Chapter 23 - You're A What?

Suddenly the pressure is too much and I feel like I'm about to pass out but after another wave of pain, it all comes to a sudden stop. I lay on the ground as I take several deep breaths. What in the world just happened?"

I slowly open my eyes and begin looking around but I don't see anyone so I roll over to my back and close my eyes again. "Well, that sucked..." I say as I try to relax. Suddenly I feel someone poke me. I crack open an eye to see the young boy looking at me with his dark eyes.

"Are you okay?" I ask him as I slowly sit up. He steps back and nods his head before asking "Are you okay?" I nod my head and say "I'm just confused as to what...." Suddenly it hits me. He spoke! I turn to look at him with wide eyes as I ask him "You can talk?"

He nods his head and says "I prefer not to though... how do you feel?" I frown at his choice of words and go to say shitty but the word never leaves my mouth... "I actually feel really good... I feel lighter... what happened?" I ask looking around again.

He watches me with a blank face as he says "I made a contract with you and I also gave you a gift. You were just a puny human so I gave you the gift of the Cultivators. I wanted to show you my gratitude for saving me from those nasty humans."

My mind flat lines as I try to understand what he just said... Cultivator? Contract?? Nasty humans!? What!? He sees my blank look and sighs before saying "Which part did you not understand?" I blink a few times as I say "All of it..."

He frowns before sitting down on the ground next to me saying "You don't even know what a Cultivator is? How is that possible? All humans know what that is." I shake my head before looking back at him and asking "Why do you keep saying humans? Are you not human as well?"

I finally see the boy's expression change as he looks at me with confusion. His eyes narrow on me as he asks "Where are you from? I feel like something's off..." I look at him with shock... why does he not sound like a kid!? His choice of words sounds as if they're coming from a grown person!

He narrows his eyes again as he says "Where. Are. You. From?" I snap my mouth shut and point up. He frowns before looking up then back to me. "Up there?" He asks with confusion. I nod my head as I try to understand what's happening.

"Hmmm, so you aren't from this world... so you don't know much... I see." He says lost in thought. He suddenly looks to me and says "I'm only going to explain this once so pay attention." I nod my head but I'm still completely lost.

"Cultivators are people who can absorb power from the world and become more powerful, each one is gifted in a certain area but it doesn't come out until the individual grows stronger. The stronger you become the more people will fear and respect you. Currently, we are in the human realm so not many people here can use powers... I also made a contract with you."

"I feel like you aren't so bad as a human and since my kind has been killed off... I have nowhere to return to. I will explain the contract to you more at a later time but for now, we need to go right?" I blink at him several times before numbly nodding my head.

"Well let's go." He says walking away. I quickly stand up and immediately catch up to him saying "Wait... if you aren't human, what are you?" He continues to walk while he says "I'm the last surviving nine-tailed fox... I take this form to stay hidden in the human world."

My jaw drops as I come to a complete stop... I don't understand any of this!!! "Why are you here? In the human realm or whatever." He continues to walk so I quickly run to catch up. "Strong Cultivators came to kill me and my kind for our divine powers but I was away... when I returned... nothing but death greeted me. I ran all the way to the human realm to mourn but I was caught by the slave traders... I felt like they could just do whatever they wanted with me... I just gave up, but then you showed up..."