Chapter 11: Chapter 10: Decisions

“Okay bud, I can’t make this choice, or choices, for you. You can evolve or you can mutate, maybe both.” Carl said in a voice and with a demeanour eerily similar to what Lydia used the first day they met, which made her stifle a chuckle.

’What does everyone else think?’ Squidge asked looking around.

“Evolution sounds cool, but you could change significantly, mutation sounds more like it modifies what you are now.” Lydia said, giving her scientific and medical opinion.

“Yeah, personally I think you should mutate first. Sounds like that will fine tune you more then if you can evolve it should take those modifications into account.” Klaire added.

“I just want you to be you. I’m not using you as chimeric material. I promise.” Carl said, mostly to himself instead of the others.

’Okay then Dad, I’m ready to mutate.’

“First it said my job could affect options, so what do you want to be? I will choose my job to help you follow your own path.” Carl asked and explained with almost paternal devotion, whilst Lydia pinched her nose and Klaire’s cheek.

’I want to be like the wyvern, strong enough to keep you and Mummy safe.’ Squidge was unusually adamant and Carl felt a twinge of pride in his beloved friend.

[ TWO JOB SLOTS AVAILABLE PLEASE MAKE SELECTIONS ]

“I don’t have zenozoology, so I best stick with cryptozoology and zoology and hope that covers enough general creature types to make it work.” Carl muttered to himself, feeling a little guilty that he was lacking a subject that would have made him more confident.

[ JOB SLOTS FILLED ]

[ACTIVATE SQUIDGE SKILL MUTATE? Y/N ]

“You sure Squidge, you can take some time to think it through.” Carl asked before continuing at his assurance. “Yes.”

[ PET = SQUIDGE, IS MUTATING PLEASE CHOOSE FROM FOLLOWING CHOICES ]

[ ADVANCED METAMORPHOSIS OR CONTROLLED METAMORPHOSIS ]

[ ELEMENTAL CONTROL OR ELEMENTAL MANIPULATION ]

[ MENTAL ENHANCEMENT OR PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENT ]

[ SWITCH TO SEXUAL REPRODUCTION? Y/N ]

[ SKILL RESHUFFLE OR ADD SKILL ]

Carl repeated the options and choices to Squidge, then after he had decided, Carl made them in his stead. “Advanced metamorphosis, elemental control, mental enhancement, NO! Add skill.”

[ MUTATION OPTIONS SELECTED, MUTATION WILL BEGIN ]

As the notice faded, Squidge melted into a gelatinous puddle, which then began to bubble and glow before exploding into light and reforming into a new, larger puddle.

[ MUTATION COMPLETE ]

’Dad, that hurt a little bit. Can I stay a puddle for a while?’ Squidge groaned.

“What did Grandma say about that last time you puddled out in the middle of the floor?” Carl replied, making Lydia howl with fresh laughter as she repeated “Grandma” and Klaire blush at the increasing implication they had an actual child.

Squidge was not laughing, that was no laughing matter in his opinion. The puddle began to reform, undulating and bubbling and coalescing into a more solid form, however it was not the form they knew.

He was the same size and general shape, but his tail now ended in a few blades that opened and closed to turn it into a spear tip. His front legs had become spined with tissue that spread between and were basically just like the wyvern’s which doubled as wings and lastly he had grown a spinal ridge that pointed at he base of his neck forming an arrow.

“Okay… Squidge, we need you to stay calm. I order you to lay down until the excitement passes.” Carl hated giving him orders, he liked his friend to be free, but the idea of Squidge getting excited and flying around destroying the place was vivid and not something he wanted to explain to his Mum.

Squidge done as he was told, asking why until they told him and he fought with every fibre of his being to break free of the order and give his new tail a few test swipes, not to mention the wings, the places he could go, the things he could do and with the ridges he could fly his Mummy and Dad places and they wouldn’t get blown off.

He hadn’t calmed down enough to be released before the front door hissed and as Leanna put her slippers on she could hear Carl mumbling exhaustively, seemingly to himself. After the day they had had, she was expecting some odd behaviour, but this was full breakdown level rambling.

“Carl!” She shouted as the privacy door hissed open and she took a few steps inside before freezing solid at the sight of her son, ranting and raving to himself in front of a Gelatinous dragon. Backed by an amused pair of women, who were stifling their laughs at her reaction.

“One minute Mu-”

“Carl, talk to me now or I’ll end you.” She spoke bluntly and made the girls crack up even more and he came to a screeching halt as he realised he gave his mum the “don’t interrupt finger”, which was her signature move against him. “Sit. Explain. The fact the hyenas aren’t worried isn’t exactly enough to make me unconcerned. Did you get another pet already?”

Carl sat down immediately, not even finding a seat, just on the floor where he had been standing. “First, I got the ability to talk to my pets telepathically, I’m not mad, the skill is on my system. Second, no, I didn’t, this is Squidge he just mutated. He was excited about the new form and I didn’t want him getting excited and wrecking the place.”

That was only the start of the long explanation, Lydia left after taking a few more samples to test from them, promising she would be back to babysit in the morning and ready for a family chat the next day.

They were allowed to sleep in the same room, after reciting the order once again, but unlike other times Leanna didn’t disturb them during the night just to double check. Though they didn’t know whether that was due to increased faith in Squidge thanks to his new form, or simply because they were adults now.

Either way they didn’t want to exploit that new found freedom, or rush into doing anything and besides… Squidge was a major obstacle now, his front arms had clawed hands that threatened to attack them, his tail a bladded whip ready to lash them. They were not getting past the upgraded “bed-boarder security” as he was known.

The next day, everyone was summoned from their sleeping positions, not that much sleep had happened for any that weren’t gelatinous sentient weapons. “Come on guys, I’ve been awake since two AM earth time and need to pee!” Lydia’s voice called out, earning a derisive scoff from Leanna.

“Come in then you indecent succubus!” Leanna called, which was enough permission for the door to recognise and hiss open, revealing three women, one of whom ran over to Carl and the other to Klaire.

“My baby boy, are you okay?”

“My baby girl, are you okay?”

“Just like after that trip before the Duos contest…” Leanna grumbled.

“Guess we got you all out of bed. I’ll get coffee started.” Lydia said as the toilet door closed behind her on her way out.

Leanna went and greeted the ladies before returning to her room to get ready for work. She would have liked to spend the day with everyone, but she had other charges still on that world, where her own son had witnessed an Omina-class danger emerge.

The two ladies were still checking over their children when she returned. “I’ll leave them in your care ladies. Make sure they don’t do anything stupid until we talk later.”

“Trust us, we will be keeping these trouble magnets well protected.” Carl’s original mum swore.

“Thanks Alisha, the son-stealing ankle-biter at least knows how to think things through.” Leanna grumbled, earning an exasperated sigh from Danielle.

“Yes, your daughter-stealing heart-breaker-son was never good at that, so I will need to keep her safe.” Danielle retorted making the ladies chuckle as much as it made the subjects uncomfortable.

With that, Leanna left…

“Now the morning buzz-kill is gone, should we go pet shopping, I still have that contact info and they can have the creatures on the list here in an hour. Have you got the up-to-date one on your slate?” Lydia said, eager to see the next pet and secretly Leanna’s reaction.

“First…” Klaire said, breaking away from her mum. “I want to go through the Howling after graduation.”

The words tore at the adults. “Klaire, swee-”

“Mum, we saw an Omina-class threat, a wyvern killed us, not nearly, did, then that man showed up and waved it away like a bad smell. Every time I close my eyes I can feel that dread, I need to get over it, to do that, I need to get stronger. Carl wants to tailor the next pet into something that will help me. Please.”

After a brief glance at one another, the adults led them to the seats around the kitchen island. “If you’re sure. The Howling is horrific and I’m not saying that just to scare you off. Your very soul will be ripped to shreds and reformed, over and over again, as the ancient banshees of Faylorn reshape you from ankle-biter to banshee.”

“If you are dead set on it, something that can soothe the soul, protect from elements and provide nourishment when she is too weak to feed herself would be best Carl. Does that help at all?” Lydia said feeling guilty as she realised this is what they had discussed in private.

“Lastly and I’m not just saying this to scare you further Klaire, failing the Howling is far worse than anything.” Alisha added, it was no secret that she was half banshee herself. She had told Carl and the others before, but she was so far removed from that bloodline she had no traits to speak of.

“Mum? You took the Howling?” Carl asked, that was a secret she had never told anyone.

“Yes, I did. It is also what led me to you, so I don’t regret it, but Klaire needs to know. If you fail, it won’t only rob you of a sizeable portion of your stats, it will also render you completely infertile. You will never have a child your own, that is why families like yours where descendants are important wait until much later usually and why families like mine choose to stray from that lineage.”

Klaire’s hand fell to her stomach, making the adults all turn to Carl. “We haven’t done anything, I swear!” He shouted immediately whilst throwing his hands up.

“We haven’t promise…” Klaire started. “…Jus- Thank you for telling me Alisha, I guess that explains certain things… Carl, would you still want to be with me if I couldn’t have children of my own?” Klaire had suddenly thrown the omina-class of loaded questions at him out of nowhere and none of the adults were shy about their awkward amusement at the sheer tragedy of it.

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