Chapter 4 - Training and Molting (2/2)

'Yes, we will do our best. Promised.' the little spider and the little snake said in chorus.

Both of them saw that Hei was working hard, and they didn't want to be outdone. They were also getting excited about learning to use their skills, and they wanted to be able to use them quickly.

To increase their survival skills, Bao Bei also decided to make them undergo, in addition to training their hunting skills, physical training to improve their bodies.

This training was quite simple and consisted of exercises like running and using their bodies to simulate blows in the air - for Xing her spider legs, for Ye her tail, for Hei a mix of punches and kicks. After all, for a spirit beast, the body was a fundamental aspect that had to be strengthened absolutely. Even for humans, it was valid this concept, especially for those who fought often.

This hard training regime soon began to become a habit in the life of Hei and his two little sisters. Although it was tiring, they still practiced hard every day under the strict supervision of Bao Bei, who, despite being very strict in their education, became increasingly proud of their improvements.

*

It had been a month since the start of their training, and they began to see the results of their training slightly, which spurred the three of them to want to increase their training hours.

However, Bao Bei categorically refused to increase their training load by telling them that, to get stronger, they needed an adequate quantity of rest.

To make sure they rested enough, she began to force them to sleep after lunch, making them stay inside their den and sleeping with them to make sure they didn't run away somewhere.

It was during one of these afternoon naps that it happened.

As Bao Bei slept with her three cubs beside her, she suddenly felt gasps nearby. Looking down, she noticed that Xing and Ye were writhing in their sleep, and then they suddenly woke up scared.

'Mother, what's going on? I feel something pinching all over me.' Ye said with fearful eyes. It was the first time she felt such a sensation, and she didn't understand why. Turning around, she saw that Xing was also in the same condition, and she started to get even more panic-stricken.

'Ye, Xing, calm down. Everything is alright. Listen to me, okay? Everything will be alright.' She tried to cheer them up as Bao Bei examined their condition. In an instant, she immediately recognized what was wrong and hastened to explain to them.

'Calm yourselves. There is nothing to be afraid of. You are simply molting.'

'Molting?'

'Yes, practically every now and then, when you grow up, you have to take out a part of your body to become bigger. For Xing, it's her exoskeleton, while for you, Ye, it's your skin.'

'And does it take a lot?'

'Well, it depends. But it is an important process, and it shouldn't be rushed. So stay calm and let the molting continue. You must complete it properly and throw away every single old part of your body. You also have to remember that the molting should be only done if you are in a safe place.'

With these words, Ye and Xing calmed down a bit, even if they were still a little afraid of the new experience. However, they decided to listen to their mother and let the molting process take its course.

Meanwhile, Hei, who had woken up from the bustle in the den, stood by his two little sisters with a careful look.

'Mother, will I also molt as Xing and Ye?'

'For you, Hei, it's a different case. You don't need to molt, but it's a good thing, you know? Molting is a delicate process to do if you don't have someone to protect you. You have to stand still, and if you move a little, you can cause a bad molting with serious consequences. For this reason, from now on, you will have to help your little sisters when they molt, okay?'

'Yes, mother. I'll protect them.'

Seeing the frightened faces of Ye and Xing and feeling that the molting was dangerous, Hei thought, for the first time, it was okay to be different from them since he would be able to protect his two sisters during those times. Then, thinking back to his mother, he said, 'And you, mother? Don't you molt? I never remember seeing you do it.'

'Good boy, you have watchful eyes. As for me, I also have to molt but not as much as Xing and Ye. They were born recently, and they grow fast. So they will often have to molt. I am already in the adult phase and, therefore, I don't have to do it so frequently. I also have some control over this process, so I can decide when to do it. When the time comes, you will have to protect me, okay?'

As she was saying this, Bao Bei put one of her legs down to caress Hei's head. Happy to be able to help his mother, Hei focused himself on the two that were molting. Under the Bao Bei's guidance, he occasionally helped Xing and Ye in the molting, cutting off the parts that were being thrown away with his two hands.

Three hours passed before the molting process ended. Xing and Ye, exhausted, were laid on one side by Beo Bei while, helped by Hei, she used some water to clean them. The two of them then went to sleep after the grueling process.

In the meantime, Hei was curious about the wastes resulting from the molting. For some reason, he found them very beautiful and asked his mother.

'Mother, what do we do with these? Can I keep them?'

'And what would you like to do?'

'I don't know... but it would be a waste to throw them away.'

'You are right. Then, how about eating them ?'

To this answer, Hei was stunned. He didn't think these wastes could be eaten. Seeing him speechless, Bao Bei hastened to say.

'The molting process is very tiring and consumes a lot of energy. So it happens to become hungry after finishing it, and being in the wild without energy is very dangerous. Therefore sometimes eating one's molting becomes necessary. But don't worry, it tastes good if you cook it first with the fire.'

Convinced by his mother, Hei decided to help her with preparing food. In the end, they opted to prepare Xing and Ye's molts together with a couple of rabbits caught in the morning. As Bao Bei knew that humans had trouble eating raw food since Hei had become able to eat solid food, she had always prepared cooked food for him, and this habit was also passed to Xing and Ye.

Soon, a fragrant smell was transmitted in the den, which awakened the two little creatures who were sleeping. Being still exhausted by the molting, they were more hungry than ever. Together with their mother and their brother, they put themselves in a circle around the fire. Then, the whole family ate together to recover from that hard day.