Cali
Chapter #1
My name is Kita, I have honey-blond hair and hazel-green eyes. I'm about five foot three, and of medium stature. Pretty normal, huh? Well, I'm not exactly what you would call a 'normal' person. You see, my very first sight, whether my parents know it or not,was of a dragon. I was only a baby at the time, a newborn actually, and my sight wasn't the best in the world, but I know what I saw. Especially since I've been seeing the same dragon for my whole life. You could ask how in the world I could possibly remember all of this. But the most logical reason that I can think of, is that I happen to be a Cali.
Now just what in the world is a Cali?. That?s a very good question, but it's kind of difficult to explain. In short, I'm a mythical creature born into a human body. I could tell you more about it now, but you?ll find out sooner later anyway.
When I was born, I was born with a gift. My parents thought it was amusing at first, but when I got into kindergarten, they made me stop. What kind of gift was it that made my parents so mad? Well, I can see things 'normal' people can't. Such as dragons for instance. Its not like I can see better, just more. And my parents thought I made it up, or that I was crazier than a loon. That?s how I saw my dragon. I can also remember more than a 'normal' person. Which explains how I can remember seeing my dragon.
That brings up another point. Did you know that every Cali is born with another of his/her original species? Oh, well, of course you wouldn't, but it's true anyhow. I was born with a dragon; so obviously I must be a dragon spirited Cali. We age at the same rate, only she gets bigger faster.
My dragon stays with me as a guardian of sorts. She watches my back whenever I can't. When I'm busy, she simply flies up, perches on a convenient rock or tree branch, and warns me of anything threatening.
Her name is Jazmin, and she's an albino dragon. She looks kind of like a scaly ferret with leathery bat wings, a long lashing tail and a forked tongue. She's pure white and cream in color, and very beautiful. She?s got to be the most graceful creature I have ever seen. Jazmin's not very big now- only about five feet long including her tail.
I'm sure some of you must be thinking that I would look crazy if I were to talk to something that no one else could see, but I don't have to. I have a kind of a mind link with her, you know kinda' like what Spock does in those old Star Trek movies. So I don't really have to talk out loud to her, and she doesn't have to make a noise for me to understand her. We can just 'let' our thoughts be heard by each other when we want to. (Besides, I don't think I could understand her if she were to talk to me in her native language.) We don't exactly use words all that much. Just kind of hazy pictures and simple ideas, although some of what we 'say' can be translated into words.
Our counterpart's, or as we call them in our tongue, Zara's (which is closest in English to companion or confidant) go through three stages. The first is when they think you?re old enough to take care of a pet (which happens rapidly because since we can remember everything from the minute we are born we learn more, and consequently, we mature faster than 'normal' children). Since our Zara?s have a piece of them trapped in this world, you must own them because they are only anchored to this world by the body they choose for that purpose. Well anyway, they decide that we can handle a pet, then transfer a portion of their essence to an animal form closest to their size and appearance.
It's extremely difficult to describe how they live in two bodies at once, but they can be there with you, and in the animal they choose at the same time, or just in the animal. They can also look like themselves -to other Cali- and be the animal at the same time to all others. As I said, it's really hard to explain. Anyway, they lead you to the animal that they chose, and you try to persuade your parents to purchase it, and/or let you have it.
At first they grow very slowly, then after the second phase, they have a growth spirt, sort of like us, I guess. Jazmin?s in her second phase now. Her first phase was a small white lizard.The second is a white iguana, which consequently grows at the same rate as she does. The iguana she inhabits is fairly large in iguana standards (as I've told you, about five feet long including the tail). The third, she tells me, will be a white and cream splotched horse. I think she means the foal to be found by me, and not want to leave, or something of that nature, so that my parents won't have a choice in whether or not they'll want to keep it. It will start off as a foal, of course, and get older and bigger as she herself grows.
Zaras also never get sick. Ever. If one ever did get sick, they would very likely die, and bring their Cali along for the ride. And because it's not just a walk to the drugstore to get medicine for them, most that get sick do die.
We sometimes meet other Calis, and even some that are albino, like us. My best friend just happens to be one. She has an albino griffin named Kitha. Kitha is a very lovely creature with delicate white feathers, the body of a white lioness cub and intense gold eyes. She?s in her second phase also and takes the form of a white house-cat (her first was that of a white dove).
My friend's name is Tira, though her parents call her Elizabeth, she hates it. I don't mind my name all that much; in fact, it's kind of pretty. My parents call me Kira. Not so different from my real name actually.
Tiras boyfriend Ximet is a Cali too. But Tira didn't know that when she met him, all she knew was that she liked him from the start. When she saw his Zara, she was overjoyed because he also had a griffin -a tiger griffin, and a handsome one at that, with a tiger cub body, bright green eyes, and lovely hawk wings. His name is Growlaf. I guess we are all about the same age, because Growlaf is in his second phase also- a tabby cat. Tira and Ximet hit it off instantly, and have remained friends ever since then.
You couldn't imagine how many Calis are in your town; you might think that there are only a few of us. There are more than you think. I'd say that a good sixth of the general population is a Cali. Surprising, huh? That's why so many of my friends and acquaintances happened to be Calis.