Chapter 5 - Encounter (1/2)
It had been three years since Hei, Xing, and Ye had started their hunting and physical training sessions. These workouts all consisted of simple exercises and capturing small preys, and therefore they didn't represent a danger to the three of them, especially since their mother had monitored them continuously.
However, even if they were nothing special, these exercises changed their physical appearance, strengthening their builds.
Among them, Hei was the one that showed the most changes of all. Unless they lived in a particular situation, human children would have been allowed to grow carefree and without any specific imposition by adults, and, only when they were older, would they receive training, depending on what their parents wanted them to become.
However, the fact that he started training at just three years old allowed him to stand out from an average child as he had an unusually tall and sturdy body for his age.
As far as Ye and Xing were concerned, since they were spirit beasts and so it was normal that they were trained from an early age, even if not with such a regime, they didn't show any particular physical changes besides a size increase of a few centimeters due to the various molts performed during the years. But they were still more resistant and snappy than when they were just born.
Finally, their mother, Bao Bei, hadn't changed at all during this period. Having long since entered adulthood, even though she had once molted in these three years, she hadn't, however, grown-up, unlike her two daughters. But you could notice some tiredness in her eyes that wasn't visible before.
In fact, in the last few months, she had slightly loosened her constant supervision over her children, occasionally allowing herself moments of rest where Hei, Xing, and Ye could play even though they were still forbidden to go outside their designated area.
And today was one of these rare moments of fatigue when Bao Bei would fall asleep.
They were in a small pond on the east side of the forest. This place was the same place where Bao Bei had brought the newly born Hei to clean him from the amniotic fluid and blood. It was also a place where they occasionally went to collect water and take a bath.
Consequently, Hei and his two little sisters had learned to know the area rather well and it was for this reason that Bao Bei felt that she could give herself a little rest even if they were not at home since there wasn't' the danger that her children would get lost somewhere. She trusted them, and she knew she couldn't always control them. As long as they didn't come out of the designated area, everything would be fine.
But, unfortunately, children, for one reason or another, didn't always follow the rules imposed by adults, even if they were educated and devout children like Hei. Indeed, precisely because they were so, it happened that they violated the rules imposed on them.
Hei had recently noticed his mother's growing sense of tiredness, and he began to worry about it. He had tried to ask Bao Bei, but she had always told him that everything was going well, which worried him even more because he felt that his mother wasn't telling him the truth in order not to worry him.
Determined to alleviate their mother's tiredness a little, Hei elaborate a plan with Xing and Ye taking advantage of the fact that they would go to the lake and that their mother would relax in the warm sunlight.
'Listen, now that mother is sleeping, it's our chance. We need to act as quickly as possible before she wakes up so we can surprise her, okay?' Hei said slowly, fearing that they could be heard.
'Yes, that's fine. But how do we divide the tasks? If we want to capture as many preys as possible before mother wakes up, we should split up and enlarge the research area.' (Ye)
'Won't mother get angry if we go too far? Even if we know the place, this applies only to the part around the pond. Won't it be dangerous if we do as you say?' (Xing)
'Xing, if we don't take risks, we will never catch the prey. Even mother tells us that there are times when you have to risk.' (Ye)
'It is true, but she also says that we need to analyze the situation well before acting, and it is better not to act than to act rashly.' (Xing)
Listening to his sisters quarreling, Hei couldn't help but smile. During these years, besides an increase in size, their most notable change was the formation of their personalities. With the accumulation of time and experience, two distinct characters had formed in them.
Xing was shy, and she always preferred to deal with things prudently, not wanting to go into dangerous situations and instead preferring to analyze carefully before acting. Ye, on the other hand, was more impulsive and lively. She preferred to deal with things openly without making too many problems with it.
As a result, this diversity sometimes generated small discussions, usually about how they should act to hunt a prey. But, even if they were so different from each other and they happened to argue, the two of them still had a solid bond that united them, and every night, they would fall asleep next to each other.
Hei, on the other hand, had similarities with both - he always analyzed the situation before acting, but if he saw that there was a good chance, he would decide to act even if the result wasn't 100% insured. Therefore it happened that he had to mediate between the two of them during these quarrels.
At that point, Hei decided to intervene to interrupt the discussion between his two sisters to avoid wasting further time, 'Ok, that's enough. We've already lost enough time. We will split like this: Xing, you will take care of the insects in the area while you, Ye, will try to catch fish in the pond while being careful to stay close to the shore. If you prefer,.you can try to get some mouses in the surroundings. I will instead go on a patrol, and I will go deeper in the forest. From what mother told me, from this position we are near the eastern edge of the forest, so there shouldn't be problems. I recommend you to pay attention and not to be discovered by mother before I return.'
With this, the different roles were decided, and finally, the discussion between the little spider and the little snake subsided. Although Xing was worried that Hei wanted to go to other areas and Ye was disappointed that she couldn't go with him, the two of them decided to do as he said.
Ever since they were born, they had always considered Hei as their older brother and would always follow what Hei asked them to do. They also had full faith in him - although he was so different from them, Hei always had showed deep affection towards them, and during training, he would always put in the maximum effort to improve even if he didn't have the advantages they had.
Leaving his two sisters and his mother behind, Hei began to go deeper into the forest. In his two hands, he was holding the wooden spear that had been given to him by his mother. Although it had become somewhat worn out, it still retained its sharpness, and by now, Hei had become attached to this weapon.
In order not to get lost, he decided to mark the trunk of some trees with his weapon, continuing in a straight line. Although he had never been to this part of the forest, he knew it wasn't that different from the other areas. Therefore, following the traces he left, it wouldn't be challenging to return. Since he had been raised in this forest, there was no danger that he would get lost into the trees and the dense vegetation, and that couldn't find the signs he made.
After having advanced cautiously but with a firm step, keeping all his senses alert, Hei suddenly noticed a strange noise coming from a bush on his right. Hearing this, he immediately hurried to crouch while holding the spear with his left hand and taking a little bit of earth with his right hand, forming a ball.
As he was left-handed, Hei always tended to leave his spear in his left hand when he didn't grasp it with his two hands. However, when it came to throwing things, including his weapon, he would always use his right hand. Strangely, although the left one was his dominant arm and had more strength than the right one, with it, he couldn't throw as well as with his right arm.
Once the ball of earth was formed, Hei threw it against the bush to flush out the creature inside it. This, when struck by the small earth ball, made a strange noise and came out of its hiding place, becoming visible.