Chapter 15
He was oddly silent.
Drax could pick up the strange vibe he got off of Amai Mask as he carried him through the woods. "Is something wrong?" Drax questioned of him. "I feel like something's wrong."
Amai paused as he turned his head far enough to see him, he sighed aloud. "First off, do you need to eat now, or can you wait?"
Drax insisted he could wait, he coiled off of Amai and stood before him. He has never seen Sweet Mask look so odd. He appeared almost flustered in a sense. "Like your father, I didn't want to see you become this. I don't believe this is right." He explained.
He was surprised, but understood. It took him a few days to realize why his own father didn't want him to become a half monster, but Drax didn't think it was right that his father had to be the one to change in order to spend time with him. Yet, he was surprised when Amai felt the same way. "You see…" Sweet Mask took to his knee to look Drax in the eyes. "I still don't think it's right for your father to be as he is, it's his choice, I know, but… I am concerned that now you will seek out a way to become like him…" he paused oddly before looking right into his eyes. "Do you want to be this for the rest of your life?"
Drax froze to the news. "I don't mind it…" he confessed. "But…" he toyed with his hands as he thought it all over. "I wouldn't want to stay like this. I love my dad dearly, but to be this, all the time. I don't think I could handle it. I'm still young! I don't like eating all the time either. Some stuff I have eaten really creeps me out. Also all the strange stuff I can feel, sounds, movements… I don't like it."
There came a smile on his face. Amai then gave a small chuckle. "I'm glad you are not jumping to a conclusion. You see both sides of this, I know your father is proud of you to have come such a long way. You haven't resisted him or refused his advice. I foolishly did when I was in your situation. Had I known better, I would have given him my full attention." He paused but the smile didn't leave his face. "I'm glad to know you don't want to stay like that either."
"Was that what was worrying you?"
He nodded. "Indeed. It has plagued my mind time and time again, I feared that this notion of easy power would sway you."
"Easy power?" Drax questioned. "This isn't easy at all!"
Amai froze. "What do you mean? Don't you see, when you consume, you grow bigger and stronger?"
Drax's arms crossed. "Yes, but don't you see. When I grow bigger and stronger I need to eat bigger things? I need to understand my strength and growth, I am constantly changing like this. This isn't easy power. Not to mention, the sense when they spike, it takes time to adjust, I'm still trying to adapt to it all! Everything startles me still, every step, vibration, smell, it all bombards my mind. I can't filter it out half the time no matter how hard I try!"
He watched Amai's face drop rather surprisingly. He was stunned to this revelation. Drax even forced a laugh. "I have a whole new appreciation for my dad and what he does. He even does jobs he doesn't want to do! We ate monster rats!"
"Oh…" Amai uttered.
"You don't have to worry about me wanting to turn into this. I don't want to. But I am glad I did. I really appreciate my dad, and I know now how it isn't easy for him, and yet, he is a phenomenal hero."
Silence befell the two, Amai sighed and then nodded. "All right then, now, let's go get you something to eat. You must be starving by now."
Drax was quick to coil back up and on to Amai's back. "Something good, and big! But not too big…"
#
He was kept out of the public eye, but there was a perfect level tiger threat for Drax to feed from. Amai could easily dispatch it with a single strike; however, he knew Drax had to eat first. The beast was just an inch taller than Amai was, a strange reptilic bird like creature trying to pluck people off the ground to use their bones for nesting material. Amai was quick to confront it, yet the moment the monster turned his sights to him. Drax came out of nowhere and was already applied the death coil around the beast.
It was almost beautiful to watch the take down from afar. Drax was quick with his movements, his body tightened as the monster continued to expel its breath, until it froze and then collapsed. Despite it, Drax continued to put the pressure on it until satisfied. The monster was dead in seven minutes. "Impressive." Amai said.
Drax unraveled and began the process of consuming it. He didn't appear too thrilled with his meal, after the last gulp he shuttered. "Ugh, feathers feel weird going down" he muttered.
"Indeed, I know that feeling." Amai snickered. He leaned down to Drax. "Can you move?"
Despite his best efforts, the boy was stuck, the monster just a little too big for him and yet it perfectly filled him. Drax tried time and time again to at least slither, but was too full. "Perhaps I should have thought this through a little better…" Amai muttered. With a sigh, he took out his phone and made a call.
"Hello, Hunter? I need some assistance if you are not too busy…"