Chapter 6: A Raccoon in a Wolf's Den

"Over here, Nikolas!"

"Hi mama."

It was the end of the day and I was heading home with mama today. She was able to get out early and I was happy to see her. She asked me how today went and I told her everything that happened, including my talk with Mr. Tadashi.

He gave me the information about the hero agency he told me about and my mom said we could go this weekend with dad and Alexander. I was a little nervous, but once I knew my dad and my big brother were coming, I felt a lot better.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder what this hero was like as we walked home. I'm sure he was nice since he was a hero, but it was still making me anxious.

Once we got home, I got started on my homework and finished it within an hour. I was happy to get it done since it was one less thing to worry about and it also took my mind off things.

I was about to watch TV when I realized that Alexander still wasn't home. It's not weird for him to be out a little late, but he's usually home by now. This was especially true now that we've moved to Japan.

Mama and papa have been pretty strict about us staying out too late since we don't know the area very well. There's also the fact that some of our neighbors were a little wary of us. Things have gotten better now that we've been here for a few months, but there were still some people who got nervous whenever they saw us.

As I thought about this, the door opened. I turned my head and saw my big brother walk in.

"I'm home," he announced.

"Hello dear, how was your day?" mama asked.

"It was great. Mr. Aizawa taught us about different kinds of heroes and I made some new friends."

"Oh really? Please tell us."

Alexander sat down next to me on the couch and told us everything that happened today. He told us about the three types of heroes there are and about Wynn, the lemur animal folk he met.

"Wow, who knew that there were heroes like that," I said as my tail started wagging.

"Yea, it's great," Alexander said with a smile. "Not only did I learn about support heroes, but I also met someone in the course."

"Yes, it really opens up a lot of possibilities," mama said with a content look on her face. "The fact that it allows this Wynn person to be a hero as well really shows that there is more to being a pro hero than I realize."

"Mhmm, on top of that, support heroes really help make hero work easier from what Mr. Aizawa told us. Having someone who makes weapons and helps upgrade your hero suit is definitely something a proper hero should have."

"Too bad that Bakugou guy doesn't understand that," I said as my ears folded back. "What's his problem anyway?"

"I don't know," my big brother answered. "Honestly though, we should just forget about him. He may be an arrogant, mean-spirited bacraut, but so long as he doesn't try anything, it should be safe to leave him be."

"Alexander! What have I told you about using that kind of language?" mama said in a disapproving tone.

"Sorry mom. But what else would you call a guy like that? He threatened some kid on the day of the exams and attacked both Seteth and I during the quirk assessment."

"Even if that's true, Those kinds of words are not permitted in this house. Do you understand?"

"Yes mam."

"Good. Now go do your homework while I make dinner."

Alexander nodded to mama and went over to do his homework while I played with my legos. I ended up building a little city with skyscrapers, policemen, and a zoo with a lot of different animals.

"All finished," Alexander said after a half hour of work.

"Does that mean we can play?" I asked.

"Sorry Nix, but I still need to finish that project I've been working on."

"Do you mean that thing for Sir Nighteye?"

"Mhmm and it's almost finished. Want to come and see?"

"Sure!"

The two of us went to the backyard where our dad and Alexander built a forge. It was thanks to this forge that my big brother could keep working as a blacksmith like he did back home. He wasn't allowed to make any weapons unless he got permission or a hero asked him for one, but he could make things like kitchen knives.

"Hey big brother, what was this project anyway?" I asked. "I never asked you."

"Oh, it's just a basic order," Alexander answered. "Sir Nighteye asked me to make some stuff for one of the heroes from his agency. A pair of daggers, a set of throwing knives, and something called a Kodachi."

"A Kodachi?"

"Yea, it's similar to a katana, a type of sword native to Japan. I'm not gonna lie, when I first saw one, I wasn't very confident I could make one."

"But big brother, you can make all sorts of swords. What makes a katana so different?"

"Well for one thing, its blade is very thin, but very long and extremely sharp. What's more, it only has a single edge that's used for fighting while a normal sword uses both sides of the blade. It also curves slightly, giving it a sort of crescent shape instead of being straight."

"Wow, it doesn't sound anything like the swords I've seen," I said in amazement."

"I know, it was pretty interesting," Alexander said with a smile, his tail wagging happily. "But like I said, once I saw how different it was, I thought it might be too much for me. Once I looked into it though, it actually didn't take me very long to figure it out."

"So what's the difference between the katana and this kodachi you have to make?"

"Hmm, I guess the best way to explain it would be to make another comparison. If a katana is the Japanese equivalent to a typical long sword, then a kodachi is the Japanese equivalent to a short sword. What's interesting though, is that it's used mainly for defense, kind of like a parrying knife."

"Huh, sounds like a really useful weapon."

"Sure does and It's the last thing I need to make. If everything goes well, I should have it done tonight."

"Really? Does that mean I'll get to see the kodachi?"

"Sure does Nix!"

As I sat down on the bench, Alexander started up the forge. He took his shirt off and started pouring coal into the furnace. After a minute, the whole room started to get really hot and Alexander started putting metal into the furnace so it would heat up. This process actually takes a while, so Alexander decided to sit down next to me while we wait.

We talked for a bit and every fifteen minutes or so, Alexander would stand up and start shoveling coal into the furnace. After a little more than an hour, the metal turned yellow, which meant it was ready.

My big brother took out the metal with these long tongs and placed it on the anvil. Once it was, Alexander used his hammer to shape it into the blade he wanted, making sure to taper it evenly.

It was a long process, but I liked watching Alexander work. It was like watching an artist create a masterpiece from scratch. What's even better is that when I'm older, Alexander is gonna teach me how to use the forge just like him. With all this in mind, I watched with excitement as each swing of the hammer turned that piece of steel into one of the coolest swords I've ever seen.

"huff Alright Nikolas, huff huff now comes the tricky part," my big bro said as he shook his hand. "Man do I wish huff huff huff I had sweat glands."

"This is where you flatten the blade, right?" I asked.

That's right," he answered. "But this will be a little different than normal because of the shape. So stand back a bit, ok."

I answered with a nod and took a step back. That's when Alexander started be-vel-ing the kodachi's edge. When he finished, he explained that the next part was to reheat and recool the blade at least three times. This would take a while so Alexander told me I should practice my archery in the meantime.

I did as he said and went over to the other side of the yard where we had some targets set up. I was still too young to use a real bow, so I used a toy bow dad bought me.

I spent the next twenty minutes practicing my shot and I gotta say, I was definitely getting better. I wasn't getting a lot of bullseyes, but I was at least hitting the targets.

Just then, mama came out with fresh food, along with papa who just got home.

"Hello there my hard working pups," she said with a smile.

"Sorry I'm late. There was more work than usual today," papa said with a laugh.

"Hi mama, hi papa," I called out.

"Hey mom, hey dad, sorry this is taking so long," Alexander said as he finished up the kodachi's hilt.

"It's fine dear. we know how important it is that you finish Sir Nighteye's order," mom responded. "But how about you two take a break and have some dinner."

"Ok," my brother and I said together.

Mama brought over the food and the four of us sat on the bench by the forge. We started eating while telling each other about our day.

After we finished our meal, Alexander showed us the Kodachi, which just needed to be sharpened. It was a really beautiful looking weapon and I was so excited to see it when it was finished.

Just before my brother could start, however, papa took out a book and a whetstone that was different from the ones we had. He explained that the technique for sharpening a kodachi was a little different from ours and that this book would show him how.

Alexander nodded to him and the two went over the technique together.

"Hey Nikolas, do you wanna help me make some medicine while we wait?" my mama asked.

"Ok," I said softly.

We picked up the dishes and headed inside. After I helped wash them, we went over to the room that was next to mama and papa's bedroom. It's here where mom makes medicine for the hospital she works at.

Across from that room was papa's workshop. That's where he works on the gadgets he shows to Sir Nighteye.

"Here we are," mama said with a smile.

"What kind of medicine are you making mama?" I asked.

"The director is interested in the medicine I used to make back in Norway, so he asked me to bring him some. It's just some basic medicine for things like colds, headaches, things like that."

"That's it?"

"Mhmm, it may not seem like much, but he's interested in seeing the difference between the medicine I make and the ones they make. He's also interested in the medicinal plants that are native to Norway since he's never seen them before."

"Really? I thought hospitals like yours knew everything about medicine."

"Not everything. The thing about medicine is that it always changes and there's always new ones being made. There are even some medicines that people don't use anymore because they found out how dangerous they are."

"Wow, I didn't know that."

"Yes, it's very interesting. Hey, could you pass me that bowl?"

I passed the bowl to mama and watched as she crushed a bunch of different plants. When she finished, she mixed the plants with some other ingredients she asked me to get until they were turned into a liquid. She then poured the liquid into a bottle and heated it up.

"Hey mama, what do you do after you heat it up?" I asked.

"Once it's heated, I pour it into a wooden bowl and let it sit for a bit so that it hardens into a sort of dough," she answered. "After that, I shape it a bit and then cut it. Then I heat up the pieces until they are hard and they're done."

"What's this medicine for?"

"This specific one is used for sore throats. You see, the patients suck on it and as it melts, the medicine cures the redness and soothes the pain. And thanks to the ingredients I used, they taste quite good."

"Oh."

Just as mama finished explaining, we heard a knock on the door. I opened it and in came papa.

"Hey son, you helping your mom ok?" he asked.

"Mhmm, I got her everything she needed to make her medicine," I said as my tail started wagging. "How's big brother doing?"

"He's doing ok. He should be done with the kodachi soon. In the meantime, you wanna help me with some new gauntlets I'm making?"

I looked at mama who smiled at me and nodded. With her permission, I followed papa into his workshop. He showed me the gauntlets he was making, which were lightweight, but very sturdy. When I asked what they were for, he explained that they were for defending against earth manipulating quirks.

"So, does that mean they can block rocks that are thrown at you?" I asked.

"Hahaha, well yes and no," He answered. "See, while they can block attacks, the real trick is clanking them together. When you do that, they let out a special vibration that destroys even the hardest type of stone."

"Does that include man made stuff like cement?"

"That's right. Although, that's also the problem. If I leave them as they are, they could cause a lot of damage to any nearby buildings. What I need to do is add something that will better control the vibration so it only affects the intended target."

"How will you do that?"

"By minimizing how far the vibration goes. I'm going to add some padding underneath the gauntlets so that it will stop the vibrations after a few seconds."

"Wow, that's amazing papa!"

"Isn't it?" he said with a big toothy grin.

I watched with excitement as papa set the whole thing up. He even gave me a demonstration by using the gauntlets to destroy a boulder he found without damaging the room.

"That's so cool papa! Sir Nighteye will like it, I'm sure of it!"

"I hope so."

Just then, we heard the back door swing open.

"Everyone! It's finished!" Alexander yelled.

All of us ran out to the living room where we saw Alexander holding a sheathed sword.

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Sure is!" he said with excitement. "Check it out!"

Alexander slowly unsheathed the kodachi and out came a beautiful blade. It was so clear that we could see ourselves in its reflection. The edge of it was so sharp that I felt like I could cut myself just by looking at it.

"It was hard, but I think Sir Nighteye will like it."

"I'm sure he will," mama said with pride in her voice.

"Not bad for an apprentice blacksmith," papa joked.

"Hey, I stopped being an apprentice when I started working on my own," Alexander said as he pouted.

"It's really pretty," I said as I stepped closer.

"Yea, it is," Alexander said as he put it away.

"Well, as much as I'd like to admire it more, I believe it's getting late," mama said as she clapped her hands. "And that means it's time to get ready for bed. After all, you both have school in the morning."

"Yes mam," my brother and I said at the same time.

Alexander put the kodachi on the table and we both went upstairs to get ready. I was about to look for my pajamas when Alexander reminded me that I didn't shower yet and that I should, especially since I was in the forge with him. I nodded to him and went in.

After I finished cleaning myself, Alexander went next and he took a while. It made sense since he was in the forge almost all night. His fur picks up so much grime whenever he's in there for more than an hour and it's always hard to get it out.

I'm actually the same way. Most people don't know this, but it's a lot harder to get clean when you're covered head to toe in fur. It's especially true when you have long furry tails like we do. It's honestly why our showers can be anywhere from fifteen to twenty minutes long.

While my brother was showering, I got ready for bed. I put on my favorite pajamas, which were light green in color and had little cartoon animal heads all over them. After that, I started filing, shaping, and sharpening my claws.

Back home, animal folk like us we're taught how to maintain and strengthen our claws after learning how to walk. So even though I was six, I already knew how to do it.

Mama was the one who taught me how to take care of them while papa and Alexander taught me how to make them stronger and they also do this every night before bed. My claws weren't as sharp as theirs, but if I kept up my routine, my claws would be able to cut through anything.

As I finished my claw care, I heard my brother go to his room. Now that he was out, I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, with Alexander, who was only wearing shorts, joining me a minute later.

"Man, look at those pearly white!" Alexander said happily as he looked at his teeth in the mirror.

"Yea, mine are as white as you're fur," I said happily.

"That's because you take good care of them. Now, as much as I'd like to keep admiring our fangs, it's late and we have school."

"I know, but can't we hang out a little more?"

"Sorry Nix, but you heard mom. If we stay up too late, she'll really let us happen."

"Y-yea," I said sadly.

"Tell you what," Alexander said with a smile. "How about I read you a story. Will that make you feel better?"

I nodded in silence and Alexander patted my head again. We went to his room and I laid in his bed. We would have gone to my room, but my bed was too small for the both of us and I like to lay on my big brother while he reads.

He started reading me a book called 'The Wing-feather Saga' which was a story about a boy who found a black feather that sparkled like starlight. In it, the boy goes on a dangerous adventure to find the animal the feather belongs to and return it to them.

He later finds out that it belonged to Muninn, Odin's pet raven. After giving it back, Odin tells the boy that what he did was both very brave and very kind. As a reward, Odin gives the boy a magic sword before sending him home.

The boy then grows up and becomes a warrior who protects all of Midgard (earth) from evil. The last picture shows him with his helmet decorated with the same feather he found all those years ago.

As Alexander finished the story, I let out a yawn. I laid my head on my big brother's chest, which was so soft thanks to his wolf fur. That's when I felt Alexander petting me again as he put the blanket over us. His gentle petting put me even more at ease and I felt my eyes getting heavy. As I fell asleep, I secretly wished that this could last forever.