A COURT OF SHIFTERS AND SECRETS

E I G H T E E N

NOVA 🌙

I was nervous...

It was time for my last class of the day...the Coach's Class...and I couldn't help but feel a pit forming in the bottom of my stomach. 

Atlas is walking quietly next to me, hands in his pocket as his muscles bulged slightly underneath the long sleeved shirt he was wearing. 

The tattoo that usually teases me beneath his neckline, peaked out more than usual, piquing my curiosity so much so that I nearly caved and asked him what it was.

Instead, I chose to ask him the other question on my mind. 

"Why tattoos?" 

"What?" he asked, looking slightly startled at my sudden question "What do you mean?" 

"Why are you the only Heir with tattoos?" I asked "In fact, why are you one of the few shifters I've seen with so many tattoos?"

He raises an eyebrow "Why the sudden interest?" 

 "I'm just curious" I said, shrugging "The Penta wanted me to focus all my attention about learning Shifter culture and such, and that's exactly what I'm doing." 

"I think they meant more along the lines of learning about your history and culture instead of my tattoos." 

"Potato-Potatoe" I smirked "Either way, I'm learning something."

His lips twitched.

"Tattoos for Shifters really depend on one of two things" he started to explain "Whether or not the tattoos themselves are significant in their individual Packs, and the shifters individual healing genes. Some members of our community take to the tattoo process really well, while others can have their new tattoo completed and healed to the point where their skin erases all traces of process. For example, my skin can take really well to the ink versus someone like Phoenix, who comes from Nordic ancestry, whose genes reject the ink and tattoo process entirely." 

"Does that mean he heals better than you then?" 

"Not necessarily" Atlas shrugged "There have been a few research studies done and that's where the hypothesis' of Pack significance and genetics comes into play. According to a few scientists hypotheses, the shifters from my Pack are able to withstand and maintain the Tattoo process is because my Ancestors used to preserved our pack history and traditions with special tattoos and markings on our skin." 

"How is that possible though?" I questioned, genuinely curious "Because when someone dies, don't they usually shrivel up and decay? How can you pass down your history if the place your wrote it down on is no longer viable?" 

"You have to remember that shifters don't age like normal humans do" he reminded me "We have longer lives, not as long as the Fae do or Vampyres do, but long enough to transcribe that history onto someone other Elder if need be. It also helps that our bodies are preserved in a way where we don't decay like a human does. When we die, our bodies are preserved in a crypt with special properties that prevent us from decaying."