Eternal Quintessence

A noise coming from the forest leaves muffling, and sounds of steps being heard as Ayesha looks for food. She is not born in the forest yet she lives there since she was an infant. Currently, she is looking for fruits, berries, mushrooms, anything that is safe and edible. She runs and is having fun as she forages the forest. After collecting enough food, she went back to the place where she is staying with every other beast and share the food that she collected.

"I never expected to gather more foods today," she said to herself, "Well, some of the fruits in this forest is not yet ripe yesterday. Now I can share these with my family!"

She immediately put down her basket and jumps to reach a tree branch.

Ayesha enjoys eating together with her family, with that being said, her family are also known as the beasts in the forest. Ayesha is an orphan, she couldn't remember who her parents are. All that she has known is that she was brought up by the beasts of the forest and they treated her like one of their own.

When Ayesha was about almost a year old, she and her family were travelling in a wagon and was about to go home, while they were travelling there was a huge storm happening. The roads were muddy and slippery, making it difficult to travel. Unfortunately, while they were crossing the forest their wagon hit a stone which led into an accident that caused the wagon to flip.

In the middle of the noise of rain falling and storm grumbling a faint cry of a baby can be heard from the wreckage. By heaven's miracle, she was safe and protected by her father, who hugged her tightly which protected her from getting hurt. With no one around and they are in the middle of nowhere, no one can help or save her, she might die due to natures wrath. Little did the little child knows, out of darkness, and hopelessness comes a beast of long stride and dignified stature, a wolf with a keen sense of hearing, heard the cry and slowly seeks where this sound came from.

Akinu, the wolf, found Ayesha in the place where the accident takes place. As she walks towards the wagon, she saw a bright beautiful baby girl and unknowingly took interest in her. She was about to leave Ayesha when her protective nature came out and went to get Ayesha, thereafter, she chose to raise Ayesha on her own.

"What a lovely little one," she said, "Why are you all alone in this forest? You may catch a cold when you stay too long under this heavy rainfall."

She immediately walks towards the girl and saw the parents of the child drenching in blood, "My, my, my, What a pity. Died from an accident which left your daughter alone in this dangerous place."

Akinu was about to get Ayesha away from her Father's embrace when she accidentally kicked a little basket, there she saw the name Ayesha engrave on it. "Ayesha," she murmured, "So that is your name, little one, Now both of your parents are dead and no one can raise you but me, I am afraid that some beasts might kill you in an instant when they saw you."

She opened her mouth wide enough to bite the handle of the basket. Akinu walks towards the Ayesha and bit the clothes that wrapped around her then put her in the basket, Ayesha on the other hand stopped crying as she saw the beautiful wolf infront of her.

"What a beautiful young lady, let me bring you to your new home," she said, "And raise you on my own."

Akinu howled so loud before she decided to bit the handle and run towards her home.

Akinu brought Ayesha up. Taught her about the forest and its law, that everything that lives there, every beast, plants, and creatures must be respected, and in no way to be killed for no reason. Akinu told Ayesha that they are part of the forest and the forest is a part of them. They must protect the forest as how the forest protects them. Akinu also taught her how to look for foods in the forest and what are poisonous and what is safe. Also, what plants are dangerous and what each plant do.

Akinu taught her how to hunt, and respect her prey, and that includes to not play with it. When the prey is down, she must kill it as clean and as respectful as possible. She must avoid to let her prey suffer.

"Ayesha is already a grown-up," the other beast said to Akinu. Akinu just silently watched her child playing along with the other beasts in the forest.

"I know," she said, "I never thought that the time fled so fast."

"What do you expect?" The other beast said, "We all know that one day our children will grow and leave us one day."

Akinu looked at the other beast frowning. She doesn't want her child, Ayesha, to leave her. She loved her so much and treasure her like something that she can't lose.

"Don't act as if you don't know, Akinu," the beast said and stood up, "You just have to support your daughter once she reached her 16th birthday."

The other beast walked away from Akinu and called her children, meanwhile, Akinu stayed silent as she thinks of what the other beast just said. The truth, the other beast is right. She can't stop her children once it decided to leave her.

"Akinu!" Ayesha shouted and ran towards her mother. "I already gave some of the foods to the other beasts, do you want some?"

Akinu stayed silent and couldn't speak, she didn't notice that her child is in front of her--talking. Ayesha expression changed into worry, never in her entire life that her mother Akinu ignored her.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked Akinu, but she didn't get any response from her mother, "Akinu? Are you mad at me?"

Ayesha walks toward Akinu and touched her fur. There, she noticed her daughter on her side looking at her with worry on her eyes.

"I am sorry," Akinu said, "I paced out, what you were saying?"

Ayesha immediately shook her head and smiled, "I bought some foods, do you want some?"

Unbeknown to her there is a nearby town where a lot of Quints and Beasts live there. Quints is short for Quintessence, which what people call a person with a soul of an animal.

All people born in this world have no souls, all of them show humanoid features, all of them are called Bereft, or soulless. In this world when a person turns 16, they make a ceremony for their 16th birthday which is the Ceremony of Quintessential Connection.

On this ceremony, the Bereft's are wearing customary shirt and shorts that are stretchable while barefooted. A mark will be written in their forehead which builds a connection to all Spirit Beasts. After saying a prayer, the Bereft's will wait while the Spirit Beasts lurk and see if anyone is worthy of being blessed by them. When a Bereft is blessed by the Spirit Beast it will grant that person the spirit's soul and will change their physical appearance by a bit, and they are called Quints or people with souls. From the age of 16 to 21, their body will slowly develop and adapt to their Quints, and they gain all the physical and spiritual attributes of their Quints.

On a town nearby, the Quintessential Connection Ceremony commenced. Almost thousands of people are waiting for their turn to say their prayers and be blessed by the Beasts.

"Do you think that you might get one this year?" A boy with a blue hair said, "This is my second try this year."

"I don't know," his friend responded, "I hope I'll be blessed today, I don't want to stay Bereft on my entire life."

Some of the people who took the ceremony received a blessing from the beasts, some of them try so hard to get even a hunch of blessings. Some of them are heartbroken. No matter how much they try, only the beasts can chose whether to give them their souls or not. They can't force the beasts to make a connection with them.

All those 16 years old that received a blessing raised their rank and called as Quints, meanwhile, those who didn't receive any blessing stayed as Bereft.

"This is my second time," the blue-haired guy said, "The last time I attended the Ceremony, I didn't get a blessing from any Spirit Beasts."

According to the law of the Ceremony, a person must attend a ceremony when the person reaches 16. If the person was not blessed for their first time for the ceremony they are required to train their body, and improve themselves to become proper and respectable vessels for the Spirit Beasts' blessing.