows more than he should know, but still does anyway."

Jace looked up at him. He asked, "So you can use telepathy too?"

Catori bobbed his head, his ears tilting at either angle. He replied, "Among others."

"Like what?" Jace prompted inquisitively, "Tell me!"

"I can shift into a real wolf," Catori replied, "If you want to see?"

Jace sat up and grasped the sofa. "Yes please!"

Catori nodded. He stood, and his form took over. It wasn't like the old werewolf legends where man changed into wolf, losing his clothes in the process, and raced with a primal, uncontrolled fury that legends always told. The shift was simple and fast; from standing upright, he shrank down, his clothes becoming his skin, and his midnight pelage coated his very body. He maintained a real lupine face and stood on all fours like one. 

No...not all fours; he was missing a leg, and in his wolf form, it was evident of that absent left foreleg. It earned a tilted head from the curious boy.

"Why are you missing a leg?"

"Jace, that's rude," Ranna scolded, and Jace found his head ducking. However, Catori shook his; it was not a rude question at all. It was one from a merely curious child, and Catori took no offense to it.

I used to have a brother like I am, Catori explained, But he and I did not get along very well when we were growing up. We grew violent and hateful towards one another until I had to take his life to protect my home. This is but an atonement of the life I took. And so this missing arm is like a missing brother; every member of my family makes up who I am. A loss is but a part of it, and cannot be replaced.

Jace nodded. He walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder blade, feeling the skin meld into the barrel of his ribcage. No lumps, just a perfect shape of his body.

Jace smiled still. "I think it's cool. No matter what you go through, no matter how different you are among others, you stand tall and embrace it." He added with a warm hug, making Catori grin and wag his heavily-coddled tail.

And that is where we start your first lesson.

Jace frowned. His head cocked to the side, showing knit brows in confusion.