This choice: He takes it to the ocean. • Go Back... Bowhan had sworn an oath to his profession: To slay beasts that preyed on his race, mercilessly attacking it, murdering it and using it.
If he couldn't take care of his child, he would at least take it as far away from civilization as possible. The ocean was the obvious choice, home to thousands of creatures such as the one in his arms. If it could hunt, he could leave it there with no regret.
"But why should I?" he asked himself.
"I ought to kill this thing right here, right now!"
To reach the sea, one would normally need to travel for two days by horse. As dawn broke over the village Bowhan was now leaving behind, he spotted a farm on the outskirts. With the speed and stealth of an assassin, he readied a horse and rode through the forest with haste towards the coast.
He wouldn't stop. Not when the horse was out of breath, not when his child begged for his attention, not when his own hunger started to wear him down. He traveled through the night, using the stars and moonlight to guide him. And when the sun rose above horizon, he faced the vast water. Here no one would find the infant and it could, hopefully, fend for itself.
The question still plagued him: Why was he doing this for a monster that was forced upon him, that he was forced to take care of?
The baby slept soundly and Bowhan removed the blanket from its face. Unbeknown to him, his fears and prejudice had steadily caused the child to almost fully transform into a sea serpent. It was coiled into a bundle, making it impossible to guess its immense length. Bowhan frowned at it, all the characteristics of a human were gone. The child yawned and opened its eyes. Bowhan gasped and was forced to withdraw his last statement:
The eyes of the serpent were blue, completely identical to his own.
The undeniable fact made itself clear once more. The child smiled and purred as it lay cradled in its fathers arms. He covered it up again, grinding his teeth with disgust and concentrated on what had to be done.
He took off towards a high cliff above the beach. Beneath it, the sea pounded the base of the rock with fury. During the final stretch, the steed became utterly exhausted from the run and collapsed. Bowhan continued on foot towards the top.
When he reached the tip of the cliff, he took the child, wrapped in the cloth, and held it over the crushing waves below.
The infant awoke to the sound of the ocean and sniffed the air with enthusiasm, this was its home.
It looked to its father, questioning why he was in such an awkward stance. It then looked to the long way down and finally, into Bowhan's eyes. Seeing the sorrow swelling up inside them and forcing tears down his cheeks, it didn't take long for the child to realise his intentions. It squealed in fear and started thrashing.
Bowhan had come to a conclusion.
"The eyes, they're mine, this child is mine. I can't kill my blood, my kin."
"I cannot be the executioner of this." he thought.
"But fate can."
And with a powerful toss, he threw the serpent into the mist, shimmering in the morning sun.
The wind carried the final call of the child up the sheer vertical fall. Listening closely, Bowhan heard the voice of a...  You have the following choices: 1. Girl 2. Boy |
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