Chapter 2
Eternal Dance with Weariness

After a short rest, Rey decided to continue, and it was written in his eyes. Leaving the nice warm nest, he continued on his way to the top. Against the storm, enduring the cuts that the sharp ice made on his skin, he continued climbing until he broke through the blizzard.

The little one was surprised, perhaps because he did not expect such calm past the stormy clouds. Rewarded by the absence of cold, a whole clear landscape opened up before his eyes. He could also notice how the top of the tree had leaves, flowers, and fruits to eat, although not a few seconds passed, and disappointment tormented the little boy who saw beyond what could be seen and understood what made up an ironic metaphor. Rey said to himself, "Hard work, ummm...."

He understood that the tree he sat in was not nearly one of the largest in the area. If he were to compare himself to such a tree and even if he were to grow as big as he could, there would always be someone in his way who was much higher than him, perhaps because he had lived longer, worked harder, had more power or even better luck. Like those trees he saw, there would always be someone taller than the ones before his eyes that rose up and almost reached the other side of the Heavens and out of sight.

"How dare I compare myself to this tree? Climbing to this point is insignificant compared to all that this sturdy living thing has had to struggle through to get to be the size it is. Relative to the other monsters that have had time to grow, it looks insignificant; still, I do not allow myself to compare, but intend to learn as my teacher told me. I choose to learn that, regardless of those around me, I must continue to grow and take the path with more ambition."

Giving a laugh in the air and spreading his hands with a true mental imbalance, the little boy turned around and continued to reason.

"Back to the main objective. The trees are in descending proportion. The larger ones are on the outside and the smaller ones are heading towards the center. Nearby, several tops overtook the blizzard while others disappeared and settled according to their size.

"I already know which way to go, but how do I stay on course without deviating? Once down, I'll be lost again. To evade the nature of the ground I would have to fly... and to soar through this sky I need wings. Mother has them. Mmmm. She had wings coming out of her back. Yes, pulling out wings is similar to the same feeling as turning my hand into a claw, then it shouldn't be a problem... After all, I'm a hybrid."

Eating fruits and resting as much as he could while trying again and again, Rey finally extended two extra limbs from his back to the sides. They were two wings, covered in black plumage, which he could move awkwardly, but he could move them at will.

"I wonder if drinking from the blood of my fallen enemies had anything to do with the new functions my body has developed?" said Rey to himself, remembering the wings possessed by the creatures that reigned high above the place.

Questions aside, Rey had never flown before, nor had he analyzed how to do it. Although it looked easy, it was something that must have been complicated, but the void no longer intimidated him at all. First, he opened the one on the left, extending it as far as he could, then the one on the right and then both at once as he settled on the branches with his feet and hands. He turned around and tried to fly a little where he was, making a simulation of takeoff and landing. He repeated the process several times, lifted himself up a bit more, and flapped with better coordination.

"If in order to learn to fly I have to throw myself, I'm ready," he said to himself and so, without further thought, Rey launched himself into the void with expanded wings.

At first, the descent did not have many problems, a little unbalance to the sides, but if he did not move his wings, his body and the direction of the fall did not vary. Suddenly, with the speed, Rey could not prevent one of his feathered limbs from colliding with a branch sticking out of the cold fog. It was a small branch, something he could very well break with a punch, but the collision fractured the bone of his right wing and with that the chaotic fall became inevitable.

Rey spun around and around in a spiral. With his claws out he tried to break his fall and although he held on to the branches, they did not resist his weight and broke. Crashing into everything in his path, the blizzard of cold air treated him like a leaf that had fallen off. All he could do was protect his head.

"Oof! I can't put my wings away. What an inconvenience. Broken they can't be kept," he said to himself. "I have no choice. One more hit and I may lose consciousness."

Rey, having pulled his hands behind his back with a jerk, tore off his wings and as soon as he had got rid of them with his claws, he tried again to break his fall, only to succeed half-heartedly. Like a sack he fell crashing to the ground and ended up rolling all over the flat ground covered in white.

Shaken, in pain, painting the snow with the red of his blood. Rey tore off with his teeth the pieces of branches that pierced his flesh at the extremities. First, he pulled the smaller ones and then spat them aside. So on and so forth until he had to deal with the largest trunk that was almost sewn into the lower side of his abdomen.

"No, I'd better not," he said to himself, barely touching the wood. "If I split this log, I'll lose a lot of blood. Better split it just enough so it won't interfere with my walking.

Crack, crack. Rey had to endure the pain to then, somewhat lighter, continue on and try to look at the situation on the bright side.

"Ah, I finally left the forest behind. A little further ahead is the house where my parents must be. This cold is nothing compared to what I felt at the top of the tree...."

As soon as enough time passed for the broken bones in the little boy's feet to heal, he stopped crawling on his hands to stand up and walk. Rey continued his advance until he reached the bottom of five steps that adjoined the door of the residence that seemed to float in the air. The windowless place in which the elders dwelled when they slept had no intention of letting him enter without someone inside to greet him. The entrance was locked and no matter how much he knocked on the door, no one answered.

"Indeed, everyone is still asleep. Just because I can see doesn't mean it's daytime... if I remember correctly, there must be another entrance to the inside of the house. If I turn around, I can enter between the ground and the roots. But if I climb up to the roof, I could also sneak in through the chimney. On second thought, it's best to avoid heights for a while. I'll go in underneath."

The little guy, just as he intended, went in through the roots. In itself, the place he was using to access the inside of the house was more like a secret exit, since it lacked windows. If an emergency arose, and the gigantic house ended up under attack, the residents could employ the floor hatch to escape.

Exiting inside the dining room, just across from the kitchen, the small body was greeted by the warmth of a home a hundred times more comforting than the nest or cave it had been in. A place that smelled of family and an unmistakable smell of food coming from inside an air-conditioned box.

Following his nose, Rey opened the box and found a treasure trove. He couldn't help but open his mouth, nor stop holding back his saliva at the wonderful find. Packets and packets of meat, bags and bags of blood, bundles and bundles of fruits, vegetables, and water. Most conveniently, even if he ate everything, he only had to leave a single sample of something for it to be doubled or tripled. Closing the air-conditioned box and opening it was enough for it to replenish what was missing. A truly unlimited food source.

"By taking this box with me, I wouldn't have to worry about going hungry," he said to himself already as he chewed and swallowed a steak almost as big as he was. "But I can't take it with me. It's not mine. It belongs to Father, Mother and the others. It would bring me a lot of trouble if they got mad at me....".

Suddenly, Rey stopped dead in his tracks, frisked his body, and opened his eyes as wide as he could. He had become distracted and without noticing all his movements were under the gaze of someone who didn't move, but also didn't stop looking with interested eyes and hands behind his back.

"Why didn't you open the door for me if you were awake, Silvia Divan?" he asked, at the same time pulling back his right leg to stick his body to the floor in defense.

Silvia, eyebrows raised, and jaw dropped said, "Hum-humm-nn. Good question? I wasn't awake when you knocked." As one who changed the subject, she said, "I never told you my last name, nor did I ever tell you about the secret entrance either, young master... Huh?”

Rey tilted his head to one side, straightened up and continued eating without taking his eyes off the breasts of that woman in maid's garments. Why her breasts? You might ask. Maybe because, unlike his mother, she had bigger breasts. No, actually, for the little boy, if he looked at someone's chest, neck, or forehead, he could also see the other five limbs at the same time and be ready to defend himself as the situation demanded. Besides, looking into someone's eyes could mean confrontation and he was not foolish enough to confront one of the older ones. He tilted his face to the side because something also caught his attention, her open and informal behavior. As he remembered, Silvia always moved with elegance, style, smoothness, and harmony to perform whatever tasks she was given. She knocked on doors before entering and pointed to objects with an open hand and not with a single finger. She did not ask questions or correct anyone, she only made suggestions. She carried her hands at the sides of her body or slightly forward, but never behind her back and absolutely always approached from an angle that could be seen as one who dared not provoke distrust.

Silvia stood erect in front of the little boy. She had a mane of reddish hair that reached a little below her shoulders, a band of hair that parted her bangs in two and large eyes that seemed to inspect everything with curiosity. She closed her mouth, feeling even more intrigued, but seeing that the little one was still eating without taking his eyes off her breasts, she crossed her arms and lifted her breasts at the same time that she leaned forward to provide a better view.

"Young master. You believe my words, but at the same time you distrust me and know things I have never told you. How is that possible?”

Rey felt that the servant's behavior was familiar to him. A vague memory of the past came to his mind, so he did not respond, and stepped back with his other foot. He did not intend to tell something that would bring him a lot of trouble to explain. Prepared to escape, he was stopped by words that made him curious.

Sylvia, anticipating the little boy's escape, added, "I'm sure you must have your reasons. I am a ‘Specialist’ grade combat maid. As a maid in this house I have the special ability to awaken from my state of suspended animation to fulfill my duty to protect if an intruder enters when the tenants are asleep. But you are not a threat... you are ‘young master, Rey.’ I was the first to carry you when you were born. How could I consider you dangerous?”

Rey put the past aside, focusing on the present.

"Suspended animation?" he asked as he took a seat on the floor and paid attention, still chewing and swallowing the food in his hands.

Silvia noticed that Rey hadn't reacted to the information that she had been the first to charge him either, but she continued, nonetheless.

"Yes. Even though those asleep still breathe and their hearts beat, they become empty containers that cease to age or grow. They will not need to eat, drink, or excrete until they awaken.”

"Can anything in suspended animation die?" asked Rey thinking of his companion, of the helpless little Paradise guardian he had left behind in the cave.

Silvia, glad to have captured the little one's interest, replied, "Once they fall into that state, they are defended by ‘Transcendental’ grade protection. The answer is no. They cannot die even if they are on the verge of death."

Rey frowned, narrowed his eyes, and took a deep breath to swallow the last mouthful of meat and lick his fingers. Inwardly he was relieved to know that his companion was safe, even if he wasn't with her, but he had heard the word "degree" twice. It seemed to him more like a measure of powers that he could use as a reference for his own benefit. Again, he was obliged to compensate for his weakness with knowledge, but he didn't know how to ask.

Silvia, to avoid the silence that wanted to take over the atmosphere, added another question. "Weren't you training with Heroclades?"

"Yes, but I'm looking for something more than just training."

Silvia asked again, as if she wasn't sure she had an answer that would keep the little boy interested. Lying was not an option for her, for even if she lied, as cunning as Rey was, he was going to find out sooner or later.

"And what do you seek, young master?"

Rey thought for a moment that the Wise Grand Wizard was who he was, not because he was a Grand Wizard, but because he was wise. If she served under the tutelage and care of the Wise Grand Wizard and lived in the residence, did this mean that the structure had to serve her needs as it accommodated the other tenants? She could have the answer.

"I seek knowledge. Could you guide me along the path of knowledge?"

Silvia took the little one's words with charm, as if her silent prayers had been heard.

"Young master…" She paused as one who did not want to let her hopes out so quickly. "I can give you what you wish, but such action will make me want to take something important from you afterwards." Rey seemed not to understand, so she continued. "Ahhh, you ask why? Well, I have nothing else to do and you make me very curious.”

At the comment, Rey made a gesture as if he seemed to understand something. He then took off all his clothes. He also got rid of his rustically made weapons to gather all his belongings as a bundle and put it in front of him.

"This is all I have, and it is important to me. You can take it now if you wish. Please," he said ducking his head politely.

Silvia was shocked. She even covered her open mouth with her right hand. She thought she was dreaming. No, it had to be a dream. Someone as arrogant as him was offering her all his belongings and asking for help. But she felt awake, she felt alive. It wasn't a dream. It couldn't be. She had to ask the reason for such a change. She did not manage to restrain herself, for curiosity would not let her.

"Tell me, what makes you want to seek knowledge at such a high price and not by force?"

"My weakness."

"In that case," said Silvia as she unbuttoned the top of her blouse. She slipped her left hand inside her garments and as soon as she found what she was looking for between the flesh and the fabric, she continued with her words. "This key will be able to help you. Inside this house all the doors are locked and cannot be opened. It is an extra method of security, but the key I am going to give you opens a particular door... I do not need your offering. And maybe I will make an exception for you. Take it as a favor. I'm doing it because you don't seem like the type to disappoint me. All I ask is that you don't look at me with such suspicious eyes the next time we meet... and that every time we're alone you call me ‘Nana,’ okay?"

Rey was naked, full of wounds and scratches. He had broken into the house and stolen the food in the refrigerator. She had the perfect excuse to have gotten rid of him, but she didn't. She kept calling him young master. What harm would it do him to accept what he was being offered? The little boy was confused. He understood what was going on and he could also imagine why she was looking at his waist area. But he didn't understand why she didn't want everything he had despite having said what she said.

After collecting what was offered, Rey decided to take the gesture as an attempt to create connections between him and her. She knew he needed an ally to confide in. She didn't have to carry on the tradition her parents had. She wasn't part of the family. But why did she want to be called Nana? It wasn't a bad question. It was easier to call her Nana whenever they were alone instead of Silvia or maid; it felt more familiar.

"Yes," Rey said nodding his head at the same time.

Along with the affirmation the maid's hand was extended. As soon as Silvia gave Rey the key, she turned her body and left the way she came. Unlike before, this time her footsteps could be heard walking through the house in the direction of her room. There was also the sound of a door being opened and ajar.

Rey looked down at his palm.

"What a tiny instrument," he said to himself. "How could I use it? She said it opens a door. Doors are the entrances to rooms. Ummm... But which door? I guess I'll have to find it. If she had told me in a straightforward way, I might not have listened. I would have thought it was a trap."

After thinking for a while, as soon as he was dressed in the liger furs, Rey set about the task of searching the entire house. He had already noticed that the doors had locks, also doorknobs. The locks used a hole and in that crack under the latch seemed to fit what was a key. All the doors inside were adjacent to bedrooms where someone was sleeping. The house itself did not appear to be any larger than it was for there to be a secret entrance. Up and down the stairs, in the attic, or down the hall, in no corner of the interior was there a door that would accept the shape of the key Rey held in his hand.

"Maybe she tricked me, but what would be the point?”

Again hungry from all the time that had passed, Rey returned to the kitchen, immersed in thought.

"She couldn't have tricked me. Even though I already checked all the doors in the place... No, not all of them. I overlooked the most significant one. Being hungry is not good for thinking."

His stomach full, Rey stood in front of the entrance and exit of the house. He quickly inserted the key and realized that it could turn, then lowered the handle and pushed with all his strength so that the gigantic wooden sheet opened, giving entrance to a completely different world. It was a place so quiet that the little spectator could hear the sound of the thin gust of air filling the void, as well as the beating of his own heart, the flickering of his eyes, and the blood circulating in his veins.

The floor was made up of corridors of slabs with complex symmetrical patterns and railings. The walls on the sides were not solid, but shelves with hundreds of holes crammed with objects. The medium and small walls looked the same, even though they formed a labyrinth. Stairs went up and down while the ceiling had luminous squares and majestic drawings that were difficult to look at. The pillars, the same color and size as the trees of the Ever-Changing Forest, were also hollow. From the entrance nothing was distinguishable, but up close you could see them better. Inside were hundreds of neatly organized books. How did the young man know they were books if he had lived through almost nothing? Well, his training master always carried a book that caught his attention, and “The Great Wise Wizard" had used a book to tell him the story of how his parents came to be here. In his so short life Rey had seen two books and heard that books held knowledge. However, he could not read. He knew he had knowledge in front of him, but he had no idea how to interpret it. Deciphering unknown characters was not easy. Figuring out how they worked wasn't either.

Browsing then pulling out books and scrolls, questions came to the distracted little boy's mind.

"What does each sign represent? An idea? A syllable, or even a sound?" he wondered as he flipped through the pages of the last book on the first shelf. "Well, for food I don't have to worry. For time either... I've got forever," he said to himself.

After attacking the air-conditioned box for the three hundredth time, Rey returned to the interior of the library. The floor was no longer a floor, as it seemed to be made up of open books. In the past, his teacher, Heroclades, had told him, "Reason and draw your own conclusions." However, Rey had always had difficulty making his deductions. No matter how much he thought about it, so far, after all, he could not remember ever being able to draw a conclusion that did not have to do with the death of another being.

In light of this, he said to himself over and over again, "Get it. To the end. Keep moving forward. Don't stop..."

Between books and a lot of concentration, Rey collapsed on the floor.

"What's wrong with me? I'm weak."

He sat up. He began to reflect, to think about why his muscles failed him despite having eaten every time he felt hungry. He remembered the figures of his father, Hero, and Mijan.

"How is it that they could have such toned and muscular bodies? How did Fang and Hero do it? Because of how much they moved. All the time they spent working out and training. Of course, they don't stay in the same place doing nothing for a long period of time, unlike the one I've been sitting in. The only muscles I've used are my eyes and my fingers to read."

Taking a deep breath the little boy laughed out loud. He reached an accomplishment; he had come to a conclusion after reflection.

"But I have to move. Even if I still don't understand the words and I have a long way to go, I have to move from time to time."

With twice the time, Rey was finally able to come to understand the patterns the letters followed. He still had a long way to go, but in the meantime, he had to exercise the muscles from his fingertips to his head.

Rey would read and for every page he turned he would immediately perform ten jumps, or ten swipes with his claws. At that moment, an idea came to his mind when he saw his fist raised.

"Fist. It's a word. It has four letters and sounds like the combination of one different syllables."

But that wasn't all. There were books with figures of beings making use of their fists. After discovering what the word "fist" looked like, then it was the word "finger," "arm," and so on until he understood all the parts of the body that he could verbalize. Rey had an extensive vocabulary. Having listened to the elders talk for so long without any word being forgotten was a great advantage. The book he had first been able to understand dealt with the different melee arts and there was one word in particular that caught the little boy's attention, fascinated to be able to read after so much effort. "Specialist rank." The same words that had been used by Silvia.

"It seems there are twelve rankings to measure the power of something or someone," he said to himself. "Servus Rank, meaning someone in service to, with an interest in learning, like my earlier self. Beginner Rank: one who has basic skills and knowledge; me, now. Intermediate Rank: advanced skills and knowledge. Advanced Rank: complex skills and knowledge. Master Rank: Heroclades is my only point of reference. He is my teacher. It means that he is someone who has the ability to teach what he knows. Specialist Rank: Silvia, who can create her own style or movements with what she has learned. Royal/Crowned Rank: specialist of various arts plus increased effectiveness, colossus mode. Emperor Rank: complex manipulation of large-scale specialty, ‘often affects the surrounding [zone],’ king of species. Holy Rank: absolute perfection, continental scale effects, ‘teleportation and more.’ God Rank: further enhances the scale of absolute perfection, planetary scale effect, ‘total destruction or salvation.’ Transcendental Rank: absolute scale effects, ‘time, present, past and future, reincarnation with knowledge.’ Divine Rank: ‘chosen’ or else ‘differentiated.’ ‘distinguished,’ not bound by the logics of existence or energy."

Rey stood up. After turning a page of the book in his hand, it was his turn to perform his set of movements, which no longer consisted of just a few squats or boxing jacks. Now it was a whole combination of advanced actions until beads of sweat fell on the pages and so he went back to reading.

He came to a conclusion:

"Most of the instructions in these books are for those who want to reach advanced rank in various methods of combat. Small arms, big guns, short range, medium range, long range, melee, defense, attack, counter defense, counterattack. I have learned everything these books say. Although, truth be told, no matter how many martial moves I learn, my body size doesn't help at all if I were to face any of the bigger guys. Mhhh, the thousands of physical techniques I've learned don't make up for my weakness at all. I can make use of ‘Fighting Spirit,’ the various elemental controls, spellcasting, aura control or some other fighting art, but the theoretical learning of these non-physical skills can never be compared to the practical. Only real battles can make me a warrior of advanced rank. If I fight against someone stronger than me and observe their movements, I will be able to raise my rank over time. With ‘specialist’ grade, I would be at the same level as Silvia, but Father and Mother are stronger than Silvia. Mother was able to employ teleportation to bring the whole group here. And Father, he can beat Mother with ease, or so I think. Mother has to be Holy grade. Father has to be God grade. Although Mother used a scroll to get to perform teleportation. Ummm... It's not worth thinking about it for now. There are still many more books, much more knowledge. Leaving the physical aside, I could focus on being a sorcerer."

Rey stood in front of the pillar whose name had "Sorcery" written on it, reached out his hands, and pulled out Volume One of the hundreds of books. He had realized that every time he was going to start on a new subject, he should start with the first version, since it was easy to understand and introduced more complicated subjects.

"Now that I review better, books of this type begin with something similar. ‘Spellcasters willing to use the means of this book must go through ‘initiation.’ A process that consists of the awakening of twenty-four energy vortexes that will become the pillars that will support the full weight of an internal microworld, the perfect environment to materialize imagination into energy and then turn it into reality.’ Of course, the microworld is the pinnacle of sorcery, however, ‘with the awakening of each vortex, one acquires the qualification to invoke existing clamors... Water clamors are the most harmless for the sorcerer and which are recommended to practice first (...) To train your mental capacities, you must repress sleep... To rest your body without sleeping, you must meditate. To meditate is...’ All these books have instructions, but they are incomplete, they do not even have seals or incantations to cry out. No spellcasting technique could be recreated, let alone awaken one of the twenty-four energy vortexes or create a core. Umm, something new. Warnings: ‘Mistake in conjuration or in manipulating the energy can end up destroying the user. To fight, it is better to use silent or shortened cries... With great power there are great consequences. Crying in extreme situations is dangerous and very risky. You must have absolute control over your heart, mind, and the energy passing through the vortexes. Do not cry out under circumstances of a stress spell with the strength or power to end the life of the user. One should fight using the fairest and most necessary cries. Lack of concentration in the act can lead to end up being cursed and transformed into the creature you tried to invoke or lose reasoning forever. Having a blocked vortex can result in loss of consciousness, direct and even permanent damage to the chakra in question. Combining strong emotions with poor pronunciation or writing at the time of calling out can result in the spellcaster exploding, or the spell's effect being the opposite... The art of calling out does not obey the laws of proportion, logic, or matter. Cries can result in recreations of the present, past, and even the future, which supports speculation that it was the tool used in the creation of everything."

Disgusted that he did not meet the qualifications for clamoring, Rey put the sorcery aside, and made his way to where the pillar of "Aura Control Arts" was located. After opening the first book and taking a look, he added, "It looks more attainable and less risky. Of the eight existing paths, shadow control can help me with my training. I understand that, for many non-physical skill arts, you need to be born with them or have an affinity, although it doesn't hurt to try to learn them."

With a determined face, Rey continued.

"The first step to shadow control is meditation, controlling the breath, and visualizing my essence."

The little boy's essence became visible in his imagination. The body was black, and seven other layers enveloped him. Each layer had its own meaning and attributes. For example, control of white favors invisibility in daylight, discipline, or even resurrection. The control of gold favors intuition, discernment, and wisdom. And green, regeneration. Even so, Rey understood that he had to prioritize one, and it was black.

"The second step is to visualize the different colors that make up my energy and choose black, which represents shadow. Once selected, separate it, become aware of its movements, its size, intensity, and darkness. Then, fight it, make it real, tangible, let it hit me so hard that it makes me bleed, and I hit it so hard that it breaks its bones. Fourth step: separate it from me, let it become independent. Fifth: appearance. Sixth: let her have a mind of her own, and seventh: let her duplicate herself by repeating the previous steps. Now, to reach the advanced degree in this control, I must make my body a shadow and make my presence disappear... " 

…

"Mmm, everything is so much easier with various versions of me around the place, but I must keep reading while they search and tell me what they learned... Next book, titled Notes of a Needy Maid... Loneliness. Sadness... my lonely body living long cold nights.... First book I find that is not related to anything combat related. Next book, another weird title: Philosophy in Greece. Ummm, Greek... From Greece. I remember my teacher saying, ‘Many friends in my life today have their names plastered in history books.’ The books on this floor have nothing to improve my physical condition, neither do my chances of escaping this place. Another book: City of Athens. Gods of Greece... Zeus. Ummm. I can't waste my time with this. Historical notes, events of a past, descriptions of another present, of other situations cannot be important to me right now. On the other hand, if the reading is not very interesting to me, I might fall asleep without realizing it."

Descending the stairs, he looked around him. Approximately twenty shadows prowled back and forth and organized whatever they found on the floor.

"Using aura control for so long in a row is troublesome. However, at least I could understand what my limits are. Speaking of sleeping, I must rest. One of the books above explains the consequences of insomnia. Every species has a limit, and I seem to have exceeded mine long ago. Even if I consume blood and flesh, I can no longer replenish my body's fatigue. My learning has become slow. I have also noticed that my mind goes blank more often. But I still have one book left that I want to read. It seems to be the biggest book of all, and the most important. Otherwise, it wouldn't have a whole floor to itself, or would it?"

The little boy with his hands took the book that was right in the middle of the lowest floor of the immense library. As soon as he opened it, he glanced at it and got the worst disappointment he had had so far.

"Ah, I can't understand it! All the symbols are different... What can I do?"

....

Inside a room with reduced space compared to the others that made up the house, in which there was a bed, a chest of drawers, and a closet, Silvia was looking at the ceiling.  

"Uff, here in this bed, I writhe from side to side."

The maid's skin touched the sheets, and she thought hard.

"I can't sleep, not while he's here," she continued to tell herself. "I gave him the key, and though he took his time, he ended up finding the Library of Knowledge. Will he be reading my diary? The book I write when I'm alone could arouse any man's curiosity. The pages he used to capture my feelings are descriptive enough to draw my body. I am a servant, and I must abide by the rules so as not to suffer the consequences. It is not fair that I am forbidden to interfere in the lives of the residents. But the little Rey did not stay over, so the house interprets him as an intruder. His brothers, Heroclades and Mijan, also did not stay, so if they were to enter, they would not be recognized as tenants either."

Silvia manifested disappointment on her face. At the same time she uncovered herself and moved again.

"The young master is still very small. I would have preferred one of the two previous ones."

Silvia turned over again and hugging her pillow ended up raising it in the air. She looked at the white rectangular cushion and could find resemblance regarding the size of the feather-filled object and the young master's body.

"Oh, Rey, as I could see, your body is not as developed as your father's or any of the other males I have seen. You are so small. I don't know if you are enough to be able to fill the emptiness inside me."

Returning the pillow to its original position, she covered her body from head to toe.

"On the other hand, even if it was Mijan who had snuck in, he wouldn't be able to interpret the signals from this needy body. That light elf has a very dense personality. He also became Katherine's slave. On the other hand, Heroclades, that tan-skinned one, is no one's slave, although he has two women and shares pleasures with everyone."

Uncovering her head, Silvia continued. "Mmm, I could try Ehimus, but she's an elven woman and even if she has the appearance of a small boy, she's already Maryam's toy."

Biting her lower lip and rubbing her legs back and forth...

"Mmmm, what if it had been the best case of all? What if it had been Wulfgang?"

Uncovering herself completely again and sitting down on the bed, she said, "What if I had accepted her invitation? What if it had been me being violently penetrated by all three men in the house at the same time while the other two suck my tits instead of hers?"

Lowering her right hand to her lower lips, Silvia touched herself.

"Doing what that vampire did in front of me. Oh!"

Lying back down, this time roughly, Silvia continued her monologue.

"I have to be realistic, as a vicious creature of sex I don't come up to the heels of Katherine, who walks in Maryam's shadow. At best, I would end up being just another toy of that immortal, shameless, perverted vampire."

Lifting the pillow with her hands to the ceiling again, Silvia saw in it her young master.

"As much as I deny it, to satisfy my curiosity, this is my only chance. It's not that I'm going to throw myself on top of the little intruder. Not that I want to rape him. I just left the door to my room open so that he can come in if he wants to come and ask something..."

With a flushed face she looked in the direction of the door. She continued as she slowly hugged the pillow she was carrying.

"Even if he gets to see me naked on the bed when he comes to ask, why am I willing to risk everything? Well, to be frank, despite having lost my memory several times, this flame has become fiercer and more uncontrollable since the new tenants came to the house. I remember how Maryam was being carried around like the princesses in the books I read in my spare time. I felt jealousy, why her and not me, what was different about her? I wondered. But when she opened her eyes, I could deduce the answer. Not only her blue eyes, but her skin looks much whiter and more delicate than mine. Not to mention her ability to coax a man by making herself look weak, flimsy, and vulnerable. Returning to the present, as the light slips through the half-open door, I must make it clear that I did not plan this at all. But I won't hold back either."

The maid put the pillow on the bed and, on her knees, stood on the bed until she sat on it.

"My conscience is clear. It's not my fault. After not only having to listen to and watch everyone in the house beating their bodies in the art of mating or reunification, as she calls it, but also having to clean the floor cluttered with saliva, sweat, semen, vaginal fluids, urine, and even the other stuff. Yes, she is to blame for my sexual desires having built up to exponential levels as they are now."

Shifting her hips back and forth on the pillow...

"The first day and the second I was able to come to terms with these needs on my own. But remembering watching men licking like dogs where they were told to lick, watching them doing what they were commanded to do while I watched…" Silvia bit her lower lip. "That hurt. It burned me. It made me a different person. It broke me inside. Since then I can't even control what I think. No wonder I'm walking around the house and my vaginal fluids fall on the floor from just passing memories. The insatiable fire in my body is already unstoppable. I only intend to do what you, Maryam, taught me... Oh, Rey, you will have to be braver than ever if you decide to face the hunger that lives in me."

…

As soon as he had organized the library to the best of his abilities, Rey came out with the book under his left hand and locked the door with the key. At that instant, he turned to ask himself, "Where should I leave the key she gave me? Will I be able to take this book that even after all this time I have not been able to understand?"

It was the only book that was written in a whole different language from the one he knew. Also in case he fell asleep, he wanted to sleep next to his furry companion he missed so much. Something told him that he could not allow the one he protected with so much effort to wake up alone and have no one with him.

After walking through the house, the little boy stopped right in front of the door of the room that belonged to Silvia. He had decided to leave the key on the floor, right in front of the entrance so that she would find him when he came out, but he noticed something very unusual. The door was open, and a sweet smell was coming from inside and inviting him to enter.

Using his right hand, Rey pushed the door open. The hinges were in good condition and didn't even make a sound, but the silhouette of light from one of the hallway lamps grew larger and invaded the interior of the room.

On the bed a naked body was writhing, breathing slowly, and clutching the sheets with its hands as if it were holding on to keep from falling. Rey tilted his head to one side, paused for a while, blinking three times until he decided to go inside and turn around to continue seeing Silvia's exposed body from a better angle. Little by little, he was able to see strong thighs, white and pink skin, hands wrapped around a pillow, every crease, and finally the long reddish hair sleeping on the face of the closed-eyed maid. She, in addition to having bigger breasts than his mother's, also had a nice ass. Those four mountains made anyone want to start touching them with all their might. In Rey's case, sucking them, out of curiosity. Sucking with his mouth was what he remembered doing when he was little. Besides, he had also seen the older ones do it. Especially Ehimus and his father. For some reason, rather than sucking them, he felt like he was craving to bite them, even if he wasn't hungry.

Rey hesitated. He didn't want to hurt a "non-enemy," let alone someone who had helped him so much. With eyes wide open and heart soaring, he unconsciously began to reach his hand toward the inner thighs of the maid. The place that gave off the sweetest smell brought back so many memories.

"I want to bite," he said to himself. "To satiate this uncontrollable hunger that has come over me. Is this the way the elders feel when they are alone? I couldn't smell before, couldn't touch either. Maybe it was for that reason that I was never interested in experimenting. But now..."

Tempted by curiosity, Rey touched the inside of Silvia's thigh with his right hand. With his fingertips he felt warmth, softness, and comfort.

Silvia let out a very unique moan: Hmm! One he had heard before.

"It's not like her belly is swollen to the point of exploding," thought Rey. "With her eyes closed she sleeps, but she's sore. She has a large opening and no clothes on. There's no one else in the room, nor is she inside a large bathtub. Maybe she was a mother and her children have grown up and are no longer there."

Rey's eyes were full of memories. He was thinking about what he had almost forgotten, but, just as he was about to ramble on, the maid opened her legs slightly. As if she was offering herself to him and asking for help with her problem.

Rey noticed that she had her tongue out and was drooling without realizing it. Opening his eyes even wider, he pinned his gaze on the maid's vagina and felt guilty that he was almost losing control with every sniff of the scent that meant "young woman of childbearing age." In the past, the little boy remembered himself sitting on the stairs, judging with his eyes the older men who squirmed as they sat on their seats, disguising the fact that they blushed at the suffering of a woman giving birth. He felt no different from them. She might not be giving birth at that moment, but she was suffering, and those gestures of suffering made him feel excited.

Rey, little by little, raised his hand upwards to separate her feet a little more and see how the liquid that came out from between the legs of the maid ran as if it were the sap of a wounded tree. The same liquid that on his way to the house he had drunk to quench his thirst.

"Why not?" wondered Rey on the bed, his head between her legs. "Why not help her soothe the pain of her open wound if she's done me so many favors?"

With two licks from the little boy, Silvia closed her legs. Emitting a dying cry devoid of strength, the maid was forced to tense every muscle in her body.

Rey freed his head from the grip of the two muscular legs, which closed as one might close a trap for hunting animals. Understanding that he had hurt someone's open wound and that such an event could arouse anger, Rey decided to jump back. With his eyes wide open he continued to retreat and although he was about to go through the door through which he had entered, he realized that the entrance had been closed. Trapped, with his body glued to the ground, he had no choice but to watch her movements and if necessary, use all the knowledge he had acquired in order to defend himself.

Using her hands, Silvia lifted the torso of his body onto the bed. Somewhat shaken, as if she had been taken by surprise, she brushed her hair away from her face and gave a smile to the little boy who had come to visit her. "Oh, young master... Haven't you been told that scaring people in their sleep is not polite?" Rey was silent, continuing to watch her. She had other intentions. She could not allow such a situation to damage her relationship with the little one or the rest of the tenants in the future.

"It's not that I didn't like it, but it's always good to create an agreement before you do this kind of thing with me."

"Agreement?" asked Rey as he relaxed the expression on his face.

"If you promise me that you won't tell anyone else, I won't get mad and... you can also come wake me up the same way whenever you sleep outside."

"I don't think so, to be honest... I apologize. You were suffering, and I didn't have the best intentions," he said as he lowered his head and looked at the floor.

Silvia, at the same time, made room next to her bed.

"What's wrong? Talk to me. Come, sit next to me. Don't be afraid..."

Rey paused for a moment, like someone who wanted to assess the situation. "The tone of her voice doesn't sound angry; her movements exposed her every defense," the little boy thought as he walked slowly. "So why not have an agreement if that will perhaps provide me with the best of situations? On the other hand, should I tell her what I know, if perhaps my knowledge is not correct?"

As soon as the little boy sat down on the bed, she stretched out one of her hands and after opening a cabinet took out a kind of vessel with a cloth inside. Then she put water in it and after wetting the cloth she squeezed it. At Rey's curious look, Silvia added, "Don't let this distract you. It's to cleanse your body; you need a bath. Talk to me... tell me what you think."

"A bath? I already took a bath."

"Yes? How?"

"I do it with my tongue. That's enough..."

After biting her lips, she wondered if he was flexible enough to reach every nook and cranny of her body with his tongue, but she couldn't waste the opportunity the creature's ingenuity had given her.

"Well, first we can do it my way. Then, you can bathe the way you wish. I am a servant, and to serve is my purpose."

"I am concerned about your wound."

Silvia looked in the direction where the little boy's eyes were looking. When she saw herself between his legs, she could easily deduce what the little one there meant by "wound." With the intention of giving a different meaning to the same word, she continued.

"She's actually a bit of a troublemaker. I can't deal with her very well on my own," she said as she lifted the little one's right hand and ran the dampened cloth from fingers to shoulder carefully observing every little detail.

Rey, lifting his gaze, said, "Can I help you?" He felt he had to disguise the strange interest he was arousing. After pausing, he added, "I can help you and also not tell anyone. If you promise to help me interpret the words in this book... Nana."

Saying "Nana" to her felt weird. He didn't know what it meant. He hadn't told anyone either, but somewhere he had to start. Silvia couldn't help but smile:

"Are you sure? You don't have to."

"How hard could it be?"

Silvia thought for a while. Her heart almost leaked out of her chest and out of her mouth from how fast it was beating. The words didn't want to come out. She knew she had to say something and that with every second that passed, the likelihood of the little boy in there regretting it became greater. After puffing out her chest and letting the air out slowly through her mouth, she spoke.

"You would have to do the same thing you did to wake me up, but until no more fluids come out. Only that way will you be able to heal me temporarily."

Rey nodded his head. He had no problem with the maid's proposal.

Silvia put what was on her to the side. Biting her lips sensually, she leaned back against the back of the bed as she spread her legs in the direction of the young master. The position in the situation was embarrassing to her, more so when she knew she had a face tainted by lustful desires. She, unable to look the little boy in the eyes, hugged the pillow with the intention of hiding her face. Careful not to rush in and throw herself headlong into her desires, the maid made a point of being patient and enjoying the moment, exposing herself to what might happen and not influencing with suggestions the actions of someone who was seemingly unwilling to experience such a moment.

Rey swallowed saliva. The maid was hiding her face behind the pillow. It meant he had permission to see her without being watched back. "She's letting herself, without saying yes," Rey thought ready to look directly at the target of his efforts, but stopped when he saw the size, color, and shape of the aureoles of her breasts. Rey met two eyes that almost seemed to be looking back at him as well. The hardened dark pink nipples were not eyes, he knew, but he also came to believe they were calling to him as a challenging gaze did.

Because of the position Silvia was in, Rey was forced to get on all fours and lower his head to get closer and have better access to the area he was to clean with his tongue. Slowly the little boy looked and kept details of the skin he was inspecting with his eyes, how soft and smooth it looked. Of the variation of colors, of the reliefs, and of each fold.

Because of the approach of the little one and that she didn't know exactly what he would do to her when she wasn't looking, Silvia's breathing became heavy and more frequent. The tingling in her stomach increased in intensity. The heat in her body was increasing so much that it felt like it was going to ignite and burn the place down. 

As he stood closer to her, Rey could notice many new things. The lip-shaped wound was swollen. It had a short layer of clipped hairs at the top. At the bottom of the cleft a faint wet sheen was peeking out. A ring of dark pink flesh was at the end, squeezed between the two buttocks. One could feel the warmth emanating from the place along with a sweet, intoxicating smell.

With extreme delicacy, Rey continued to approach, until with the tip of his nose he touched just above the upper slit causing Silvia to stifle a moan with the pillow. Without taking his nose from where he had it perched, Rey ignored the moans of the maid who moved as if itching between her legs. He opened his mouth as wide as he could and stuck out his tongue a little at a time.

Silvia was about to explode; although she couldn't see, she could imagine what was happening. It was what she had been wanting for so long, to know what it felt like to have someone use their mouth to please.

Finally, Rey touched her with the tip of his tongue. Silvia's next moan could no longer be silenced by the pillow and was heard loudly with an Ahhhh!

As the taste was not unpleasant for him at all, Rey wanted to lick the wound completely to finish it as soon as possible. But taking into consideration the suffering of the maid he restrained himself and first planted his tongue not very deep in the place, to gradually begin to move it. Each time he sensed that Silvia could control herself, Rey went further in his cleaning work. First along the outer folds, then between the thin and delicate skin that protruded from the middle, and so on until he reached a little further inside. After a while, and being encouraged to go deeper, with his hands Rey held onto her legs, and then with his tongue he ran his tongue along the cleft and finished sucking.

For the maid it was wonderful to feel how the little head stopped at what was her clitoris to suck on it. At that moment Silvia tensed her body, felt her skin crawl, and could not contain herself from letting an almost choked dry moan escape from her throat. Behind the pillow she opened her mouth, arched her eyebrows, and kept her eyes closed so much was she enjoying the moment. The new sensation between pleasurable and forbidden was so intense that she felt as if something in her chest was going to explode. When Rey started sucking a little lower, she set the pillow aside and clung with her arms to the little guy so he wouldn't go down and stay in the place that made her enjoy it the most.

Rey was not at all uncomfortable with her hands on his head. On the contrary, he even noticed that Silvia seemed to be guiding him in some way. He went down again with his tongue in circles to introduce it slowly and continue doing his job.

Busy just feeling pleasure, Silvia managed to duplicate what she felt by changing her position and getting on all fours on the bed. She used her hands to spread her vagina as wide as she could. That way, Rey could penetrate her with his tongue even deeper.

He would lick up and down her, with better command, to penetrate her again with his tongue and then down her slit to her clitoris, where he would stop to caress, suck, and gently squeeze with his lips.

Rey noticed that Silvia was no longer squealing like before and had almost stopped breathing, but he moved closer to her and with one of his hands rubbed the tip of her slit in an almost frantic manner. When Silvia arched her back and tucked her tail further, Rey pulled her closer to him, causing the beautiful redhead to press her face against the back of the bed.

The maid's body tensed. Accompanied by orgasmic spasms, she let out a prolonged mewl that was heard throughout the room. With no more strength to hold herself up on all fours, Silvia collapsed on the bed. Shaken, sweaty, and tired, she rolled over on her back with unusual happiness plastered on her face.

Rey withdrew his wet face and kept silent. He didn't know whether to continue, but as soon as he tried to approach, she stopped him and said, “All right. That's enough for now...show me the book whose language you wish to learn."

As soon as Silvia collapsed on the bed, Rey finally prepared to leave the residence with his new knowledge, but not before taking as much food as he could carry with him for the road.

After passing through the kitchen, Rey slipped through the secret exit and reached the inside of the passageway he had used as an entrance. Still underneath the large residence, just before leaving the narrow tunnel, he stopped and with wide eyes observed the unusual event.

It was no longer snowing as before. The temperature was not low, nor did the ground feel damp, but thousands of glowing dots floated suspended over the place. The atmosphere was warm. Perhaps a product of the floating glowing ashes that were extinguished before reaching the ground. The ground was covered in gray, black, red, and yellow.

Rey stretched out his hand, caught one of the floating sparks and thus felt, for the first time, the respective pain of a burn. The problem was not his body. His body could withstand such pain, but the book he carried under his arm might not. Among the general knowledge he had, he remembered reading that paper and fire didn't get along very well, and water didn't help either.

"The environment is very problematic. It's divided into six states. Three and three. Under life are light, fire, and water. Under death are drought, cold, and darkness. Life on one side, death on the other. But I can't wait any longer..."

Suddenly, amidst the rain of embers, a creature floated through the sky as if swimming along the bottom of the sea. Burning blankets spread all over the place. In none of the books he had read was there any information on how to deal with those carpets of smoke and flames.

Rey, patient, continued to study the events around him until, from one moment to the next, parts of the ground ignited, and from those flames another creature rose noiselessly into the sky.

"I can wait for one of those flaming beasts to rise and climb on top of it!" thought Rey. "By riding it on my back, I'll soar through this shower of flashes and be able to protect the book."

And so, the little boy waited until the perfect moment when one of those flaming monsters would rise up from inside the ground. Running with all his might and protecting the book he was carrying, Rey jumped at just the right moment when the explosion of smoke and fire rose from the ground. The little boy was stunned. When he realized that the monster was intangible like a storm, he had to close his eyes because they hurt uncomfortably, and also cover his mouth and nose. Rey could not climb into the sky on the back of the flaming monster. At least not as he intended. The silent explosion sent him hurtling off in the opposite direction until he hit the ground and rolled around.

The little guy's exposed skin ended up burned. Some areas were extremely painful to the touch, others were blistered and looked peeling, and the rest were reddish, dry, and tender. But the book didn't seem to have suffered much. It had blackened tips like charcoal with some areas already whitened, but it still looked like a book.

The skin was skin, and it could heal over time. But a book was a book, and in the ashes, there are no letters left.

Rey knew he was a long way from the shelter in which his furry friend slept, but he could not turn back, even if the ground would explode or his source of knowledge was in danger of ending up lost forever. Ignoring the pain and the consequences, Rey dashed in the direction of the distant forest while dodging the rain of burning coals created by the great beasts as they awoke from the bowels of the ground. The red-hot rocks were dangerous, but the liger coats, which formed a kind of cloak, protected him. Thanks to his garments, Rey had no need to worry about what might fall from the sky. But he was well alert for what might come from below.

Leaving behind a whole field mined by smokebirds and firebirds, Rey finally made it deep into the forest. The immense line of sturdy trees functioned as a curtain that barred his way from the beasts that pursued him with every footstep.

Inside the forest, for a small moment, Rey stopped and looked around. The huge trunks that were once peacefully sleeping were now awake. They lived ablaze with flames, alongside the winged creatures, under the rain of flaming boulders. The trees swayed back and forth, like whips. They looked happy in the eyes of the little boy. Happy and energetic they danced in the storm of wind, earth, fire, and leaves. As if they wanted to enliven with their dance of cracked bark the beings that landed on them ended up enveloping them.

With his tongue out and drenched in sweat, Rey still protected the book he held in his hands, while, using vigorous jumps, he avoided the burning trunks that fell to the ground from the air.

With distance, the yellowish red was already beginning to fade. The heat was no longer so intense. The trees moved less. And, little by little, everything returned to the colors to which the little boy was already accustomed, colors that represented the absence of light for the others. Rey turned his face away, hoping that all that chaos would not haunt him, and continued moving forward without even stopping to catch his breath. He was worried and had to do something. If he remembered correctly, the cave where his precious companion slept was part of a tree and could become the perfect nest for one of those flaming birds. If his shelter ended up being invaded by a being he couldn't touch, how could he defend himself? He would have to pull the sleeping body out from inside the cave and keep moving away. Or maybe he could cut a hole in the ground. Even cut the tree trunk with his hands if necessary. Solutions rattled around in his head as he continued to move forward without stopping. Suddenly the answer to what he should do came of its own accord and tapped him on the shoulder.

Then another drop of water fell to the ground in front of him. Another one on his hair and many others all around. The smell of the atmosphere changed, becoming damp and more familiar.

"Water. It's water falling from above." He paused as he held out his hand. "Water and fire are not good with books, but they don't get along with each other either. Fire beings will die from rain. But it might also awaken the sleeping ground which, surely from so much heat, must be thirsty." Rey was convinced of this.

After so much running, as if racing the rain, Rey arrived just in front of the cave and the place was just as he remembered it. Letting out a breath of air he turned to look back, seeing the fire approaching along with the water and a cloud of white steam.

"Once again I am here. Back in the forest, unable to escape. For some time now there has been a question in my head. How can I go on? Despite how little I have lived, how flimsy and vulnerable I am, moving on becomes more and more difficult, especially in solitude. It is useless, my body has reached its limit and stopped getting stronger. My knowledge is also stagnant. This is the last book I have left to read... after that there is nothing. Only return... and yet, if I return, if I die, if I live on, if I endure for an eternity... how can I go on?”

Rey looked up at the sky and the trees, those masters made up of almost infinite layers of experience and knowledge.

"Ohhh... 'Knowing' or, rather, knowledge makes you overcomplicate things. Did I not find the answer in that cave? Do these trees not cry out the answer to me? From a seed was born the biggest tree in this place. And I am a seed of lycanthrope and vampire. It's all in letting go of what I know, what I feel, and remembering the reason I started so I can move on... It makes no sense to allow what makes me strong to become a reason to falter, least of all in this combat that is life. Why am I hesitating in a fight when what I should be doing is moving forward if I am not alone and I have this bond?”