“You really need to study a map or something,” Zac said as the 5 of them walked up towards his mother's shop.

  “Look, I got us here in under an hour, lay off. I just learned this barely a couple of days ago.” Trigger argued back.

  It was 8:30AM, and Zac’s mother’s shop opened at 10AM. Zac approached his mother’s shop near Downtown Seattle’s Westlake Center. The five of them looked up at the shop’s sign,

  “Nina’s Natty Nature… you came up with that name, didn’t you sensei?” Ume asked,

  “That obvious?”

  “Yeah…”

  “Duh…”

  “Stupid…” Trigger and The Twins responded.

  “I think it’s a good name.” Zac folded his arms.

  The door to the shop opened, and Nina stood in front of the 4 of them with her apron on. She sighed deeply as if she was expecting them to come. She motioned for them to follow her and walked back inside the shop. Zac followed behind without a word, and others weren’t far behind.

  Once they were inside, the gentle smell of flowers enveloped them. Ume, in particular, was very impressed by the state and quality of the plant life in the shop. Before she could give Nina her praise, an apron was tossed at her,

  “Everyone put those on and help me set up.”

  “Mom, we’re not here for a visit.”

  “Shaila is dead… I’m aware. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here a haggard mess when you’re supposed to be on your honeymoon. Now put on that apron and ask your questions while helping me set up.” Nina said without looking in Zac’s direction.

  “You’re aware? What the hell!?!” Zac didn’t appreciate his mother’s lackadaisical attitude.

  “Watch your tone, Keta. Put on the apron and act rational… now!” Nina looked in Zac’s direction; her dark purple eyes glowed, and her pupil turned to slits. Everyone felt something gripping their very souls,

  “Yes mam…”

  All five responded as they quickly put on their aprons and began to work as instructed. Zac was still in shock; his mother was off puttish with other people, but he never felt she was callus, at least not to him. He fully expected her to embrace him like a child and tell him everything would be alright. But now she was so cold. After giving out tasks for them to do, she leaned back against the counter and asked,

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything…” Zac responded.

  “Can’t tell you everything.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s not our way. We don’t force knowledge on children not ready to learn.” Nina responded deadpan.

  “I’m 26, a grown man,” Zac argued.

  “By human standards, sure. But we are long-lived; years have no meaning. So much so that we don’t celebrate birthdays; we celebrate sheddings. And you, sweetheart, haven’t even had your first; you’re still a hatchling.” Nina had a loving smile on her face as she explained.

  “Then when would you see me as an adult?” Zac asked,

  “Your 5th shedding and shedding happen every 20-30 years.” Nina smiled at Zac, who started to chuckle to himself.

  “Shedding? Hatchling? What are you?” Ume asked.

  Nina looked at Ume and then looked at Zac, who had an odd expression for her. It was a mixture of sadness, curiosity, and disappointment. Chuckling softly, she closed her eyes; maybe she had let him play with the humans for too long.

  “We are beyond current human comprehension. At least here? If you’re looking for a name, we are known as Gteju, ones blessed by creation.”

  While Zac seemed to remain passive about this information, Ume’s eyes widened. She had never heard of such a species in the files or records she had read. Were they indeed something undiscovered?

  “Blessed by creation? And why does ‘Gteju’ sound Mytherian?” Trigger asked.

  “Of course it does; it’s our language.”

  Zac's face showed the first change as his mother’s words, Trigger's, and the others weren’t better off. Nina looked at the lot of them and motioned for them to get back to work. They all gathered themselves and resumed.

  “Was dad also a Gteju?” Zac asked.

  “No, he was not; before you ask, he also wasn’t human.”

  “Then what was he?”

  “Irrelevant, Gteju can mate with any species, and the result is always a Gteju,” Nina responded again. Zac saw the sadness creeping into her eyes. It was the same every time she brought up the topic of his father. Even though he wanted to know more, he knew better than to push the topic.

  “What are Gteju capable of?” Zidane asked.

  “Whatever we want…” Nina answered rather nonchalantly.

  “Can you elaborate, please?” Ume added.

  “We are physically stronger and more durable than any living creature and recover faster than the vast majority.”

  “What are your abilities?” Ume asked once again.

  “Abilities? Elaborate on abilities.” Nina commanded.

  Without a word, Ume lifted her hand out in front of her, and the shop plants began to move. Others began to grow and bloom. She lowered her hand, and the plants returned to their original forms. Nina nodded her head,

  “You call it Ability here, I see. Ability is a rather broad term to use. Regardless, we do not have abilities as you see them. To put it in simple terms, we impose our will on creation.” Nina said as she held out her palm; a ball of fire formed,

  “I want the air to combust, and so it does. I want these plants to grow, and so they will.” The fireball disappeared, and the flowers and plants in the shop became overgrown in moments,

  “I demand that darkness fall, and so it shall.” At her word, the light in the shop vanished utterly. In the next moment, everything returned to normal.

  Everyone was shaken by Nina's actions, and they all looked at Zac. If he was capable of doing not on top of the physical abilities he had displayed, then…

  “You bend reality to your will?” Ume asked. If that was the case, then they were closer to gods than cryptids. Nina started to laugh,

  “Nothing so dramatic. Like I said, we are blessed by creation. We make requests, sometimes demands, and creation answers… more often than not.”

  “More often than not?” Zac asked.

  “Theoretically, any species can do what we do, theoretically.” Nina mused.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “But practically?” Ume interjected,

  “You need to know how to speak, have the right to be heard, and have the capital to pay. As well as how to ask to get what you want.” Nina responded.

  Everyone looked on with confusion.

  “Put simply, if Gteju have an ability, it is that we instinctively know how to "speak." It’s just a matter of learning what to say to get what you want. We have the right to be heard because we are blessed by creation, and the cost does not apply to us.” Nina explained.

  She looked at the confused faces and continued,

  “For example, a human could "speak" and earn the right. However, their body would not be able to withstand the cost. They would be reduced to dust under the weight of said cost.” Nina explained.

  “Gteju have stronger bodies than any living creature, and I assume the “capital” is also lesser because you’re blessed?” Ume asked,

  “And because we instinctively know what to ask,” Nina added.

  Ume let out a sigh and rubbed her head. This was a lot to take in, and she really didn’t understand it.

  “This all sounds rather fantastical to me.” Trigger said.

  “As I said, we are beyond current human comprehension. To fully explain would require principles not explored on this planet.” Nina smiled.

  “Now, while you all are processing that, continue your work. I have questions of my own. I’ve been wondering about this since the engagement dinner.”

  Nina looked over at Trigger and then asked,

  “Kenji, right? How are you a Gteju, and why do you smell like my son? And what exactly have you been up to, Keta? Explain everything?”

  Everyone was smacked in the face again by the revelation presented by Nina. They looked in Trigger’s direction… he was a Gteju? Ume’s and Zac’s eyes widened as they suddenly realized.

  “His Awakening!” Ume gasped.

  “Awakening?” Nina raised her eyebrow.

  Zac closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he then explained Chasers and Heka to his mother. Nina looked over at Trigger and then tilted her head,

  “And this Awakening? What does it have to do with him being a Gteju?” Nina asked.

  “During his Awakening, The nanites behaved strangely. Normally, the initial process enhances our physical bodies, and then it works on unlocking the latent abilities in our DNA.” Ume answer.

  “However, with Trigger, after the initial process, the nanites were pushed out and forced to restart their initial process. We believe his latent Ability is some kind of Ultimate Adaptation. Upon further observation, he subconsciously used the Nano to scan and copy what he perceived to be the most impressive specimen in the room. He adapted his body to match it.” Zac added.

  “Zac and several species were present in the room, correct?” Nina asked, and the others nodded.

  “Ultimate adaptation…hmm, so this spec of dust managed to produce one of their kind? And these nanites, while primitive, sound fascinating. Maybe I should’ve paid more attention.”

  “One of their kind?” Ume asked.

  Nina gave her no response; she simply smiled at her. Ume didn’t bother to pry further. Nina walked towards Trigger and grabbed him by the jaw faster than he could respond. Trigger didn’t bother to try and pry himself free,

  “I believe your assessment is correct. Due to his unique disposition, this Awakening didn’t enhance his body as it should have, but instead, changed it completely. Biologically speaking, at this point, you’re more Zac’s son than your own parents.” Nina let go of Trigger’s jaw and then tapped the side of his face.

  “So I’m a Gteju?” Trigger asked with a strange expression on his face.

  He had just come to terms with his life and was thrown for another loop. He rubbed his forehead in frustration. He didn’t even know what a Gteju was, and this conversation didn’t change that.

  “So…his Program…” Roisin contemplated.

  “I don’t think the nanites do much of anything…” Ume looked at Trigger with a shocked expression.

  Nina looked at Ume and smiled,

  “I agree. These Programs and their abilities became completely irrelevant for him when his biology was changed. I believe the nanites by copying other Programs help to inform him how to speak, and he does so subconsciously.” Nina seemed just as fascinated as the others as they stared at Trigger.

  “If that’s the case, why was I limited to only using three at a time before?” Trigger frowned.

  He was doing everything he could to deny that he was no longer human. Anything that could poke a hole in their logic would help him hold on to his delusion. Nina giggled at his actions and answered,

  “From my understanding, these Nano also function as limiters and a medical aid, correct? If that is the case, it sets a limit to protect you.”

  “What do you mean?” Zac asked.

  “You and Kenji are opposites. For the stages you two are in your lives, you have glaring weaknesses in your development. Zac, your body is overdeveloped, but your understanding of "speech" is drastically underdeveloped. On the other hand, Kenji’s body is drastically underdeveloped. But, his understanding of "speech" is quite advanced.” Nina looked at Trigger with concern.

  “What? Why are you looking at me like I’m about to die?” Trigger asked.

  “Because if things keep going as they are, you might.” Zac jumped in.

  Everyone looked over at Zac. Nina just smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

  “I was born a Gteju, so my body will naturally go to the level needed to handle my corresponding understanding of speech; my extra physical training pushed me far beyond what was needed. You turned into one a little under a year ago.”

  “And you focus mostly on your power usage rather than any real physical training,” Ume added as she nodded.

  “Those nanites may help sustain you for the moment, but eventually, it won’t be able to keep up, and you’ll rip yourself apart.” Nina gave Trigger a gentle smile.

  “In that sense, Zac is in a much better position. His deficiencies were due to a mental block formed by preconceived notions.” Nina looked at Zac, who seemed to be in deep thought.

  Zac had been thinking about this “speech” since his mother mentioned it. Looking back on his life, he was sure he may have been using said speech subconsciously. In times when Zac needed to be stealthy, no one could find him. When he needed to hit a target, he never missed. Zac looked over at the cup sitting on the counter beside his mother. He glared at the cup, which flew across the room in his open hand.

  “Would you look at that…” Zac started chuckling darkly.

  Nina had a proud smile as the others looked on in surprise. Their shock only lasted a moment as they returned to their assigned tasks.

  “I suggest you focus on training your body immediately. You both need to balance yourselves out before your first shedding.” Nina smiled.

  There was an extended moment of silence before Ume began to speak,

  “You mention being long-lived and years not having meaning. Exactly how long-lived are Gteju?”

  “We are functionally immortal. We grow in size, knowledge, and strength until we are killed.”

  “In size?” Zidane asked.

  “Correct. I wouldn’t be able to fit inside this lovely shop of mine in my true form. What you see now is my Casing; I believe humans here refer to it as polymorphing.”

  “You can flawlessly take on human form? So, how many of you are there?”Zidane asked.

  “Take human form? Ah, humans. It truly is in your nature to steal and claim you found it. It is you humans who based your evolution on our casings. And as far as I know, there are only two of us here… well, three now.” Nina looked at Trigger. She then turned her attention over to Ume.

  She was pretty fascinated by the girl. Ume was in deep thought, and Nina could see the cogs in her head turning,

  “You make statements like, here, this world. Are Gteju…aliens.” Ume asked.

  Nina covered her mouth as she tried to hold back her laughter,

  “You are wasted on this world; its limited understanding hinders you.” Nina continued to laugh. Ume, on the other hand, just nodded her head in agreement.

  “The word alien is a very human concept; it implies someone or thing doesn’t belong. We have a different perspective. All creatures are part of creation, including all planets, galaxies, and everything in them. It's all just one continuation of life and is treated as a singular ecosystem. So the concept of aliens is, well… alien to us.”

  Ume smiled at Nina’s words. While Nina didn’t directly answer her, Ume could pick up on most of what she wanted. However, what Nina said next threw her for a loop,

  “However, let’s look at it from your perspective. Alien means to be foreign, to not belong. So permit me to answer your question with a question of my own. Can you truly be foreign in a place you own?” Everyone shuttered at the blatant suggestion of Nina's words. Ume had an upset expression, mainly because Genkai was correct. Whatever Gteju were, they didn't view other living creatures as their equals, or at the very least, didn't feel obligated to do so.

  Nina then left the group with their thoughts as she headed towards the back of the shop. Once she opened the back door, she called out,

  “Keta, Kenji, come… we have more to discuss. I’m sure you three won’t mind?” Nina asked as she looked at Ume and the Twins. The three of them shook their heads.

  “Excellent; I’ll be opening up in about 20 minutes, so if you could finish the rest, that would be lovely; thank you.”

  Zac and Trigger reflexively followed Nina toward the back of the room. Once they had entered, she locked the door behind them and took a deep breath. She then quickly ran over to Zac and embraced him deeply. She started to stroke the back of his head and then looked over her shoulder as she spoke to both Zac and Kenji,

  “Lesson 1: Never show weakness. Regardless of how sophisticated or rational they seem, power reigns absolute; do not hesitate to show your superiority.” Nina spoke.

  Zac shuttered into his mother's arms; he understood what she was doing. She was telling him how to handle the other cryptids, as well as all other living creatures. She didn’t want to show herself being vulnerable in front of the humans. Zac sighed in relief as he wrapped his arms around his mother, trying his best to hold himself together.

  “You know Zac wants revenge?” Trigger had caught on as well. Although he didn’t understand why he was called to the back with them, he was still in denial about his situation.

  “Lesson 2: Gteju, do not seek petty vengeance. We cast judgment and deliver punishment or grant absolution.” She pushed Zac away from her and stared into his eyes, saying,

  “And from my little Keta’s look, the punishment has already been decided.” Nina then smiled wickedly at her son.