Static Reflections: Book 1 of The M... - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

The courses were utterly fascinating to Nick. At first, it was fundamental and boring stuff, and then it moved on to things that he could only imagine genuinely learning. How spells work, curses, blessings, types of ghosts, what a Prism Pistol is, things like that. The hyena couldn't believe what he was taking in.
The in-class courses were even more interesting than the Digital Ocean ones, and Nick wished that he had learned the entire time in a classroom setting. The interactivity was a lot higher. The Mortal Guard made the classes entertaining, having Sect members come in and talk about their experiences as Creature Hunters and the risks and rewards.
The dangers mainly were injury and death, but there were also things like being cursed, going crazy, or falling asleep forever. Unsurprisingly, some of the animals, which were of all ages, quit on the spot.
Nick found it endearing that younger animals stayed and older animals left, knowing that he wouldn't be able to quit even if he wanted to. He weighed in his mind that even if he didn't know Absalom's name and had a choice, he'd still use the Mortal Guard as an opportunity to help Boris.
The homework given during these in-class lessons wasn't bad, either, being able to test Nick's knowledge of the fascinating content they were learning. Same with the tests at the end of each course, which he never had to redo, able to retain information relatively easily.
There was a point where he realized how incredible it was to remember everything told to him. The mind was a wonderful thing. Somehow, it balanced all of the info he received in life with no issue, and Nick found that amazing.
Early on, Nick discovered that Flip could hold a conversation, so he would talk to the machine whenever he felt lonely or social. It wasn't a frustrating conversation either, though the robot had no opinions or feelings on any matters.
Nick also ate a lot more during this time, constantly ordering food but finding that he had a metabolism that kept him as skinny as ever. None of the food ended up being sweet, as his sweet tooth was gone thanks to the part of his Soul they extracted.
The hyena also got the strong urge many times and took out his Blue Chameleon cigarettes, but not having anything to light them with. The tugging sensation drove him wild but there was nothing he could really do. He attempted to ask Victor for help on the matter but there was no such luck.
And often thoughts of animals he left behind would circle the track in his mind. The thought of band practices with his friends, dinners with his family, or spending time alone with the late Astrid. At the beginning of the stay, it made him cry to think about, then he found himself angry at how unfair her death and the universe were, but finally, he just felt hollow.
Two months passed, and the Last Test was there before he knew it, and as the clock turned, Nick discovered that they weren't lying about it taking a few hours. But he found that since he was rather passionate about the content, the test was like a long game that he had to beat. He also noted that things were so specific there was always an obvious answer due to the in-depth readings they gave out there.
Victor checked on Nick every morning and every night, making sure he was still alive and well, and they became easy friends, never talking more than those required times. Even so, they spoke about the courses and even joked around. Nick had always found it easy to make friends, anyway.
On the night that Nick finished the Last Test, he was lying in bed, conversing with Flip on what kind of Sub-Sect Nick would be in if he could choose. He knew all about them now that he was well-versed in the Mortal Guard and the world of the Other Side.
There was a knock on the door, and, knowing it was Victor, Nick got up to greet the polar bear. He was right, the large white animal standing there with a massive grin on his face. "Nick!"
"Vic!"
"Wow, wow, wow! Congratulations!" His friend beamed, grabbing his hand and shaking it wildly. "I knew you were a good student, but this? Holy shit! Excuse my language!"
"Huh?" Nick blinked, furrowing his brows.
"You got a perfect score on your Last Test! Do you know how rare that is?!"
Nick's cheeks reddened, and he blinked. "W-wow, really? Perfect? Shit, I didn't know that. Excuse my language," he laughed softly.
"You're going to be an amazing Creature Hunter," Victor nodded. "This is totally awesome."
"Thanks," Nick said. "But I didn't do it because I care about the Mortal Guard. No offense. I mean, it's all fascinating and cool and stuff, but I have a job I need to do, and now I'm one step closer to doing it."
The polar bear huffed. "Always such a weirdo, Nick. At least you'll be staying here while you do your training with your Mentor."
"Yeah. What's next anyway?"
"Well, tomorrow's a big day!" Victor said, grinning. "You'll meet Iwai Watanabe, the Sect Leader himself, and then your Mentor. Ooh, I wonder what they'll be like!"
"As long as they aren't a tool," Nick sighed. "Or too strict, I guess."
"Nah, they shouldn't be." Victor waved him off. "Did you eat tonight yet?"
"Yeah, I had some spaghetti. Delicious as always." Nick rubbed his stomach.
Victor scratched his cheek. "Again? I feel like you tell me that every week."
"I like pasghetti," Nick shrugged. He walked back into the room and flopped back on his bed, arms spread like he might make a sheet angel. "Gods, that test was so loooong."
"You didn't have to do it all today," Victor said, shutting the door behind him.
Nick sat up and crossed his legs. "The sooner, the better."
"You finished your courses a lot faster than most animals, in hindsight . . . ." Victor stroked his chin in thought. "Definitely the opposite of . . . ." His aqua eyes set on Nick, and he cleared his throat. "Nothing."
"Uh? Kay?" Nick blinked. "Who's the weirdo now?"
"You, still," Victor said.
"I never asked," Nick looked up. "How'd you land this job, anyway?"
"How did any of us?" Victor laughed, sitting on the couch. "I was a Creature Hunter before. My big body didn't really let me have the agility skinnier animals did, but I was the brains out of my partner and me. I would always plan our attacks on creatures.
"Well, we were on a mission involving a beast in a cave. So, I made our plan of attack, but it went horribly wrong. The monster ended up stepping on his head and . . . ." Victor made an explosion gesture with his large white hands. "I was so struck with guilt, I asked for a job where I wouldn't be on the front lines. They needed me for this, and so here I am."
Nick looked on, concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, that was a while ago. I'm over it now," he smiled. "So that's how I ended up here. I like it! I get to talk to folks from all walks of life."
Nick rubbed his nose. "Yeah . . . that makes sense. You do seem to love it. Regis seemed to love his job, too."
"Who?"
"You don't know him?"
"Never heard of him," Victor answered. "Not all Mortal Guard members know each other."
"Oh," Nick blinked. He stretched. "Well, hey, it's getting late and, as you said, there's a big day tomorrow, so I'm gonna get some shut-eye."
"Sounds great! I'm gonna finish this round and catch some Zs." The polar bear stood up and opened the door. "Night, Nick."
"Niiight~" Nick wiggled his fingers in a wave as the door shut. He yawned and turned on his side, trying to imagine what his perfect Mentor would be like before passing out.
Victor arrived the following day around the same time, knocking the same way as always, but a little faster. He was excited.
Nick ignored his terrible morning breath and opened the door, the large animal stepping in immediately. He was holding some sort of rectangular case. "Woah, there. I just woke up, dude," Nick groaned.
Victor nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just in a good mood. Anyway, are you ready to meet your Sect Leader and your Mentor today?"
The tired animal nodded, yawning. "As I'll ever be when I'm this tired."
"Haha, I get that. Well, lucky you because you aren't going to be doing anything until the middle of the day."
"Huh?" Nick blinked, frowning. "You couldn't have let me sleep in for once?!"
Victor raised his hand. "Woah, woah! I brought you something!" He held out the blank case to him.
Nick took it, opening it and peering inside. "'Indication?'" The disc inside was silver and only had this one word written on it. "Is this some sort of cult thing?" He gasped. "Did you burn this disc? I don't have anywhere to play it . . . ."
"Actually, your DOS contains a disc player," Victor told him, beaming. "I see you don't believe me, but I mean it! The Mortal Guard doesn't have any television or music or anything, but they know that when people take days off, they would like to watch movies and stuff. But some cases involve discs, so there's that, too."
"I read about that," Nick said. "Silver through Forest Moon are leisure days, right?"
"Yep!"
"Wonder which one I'll get," Nick pondered, rubbing the dark fur on his arm. "Alright, so the disc will play, but what is it?"
"That's my favorite movie!" Victor chuckled. "I've had that copy for a long time, and I like to watch it whenever I need a comfort movie. It's a murder mystery about a group of animals that all get invited to this manor, and then their host gets murdered, and they have to figure out which one did it."
"Isn't there a board game with the same name?"
"Yeah! And it's hilarious," Victor chuckled. "You can watch it while you wait for the stuff later."
"I definitely will," Nick nodded. "Thanks."
Victor stepped back and waved. 'Well, I'm gonna get chugging. See you when it's time."
"Awesome," Nick said. "See you." He shut the door and looked at the case, then tossed it on the soft couch and walked back to bed. I'm gonna sleep in no matter what. Fuck that mess. He let that comfortable feeling of the cool sheets return to him and, in no time, fell asleep again.
Once he awoke for the last time that day, he ordered another bowl of cereal, his usual, and then grabbed the case he had haphazardly thrown on the sofa. Picking up the computer and setting it on his lap, he took the disc out of the case and quickly found the thin slot on the side. He inserted the disc, the laptop swallowed it, and a window automatically opened.
Nick set the computer down on the table and let the movie play, immediately relishing in the fact that he heard music again. He closed his eyes as the sinister theme played but also noted the whimsicality of it. Clearly, this was a film that wasn't going to take itself seriously.
It hit him just how out of his element he had been in the Mortal Guard. They had nothing like this. Everything he had seen so far was only to further the progression of your place in the organization. No such thing as music or entertainment, but then again, how would they even manage all of that stuff when they had a job to do? He supposed it made sense.
The movie went on and introduced all of the characters. Nick continued to nom down on his cereal as he watched closely. He would be the first to admit that movies entertained him relatively easily, and this one was laugh-out-loud funny. It felt good to enjoy something to this extent again, as he used to do it all the time with Tyler. He found himself wishing he was there, knowing the German shepherd would love the flick. Again, he wondered what he was up to, sighing.
The plot twist was completely unexpected, and Nick smiled, appreciating the somewhat realistic approach to a movie so old. He wondered how much longer he would have, beginning another conversation with Flip. They discussed shapeshifters for a while, Nick explaining that if he were a shapeshifter, he would use the skill to meet the same person as different people again and again. He had always been interested in meetings and first impressions. Flip told him that Mortal Guard members didn't shapeshift because it really hurts to rearrange yourself like that.
Before long, there was rapping on the door again, and he opened it. Victor was, understandably, there. "Sooo?"
"It was amazing," Nick smiled. "Thanks for showing me."
"Thanks for being my friend."
"Wasn't hard."
"I'd hope not," Victor grinned. "Alright, we're gonna go meet Iwai now in one of the offices here. You can keep your PJs on. He doesn't care."
"Really?" Nick blinked. "I thought he might be strict and uptight."
"Oh god, no. It's totally the opposite. He might be the most chill animal you've ever met," Victor sighed. "Come on, come on."
"I don't need to bring anything?" Nick asked.
"Nope. Just yourself." He waved him along, and Nick followed out into the carpeted hall with its many windows, light from somewhere pouring in. Nick had only walked these halls a few times, his curiosity getting the best of him but finding that it didn't offer him much in the way of progress or entertainment. He only really did it when he wanted a change of scenery.
"You know, I'm glad that I'm in a later generation of the Mortal Guard," Nick said. "Reading about how it used to be and shit made my head hurt."
"Very messy," Victor nodded as they walked along. "The Institute wasn't even built before. The members did all the training in the Sects themselves."
"Yeah, I read that. I can't even imagine how they did it. I guess it's the same with, like, fast-food restaurants in the Mortal Realm. Now, it's all touchscreen-based, but they used to have to take each order by hand."
"Technology sure is a blessing, especially here," Victor answered.
"But not an actual Blessing," Nick joked. "That's something else entirely."
Victor laughed and patted his back. "Oh ho ho, always the jokester. You're ridiculous, Nicholas."
"Ugh, please." Nick rolled his eyes. "You're killing me."
"Hey, we're not talking about Curses!" Victor barked, and they both laughed at the silly joke only Mortal Guard members would make.
They traveled down to the first floor and down one more hallway, coming across a door into a small square room with no windows. Inside, there was a chair behind a desk where a giant, fifty-something-year-old deer sat. He had large sprawling antlers and a yellow floral shirt with a white undershirt. He looked like he was about to go on vacation at the beach.
"Hello!" The deer waved, standing up and revealing that he was wearing tan shorts with big pockets. This was the last thing Nick thought he would be sporting at a meeting like this. Then again, he was the one wearing pajamas. "Come in, Mr. Flynn. Thanks for dropping him off, Victor."
"You got it, sir," the polar bear smiled. "See ya later, Nick! Tell me all about it!" He shut the door behind him and walked off.
Nick pulled one of the two seats in front of the desk out and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. The cervine took his seat and leaned back, sighing. "Whoo, boy! Takes a lot out of you to walk all the way to the Station and in here! Well, when you're an old man, ha ha ha!"
Nick blinked. "You don't look that old . . . uh, sir."
"Call me Iwai," the deer said, leaning forward and holding out his big hand.
Nick nodded and took it, shaking. "Iwai."
"So, you seem to be friends with Victor, huh?" Iwai asked, crossing his hands over his stomach.
"Oh, yeah. I am. He's pretty cool and friendly. Definitely kept me sane here," Nick chuckled. ". . . Erm, not that I think it's a prison or anything."
"Hell, I didn't make this place!" Iwai laughed.
"Yeah . . . " Nick felt slightly nervous at the presence before him. "Is the other chair for . . . "
"Your Mentor? Yes, it is. He should be here any moment."
So it's a he, Nick thought, having always preferred female teachers to males. Nothing personal; he just got along with them better. "Sweet."
"I tell you, when I heard that you flawlessly passed your Last Test, I just about jumped out of my chair," Iwai beamed. "You know, that rarely happens. Not new, but definitely rare."
"Well, the content was interesting," Nick shrugged. "Hard to forget, really. And I just wanted to get through it so that I could be licensed sooner."
Iwai stared at him for a moment, and it seemed his smile faltered. ". . . Eager to hunt some creatures, huh?!" the buck chortled loudly.
"That's one way of putting it," Nick muttered.
"Well, I just want to tell you a little about your Mentor before you meet him, alright?" Iwai's face grew serious.
"Huh? Is he mean or something?" Nick asked, feeling his tail droop a bit.
"Not even. He's a good friend of mine! It's just . . . he has quite the past, and he's . . . troubled. You'll be his first real social interaction besides me in a long time. Just go easy on him."
Nick almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm sorry, but are you saying the animal training me has, like, trauma or something?"
"Absolutely," Iwai said. "But it's imperative that he does this. I paired him with you because you'll be a fast learner, and he'll be able to start work again while he trains you. Should be over before you both know it."
"Should I be worried?" Nick asked. "I mean, I'm fine having him as my Mentor and all! I just wanna be considerate, you know."
"You can take that up with him if it ever comes up," Iwai said. "Just thought I'd warn you because he's my buddy."
"Is he your age?" Nick asked. "Not that that's a bad thing, of course."
"A flatterer, I see," Iwai snickered. He rubbed his hands together. "No, no. He's only twenty-eight. Not quite your age, but not my age either."
"Alright," the hyena smiled. "Is he nice?"
"It's complicated. I think you should find out for yourself," Iwai grinned. The door handle began rattling, and the old stag looked up. "Speaking of finding out!"
Nick turned around in his seat as the head of a raccoon popped in. The first thing he noticed was the exhausted-looking eyes. "Pardon?" he blinked.
"Come in, come in," Iwai motioned. "Shut the door behind ya."
The twenty-eight-year-old animal came in and softly closed the door behind him, looking at the deer in the chair, then landing his eyes on Nick. The fur on his face was grayish brown, which was his primary fur color. The black coat of his mask extended from the outside of each eye down the side of his cheek. The same black fur also connected between each eye and traveled down his muzzle to his round nose and both of his eyelids. He had round triangular ears, which the light fur outlined. On the inside, the fur was darker but not quite as dark as his mask. He wore no smile or frown, just kind of a face that told Nick he was going through the motions.
The raccoon was wearing a white long-sleeved button-up that had sleeves that extended down to his black hands. They were similar to Nick's in that regard. A black belt wrapped around his waist, and he wore gray pants with legs that went all the way down to the strange boots he was wearing. The large, fluffy tail behind him swayed as he walked. It had three big black stripes and in between those were two stripes that were the same grayish-brown from before.
Iwai clapped his hands together, causing the two animals to look up at him. "Richard! Glad you could make it."
The raccoon nodded. "Yes, well, I have a job to do." The voice that came out was deep and gruff but sounded timid at the same time. The words were also very enunciated and to the point. The hyena did detect a hint of anxiousness there.
"You can sit down," Iwai gestured, and the raccoon did as he was told, keeping his hands on his knees. "Great, now we're all here and can move onto the next step of this lovely young man's training." He moved his hand between the two animals sitting across from him. "Nicholas Flynn, meet Richard Seife, your Mentor. Richard, meet Nick, your student."
Richard turned and looked at the younger animal before him and extended his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Nicholas."
Nick grinned and grabbed his hand firmly, moving it up and down. "You, too."