Welcome to Gaia! ::

During the day - whether she is away or not at the time is entirely up to you - a package arrives at Samael's residence. Although a large and heavy parcel, it is rather unassuming, save for the name of the sender written on a corner -- Lab 305.

Inside the package is a metal briefcase. Upon opening the locked case, she will find her Soul Glass and Fel Essence tucked into fitted slots inside dark grey foam lining the interior. Not only that, but fitted into the top half of the case and held in place by elastic straps are a set of documents with blank lines for her signature, a stapled set of sheets with names, phone numbers, and addresses, a small business card, and a handwritten note.

The note reads as follows:

Quote:

Greetings, Samael!

Let me be the first to congratulate you on becoming a Guardian! My name is Zeke, and I am one of the staff members here at Lab 305. Out of numerous applications to our program, we felt that you were best fitted to become the newest addition to our family! So welcome and congratulations!

In this briefcase you will find your Soul Glass, Fel Essence, and a couple of documents - one of which needs your signature and must be returned to the Lab with your Glass and Essence upon your capture of a soul. The other is a list of contact information of every Guardian and Raevan pairing in the Lab. I've taken the liberty of highlighting the names of staff for you, but you will find us at the top of the first sheet!

I know this must be rather surprising for you, so before I go any further let me just state that if you have any questions at any time, please feel free to call, text, or email me and I will be more than happy to provide answers or guidance in general. That being said, let's get on with the show!

As I wrote above, you will find your Soul Glass and Fel Essence inside the briefcase. You are the Guardian to the Poison Apple Essence, which has already been written down on the legal documents you will have to date and sign. Your Soul Glass is that big glass and metal contraption to the left of your Essence Jar, and will be the thing you need to use in order to help us make your future Raevan. Please take note of the cloth between the metal and glass parts as it is important. Souls have colors and the cloth acts as a limiter and something of a fail-safe so that the bottle will not suck up just anything around it. As yours is black and white, it will only activate around things (be they animal, plant, mineral, metal, etc) that fit one or both of those colors.

When you capture a soul, the glass bulb will appear to have a smoke-like gas inside of it. When this happens simply return the filled Glass, the Essence, your signed documents, and the case to the Lab. There is a business card tucked in alongside this note for our carrier service. Contact them when you are ready to return your items and they will pick them up from your home. As soon as we get them back we will begin the process of making them into your Raevan!

Whew! I hope I covered everything well enough in this note as far as what you need to do now that you are a Guardian! If not, and as before, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me. My phone is always on and I'm always happy to talk with members of the Lab family!

Hope to hear from you soon and congratulations again!

Sincerely,

Zeke Farris

Samael blinked as she heard the knock on her door. She wasn’t expecting any company and she lived far enough out that people didn’t just randomly show up at her door. The red head was relaxing on her day off, sipping her favorite brew and reading about the feeding habits of the sea snake. Putting her beer down on the coffee table she walked to her door, peeking out of the little eye door. It was a delivery man! She looked confused, she hadn’t ordered anything and it wasn’t her birthday. Maybe her parents were sending her something from their travels. Her parents were constantly traveling, exploring new areas and documenting the changes in the environment. She smiled as she signed for the case, thinking how her family seemed to complete the study of the natural world. Her father was a well-respected geologist who specialized in soil quality. Her mother complimented his studies as a botanist, specializing in exotic carnivorous plants. Growing up with such nature loving parents inspired the young girl to learn more about the world through exploration and observance.

She’d discovered a love of animals early on, admiring how some were nurturing and caring while others left their offspring to fend for themselves. How some were deadly while others merely defended themselves from predators. It was a balance, prey and predator, that she marveled at. Shaking her head, her long hair brushing across her back and rear, she returned her thoughts to the briefcase. Taking it back into the living room she cleared an area off the coffee table, tossing a few empty bottles and a bag of Chinese takeout into the trash. Clicking the locks, she opened the case, only to be surprised by the contents. A small jar was the first thing she noticed, mostly because of the fruit that seemed to be stored inside it. The bright red apple looked as if a slice had been removed but it showed no signs of browning or deterioration. Even in a vacuum the apple would still break down. Curious. The other larger object in the case was a clear glass bottle, like a lab bottle, with a small bit of black fabric striped with white.

This…..was not from her parents. She was quite sure of that. Looking up she noticed the documents contained in side, taking them from their band and spreading them out on the couch. Being the Head Keeper of two animal houses in the Zoo Sam was quite use to legal to documentation. Health codes, animal care regulations, OSHA rules, etc. Perhaps there was more of an explanation of the objects in the case. Some papers were obviously legal; places for her signature and lists of responsibilities and regulations regarding her objects. Another was a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers. None of them seemed to have any significance however. They didn’t have any titles for the company or any other identifying information. A business card for Lab 305….wait a minute? Didn’t she apply to be a care taker for one of their creations? She remembered a while back, during a particularly low moment after the death of one of her favorite snakes, she’d wanted to care for something. So she’d sent in her information to the shop thinking she needed more company around the house. It’d been awhile and she’d thought she’d not been chosen. But it seems she was wrong.

Finally Sam took the hand written note, picking her beer up with her other hand, and read through it. This Zeke guy seemed nice enough, and she was correct in her assumption; she’d been chosen to be a guardian! Well this should prove interesting. Looking down at the bottle and jar again she wondered what exactly she would be the guardian OF much less what kind of animal. The names and numbers were for other guardians and….raevan? Hmm, well at least she would have someone to call and ask if she was completely lost. But Sam rarely felt lost, even when she’d gotten lost on an expedition one time. For a week, she walked through some rough terrain, keeping her wits about her, until she found a camp and was able to call for assistance. It’d been a fun journal and she’d written a book about it later, highlighting the different interactions of the nocturnal creatures with a sudden new stimulus in their environment.

As she continued reading she became more curious as to the making of these creatures. They needed a soul? And that bottle was what would catch it? Reaching over she picked up the bottle, turning it over with gentle hands as if it were one of her charges. It was clear glass though seemed to have a strange thickness to it. The metal was cool to the touch and the fabric was soft, almost like fur. The black and white stripes made her smile, thinking of some of her favorite animals. The king snake was black and white, very lovely in its pattern. The milk snake, a variant of corn snake, and a species of water snake were also striped like this. Of course, the most common two black and white animals were zebras and skunks, the latter being one of Sam’s other charges in the nocturnal house. However, the animal lover wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of taking the life of a creature. She was glad the cloth limited what the bottle could absorb, goodness knows what would happen if it took whatever was closest! Though the wording said plant and mineral as well. But that was for later she decided. She needed to understand what she needed to do.

Finishing the letter, she noted she was to send her bottle back in with the essence when captured soul was contained. Then she would eventually receive her Raevan. It all seemed so fantastic, Sam was a woman who lived in reality and the natural world. She preferred to see and touch things, to interact with them to under their behavior. But this was different. The essence itself was a partially eaten apple and required the soul of something to combine. It sounded like reincarnation. Even being studiers of the natural world Sam’s parents were Catholic, seeing the wonder of creation in everything. They didn’t believe the creator operated on any form of human time, doing things as it saw fit. Hence their belief in evolution and age of the world. Sam’s name, Samael, was one of the seven arch angel’s name. Samael was the Venom of God, which turned out to be appropriate for the young girl given her adoration of snakes. So, the idea of a soul didn’t seem too farfetched.

Setting the bottle back into the case she picked up the jar, turning it over in her hands. Looking at one paper that described the item she raised one red eyebrow. A poisoned apple? How was that an essence? Sure, she’d seen the famous movie but she’d also read the original story. Her mother loved to read her proper fairytales whether they were disturbing or not. The apple itself seemed so menacing for being so simple. Then again apples had a religious and historical reputation for being the root of evil. The Tree of Knowledge in the bible, the Golden Apples that started the Trojan War. So, it wasn’t surprising that this little fruit would carry such a sinister explanation. Perhaps this was made by a Queen many years ago, perhaps it was a whole tree that had been growing and cultivated. Her mother would love to look this thing over. But given its description of the symptoms caused due to ingestion she was reluctant to remove it from the jar. She placed it gently back inside the case.

Having examined everything, the red head sat back and though things over. Well she’d been chosen, and whatever this essence was it needed to be cared for. Better her than someone with less than honorable morals perhaps. She’d have to think about the soul later. For now, she finished filling out the paperwork, signing her name as she’d done a thousand times for feed shipments and animal transfers. Good thing she was use to paperwork. Sipping her beer, she returned to enjoying her day, though now she could think of ideas of what her Raevan would be like. She’d have to fix up one of her spare rooms for the creature. Perhaps one of the other guardians could assist her in learning what she needed for proper care. Another adventure, another animal to learn. How exciting!

A few weeks after visiting Rueben and proper use of the herbs she’d been given, Sam was no closer to calming her charge than she’d been before. The herbs seem to have no effect whether placed in his food, his water, or even rubbed into his bedding. Oils were not preferred given his cleanliness and smoke was forbidden. No visible change in behavior had been witnessed. Hurtz still bit other caretakers and acted aggressively to the other skunks he’d been placed with. Sam didn’t know what else to do! A tan hand ran through her long red locks, green eyes looking tired. She’d just gotten off the phone with zoo admin and they were decidedly unhappy with her progress. They wanted results. They wanted Hurtz to behave socially, to be passive to his caretakers, and generally act like a domesticated cat. But that wasn’t his personality, that wasn’t his temperament. And it wasn’t his fault he was like this. Taking the file from her desk she looked over Hurtz history again, for the hundredth time.

Hurtz was brought to the zoo after a police raid on an illegal private zoo. The owner kept his animals in filthy cages with little water or shade. Medical care was only for visible wounds or obviously sick animals. There were plenty of the big cats and large carnivores so popular in zoos, they were the main draw. But small animals like Hurtz were kept for amusement. Hurtz was brought to the illegal zoo as a baby, his mother having been killed. He grew up in a horrible environment where daily he was antagonized to make him mad, to cause him to display the typical skunk defensive behavior of raised tail and stomping. He was kept alone, away from any others of his kind. Skunks were omnivores, insectivores more accurately, but he was mostly given rotten fruit or vegetables. He suffered from fleas and internal parasites. The illegal owner was still going through court, holding the investigation up and generally being a pain. Sam had attended the initial hearing and the man was completely unapologetic, claiming they were just animals and had no feelings. That they served a purpose in his zoo rather than being some feral barbarian in the wild. Over all he was in a very sad state when first brought to Sam’s unit. After dealing with his health problems and ensuring his diet was correct, his behavior was next on the list. But behavior was not as easy to change. There was no special routine to adjust him and make him trust his new caretakers.

Hurtz was distrusting of any human, especially men. Even though he was de-scented he still would attack with his nonexistent spray as best he could before simply scratching and biting. His front claws were sharp, meant for digging, while his teeth were quite pointy. Despite a bad diet Hurtz had excellent teeth. In fact, new interns or volunteers were usually hazed by sending them in to feed Hurtz. Whenever they were bit, the regular crew would look at them and say “Hurtz don’t it?” Sam was less than pleased to hear about this given the bad reputation skunks had for carrying rabies. All she needed was for some crying teenager to come to her in fear that they’d contracted rabies despite knowing all animals in the zoo were given rabies shots regularly. Around Sam Hurtz was slightly less aggressive, he still made sure she knew who was boss in his enclosure but didn’t out right rush attack her. She’d even petted him a few times, feeling how soft his fur had become with the proper diet.

Upon introduction to the other skunks he attacked them. This surprised the caretakers as all the other skunks they’d introduced him to were females. Hurtz was not fixed and male skunks typically kept a harem of females during breeding season. But Hurtz was having none of it, driving the females into logs and biting at their tails. So, he’d been separated. More attempts to socialize him all had the same results. They’d even put mirrors in his enclosure thinking perhaps if he just saw another skunk around he’d start to relax. But no, Hurtz was a one skunk show. The big carnivores brought in from the same zoo would be simply placed in their own enclosure but Zoo admin had little patience for animals like Hurtz. They were not endangered, they were not popular attractions, and caused more headache than they were worth. Sam feared if she couldn’t get Hurtz to behave he’d be sent off somewhere for “rehabilitation and release”. Hurtz would never survive out in the wild, he was too domesticated and too aggressive.

The phone on her desk rang. “Hello, Nocturnal House. Head Keeper Samael speaking. Oh! Hello Mr. Simpson.”

Mr. Simpson was the current head of the Zoo Administration. Sam disliked him but recognized the need for people like him. Mr. Simpson disliked animals and made no bones about it, but he was an excellent administrator and kept the zoo financially stable. However, his tone suggested this was not a social call.

“Yes Mr. Simpson I’m still trying to herbs. Yes sir, I understand your concerns but behavior is not something easily changed. I just need a little bit more time to….but sir…..what? But…but sir I know I can rehabilitate him if I…..but….” her shoulders slumped, her hand coming over her eyes as the man spoke. “No….no sir. I….I understand. If I may request sir…I’d prefer to be the one to administer it. He trusts me enough. Yes sir I understand. Yes sir. Yes sir. I’ll let you know. Goodbye.”

Tears welled into Sam’s eyes as she placed to phone down. The Zoo administration had deemed Hurtz too aggressive to keep and no other facility would take him. The decision was made to humanly euthanize him. Sam hadn’t even been included in the discussions, as of course she would have argued against it. But his species and temperament were against him. Females were more social and they had four of them. They’d hoped for a breeding population with Hurtz introduction, cute baby skunks to draw in the crowd. But his aggressive behavior made it impossible. At least Mr. Simpson gave her the solace of doing it herself. This wasn’t the first time she’d have to do this but the circumstances infuriated her. Other animals were put down due to deteriorating health or grievous injury. Never because “they are too mean.” But that’s all this was, a death sentence on an animal made aggressive by a heartless human. Sam let her tears fall, let her sorrow out for now. She needed to put on her brave face for the other keepers. Putting an animal down as the last resort of any zoo and, no matter who the animal was, it was a sad event.

Walking out of her office she went down to the feed prep room. All her keepers would be here preparing the evening meals for the animals. Calling them together she broke the news of Hurtz sentence. All of them were shocked, some could not speak, some wanted to argue with admin but Sam held up her hand. There was no use dragging this out. She told them she’d taken on the responsibility of administering it, so Hurtz would at least pass next to someone who cared about him. The other keepers looked to her both with sadness and in admiration. Sam’s love of animals was well known in the zoo, especially toward the animals less loved by others because they weren’t cuddly or cute. Sam saw purpose in all animals, they all had a place in the world. In zoo tradition, they all held hands, saying their favorite memory of Hurtz. Despite his behavior all of them had good memories to share, his funny little waddle due to an injury and his little grunting noises he made when rooting around in his enclosure. They all hugged Sam before returning to their duties.

Sam went through her evening rounds, checking the feed and looking in on all the animals. It was a habit of hers. She told the keepers she’d handle Hurtz first thing in the morning, letting him have one more night of peace before he left the world. All through her rounds she thought about him, thinking of what he could have accomplished if given the chance. But there was no way to save him. Stopping in front of the skunk case in the darkened room, she watched the females root around and under the branches they’d placed with food hidden inside. It encouraged their natural behavior and stimulated their minds to forage rather than be fed from a bowl. Their black and white stripes, each with their own characteristic design, were visible with the room darkened. Black and white stripes….she blinked as she looked back at her reflection in the glass. Then it seemed to come to her, a way to give Hurtz a better life perhaps. A new life. Sam quickly left the enclosure and went to her office.

From her locker she took out the briefcase which contained the poisoned apple and the strange glass jar, she liked to look it over on her lunch hour sometimes. Taking the glass soul jar, she looked at the fabric. Black with white stripes. She smiled sadly, thinking perhaps whoever made this bottle might have known what she would need. Sam waited until the other keepers left, telling them she didn’t want to leave just yet. They seemed to understand, patting her on the arm as they went home. Once she was sure everyone was gone she went to Hurtz’s enclosure.

“Hiya Hurtz,” she said as she began to open the door. She always announced herself to ensure the male wouldn’t be surprised. She was greeted by irritable grunting. His usual greeting. Looking around she spotted his bright shiney eyes under some leaves of a bush. “Thinking I’m here to give you some more herbs? Nah, not tonight. I have a present for you. Something….something to help you sleep tonight,” she said softly. Walking over to his normal bedding area she placed the glass soul jar against the back wall, covering it with wood chips a bit. Taking some time to clean his droppings and check his water she smiled as she heard the skunk come out of his hiding place to observe her work. He stayed back, out of arms reach, as usual. She moved slowly, not making any move too fast, so he could see everything she was doing. Finally, she was satisfied with her work. She just hoped it wouldn’t take several days for this to work. “Well Hurtz. I hope you sleep well. I….I will see you tomorrow,” she said with a tear sliding down her cheek as she left the enclosure.

Sam went home but barely slept. She was up at dawn and back at the zoo. Walking into Hurtz enclosure she could see him, still in his bedding area. But there was no small grunting noise, the cute snorting it he did while he slept. It was quiet…so quiet. Her breath catching in her throat, tears threatening to fall again, she walked over and placed a hand on Hurtz. No movement. No warmth. Just the soft fur and closed eyes. Reaching just past him she moved aside a few chips to reveal the glass soul jar. Inside a wispy smoke curled around. She blinked, tears now freely falling. His soul. That was Hurtz soul. Free from his body and ready for a new life. But….she looked down at the glistening fur. Part of him was still here. The battered body who’d lived a hard life. Picking up the furry bundle she sat in the enclosure, cradling him in her arms. She cried, cried freely and loudly. She hated it had come to this but she’d done what she could help him live a better life.

Her sobs attracted a few keepers who’d come in for early feeding. Coming in the gasped but silently knelt next to their Head Keeper. Again, despite his behavior, Hurtz was still one of their charges. And now he was gone. Sam kept the bottle out of site, handing Hurtz body to the other keepers. Animals put down at the zoo were always cremated and Hurtz would be no different. But she asked to have his ashes, so she could spread them in the forest near her home. She told them she felt he needed to back to nature, a nature he should have lived in if it hadn’t been for a selfish human. They nodded, understanding her request. Once they were gone, Sam took the bottle and held it against her chest. “Don’t worry Hurtz, I’ll make sure your new life is better than this. I’ll always love you take care of you.”[

A long day at the Zoo and several tours that lead to her being in tears landed Sam a few days of vacation to recover. She felt bad, leaving her charges and her houses for a few days for something so simple as sorrow. It wasn’t the first time an animal had died under her care, she just needed to process it. However, the other keepers insisted she needed to take time off and really take in Hurtz death. They’d even given him her ashes and told her to give him a funeral, to say goodbye. Maybe she did need some time to process his death, but she also knew it was temporary. While it’d been her choice to take his soul and use it for her Raevan she wondered if it was a little selfish. Maybe she should have left Hurtz to go in peace rather than giving him another life.

Back in her home she placed the small canister that contained Hurtz’s ashes on the counter. Going to her fridge she took a beer out, cracked it open, and took a swig. Walking to her back porch she sat down in her favorite chair and put her boots up on the hand railing. It was afternoon, the sun starting to dip down into the horizon. The whole sky was ablaze with color. It was beautiful. Even in the cool air of the winter she felt warmth from the sun spread over her face. Around this time of day, skunks would be starting to stir though most would likely still be hibernating now. Only waking up long enough to grab a snack before curling back up in their den with the others. Skunks were social in winter and breeding season. To think Hurtz could have had this, a warm den full of lovely females waiting for the spring breeding season. Then he would father adorable little stinkers of his own.

But no longer. His remains sat on her counter, the cause of death: human greed. His soul, now free from its earthly prison, was on its way to be reborn. Sam wondered about such technology and what kind of creature it would make with the essence. A poisoned apple, a creation from a children’s fairytale. Or was it? Maybe it was real. Sam believed some things were true at one point but a human’s tendency to blow it out of proportion was common. Maybe fairytales were the same. And would it still have some skunk attributes? A long fluffy tail? White stripes? She even wondered, with a smile, if it would still have its aromatic abilities.

The sun began to dip more and Sam finished her beer. Tossing the bottle into the trash she took the canister from the counter and walked down the steps of her back porch. She walked for a bit, through the woods covering her property. She owned a great deal, enough to let her get outside in nature rather than a suburb. Finding a nice quiet area in a clearing she knelt down. Looking down at the canister she stroked the lid a bit, sighed. “I guess this is where we say goodbye Hurtz.”

Truthfully, she had to admit this really was goodbye. Hurtz was dead. What was in the soul jar heading for the lab was not Hurtz. Hurtz was the skunk who survived abuse only for it to hurt him in ways Sam hadn’t been able to cure. Hurtz was the grumpy little skunk who feared humans but still showed himself to be strong and feisty. That was all Hurtz. And a soul could never reproduce that. It may have been his life, but it wasn’t Hurtz. Unscrewing the canister, she poured his ashes under the roots of a nice stump, a good place for any skunk to make a burrow. She scooped dirt and rocks over the small pile as well as pouring some seeds over the ashes. They were apple seeds. Maybe one day a tree would grow here, to commemorate the skunk he’d been and the creature he was about to be reborn as. It was there that Sam truly cried. Great sobs welled up inside her as she finished burying the ashes, her tears mixing with the cold earth. It hurt. Her heart ached at the idea of what he’d been through. But a feeling of warmth resided alongside it. Hurtz was healthy when he passed. He was in a warm burrow with a full belly and no pain. It was all she could have wanted. If she’d had to euthanize him he’d have been scared, biting and clawing the staff until the drug took effect. Then she would’ve watched his life slip away. It was hard and she’d done it before, but this would have been different.

Letting her sorrow pour out she wept for the little creature until all her tears fell. Wiping her face with her sleeve she stood, looking up at the rising moon. It was night, the creatures of this time would be out looking for their morning meal. She could hear some, those that didn’t hibernate. With a soft sigh, she began her walk back to the house. She could only hope what became of Hurtz’s soul would be happy with the life she was giving it.

The darkness slipped away from her mind, her dream already forgotten. They’d been of a face, smiling but cold in the eyes. Who was he? A brightness brought consciousness as soft brown eyes opened. Morning birds chirped in the cool air as Sam stretched, waking with sunlight streaming into her bedroom. Her long red hair a mess as always, the morning mass she called it. Lifting a hand, she opened the blinds, letting more of the new day’s light into her room.

Opening the window, despite the cold, she took a deep breath. The dew on the grass giving the air a fresh smell. She loved this part of the day, a new day with a new start. Tau always talked about the new day’s sun as it referred to his god Ra, his rebirth every morning after fighting off chaos in the night. It was a nice idea, something to help you start over if you’d had a bad day. It was hope.

Throwing the covers back she stood up, grabbing the brush from the night stand. No matter what the day held the first thing she had to do was brush her long a** hair. Settling down on the large truck she used for both a seat and storage she began the laborious task. Her co-workers always asked why she didn’t just cut it for easier care. But Sam loved her hair and took excellent care of it.

It'd been a long couple of weeks getting everything taken care of for the zoo after Hurtz's "death", arranging the deposit of the donations and putting the plaque in a proper place with the other animals who'd pasted away. Passed away, more like murdered, she thought with a slight bit of bitterness.

Once her long locks were tamed for the day, she took a quick shower and got dressed. She needed to have things ready for when Tau came over. Walking out into her small living room she finished cleaning up as best she could. While Sam wasn’t a dirty person she didn’t always keep things neat and orderly in her home. A knock on the door announced her second in command.

“Come on in, Tau. Door’s open,” she called.

“Hey boss! You awake early!” the large, Egyptian smiled as he walks inside. The man looked like a giant in her small home.

“I’m always up this early!” she grinned, “I don’t keep my charges hours you know.”

Tau just laughed and crossed his arms, “So you need my help today? Some big project?”

“Yeah, plus I owe you an explanation about what happened with Hurtz,” she said softly as she walked toward a door against the wall. Opening it revealed a staircase.

“You have been a little quite on the matter,” his voice following her as she walked.

The staircase lead to the attic, a dusty place but still fairly large as it covered the whole lower floor. There were two windows, one in the front that was large and one in the back which was smaller.

“So what you wanting to do with this place, boss?” Tau asked curiously as he looked around at the junk.

“I need to make it into a proper bedroom. I’m going to have someone living with me soon enough,” she said as she coughed, waving a spider web away.

“Living here? With you? Don’t be telling me you got a boyfriend?” Tau put his hands to his face is faux surprise and horror.

“NO! I do not have a boyfriend! That’s too much trouble,” she rolled her eyes and smacked his arm.

“Ah but you are such a good woman. I’m still surprised you ain’t found a man yet,” he smiled genuinely.

“Ah but I have you, that’s all I need Tau,” she grinned and poked him, “At least when your wife lets me borrow you. How is Salina?”

“Doing well, the baby is healthy and growing strong,” he smiled as he began helping clean. He’d been out on maternity leave as well as visiting his sick family.

“That’s good. I might understand parenthood sooner than I expected if this pans out. So, let me start at the beginning….”

Sam oofed as she carried the rest of the supplies up the staircase to the cleaned-out attic space. So far, she’d brought up sanders, face masks, and other finishing equipment. The attic itself needed little carpentry work but it definitely needed some love to make it a true living space. The red head wanted the room to be completely ready when she received word of her new charge. That also meant furniture and other such living arrangement things. She wasn’t sure what kind of bed or dresser the Raevan would need. She didn’t even know if she needed to buy clothes. It seemed the Raevan’s formed their own, as Dior’s hoodie was almost a part of her. Luckily Salina volunteered to help her with those details. Sam hardly understood decorating and Salina adored it. She remembered the fuss she’d made when Sam helped Tau get the nursery ready. Apparently, the room was to be red and black, two colors that Tau found a bit disturbing given their association with Set, the God of Evil. Salina also believed in the Gods as Tau did but pointed out they were the two dominant colors in the two items used. Sam didn’t mind red, for obvious reasons, and black paired well with most colors. It would make furniture shopping a bit easier as well.

For now, she put her mind to the task of ensuring the room was safe and at least painted. The large loft area was one big open room with a high ceiling that slanted from the roof. Now that it was clean of random things, all of which were now either displayed tastefully on the lower floor or put in storage, it looked far bigger than she thought. It would be perfect for her new charge. Charge? Was that the proper word for it? Was there a proper word for a young Raevan? Her mind worked like any scientist, trying to find the proper names for the different stages of life in animals. Even humans had proper names for their growing offspring. Perhaps ‘child’ was better if they all acted like Dior in the beginning. At least she wouldn’t have to change diapers.

First thing on the list was to open the windows, both letting in fresh air and providing an air current to blow dust away and out. Sam rolled her braided hair into a large bun, keeping it as free from dust would save on her water bill when she tried to wash it out. Putting a face mask and glasses on she began sanding the floors and walls. Her home was mostly wood, she preferred a natural look to her house rather than the cookie cutter homes of the suburbs. She removed any rough areas on the floor first, even though her Raevan would float for the first part of their life. She would, of course, put down rugs just to add some insulation and noise dampening but she still needed to make the floor right. Good thing she’d also thought ahead to get some knee pads. The floor had to be done first, given how much might fall on it while she worked on the other areas. Doing so afterward would just be a headache and make her clean more than once. Frankly, Sam preferred to clean once and be done with it.

As she worked Sam thought more on the idea of what her Raevan would be. Tau seemed to think it would be a boy, a noble Prince born of an item made by a Queen. But just as easily it could be a girl, given it was a Princess story. Still, Tau insisted no matter which gender the Raevan would be it would be of royal blood. So to compliment this the room should be fit for a King. She smirked behind her mask, imagining some regal crowned Raevan strutting around her home while she drank a beer and watched nature documentaries. Yeah, that would be an interesting pair. Then again she hadn’t considered the personality of the child. Despite what some people think children did have personalities from birth, their own way of viewing and reacting to the world. Some were shy and withdrawn, preferring to observe the world apart from it. Others were bold and daring, charging forward with no fear of what may lie before them. Dior seemed to be of the latter type, unafraid of trying new things. Tau’s new daughter, Zahra, seemed to be more observant. A quiet baby who enjoyed being talked to and looking at bright things. Tau said her name meant blooming, flourishing, or flower. Good name for a pretty young girl. Names; this was yet another aspect of her child she’d not thought about. Be it boy or girl she’d no idea what to name her child. Did they come with a name? Something they were born with and new intrinsically? All the thinking was distracting her from her task so she cleared her head and continued working.

Once the floor was finished she began working on the walls, filling in holes then sanding over them once the fill was dry. This took a lot longer, giving Sam time to break for lunch and stretch her back out. Earlier Tau offered his help but Sam refused, saying he needed to spend more time with his newborn. Plus she had a sense about these things, building a shelter as it were. Her mother and father taught her how to protect herself from the elements in just about any climate and environment. So why not in the modern human environment? They walls were bare gray colored, very boring and sad looking in a way. The new paint would bring such life to them, and hopefully be pleasing to her child.

Once everything was sanded smooth Sam brushed away all the dust and dirt, taking the time to clean up after her initial work. The room looked better, at least it looked as if someone could live there. For now, it was all she would do. The next bit of work was going to take two people, the other of course being Tau. Sam wanted to add a balcony to the room, a blank wall facing south would do well. The Raevan could view the sun either rising or setting from this position. Once that had been done she could paint and really begin fixing up the room to look like a home.

Dear Diary the words are scribbled out

I can't start this that way. It just doesn't feel right. I've decided to keep a written account now that I have my raevan's room ready and furnished. Without much more to prepare I feel recording my thoughts and observations of myself and my eventual child. Mother always said it was best to write things down as it was a clear picture of what one is experiencing in the moment, rather than trying to recall the memories later. I used this method a lot when I was in the bush studying animals for my masters. Though in this first entry I will think about my previous feelings and thoughts, then move on to in the now entries as I progress.

I suppose I'll start at the beginning though it's not the day you think. The day I received the soul bottle and essence got the ball rolling, but I put the ball in play far earlier. The beginning really happened several years ago after one of my favorite snakes passed away. It hit me quite hard as I'd babied the big guy since my first day at the zoo. My sweet Bernard. He was a handsome boa, strong and the father of several clutched by our other big boa. His coloring was amazing, lovely markings that showed in all his children. I remember he even mated with our albino female, giving him a lovely set of marked white and yellow children. Such a proud papa. He always seemed to know when I would visit, coming up to the glass to watch me walk towards the door. His tongue flicking out to sense me as I entered his enclosure.
No one else would go in with him by themselves, but I felt no fear. I respected his power, knowing he could easily kill me. But some animals form a bond or friendship with their keepers. Several of the lions have done this in the Big Cat Pen, as well as one elephant and even one of our hippos.
Not everyone will bond, but those that do make the work so much more enjoyable. That's the way it was with Big Bernard. Some of the other workers said he just enjoyed hunting me but I always felt some connection to him. A power and intensity behind his gaze but never aggression or violence.

But the bond was not to last, not as long as I'd wish. Bernard was an older snake, having grown up in the amazon but then being caught and sold in the pet trade. We acquired him and extended his life as best we could given his species. I remember the day my heart broke, the day we found the lump. It wasn't in a normal spot so we quickly examined him. My heart still jumps into my throat at the though. Cancer. Unfortunately it was already beginning to spread, the tumors so small they'd gone undetected until the large one grew. Every organ was affected, no surgery could spare him his fate.
But we did all we could to make him happy. Extra treats and I visited him every day. Bernard lasted another few months until I found him, curled up in his favorite spot. When he didn't move to me I knew he was gone. I will admit it hurt, not being there to say goodbye. Tau was kind, allowing me my time to mourn and understanding my heartache.

I felt so......lost. Despite all my other chargers to care for, Bernard's loss hit me deeply. Like I'd lost something and it created a hole in my heart. I didn't get much sleep, my mind unable to slip into the comfort of slumber The sun seemed so dim, colors were dull; even sound seemed muffled. Nothing tasted good, I didn't eat proper for a couple weeks. Tau and Salina came over often, trying to get me to eat. They tried all sorts of foods, but I desired nothing and had no appetite. Salina worried over me like a mother, threatening to send word to my parents if I didn't start eating normally. It was during that period I saw a notice about being a guardian while on a walk during my lunch hour. I'd been wandering really, not paying attention to where my feet too me when I saw a flyer on the ground. It was called for people to be a guardian to a creature called a Raevan. One could apply by filling out a lengthy form and providing information showing you could care for them.

That pulled at me, filling me with an ambition I hadn't felt since Bernard died. I still remember looking over the form, wondering what kind of creature it would be. You were required to provide it a room and care, though feeding was unique to each creature. This confused me. How could each creature have a unique type of feed? Either way I filled it out and sent it in, not really expecting much. I'm a single woman with a small home, dedicated to my job and my furry and scaley children. But I still felt I had to do this, to at least try. While it took a few years I did finally receive the bottle and essence. So now my wait begins.

I wonder how this play out but for now, I will end this entry here. The next entry will discuss my thoughts and research on my essence and soul.

*WARNING*
The following post may contain subjects that could be upsetting. If you are sensitive to the subject of animal abuse or animal exploitation, please do not read.
*WARNING*



The Soul
The next part of my report is a little troubling. Just writing it makes me cry so please pardon any wet marks or runny ink. It is a detailed account of the acquisition and history of the soul I used in the creation of my raevan. For the creation of a Ravean an essence, as discussed in my previous chapter, is required as well as the soul of an organic object. I was more than a little surprised to read in the provided material that even things like stones, gems, and plants contained souls usable in the creature of these creatures. Though perhaps I shouldn’t be surprise, the world is only visible in a few ways to humans. Why couldn’t there be souls in all things natural? But what could I use? According to the paperwork the fabric on the soul bottle was to assist, being colored like whatever item it would most easily capture. Mine had some lovely black fabric with white stripping. It made me think of several snakes as well as the typical zebra. The idea of taking the life of animal did not sit well with me, I tried to think of nonliving things but came up with nothing.

The soul I decided to capture...is...was a North American Striped Skunk. His name was Hurtz. A beautiful creature who got handed a bad hand in life. I hope with this I’ve given him a new life, one that will prove happier than his previous. If he hadn’t been given a death sentence I would never have chosen him, but sadly he did not have long. My superiors decided he was too aggressive to keep and no other zoo would take him. So, instead of putting him humanely to sleep, I decided to give him a second chance in another life.

From the court documents I have a decent idea of Hurtz life before he came to my zoo. He was born wild, most likely to a litter of 4-6 kits. However, he was taken from his mother or she was killed during his acquisition. Perhaps she was defending her kits. The documents recovered by the police have a few details such as “the capture of a little stinker” and “new baby toy for the show.” The thought that he might have been ripped away from his natural life just makes me angry. As a male he was territorial by nature, skunks have a naturally large range so when he was caged it most likely caused a great deal of stress. The reason he was taken from the wild was to be placed in an illegal zoo run by Neil Kelard, a well-known smuggler and con man. I’ve spoken with several officers and most know him as a smuggler, unapologetic and uncaring for any of his “acquirements” as he called them. For years he worked the black market, helping the rich get whatever illegal items they decided they had to have at any price. He decided to go into business for himself with the zoo, working his contacts to bring in all sorts of exotic animals. Most of these animals are in the care of the zoo, sadly some did not survive their time in the zoo and have pasted from disease or malnutrition.

Hurtz was part of his “local” themed area. Other local animals like pumas, bats, badgers, possums, and foxes were also captured. I admit I’m confused as to why there was such a section but apparently it was quite popular with the children of the rich clients Neil appealed to. Rich clients would bring their little children, so they could see their local wild life up close. I just wish they’d come to the zoo, but apparently if Little Timmy can’t touch the animals he throws a fit. According to the reports he also ran an illegal hunting ring, bringing in animals for his clients. Several skins, pelts, and other animal parts used in trophy hunting were found along with the living animals. He would injury them to make it easy for his clients, allowing them to have great fun stalking and killing a terrified animal.

Skunks are raised for their furs so I was afraid Hurtz had been on the list for hunting, his scent glands removed but had not been fixed. The thought he would be released into the private land owned by Neil for sport hunting just makes me shiver. But from what I’ve read I’d rather he’d been hunted than what he was put through. Skunks have a unique fighting stance, stamping and raising up to scare animals. They rarely have large predators, birds of prey being the only ones able to kill them before they spray. Clients would antagonize him, purposely making him angry just to see his reactions. Basically, it was torture, he could never trust anyone coming close to his cage. I found evidence in x-rays of broken bones, which sadly means he was beaten. I hope he gave whoever hit him a good bite. While I worked tirelessly to change his behavior with all manner of techniques he remained aggressive and could not be placed with our female skunks. We’d hoped for a breeding population but sadly he just attacked the others. My supervisors decided he was beyond our help and ordered him to be euthanized. It broke my heart to think of all he’d come through, the one hope we had for him to live a quiet life was now being taken away. Just because he wouldn’t “perform” properly. Why can’t people just understand animals won’t act the way they want? They act as nature intended, and that’s not always very nice.

Thankfully the police finally discovered his operation and shut it down, arresting him. At least 50 animals were taken from the zoo, over half of them were unable to survive. Most were diseased, some where extremely injured, others were basically starved. Neil didn’t care if he was feeding his animals a proper diet, so long as they didn’t look too terrible he kept them out for view. Any animal that began to go downhill was either killed and sold in pieces or put in the hunting range. They were nothing but a way to make money and given his smuggling knowledge he could always get more. Only 20 animals managed to survive their time in the zoo. Three tigers, 2 elephants, 1 lion, 1 bear, 5 types of birds, 5 large reptiles, 1 fox, 1 bat, and 1 skunk. Neil was unapologetic, stating he was doing no harm as they were just “dumb animals.” He is one of those who believe humans are above all things, the greatest things in creation. He is a worthless excuse of a person and I can only hope they find him. I was present during his arrangement, gave testimony as to the condition of the animals to prevent his release or his bonding. All he did was smirk, rolling his eyes every time I spoke about the horrible conditions the animals were in. Sadly, as of this writing, Neil made bail after his initial arrangement then skipped town. The officers don’t know where he’s gone and don’t have a great amount of time to look for him.

But on the night, he was to be put down, I placed the soul bottle in his bedding and hoped he could forgive me. I suppose I will only know once my Raevan is born.