Zeke saw war.

  When he came back, it was as a kind of imitation. He looked like Zeke. Even said things that Zeke might say, but this Zeke was withered. Food tasted like ash. It was a struggle to get something down. His hobbies became labors. Kip would attempt to see him in his barn and he would shoo him off. Zeke would stay in bed for days, not sleeping, but rotting. He missed days of construction work. His foremen were accommodating, but they needed him. It was imperative that they had someone who could lift heavy things. Someone who was strong.

  Bodhi stuck around. Not just for Zeke but also for the other troops who came back. He would soon hear the frontlines calling him. There was another area that needed protecting, but for now, he was there to help those that had served.

  Bodhi found Zeke in bed one day, so Bodhi told Zeke to go fish like old times. Zeke reluctantly trudged out of bed and headed to his old spot. He grabbed his pole out of its old hiding spot and cast it. He waited. His foot tapped, he fidgeted, every slight variation in the line’s movement would have him jerking the pole too early. He forced himself to calm down. He knew that his unease was keeping the fish from biting. He pulled his bait up and tried a different spot. He cast the line and waited. And waited. He saw the pull but forced himself to wait for another. The rod tipped once again and Zeke yanked. It was a tiny bass, but it was something. Zeke pumped his fist in the air. He grabbed the fish as it writhed beneath him. He placed it on a stump. Then he took his cleaver and held it up over the fish. Despite the strength of the minotaur, Zeke could still feel the fish under his paw, attempting to flex its dorsal muscles. It was trying to break free. He saw the head of the fish, slapping against the stump. As if urging Zeke to let it go. And even though a fish eye technically looked at everything at once, Zeke could swear it was looking right at him.

  Zeke forgot it was a fish that was begging for its life. He saw his buddy, Inuk, looking up at him, blood coming out of his head wound. Breathing deeply the same way the fish dide, as he said, “I never got to see it… I never got to see the fifth-.” Zeke remembered the arrow that interrupted Inuk’s sentence.

  The fish fell off the stump. It skittered on the ground and plopped back into the lake water, swimming away to tell a great story to the other bass. Zeke ‘s hand shook. He grabbed it and breathed in deeply. He sat down on the stump and looked out, trying to collect himself.

  The big guy left back to his barn. He took a midday nap and when he woke up he was intent on taking another nap no matter how hard it might feel. The shutters of the door rattled as a tiny fist banged on the door. Zeke didn’t get up from his bed.

  “What is it?” Zeke called out.

  “Zeke!” A tiny voice cried out, “Zeke, it’s Kip! I’m so glad to hear you’re safe and back in one piece. Want to play hide-and-go-seek?”

  Zeke nuzzled into the exhausting safety of his blanket, “No thanks, Kip. I’ll see you later, kay?”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, Kip. I’m sure.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you later, I guess.”

  “See you later,” grumbled Zeke.

  “Okay. Hey, Zeke!”

  Tears leaked out of Zeke’s eyes, feeling too small to go play with his friend.

  “Hey, Zeke!”

  Zeke sniffled and said, “Yeah?”

  “I looked around for you all day. It’s almost like we were already playing hide and seek and you were hiding!”

  Zeke let out an unexpected chuckle, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  “Okay, see ya!”

  Zeke didn’t want to have lunch with Bodhi the next day. But Bodhi made him. They ate at the diner, once again, Zeke had eggs. He asked for sunny side, but the kitchen made a mistake and he got scrambled. He received his scrambled plate and stared at it. Picking away at it as Bodhi once again hoovered his food down.

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  “A big son of a gun, overgrown hawk. Something the human alchemists cooked up. Apparently they got some farms out there where they’re breeding big creatures. Anyway, dropped a cow right on one of my privates’ heads.”

  “Mhm.” Said Zeke.

  “Yes. Really did a number on the private. Almost killed him. Then after some struggling, it did kill him. So you know, nothing new on the fronts.”

  “More death.” Muttered Zeke.

  “More death.” Said Bodhi as he scarfed down some of Zeke’s eggs, “So… your bosses in construction tell me you haven’t been showing up to work.”

  Zeke let out a deep breath and mumbled something that Bodhi could not hear. Some kind of cross between being too low but also not fully formed. Bodhi kept eating eggs. Zeke looked up waiting for Bodhi to continue but Bohdi was happy to let things stew in silence for as long as possible.

  “Everybody loved me when I got to this place.”

  “Course.” Bodhi said, “Do you know how rare it is for a minotaur to leave its own tribe? They’re isolationists. Unfortunately… These days, it’s getting harder to stay out of things. I’m sorry about the circumstances that got you here. But dammit I’m happy you're here. But you need to earn your keep. Your bosses are being very kind but they need you.”

  Zeke caught a reflection of himself from the window. He saw his strong biceps. He saw his meaty torso. He shook his head, “They want what I can do. They want my strength.”

  “Look here, boy. The world needs strength like yours. We’re the sheepdogs. We protect these people,” Bodhi waved his fork around at all the people seated, enjoying a pleasant breakfast, “We protect them from wolves. And if you got strength, by god, it’s not just yours. Belongs to all the sheep you can help. You hear me?”

  Tears formed at the edges of Zeke’s soft eyes. He buried his head in his hand. Bodhi continued to eat eggs as Zeke cried.

  “I’m so tired,” Zeke said, “I'm tired, I just want to sleep.”

  “Sleeping’s hiding.” Bodhi said.

  “I wish I was weak. I wish I wasn’t useful. I wish I wasn’t strong.” Zeke wailed. Bodhi gave him his napkin. Zeke took it.

  “Your choice ain’t whether or not you’re the sheepdog. Your choice is whether or not you’ll be proud of it. And protecting people? I choose pride.”

  After he bid Bohdi goodbye, Zeke found himself in bed again. He heard the wrapping on his chamber door. It was Kip, once again coming to ask if he wanted to play hide and seek. Zeke was not in the mood to answer him. He hid under his blanket. Zeke heard the whirring of one of Kip’s little machines and suddenly the door slid open. As cumbersome as Zeke was, he attempted to pull the blankets over his head and hide. Kip walked in. Zeke felt the softest, tinies touch on his back.

  “Tag, you’re it.”

  Zeke didn’t want to play. He didn’t want to say anything or look at anyone.

  “Okay! Bye, Zeke! See you tomorrow!” Kip skipped off back to do whatever a little Kip did at that age.

  The next day was more of the same. Kip knocked on the door around the same time. Zeke got out of bed. He did not want to interact with Kip. How did Kip not understand that? Zeke walked over and hid behind a large hand plough.

  “Zeke? You in there?” Kip asked. Once again no sound. Once again, there was whirring from Kip’s makeshift lockpick and Kip slid the barn doors open. Kip walked in and saw a mass covered in blankets.

  “You’re getting awfully bad at this.” Kip ran over and touched the mound. It was too soft. He looked under it and then ripped off the blankets. There was only loose heigh placed on the cot and pressed into in the shape of a depressed minotaur.

  “Hey!”

  Zeke smiled. His trick had worked. He used that as his opportunity, booking it for the exit. The stomping of his hooves on the old wood made noise and Kip turned around.

  “Zeke!” Kip yelled laughing, “Don’t run that fast! My legs are too small!”

  Zeke booked it, huffing and puffing. He would turn around and see the distance between Kip and him growing. Zeke was determined not to play any games with Kip, who was confident they were already playing a game. Zeke ran into a bushel of trees to try to break Kip’s line of sight. He still had plenty of stamina, but he stopped. He leaned against a tree to catch his breath. Then he turned around and stared over as the little guy ran after Zeke.

  “This kid’s got stamina,” Zeke said. He rested his horns against the tree, taking long slow breaths to try to gain his composure. And as his mind raced to where he could run and hide from Kip to make sure they wouldn’t play tag… the places that came to mind were places he had found while playing tag. For the first time since he returned, he smiled.

  “I see you, Zeke!” Cried out a lil Kip.

  Zeke’s attention was brought back to the present. He turned around and booked it once more. He turned at a local river bank, spotting a fallen dreadwood and got an idea. No doubt Kip would come under it looking for him. Zeke leapt up and grabbed some frayed chunks of the bark. Then he climbed onto the center of trunk. His plan was to scare Kip as the little one ran past. He climbed over to see from the top side. Kip was on his way. Zeke was giddy with the to scare Kip. He waited until his arms got tired.

  “ZEEEEKEEE!” This cry was different. It wasn’t playful. Zeke climbed back over to see what was going on.

  Zeke saw four invaders surrounding Kip.

  “Zeee-!”

  Kip could not finish his cry, the largest of the invaders reached down and smacked him unconscious.

  Follow To Earn A Bonus Chapter:

  Touch Azami's Hand To Read 6 Weeks Ahead: