Childhood was quick for the Kelvic cub. His mother was impregnated by the Kelvic of another village near Avanthal, a snow leopard by the name of Jakob, whom Mihai never met. This pregnancy proved to be her last, though nobody dared pass judgment on the hunter for demanding more young hunting Kelvics. Indifferent to his lack of father and mother, he played with other children and other young Kelvics. His Master was a hunter and there was always enough food and warmth for everyone and the Master was kind in his way. Mihai did everything within his power to please the man to whom he and the others belonged.
Everything changed when the Master grew ill. The other Kelvics worried, fretting and fighting amongst themselves as his condition deteriorated. When he died, they all mourned. Wolves howled, owls hooted mournfully. Mihai tore the shyke out of trees, sharpening his claws, and was a bit cruel when playing with his food. Nothing made sense in the universe without its center. The Kelvics went to chaos without him, some claiming dominance over the motley group of them by claiming the Master's blood within their veins. Certainly that made them more rightfully his heirs. Though Mihai's mother had been the man's daughter, Mihai didn't dispute this. He merely asked questions about his own origins and, when he had enough information, set off to find the Kelvic named Jakob.
What he found was that Jakob was dead, as well as
his Master, which meant there was nobody to take him in. There was talk, however, of a sister, and someone even had an old blanket of hers and let him sniff at it, scenting the girl who seemed a better bet than the insanity he had left behind.
The trail often went dead, leaving him miffed, but he always managed to catch it again. Out of Taldera and into Syliras where the livestock was easier to catch than the wild game sometimes. From Syliras to Cyphrus, though he was unaware of political borders, only knowing how the land and his diet changed. He managed to evade or confound every peril until he reached Falyndar. Adapting rather well to the jungle despite the heat to which he had yet to acclimate, he strayed too near their holy settlement. Due to his shape, however, he was taken alive rather than killed outright, poisoned darts sending him to sleep.
When he woke, he was among the Myrians. They gave him certain choices, but it was their Goddess-Queen who showed him favor. In deference to Her choice, he was treated even better, adopted into their nation, even though he was still not sure if he would stay. There was this mysterious sister, but then there was the Goddess-Queen, who could replace his lost Master. And there was Her tiger, who caused adolescent stirrings in his pants.
by Mihai on April 17th, 2011, 3:04 am 
