Silent Heroes: Wildcat

Chapter 20: Shifter School

Jewel and I spent the rest of the weekend exploring the village.  It turned out there was a lot more to it than what I had seen so far.  Every type of shifter had their own separate area, surrounding the main core of the community like spokes on a wheel.

To the south, the horses occupied a huge open field, dotted here and there with massive trees.  The buildings were all long and wide and perfectly flat on top, like big warehouses.

To the north, the wolves had built rounded, den-like structures that ran deep underground, all of them interconnected though of complex maze of tunnels.

"Very social creatures, the wolves are," Jewel said.

The east side of the village went to us wildcats.  It reminded me of nothing more than a jungle.  I could hardly even see the buildings through all the leaves and vines that surrounded them.

And finally, to the west, there was a big gorge where the birds had built these amazing, cone-like structures that clung to the vertical walls like a thousand oversized beehives, narrow wooden boardwalks connecting one house to the next. 

I made a mental note to come straight here if I was ever having trouble with the horse-shifters.  They would be far too big and clumsy for this place.

And, speaking of horse-shifters...

"Hey, Jewel," I said, while we were making our way back home on Sunday evening.  "umm..." I hadn't brought up Lucas since the day of my arrival, but I had so many questions and the curiosity was killing me. 

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Exactly why do you think Lucas is a jerk?" 

Jewel pursed her lips.  I could tell she would have been happier not discussing this at all.  "He's insufferably arrogant, for one.  Struts around the place like he owns it."

"But, how is that possible?  He's been going to school with me since grade nine."

"Well, he's been spending his summers here.  That was more than enough time for him to build up a reputation."

"A reputation for what?"

"For being an arrogant jerk."

I sighed.  "That's not very specific, you know."

"Well, that's what he is," Jewel said. "What kind of reputation did he have at your school?"

"Oh, that's easy.  He was the hottest guy in school.  The one all the girls wanted to date," I stopped myself before adding 'including me.'  "But, that's another thing.  Why was he going to school with me in the first place? If he grew up in this world, why didn't he just go to school here?"

"He probably just had his first shift.  You can't go to school here until that happens."

"Oh," with a pang of guilt, I thought of that young boy I had scared half to death a few days ago.  The one who had barely looked twelve years old.  "When do people normally shift for the first time?"

 "It can happen at any point during puberty," Jewel said.  "I was only eleven my first time.  People who shift later often have more trouble controlling their animal form. 

I thought of the disastrous incident when I had first arrived.  "Yeah, that makes sense."

"But, they also tend to be more powerful.  You saw my cat-form.  I'm fast, but in a wrestling match, you'd destroy me."

I grinned.  "Just like when we're in human form, right?"

Jewel gave me a shove.  "Hey, don't be a smart-ass."