Soul of a Human

Before Mor could get close to the house, Dino came out, looking a bit concerned.

"Clare! What has happened? " he asked, but before Clare could answer, Dino addressed the Ice-kin team. "Is there a reason you escorted my subject back?"

Mor looked stunned for a second while Elly smelled a chance and took charge before Clare could clear up the misunderstanding. She addressed the prince with a stern expression but then was interrupted herself as another team of two Ice-kin arrived at the Soul-kin residence. However, they looked confused for a second before speaking up, stealing Elly's thunder.

"I see. You already found the perpetrator." The Ice-kin guard stated.

"Perpetrator?" Dino asked, alarmed, while Clare sighed.

"The female attacked a hunter of good standing after her male companion was interrupted by another Ice-kin." The guard informed the prince, who in turn looked incredulous at Clare and Ambor.

Ambor shrugged. "I just did as ordered and protected big sis."

Dino took a sharp breath, getting ready for a verbal reaming, when Jorgen stepped in after a pleading look from Mor.

"We were the team that interrupted that encounter," Jorgen explained. "Our kinsman was the aggressor, as the Soul-girl defended herself. However, she still insulted our honor as hosts, so we will detain her within the guest space until she rethinks her approach to our hospitality."

The guards nodded. "Good, let's not make a big mess of things. This is a very commendable solution. We're understaffed with all the visitors and newbie hunters around. I'm glad the more level-headed hunters from other villages are helping out."

Jorgen didn't correct them but simply nodded in agreement, causing the guards to return to their duties. Dino let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank you for being lenient." He stated.

"Um, Dino." The other Ice-kin said.

Now that he had a closer look at this one, something looked familiar. He had quite unique eyes for an Ice-kin, almost like a Soul-kin. However, before he could connect the dots, the door to the house flew open, and Sophie stormed out.

"Where is he!" Sophie shouted. "I know I heard my boy!"

"Really, with only two words?" Elly asked, surprised.

"Seems like it," Jorgen stated.

"Mother," Mor said with a smile.

Dino looked at Clare, who shrugged and then nodded. "I wanted to tell you, but you interrupted me."

"Mor!" Sophie shouted and rushed to her boy, throwing herself into his arms, as he was now a whole head taller than she was. She instantly began to fuss over him, asking question after question, not waiting for an answer to any of them before continuing on. She only got stopped forcefully when Mor embraced her in a strong hug, both son and mother breaking out in tears of relief and happiness.

Dino stood by, still not fully comprehending the situation. However, the ruckus of the reunion drew the attention of the rest of the group, and the next one rushing out of the house was Morokhan.

"Did I hear right?!" He asked, then noticed his wife hugging the muscular man.

"Mor?" He asked.

The man looked up and nodded with a smile. Morokhan grew a big smile and joined the family embrace.

"You got big." He stated, and Mor laughed.

"Quite, isn't this a bit much?" Dino asked, not addressing anyone specific.

"We almost didn't recognize him, too." Clare agreed. "But he did live with Ice-kin for a while, so it isn't that surprising."

As the family celebrated their reunion with intimacy, Orth appeared with Tiara and Saphine in tow. He took a quick look at the scene, then at the two girls next to him, who both smiled at this display of familiar affection and decided to give them space. There would be time enough later to catch up.

It did take a while, after which Mor introduced his two Ice-kin friends to the rest. With his mother still clinging to him, Mor and his friends were invited into the residence, as everyone wanted to hear how he had done. This meant Mor had to retell his story again, starting from the fight with the Shadow-kin, courtesy of the human, the following running, and his stay at the Ice-kin village, with all the troubles he went through.

Mor had to endure the piercing stare of the unknown Soul-kin until Jorgen challenged Ambor to the fight he had wanted, as he had heard the story once and was quite familiar with the part where Mor stayed in the village. Ambor and Jorgen left, the first excited to have a fight, while both Elly and Orth let out a sigh, after which Mor continued his story.

The question of why he hadn't tried to contact them had come up again. However, Mor had no other answer than he had given the girls, and no one else could explain why it was like this. Sophie hugged her boy tight, shocked at what he had to go through, while Morokhan looked quite proud of his boy's accomplishments. Elly's involvement in the whole story made Sophie suspicious, and she threw a scary gaze at the Ice-kin girl, who quickly reassured the scary Soul-kin lady. She stated that Mor wasn't her type, and she preferred someone like Jorgen, which calmed down the overbearing mother. Dino also had his thoughts on the matter and therefore asked.

"How did you change your body so much? You have proven that changing your body is possible, but this seems quite extreme. I didn't recognize you at all. You look like an Ice-kin."

"How could you not recognize my sweet boy!" Sophie pouted.

"Well, it was the same for us." Tiara came to her brother's help.

"I can see that." Morokhan nodded sagely.

"Tia, Honey!" Sophie exclaimed, shocked.

Mor laughed at this little interaction, which gave him a sense of normality. "Well, at least you can't say I'm little anymore."

"You will always be my little boy." Sophie pouted.

°That's a mother for you.° The human chuckled.

"To explain," Mor stated. "It's just hard work, the right food, and a bit of guidance from others."

"And I guess the help of your human." Dino mused, and Mor nodded.

"I wanted to get home as fast as possible, and getting stronger was my only chance. Therefore, we both decided to stop holding back."

°Sorry prince, but not sorry.° The human added.

"I understand," Dino said and nodded. "I will find a solution to explain it to other Soul-kin."

"Good." Orth said, "Because you will have a second one soon."

Dino looked questioningly at Orth, then recognized the sounds of sparring from outside and sighed. "Ambor, " he stated, and Orth nodded. I guess he won't listen to an order not to do that?" Dino asked hopefully, but Orth shook his head.

"He has his nickname as berserk healer for a reason," Orth said.

"Well, I told you my story. What are you guys up to?" Mor asked. The girls hadn't told me anything because we needed to get ready for travel."

"Well," Orth started out but was stopped by Dino, who looked at Morokhan and Sophie and received an affirming nod from both of them.

"Let me start." He stated.

"After we had investigated the crash site, we found the tracks and had to make our own assertions."

"We thought you died." Sophie interrupted.

"I know," Mor said.

"Anyway." Dino continued. "Your parents took it the worst, but everyone else mourned your passing. I personally was furious with my father, as he knew of the Shadow-kin attack and did nothing to stop it. Leading to starting a plan to get me on the throne."

"How?" Mor asked, and his father let out a sigh.

"With a stupid plan." He answered.

"It is not stupid. You said so yourself." Dino protested.

"Only because it was too far along to stop it," Morokhan grumbled.

"Dino planned to get three of the four big families on his side, with me taking over the Obsidian family, which I've almost achieved after beating my elder brother. Not long, and I will be the next head of the Obsidians."

Mor looked interested in that tale, but Orth didn't regale him right now and instead saved it for another time. "He also put our relationship in line with that stunt," Clare grumbled.

"Don't grumble. It went well after all." Orth said, pulling Clare close to him.

"Wait, so the two of you are about to bond?" Mor asked, and both nodded.

"Congratulations!"

After that, Dino continued to explain, leaving out the relationships of Saphine and Tiara, as the two of them probably want to tell Mor on their own terms. Morokhan filled in the parts when excitement took over from truth, culminating with the final question Dino and Mor's parents wanted to have explained.

"Why did you want to come here and do that "first hunt?" Dino asked.

"Because I promised and want to help my friends," Mor answered.

"But isn't it dangerous?" Dino asked.

"Of course it is, and Mor will not do that!" Sophie argued.

"Mother, this is my decision," Mor stated.

"But what if I lose you again?" She asked.

"Let him." Morokhan came to his son's help. "I think he earned the right to be treated as an adult. No matter how little we like it." He then turned to the quiet Ice-kin girl. "Promise me, you will bring him back."

Elly nodded. "I will, but he is a better hunter than me. So he will need to help me get back."

Morokhan nodded and ended the discussion for now.