Kyen A Child's Being

A bright morning star begins a new day for two young explores, who take their first steps down a clam shore near their home. These two travelers, a man and a woman, take pause and watch as a flock of birds scatter silently in the distance. Their son however, interrupts their quiet moment as he skips and barrels through the tall grass behind them. Resting her hands on her hips, she waits for her son, while her husband journeys into forest. Making his exit, she quickly does her best to brush away the dirt from his clothing. Successful, she takes his hand and follows after her husband.   

An illuminated twenty-seven engraved in one of the many massive trees that populate the area, lights a path in their dim surroundings. Suddenly, as she presses her palm against the tree's rough surface, a soft glow of light forms in the shape of a doorway. Entering inside, the door seals behind them and becomes roughly transparent, while the forest behind them rises into view.

As they steadily climb higher and higher a sea of green as far as the eye can seen, erupts and flows with the morning currents, which never tire in their pursuits, but as for them their ride comes to the end of it's short journey. Exiting from the door they return home. "Lights on," she commands in a calm voice that activates floor and wall lights, which lead to the living quarters and dinning room. Breaking off from one another they continue their morning duties, cleaning, eating, taking soil samples from their garden, and managing through the weekly reports.

Engaged in their work, their son in his room carefully slips out a large lizard from his inner coat pocket. Cupping what he could in his hand, he intently examined it for a few brief seconds before it dashed away into the living room. Knocking over small tables and chairs the little lizard finds its escape through the ceiling window above.

Watching in disbelief his mother slowly rests her hand against her forehead. "To date we've only explored two thirds of this area and I would like to keep the rest of it outside this house! Kyen, how many times do I have to tell you to leave those things alone outside?!" She shouted, while her husband kept to his work. "Kano, I'm serious! You've procrastinated long enough on his training. You either begin it today or I will."

"There's no need to shout Bana, I'm right beside you and yes, I'll begin his training in a few. Just let me get my things in order here and we'll be on our way ok? And that goes for you too son, clean the mess and meet me over by the door." Slowly emerging from his room, he sets the furniture back to their original positions.

His notes organized, Kano puts on a light coat from the closet near the door. Pressing his palm against the tree, the door again reappeared. "You making friends is going to get us both into trouble son," he said with a smile as the door closed behind them. "Besides, I think they'd rather be outside where they can stretch their legs and do their thing. You of all people should know how boring things can get up there."

"Yeah," his son said hanging his head to the floor.

Clearing his throat his father replied, "Anyway, what we have planned for you will take some time, but your mother and I are sure you'll be able manage."

"Manage?"

Exiting from the walkway they take few steps toward a smaller tree about eighth of the size of the taller ones around it. "Stay there for a moment," his father tells him as he began bending his knees a little. Standing upright, he sprints toward the small tree, and just at the last second he strikes the ground with his feet, launching himself straight up through the air.

His eyes wide open, his son watches in amazement as his father flies out of sight, "Wow," he says as he comes down the other side unharmed. Running up to him, he gives big hug him, and joyfully recites the events in rapid succession.

"You think you can handle it?"

“I'll manage.”

Later in that morning a beaten path forms near the small tree and Kyen in sky above, misses his target once again, braces himself for another hard landing. Extending his arms out, he twists in the wind away from the tree toward a small patch of earth his earlier unsuccessful attempts had soften. Striking the ground with such force, he sinks into the ground like a rock in water. Moments later his small hands emerge, followed by the rest of him who's covered in a thick mess of grass and dirt. Brushing himself off, he sits down in the the sun to dry the thin layer of mud covering his body.

"You and your father," his mother says crouching down beside him,"it's amazes me that the both of you haven't come down with some kind of cold yet with all the mess you two get yourselves into. Come hun, lets get you washed up and into something clean." she said wiping away some dirt from his face.

Taking him to an open valley where herds and other great beast graze she, in a river nearby, shows him how to effectively wash the grass and other stains from the clothes, but before leaving him to finish his task she warns him to keep his distance from the herds. “They're a lot of newborns this season, so I don't expect to see you getting close to them or any of the others for that matter is that understood?”

“Yes, mom.” Leaving him there she went a little ways from the herd to finish taking her notes and pictures of the area.

His clothes cleaned, he jumped into the river and started carrying on and splashing around. Taking notice of his antics a few of the newborns separated from the herd to investigate all the commotion. Nearing the river they found his fleshy cleaned clothes drying in the sun. One of them prodding it with its nose, began nibbling on the on his shirt. “Hey, those are mine!” Kyen said playfully tugging at his clothes out of its mouth, but then suddenly a strong wind blows through the valley, sending the entire herds into a wild frenzy. Watching the mayhem unfold, Bana eagerly searches for her son among the stomping hooves roaring by, but with little luck she takes to a tree above to get a better view of the area and the threat flying overhead.

Colossal birds swoop in, catching a few escaping beasts in their sharp talons. Watching as one them did so near the river, she notices a small white shirt dangling in the clump of animals. Quickly dropping her equipment from her waist, she followed the bird as it rises into the sky. Just barely grabbing a hold of one of its feathers, she pulls her way up its wing and then down it's leg. Braving the furious winds as it continued to climb higher and higher, she pulls out a small blade from her pocket and begins striking it repeatedly against it's small toe with all her strength.

Letting out a deafening screech, the bird twirls skyward and in doing so she looses her grip and falls along with other the severed bodies that spilled from its grasp. The white shirt, unfortunately still remains firmly in its talon. With a tear rolling off her cheek she rests her hand on her stomach and watches as the bird disappears behind the clouds.

Waking up moments later she feels the warmth of a hand gently brush against her face. Slowly opening her eyes she finds herself back again in the valley resting in her husband's arms. “Kano,” she says hugging his waist

“Hey you ok? That wasn't a small fall you took you know?"

"Kano...Kano I'm fine, it's just that something...somethings happened."