Excessum itineris by Roxas Winchester (golden son ebook .TXT) 📕

last for only thirty minutes or so.”
Justin nodded and went to his car when a familiar presence found its way into his mend, a presence he felt before any of the madness or confusion began- the one of his father. When Justin was thirteen he saw his father drink his nightly beer, but right after he sat down in his recliner Justin’s mother strangled him from behind with one of his neckties. She then told Justin that if he said anything to anyone about what really happened she would do the same thing with him. Ignore it, just go and get the things Kitzel requested. Justin got into his car and drove off into town.

Once he reached town he pulled into the parking lot of the local shop n save to pick up food and something for a litter box. Surprisingly enough, the lot was almost empty, something Justin had almost bet on because as he glanced at the clock on the dash, he realized the high school was supposed to let out in thirteen minutes. The last thing Justin wanted to do was run into one of his classmates who didn’t exactly like him.
Unfortunately, it looked like fate didn’t enjoy seeing Justin happy or even want to give him the slightest hope of success. When he entered the store, he was immediately greeted by some of the people in his class- the football players who wanted to see Justin at the bottom of a lake with a new pair of cement shoes. Trying to act semi-normal with half for football team trying to be Justin’s shadow wasn’t exactly easy, but he went down one aisle to get the pet supplies he heard- and saw- one of the large shadows that belonged to one of the football players. After he got rung up he went back to his car where many shadows followed him. When he went around to the drivers side the head football player greeted him.
“Hey, what are you doin’ there? Gettin’ stuff for you little putty-tat?” the rest of the guys came around and surrounded their leader and Justin who was trying not to go after the leader of the pack- whose name Justin found out earlier was Aaron. “Huh? You’ll probably go home and tell it how sad you are that you can’t protect yourself against a few people and how mean everyone is.” At that the others started laughing and snickering about it. Justin looked around judging how long it would take him to take them out. From the look- and smell- of the team it looked like all he would have to do is light a match and they’d all go off like a fourth of July fireworks show.
Aaron’s fist came fast at Justin’s head but instead of connecting with its intended target, it connected with person coming in from Justin’s right. Justin lashed out with a flurry of kicks and punches that knocked them all on their backs or forced them backwards into the people behind them. Aaron got back up and grabbed Justin from behind, pinning his arms together which left his torso exposed to an attack. The few guys left standing came at Justin with fury in their eyes. Thinking fast Justin threw himself backwards into Aaron and forced them both to the ground. The sound of skull hitting blacktop was the only sound Justin was hoping to hear; but was not hoping for the smell that it was accompanied with. The coppery, brass smell started staining the ground around Aaron’s head and the back of Justin’s shirt red. His unconscious form had a red pool around it that was quickly growing towards his shoulders, the rest of the team fled like dogs that had just been beaten by their owner.
Great, now he’s going to rat me out and there’ll be no peace from the cops. That is, if he is able to get up of even survives. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching, Justin bent down to feel for a pulse; however faint, there was one much to Justin’s relief. He then pulled Aaron up and carefully set him in the backseat to his car then got in.
On the way home Aaron squirmed a bit, but remained unconscious the whole ride. As Justin pulled into the garage Aaron was starting to come to and get up, but then stopped when he realized he wasn’t in his own car. Justin cut off the engine and got out then helped Aaron out and into the house.

“Wh-where am I, and what are you going to do to me?” Aaron asked as he was set down on the couch with an ice pack for his head.
“Where do you think you are and what do you think? Although you head might hurt.”
Aaron looked confused then angry, “If I know where I was then I never would have asked, and if I knew what you were going to do I could sleep.”
“Actually, you couldn’t,” a reaction of shock appeared on Aaron’s face. “you’re not supposed to sleep for at least twenty- four hours if a concussion could be present.”
Kitzel padded his way into the room, looked at Aaron, then at Justin. “What is the extra human doing here?” Then, without waiting for a response, “Justin, I asked you a question and I expect you to answer me even with a pitiful mortal being in the same room.”
Justin gave a sigh of frustration. “Aaron, this is Kitzel, whatever you do, don’t be rotten towards him or it’s going to be you life on the line and you’ll never live to tell the tale.”
“Justin, the other ikimonos will be here tonight. They are coming sooner than I thought they would.”
“Oh, there are also two more animals here; a dog and another cat, they’re hiding right now, but don’t worry and don’t bother then either.”
Aaron looked like he was about to blow a gasket. ”Hey, you still haven’t answered my questions yet! Tell me, or I’m calling the cops and telling then you beat me, drugged me, and are holding me hostage.”
It didn’t take Justin that long to figure out the after math of the call. He would be taken back to the facility, and since he knew the truth about himself now they’d slaughter him. “Fine, you want to know where you are and why?” Aaron nodded angrily. “Alright, you’re at my house because if you had been left there you would have either died from blood loss, or would have been taken to a hospital to be questioned. Then I would have police nosing around here finding out that I’m the only resident. Then they would send me back to the facility that took my life away and made it so now I have a cat that tells me things that belong in fantasy books, two more are coming, and I have no idea what’s going to happen if anyone finds out anything about me.”
Aaron looked at Justin with wide eyes, not knowing what to say about it. “Uh, hey. I’m sorry? If what you say is true- and I’m only saying this because I hit my head and am hallucinating right now- or not just some side effect of being high or drunk then I believe you man. But hey, the cat tells you things? C’mon, I’m not a little kid who’ll believe anything. I’m gonna need proof.”
Justin glanced at Kitzel for an answer, then Aaron jumped, startled, falling over on the couch and backing away from the cat. “Wh-wh- what kinda trick are you trying to pull here, huh?” he stammered.
“There are no tricks- just reality. Oh- and, before you ask, no you didn’t fall asleep.” Justin figured that instead of trying to talk to Aaron to calm him down, he’d go directly there in his head.
“Justin, if you go into his mind you’ll bring him to the brink of death where you’ll be forced to bring him the extra step or he will die slowly and painfully with his worst nightmare plaguing him until he finally killed himself.”
“Then what am I supposed to do to help him?”
“There is nothing you can do for him, except for watching him and to physically try to help him.”
Justin sat on the couch next to Aaron and looked him in the eye with the force of thousands of years behind thenm, focusing on trying to calm him down. Finally Aaron calmed, then looked at Justin questioningly.
“What are you new kid?” he asked Justin after seeing the age behind the dark pools of Justin’s eyes.
Aaron had asked Justin the same thing he had been asking himself for the past few days. “To be honest with you, I don’t know. I was told I was an immortal, then the god of death, now I’m being told I’m a really old sorcerer. I really have no idea what so ever of what I am.”
“So, you‘re telling me that you aren’t human?” Aaron leaned away from Justin as he said this. Like something might happen to him if he stayed near Justin too long.
“Uh, yeah, I guess I am. But don’t tell anyone about it alright?”
Aaron looked at Justin then quickly broke eye contact, worried about the stereotype of any powerful being capable of cursing you if you hold their gaze long enough. “So, why are you in high school if you’re so powerful like you say?” Aaron sat up and leaned farther away from Justin. “How do I know that this isn’t just an elaborate hoax to get me to be nicer to you, huh? And how do I know you’re not going to hold me hostage like a prisoner?” Aaron asked Justin suspiciously.
Justin looked at Aaron, then turned his gaze to Kitzel who was sitting on the floor by Justin’s feet. How do I prove anything to this guy? Justin asked himself.
“Justin, you don’t have enough control over your powers yet to show him anything.” Kitzel told him calmly. Justin looked at Kitzel pleadingly for a better answer. “You can’t do anything at all. The power in you will take over your body and with me being the only creature that can control that form of you at this time it would prove fatal to us both and to anyone else near here.”
Turning his focus back to Aaron, he told him, “Sorry, I can’t; but I think there is something I can show you.” Pulling out a pocketknife, Justin placed it on his palm and drug it across, slicing deeply into his skin. When he pulled the knife away, it was stained with blood. Justin moved his hand into Aaron’s view as it healed closed and formed new, unmarked skin.
“Justin you idiot! Why did you do that after I told you not to?”
“What are you talking abou-“ Justin suddenly collapsed to the ground writhing in pain.
“What- what’s happening to him?! Justin, you ok?” Aaron frantically asked him as he lay on the floor in pain.
“Don’t touch him!” Aaron stopped and backed away from Justin’s body. “Due to his foolishness in proving that he’s more than normal to you the ashi powers in him have started to awaken and possess him. If you don’t want to get killed I’d suggest you go now. Go now, run!” Aaron ran towards the door and bolted out as fast as he could run. Kitzel looked at Justin on the floor then he started to change. In moments, he was a magnificent lion standing, staring down at Justin as the power within him clawed its way out.
Suddenly Justin froze in place on the floor then his eyes opened and he rose with grace no one could possibly have. “Hello Kitzel, I see you haven’t changed much since last we met.” The voice that