Antok

Antok walked behind Phill in silence. They went down some stairs that led to this large training room.

Antok was sharpening his sword in the middle. Sitting on a chair.

“He’s all yours,” Phill said he was slightly nudged forward.

Antok blinked at him. So far he didn’t look angry.

Phill had left and it was just the two of them.

“Remember what I said about tantrums?”

Antok nodded “Yes”

“Good, then we can start. I want you to stretch for me”

Antok did and Tactzo showed him a few ways.

“Drink water because you just woke up”

Antok did.

Then Tactzo went towards a door and opened it. Fresh air but his nostrils and Antok savoured it.

“Come with me”

Antok did and they stepped into the snow.

“We are going to run around the house okay” 

They slightly jogged and Antok couldn’t help but enjoy the cold air hitting his face. He had been stuck in that stuffy room for a while. 

He had to be honest right now his mind was empty and he had no feelings whatsoever. No sadness and No anger for what they did to Maryland, or for locking him up. He refused to think about any of that because…..if he wanted to survive Antok from Maryland had to either die or be put aside…..

Besides Antok from Maryland should have died with the rest of Maryland. So he decided it was best that he kill Antok from Maryland. 

So now like a newborn, he had nothing in his brain. Ready to learn new information and suck it up like a sponge. 

The only feelings he had was happiness and gratitude.

He was happy that he was alive. 

Happy to be outside.

Happy that he was running and not confined.

“You seem awfully happy for someone who was just locked up” Tactzo commented on his smile.

“I’ve decided to look at the positive side of things. Can’t a Fox be happy to be outside?”

“Crow” Tactzo corrected.

“Crow….” Antok said uncertainly.

“Look I’m a boar hybrid but because of my father and the blood I carry, I am a crow through and through. I can be a unicorn and I’d still be a crow got it?”

“Yes sir” Antok nodded.

Antok for the first time could take a look at the whole premise of the castle. It was large and beautiful and had a large circular clearing around it.  Some wolves were at the back of the castle. The polar bears were chained up to a pole.

“What happens to the rest of the wolves?”

“Some I set free to roam the property,” he points at the woods.

“Others I’ve locked up.”

He points at the small structure which Antok could only guess that it must have an underground because there is no way that many wolves were in there.

They continued to run and Tactzo looked like he hadn’t even broken a sweat while Antok was slowly becoming tired.

They managed to get back to the training room and Antok couldn’t help but throw himself to the floor heavily breathing.

“Okay I’ll let you rest for a bit but I want you to remove your layers and just stay with a shirt and pants” Tactzo said.

Antok when he felt ready began to remove his winter clothes.

“Okay, let's go. I want you to stand like this and I want you to follow the movements. We will repeat this until you get it through your head okay?”

“Yes sir”

Antok worked through the motions and it looked like Tactzo had no plan to make him fight today he was just showing me the forms.

“Tell me Antok how good are you at fighting? ?”

“Not so good sir”

“What I am teaching you right now is Muay Thai. Muay Thai favors kicking over boxing and shorter people have better endurance and flexibility when throwing kicks. Your shorties also are lighter which means you can kick at more speed and more technique.  No matter your short size Muay Thai is like a drop of water that if it persists falling in the same location will erode even the toughest rocks. 

I will teach you boxing as well even if it works better For taller people” 

They continued with the motions.

“Once you got those Muay Thai and Boxing down. I will begin training your weapons. Knives and swords. After I’ll let you pick between a long sword and a katana. But in the end, we all know that It all comes down to the enchantments you have on the weapon. 

Afterwards, if we even get to it by the end of the year Phill will teach you archery.  Although I like to use crossbows for long distances I tend to not use them as I am more of close contact fighting.”

To all of this, Antok was overwhelmed.

He had practically grown in the streets but he never truly learned to fight. He was good at sneaking around and running away from an opponent.  He never thought he’d be capable of being a good fighter but if Tactzo thought he could be taught then he’d gladly accept.

It was 12 in the afternoon and Antok was sweating and hungry. He had missed breakfast since he had begged to be let out and Phill didn’t get the chance to slide in the new tray of food.

They had taken breaks in between but he was tired. 

He was allowed to take a quick shower before going to the Kitchen/dining hall with Tactzo.

When they entered the Hall Antok was surprised to see a new face in the kitchen.

The woman looked in her late 50s.

She placed 4 plates on the dining table.

Antok guessed they were not going to eat at the kitchen island this time.

Phill and Will were already sitting there.

Phill was at the head of the table, will to his left and Tactzo sat on his right. Antok decided to sit beside Will.

“Antok I want you to meet Oga, she’s a recently freed slave who has decided to work with us. We got here soon after you were placed in your room.”

“Hi child, it's nice to meet you ask me for anything and I will feed you!”

Antok gave her a small smile

“Hello Ms Oga, nice to meet you!”

They are in silence and Will clears his throat.

“So…..how was training, Antok?” Will asked.

“Tiring…since I didn’t sleep last night I feel like I’m going to pass out at any time”

“Mmmm I’ll let you sleep an hour to rest at the library then we will start our studies,” Phill commented.

Antok nodded.

“After that, you and I are going to spend some time….is there anything you want to do?” Antok asked.

“I’d like to go to the garden,” Antok said in a small voice.

“Okay perfect I can do my writing there with you”

More silence……

Antok drank some water to remove the awkwardness.

Phill, Tactzo and Will began to talk among themselves and Antok was thankful.

After Lunch Antok and Phill went to the library there was a whiteboard on wheels in front of a desk. 

Antok sat down and Phill began his lesson by making him write whatever he said.

‘I am Crow, the night and death calls me and soothes me. For Lady Death, I respect. I will stick with my family through and through from now and forever.’

Phill looked over his writing and frowned at the spelling errors.

“Did you ever go to school?”

“No, I know how to read simple text, anything academic or very advanced is difficult for me. Writing has never been a  strong skill I have” 

“That’s okay so we will start today by correcting the words you got wrong.

Write each word you wrote wrong 10 times each, then I want you to spell it out loud to me. Then I will quiz you if you memorized them. For every word you get wrong, we will do this again”

Antoks eyes widen. 

This was going to be extremely boring.

~~~

For his time with Will, he had taken Antok’s memory book that he had first seen when he had arrived here. He wanted to read it under a tree.

Will didn’t really acknowledge him and they sat in silence each doing their own thing.

When he had finished the book he had gone to dip his feet on the nearby pond they had.

He tried to relax.

After Dinner Phill started walking him to his bedroom and he felt anxiety rise in him.

What if they lock you in there again and never let you out?’ His mind screamed.

Phill opened the door and the trashed room had not been touched from how it once was.

“P-please I don’t want to sleep in here”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t you have another room I can be in?”

“We do, we have many rooms but this one is yours. You trashed it so now it’s fully yours”

Antok opened and closed his mouth.

“I- please” 

This room was too lonesome. What if he woke up tomorrow and this was all a dream and he was still locked in that room?

“Hmmm, I’ll offer you this. You can sleep in my room but I’ll have to chain you to the bed so you don’t kill me in my sleep”

Antok nodded quickly.

“Fine come”

Both walked to the door nearby and entered the familiar room that he had first awoken in on the first day of being there.

He got on Phil’s giant bead and gave Phill’s his wrists.

Phill chained it against the head headboard. Pulled out the sheets and covered him.

“Is your head comfortable? You need me to fix the pillow under you?”

Antok “yes,” 

Phill started to fix it under him and a breathy chuckle escaped him.

“I’m being brought back to all those moments I tucked in my children in.” 

Once he was done Phill walked to the other side of the bed and fell down on it.

Antok understood now why Phill had such a big bed. It allowed for his wings to comfortably extend. His wings were a bit long and they even covered part of Antok’s legs.

“Okay today will be the only night I’ll let you sleep with me afterwards you do have to sleep in your room-“

Antok whined.

“Antok I can’t have you sleep in my bed chained up for the whole year!”

“Fine” was all Antok said.

~~~

The next day he was awoken and taken to Tactzo for training. 

He left Tactzo's training room with more bruises than before and although he was tired he was glad.

He was learning how to fight from the best and most fierce warrior this planet had ever seen. He wondered if he would ever reach similar fame as Tactzo in the future......

Antok shook his head and almost slapped himself. His Brain began to think, 'Why would I want a similar fame as Tactzo? He is a monster-'

'You are a crow!' His head yelled at him.

Antok stared at his reflection and came to a horrifying conclusion.

He was slowly seeing himself as one of them. 

He slapped his cheeks. 

"But I'm not one of them" He whispered to himself.

"Are you going to keep staring at your reflection or come with me?" Phill snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Where are we going?" Antok asked.

"We aren't going to the library yet. I fixed your room" They walked to his room and Phill opened it.

It looked like it hadn't been trashed. 

New sheets, new furniture and new walls.

"Open the closet" 

Antok did and was surprised. It had new clothes.

"Some of them are from our large closet where we put all the best clothes that we have worn over the thousands of years, I believe that is where you got this white and orange outfit but the majority are new. Since you are to become a crow.....I believe black will suit you from now on."

Antok did notice the variety of black clothes. He grabbed a black and Orange outfit. 

"I...I think I'd like to try this one on" 

"Go for it"

When he came out of the closet with his new clothes, Phill took him to the large mirror. 

He stood behind Antok making Phill's wings look like Antok's.

"I see a strong Crow who will be capable of achieving anything. Antok when you step out of this home one day walk with your head held high be proud of the feather's in your back" Phill said ruffeling the black feathers that stuck out of Antok's neck.

Not knowing what to say Antok uttered "Yes sir"

"You are not alone, you have family now" 

"I have family" Antok repeated.