Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts 58

Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts 58
Wordcount: 2500
Commissioned by Sivantic.

…

Just a few days after her first words, the child was already walking upright and staring at everything with interest. Given the speed with which she learned and matured, I decided it would be wise to teach her to read and speak the kingdom’s tongue, as well as the As’Kari’s. She took to both with stunning speed.

“Great Wasp!” I was making use of my anatomical models of the creatures I hunted. Though Jessica disapproved, some part of the child’s mind was captivated by the knowledge of these creatures. Instinctively, she seemed to search for means to identify potential threats. A greatly enhanced understanding of what is dangerous and what is not, perhaps? With bright eyes, she pointed a chubby finger at the diagram I held up, then narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow as she tried to read the letters. “Weakness is… thorax!”

“Correct.” The thorax of the Great Wasp was carefully guarded. It not only connected the two halves of the beast but also held the tightest bundle of nerve endings the creature possessed. A strong strike to the thorax is similar to breaking the Great Wasp’s spine, which leads to it losing its ability to fly, control its body, and manage all its autonomic functions. That is why saddles for the creature typically cover it, and riders defend it with great care. A strike there in the middle of aerial combat can easily mean two deaths. But the child didn’t know that yet. I pointed at a phrase to the upper right of the creature. “What does this mean?”

“It’s used by people!” The child glibly replied with a smile. I would estimate her mental age to be closer to three years, as an exceptionally brilliant child. Categorization and differentiation between fauna and flora were near-instinctive for most children, but putting them into words was difficult. This child was curious, cautious, and hungry for knowledge. However, most importantly, in all her lessons, she did not showcase any prior knowledge of her own, which pointed toward her being a true child and not like me. “Like Corn—corne—Corni!”

Lengthy words were also a struggle for her, one that only practice and habituation would be able to overcome.

“Cor-ne-li-us. Make the word smaller, then speak it as one.” I coached the child through the name, listened to her repeat it, and then nodded when she reached her goal. Then, we continued with the scroll I composed on the Great Wasp. The internal structure of the creature made the child roll back in her seat a little, and some of the brightness in her eyes faded. She understood that one of the creatures had died for me to acquire this knowledge. She asked me if it had hurt them. I told her that it did. Briefly. “Look at this point here. In their midmost area. The thorax. A strike here will end them swiftly.”

The child nodded, but her gaze was directed at all the parts and pieces of the creature. Then she turned to me.

“Inside me, like that?” The question was earnest, but it carried greater weight. This child knew enough and was intelligent enough to correlate and link together ideas. If nothing was explained, then she could believe that I also killed and dissected people for anatomical diagrams. “Do you know?”

That singular question confirmed the matter.

“I know, but not the same way. People die for many reasons. With permission, I performed dissections, and the funeral rites were performed afterward.” The As’Kari extracted as much from their fallen as they could without becoming monsters. Nothing used in As’Kari society was made of people. However, the Great Wasps needed meat in all stages of their life. The adults benefitted little, and so were fed innards, but muscle, ground bone, and other parts were dehydrated and then ground to dust to be fed to their larvae. Fed with enough corpses of warriors, Great Wasps could come into being with greater cunning, stronger exoskeletons, and even magic. Such steeds were typically used by heads of tribes or chieftains. I took apart bodies prior to them being fed to the dog-sized larvae and verified that the people of this land were the same as those in my previous life. “A funeral takes place when a person passes on, when their soul is no longer in their body, and all that remains is cold flesh that no longer moves of its own volition.”

The child nodded at my words before asking the next question I knew she would ask.

“When will I die?”

“I do not know.” I answered truthfully. The child blinked in surprise. Were she a normal child of this world, I could have given a rough estimate of six or seven decades at maximum. However, she was not normal. She was displaying strength and power that I expected of Kan’Is at such a young age. Once she has consumed more monsters, trained, and learned, then I am sure that she will have little to fear, besides her own actions and the actions of those around her. “You will not grow sick, and you will not age past your prime. Only your decisions and the decisions of others can lead to your death.”

“De… decisions?” The child asked.

I gave another nod.

“We all choose what to do. You decided to come here, at this moment, to learn from me. I decided to teach you.” As I spoke, understanding blossomed. Will. Freedom. Choice. There were many words, but I chose the one best suited to make her understand that others could do the same. Everyone decides what their bodies do. Why they do so and what happens after? Such things are entirely separate. “If you make poor decisions, even with all your power and strength, the time will come when others will decide against you.”

The child was quiet for a while before speaking again.

“Like people decided against my parents?”

Thankfully, I could give an answer to that heavy question.

“I do not know what happened to them. Not how they lived, how they died, or who they surrounded themselves with.” I pointed to a small chest in my tent. “In there is a letter from your aunt. The truth may be there, but I have not read it. It is yours to read in time.”

“When?”

I looked at the child, already so intelligent and capable, but still a child. There was an eagerness for the truth in her gaze. A desire to know her own story and history. Young she might be, but her identity is already forming. At this stage, at this moment, she is open to ideas, ready to include them into her forming identity and incorporate them into who she will be as a person. Any changes after the first decade and a half will be cemented; everything thereafter will take a toll or price in time and effort.

I could give it to her now, tell her my own thoughts, and eliminate all choice in the matter by shaping her through the trust she has in me.

Of course, it was easy to consider such a thing as harm.

So, I told her the truth.

“I don’t believe you’re ready yet, because maturity is not just about learning. It is about time, understanding, and working with others, as well as dealing with both failure and success.” I will not lie to her when she trusts me with so much, especially when I am also her physician. Her brow furrowed, distaste for my reasoning apparent on her features, but I stood firm. “All you know of the world is from my mouth and from your caretakers. When we descend, you will meet many other people, and I ask of you to speak to them, try to understand them, and learn what you can.”

Her eyes flickered to the box, and as a precocious child, I knew she considered finding a way to get to it.

The temptation to give it to her rose, as who was I to deny her information of her true self?

So, I spoke to her once more.

“If you wish to take it by force or through subterfuge, I will not oppose you. That knowledge in there is yours the moment you truly desire it… but I won’t read it for you. You’ll need to have Jessica do so.” The furrowed brow and frustration faded instantly to surprise and confusion. She probably wondered why I put up such a strong front and opposed her wishes, yet would do nothing if she simply got up and reached for the letter herself. I explained. “As your physician, I only recommend what you do with your body. The decision lies with you what to do with the advice that I give. That has been, and always will be, the case.”

The child was silent, and she stared at the box, but eventually, she nodded and meekly asked for the next animal to understand.

Only time will tell if she’ll continue to be so wise.

…

The ship soon left the lands of the forest kingdom and entered the mountain range that was promised to us.

It looked inhospitable at first.

The mountains were incredibly steep, and the passes between each one were incredibly narrow. On those steep cliffs, there were many caverns and crevices from which great reptiles with wings for arms flew. There were a myriad of valleys between mountains, stretches of rocky pastures, and some flowing rivers, where the prey of wyverns existed. I knew not why, but the tops of mountains that the flying reptiles inhabited were covered in storm clouds, with lightning coursing through the low clouds.

As we passed, some of the creatures flew close, but when I gave them a warning to stay away, they parted swiftly. They returned with greater numbers, one of them being larger and scarred compared to the younger ones. When I warned them again… they all kept a healthy distance and watched us instead.

These creatures had social structures and some form of communication, as well as the ability to think.

I would need to re-evaluate the plans to hunt them for materials if they’re not just intelligent pack animals.

Eventually, after flying through the mountains, we reached the largest valley according to the maps.

And there, I found a budding town at the foot of a mountain, surrounded by tall towers and short walls. Already, there were swathes of land being terraced to plant crops on stable ground, and dirt roads were laid out in a grid with a large, sturdy structure at the center. Former sails of great ships were stretched out over the settlement to shield people from downpours, and with the mottled paint on them… perhaps to obscure the site from the view of wyverns.

Most importantly, however, I felt familiar presences in the town.

Both D’Jet and Gale were there already.

We descended onto a small dock, where some people watched the ship descend warily until the gangway was lowered and I was seen.

Erucic was there and greeted me with open arms.

“Physician! You’ve finally returned to us… and in one of the finest ships of royalty! What did you exchange for—no.” He looked past me, onto Jessica and the descending caretakers. Jessica held the hand of the child as she walked with her down the gangway. Erucic turned to me with a mix of both horror and astonishment. “You have taken one of their children hostage to secure our lands?”

“No, I have not. This one is a bastard, one that would’ve had many enemies, and I was asked to help raise her in exchange for more aid.” I looked at the child, whose eyes were wide as she looked around the settlement. More than a few of the people present looked at her with distrust. They have all lost family and friends, not to mention homes and livelihoods, due to the actions of the royal family. So, I stepped in. “This child is under my protection until she reaches maturity! You need not treat her as one of your own, but know this: the same people who abandoned you would see her dead for being born of love rather than to strengthen bloodlines! Only the kindness of the former king, Elric, allowed her to reach my care!”

Surprisingly, Elric’s name sent a wave of lightning through the crowd, and Erucic looked at me with wide eyes.

“You met with the former king? He has been in isolation for decades since his son rose to the throne! Where is he? How… how is he?” Many others leaned forward, their eyes wide with awe, waiting to hear of Elric. Some, however, had harder eyes. Those who were ready to lay blame, but even they seemed to struggle. I had a feeling that Elric did not convey to me how loved he was by his people. “Where is he now?”

“I spoke with him as I maintained the Tree of Light. He and most of the royalty have been sequestered there, unable to move, lest the Tree of Light fade and flicker. When it went dark many weeks ago, it was due to one of the crown faltering in their duty. That will not happen again, as I have given them time to recover and gain more strength.” I motioned for the caretakers and the nursemaids to stay prim and proper. The child’s gaze on me and her attention to my words was obvious. She kept looking at me, then at the crowd of onlookers, and chose to reach up and take my gloved hand. Was she looking for comfort or shelter from the glares? Whichever the case, I obliged her. “Know this: your former lands will not pursue you here, and restitutions will arrive. I struck a bargain as best I was able, while holding control over the only light over the kingdom. They will provide, or I will send out secrets that will hasten their fall. This land is free of their whims, and I will ensure that it remains that way. All I ask is that this child is treated as one of the people abandoned by the crown.”

I didn’t wish to leverage my aid to these people on the child. It was something that I wanted to give freely. However, it seemed as though my demands calmed the crowd significantly.

Perhaps, because I finally demanded something of them, they were more content to rely on me?

Before I could ask Erucic questions on the matter, Gale appeared through the crowd.

Judging from the look of consternation on her face, I surmised that her aims to support the rebelling people in the north had not borne fruit.