Chapter 12

After flying northeast for two days, he stopped at a spring to eat the last of the deer he had caught the day before.  It was already well past sundown so he figured crashing out for a few hours would be fine.  It was cold enough out that most animals, nocturnal and not, were burrowed into their dens to hide away.  Sam just curled up on the snow bank beside the spring and nodded off.

Since Sam had changed, he hadn’t had any dreams, but he was having one now.  He was flying over great fields of red grass and the occasional tree with a green trunk and red leaves.  It was surreal yet seemed normal.  He started getting closer to the ground and tried to pull up only to realize he wasn’t the one flying.  He was actually being held by something else and they were flying.

When they were only a few feet off the ground they dumped Sam on the ground and glided to a stop right next to where Sam rolled to a stop.  Sam got up and tried to look at the person that had dumped him on the ground only to realize he was only looking at their stomach.  He looked up and saw their face and noticed it looked a lot like he looked now.  Just with horns and golden feathers instead of the red brown he had.

“I was wondering when you would finally come here.  You are stubborn as fuck.”

Sam was highly confused, “what are you talking about?”  He had his male voice back?

“You needed to sleep next to a place of power.  That spring is a well of power. Hence why in the dead of winter it still flows.  Anyways we are getting sidetracked.”

“And I am still highly confused.  Why am I my human self again?  I know this is a dream and all but…”

“I’m getting to that.  You are your human self because you still cling to the past. You fear what you are becoming.  You will never reach your full potential if you do not embrace your true self.”

“And what is my full potential?  My true self?”

“Me.”

“Wait.  How is that possible. I’m currently barely over five feet tall, have no horns, and certainly have no golden feathers.  How are you my full potential?”

“Because I am what you can become, in time.  It will not be an easy road and it will be a long one but this is what you can become.”

“I’m not so sure I want to be over nine feet tall, personally.  Doorways must be a bitch.”

“You get used to it.  Also, you need to get over these whiny notions that women are inferior to men.  In our race, women are ten times stronger than men.  We are the warriors.  Quit whining and fearing that you’ll be used and abused. There aren’t many people in the universe strong enough to beat you.”

Sam felt his ears perk up.  So much for still being human, “really?”

“Positive.  Now wake up. There’s a hungry bear walking over that thinks you’re food.”

Sam awoke with a start.  Sure enough a bear nose was a foot away from his own.  The bear reared back and roared at him but he just took his time getting up off the ground.  The bear was hungry so there was no telling what it would do. It was probably more frustrated than anything that it’s easy meal was actually alive and is willing to stand up to it.

The bear lurched forward and took a swipe at Sam, making him fall backwards to avoid the blow but the bear was right on top of him the next instant. Sam didn’t let it get much closer as he launched it away with both feet pressed into its chest.  The bear landed 20 feet away and looked at Sam wearily now. This was obviously not an easy meal and it was hungry, not desperate.  It turned to walk away, a limp from where it landed on its front leg.

Sam shook his fur and feathers out, some debris flying off, before grabbing his pack and moving to the water again.  He looked down into the waters, still and crystal clear.  He saw the face from his dream again and remembered what she had said.  He was going to change a lot more.  This was not his final form.  And he, as a she, would be powerful.  But he would need to accept being a she.  That would take time to accept.  The things that were holding him back were abolished but the doubts would not go away for a while. He needed to grow into this body more.  Maybe this traveling vacation would do him some good.  See some sights.

He jumped into the night sky without another thought and headed north east again.  There would be more to see across the ocean in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

—————————-

Sam did exactly that.  He traveled the globe and spent a whole year doing it. Living in forests, caves, under bridges, and the occasional shed in some rich persons backyard.  It came in handy only sleeping for a few hours at a time in avoiding being caught by anyone.  A few times he slept in daytime so he could travel through populated areas in cover of darkness but generally he slept at night.  He took a lot of video and photos of his travels through the lands.  He saw a lot of Europe, followed the Russian border south down through the Middle East to get to Africa, did a zig zagging pattern across the country to see what he could but didn’t really know what to look for so just explored.  On his way back up he stood at the top of Kilimanjaro. Now he didn’t climb it, but flew up to the top, but it was still a nice view.

He traveled back up the way he came, up the border of Russia to travel across the country to the eastern side and head down the coast.  He headed down through the “traditional” Asian countries and did his sight seeing, trying to see as much as he could down through to Vietnam and the Koreas.  He came back up to travel the length of the Great Wall before heading back down to go through India and Pakistan before getting to the Himalayas.  Standing at the top of Everest, Sam had another vision, this time without going to sleep.  It was of monks and a temple they had not too far away in the mountains.  He somehow knew which way to go from the vision but decided to meditate on it before jumping off the mountain to head to this temple.

Ok, an induced vision of monks.  This might imply introducing myself to them or to avoid them.  It showed me where they were and it is not the direction I was heading in the first place.  I’ve never heard of any monks living in the high Himalayas.  There is also the question of whether they would take in outsiders or even an alien?  I have some martial arts training.  I know it is nothing compared to what I imagine they can do but maybe… no they wouldn’t teach me. Would be interesting to meet them.

Sam made up his mind and took off towards where the temple was supposed to be.  He felt the aura of where the temple was hiding and slowed down, slipping into the field hiding it, and landed on the rocky slope in front of it.  It looked like a Shaolin temple but perhaps in better shape.  Maybe not newer but at least better cared for.  Sam sat there wondering what to do next.  Should he wait for someone to come out or should he go up and ring the doorbell, so to speak.  There was something protecting this place so whatever was here they knew Sam was here.  He stood up and walked up halfway between the rock wall and the gates.  He stopped there because something didn’t feel right, like something was hiding.  There was nothing in the snow that looked like anything hiding under it but then that was when he noticed it.  The two imprints in the snow from wedges of Asian wooden clogs meant to keep their feet out of the mud. He had maybe five individuals in front of him in a half circle.  Nothing was moving and he couldn’t hear any breathing.  Whatever was hiding them, it was strong.  

He noticed movement. It looked more like a shimmer in the air, similar but less defined than the Predators from the old movies.  And it looked like a foot headed for his head.  He ducked under it and took a step back to reassess the situation.  He couldn’t see them so he couldn’t get close enough to pin them down.  They either didn’t want him there or they were testing him.  Since it was only one foot so far he had his money on test.

A fist this time came from the other direction.  He deflected it this time and shoved away the wielder.  He didn’t push hard but it was enough to push them out of striking distance.  Then the sound he really didn’t want to hear.  A sword leaving its sheath.  Sam took a few steps back with that sound.

The movements were fast and Sam tried to stay away from them but he couldn’t deflect them.  He was getting cuts all over the place from the swords as they nicked him going past.  Finally he couldn’t avoid a blow and a sword was driven straight into his chest.  It knocked the wind out of him from the pain but it didn’t pierce past his skin.  He was thankful for that layer once again.  The person pulled back and tried again with more force this time but that just pissed off Sam.

He grabbed about where the hilt of the sword was and broke the person’s hands, releasing the sword.  As it clattered to the ground, Sam picked it up and took a battle stance.  A sense of calm came over him.  Suddenly the hazy shapes took a better form and he could make out details like hands and faces.  The one with the broken hands stood back with a worried expression since his weapon did nothing to Sam.  Sam started to move and to him it was normal speed but to the monks it was extremely fast.  Sam didn’t want to kill them, just disable them, so he hit their hamstrings and sliced their arms.  He had moved so fast they were barely able to react before he was behind them and sweeping away with the sword.

The five of them lost their invisibility and lay on the snow as Sam tossed the sword to the side.  Someone came out of the temple to see what all of the noise was.  Sam was surprised to see it was a kitsune yokai.  A nine tailed one at that.  He was surprised and impressed.  That was until they looked at the downed guards and sent a ball of foxfire at him.

Sam crossed his arms and ducked behind them to protect himself from the flames.  They hit hard and knocked him back a bit but he didn’t feel any burns.  He shook out his arms and stood at the ready, wondering if he needed to dodge more balls or hightail it out of there but the fox seemed impressed.

“Come here young one.  It’s not often I meet one who can resist foxfire.  I must know why.”

Sam was hesitant but slowly worked his way over.  They didn’t seem dangerous any more but then again they were held in lore as tricksters.  He hoped he was not about to be burned alive.  The fox was holding out their hand so Sam figured they wanted his as well, pressing his hand into theirs.  There was an immediate rush.  A sense of power.  Battling senses and then Sam came out on top.  The kitsune had to take a knee from the experience.

“How...  Not possible!  You have a kitsune spirit but yours is stronger than mine!  I am a nine tail!  The only one stronger than mine is the ten tailed kitsune!  The kitsune god!  You are not kitsune, you should not be her!”

“I have no idea what is going on.  What just happened?  What was that rush?  What are you talking about ten tailed kitsune gods?”

“You… don’t know?  You really have no idea?”

“Know? Know what?  I’ve been running from my problems for a year!  I had just found out I’m an alien, I changed gender, they want to send me off world to a place with 15% suicide rate, and magic is real!  That is what I know and don’t want to!”

“Oh my. You have been through a lot.  Come. Come inside. I will send someone out to heal my guards. We must speak.  I must know about you.  The coming of the ten tailed kitsune is a momentous thing. Come, come!”

She ushered Sam into the building as a couple more kitsune came out to deal with the guards. These two only had three tails each but they dutifully cared for the guards.  Sam was unsure what was going to happen but this seemed like it might be a good place to stop for a bit.  “Others” like himself might make for good company.