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In all possibility, it seemed that he really did become human. Though he couldn't talk, his hearing was quite perfect and he could understand the language just fine. The younger woman, his mother apparently, was called Valenia while the older one was his grandmother, though he had yet to know her name. Valenia was always calling her "mother".
Living as a human wasn't bad at all. Every time he opened his eyes, there would be someone to cater to his needs.
It wasn't easy being human. He found himself constantly hungry, a sensation he never felt before. More annoying than that was the fact that, since he was eating, he was also expelling the parts that didn't become nutrients. Bodily functions were really annoying! His first days, it was difficult to excrete and his grandmother had to help him. The matter was black and odorant, though that was only for the first days. Later, it became easier and pretty much didn't smell. Though he could now excrete by himself, he couldn't take care of it at all. What a joke, how could he when his body wouldn't move as he wished. So, he could only pee and poo his clothes and end up feeling dirty and uncomfortable. No matter how much he willed himself not to, he would still wet his body. He could only cry to be cleaned.
Adding to that, apparently, his mother was completely helpless when it came to him and had it not being his grandmother and Maeda, he wondered if this human body of his wouldn't have died several times already.
When bathing him, there would be times when that mother would forget to bring along changing clothes, then she would run to the house to take it, leaving him seated alone in the basin of water. It was slippery and at the slightest move, he would find himself underwater. Diligent Maeda would use his snout to help him up and surprisingly, the nightmare's fire wouldn't affect him at all, as though the animal was able to master what it could burn or not. Having seen the beast used its fire to heat the house, the demon lord knew very much that the blue light wasn't for show.
Adding to that, apparently, his mother was completely helpless when it came to him and had it not being his grandmother and Maeda, he wondered if this human body of his wouldn't have died several times already.
When bathing him, there would be times when that mother would forget to bring along changing clothes, then she would run to the house to take it, leaving him seated alone in the basin of water. It was slippery and at the slightest move, he would find himself underwater. Diligent Maeda would use his snout to help him up and surprisingly, the nightmare's fire wouldn't affect him at all, as though the animal was able to master what it could burn or not. Having seen the beast used its fire to heat the house, the demon lord knew very much that the blue light wasn't for show.
Other than that, this clumsy mother of his, after feeding him would sometimes immediately lay him down to sleep. He didn't know how but his grandmother would always be aware of it in those cases and she would come running and shouting, fright etching her features, “didn’t I tell you to help him burp, do you want to kill your son so early!”
Though she didn't seem to know much about babies, his mother was eager to learn and since his grandmother said to talk much to him, the woman would talk as though he was already an adult. This includes telling him all about her work and her prowess; bragging about her mount Maeda: the animal was so fast that it could be described akin to flying. She would then urge him to grow faster so he could experience it with her -his grandmother had deeply berated her when she stealthily tried putting him on the nightmare's back before-. Valenia also liked to tell him about her being an adventuress and being the number one at that. How much of it was true remained unknown though. But for sure, the woman was actually quite fierce and powerful. The ease with which she cut and transported trees barehanded could attest that.
Through her, he learned more about this world he was in. It was slightly different from the one he came from. He used to feel a different kind of energy around him and thought that, because he became human, his way of feeling energy changed but it turned out it was actually a different kind of energy altogether, going by the name qi. It was particles in the air, in the soil, in any living being or not. To be precise, those particles came from beings called spirits. They were supposed to be creatures that couldn’t be seen. Though that was said, the small baby could only look on as the small little things around him blabbered happily. Weren't they those famous invisible spirits? Was he the only one able to see them? They were small creatures like butterflies with humans bodies but pointy ears. They had different colors and there were males and females too. Some liked sticking to his grandmother and there were those who wouldn't leave his mother's side at all. A couple of them would come his way to play but they wouldn't really stick to him for long before going. At times he tried to point their existence to attention but no matter what he did, neither his mother or grandmother could see. Why could he? Wasn't this body human as well?
Although the time spend around his mother wasn't the safest, but she was the one talking to him the most, and even if she was most of the times putting him in strange situations -leaving him atop a tree while she went to search for this precious plant she recognized not too far, or hiding him behind a rock while fending off a giant boar, not realizing that she was actually placing him on red ants' nest- despite it all, he knew that she genuinely cared and anyway, every single time, it would turn out fine. So, there was really no need worrying, not like even if he worried it would change something. There was nothing he could do as he was right now. So, he could only absorb all the knowledge his lively parent had to offer.
Humans, supposedly, although possessed inner qi, couldn’t refine it, so the need for the spirits’ intervention. Magic beasts, however, could absorb the residual qi in the air just fine and use it by themselves without any aid, should they need it.
Humans, for their part, had two ways of using qi. They could form a contract with a familiar. Said familiar would be using the qi in the human's body. Or they could chant or draw spells for spirits. In that case, the spirit would be using its own qi. Depending on the spirit, simply chanting wasn't enough, sometimes there was also a need to do something in return for the spirit.
Through her, he learned more about this world he was in. It was slightly different from the one he came from. He used to feel a different kind of energy around him and thought that, because he became human, his way of feeling energy changed but it turned out it was actually a different kind of energy altogether, going by the name qi. It was particles in the air, in the soil, in any living being or not. To be precise, those particles came from beings called spirits. They were supposed to be creatures that couldn’t be seen. Though that was said, the small baby could only look on as the small little things around him blabbered happily. Weren't they those famous invisible spirits? Was he the only one able to see them? They were small creatures like butterflies with humans bodies but pointy ears. They had different colors and there were males and females too. Some liked sticking to his grandmother and there were those who wouldn't leave his mother's side at all. A couple of them would come his way to play but they wouldn't really stick to him for long before going. At times he tried to point their existence to attention but no matter what he did, neither his mother or grandmother could see. Why could he? Wasn't this body human as well?
Although the time spend around his mother wasn't the safest, but she was the one talking to him the most, and even if she was most of the times putting him in strange situations -leaving him atop a tree while she went to search for this precious plant she recognized not too far, or hiding him behind a rock while fending off a giant boar, not realizing that she was actually placing him on red ants' nest- despite it all, he knew that she genuinely cared and anyway, every single time, it would turn out fine. So, there was really no need worrying, not like even if he worried it would change something. There was nothing he could do as he was right now. So, he could only absorb all the knowledge his lively parent had to offer.
Humans, supposedly, although possessed inner qi, couldn’t refine it, so the need for the spirits’ intervention. Magic beasts, however, could absorb the residual qi in the air just fine and use it by themselves without any aid, should they need it.
Humans, for their part, had two ways of using qi. They could form a contract with a familiar. Said familiar would be using the qi in the human's body. Or they could chant or draw spells for spirits. In that case, the spirit would be using its own qi. Depending on the spirit, simply chanting wasn't enough, sometimes there was also a need to do something in return for the spirit.
In that essence, his grandmother seemed to be in good relation with the spirits of this forest. She could command the grass and it responded. His mother was sometimes commanding to fire. They didn't do much drawing, but upon closer look, his mother wore a necklace with a diagram drawn on it while his grandmother had hers in her ring finger. One ring for each hand.
As for familiars, he didn't know if his grandmother had one, but Maeda was actually his mother's familiar. Familiars, he understood, in exchange for an extension of life and the disposal of power, would take and absorb your qi. They were beings not from this world but summoned from another one and depending on their ranks, could overpower the magic beasts of this world.
Though the woman talked about everything and nothing so long as she could talk, the demon lord couldn't remember her ever mentioning anything about his father. As far as reproduction went, wasn't it supposed to be between two partners: a male, and a female?
Though the woman talked about everything and nothing so long as she could talk, the demon lord couldn't remember her ever mentioning anything about his father. As far as reproduction went, wasn't it supposed to be between two partners: a male, and a female?
✧❈✧
In this regard, the demon lord felt that becoming a screamer was his very own vocation in this life. In the beginning, it was frustrating that no matter what he did, only cries or babbles would leave his mouth. His facial muscles obviously weren't ready yet to talk and the matter of being unable to communicate made it so that he was really crying in the end. However, he understood that, at the slight noise, his mother or grandmother would come rushing to his sides to appease him. What a delight! So, when he was hungry, he would scream, unhappy, scream, bored, scream, even when he was sleepy he would still cry some more and tired himself completely before finally becoming quiet, indulging himself very much in the sensation of being coaxed. Sometimes he was crying was just for the pleasure of seeing someone else in the room with him. He liked it most when they cradled him and he could hear their beating heart as they softly tapped his back.
This time around, being alive didn't seem bad at all.
These tactics though, mustn't be used when grandmother wasn't in the vicinity. Sometimes, when left alone just himself and his mother in the house and that no matter what she did won't coax him, his mother would actually forfeit all dignity and cry alongside him leaving the demon lord speechless. At times, he felt that she was even more pitiful than him, and with tears in her eyes would coax,
This time around, being alive didn't seem bad at all.
These tactics though, mustn't be used when grandmother wasn't in the vicinity. Sometimes, when left alone just himself and his mother in the house and that no matter what she did won't coax him, his mother would actually forfeit all dignity and cry alongside him leaving the demon lord speechless. At times, he felt that she was even more pitiful than him, and with tears in her eyes would coax,
“There, there little Myur how can you have such a powerful voice. You’ll turn us all deaf in no time. Come, stop crying already. This mother will cry too.”
The passage of time wasn't really something he was an expert about. He didn't count it like humans in his previous life for there was no sun, so to speak, coming into his abode. He only knew that from being unable to move at will, he became able to command his neck, after that his limbs, after, he was able to turn by himself on his bed. Though he wished to walk, his head was heavy and he could only crawl around, giggling as he went as fast as he could. Some sounds could be discerned from his mouth but the absence of teeth made it sound strange, completely different from what he wanted to say.
✧❈✧
As he crawled around on the green pasture following behind Maeda, he heard his grandmother's voice calling from inside the house. Maeda stopped, letting him catch up and hold unto its flamming tail which didn't hurt him at all. It was a strange sensation like touching a delicate cloth. He giggled. His name was called once more, reminding him it was time to eat. This time he obediently let go of the tail and before he could turn around, someone held him up in their arms.
"Grandma is calling, stop playing around," chided his mother.
"Mama," he said, ingratiating himself with the woman. Who knew how many days she spent pointing herself and telling him to call her that. Although he couldn't make many different sounds, it wasn't difficult to say that one, so he did. The first time he did it, the woman was so happy that she flung him to the sky, making him literally fly, and his grandmother, alarmed, knocked her on the head before safely taking him back. To the woman's frightened face, the little man responded with happy giggles.
He stared for three more seconds before turning to his mother.
"Mama," he said in a tone of complaint, half brought to tears. What he was given to eat kept on varying these days. Before he was only fed his mother's milk and some water, but he started being giving smashed fruits, porridge, but this was the first time that his bowl had that same thing his mother seemed to disdain! He refused! He was a child, he wanted milk!
"What is it, baby, eat it's delicious," encouraged his grandmother.
His mother stirred her plate with a wooden spoon, "delicious?" she muttered with an expression as if she wanted to vomit.
"Watch your mouth," rebuked his grandmother, "don't let him be as picky as you".
In a grimace, his mother turned to him and said, "Eat, it's delicious".
His grandmother was a naturalist aigue. She ate nothing other than those green things, turning to her for help wasn't going to change anything.
As he tried to appeal to his mother once more, the spoon was sneakily inserted in his mouth. The demon lord promptly cried. What was dignity, was he born with it! Milk, he wanted milk. What was this! He cried until his eyes became puffy. Maeda trotted inside the house, looking at him as though it wished to help but didn't know how to. In the end, his mother sided with him and he was able to drink his beloved milk. Well, that could help only a couple of times. At long last, some days later, his grandmother hardened her heart and he could only eat that foliage with tears rolling down his face, looking wronged. The more he ate, the more he understood his mother's lack of enthusiasm at lunch and dinner time. It turned out that those were her every day's hell time!
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