The Firstlings

Firstborn

Opening his eyes, he stumbled to the side, struggling to make sense of himself or his surroundings. He was in a darkened cavern, with faint light coming from the moss along the walls and ceiling. The sounds of his siblings sleeping beside him gave him some relief and helped him adjust but his mind was groggy and slow, as if waking from a dream.

Dreams of Mother and what she had gone through.

About the world and the chaos she had experienced, or at least how her mind had seen it. It was a mixed and jumbled mess, but it was the best she could do. He started to rise, his legs trembling and groaning in protest. Taking small, determined steps, he found that even though his body was stiff, strength flowed through his limbs. He was even more shocked to find that he was standing.

Like the scary humans in Mother's memory.

His body was lithe, yet muscular, with a subtle ebony hue to his skin. He raised his arms and noticed nimble fingers with small nails adorning their tips. His body was bare, and he had a slender tail, grown whole by Mother's nurturing.

Seeing a pool of water, he peered at its glossy surface and looked at his reflection.

He looked extremely human but also... different somehow.

Touching his face with trembling fingers, he felt smooth, angular features. His nose was a little broad at its base, his eyes were slightly further apart than a Human's, and he had small ears ending in points. The hair adorning his head was ash colored with golden streaks, short and wild, but it also flowed through his delicate fingers.

Sets of strange markings appeared in his vision, and he reached out with his still trembling hand. As his fingers brushed the markings, they vanished, leaving him confused. Shrugging, he turned to look at Mother for the first time, and was immediately gripped by fear and horror.

Seeing the sight of Mother's large body slumped over in the murky cavern, a look of weariness in her eyes made his heart race. Her once majestic, golden-hued fur was dull and matted. She was gaunt, her skin pulled tight to her bones as if there was no meat in her body. Her eyes were sunken and devoid of the life that should be flourishing. She had given everything to nurture them and increase their growth, even at the cost of her own well-being.

He could feel her soul fluttering through Mother's bond. She needed nourishment, and she needed it fast. Turning back with a newfound purpose, he began to wake his siblings. They awakened with the same sluggishness and disorientation he experienced. He gave them some time to adjust, but they needed to hurry. They had to forage for their Mother, as she was too weak to care for herself.

He helped them until they were all standing before Mother, mouth agape, trembling, some even shedding tears. The sight of Mother in this state was almost too much to bear. Comforting his siblings the best he could, he roused them with determination. It was time for her children to prove their worth, and show Mother that her efforts were not in vain.

Ushering his siblings into groups, they started foraging in the cavern for anything edible. His words, as firstborn, carried the weight of Mother's Will, so they listened without complaint. They worked mostly from Mother's memory to know what was edible and what was not. They were still new to the world, so they worked slowly but were resilient and steadfast, and they were gaining strength the more they moved about.

They became aware that they were much different than Mother. Their fingers were long and nimble, built to use tools like the humans in Mother's memory. Nothing was available in the moss-filled cavern, and they lacked the knowledge to create anything. They continued working when Mother noticed their plight and started to rise, much to the dismay of her children.

Mother needed rest and should not be moving, but no one dared to give her orders.

She rose, and although Mother was severely weakened, she was still massive, and her children could feel the ground rumble with her steps. Walking up to the cavern wall, she raised her clawed hand and scraped at its surface. The wall crumbled as piles of shining metallic objects and pouches of animal skin poured from a crevice.

Mother's treasure.

He could see through Mother's memories, that she had lived in the cavern for a long time, and during her stay, countless adventurers and hunters had found her lair. She had ended them quickly, and without mercy. Hunting any stragglers to prevent anyone from discovering her nest. She urged her children forward to search the piles of treasure for anything they could find useful. As they moved in to inspect her treasure, she returned to the center of the cavern, struggling from exhaustion.

He watched Mother return to her rest with worry in his eyes. Turning back to his siblings, he moved to join them, catching a glimpse of something near the back of the pile. Creeping closer, he noticed there were bones in the treasure as well, the bodies of those who intruded on Mother's lair.

One set of remains appeared to be fancier if you looked at the cloth wrapped around its figure. He saw a shimmering gleam from the crown adorning its head. No matter where he looked, the crown's shiny surface would draw him back in, almost as if it were calling out, willing him to pick it up.

Leaning closer, he inspected the remains more and noticed the fine detail of the clothes, still clean even in the dirty cavern. On the belt, there was a pouch and a dagger, made from a dark metal that whistled faintly as the breeze grazed its sharp tip. Removing the belt, he wrapped it around his waist, securing it the same as on the remains. Feeling reassured, he turned back and peered closer at the crown. It was a small gold circlet that was simple and plain, but he could feel its power.

It wasn't a simple treasure.

His instincts screamed, warning him that it was a trap. Although it may be powerful, it would also harm him, as if some predator rested within. He inspected the crown's smooth surface and flowing design and saw faint markings dancing within. He looked around, noticing that when he concentrated enough, he could see a faint glow from the center of his siblings, with markings dancing within them as well.

Looking at Mother was like asking to be blinded.

Her center glowed with such a fierce light. It was like an unbreakable wall, full of power, with markings covering its surface. Closing his eyes and searching his own body, he could feel the same light inside himself. He could also feel something connecting to Mother, assuming it was the bond. Though the tug was far weaker, he could even feel the connection with his siblings.

Rummaging through the pouch, he found a few colored rocks and small pieces of shiny metal and disregarded them as they were no use to him. Deciding it was worth the risk, he slowly picked up the crown, eyes going wide as a ripple shot through his body. Sensing inward, he felt the ripple bounce off as if hitting a barrier and dissipate. He didn’t understand what the crown had tried to do to him, but thankfully, it had failed. He quickly shoved it in the pouch on his belt and continued searching through Mother’s treasures.

Looking at his siblings, he watched as they began grabbing weapons and various tools and equipment. They didn't know how to use them, but they saw the humans in Mother's teachings, so they had a rough idea. A few nicks and bruises later, they had also learned how dangerous tools could be.

Continuing their gathering of nourishment, with new tools in their hands, their pace quickened. They cleared the cavern much faster and began to move towards the exit. Staring into the darkness of the large tunnel exiting their lair, he could feel a hint of excitement, causing his heart to race. What waited for them in the tunnels of the underground? Mother had been here for a long time, and had come when the world was still changing.

This was a walk into the unknown, and fear and doubt were carried in his steps.

Shaking the tension from his body, trying not to instill fear in his siblings, he paced forward, slowly making his way down the tunnel. It was dark, as the walls were not covered in the glowing moss, but their eyes easily adjusted as they began to pick up pace. They found giant mushrooms, which they harvested, and even found a giant rat, one of Mother's original kind but far larger. They left it alone, as they didn't want to anger Mother, and it didn't feel right to harm it.

After looping through several tunnels and securing a few caverns, they regrouped to inspect their haul. They had been at it for some time and had acquired a good amount of nourishment for Mother, so they turned from the intersection in front of them and headed towards the nest. He was amazed with how easily they traversed the tunnels and how their bodies were built for swift running and agile movements.

They ran without a whisper of a sound, silent and graceful.

Over several cycles, they continued to care for Mother, securing more tunnels and caverns, but she didn't seem to be getting better. He and his sibling were scared and lost, as they couldn't find what to do to help her. She tried reassuring them that she was fine and would recover, but they could see through Mother's lies. She had pushed her soul too far, and the damage was destroying her. With heavy hearts, they foraged and secured their surroundings in the underground, finding herbs, animals, and even treasures, but nothing seemed to help.

Choosing to rest and disbanding his siblings, he sat on a rock near the outskirts of the cavern, inspecting the crown and becoming engrossed in the markings shimmering across its surface. He almost heard a faint whisper, as if they were telling him a piece of their meaning—a truth. The crown held many such markings, and attempting to listen only made his head feel like it would explode, as though he had overexerted his mind. Giving up on trying to understand, he placed it back into the pouch and started to rise when a subtle sound caused him to freeze.

Something had moved at the cavern entrance.

Glancing around, seeing that none of his siblings had heard the sound, he crouched low and began to creep towards the tunnel. Hugging the wall of the cavern and slowly peering around the corner, he almost screamed in fright.

From a pair of bright blue eyes peering back...