《The Village of Beasts》


 Prologue

    Deep within a secluded forest, far from civilisation¡¯s reach, a beautiful white deer hunched over a round-formed pond and caused slow ripples to bloom and expand across the mirror-like surface as gently as young girls plucked flowers a summer day. She sipped slowly and grabbed every chance of enjoying the clear, sweet water as she listened to the harmonious night, softly ruffling tree crowns to bed with every breath. She liked night. Something she did dislike, on the other hand, was baby boars and tiny, sprawling birds, calling for their mothers to feed them. Especially the birds.


    Suddenly, the white deer raised head and looked around the pond, a perceptive gleam within her blue, intelligent eyes. Eyes perked, she stood motionless. Someone was here and she could sense it. There was not an ounce of fear in her legs; no trembling, no shaking, only a proud firmness as they stood planted like towering pillars. Nothing could make them budge. She was the mighty white deer of her forest, the ruler no one dared provoke.


    On the other side of the pond, countless of small bushes formed a thicket, in which a seabed of yellow and red wildflowers was encased. In the middle of the seabed, amidst the beautiful flowers, there lay a woman gasping for air, did the white deer discover while scanning the area. She wrinkled her forehead as she saw that the woman was clutching her stomach with both hands, grimacing from what the white deer assumed to be pain or perhaps injury.


    The woman turned her head and noticed the white deer on the other side of the round pond. Her knitted brows lost in tension, a faint smile forming on top of her full lips. The white deer frowned and lightly patted the ground with her white hooves. Brittle leaves and moist soiled mingled together, creating a mix of autumn as the fragile crust of the earth shook. The white deer had lived for a very, very long time, and did not hold much respect for the human race.


    She knew what they could do. But this human woman seemed different from others. There was even something inside of the white deer that kept telling her that she would regret not going over. She stomped the ground again. How annoying feeling were ¨C always tugging at one''s mind and making one restless.


    In the end, she could no longer resist the urge and trudged over to the woman. She lowered her head and pushed her soft and wet nose against the woman''s lap. A comfortable touch made her ease up. Her gaze flickered upward, only to see the woman¡¯s hand¨C outstretched ¨C rubbing her. How nice. She hadn¡¯t gotten a rub in a long time.


    Without thinking, she laid down beside the woman on top of the wildflowers. Time was as if it stood still. One white deer, one human, two of different worlds, enjoyed each other''s present in the quiet night. The white deer soon began to sound out with soft breaths, sleeping like timber. The woman looked at the peaceful creature with melancholy.


    ¡°I wish to sleep just like you, oh great white deer,¡± she said and lightly dug her nails into the deer''s fur. She drew through with her fingers, letting strands of snow-white slip between. It felt better than the most excellent silk. ¡°You no longer have any ties to this world, nothing that binds you. I had. Once. But now he is gone, and it''s killing me, slowly devouring me from the inside. And I''m powerless to resist."


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°You now of love, don¡¯t you?¡± She sighed. ¡°Soon, maybe today, I will be tied once again,¡±


    She looked down to her stomach, her gaze filled with love and concern and a bit of expectation. ¡°But I cannot do what I must if I¡¯m still tied to this world. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I need your help, oh great white deer. Can you carry this burden of mine, this legacy, of which I am certain will change everything that is wrong with this world?¡±


    Dawn had already squeezed itself through the thin canopy of leaves that still refused to fall down when the white deer¡¯s ears twitched her awake. She tiredly issued a groaning complaint as she always did, making a flock of brownish birds pale from fright, instantly ceasing to sing. They fled the scene with crisp chirps and rapid flaps.


    She stretched out her hind legs and rolled over to her back, letting the sunlight smoother her white fur with rays of pleasure. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Oh, so much she felt like lying here all day, yet knew how impossible it was. There were countless of matters to handle here in the forest. Such was her life.


    As she was about to fall asleep again, the white deer''s ears twitched from a sound not too far from her. It was a high-pitched sound, like a baby kitten, but a lot more fleshed out. She opened her eyes, her curiosity piqued. She looked around, from the trees in the surrounding to the pond in the middle, and then stopped, whereafter her eyes widened like never before and her heart skipped a beat. She was shocked to the core.


    Swept in a red blanket, a child lay in the seabed of flowers to the left. He was awake and did not scream like most newborn would, and instead looked at her with joy. His eyes were like gleaming sapphires, glinting in the sun, making her feel breathless. She had no idea a human child would be able to make her feel like this. She cleared her throat.


    The boy yelled in joy. He grabbed a flower and put it in his mouth before spitting it out again, apparently not liking the taste. He stared at her, smacking his lips, singing out with high-pitched ''dah''s''. The white deer blinked. It took a while for her to understand. He was hungry. He wanted her to get food. But it felt strange to her. Were all human children this smart when they were born. Were they able to communicate this young age? Amazing!


    She got up from the ground in a leap and hurried over to a bush not far away. She patted the ground with her hoove, causing numerous of berries from the fruit bushes to levitate in air, surrounded by translucent bubbles of light. She tapped her hoof again, and the berries flew over to the boy, landing in front of his now bulging eyes.


    He looked at her, then back at the berries, before he plucked one and carefully smelled at it. his eyes lit up and he devoured it like nothing. "Dah!" he shouted happily. "Dah, Dah, Dah!"


    The white deer laughed and lay down beside the boy, watching him as the berries on the ground were swiftly eaten by him. Was this really a human child, she wondered, and would even the child of a god be this smart? After the boy had eaten his fill of the pink berries, he turned to the white deer and tilted his head. Then he used his tiny hand and touched her nose. She arched back from instinct. His smile disappeared and he seemed like he would begin to cry. She sighed and got closer, within his reach. He laughed and crawled to her, laying himself to rest beside her.

 1. ~ Intruder

    Lothian crouched down in the tall grass, very cautious to not make any sound. He could sense the moist in the air as it soaked his skin in dripping pearls. The sunlight slipped through the open canopy above. His muscles were tense and his brow knitted as he sharpened his gaze. He held a small pebble in his hand, clenched, and then shot up from the grass and swung down hard.


    Success flashed in the young man¡¯s sapphire eyes. The blurry trajectory was followed by a surprised cry and a low thud. He smiled and ran over to the thicket a few meters away, grabbing his successful game. He twisted the rabbi''s neck to make sure it was dead. No use to let it suffer more, he thought. He straightened his back and looked right and left before choosing the direction to the right.


    It did not take long until the young man got back to the depths of the forest ¨C back to his favourite resting place during hot summers, back to his apple tree. Having escaped the burning sun, the young boy sat under the tree in the shadow. He rolled over to his back and allowed for the shadows, with their cold tendrils, to cleanse away the sweat of his delicate brow and muscular torso.


    The young man was almost stark naked, wearing only a piece of black pricked boar leather which was kept in place by two strands of sinew. Without it, leaves and bushes and twigs would get in the way and hurt him quite a bit, had he discovered, which is why he killed a boar and plucked its leather.


    Just as Lothian had gotten himself at peace with the world, about to take a nap before preparing his newly fetched lunch, a growl greeted his ears from behind the trees. The young man grinned and opened his eyes. Rulah.


    The growl was followed by the dazzling figure of a golden bear, lazily trudging over to him. As the bear advanced, fallen, bright-red apples became nothing of their former selves, squashed beyond recognition from to the bear¡¯s huge weight. Rulah, the golden bear, was just within the reach of an arm as he tilted his head, looking at Lothian and let out two whimpers.


    Lothian snorted smilingly, curling his lips as he produced a deep sound from his throat, whereafter he ignored the golden bear.


    There was not much to do at that point of the day except to wait for the sun to retreat back into its valley behind the sky, and so the young man often spent his time doing absolutely nothing until the afternoon where the temperature did not take such a toll on him.


    The golden bear frowned from the displeasure of being ignored. He tore a handful of moss from the ground and threw it at the young boy who sat in the shadow of the tree.


    Lothian skilfully leant to the side and dodged the piece of moss, looking at his friend with a thoughtful gaze, as if saying: Do that once, I won¡¯t mind, do it twice, and you will regret it.


    Seconds later, Rulah showed his teeth in a smile as he aimed another patch of moss at Lothian.


    Dodging again, the young boy raised his eyebrows and stared at the golden bear for a moment before lunging out toward him, wanting to grab his furry ears and squeeze really tight.


    Rulah clumsily rolled out of reach, followed by an irritated Lothian. As they began to brawl, and punches and paws fought, they gathered more and more momentum. Eventually, they came a bit close to the round-formed pond in the middle of the groove and therefore fell inside with a loud plop.


    Lothian hastily swam up to the surface and gasped for air, his eyes widening when he felt a tight pull to his ankle, once again submerged under the water as the pull drew him down.


    Ten minutes after, two completely drenched figures made their way up from the quite pleasant water, collapsing in exhaustion onto the soft forest ground.


    Both were quite battered up, but anyone with a discerning eye could easily figure out who was in the losing end. The young boy¡¯s lip was cracked and his cheek was bruised, along with a deep gash of about a half centimetre that stretched from his upper torso, diagonally, down to his belly button.


    ¡°My win. Again.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    The two of them finally talked to each other, voicing out in the beast tongue¨C the language of the forest.


    The golden bear laughed. ¡°Either way, I did not come here only to beat you.¡±


    ¡°Go on¡±


    ¡°I heard that intruders have come to the forest and are attacking from the east,¡± Rulah explained as his chest heaved up and down, his fur as wet as it could possibly be. ¡°They look a bit like you, my father said, and he also told me not to tell you. Don¡¯t know why, though.¡±


    ¡°You said they look like me?¡± Lothian asked Rulah with a frown. He sat up, grabbing a stone from the ground and throwing it across the pond¡¯s surface. The small rock skid several times before dying down, sinking to the bottom. ¡°You mean, walking like me and eating like me and fighting like me? Two legs and two arms, upright? Is that what you mean?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. Father didn¡¯t explain in detail.¡± The golden bear shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Oh.¡± The young boy said in a disappointed voice.


    ¡°Do want to go?¡±


    ¡°We are not allowed, are we?¡±


    ¡°Who cares!¡± The golden laughed.


    Lothian stared blankly for some time before rising up. He nodded curtly to the golden bear, who, in return, smiled and shook his whole body to remove some of the water.


    Clouds of ash-colored smoke rose to the sky and the sounds of battle were heard by Lothian and Rulah as they walked through the thick terrain toward the outer region of the forest.


    This part of the forest, the middle region, was less dense than the depths, which made it easily for them to travel. Adding on that, they had during their childhood explored most of the forest, and so they knew how to get by with using the general direction along with a pair of key areas.


    The young boy whose eyes were like gleaming sapphires turned his head to look at his friend, the golden bear, who walked beside him with slow, heavy steps. His fingers twitched and he clenched his hand into a fist. His meaning was clear: A fight was taking place at the place from where the smoke rose, and he would not coward back in fear, especially if it concerned the life of his beloved ones. He would protect them with his own fists, as he was raised to do by his mother.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Seeing the young boy act like this, the golden bear growled in agreement. There was no question that Raluh would follow his playmate into battle. Even if it were them against a hundred, the golden bear would always be by Lothian¡¯s side. No matter what. The growl turned into a roar, and a quick nod between the two of them made them both clear on what needed to be done.


    The golden bear was unusually fast for his large figure, but could still barely keep up with the young man who ran on his two legs, darting through the forest. The smoke in the sky grew bigger and bigger as they closed in, and screams and roars and whimpers could be heard. There was even some foreign sound that could be heard, which caused Lothian to widen his eyes, his heartbeat quickening. These foreign sounds were not the product of anyone in the forest, and they closely resembled what the young boy could do with his voice, making him restless.


    He bit his lip, shook his head and continued onward.


    Not before long, they arrived at a large groove where there was much to no bushes or trees at all. The groove was a twenty meter, spacious piece of land where very much was dried out, perhaps only one or two plants across the barren ground.


    Lothian remembered this groove as the land of death; a place where creatures of the forest were vigilant to enter because of the legend that concerned it. The legend of the one-eyed vulture king who had once killed a thousand of desert hyenas here. It transformed everything into a huge wasteland, the bodies of the dead hyenas becoming the soil of the land, and the blood flowing through their veins turning into the poison that cursed it as a land of death where nothing would ever grow.


    As of this moment, the land of death was filled with movement. Flames licked the edges of the groove where trees still grew, and if not taken care off, would be able to cause much damage to the forest- much like what happened over three hundred years ago when the orcs had acted out with their boundless greed, uprotting the foundations of the forest. It was a miracle it survived, and that it now had regrown back to its former state.


    A party stood in the middle of the cursed patch of earth, surrounded by Serena¡¯s forces. There were about ten creatures facing off against the forest¡¯s dispatch, all of them very much resembling Lothian.


    The young boy was somehow conflicted as he saw the dispatch gang up on on the creatures that resembled him. Lothian could see the golden bear chieftain, Kureja, as well as his mother.


    The golden bear was incredible dazzling to behold, clad in its golden, shining fur. His mother was also truly mighty looking. She stood not tallest nor strongest, yet carried an unbelievable aura of pure might, one which told enemies that if they were to attack, she would stomp them down.


    One of the unrecognisable creatures opened his mouth and spoke in a language that Lothian could not understand but still felt a rare familiarity toward, raising the wooden staff in his hands into the air. In the next moment, a gigantic fireball spewed out from thin air, hurling toward Serena.


    Serena snorted, and patted the ground, just as lightly as she always did. A milky white shield blocked enshrouded her body just as the fireball would hit her, resulting in flames exploding.


    The golden bear roared as he noticed how the insignificant creature had attacked his queen with a fireball, and so he unleashed a burning red light from his claws, slashing downward. The slash transformed into a flying claw of fire that mutilated the man who spoke.


    Lothian felt a tinge of pain in his heart and could not help but to yelp loudly. Though he was quite the distance from his mother and the golden bear, they both turned their head toward him, surprise filling their eyes.


    Serena froze but quickly woke from her stupor.She belledwithout emotion and thrust her hind leg to the ground, signalling the forces ¨Cconsisting of a myriad of magical beasts¨C to finish the job.


    The odd group of the creatures in the encirclement screamed and yelled desperately, trying to run away, but was swiftly pounced upon by the forest dispatch, soon but a fleeting memory, and a new nutrition for the curse of the barren land.


    ¡°Mother!¡± The young boy yelled as the fight was over. He rushed over to the white deer who stood quietly, seemingly thinking about something very deeply.


    ¡°Lothian. Did I not tell you to stay out of these sort of things!¡± The white deer said in a scolding tone, thought everyone could clearly sense how relieved she was that he didn¡¯t get hurt or had gotten here earlier when the forest dispatch had yet to arrive. ¡°What if you got hurt?¡±


    ¡°But mother!¡± Lothian said. ¡°I also want to protect the forest!¡± He truly yearned for protecting the forest and all its inhabitants who had raised him as a boy. Although he was quite weak in comparison to the stronger and older magical creatures of the forest, he was still quite able since he had learned a bit of his mother¡¯s light magic and certainly was not to be trifled with.


    Serena¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°Lothian¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a treant ¨C a four or five meter tall walking tree with silver coloured bark ¨C paved path through the dispatch. As came closer to the white deer, he lowered his head and bowed down on one leg. ¡°Queen, there¡¯s still an intruder who survived the attack. What should we do with him? He¡¯s currently unconscious and will die if left unattended."


    The white deer frowned. She took a glance at her son and stomped the ground in hesitation.


    ¡°Queen, your orders¡­?¡± the treant reminded her.


    ¡°Let him live. Bring him to the prison cells in the grand tree.¡±


    ¡°As you command.¡± the treant nodded curtly and then left in a hurry.

 2. ~ Jumping Rulahs

    <blockquote class="messageText SelectQuoteContainer ugc baseHtml">


    Rulah watched Lothian as the young man held the knitted wooden basket with both hands and worked tirelessly. The golden bear yawned, on his back, playing with grass and moss. ¡°One won¡¯t make a difference,¡± he mused. ¡°You know that, buddy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of principles,¡± Lothian hissed as he thrust the basket into the river and pulled. He filled the basket with cold water and placed it on the ground, freeing his hands so that he could remove sweat from his forehead.¡°Wouldn¡¯t you want help if your house was on fire?¡±


    ¡°My house on fire?¡±


    The golden bear stared blankly at the young boy. He saw how serious those blue eyes were and laughed, flipping over to his side. He grabbed an oak-brown cone and pinched it between his claws, crushing it as easily as bending a twig.


    ¡°Anyone who dares to set my family¡¯s house burning surely must have a death wish,¡± he said. ¡°They want to anger father? Go ahead, see what happens! I¡¯d be surprised if they live to see the dawn of next day.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Lothian growled back, his lips pursed. He tightened the leather clothing that concealed his private parts by pulling the two sinew strings that kept it together. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head, knowing full well how impossible it was to get his friend to help out with anything unless it either was a hunt or an adventure.


    Rulah gradually stopped laughing and became silent. His feet, who were playfully sprawling in the air, were lowered.¡°Those intruders today¡­¡± He said. ¡°They resembled you. A lot.¡±


    Lothian heard the golden bear and nodded slowly. He walked over, finding a large path of moss beside his friend where he sat down. He twitched and moved before getting a comfortable position. The ground was warm and dry, scorched by the sunlight that slipped through the canopy above. Small twigs and thin branches crunched under his quite large figure.


    ¡°Hey Lothian, what do you think is out there?¡± Rulah asked. ¡°Outside of the forest I mean.¡±


    The young boy swallowed hard, tugging to his earlobe. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Rulah said and gazed down to the ground. He lowered his chin, touching his forehead. ¡°Are you really from the forest? Is Serena really your mother?¡±


    Lothian instantly released the earlobe he was fumbling with. His heart stirred and his mind was at unease. Jerking left and right, the young boy searched for a new position, but every single one felt strange at the moment.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Lothian,¡± Rulah said without an expression. ¡°It¡¯s easy to see how different you are. It¡¯s like comparing me to a treant!¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Lothian said, fidgeting with his hands.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to tell you what to do or anything, but don¡¯t you want to find out about your origin? Don¡¯t you want to meet your real parents?¡±


    ¡°Serena is my mother.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t force you.¡± Rulah sighed and gave up on convincing his friend otherwise. He crawled to his feet and patted away the dirt of his golden fur. ¡°But you know that prisoner we took. Maybe he knows where you¡¯re from.¡±


    Lothian didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°See you later.¡± the golden bear said and waved goodbye.


    "So tired..." It was dusk when Lothian dragged his battered self back to the village. The whole day was spent helping the forest dispatch extinguish the fire that had spread from the one-eyed vulture king¡¯s land of death, which is why his limbs were heavier than lead and his mind more strained than the sinew strands of his leather garment. It was usually like this. He would expend all his energy during the day and come home exhausted. Of course, the next day, he would be even more filled with energy than the day before. As if he became stronger by breaking down his body and then rebuilding it with food and sleep.


    The gate of reinforced timber stood firm above him as he trudged through toward his home. His village was surrounded by thick timber poles, shielding from any enemy attack that may come. As he limped through the village, a waft brushed past his nose, bringing along the smell of grilled boar and aged Torae, the latter being a type of drink with properties making people tipsy and loose control over themselves.


    ¡°Lothian!¡± an exhilarated song of chirping sounded out from the town square. It was his good friend Zerki, a rainbow bellbird who was very talented in magic. She was said to be the best seedling the rainbow bellbird family have had for hundreds of years, able to use elemental combinations of thunder and fire with even higher proficiency than the bellbird family leader, Grandpa Maki.


    Zerki sailed through the air smoothly. Her wings flapped so fast they turned into blurs. Landing on his shoulder, the small bird was perhaps as big as his palm, if not smaller. As she chirped, her ragged breath smelled of roasted meat and a lot of aged Torae. The huge amount was probably enough to make the most of her size unable to move for the rest of the night.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Been waiting for you! Come, join us! We¡¯re celebrating the today¡¯s victory!¡± She shouted in his ear and pointed toward the open fire in the town square not far from them.


    Lothian sighed. Sparks from the fire glistened in the moonlight and the laughter of diverse beasts rang out, filling the air with happiness. A fire was just what he needed after a long day such as this. But he shook his head. He wasn¡¯t in the mood.¡°Sorry, Zerko. I¡¯m absolutely exhausted, and my bed is too alluring.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Lothian, don¡¯t be such party killer!¡±


    The bird insisted and used the claws of her feet to grab onto his long, golden hair, pulling a few locks as she tried to move him. However, he was like an unmoving mountain, not budging at all from her futile attempts.


    ¡°Next time,¡± he said. ¡°I promise.¡±


    She pouted, circling around him in the air a few times. She was stubborn but Lothian was even more so, which is why she knew it was of no use if he had decided not to come.


    Who else would fight with a golden bear, one of Rulah¡¯s size, just because one couldn¡¯t accept defeat? Who else, but him!


    ¡°Suit yourself then. Don¡¯t come and ask me to join next time. I won¡¯t let you, even if you beg and plead!¡± the bellbird chirped in annoyance and flew back to the open fire with the rest of the young beasts celebrating the victory.


    Lothian sighed again and shrugged his shoulders. He took a quick glance at the town square before going home.


    He trotted into his humble home fast despite his exhaustion. It was just as he had left it. His low bed was shoved into the corner of the confined space and the fireplace he used during cold winters was in the middle, enclosed by a moat of protruding stones which would keep the fire from spreading once lit. There was a hole in the roof of the hut, and this is where the smoke would escape, allowing him to breathe properly even when the fire burned. He could also use the fire as under a stove, in which he could prepare dinner if necessary.


    He sealed the hut by covering the opening with a red piece of cloth that hung from the roof.


    ¡°I really need to be more careful in the future,¡± Lothian grimaced as he nudged the gash to his chest. The wound wasn¡¯t deep, but if left unattended it might cause an infection. Infections lead to sickness and sickness is bad.


    ¡°Luckily, it¡¯s not too deep. I can heal it myself.¡±


    He cleared his mind and began to enter a state of being one with the world, seeking to connect with the nearby light sprites. Sprites were beings of pure energy; without emotion or malice. The common man would forever stay oblivious to the existence of sprites while those who were able to see and sense them with the mind¡¯s eye were called the ¡®enlightened ones¡¯. finally, those few who could draw upon their power through years of practice were called ¡®Warriors¡¯. Lothian was one, and so were his friends, Rulah and Zerki, the bellbird being most skilled.


    There. Not before long, a small dot of light poured out from the index finger of Lothian¡¯s right hand. The dot slowly enlarged, soon a fist-sized light ball. He smiled and moved his hand to his chest, to the wound, and pressed softly. The ball of light slowly sunk into the gash, just as softly it had done when it appeared. At visible speed, the red and centimetre deep wound began to retract, leaving behind only a white scar as a remnant.


    Lothian undid the leather garment from his waist and laid it to rest beside the bed. The other wounds were superficial, not worth his time. He hopped into bed, his whole body yearning for sleep, and pulled a nearby blanket over himself.


    It had been a strange day today. His mind could not help but think back to the intruders. They were like him. Two legs, two arms, and walked upright. And this was the first time he had ever had seen someone like him, except for himself, of course.


    But why did Rulah¡¯s father not want me to know about the attack? What could he possibly gain from concealing it from me? Is it because they were similar to me?


    He turned around in bed, pulling the blanket tighter across his body. His feet felt slightly cold even though it was summer.Strange. He curled up and flipped to his side, pushing his feet together and pressing. It was time to sleep. There was a new day tomorrow and he would need the rest. He closed his eyes and imagined small Rulahs jumping over clouds. Smiling, the young boy giggled from under the blanket and fell asleep.


    </blockquote>


    </article>

 3. ~ Trials!

    Lothian woke up in the night with sweat dripping from his brow. He threw away the red blanket with his feet, taking a deep breath. Normally, he would sleep without anything to cover him during this half of the year, since it was too warm, so why did he use the blanket yesterday? Oblivious to why he did what he did, the young boy climbed out of the bed and grabbed the leather garment beside the bed, equipping it and pulling the sinew strings to fasten it. He walked to the fireplace, taking the metal cauldron that lay not too far away as he walked out of the hut, still sleepy as his feet moved in an old habit.

 4. ~ Finding members

    To Lothian''s and Rulah''s expectations, the whole area became almost like a huge battlefield ¨C Not as in fighting, but as in a battlefield where one would have to fight the other half-gathered teams for members. It was clear to see distinctions in which how members were chosen. Those of the same race would seek out each other, and the more isolated and weaker beast races, where there were only one or two participants, would be left alone ¨C perhaps picked up later to fill the gaps.


    An example was how Jermiya, who was an ironbark treant, was able to swiftly gather enough members. These were his allies from the ironbark sub-branches. Although they weren''t as strong as him, or as other top-tier participants, they would be completely loyal to him because of his master''s, Grand Elder Teresa''s status, within the clan. They would obey his orders fully, and never abandon or let him get wounded.


    This was, of course, good, but Lothian still considered it to be a foolish move. What if they won? How would a group of protectors fight like five when four of the members were like dolls, strung by the puppeteer who in this case was Jermiya. To the contrary, Lothian believed in individual ability and how this created teamwork. When five brains came together and produced something one could not. This was his belief, and he would never do otherwise.


    "Rulah," Lothian called out to the golden bear, carefully looking at the surroundings with his eyes squinted. The more powerful individuals had already retreated from the field, knowing how others would come seek them out, while the weaker and less known beasts still stood here, uncertainty flashing in their eyes as they glanced around themselves in nervosity. "I already have a few people in my mind. Let''s find a quiet place and wait for Zerki to wake up. We can''t make any major decisions without her."


    The two turned heels and followed the trail back from they had come from until they came to a place where food and drinks were given out freely to contestants. They grabbed three water skins and three grilled doves before heading to an empty hut set up for contestants to live inside during the trials. Once inside, Lothian sat down cross-legged and gently put down Zerki on the ground as the golden bear watched with one eye, lazily lying on his back.


    A couple of seconds after, the little bird, now lying on the soft earth, began to move. She quivered slightly and removed the wings from her head, revealing a pair of hazy, rainbow coloured eyes. They were incessantly more brilliant than even the shiniest diamond and made Lothian''s eyes pale by far. Zerki, just awakening from deep sleep, was still muddle-headed. She stared at the two for a while, then blinked, as if to confirm she wasn''t sleeping more.


    "Welcome back," Rulah whispered sarcastically, "You succeeded in sleeping through the whole speechMogaro delivered, a feat I dare to say few would be able to accomplish. Well done! You deserve praise!"


    The bird remained silent, blinking once more, and turned to Lothian as she heard him speak.


    "Stop teasing her, we got more important matters to deal with. Zerki, look, we need to find two members of join our group. Do you know any?"


    Zerki blinked for the third time. Then, as if she had come to her senses, she asked confusedly. "Members? What are you talking about? Where am I?"


    "You got too drunk on Torae yesterday, Zerki," the young boy explained. "I also forgot what day it was today, so I''m no better myself. If not for Rulah, both of us would have missed it and then be forced to wait for three years before another chance."


    "Ah, oh, it''s the trials. I forgot." the bird replied after truly getting her senses. She laughed and flew up in their air, her smile slowly disappearing as she couldn''t keep straight. Instead, she flew into the wall, and fell down to the ground, defeated as layers of dust settled on top of her feathers, now not so dazzling anymore.


    Lothian couldn''t help but laugh. "You''re still drunk, Zerki," he told her. "Just sit still and listen."


    The bird glanced at them suspiciously, as if they had drugged her or something, and that this was the reason for her inability to take flight.


    "The trials weren''t as we had expected them. I had my mother saying something would be different this year, and that she, for both my own progress and for the fairness of the competition didn''t want to tell me." Lothian said to the two. "This year, the trials will be completed in groups we ourselves create. It''s not like the previous times when everyone judged solely based on individual ability, and the top five participants were accepted. In other words, to win this, we need to get two more strong members who we can accept as teammates not only for this competition but for the rest of our lives."


    Zerki was silent throughout his explanation and then softly said. "It makes sense. Grandpa told me too that there would be something different, and ever said something about forming teams, but I simply didn''t care so I didn''t listen very carefully."


    "Serena refused to tell me, but Grandpa Maki told you without qualms..." Lothian said dejectedly. "You really are his favourite, aren''t you."


    "Of course I am!" She stuck out her chest and said. "Who do you think I am? I''m his only flesh and blood granddaughter! He''s placed all his bets on me."


    The young boy and the golden bear rolled their eyes. Humbleness had never been their little friend''s strongest trait. On the other hand, what she said was true, and they both knew how much Grandpa Maki doted on her, so much that he would even give her such information.


    "So, who do you think we should have in our group? We don''t have more than today to chose."


    The young boy''s question put the two others in a deep frown.


    After a while, the golden bear spoke up. "How about FireFox Fuje and Star Beaver Luna? If they haven''t joined any groups yet, I''m sure they would be happy to join ours. I''ve got quite a good relation with Fuje, since our families are close, and Zerki, aren''t you childhood friends with Luna?"


    "Now that you mention it, we were rather good friends, her and I. And her proficiency in the water element could provide a good mix of offence and defence."


    "So it''s decided? Should we go and ask them?" Lothian interjected.


    "Sure." Zerki and Rulah nodded.


    ***


    "Fjue, brother, long time no see,!"


    Rulah greeted a red fox with three puffy tails, who was sitting in the centre of the camp and waiting for time to pass as he drank from his water skin filled with Torae, with a hug deserving of bears. Here, not too long after Mogaro had left, examiners of the trials had been busy transforming the area into a gathering place. Logs were placed for space to sit, and spots, that would at night contain open fires, were created with round pebbles as to keep the flames from spreading to the logs that acted as benches.


    "Rulah, It''s been a while. Have you been well?" Firefox Fuje asked with a smile. He noticed Lothian and Zerki and greeted them with a nod. "I suspect it''s my first time meeting you two, but I have heard of you from Rulah. Lothian and Zerki, correct?"


    "Yes, and we have heard of you as well. A pleasure to finally meet you." Lothian and Zerki said.


    If they wanted to befriend FireFox Fuje and have him as a member of their group, it was impossible to do so unless they were polite. Also, there was no need to not be polite. From what they had heard from Rulah, Fuje was a very proper young beast who usually didn''t do anything to stir up trouble. Of course, the golden bear had also told them of his arrogance, a side he sometimes showed to weaker magical beasts. Lothian disliked such behaviour, yet also understood that it was natural for many to become like this and that this kind of arrogance stemmed from one''s bones and upbringing. While his mother and Rulah''s father and Zerki''s Grandpa taught their offspring humbleness fitting for their positions, other did not. An example was this FireFox, Fuje. However, as long as it didn''t affect the group in a negative way, which Rulah had assured it wouldn''t, then there would be no problem, though Lothian. Fuje would necessarily not be a bad person.


    "I don''t like to beat around the bush. Fuje, we''ve come here to ask if you want to join our group. We lack two members and would gladly have you join us." Rulah said in a straight-forward manner. There was no need to be mysterious. If the FireFox already joined a group or was unwilling to join, it was better to spend the time looking for someone else than trying to ensnare someone who refused. "What do you think? Would you like to join us?" the golden bear asked expectantly.


    "Sorry," Firefox Fuje shook his head and sighed. "I already joined a group since an hour ago. If you had been her before that, I surely would have joined yours."


    Rulah''s smile slowly disappeared. He also sighed. "Don''t feel sorry. We should have asked you earlier. Oh, but If I mind asking, which group did you join?"


    "Relko''s group."


    "You what?!" the golden bear''s eyes constricted. One could see how he tried to contain his anger. He turned around to leave, saying to Lothian and Zerki. "Come, let''s go."


    "Don''t be angry with me. He came to me first." the firefox''s voice was heard from behind, but the trio was already long gone, lead by a completely maddened bear.


    ***


    "Fuck! How dare he join Relko''s group?!" The golden bear pounded the floor of their hut with his paw, releasing roars that caused nearby beasts outside to whimper in fear. "After everything our families have been through together, everything us two brothers have done, how dare he go fucking join that fucking Relko''s group! Dammit! Why!"


    Lothian and Zerki stood beside, watching their friend with sympathy in their gaze. Rulah had a moment ago spoken very nice words about FireFox Fuje; how great their relation was and how much they had done together when they were small, and how their fathers were good friends ¨C and now this happened. They completely understood his anger.


    "If it had been any other group, I would have been okay with it... but his!? Relko''s group!" Rulah continued, his fury not diminishing by the slightest as his paws shook the ground so much that dirt sprayed everywhere. "He knows how much I detest that fucking rhino shit! And he still does this!"


    After venting for another couple of minutes, the golden bear finally calms down, rolling over to his back. His eyes were closed and his fists still trembling. The fury hadn''t subsided, it had just been contained inside instead. Lothian was about to open his mouth, but decided to not. There was nothing that could heal a betrayal as good as time, he understood this. Zerki beside him came to the same conclusion. They could only wait until the golden bear took the initiative to speak.


    Stolen story; please report.                                                                       ***


    "I''m alright now. Let''s go look for Luna." Rulah said and got up from the ground as clumsily as always. Lothian and Zerki hesitated at first, but then nodded, heading outside of the tent to find Starbeaver Luna. It didn''t take long to find her compared to Fuje. They asked a few other beasts and eventually found themselves outside of the camp, close to a lake to the east. They saw Luna sitting cross-legged in the lake, on top of a giant lotus leaf that floated in the calm waters.


    "Luna!" Zerki called and flew over, now restored from the Torae. Luna looked up, surprised, and began to engage in a conversation with her childhood friend. Lothian and Raluh, as they didn''t want to get wet, allowed for Zerki to handle it. They sat down on the ground in front of the lake, waiting for Zerki to catch up with her friend.


    "You never told me about your hostility to Relkos," Lothian said to Rulah as they sat. The young boy was very saddened by the fact that his best friend never told him about thatand didn''t try to hide it.


    "I didn''t want you to worry." Was the reply Rulah gave as he met with Lothian''s gate only to evade it, looking down at the ground instead.


    "So what? You can worry for me and I cannot worry about you? Stop spewing bull shit, brother!" the young boy said with knitted brows. "I tell you everything that''s on my mind, even things that not even my mother now, and you can''t even tell my something as insignificant as this? Really?!"


    "I don''t know what to say. Rather, I don''t have anything to say. I should have told you. I''m sorry."


    Neither of them spoke again, and let instead silence elapse. Lothian was biting his lip, feeling a myriad of emotions. However, Rulah wasn''t better off, the young boy saw. His friend probably felt very guilty now, as if he had betrayed Lothian.


    Lothian sighed. What did it matter now? Serena always told him that people sometimes makes mistakes. So, in the end, the young boy told his friend. "Tell me."


    "Ah?"


    "Tell me why you hate that guy to the bone, and I might forgive you."


    Rulah turned to his friend and stared with his mouth open. "You''re not angry with me?"


    "Yes, I am, but I think there far more important things than that. It''s not as if you betrayed me or something, you just didn''t want me to worry about you, and feared that I would go take revenge for you and get hurt, right?" the young boy said with a wide smile that showed his teeth.


    "Y-yeah." the golden bear admitted. "That''s right, I..."


    "No need to explain." Lothian interrupted his friend. "Now tell me, what happened between you and Brutal Rhino Relkos?"

 5. ~ Last member

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you all," Luna said and bowed, her wet tail skittering across the ground like a leaf used to cool one down during hot summers. When her tail made contact with the earth that had been softened by the lake water nearby, a deep sound was heard. Like a drum being hit in a steady tempo. "Please take care off me," she said.


    "Likewise. And welcome to the team." Lothian smiled in return, giving her a nod as he said. "We are four, so we need one more. You don''t happen to know someone, do you?"


    Luna, the Moon Beaver, put her water-blue claws together. She smiled and lightly shook her head."I''m sorry, this one only knows a few, but those people have already joined other groups."


    Lothian held back a slight frown. At this moment, it was already late afternoon, and there were only a few hours remaining until the time limit Mogaro had set. Since they had found their fourth member, Zerki''s childhood friend Luna, they only needed one more. And if they couldn''t find this last member before nightfall, they would be disqualified and denied participation in the trials for the forest dispatch. If that happened, they would let down they would let down those who believed in them.


    "Let''s stroll the camp. We might find someone with ability who hasn''t joined a group yet." Rulah suggested. "It''s always worth a shot, right?"


    "Mm, I agree." the young boy nodded his head. "What do you think, girls?"


    "That sounds reasonable, but only under the condition that you carry me on your shoulder!" Zerki said as if it was a good thing, something a magical beast with powerful lineage should boast about.


    "Yeah, sure, no problem. What about you, Luna?"


    "This one does not see any problems with Rulah''s suggestion."


    "Great, then it''s settled! Lothian said cheerfully and allowed the haughty little bird with control over fire and thunder to rest on his shoulder. Under everyone''s gaze, she lifted her chin eye and pointed forward with her wing.


    "Onwards, my mount!" she chirped. "Let''s go!"


    Lothian simply laughed in response, knowing how unique Zerki''s personality was. Truthfully, there was a reason to why they were her only friends. They were the only ones who could stand her crude jokes and haughty personality without ending up bashing their head in stone to make her stop.


    Luna looked at Rulah, seemingly confused, and the golden bear simply smiled back instead of trying to explain something.


    ***


    "Jade Horse Remus! How would you like to join our party? We are missing one member?"


    "Sorry, already joined one. Good luck, though. Try Voris."


    ***


    Hey, you''re Apostle Toad Voris, right?"


    "I joined one already if that''s what you came for."


    ***


    "Cloud Spewing Goat Mardon?"


    "Yes?"


    "Have you joined a group yet?"


    "Oh, yes, I joined one just a moment ago. Why?"


    "No, nevermind. Have a great day."


    ***


    How the heck can this be so hard? Why is everyone we ask already in a group? Dammit, this is making me so irritated!" Lothian cursed loudly as the twelfth beast they asked apologised and said they were in a group. They had walked around the camp, and every time they spotted someone who they knew were powerful but also had an okay personality, they would ask them to join. But of all the twelve they had asked, every single one was already taken by other groups. How vexing!


    "We still have another hour left!" Zerki said with stars in her eyes. "Go my mount! Faster!"


    "Shut up, I''m really irritated now. Don''t make it worse!" Lothian said in annoyance. He stomped on the ground a few times like his mother always did when she was hesitating, and then turned to Rulah, saying. "Hey, brother, are you sure you don''t know anyone else?"


    "No, not what I can think of..." the golden bear said. "Well, I do know one beast who certainly wouldn''t be able to join a group. And that''s not because of his strength, more because of his, you know, shrewd personality."


    "What do you mean, shrewd personality?" Lothian asked.


    "He''s quite eccentric and is told to not work well in a team. But his strength is superb. I fought him once and if not for my awesome defence, I would have lost. That''s how good he was. At the same time, I couldn''t even touch the fine hairs of his skin, so it eventually ended in a draw. His attacks couldn''t defeat me, and I couldn''t reach him."


    "And are you sure he''s participating in the Trials?"


    Rulah touched his chin and then nodded. "Should be. I saw him earlier."


    "Then let''s go find him! He may be our last chance!" the young boy shouted. "Where did you see him?"


    "Wait, you''re actually serious?" Rulah asked, not expecting his friend''s answer. He took a deep breath and laughed. "Well, why not. It''s not as if we have another choice. Ok, it''s like this. I saw him at the left side of the centre, so he might still be there if we''re lucky. I can''t guarantee that he''ll want to join, though. He''s a tad special after all.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ***


    The centre of the camp was filled with resounding laughter and the smell of Torae. The drink truly was something that could get beasts addicted; slaves to their desires. This is one of the reasons Lothian only drank with moderation. He refused to be a slave to anyone but his heart and soul, and barely even those if he had to choose. Walking along the benches, the group of four finally caught the glimpse of a lonely figure, sitting alone on a bench. When they got closer, they could make out an Arcane Jaguar, drinking with his head down from a resplendent cup filled with Torae that lay on the ground.


    "Remember me?" Rulah said, breaking the silence.


    The Arcane Jaguar looked up, his mouth filled with a sharp set of teeth and his skin carved with mysterious patterns of azure and purple and dark gold. The colours shimmered in the flame nearby and cast the area in a magical light. "Oh, you."


    The golden bear sneered. "It''s me indeed. So have you worked on that power of yours, Zerlon?"


    "My power? Hah, speed is far more important." Zerlon snorted. He looked glanced over the other tree for a while, especially on Lothian ¨C with a careful gleam in his eyes ¨C and said. "You couldn''t even catch my shadow, Rulah"


    Lothian sensed the tense atmosphere and merely smiled. Many of the beasts inside of the village were incredibly proud, and wouldn''t admit that another was better ¨C certainly not beasts as proud as an Arcane Jaguar or a Golden Bear. The Arcane Jaguar was one of the fastest races in the village, on par with Fire Foxes, and used a combination of water and darkness, along with a touch of fire, in their movements. They were hunters of the night and loved to surprise their prey with blinding teeth in the darkness. Fire Foxes, however, were more of a front liner in that aspect. They had a stronger output for longer periods of time and were also able to use the fire element for attacks that were suited for group battles


    Golden bears were also proud creatures. They were heralded as the beasts with the most powerful defences, along with Brutal Rhinos and Ironbark treants and Obsidian Beetles. Golden bears also boasted of a strong attack power with a great affinity for the fire element, close to that of Fire Foxes. Needless to say, neither Rulah nor Zerlon would back out.


    "Enough. Let''s cut the chase." Rulah continued unperturbed. "Have you found a group yet?"


    "No," Zerlon answered and slurped from his Torae. He then held his head high and asked. "What of it?"


    "We have a vacant spot."


    The Arcane Jaguar smirked. "And you want me to join... haha, you couldn''t find anyone else, right?"


    "What does it matter?" the golden bear asked expressionlessly. "Join or not. Don''t waste out time. But I can tell you, with us, you will become a protector by the end of these trials. And, even though your power is quite weak, I admit you are the second fastest beast in the camp right now, so we would certainly benefit from you."


    Wrath flash in Zerlon''s eyes. Though the first provocation wasn''t taken seriously by him, the second was. How could he accept that anyone was faster than him, even if it was a joke? "What bullshit are you spewing? Who''s faster than me?"


    "Have you heard of Fire Fox Fuje?"


    "That little fox is faster than me? Hah!" Zerlon snorted. "You can''t be serious!"


    "Well, you''ll never know. And that guy might become even faster, as he is tempered by the trials. Perhaps he will already have left you in the dust in the matter of a few years, taking the crown of the fastest in the village. After all, his father is the current speed crown." Rulah said, knowing Zerlon had been caught in the trap. "But if you don''t want to be the fastest..."


    Arcane Jaguar Zerlon glared at the golden bear. After a while, he finally said. "Fine, I''ll join you. But you have to present a chance for me to fight that guy then, or I''ll never join."


    "You taking care of him is just what I want." the golden bear replied with a smile that wondered if the bear really was as dense as he looked, or merely was a wolf in sheep''s clothing, waiting for other to let their guard down. "Welcome to the team."


    "Humpf" Zerlon finished his cup on the ground and said. "And I want a rematch between us. You and me."


    "Don''t worry, talking to you here really makes my paw itch," Rulah said. He turned to Lothian and smiled, and the young boy smiled back. They had finally gathered a team of five. "Now, let''s hurry up and report to Vice-leader Mogaro."


    ***


    As the group of five walked into Mogaro''s hut, the shadow panther with a scar spanning half of his face, looked up from where he lay and said, as he inspected the five beasts, his gaze stopping over Rulah. "Jeez, you little rascal, how come you''re this late? I expected you to be finished earlier. Oh, Lothian and Zerki, you''re here too. Ah, who''s this? Hmm, If I''m correct, the two of you should be Starbeaver Luna and Arcane Jaguar Zerlon. I''ve heard of you, but I''ve never met you in person."


    "Uncle, we''re here to register for the team. " Rulah reminded the panther.


    "Of course, of course. No problem." Mogaro answered. "By the way, your father sends his regards. He told me to keep an extra eye on you here, and that I should be extra tough when it comes to judging you and your group."


    "The old foggy..." the golden bear smirked.


    "Anyway, I''ll have the examiners fill you in. Rulah, Zerki, Lothian, Luna and Zerlos, right?"


    Rulah nodded.


    "Great. Okay, now for the more formal information." the shadow panther explained and looked over the group like he had done over previous groups. "Tomorrow before the first light, you will all gather in the centre of the camp for the first challenge before. Those who come late will be disqualified. And look, I cannot reveal too much, but I can tell you this. The first challenge will be a test to see how good you can adapt and work with each other in your group. After all, this is the most basic ability you must possess as a member of the forest dispatch. Your individual ability is almost of no value compared to the extensive force created when all of your group members are in synergy. Do you understand?


    "Yes, sir!"


    "Good, now go get some sleep. You need to be at your peak tomorrow to produce good results. The competition this year is very fierce!"


    As the group later walked out of the hut, they were filled with an expectation to the next morning. Perhaps not so much Zerki and Zerlon, but Lothian and Rulah and Luna certainly were. Of course, they had no idea what would happen, and at the same time, no idea how much this first challenge would change their way of thinking of a team.

 6. ~ First Trial!

    The sun was still hiding when Lothian woke. He was the first one to do so, coming from a trait formed from habit.


    During his younger years, when he had been but a toddler, living with his mother in the grand tree, a tree that pierced through the sky and was thousands of meters tall, he never went up this early. But times changed. In the grand tree, the hired attendants took care of all his needs. They played and fed and patted him to bed, and even brought him out from the treeto his mother''s favourite pond, where they let him play with Rulah.


    However, as he got older, people in the grand tree began to disrespect him. He didn''t look like other beasts nor like the ruler of the forest, Serena, and they disliked that. Seeing the harassment taking place, his mother could only stop it when she was present but knew that when she was away, the young boy would be bullied by the others living in the grand tree. So, in the end, she made him move out, into his own hut, and that''s when he began to wake up before first light.


    In his own hut, he was forced to get fresh water each morning, either for cooking or for drinking. Normally, he would eat nuts and berries for breakfast, sometimes a wild crop called potato which he let boiling in the cauldron. Together with the sweet syrup from Gonula trees that could be found in the outer area, the potato tasted very good.


    To the contrary, If the potato was eaten without anything on it, then it would taste very bland; sometimes even slightly bitter. Also, each day, at lunch, he would have to go hunt if he wanted to have some meat. It was usually a rabbit or a dove, but sometimes a baby boar when mother boar was careless and left its child without protection.


    The young boy, without waking the others, carefully trotted out of the hut. The moon was still shining as resplendent as always when he got out. He was stark naked, the leather clothing still inside the hut close to where he had slept, and his tall, lean but still muscular figure was very beautiful in the dim light.


    He was taller than most beasts since he stood on his legs, but comparing his length with Raluh''s, for example, was a complete joke. The golden bear was about three meters when standing on his hind legs while the young boy himself only stood with his meagre almost two meters, perhaps a bit less.


    Lothian gazed up and felt the wind hit his face, blow after blow, and enjoyed as it caressed his face. It felt good to be alive ¨C good to be here, soon taking the trials. Or, maybe the reason he felt good was because his face had been flushed red from the heat inside the hut and was now soothe by the wind, but that wasn''t worth mentioning. Better to blame it on the explicit joy of life, he thought with a smile.


    As he stood there, he silently made a decision. Now that he had formed his group, and was about to participate in the first challenge, he would give his absolute everything. Although his control and efficiency in terms of sprite cultivation, which a warrior''s progress was called, lagged behind the other of his generation, what mattered was one''s strength. The light sprites absolutely loved him for some reason, and that''s why he was able to match the other powerhouses.


    Telling himself this, the young boy turned around and once again walked into the hut, on his way to wake up the others. His heart about the first challenge was firm. He would crush it.


    Once everyone had woken up, they prepared for the first challenge.


    There was still an hour or two before they would need to gather at the centre, so they spent the time scurrying for some food. They found out that the place where food and drinks had been given out was now been replaced with a breakfast stall, serving nuts and berries of great quality. It was good that most beasts didn''t eat as much as Rulah, the young boy silently thought as he saw his friend devour a dove with two or three bites, for then there would not be food for everyone. Zerki, on the other hand, was very little, and only ate a couple of berries.


    ***


    "Three, two, one...!" Mogaro said, his the final word as the sun appeared from behind the mountains that divided the forest from the great beyond. His voice reached out to everyone''s ears. There was one group who came just a couple of seconds lateand even pleaded or everything they had. Yet, they were refused and therefore disqualified.


    The reprimanding words of the forest dispatch''s vice-leader still echoed in his head: "What if this was a real mission? Do you think an intruder would wait until you arrive before slaughtering your allies in cold blood? Huh? Oi, why aren''t you listening? Ah, he fainted?"


    "Please settle down everyone. He just fainted. A splash of water will wake him up soon."


    ***


    "So, now that everything is cleared up, let''s begin with today''s mission." the shadow panther said with a sly smile.


    "The first challenge is a test of your ability to work together as a group. You can say it''s a sample. It won''t be judged with points. However, you shouldn''t relax because of that. Listen carefully now. The groups with good results from this test will have an advantage in the next challenge, in which there will be points, while the groups with bad results will be at a disadvantage. What I''m saying is that the better your score is in this challenge, the easier time you will have in the next."


    Other magical beasts sat or were seated beside Mogaro on the raised platform. They all looked like battle-hardened warriors, and Lothian knew they weren''t to be messed with. A single one of them was enough to beat him in the blink of an eye. That''s right, they were the examiners, all part of the sacred orders sworn to protect the village and the queen. The forest dispatch.


    "Today''s sample challenge is very simple. You have until lunch to create a battle formation that suits your group. After this, you will be judged by how good you can fare against a forest dispatch member."


    As Mogaro said the last couple of sentences, the whole crowd was stunned breathless.


    They, fight against a forest dispatch member? Wasn''t that the same as suicide? Wasn''t it the same as a five tiger cubs fighting a full-grown lion?


    Lothian felt his heart tighten. Just the sheer thought of going up against a protector filled him with fear.


    Protectors weren''t just beasts who had hunted small animals like him. They had killed. Slaughtered and protected the village from intruders, beings from outside the forest and even those from the great beyond, who had passed the mountain to come here. They had even killed those creatures... those creatures that looked like him. As it did every now and once, his mind got thinking about his origin. Though he refused to admit it to Rulah, the young boy knew he wasn''t from the forest. He was from the outside.


    The shadow panther suddenly laughed, leaving all of them staring blankly.


    "The protector won''t be fighting you seriously, he or she will just defend casually. Haha, otherwise this challenge would be impossible for you all." Then, with calm breath, Mogaro said in a firm tone. "Younglings, the better you can combine your abilities together, the higher score you will get, and the more advantage you will hold in the next challenge. Also, one last thing. Depending on your results, your group will be given a number. Naturally, the group with the best results in this challengewill be called group one."


    "Now, disperse. Everyone gather here around in five hours."


    The participants were startled, to say the least, but didn''t complain as they heard Mogaro''s voice. His word was an iron-clad law. Everyone properly left the field with their groups, on their way to find a secluded place where they could speak only themselves. Same was for Lothian''s group. They walked into the forest and found a quiet place a couple of minutes away.


    It was quite awkward between the group members now that they didn''t know where to start. Except for Zerlon and Zerki, who didn''t seem to really care, Rulah and Lothian were standing close to each other, both of them trying to think out a battle formation. Luna didn''t really know if she should be with the boysor her childhood friend, so she was stuck a bit in between.


    A battle formation was more or less a tactic which detailed how to move and attack and retreat with the highest efficiency. A great battle formation could increase a squad''s success in a mission with over fifty percentage, and a bad one could even lead to the whole team crumbling apart. The crux was; each formation would need to be tailor fitted for each group. If one group member was changed, the whole formation had to be modified to fit the new team member.


    Lothian noticed how they weren''t coming anywhere, and so he said. "How about if we all explain our abilities first? So that we can decide each one''s position in the formation?"


    Everyone nodded, except for Zerlon, who still didn''t give a jack about what happened.


    "I''ll start then, I guess." the young boy said, smiling faintly. He propped his chest up to seem bigger. "I cultivate light sprites and fight by imbuing my fists and legs with light particles. That said, I would do best as a front liner. Oh, and I can also heal lesser injuries if necessary, though I''m not very proficient in that aspect."


    "As a golden bear, you can all probably guess how I fight." Rulah continued. "I stand in the front as well."


    Feeling it was her turn, Zerki chirped. "I am best with long-range abilities. Protect me, and I will defeat all out enemies with thunder and fire! No matter how many they are, I will scorch them to nothing but ash and dust!"


    Lothian turned to the star beaver."What about you, Luna?"


    "This one is not so good in terms of offensive abilities," Luna said, her cheeks reddening and her tail pounding the ground like crazy.


    It seemed pretty humorous to the young boy, but if he knew the reason behind it, he wouldn''t find it as funny. Truth was that she wasn''t used to talking in front of this many at once, and at the same time, she had always been a bit shy and humble with her skills.


    "But if it''s something, then it would be that I can help the team both offensively and defensively." she said. "This one is quite nurtured in the water elements, and her lineage allows her to combine the two elements to create moon particles. Moon particles are good because they can be used both as healing and as attacking. A bit like the light element."


    Everyone''s gaze landed upon the Arcane Jaguar lying lazily just like Rulah used to do. The patterns were quite clear now in the day and one could even notice tiny black dots between the purple and azure and dark gold fur.


    "Oh, you''re waiting for me?" Zerlon asked indifferently.


    "Hurry up so that we can get started." the little bird said impatiently. She was curious to see everyone''s face when she showed them her new super attack that she had together with her grandpa developed in secret.


    "Fine, fine." the Arcane jaguar said. "I cultivate three different sprites. Water and darkness and fire. I have a lot of skills, but it wouldn''t really mean anything if I told you since almost of all are single-targeted, used to assassinate others. The only one I have which isn''t a single target skill, but a buff, is stealth, an innate ability that all Arcane Jaguars possess since birth."


    Lothian and the other nodded. They had heard of the Arcane Jaguars fearsome innate ability called stealth, able to shroud them in the shadows and keep other''s gaze from watching. Just like Arcane Jaguars had this, Starbeaver had their innate skill to create moon particles which could be used for both healing wounds and attacking enemies.


    Rulah also had an innate skill¨C but that was something he still didn''t have access to, a skill that would come when he matured in a few years.


    The only two of the group who didn''t have innate skills were Zerki and Lothian. On the other hand, they were blessed in their own way. Zerki''s brilliant proficiency in combining fire and thunder, and Lothian''s ability to be loved by the light sprites, made up for this.

 7. ~ Battle formation

    ¡°Our team is quite strong in terms of individual strength,¡± Lothian concluded.¡°We only need a battle formation that suits us.¡±


    The five beasts all sat down in the forest, in deep thought, as they tried to figure out a battle formation. The examination would take place in a few hours, and it was vital to not only create the battle formation but also to practice with it before the test.


    ¡°Does anyone have an idea?¡± the young boy asked.


    ¡°This one does,¡± Luna said. All eyes came upon her. Even the Arcane Jaguar who seemed quite disinterested stopped with what he was doing in order to listen. ¡°How about if¡­ Zerki and this one stand in the middle and Lothian and Rulah guard the front? Zerlos can hide in the shadows and wait for an opportunity to strike.¡±


    Lothian thought for a brief moment. He then said. ¡°That seems to be the best but yours won''t work in the examination."


    ¡°Why?¡± Luna blurted out. She thought her plan was perfect.


    ¡°Because in the test, I would guess Mogaro will want us to fight with the forest dispatch member in the open so that everyone can see the battle. If we fight in the open, there won''t be anywhere for Zerlos to hide. Therefore he won''t be able to do a sneak attack."


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Lothian, but did you forget what I just told you?¡± Zerlos interjected with a scowl. He looked at the young boy and said. ¡°I can use stealth, remember? If I go into stealth, I can ambush the forest dispatch member. As long as you bunch can keep him busy, that is."


    ¡°But, you can only use stealth within shadows, right?¡± Rulah said. ¡°There won¡¯t be any shadows in an open plain, will there?¡±


    To this, the Arcane Jaguar laughed. ¡°As long as there are clouds in the sky, there will be shadows on the ground. Even if you can¡¯t see them with your puny eyes, I can.¡±


    ¡°So you mean to say, that you can turn invisible almost anywhere?¡± Lothian asked, quite shocked. He knew of Arcane Jaguars abilities, but this was almost too frightening. To not be able to see the enemy until the enemy strikes¡­ the young boy never anticipated the Zerlos abilities to be as great as this.


    ¡°Almost,¡± Zerlos grinned. ¡°Thought the effect won''t be as good as normal.¡±


    Lothian nodded. Then, however, he discovered a problem. The others in the group hadn¡¯t realised it, but he had. How were they to practice the formation? Against thin air? That¡¯s right. They had no opponents.¡°We have a problem.¡± the young boy cleared his throat, then said. ¡°We don¡¯t have any opponent to practice on.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s face darkened. They understood what he meant. ¡°Then how are we going to train?¡± Zerki chirped worriedly.


    ¡°We can''t,¡± Zerlos answered quicker than anyone else. He paused for a second and then said to everyone. "And maybe that''s the real challenge for the test. To execute a battle formation without having practised with it, as well as when everyone¡¯s watching ¨C this shows one''s ability to adapt and improvise in fights.¡±


    ¡°Then that mean this trial is harder than we expected,¡± Rulah said with a sigh.


    Having understood the true purpose of the first trial, the group understood how important it was for them to get started. First, they had to properly make the basic formation ¨C where each of them would stand


    ¡°Since Zerki is so small, how about if she sits on Luna¡¯s shoulder?¡± Lothian said as they were trying out the positions. ¡°If she does that, Rulah and I will be able to more efficiently protect the two.¡±


    The others nodded, and they made the adjustment. After about half an hour, they had successfully created a basic battle formation. Luna and stood in the middle. Rulah was directly in front of them and would serve as protection their, hindering enemies from closing in. Lothian and Zerlos were one on each side, and their main focus was to attack.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Luna and Zerki would stand in the middle, and Rulah would directly in front of them and would serve as protection their, hindering enemies from closing in, while Lothian and Zerlos would be one on each side. The young boy and the Arcane Jaguar''s focus would be to attack.


    ¡°What if enemies come from behind?¡± Zerki asked. ¡°I can fly into the air, but Luna doesn¡¯t have any escape. She can use her moon particles to send moon blades, if its a powerful attacker, merely this won¡¯t be able to stop the enemy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem indeed,¡± Lothian nodded. ¡°Our formation is like a bow. You two are the string, and we three are the tree frame. The bow itself, the frame, is stable and sturdy, but if an enemy comes behind and targets the string, the bow won¡¯t work anymore. So just as you said, we need to find a way to protect from behind.¡±


    "Hey, Zerlos, do you think you can keep an eye on the back as well?" the young boy turned to Zerlos and asked.


    "I can try," the Arcane Jaguar admitted. "But If I''m on my way to ambush someone, I might be too concentrated to notice it."


    As the group was slowly beginning to come closer to each other, and learning each other''s strengths and weaknesses, time slowly crept forward. Morning turned into soon lunch time, and the forest silence was interrupted by a shout from a certain golden bear.


    "Shit, we only have about one more hour until we need to gather in the camp," Rulah swore loudly. "We need to get onto showing each other our abilities!"


    "I''ll start."


    In the forest groove, a light slowly began to shine. A golden, mystelike aura surged around the young boy''s fists. "My skill in controlling light sprite isn''t very high, so I can only use this one technique, of shrouding my fists, to attack," he said, and proudly stuck out his chest. "Nevertheless, I will pound out enemies to dust!"


    "Like this!" The young man struck the ground below him with his fist. A deafening sound sounded out and dirt spewed in all directions. What was left in his wake was a small crater the size of a diameter. "I call it¡¸Light bringer¡¹


    "Ok, my turn next." the golden bear said. He roared, and everyone held their ears. They felt their mind shake, and they almost lost their balance. If they had been in a fight, they would all have been disrupted and forced to retreat. "An innate ability of the golden bears.¡¸Majestic Roar¡¹Then, Rulah slash out with his claw. A claw of flame magically appeared in the thin air and struck a young tree not too far away, causing it to break like a twig. "And this is¡¸Fire Claw¡¹


    Suddenly, a stream of water shot out toward the tree whose branches had combusted. It was Luna''s doing.


    "This attack is called¡¸Water Gun¡¹And though it might not hurt very much, it can certainly distract them. " She said after closing her mouth from which the water had shot out from. "This one also has some other skills. This one can heal wounds and create moon mirrors, protective barriers able to reflect others'' skills."


    Luna placed her hands together and dunked the ground with her tail. A beautiful, clear mirror appeared not too far away from them, about three meters tall and two meters wide. Lothian looked into it and could see his own reflection as it stared back at him. A truly beautiful mirror.


    "Let me try it, to see if it can still reflect my attacks!" Zerki chirped and flew up. "Behold, fire thunder tornado ultimate attack!"


    Over the little bird''s head, a gigantic swirl of red and yellow began to converge. Flames churned and thunder crackled. The swirl spun faster and faster, and then with another high-pitched chirp from Zerki, it shot down toward the mirror.


    As the fire and thunder tornado hit the mirror, a strange scene unfurled. The mirror broke into pieces, not able to withstand the attack, and at the same time, the swirl of thunder and fire was ricocheted, reflected back toward the little bird.


    "Ahhh, help me!" Zerki shouted and hurriedly flapped her wings, avoiding her own attack by a hair''s width. She looked at her friend with ghastly eyes. "Do you want to kill me or what?"


    Everyone laughed, except for the little bird, of course, who had gotten a scare for a lifetime. "Hey, guys, this is no joke. I could have died!"


    "Zerlos, your turn," Lothian said to the Arcane Jaguar.


    ¡°Sure. Then take a good look.¡± Zerlos nodded and began to crouch, his paws lightly touching the ground in rhythm. Slowly but surely, the patterns on his fur began to glow. The others were showing signs of surprise. The light shining from the patterns were beautiful and exquisite. Almost a bit eerie. Purple and blue and gold joined together and created a canvas of colors, before the crouching figure began to fade into the surroundings. Just like that, before anyone was able to react, the Arcane Panther had turned invisible.


    "So, what do you think?" A whisper was heard from behind them a couple of seconds later. They turned around and found the Arcane Jaguar''s stare, who hadappeared from the shadows and deactivated stealth so that they could see him.


    Lothian grinned. "I think it''s good that you are on our side."


    "