The setting sun cast its golden light across the plains. With food secured, she made her journey back to her cubs. Questions were plaguing her mind that she was apprehensive to voice, much less answer. It wasn’t a coincidence that she was both prey and predator over the span of a few days. Her cubs were ecstatic to see her return. They chuffed and chirped and ate happily. She lay down at the peak of the hill, half partaking in their joy and half watching for other predators. A cheetah was far from being the top dog in the savannah, where lions, hyenas, and leopards roamed, after all.

Comforted by the state of her sated cubs, her mind wondered what it was Yun wanted to show her. The relationship between prey and predator? The fundamental balance their relationship brought to the ecosystem? While going down the rabbit hole of prey and predator philosophy, she suddenly found herself thousands of feet in the air, soaring amongst the clouds. 

She beat her wings once, then coasted along the air drafts her large majestic wings caught. Beneath her, a dense canopy of the forest unfolded. The light of the morning sun filtered through the foliage. The richness of the forest floor was clear to her from her lofty vantage point. It was at this moment, drifting through the clouds, that she finally grasped the point of this test. She had thought it was some grand philosophical teaching about the relationship between prey, predator, and the environment. However, it simply was to experience the lives the animals led. To partake in their joys and sorrows, their trials and tribulations, to kill and be killed.

Her stint with the gazelles symbolized the importance of sticking together when faced with a powerful threat. Also, the gazelles were thoroughly simplistic with their language, wants, and needs. From the cheetah, she gained the need for unparalleled focus and determination when an opportunity arose. The cheetah also valued independence, contrasting with the interconnectedness of the gazelles. The eagle’s keen eyesight allowed her to survey vast landscapes and reminded her to seek a broader perspective in life. Blue whales taught her to be gentle and move with grace, even though she was powerful. From the octopus, she gained the need to adapt and reshape herself through experiences, learning, and embracing change as a necessary part of evolution. There were many other teachings to be discerned from experience when she had a safer place to think.

She was a rabbit now, gnawing on some roots, eager for the test to end. Over the past few weeks, she had become every animal imaginable. From the mice scurrying across the desert lands, ever vigilant, to the gentle blue whales crossing the vast oceans. She had seen it all.

“I get it. Release me.” She said in rabbit speak.

“Do you, now?” Yun’s voice sounded, seemingly from every direction.

“Y-yes,” Ella muttered. Her rabbit physiology made her skittish of any sudden movement and noise. “I can tell you my findings.”

“There is no need for that. I watched you closely.” Yun’s energy-based body formed before her.

One moment she had the urge to chew on the plant roots, the next, the tangy taste in her mouth made her nauseous. She had to hold in her bile with her hand clasped over her mouth.

My hand? Hands!

She leaped into the air. “Yes! I’m finally back. Do you know how much grass I’ve eaten these past few weeks? Ugh!”

“Yes, I observed you chew on each and every blade.”

“Right. Uh, so tell me this is over.” She lay on her back and gazed at the blank night sky. It dawned on her that there were no stars above. The moon had appeared one random night during her first week on this planet. She remembered that moment vividly because a pride lion had been insistent on breeding her under the moonlight. A paw swipe to his balls managed to quell his horniness.

“I’m afraid not. This was just the first stage. If it’s any consolation, the rest of your trial doesn’t require you to take up any animal forms.”

Tears dripped down Ella’s face. “Oh, screw me sideways, like a broken carnival ride. Bring it on.”

❊ ❊ ❊

Three months after Ella’s grueling trail began, it came to an end, much to her elation.

“Welcome to our pantheon, Ella.”

The last words spoken by Yun, her arbiter, brought forth tears of joy. The smile printed on her face stayed on the whole day. Goosebumps tickled her skin as the chilly sundown air blew from the ocean across the sandy beach she lay on.

Moments earlier, Yun said she had sent word of her success to Jalen. 

“I can barely keep it together, you know?” she said.

“You have succeeded,” Yun said, raising an eyebrow. Over the months, she had come to understand the nuances of Yun’s demeanor and expressions, if you could call it that. “Why are you more jumpy now than when you started?”

“Well, it’s because I was a little skeptical and terrified of the entire ordeal. Spending all this time learning from you has been like discovering a whole new aisle of almond milk at the grocery store I never knew existed.”

“You have a very colorful and intriguing way of putting words together, Ella.”

“Am I interrupting something important?” A deep voice asked. 

She hopped up to her feet and jumped into the imposing form of her brother. His skin felt like coarse rock and was immovable to boot. However, he was still her family. “Oh, I missed you, my baby brother.”

“Baby brother? When last did you ever call me that?”

She paused in thought and counted the years with her fingers. “Since you last had puffy cheeks, so I’d say about five. Please give me the powers and take me home now. You heard the lady. I passed.”

“That, I did.” Jalen, stifling a grin, turned to regard Yun. “Are you satisfied now?”

Yun replied monotonously. “She is adequately proficient and fit to join our pantheon.”

He nodded, observing the crashing waves. “Up close, I’d say I did a fine job on this planet.” The coal-skinned, towering form of her brother turned to her. “Get down on your knees and close your eyes, E.”

She did as he commanded. Just before she shut her eyes, the golden eyes of her brother shone and leaked like an ice fog condensing. She wondered if gaining godhood meant growing as large and as menacing as her brother in his god form. She hoped not. Maintaining the current body that she grew to love felt more appealing. Well, a few improvements wouldn’t sour her mood.

Blinding light shone through her closed eyelids. A warm radiance enveloped her, all traces of sweat and moisture evaporating from her skin. It was as though she was trapped in the heart of a scorching furnace. Yet, she felt no pain, only a slight discomfort.

“For you, Ella Nkanga,” Jalen proclaimed. “I bestow godhood. I grant you the domain of all living things on Earth non-sapient. The domain over their birth, life, and death are yours, should you choose to interfere. They will know you as Ella, goddess of animals and the hunt.”

The heat radiating within her became unbearable. Searing white hot pain traveled through her skin, nerves, and everywhere within, as it reached a sizzling crescendo that arrested her consciousness. 

❊ ❊ ❊

She galloped across a vast, expansive grassland amongst a herd of horses. The sweet fresh air entranced her nostrils. The strong currents of freedom massaged her thin coat as she sliced through the air. Next, she swam leisurely below the river's surface. Only her top-mounted eyes and nostrils pierced above the water, the rest of her deadly, slender body designed for killing, hidden below. Afterward, she floated a few inches above the ocean floor. Her eight limbs gained her purchase as she darted into the narrow creases of a large coral reef network.

Then she opened her eyes. Though her vision was blurry, she could make out the stale brown wood ceiling of her trailer. Getting up from her thin bed, she winced. Her muscles felt weak and stiff.

“Drink up.” Someone familiarly handed her a glass of water.

That cup of water disappeared so fast down her throat, it nearly entered the wrong tunnel.

“How do you feel?” The voice… Jalen asked.

“Like someone’s been using my head as a jackhammer. Don’t even get me started on the rest.”

She struggled onto her wobbly feet, then dragged herself to the sink to wash her face.

He laughed. “Well, it’s understandable. You are still getting used to your new body, after all.”

Her eyes widened. “New body?”

She rushed to her drawers, nearly tripping over, then retrieved a mirror and inspected herself.

“I don’t look any different, Jalen.”

“Yeah, it’s an exact copy of your original body appearance-wise.”

“I see.” Ella entered the cramped bathroom to further examine herself. Feeling satisfied, she stepped out. “Thank you so much for this. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. It was the natural order of things.”

“Just one thing, you know? Couldn’t you have at least gotten rid of the mole on my nose?”

He smiled and stopped at the front door. “Now, why would I do that? It gives you eh… character. See you later, E. I’ve got some errands to run.”

❊ ❊ ❊

Jalen’s day was rife with annoyances and busy work. His first stop was the bank, to reinstate his bank account. There was about $1,500 in the account, which should’ve sufficed to begin his plans.

However, the first issue reared its head when the agent informed him that he was legally dead. Despite his protests that he was alive and well, the agent advised him to begin a legal process to overturn his death certificate. He had money for the legal proceedings if he could access his bank account. But to do that, he needed his legal status to be resolved before his account was reinstated. 

He stepped out of the bank, his mood soured. Luckily, the courthouse was located a few blocks away from the bank. On the way, he thought of ways to foot the court fees if it came to it. Aunt Darcy seemed like a good option since she should’ve been back from her trip.

I should probably pay them a visit, he thought. 

The courthouse served as an imposing landmark in the city. Throughout the day, droves of people passed through its grand entrance situated atop a series of wide stone steps. The building spotted grand architectural elements such as stone columns, intricate stonework designs, and a prominent dome capping the building. 

He ascended the wide stairs. His plan now was to find out what legal steps he could take. Then he’d come back with the money.

However, tire screeches and the harsh whine of brakes alerted him. Three police cars, along with many more black SUVs, stopped in front of the courthouse. Men clad in black knight armor rushed out and leveled their guns at him. The police also stepped out, but they remained at the back.

“Behave, and this won’t get ugly,” a modified voice that sounded robotic said behind him.

He faced the courthouse once more. Metal Shadow stared down at him, the superhero’s powered suit exuding an intimidating aura. Even to Jalen in his human form.

“What’s the meaning of this? Am I under arrest?” he asked.

Metal Shadow stepped closer to him. Sealed compartments in his armored suit opened up and revealed missiles and guns that targeted him. “It is in your best interest to cooperate fully with the arresting officers. Any attempt to resist or escape will be met with the appropriate force.”

The knights stepped around Jalen, their ornate guns engraved with many symbols still prodding him.

A man dressed in dark, sleek clothes with weapons holstered to his belt and pants stepped behind him and cuffed his hands. “This is H.A.V.E.N. in collaboration with the Knights of Arixxer. You are under arrest. You are to comply with our instructions immediately.” He said.

“This has to be wrong,” he pleaded. “I have done nothing wrong.”

The agent behind him dragged him to the back of an armored truck. “I advise you to exercise your right to remain silent and refrain from making any statements that could incriminate you.”

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