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SoK Chapter 164
🕑 Added 2025-06-08 20:27:34 +0000 UTC***
i am acalan.
The voice of the Ahuizotl reverberated through TJ’s body, and he forced himself to stay calm. Though it was a monster and obviously dangerous, he could feel that there was genuinely no malevolent intent in the beast. Instead, it was curious, and apparently felt some sort of a kinship with him.
“Nice to meet you, Acalan. I’m happy to continue to talk with you, but I’ll be unable to continue flying for much longer. Come with me to the shore, where we can both be where we’re most comfortable.”
ok.
Acalan didn’t seem to mind his request, and it followed him as he pushed his Wind Manipulation to its limits to ensure he got to shore long before all his MP was drained. As he did so, TJ decided to conduct a little experiment on the foe as he pushed his speed to greater heights. No matter how fast he pushed himself, however, the monster followed along below without any apparent effort. In less than a minute, TJ had gone from tense conversation with a monster he’d just attempted to hunt to coiled on the ground and looking into its eyes as they spoke. As the Ahuizotl stretched its strange hands towards him again, TJ suppressed a shudder that went down his spine.
You’re stupid. You got free, so get the hell away, and it won’t, you know, KILL you. Why are you talking with it?
Even so, TJ couldn’t help himself. He needed to talk with Acalan, to learn what he could from the creature. There was so much he didn’t know, and this monster obviously seemed to know things he couldn’t understand, such as how a creature became a Participant instead of a mere beast. Then, there was the apparent camaraderie that the monster felt with him, so he needed to know more about that. If he could form a lasting relationship with it instead of fighting, to have another ally, that would be immensely helpful. On the other hand, was it just a nonviolent monster? How would that work in the new world? Would it be—
The idea of a wholly unwilling to do violence monster disappeared from TJ’s mind as the Ahuizotl lunged forward and caught something TJ hadn’t noticed from somewhere nearby. He watched as the creature’s neck extended to almost twice its previous length as its prey was caught. As its strange, wide mouth chewed, a dead pukwudgie slowly appeared as its body was coated with its own blood. TJ couldn’t help but watch as Acalan happily gnawed through the previously hidden monster and swallowed it whole. The 4 foot-tall monster disappeared into the Copper tiered Elite’s stomach without any apparent trouble. The Ahuizotl seemed to want more, and looked for more prey to seize.
While TJ dealt with that turn of his perception of the creature, Acalan stretched its hand out to touch TJ’s tail. He had to fight to keep from recoiling from the touch. Instead, he let the strange water dog possum thing communicate with him once again. As its vibrations filled his head, his organs shuddered inside again from the overwhelming vibrations.
sorry. did you want bite? it all gone already. i find more?
TJ shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I’m not hungry. If I need to kill pukwudgies, I can do it.”
if not hungry, then why hunt? is there young that need to be fed?
The monster’s voice was concerned. It obviously cared deeply about children, and it wanted to participate in their protection. In fact, as soon as Acalan had asked the question, a whirlpool appeared some hundred feet away. Then, without taking its eyes off of him, a dozen fish at least two feet long each flew out of the roiling water to land in front of him.
i help feed young. they need good fish all days. make grow strong and fast and big.
“I… yes. There is a little one that will need to be fed. Thank you, Acalan. I will take your fish and ensure that those who need it are fed.”
not those who need. only young.
The monster’s tone was deadly serious. It didn’t want for the fish to go to anyone else, just the children. TJ supposed that Sam, Mimi, Molly, and Tessie would have to count. Even then, he didn’t think they’d want to eat just fish when other options were available. But they wouldn’t for long, would they? TJ stopped his mind from wandering and changed the subject as he asked, “Why did you let me go?”
you go where you want.
“I mean, why did you release me after I approached you? You didn’t have to let me escape, and I was trying to hurt you.”
you… try hurt? but was… friend.
Acalan’s bearing and personable stance obviously slipped as it realized that maybe TJ hadn’t been trying to play with it before. That it thought his actions could be anything less than a promise of violence made the coatl in him scream in rage, but TJ fiercely caged the stupid beast and instead focused himself on ensuring that he didn’t ruin the small relationship he’d managed to luck into. For a couple seconds, he agonized over what to say, but as Acalan’s eyes narrowed, TJ needed to make a decision.
“I was wrong when I did it.” TJ finally settled on saying. “I didn’t know what you were. I didn’t know what an Ahuizotl was until I saw you, much less the existing relationship between your people and mine. I’m sorry, Acalan.”
mmm.
Its approval washed over TJ, shaking his bones and his whole body. Even so, he couldn’t let himself be overwhelmed so easily, so he just accepted it.
call me lannie. be my friend again. like those who were before.
TJ nodded slowly. “Sure thing, Lannie. I can be your friend. Like… Kukulkan and the Ahuizotls from a long time ago?”
yes. was only one big friend. others just little. not real friend. too small be Kukulkan friend.
“Kukulkan was only friends with the biggest Ahuizotl?”
yes. need be worthy for friend. i is worthy!
“Sure you are.” TJ nodded severely. “I’ll be your friend for as long as you’re my friend.”
lannie always be friend! we friends for forever!
“Great, thanks Lannie. If you wanna be my friend, I’m happy to help you. Is there anything you need from me? I need to find something I can fight to get another level. There’s something I need to do, I’m sure you understand.” TJ couldn’t say just how much the Ahuizotl actually understood him. It was strange, since its words were seemingly infantile, but something about its presence seemed positively grandfatherly. Its obsession with children was nearly impossible to overstate, and he tried to extract himself.
yes. understand that must protect young and grow strong. i bring you enemy. fight. is strong. not strong as i but strong. is out water. is make bad water. is kill small fish. you help i.
More appreciative now, TJ nodded. “I can follow you, but is it ok if I just run out here? I want to be sure that I’m ready for whatever it is that we’ll hunt, and flying is harder than running.”
is like swim or walk. swim easy fast, walk hard slow. want talk. will let talk. stay.
Lannie agreed with the sentiment, though it dropped his tail as it put its full body back under the water. With its words came the confirmation that, at least for a time, that the Ahuizotl could walk on dry ground. While TJ thought about that, the somewhat flat face and wide jaw faded into the murky water, but a scant few seconds later, it pulled out a pair of tied together extendable dog leashes. TJ couldn’t help but feel confused as he took one end in his mouth. given that it—the monster’s voice traveled easily through the leashes and it was obviously proud of its makeshift tool.
can talk out water now. can swim and walk and talk. is good thing.
“Yeah. It’s good to be able to walk and talk. Humans have a couple different things that we have to try to do that can help us to talk from far away. We talk different from you, though.”
is weird. still are friends. but human weird.
TJ shrugged. “Yup. We’re weird. Give me a minute.”
It took only a moment’s through for TJ to force himself to focus, though, and he deactivated Divine Transformation as he walked. A large part of him wanted to test the monster, to see what it was that could set it off, but transforming to a human wasn’t, seemingly, a problem. Instead, it served as a point of curiosity for the somewhat confused beast.
is small. why small when can be big? big is strong and good. only best get big strong.
TJ shrugged. “I can’t always be big. I was like this before I could turn into a snake. But that’s not what I want to talk about.” TJ cut Acalan off before it could continue asking. “Instead, I wanted to know how it is that you know these things about Kukulkan and the Ahuizotl. Is there something that I’m missing? I haven’t ever heard or felt anything so specific about my Bloodline’s history, so I feel like I’m walking blind.”
tell what is i know. is what i know. all monster know. come from time before this world.
“What or where you were from before the Integration? You were told things? Or you were born knowing them?”
were taught. all taught to learn. to know.
“To know about the last time that the Divine Throne was empty? Is that what you needed to learn about? Or is it something else?” TJ felt his frustrations climb as the monster’s words seemed to grow more and more disjointed. He wanted so much more than what was being offered to him at this point. But then again, it was information that didn’t matter. TJ pushed down his idle curiosity and instead refocused himself on the task at hand. “I’m sorry. I change my question. What is this monster we’re going to see?”
is minotauros. is like big cow with man arms. is danger, and not go in water. i weak in water, and only watch as make dirty. friend you come help! big help! is big happy!
Though Acalan continued talking and wanting TJ’s attention, he focused on what information he’d received. He knew what a minotaur was in Greek myth, though how big and dangerous it would be now was up for debate, since all he knew was about it was that it, according to the Ahuizotl itself, was weaker than Acalan. The System didn’t provide anything, so instead, he thought about the Greek myths he’d heard. In a labyrinth, strong. Um… had hands? Yeah, TJ didn’t know much.
However, he did know a little about Acalan and what being strong was. If his guess was correct, then the minotauros would be nearly as big as Acalan was. There was no way to guarantee anything before he’d gone to check it out, though, so TJ didn’t make any strong suppositions or guesses before he was there and could look the monster in the face. Perhaps that was for the best, because when he saw the little town that’d been constructed, TJ had no idea about what he should do now.
