The Begining Part 2

In Wolock City

Raheem snapped out of his memory to jump over a merchant's cart full of cabbage. He waved an apology and continued to run towards the empire's national Zoologist Academy exam. He had just turned 16 and could finally choose what he wanted to do.

Raheem's father, Oscar, rose from a simple captain to a full-fledged commander in the Brules Empire army. Raheem was forced to attend the military academy. He studied animals as much as possible; his father wanted him to become his successor.

He had to spend at least three minutes in combat against his father even to take the exam. He had succeeded only by the skin of his teeth. His father dropped him off at the station with reluctance. They arrived two days before the exam, expecting it to begin as scheduled, but they moved it up by a day!

Raheem had just crossed the threshold of the gates before they were slammed shut. He was breathing heavily from his run. The city was packed with people, the streets flooded with cars, and all of the nearest motels were booked. This forced Raheem to book a room farthest from the exam site.

His hands were still on his knees, and his breath seemed impossible to catch. A man walked up on the stage and laughed. "Haha, I love seeing this scene every year." None of the aspiring zoologists below shared his enthusiasm. "Young cubs, an animal behavior may be the same for years and then one day completely change." He paused and looked around at them below.

The man looked far from a zoologist. He stood 6'6 in a red scholar's robe with a golden ascent around the edges. A pair of swords was at his side, and a quiver of arrows was on his back. His chest was puffed out with a symbol of a throne with a book surrounded by a forest and animals.

"Cubs, there are many places in this world we can travel to, and then there are the dead zones." His voice went deeper and grew darker as he spoke. "Inside dead zones, no technology is operated. Our proud machines have failed us many times, so everyone is taught how to use cold weapons and train our bodies as much as possible."

"Do not only rely on information you hear. Do not always rely on your eyesight to see through something." The crowd was slowly starting to see the big picture. "Nothing remains the same. We respect animals, but never shall we fear them! Remember, here on Bradent, animals are treated as intellectual beings, but everywhere else, they are nothing. They are treated as livestock and pets."

"Dead zones have another name they are called. He paused and sighed in his heart. 'Sorry, cubs, you would find out sooner or later anyway.' They are called Monster Dens as well. In these dead zones, the animals are mad and always looking for blood. They do not hunt out of a need to survive but for sport!"

He stepped back and walked down the steps; his job was finished. He was notorisously known as The Dream shatter, amongst the freshmen, every year he made the same speech. The person who was in charge of this year's exam took over.

Raheem already knew what the exam rules were since it was public information. He sat down and meditated to calm his nerves like his father taught him. A few minutes later, everyone was told to get into single-filed lines and await their names.

Half an hour later, Raheem's name was called. "Examinee Raheem, you will be in room S-1." The few people who heard his placement were shocked. Raheem was very young, so for him to even be standing here trying to be a zoologist at his age is a rare site. The zoologist academy started accepting students at 16, but few tried to get in at this age.

The academy accepts people from all walks of life and ages, from 16 to 29 years old. Students need to learn about animals, their habitats, food patterns, reproduction rates, and plants. Plants are exceptionally closely related to animals and how they survive. Some animals depend on living by eating them, after all.

Raheem thanked the person and walked away. He reached the exam room and sat down. The room went quiet as he sat down, the youngest examinee there. A man chuckled and returned to reviewing the materials he had. A young man who looked to be 24 approached him.

"I have to ask, what makes you think you belong here?" The man sat beside him as if they had been friends their entire lives. Raheem stayed quiet and focused his mind on the written exam he was going to receive. The young man got angry and pulled his shoulder.

He stopped in his tracks. He saw the bite mark on his shoulder and quickly stood up, nodded, and walked away. The instructor walked in and saw Raheem fixing his clothes. He also saw the mark as well. He passed out the exams and said. "You will have four hours to complete as many questions as possible. You only need to correct 45% of one subject to move on to the next stage. Begin!"

Four hours later, many people cried and celebrated; others looked vacant. Raheem was walking towards the gate to go back to his motel room. He was taking side streets to avoid traffic when he heard a cry for help.

He paused, and he heard it again. He rushed towards the sound; he would never mistake a lion's cub call who is distressed. He stopped by the building and looked into a window. What he saw made his blood boil. Sitting in the only cage in the room sat an albino lion cub.

He wanted to rush in and save it, but his training kicked in. He checked the perimeter to see how many smugglers there were. There were only seven of them, and they were only equipped with cold-era weapons. The empire extremely monitored modern weapons; they didn't want animals to be killed unnecessarily.

Raheem silently snuck up behind the one with the keys and knocked him with one punch. He grabbed the keys and changed clothes with the man. One of the guards at the door nodded to him and let him pass. Once inside, he slowly took down the rest of them.

The cub heard the noise and stopped shaking. Something told the cub it was safe and not to worry. Raheem approached the cage, and the cub started growling and giving light roars of joy. "Shhh, easy girl, I'm going to take you out of here."

He unlocked the cage and made his way back outside. The guard from outside had just opened the door to check on his friends, but they weren't responding on their radios. Raheem ran and performed an axe kick that knocked him unconscious.

Suddenly, the lights powered on, and men in all black and masks surrounded Raheem. "The information was right. You are sensitive to animals, especially felines." Raheem did not panic and hid the lion in his shirt. "What are you after? You targeted me; I guess I should feel honored."

The man smirked and said. "You truly are his son. Even when surrounded by dozens of men with guns facing you, you don't back down." Raheem frowned. "Why are you targeting my father?" The man laughed. "Seven years ago, I was a lieutenant, and your father turned me in for not reporting the fortism I found."

"Fortism! The plant that is said to be a cure to all poisons?" The man smiled. "Yes! I planned to sell it, but your father reported me even after I said I would split it with him." "Good. You would have wasted it anyway." Raheem knew his chances of living were slim to none. "Let the cub go. You only captured it to get to me."

The men in the room were stunned. He asked to spare an animal's life instead of his own! The man sneered and shot Raheem in his knees.

"ARGhh."

The cub climbed out of his shirt and started to whine. Raheem pushed the cub away from him. "Get out of here, little one." The cub ran away. "Catch that cub! I want him to watch as it dies." No one moved. The man growled at them but didn't do anything.

Raheem laughed. "Your men have more honor and courage than you." "Ugh, shut it!" The man roared as he shot Raheem in the shoulder. This time he didn't scream out in pain, he refused to give the man what he wanted.

ROARRR!

A pack of lions charged in and started attacking them. The noise attracted the guards. "Before I get executed, I'll kill you!" The man pointed the gun at Raheem's head to pull the trigger, but a lioness with snow-like fur bit him, and he hit Raheem in his right lung instead. "Ahhh!"

Bang! Bang!

The lioness dodges the bullets and roars for her pack to retreat. The city guards charge in and capture the rest of the men. The head guard rushes up to Raheem's side. "Hang in there! Young man, you can't become a hero and die on us." Raheem's vision was blurry; his sense of hearing was muffled. He wasn't thinking about his parents, the empire, or his own life. All his thoughts were of the beautiful lioness that tried to save him. A wild albino lion usually doesn't make it to maturity.

He felt the guard trying to pick him up, but he grabbed his arm. The guard looked down at the boy and knew he wouldn't make it. Raheem tried to move his arm to his shoulder but couldn't move it by himself.

The guard understood his attention and placed his hand there for him. Raheem used the last of strength to push aside his shirt. The guard saw the mark and heavily nodded his head. He wasn't sure if the boy saw him nod before he died, but he would make sure his wishes were followed.

The guard bellowed. "KILL THESE BASTARDS!!" Screams were heard as the men were dragged outside and hooked to the back of horses. The guard gently placed Raheem on the back of his horse. He looked through his pockets to identify him.

He rode towards the gates and notified his parents. Oscar and Najire took the fastest ship and arrived in half an hour. Najire collasped in tears. Oscar stood tall and held back his grief for now. The guard who brought his body to the gates reported what happened. "Sir! Your son Raheem died while successfully rescuing an albino lioness cub. He took down seven men by himself, but a group of men ambushed him."

Oscar asked him. "Did they give you a reason behind their actions?" "Not yet, sir. I have my men taking them on a city tour." Oscar walked up to his wife, who was crying over Raheem's body. "My love, we-" "NO! I will not leave my son's side." The head guard stepped up and said. "Sir, your son asked to be returned instead of being buried."

Najire stood up and wanted to protest this decision. Oscar knocked her out and passed her to one of the other guards. Oscar turned around and gestured for them to begin the ceremony. The entire barracks marched out, and Raheem was carried in the middle.

Raheem was dressed in a gold garb, his hair let down like a lion's mane. The symbol of the nation's zoologist hung around his neck. They reached the forest's edge, and a guard blew a trumpet.

Not long after, a pride of lions came forth. Oscar recognized the lion leading the pride as the one who had given Raheem his mark. Everyone kneeled and backed away, leaving only Oscar with Raheem's body. The return ceremony is a special ceremony where only three kinds of people can choose. Nobles, the acknowledged and high-level officers in the army. Oscar himself only recently was given this option.

Oscar looked at the lion. "I am sorry the one you chose has died. I couldn't protect him." He choked up, and tears silently cascaded down his face. In the return ceremony, if the ones who died were chosen, they would be brought to the forest's edge, and the animals would be summoned to bring them home.

The lion slowly sauntered up to Oscar. It looked at the human and rubbed its head against his. Oscar shivered, and finally, the dam broke. He wailed and cursed the heavens. His son only wanted to study and protect animals! "WHY!? Why would you give him the gift of understanding if you were going to kill him!!" The sky grew dark and rumbled.

Oscar continued to yell upwards. "You sick bastards! I demand an answer!" The sky finally broke, and rain showered down. The lioness pushed against his chest, trying to pick him up. She was telling him to go back and that she would take care of Raheem. "Sir! The bastards finally broke and told us how they smuggled in the weapons." This seemed to wake Oscar up.

"Let's go talk to these scum." For the next three days, it rained and rained. It was as if nature herself was crying. Raheem's deed spread like wildfire. Across the empire, people learned about his name and accomplishments.

"Thank you for allowing me to witness my ceremony. I'm ready to accept the position of becoming the All-Beast."