"There is... something I'd like to do first. May I have a moment alone with you?", says the yeti as he looks at me straight in the eye.
Uhh, okay? So serious.
"You sure? Maybe one of us should go with you. And by 'one', I mean me. Y'know, just in case" The bat suggests.
No, no, it's fine. I'll take care of it. Why don't the rest of you stay put in the igloo for now? This hopefully won't take long. You did tell me that he's not going to hurt me. And, he did help us out by building that igloo and bringing us food while we were waiting for the blizzard to pass, so we definitely owe him one. I need to at least hear him out.
"Well... alright then..... We'll be near"
Of course.
The bat, accompanied by the other two, returns inside the igloo, leaving me and the yeti all alone together.
This better be quick. I don't want another blizzard to keep us holed up again.
"I'll be blunt." says the yeti. Then, without warning, he puts his face closer to mine. "Has anything abnormal happened to you lately?"
Wah! Personal space please!
Reincarnation is one thing, but does being sent to different places in time count as abnormal?
"That... is not supposed to happen"
What do you mean by that... exactly?
"Hmm..."
The yeti looks at me in the eyes before moving his glance elsewhere at my body. What is he looking at? Then, he gently reaches out his hands on my snout without making contact, and from there, he moves his hand down to my back as if caressing me, still without making contact. Weird. He's not physically touching me, but it still feels like I'm being touched. The yeti then stops in the middle and looks at the palm of his hand.
"...... Well... this is a predicament."
Hm? Wait, I think I remember you saying something about a price being paid. And that was why I can't remember names anymore.
"This is different. You are no longer the same as the other reincarnators."
You know other reincarnators?
"... Yes, but know that you are different from them. You are the only one of your kind. There is no one else like you. You are... an irregular among the reincarnators."
Huh?
"Every reincarnator who died in their era... reincarnated in that same era.."
Well, what's not normal about me then? That sounds like the exact same situation as... me...
"...... The difference here is that you didn't reincarnate in the same era you died. Correct?"
Oh... yeah... I... reincarnated in the future.
"And now you are being sent to random places in time. Past and future. And this is before you paid the price of losing your memories. You were different from the start."
......... So... what does this mean for me...? Exactly?
"... I do not know."
Hmm...... earlier, you thanked me for "feasting your eyes". What do you mean by that?
"Hm...? You do not see what I am seeing?"
...? No?
"... Well, you may have noticed this already, but... there are reincarnators who have had other animals that are not reincarnators follow them around... like they're drawn to them... just like how your bird and snake friends follow you around."
Ok...
"But you, on the other hand, exude more of this than any other reincarnator. More to the point where... my eyes can't help but feel soothed whenever I look at you... as were my hands when I caressed you..."
What, like they're attracted to me or something? Like a magnet? And... so are you? ...... Weird power I have, making everyone feel like they've found their soulmate whenever they look at me.
"Everyone... who is not prey in your eyes. Any target you are after, your followers will know. But in your case, every other animal that is not your target is your follower."
That... can't be. I've had encounters with other animals before and more often than not, they pay me no mind.
"Because they were not yet your followers. Only those who seek interest in you become your followers. Once you have grabbed their interest, they will automatically follow you. It will be engraved in them, like an instinct. But know that they are only following you. Even they do not know why, but it does not mean they are stripped of their free will."
Yeah, one Tiny pesky bird is definitely proof of that. Well, other than the two in the igloo, I don't think I've grabbed any attention to others that I know of. Well... maybe except for that crocodile float...
"...?! You were able to have an entire float of crocodiles follow you?"
Uh... yes?
"...... Do you see now? You are unlike any other reincarnator. You are the first."
...... Ok, so let's say I'm an irregular... now what? What should I be doing? There's gotta be a reason why this is only happening to me, right?
"Wherever or whenever you went, or are about to go to, I can feel that history still remains unchanged, so whether you go to the past or the future, in whatever place you end up in, know that your actions will still not leave a mark in history. Of this I am certain of."
And, you know this, how?
"My existence is similar to the reincarnators... but unlike them, we are more bound to our place. I cannot leave this mountain, while reincarnators can go wherever they please. In exchange, we are able to see the flow of time. I see you as an abnormality in the flow, and yet the flow remains normal. What this means, I do not know."
So... what you're saying is... even if I try to go to other humans to reach out to them, like say... trying to explain my situation to them, no matter how ridiculous that sounds, I can still get away with it since history won't ever change?
"The other reincarnators have done the same and they have all managed to lay low as well, without causing a change in history. While there were some who reached out to humans... they caused no change, still."
How do you know they weren't able to explain their situations to them?
"... They did... but, well... maybe it is best if you find out yourself."
What? W-Why can't you just tell it to me right now?
"You will most likely meet others like me in your journey. They might tell you more than me. And besides..."
The yeti looks elsewhere. I turn around to where he's looking and see that the bat, falcon, and the little snake are all coming out of the igloo. They're coming this way.
"Sorry, but we need to get going. Who knows when the snow will pick up again. You can continue your conversation along the way." says the bat.
"I cannot go with you." replies the Yeti.
"Ah... sure, ok, I hear ya. Uh, do you guys need to talk it out more? Should we wait for you? Or maybe you don't mind if we go on ahead?"
"No. You need to go. You cannot waste any more daylight."
"Well, you heard the big hairy giant? What's your call?" the bat asks, looking at me.
I... I still have so many questions.
"In time. You will find your answers. Go."
......... Thank you..... for everything.
==========================
WelP, it's been months, but here's a new chapter.
Can't promise I'll remain consistent now, but do know that I am not abandoning any of my books anytime soon, so rest assured.
I'll be honest tho, I have no idea what happens next honestly. I have deviated from my initial plan, so from here on out, I'm just winging it xD