Cryptid Academia

My last chance. I have to make my mother proud.

I open a portal to purgatory and let my son in first. I plan on showing him how I work and why I do the things I do, but I also want him to see things outside the house.

"So why do we have to go to purgatory?"

"Cause, it says here in the textbook that cryptids are only able to walk in purgatory. Any that make it to our world has a hit on their head."

"You mean you can hunt them?"

"Yeah, but it's not my thing. I'd give the hunt to my friend who I met here."

My friend, the cat, he's a wild card, I like how he has a very magical feel to him. I like his weapons and how unique they are as they feel like they belong to him, how he pulls off acrobatic moves like they're nothing.

"Dad."

"What?"

"Who is that?"

It's him! The cat. I watch as he flips and cartwheels around the attacks that a cryptid makes against him. He pulls out his dual pistols and begins to shoot at the cryptid. Now bullets don't work on most of them but I'm glad he's trying.

"Dad, I think he needs help."

"Nah, he's fine."

As I say that, a giant fist appears out of a portal and uppercuts the cryptid before a leg comes out of another portal and kicked it back away from the cat, only for a winged cryptid to swoop in and kick him back with its talons, cutting the cat in their face and I drop my books.

"I'll help them now."

"Thanks, dad."

He says as I take out my weapon, a Zweihander and rush into the battle. I notice the winged cryptid to be the Ahool from the jungles of java. I push my elbow into the other cryptid the Batsquatch, knocking them into the ground before turning to the cat and letting out my hand for him to grab.

"Oh, hey there wolfy."

"I told you I'd see you the next day."

He grabs my hand before getting up and hugging me, to which I hug back in a warm embrace. This is new as he usually has a cold feel to him.

"Ever since you told me about your job, I wanted to explore more about this."

I don't know what to say, my heart starts beating faster and my breathing starts to speed up but before I could ask him, I look up and see the Ahool fly in for a swoop. I pull the cat behind me and I raise my sword to block the sharp talons.

"Shoot its wings, you can ground it!"

The cat climbs on my back and with a barrage of bullets, it tears just enough holes in the wings that the ahool lands on the ground and I spin around, stabbing it in the chest, past the blue fur, and watch as it dusts away from the drastic amount of damage its form took.

I look back to the Batsquatch who stands up with a sense of defiance. What surprised me was the fact that it spoke and I only managed to hear one-word exit its mouth out of a bunch of gibberish before the cat stepped in front of me.

"VOCARE AAMON!"

He yells. He does a little dance which leaves him facing the other way as the magic breaks down the clothes on his body to use more magic and create a portal for the magic to go into. Another portal is created and a reptile limb furiously swings out the portal, now known as its tail, grabs the batsquatch, and pulls him towards the portal. The face of a wolf appears out of the portal and roars in the bat's face, unleashing a huge amount of fire onto the bat, burning it to a crisp before letting it go and watching it while it goes back into the portal. I look over to see the clothes materialize back onto the cat's slim and well-mannered body with its black fur and white accents.

"I can see you take a liking to my body."

"Sorry, the way your magic works is very. . . new to me."

"I see."

I just sit there with a flush creeping across my cheeks as my ears flop down, showing a red color inside. I clear my throat and speak through my weakening voice.

"Do you maybe wanna go... out?"

"Are you asking me on a date?"

I nod my head furiously with my arms tucked tightly at my sides.

"I'd love to, how about Saturday?"

"Perfect, my son will be with his aunt for the weekend."

"Son?"

"Yeah."

Darren added, walking from behind me, his body language says a lot more with his calm and collected behavior, contrasting my anxious and nervous behavior.

"Aw, he is adorable."

I start smiling uncontrollably.

"Am I having two dads?"

This question stops the cat in his tracks and slaps the smile off my face as my jaw drops and my eyes are widened. I try to explain his action with my stuttering self but the cat simply laughs.

"He even has your humor, even better!"

I laugh awkwardly at them before grabbing Darren and opening a portal back to the normal world. I look back to the just standing there with a warm smile.

"I forgot to tell you my name."

"Well, it didn't seem like a good time with the wendigo so I didn't think of it."

It would've been weird if, in the middle of the fight, I randomly ask someone their name and stuff, with a giant cryptid kicking our ass. It was the cat's summon that saved everyone.

"My name is Traci."

"My name's Aaron."

Traci. Such a beautiful name. I do hope he likes me. I have to learn to be better at conversations if I want to woo him.

"Oh, and to answer your son's question, maybe."

He says before leaving through a portal he made.

I. Cannot. Believe it! It's a chance but I'll finally give my son the family he deserves. I hope this works. I go to leave when I notice a piece of paper on the ground I pick it up to read:

Traci

xxx-xxx-xxxx

Call me, xo

I jump with joy as I hold the paper tight to my chest. I got his number! This day has been the best I'll ever have. Wait, it might get better, I can't make any promises.

"Dad, hurry, grandma's making spaghetti!"

"Sorry, I'm coming."

I say before I jump through the portal, finally closing it.