Twins

7. Luka

After our first hunt with father, I awakened my first magical ability! Apparently, most magical abilities are forcefully awakened at age ten. Some abilities are awakened in excitement or fear like my own. Lukas said not to tell father that he already awakened his abilities. I really didn't have any idea what magical abilities are, so I'm pretty sure I'm missing something.

Hidden abilities, he made sure to note, can not be forcefully awakened. That's probably why they're called hidden. Apparently, almost no one wakes up their hidden abilities. 

Lukas called it 'Animal Sense'. All I can tell is that I've returned to my state as a cat. I've also gained a wider understanding of the animal languages I struggled with as both a cat and human. If I try really hard, or the emotion of the animal is something I've caused, I can understand the feelings of that animal as well.

I've decided that I'll make friends with all the animals in the barn on our property. Or at least, I planned to. I had to stop cause when our mother found out about it, she threw a fit. She screeched and posted 2 maids at my side at all time. I kind of wanted to claw them but I remembered Lukas said I can only scratch people when I'm in danger.

These maids are dangerous, just bothersome. Lukas thinks so as well. Maids make too much noise. They chatter like birds, always gossiping about the things they see as they passed. 

Speaking of birds, our father said I should befriend a bird of prey. Those are the bigger birds used for hunting. They're called demon birds here. Which I don't quite understand.

When I was taken to be introduced a bird handler, I was greeted with screeching and pestering. Most birds are annoying gossipers who talk as loudly as possible about everything. Otherwise, they glower angrily. Most birds are either angry or excited. 

The demon birds were even more angry and had strength behind their glower, unlike normal birds. If I still had fur, it would've been on end as I entered that building. Lukas was there with me but he didn't seem to feel it.

I asked him why he didn't feel their anger. All he said was that they looked normal.

I told him that he should be glad, birds are assholes, only to get slapped across the head by our father. No cursing, right.

Anyway, we looked and searched. Every single bird was chatty. I actually wanted to slap some of these guys. I even asked the bird handler to teach his birds to watch their language like I watch mine. They say so many curse words.

For some reason, they just laughed. Which did not improve my mood.

Eventually we came out empty handed. I had to clearly explain to father why I didn't want one of those mean birds even though he looked super upset about it. I mean, it is kind of depressing to know that birds are like that. They have such blank faces. 

Hunting birds are like that, mean and feral. Most hunting animals have a major amount of built up blood lust, so I understand.

That horse we rode, his name is Seven (the seventh in his stable), when compared to those birds, is much nicer. Although he talks low and isn't much for conversation, he is still polite. He even congratulated me on my new ability.  Seven is a great horse!

The maids, by the way, were eventually chased off by father once I complained.  It's really cool to have a father. As a kitten, my father left almost immediately. We were raised by our mother in a small unused shed where we learned to hunt and such. There's a big difference between the raising of cats and humans.

I've tried to get my brother to learn to fend for himself by joining in our father's hunts and such but he's ineffectual. If he had claws, I don't even think he's be able to draw them out.  And he'd have the balance of a cat without a tail.  I've grown into the role of having to defend and provide for him.