Centhin: The Opening - Erin Riordan (free e books to read online txt) 📗

west in surprise. The time seemed to have flown away.
The panther continued, “You can meet all the others tomorrow. Let’s go.”
The pair trotted down the grassy hill. Kimoshu continued – with Joey close behind – to a small house with a carving of a golden lightning bolt above the door. It was quite large and painted white. The whole structure seemed to shimmer in the dying sun light. It had columns in the front and the rest resembled a regular house.
Joey looked around and noticed that each other house was designed in its own unique way. He was too tired now to notice the details though, and stepped into the room in which he would rest. He vaguely noticed the sky blue walls and wooden floor that surrounded him. He lied on a large white bed in the right corner of the room and was instantly unconsciousness.
His dream-self was still awake, though. Joey look back at himself and saw that Kimoshu had been right; he was in the form of a giant winged panther. He beat his wings and lifted himself into the air. This time in his dream-world, the moon was full and he was above a snow-covered mountain. On it, he saw the dark outline of a man who seemed to be made of skin and flames together. There was a small ball of fire floating in the air next to the man. They were speaking. Joey flew in closer to hear what they were saying. But first, he willed himself to shrink. He became the size of a regular panther.
“The time is nearing, my servant. But the only way the Shæma will raise is if it gains enough power. We need a source,” the flaming man said.
The floating fire spoke, “Master Lendon, may I suggest something? Perhaps we could use the energy between a human and their Creature. I have observed some of our humans and it seems that the two have a very powerful bond.”
“I think I could build on that. I will need time though. Let us go back to my domain,” Lendon decided. His form darkened until it was smoke and then he completely disappeared, along with the flame.
Joey was pulled by some strong force towards the sun. He kept getting closer and closer until light surrounded him. And his dream-self rested.

∞ƾ∞ƾ∞ƾ∞ƾ∞

Joey awoke to the early morning sun, shining in through the window placed in the wall beside his bed. He could feel Kimoshu – as a hare – curled up on his pillow. He blinked his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. There, he got a surprise.
The tiles above him seemed to move around, depicting different scenes. At the moment, a tall, handsome warrior was facing off a green serpent in the forest while a huntress loaded her arrows in a bow, ready to shoot either serpent or man. Joey watched the man and snake duel for a while but soon felt restless.
He rolled out of bed and stood up, shaking his head to clear it. He went over to a white door opposite his bed and opened it to reveal a master bathroom.
After he finished in the bathroom – feeling much refreshed – Joey walked out of his house barefoot to enjoy the morning. Kimoshu – of course – followed him out, still in hare form. They walked towards a large pavilion to sit and maybe, Joey thought, get some breakfast.
He sat at a white table that seemed to resemble his house. There was a small emblem in a circle at one end of the table: a lightning bolt in a golden ring, exactly like the one at the house.
Kimoshu changed into her small, winged panther form and began to wash herself.
“Kimoshu? What are all the other houses resembling? They seem to each have something they, well, resemble,” Joey asked.
“I did not teach you this yesterday,” Kimoshu said. “There are some different types of Creatures. The person is placed based on their Creature’s true form. There are the serpents, the large cats, rodents, small birds, large birds, dogs, and many others. You are alone in your house because that is the house of the Divine Form. The houses area arranged in circle around the pavilion here.”
“What’s that house for?” Joey asked, pointing to a house painted black. It was small and surrounded in dark mist.
Kimoshu’s expression darkened. “That’s the house of the Dark Forms. No one has lived there for many, many decades. We figured out that the people and Creatures of that house were – in their dream-selves – in contact with the Shæma. Kyros put a curse over that house so that every child ever born into darkness would never find their Creature.”
“That’s reasonable. And yet, it seems so sad. It’s not really their fault,” Joey said. “So how does the Centhin, well, choose a person to match with a Creature?”
“No one’s really sure but we think someone is just born into the legacy at random,” Kimoshu answered, shrugging. “And behind us is the Uncertain house, which is for all the people whose Creatures haven’t found their true form. A person and their Creature don’t usually switch houses once they find their true form but it has happened.”
Joey turned to look at a cream-colored house. It was square in shape, and the outside walls had layers of dirt on them. This one looks so, dull, Joey thought.
Then, as though Kimoshu could read his thoughts, she said, “The people in there don’t usually decorate that house or personalize it because so many other types of Creatures living there.”
“Oh, okay. Kimoshu, can we get something to eat? I’m half starved,” Joey said with a grin.
“Sure. Um, Joey? How old are you?”
“Twelve,” he said automatically. It was as though he didn’t really know it but had memorized it. “Turning thirteen on June 21st.”
“Alright. Let’s go get some breakfast,” Kimoshu said. She trotted towards a large blue house that sort of resembled a barn. “This is the Commons house. We have meetings here, talk here, and get our food here. Kyros lives on the third floor. The second floor is for the meetings.”
Joey followed his nose inside with Kimoshu on his right. In front of him was an amazing breakfast buffet. One long table that stretched almost the entire wall was in the middle of the room. On it was every food Joey could imagine. He saw sausages the size of his head, pancakes big enough to wear as shirts, and all types of drinks. There was also bacon and eggs at the end – super-sized of course.
Joey picked up a plate and was about to take a chunk of sausage when Kyros made his way down the staircase.
“Hello Joey, Kimoshu. Looks like you two were too hungry to sleep. We would have let you rest more,” he assured them. Kyros gave them a grin, flashing his white teeth. He picked up a plate and went ahead of Joey. He divided up the pancake stack by cutting them into small, triangular pieces.
Joey looked at the red fox that was with Kyros. He noticed him looking at his Creature.
“Ah, Joey. Meet Lenta. She is my Creature, of course. She’s been with me for so many years…” he trailed off, gazing lovingly down at the red fox who looked up at him with intelligent eyes.
Kyros tore his gaze away from her to look at Joey and said, “Come outside to the pavilion when you’ve finished getting your meal.” And he walked outside.
“Do you want anything Kimoshu?” Joey asked. “Do Creatures even eat?”
Kimoshu purred in amusement, “A portion of the Creature’s meal goes to it. It does not matter the size, just as long as it is given from the person.”
“Oh, alright. I’m ready to go eat.” Joey had stacked two triangles of pancake and a chunk of sausage on his plate. He drenched the pancake in maple syrup.
“Um, Joey? I’d rather have the sausage, if that’s alright with you,” Kimoshu said sheepishly.
“Okay,” Joey answered.
Side by side, Kimoshu and Joey walked to the pavilion with their meal. As they exited the Commons house, they passed a line of people going inside to get their meals. At first, Joey thought they didn’t have Creatures. Then he saw tiny bugs with each of them. They were either really dirty or those were their Creatures.
“Bug Creatures?” Joey asked. “They’re not exactly powerful for fighting Shædems are they?”
“No, they’re not. But they are able to get into small spaces and spy on enemies. They can be a very valuable house to have on your side. There are many battles here between houses. Sometimes it’s just for entertainment and others there are real feuds. Houses ally themselves and betray. It can become very interesting.”
Joey sat down at his table and began to eat his pancake. Kimoshu coughed.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” Joey apologized as he cut off a nice portion of the sausage and laid it on the ground for Kimoshu. She tore into it hungrily.
“Joey, you realize I haven’t eaten for twelve years.”
“What?” Joey almost choked on his pancake. “Oh,” he said, calming down. “Since I was born. And I guess since only I can feed you…”
“Yes. This is my first meal,” Kimoshu said happily.
The first people to enter the pavilion after Joey were the house of the Insect Forms. They sat at a table that seemed to be made of dirt. Their Creatures crawled into the table.
After them came a line of the house of the Fish Forms. Each of their Creatures floated in a circular bubble of water. The bubbles moved with their bodies, so the fish was always at the center of the bubble. Some fish were very small and others were up to 7 feet long. Most had pointy teeth. The people’s eyes were the same color as their fish’s scales.
Next came the house of the Large Cat Forms, then Serpents, then Dogs. A girl entered after the Dogs. She had a beautiful silver fox by her side. He saw two boys and a girl enter, each with a red-brown fox. They walked gracefully over to their table, each carrying their food. Their table was decorated with forest wood with tiny inscriptions carved all over the surface and benches.
“Kimoshu, who’s that girl over there – with the silver fox?” Joey asked.
“That’s Eliana. She’s the head of the house of the Fox Form. They don’t really like to stand out,” Kimoshu answered.
Joey had finished his breakfast and was walking out of the pavilion when Elliana tapped on his shoulder. He turned in surprise.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hi.”
“What’s your name?”
“Joey. And this is Kimoshu.”
“I’m Eliana.”
When Joey didn’t say anything else, she continued, “Um, do you want to go train with me and Cæma?”
“Sure!” Joey said enthusiastically. He couldn’t wait to start training Kimoshu.
“Follow me,” Eliana instructed. Joey followed her over a hill and into a clearing, just bordering the forest. Kimoshu and Cæma were running in front of them.
When they got there, Eliana instructed Joey.
“Joey, go stand over there.” She pointed to the right side of the clearing. “And I’ll stand on the left.”
They went their ways and stood facing each other.
“Now get Kimoshu to change into her best form,” Eliana said, loud enough so he could hear her from where he was.
“Alright Kimoshu, do you want to be large again?”
“Alright,” Kimoshu said enthusiastically. She became five feet high and growled loudly. “Let’s do this.”
Cæma stepped out into the clearing and Eliana beckoned for Kimoshu to do the same. Cæma was only a little bigger than before which made Joey wonder how she expected to beat him with such