《Beremia: The Griffin Son》


 Prologue - Maria Griffith

    ¡°Let me out!¡± I scream at Black Snout as he passes by my cell.


    ¡°Only an idiot would release a deadly scum like you from our magic seal! Haha!¡± Black Snout gives a loud belch and walks away with his two fat boar legs, imprinting his feet onto the dark brown soil; the sharp tips on the right shoulder of his bulging rock armor ceaselessly scratches the outer walls of the cells.


    No, I¡¯m not using ¡°boar¡± as some metaphor. He is actually half boar, serving the Garith faction in the Ethios Empire, East of Beremia. I, on the other hand, am a mythical hybrid who serves and obeys no one. I have travelled across the continent to find Egron, defeating many foes including the Feros soldiers, Harke sorcerers, and monsters of Yoldin, but losing my comrades along the way, dead or alive. While asleep in their territory, the Great Forrest, I was captured by the Garith beasts. I¡¯ve been trapped here ever since, patiently seeking a way out.


    ¡°Oh! And all you dirt bags aren¡¯t getting any food tonight because I¡¯m feeling extra hungry! Bahaha!¡± Once again, air exits from Black Snout, but this time from his bottom. Oof! Half-boars are notorious for having the deadliest farts. Why don¡¯t they just focus on the art of fart manipulation instead. Great, this is the fifth time that I will be missing dinner. It doesn¡¯t matter I suppose; I can¡¯t stand the all-green dishes that these Gariths cook up anyway. To be fair, though, they still have great tastes in some other areas. The Garith architecture is one of a kind and they did not slack even for an underground prison. Dark grey stones stack on one another, forming walls as high as a half-giraffe. Each one is inscribed with white Garith symbols and patterns. Even the ceiling is filled with vines, forming illustrations of their ancient history. Frankly, I have never seen stones as smooth and beautiful as these. Gariths are the masters of the Earth element after all. Constructing with earth, trees, and rocks should be anything but difficult.


    Enough with this pathetic admiration, I need to get out of here, for the sake of my quest as well as my diet! It¡¯s been two weeks since I¡¯ve had a taste of fresh red meat. The guards put an Earth protection seal on each stone cell gate, reinforcing the walls¡¯ resistance to elemental blasts. But my cell was an exception; they put five of those seals on my gate. So for now I should just channel all my energy and focus into elemental manipulation. Master Yazen had already taught me all the mandatory meditation techniques that can strengthen my mana powers. Look, I understand that you are probably overwhelmed with my blabbers. So in the meantime, I will tell you the stories of my childhood, the reason why I need to seek answers from Egron, one of the two only living half-griffin hybrids in Beremia.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    Born and raised in a small village in the Kohard Empire, country ruled by the Feros, I was considered an outcast, suffering undeserved contempt and hatred from local villagers. I am a bastard son of a Feros warrior, who raped my mother, a human commoner, during one of the Feros semiannual raids. The blood-thirsty fire-affiliated Feros soldiers are granted the privilege to raid and demand water, food, and women from villages that are ¡°protected¡± by the faction. When it comes to preferences, they choose mainly virgins and ensure that their acts of ¡°dominance¡± and ¡°masculinity¡± are out in the open; they even force family and friends to watch. Most of the faction members belong to the cat family, in forms of half-lion, half-tiger, and half-leopard hybrids. Their army base is located within the walls of the capital city, Lios Citadel.


    For months, my mother, Maria Griffith, endured grief and shame but was not willing to give up the life inside of her. However, as I grew larger inside her womb, Mother was not able to continue her work as a merchant in the capital city. Her body could not handle the stress and frequent traveling that the job required. She used to make daily travels between the village and the city to sell farmers¡¯ fresh produce. From then on she struggled to find food. She had no friends nor family that she could turn to as they all lived far away in the Skye Mountains where the Azarr clans occupied. Weeks gone by, she eventually found a lonely farmer named Jimi who would support her but only if she promised marriage after my birth. Desperate to survive, she accepted and faked her love for this hideous man. A few months later, I was born. Mother swore to never step foot into the capital city again; she thought that she could live happily with her new family in this tiny village.


    But the village people had no sympathy. Every time they saw me, it reminded them of the horrendous trauma that the Feros soldiers had brought to the villagers. ¡°Feros filth! Go back to Lios Citadel, bastard child! Dirty cats are not welcome here!¡± The villagers despised my existence. Jimi also shared the same belief as the rest. In the beginning, his love for Mother made him willing to accept and treat me like his own son. However, as I turned eight, the suppression of his growing hatred against me made him a mad man. One night in our barn, while the family was stacking up hay, Jimi demanded Mother to murder her own child. As soon as she refused, he beat Mother furiously with a leather belt. He then turned his back and stared at me, his eyes burning with anger. I felt the ground trembling as he slowly approached me; his breathe was heavy. Shocked and afraid, I could not move myself.


    ¡°Stay away from my son!¡± Mother yelled from the top of her lungs. A pitchfork pierced through my step father¡¯s chest, blood flowing along the three spikes and slowly dropping from the tips. Both Mother and Jimi fell down to the ground, but only one was still breathing. Realizing what she had done, Mother took my hand and pulled me out of the barn, ¡°There is nothing left for us in this village, Berion, we must leave.¡±


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    For the sake of giving me a better life, Mother decided that we would move to the hottest city in Beremia, Lios Citadel, putting aside all her hatred towards the Feros. Perhaps it was the only place where I could be accepted. After all, the capital city was a familiar sight to her and she had several connections in the trade district. Mother planned on seeking her acquaintances in hope of getting paid to do some kind of work.


    In an early sunny morning, the red gate was opened, allowing merchants and visitors from all around Beremia to enter. The enormous black walls surrounding the capital were decorated with grand crimson Feros banners, endlessly burning on top. In all directions, I could see tall dark iron buildings with circular entrances. I was in awe yet intimidated by the various red patterns on each steel wall or fence. Some were actual patterns; others were just blood randomly splattered. Also, aside from the constant chattering from city dwellers, there were these undying flaming and clanking noises from the giant Hephes factories, which were topped with lion-inspired chimneys.


    We began wandering around, looking for a man named Marvik, a local butcher. Strolling through the bustling Hurran market, I could hear all sorts of animal sounds. It was the first time I witnessed hybrids that were not part of the Feros faction. From large hybrids like half-elephant to small ones like half-chimp, I learnt that not all hybrids are cruel and evil. In fact, they all belong to different factions, which follow different values, beliefs, and purposes. We all start as humans but each family carries different animal genes. Once we have reached the age of twelve, our animal genes begin to change our bodies. The genetic modification grants us unique animal traits as well as powerful elemental abilities. However, not all of us can become hybrids. Those whose animal genes remain dormant through the age fifteen are considered as weak and useless commoners. This is because for most cases, pure humans would never become a hybrid after the age of fifteen. The unjust social treatment between hybrids and pure humans is due to their difference in elemental power. In comparison, the strongest human elemental wielder possesses powers equivalent to a hybrid elemental student, with the exception of Light and Mind magic in which pure humans are actually the superiors. This is why although most live their lives as plain farmers, villagers, merchants, or slaves, many pure humans refused to be powerless and formed a holy union known as the Harke in a remote island between the Kohard Continent and the Ethios Continent.


    All of this learning happened while I was waiting for Mother outside the butcher store, hiding under the shade. A young half-parrot man, dressed in a white robe with yellow linings and an oversized monocle on his left eye, could not stop repeating what sounded like lecture scripts that were meant for an elementary class. ¡°The Azarrs are the most intelligent beings! Teaching kids should be a piece of cake¡­¡± The man attempted to cheer himself; his face painted with anxiety. A hot cup of Black Tigress Milk, a local specialty, was served to the nervous teacher by a half-leopard waitress. He was sitting alone outside a pub called the House of Cats next to the meat shop. After listening to the half-parrot for a while, I looked up towards the sky and caught a glimpse of the infamous Hell Tower, the center of the capital. No matter where you stand in Lios, you would be able to see the bloody red flame burning on top of the tower. As I gazed at this fire, I felt a slight nudge on my shoulder.


    ¡°They call it the Burning Eye of Leonide Maximus. He is watching everything that everyone is doing in this city,¡± a young beautiful girl said while also staring at the flame, ¡°we will not fall until our Burning Eye is vanquished!¡± The girl confidently recited the Feros slogan. At the age of eight, I was already having a crush at first sight. Even my tan skin could not hide how red my cheeks were. She was wearing a plain white dress, with her red long wavy hair extending down to her lower back. She stepped out of the shade; her light brown skin bathes in the bright sunlight. I was as tall as the height of her shoulders. After stuttering a few times, I finally managed to say, ¡°Hello! My name is Berion. Berion Griffith. It¡¯s my first day here at Lios.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no wonder I don¡¯t recognize your face! I¡¯m Thena. I live right here just down the street,¡± she pointed at the alley across from the pub, ¡°well Beri, I hope that you are coming here for school. I¡¯m on my 5th year at Lios Elementary! Anywho, I gotta head home before Mom roars at me. I¡¯ll see you around!¡± Thena smiled and skipped towards her home.


    ¡°... School?...¡± Puzzled by what she had said. I never went to school before. But I was excited to go to one. No, I was only excited to go to Lios Elementary. Still in my deep thoughts about Thena, I heard Mother and a half-tiger man talking and stepping out of the butcher shop. ¡°I can definitely do that, Marvik, as long as there is enough food for my son,¡± Mother spoke to the man with much excitement. Marvik nodded his head and gave her a pat on the back, ¡°don¡¯t worry Maria, I can take care of both of you as long as you help me sell meat.¡±


    Mother turned to me, ¡°Berion, my son! We finally have a chance for a better life! I promise you that you will become a great man! Oh come here!¡± She embraced me so tightly that I could hardly breath. Although I was very happy to see the joy on Mother¡¯s face, I only had one thing on my mind. ¡°Does that mean I can go to school tomorrow?¡± I asked her. Not bothered by this oddly specific question, she quickly answered, ¡°Yes! Yes, of course you can! I was going to ask you about school tonight but you beat me to it. Oh my sweet little Berion, tomorrow I¡¯ll take you to Lios Elementary!¡±

 Chapter 1 - Danyel Juruso

    ¡°All of you¡­ how could you¡­?¡± I struggled to utter those words, both my knees planted forcefully onto the ground. Six silhouettes surrounded me while blood was spilling from all over my body.


    ¡°You have had too much power, brother.¡± One of the six shadows spoke up, a certain malevolence in his oddly familiar voice.


    ¡°You still have the audacity to call me ¡®brother¡¯, treacherous filth?¡± I coughed out a pool of blood, ready to fall to the ground. ¡°ROAR!!!¡± My final outlet of frustration, before I faced my unjust execution.


    The first two dark figures severed my hands and feet with their long swords. The third pierced through my guts with her lance while the fourth stuck his daggers on my back. The fifth shot my chest with three arrows, penetrating my vital organs. Last and certainly not least, as the leader of this betrayal, the sixth delivered the final blow with an axe splitting my skull.


    ¡°ARGH!!!¡± I jumped straight up and landed on Mother.


    ¡°Oof! Berion! What is wrong!?¡± Mother was partially suffocated by my weight.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead! I¡¯m dead!¡± I wiggled uncontrollably.


    Mother tried to grab a hold of me, ¡°Calm down, son! It¡¯s just a dream!¡±


    After a few seconds, I finally managed to grasp reality. ¡°That was a dream¡­?¡± I mumbled to myself, slowly rolling off of Mother.


    ¡°Are you¡­ are you okay, Berion?¡± There was a very concerned look in her droopy eyes.


    I took a deep breath, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a nightmare¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re safe in my arms now, honey.¡± Mother embraced me and gave the warmest smile, even when she¡¯s half-asleep, ¡°well, good thing that the sun has risen, we have to get you ready for school!¡± She squinted at the sun rays shining through the upper gaps of the steel walls.


    ¡°Hey! Are you two alright? I heard some squealing, and I know this is not how my pigs squeal.¡± We could hear Marvik from right outside of our bedroom door.


    ¡°We are fine! Berion just had a nightmare, that¡¯s all.¡± Mother replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s good then. I¡¯ll see you two at breakfast. I made some pork soup, best in the city. Har har!¡± Marvik walked away; the sound of his loud thudding footsteps gradually died down.


    Mother stood up from our sleeping mat, removed her beige sleeping gown, and put on an all black outfit. She was wearing a plain tunic, hose, and boots. ¡°Come on, son. Let¡¯s get changed and have breakfast with Marvik. Remember to always be nice to him alright? Or else we will be homeless.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mother! I would never do anything to anger him.¡± I answered with absolute confidence. I knew very little what I had to do to him in a few years.


    Mother helped me pick my outfit. I was wearing a simple peasant outfit, including a simple tucked in white top, partially torn brown pants, and bare feet. Mother took a moment to look at me and her eyes began to tear up, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t afford a better outfit for you on your first day of school. I hope that your classmates won¡¯t look down on you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mother, I¡¯m sure that I will make many friends!¡± Oh how clueless I was. But that¡¯s what I told Mother. I grabbed her hand and led her out of our room.


    ¡°EKKKKK!!!¡± A loud shriek came from the kitchen. Marvik was decapitating one of his pigs, preparing its meat for the customers. ¡°Har har har! Har har har!¡± He seemed to enjoy his job, a lot. Marvik was a bulky half-tiger hybrid with black short hair, his entire body covered in thick orange fur. As soon as Mother and I stepped into the kitchen, we witnessed blood gushing out of the pig¡¯s neck. Its body was still wiggling but eventually stopped. Mother attempted to cover my eyes but then realized that I had already witnessed how a ¡°swine¡± was brutally killed.


    ¡°Good morning, Marvik. Shall we have breakfast?¡± Mother gently asked.


    ¡°Oh, mornin¡¯ you two! Soup¡¯s ready on the table. Go ahead! I still needa¡¯ take care of lil¡¯ Mola here.¡± Marvik pointed at the carcass with a giant cleaver, grinning cheerfully.


    Aside from the stove, everything I could see was essentially partially or fully made from metal. There were four metal stools, one large and three small. Obviously the large one was meant for Marvik. Mother and I sat on the small ones. A huge black metal pot was on top of a brick stove at the front of the metal table; the aroma of the boiling pork soup quickly traveled to my nose. Mother gave me a metal spoon, grabbed the metal ladle, and filled our metal bowls with soup. The hearty brown soup was cooked with a variety of vegetables and an abnormal amount of pork meat. I took a sip¡­ It was actually delicious!


    After a few more sips, Marvik stepped into the room, ¡°How¡¯s it!? Good eh!?¡± Both Mother and I nodded in approval. ¡°I knew it! Oh. Seems like fire¡¯s out. You two would want to move a lil¡¯ bit back.¡± Marvik aimed at the charcoal inside the stove with his index finger and middle finger and whispered to himself, ¡°igni¡±. A ball of flame was then fired from the tip of his sharp claws, lighting up the charcoal. I was impressed. From that moment, I became very intrigued with the manipulation of elements.


    Noticing the awestruck look on my face, Marvik laughed, ¡°Har har! I was supposed to be a Feros soldier, boy! My powers were strong enough to be enlisted¡­¡± he suddenly became quiet, ¡°but I failed my final test. To ensure all Feros soldiers have rid their conscience, the final test requires each to murder an infant. I couldn¡¯t do it. I was weak. And they didn¡¯t think twice before throwing out a weak soldier.¡±


    ¡°Why did you want to be a Feros soldier?¡± I innocently asked, a piece of pork stuck in between my two front teeth.


    Marvik¡¯s dark yellow tiger eyes lit up as if he was reminded of a traumatic memory. He sighed, ¡°wouldn¡¯t say that I wanted to be one at first, kiddo. Feros soldiers didn¡¯t have the choice to join the army or not.¡± He began to explain his reason, ¡°by the time I turned into a hybrid, the Feros recruiters had acknowledged my potential. And just like any other kid they have selected, I was forced to join their training camp, leaving everything from my past behind.¡±


    Curious, I asked more about his childhood.


    ¡°Most kids who first join the camp would be afraid. I was one of those kids. From time to time, the weak children would be mourning for the loss of our past lives, but only to ourselves. The purpose of training camp is to turn children with high power potential into ruthless savages who have had their conscience stripped away. From dawn till dusk, every day, we would either train our powers or learn the ¡®ways¡¯ of the Feros. They force us to think like a Feros: to completely disregard our morality, strictly follow orders, and if there are no specific orders, do whatever we desire. The Feros mentors treated us more like prisoners than students. They ensure that there¡¯d be a new wound on our bodies whenever we fail to do what is expected. Through enough beating, most of us would eventually think and act like a Feros. When we turn eighteen, they then decide whether we should be officially enlisted or thrown out. Each has to do various examinations that test our skills, powers, and morality. Although I had suffered countless beatings and had been ordered to beat others countless times, I could not rid my conscience. And now I¡¯m here, chopping meat.¡± Marvik recalled his haunting youth.


    ¡°But what about your pare¡­¡± I wanted to know why he didn¡¯t mention his family.


    ¡°Berion, it¡¯s time for school!¡± Mother interrupted; she seemed quite upset. Perhaps she didn¡¯t want me to continue listening to the horror that I might have to face in the near future.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    The Hurran market was already bustling by the time we left Marvik¡¯s butcher shop. ¡°Thena, here I come,¡± I thought to myself. On our way to Lios Elementary, we could see one of the narrow streams of the Dead Rivers. Each was as wide and as deep as a thousand pebbles. Those streams flowed from the Hell Tower in four different directions, down towards the walls. The stench was so strong Mother and I could smell it from several giraffe¡¯s necks away. Those were no ordinary rivers. The streams were originally empty pits as parts of a waste system where dead bodies were dumped. Eventually, blood filled up these pits and formed streams. In other words, those were literally rivers of blood with flowing corpses and body parts. The Feros believed that this was one of the ways to instill fear in the citizens, reminding them the dreadful consequences of committing crimes and resisting the Feros army.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Berion.¡± Mother said as we both stared at a giant black iron gate with three lion head symbols in the middle. Students and parents poured into the school through the gate while we still stood in awe with the grand structure of Lio Elementary. There were at least hundreds of kids who studied there. After a while, Mother and I finally went inside. ¡°Woooow!¡± I looked around with much excitement. In front of us was a large field where all the students were gathering; two buildings on either side. I noticed that most parents were hybrids of the cat family. Either or both parents of each family were half-lion, half-tiger, or half-leopard. Interestingly, there were no families where both parents were pure humans. Non-hybrids did not even bother sending their children to school because they had already accepted that their kids would not have the same potential as sons and daughters of hybrids. They had already determined the ill-fated future of their children.


    I also spotted some who weren¡¯t with their parents. Those were the exchange students from the Azarr clan in the Skye Mountains. The only reason why these Azarr-affiliated children were allowed to study in the Feros territory was the previous alliance between two of the Azarr clans and the Feros in the Great War that occurred 100 years ago. The Azarr, known to be the most intelligent faction in Beremia, annually send their younglings to regions all over the world to learn the culture, history, and powers of those regions. The faction had long established a democratic political system, consisting of four distinct clans of equal power. A faction-wide decision is made only when at least three out of four clans have reached a consensus. The Espions are the most highly-skilled in espionage, stealth, and disguise while the Exlorers are experts in scouting and tracking. The other two clans are Scintus, known for their research and inventions, and Protars, the protectors of the Skye Mountains.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± A grey-haired half-lion man, dressed in a black robe, stepped on a platform placed at the very front of the field, facing towards the crowd. ¡°AHEM¡± this time much louder. The chattering within the crowd quickly died down and all eyes were on the old man. He began his speech, ¡°good morning students and parents. Welcome back to another week at Lios Elementary. First and foremost, I¡¯d like to say that we have only gone through half of this school year but many of our upper class students have evolved into hybrids. I would like all to take a moment to congratulate and wish them luck for their future paths in life.¡± The crowd gave a huge round of applause, many older kids were cheering and whistling. As the clapping and shouting subsided, the principal continued his speech, ¡°now, for this week¡¯s agenda, I¡¯d like to announce that¡­¡± At this point, I had already zoned out. Amidst of my awe with this new exciting environment, I remembered the most important thing I had to do that day. I started looking around, front, back, left, and right. But there were many older taller students who were blocking my view. Even when I tip-toed, I was still too short. After struggling for a while, I gave up on finding Thena. I decided to look for her later during lunch time. The principal then ended his speech, ¡°please proceed to your classrooms. Thank you.¡± Parents and students began to split up; students were heading towards the school buildings while parents were leaving through the gate. Mother turned to me, ¡°I can¡¯t believe my little baby is going to school today,¡± she hugged me, ¡°I hope that you¡¯ll have fun in your first day of school. I love you.¡± I could hear her sob, ¡°I love you, too, Mother!¡± She began walking out to the gate. Midway, she turned back and waved at me. I waved back at her and began making my way to one of the buildings.


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    My mind was filled with so much positivity and excitement. I didn¡¯t realize that I had entered the wrong building. The hallways were swarmed with kids in year 6 or above. The interiors of this building, even the smooth steel floors, were painted mainly with maroon and white patterns. The walls were decorated with paintings of important Feros figures and events. I began wandering aimlessly, not sure where I should be. Before I got myself even more lost, I felt someone grabbing my wrist.


    ¡°Hey silly! You are in the wrong building!¡± Thena spoke gleefully.


    That caught me off guard. I wasn¡¯t prepared! I didn¡¯t know what to say, ¡°What¡­ wrong¡­ wrong building? H¡­ hi Thena.¡± I hated myself.


    ¡°After the assembly, I saw you heading into this building so I followed to get you out! Come with me! Both of us actually study in the other building since we¡¯re still under year 6. I¡¯ll start studying here next school year though. Hehe!¡± She led me out of the entrance as she continued to hold my wrist. My cheeks got a little red.


    We ran across the field to get to the other building, huffing and puffing, ¡°Hurry Berion! Or we¡¯ll be late for our first classes!¡± As we reached the open doors, we could see that the hallways were empty. Classes had already started. ¡°Do you know where your class is?¡± Thena promptly asked. I shook my head in shame. She then gave a heavy sigh, ¡°what year are you in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in Year 3¡­¡± I replied.


    ¡°Alright, come with me lil¡¯ Beri,¡± Thena smiled and brought me to the Year 3 classroom, ¡°here we are! I hope you have a great first day at school! Now I really have to get to my class before Mentor Socat locks the door!¡± Thena sprinted across the hallway and took a left turn. Now it¡¯s just me in front of the classroom door all by myself. For some reason, I felt nervous. I was hesitant to go in but eventually I entered the room.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    There was a lot of chattering in the room. Not all students were in their seats. Some were sitting on the tables or still standing around. Our mentor wasn¡¯t even there yet. Mother told me that I would be introduced by the mentor and everyone in class would greet me. But I was just standing in front of class awkwardly, not knowing what to do. A few moments later, I heard the door opened.


    ¡°Sorry that I¡¯m late, class. I¡­I didn¡¯t know what class I¡¯m supposed to teach today.¡± the man was wheezing as he spoke. As I turned around, I realized that he¡¯s the half-parrot teacher that I saw the day before! Suddenly all the students became quiet, and immediately seated themselves. One of them then asked, ¡°Excuse me, where is Mentor Melor?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes. Um¡­ My name is Ranib and I will be your new Mentor for the rest of the school year. Unfortunately, Mentor Melor can no longer teach because he is very ill. So I hope that you will wish him good health and enjoy having me as your Mentor!¡± The teacher told the class. No one reacted. Mentor Ranib felt awkward. Eventually he turned to me, ¡°why haven¡¯t you seated yourself, boy?¡±


    ¡°T¡­Today¡¯s my first day here¡­¡± I was very shy in front of all my classmates.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Just like me! What¡¯s your name?¡± Mentor Ranib asked.


    ¡°Berion¡­ Berion Griffith.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Berion,¡± he turned to the class, ¡°students. I¡¯d like all to welcome your new classmate, Berion Griffith.¡±


    ¡°HIIIII BERIONNNNN,¡± the class said in unison.


    ¡°Now, Berion, go find yourself a seat.¡± Mentor Ranib instructed.


    I noticed that a boy was waving at me and pointed at the empty metal seat next to him. Understanding what he meant, I decided to take that spot.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m Danyel. Danyel Juroso. Nice to meet you!¡± The boy introduced himself, ¡°I came all the way from the Skye Mountains! It was a very long and tiring journey. Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Skye Mountains? Hey do you know if¡­¡± Before I could finish my sentence, Mentor Ranib began his lecture, ¡°Now, since I¡¯m your new mentor, I¡¯ll quickly go over the lessons that Mentor Melor has taught you. Ahem¡­ We all start as humans but each family carries different animal genes. Once we have reached the age of twelve, our animal genes begin to change our bodies¡­¡±


    Wait¡­ This sounded familiar. Those were the same lines that he repeated over and over again at the House of Cats! After a brief recap of the history of Beremia, he began explaining the different existing factions.


    There are a total of nine factions: Feros (fire), Umir (water), Azarr (wind), Brokoz (ice), Garith (earth), Theetes (heal), Harke (light & mind), Valar (dark), and Silth (black arts).


    As we have been most familiar with, the Fero army boasts the longest and most triumphant history in Beremia. Led by Marl Kohard, the faction ignited the Great War and drove the Garith to the East. In honor of their hero¡¯s countless feats, the Feros named their nation and continent after him. After his mysterious disappearance, Leonide Maximus now reigns the empire.


    Umirs are disciplined protectors of the ocean and sea creatures. They live in the Golden City built deep under the Red Sea, west of Kingdom of Martel. The faction possesses the largest army in Beremia but the soldiers are also known to be the weakest. They follow a virtuous queen named Emilia Perois, who values the lives of all water beings. In an event after the Great War, the guild defeated the Feros on the coast of the Red Sea.


    Adapted to the harshest environment in Beremia, the Brokoz belong to a small elite clan in a hidden snow cave. With their brute physical traits, tough upbringing, and ruthless nature, Brokoz have become the deadliest warriors in the Kohard Continent. Their home, Saber Cave, is located in Morrard Empire, north of Kohard Empire. Their old leader, Maver Geras, sent half of his warriors to aid the Garith during the Great War to return the favor to Dred Garr. Now, Warrick Geras, son of Mayer, is the clan leader. No factions dare to set foot on Brokoz¡¯s territory.


    Gariths are solemn entities who value order and hierarchy. They were the first to rule the now-known-as the Kohard Continent but then migrated to the Kuku Continent after suffering defeat from the Feros army. Their leader, Dred Garr, is the only leader of all faction leaders who is still alive. He resides in the Great Forrest. Gariths do not live close together but rather spread throughout the forest. Their ability to communicate instantly and travel quickly through the underground allows them to live remotely from each other.


    I was overwhelmed with the amount of information. This was my first day while all my classmates had been in school for almost three years.


    ¡°It¡¯s lunch time already?¡± Mentor Ranib asked himself, ¡°well then, I¡¯ll explain the rest in next class. Remember that after lunch, you should be out in the field for your power class. See you all tomorrow!¡±


    Most kids got out of their seats and headed to the door. I felt a nudge on my shoulder.


    ¡°Are you excited for power class!? It¡¯s my favorite class!¡± Danyel seemed like he was about to burst.


    ¡°Haha! I might be if I know what it is.¡± I said, ¡°anyway, do you happen to know anyone else who has the last name Griffith in Skye Mountains?¡±


    ¡°Let me think,¡± Danyel thought for awhile, ¡°nope. I don¡¯t think so. Skye Mountains are huge man there are millions of people and hybrids there.¡±


    ¡°Oh I see.¡± Mother never talked about her family other than where they lived¡­


    ¡°Are you from Skye Mountains as well? Did you come here as an exchange student like me?¡± Danyel asked.


    I replied, ¡°no. I used to live in a village nearby but the entire town wanted to kill me becase I¡¯m a bastard son and my father is a Feros soldier so I had to move away.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­er¡­¡± Danyel did not know how to respond.


    ¡°Shall we go to lunch?¡± I quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°Er¡­yeah! You¡¯re new here so you need me to show you around. Haha!¡± He still sounded nervous.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    The massive food hall was shared by students from both buildings. It¡¯s located in the younger students¡¯ building and so the older ones had to walk over. Danyel and I lined up for one of the six food stations, holding our empty metal plates. Each station served the same type of food. I never got anyone serving food for me but Mother before.


    ¡°What do they usually serve here?¡± I asked Danyel.


    ¡°Meat, meat, and meat. Haha! It¡¯s the land of the big cats, man! But I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m enjoying all the beef and pork before I evolve into a half-eagle. That¡¯s if I¡¯m going to evolve at all.¡± Danyel sounded doubtful.


    ¡°I see, what do eagles eat then? Are both your parents half-eagle hybrids?¡± I was intrigued.


    Danyel replied, ¡°Only my mom is. She¡¯s a retired Espion. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not really sure if I¡¯m going to evolve or not. But I want to be like my mom some day. And I¡¯m not sure about what my genes will make me want to eat but I used to see my parents eat fish most of the time!¡±


    We reached to the food station. A yellow half-leopard woman, wearing a long red dress and white apron, gave each of us two slices of beef steak, a bowl of rice, and a cup of tigress milk. ¡°Hope you kids like the food!¡± The woman smiled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go there and sit with my friends!¡± Danyel pointed at the table at the corner of hall.


    As we walked to the table, I saw Thena lining up with her friends. Danyel noticed that I was staring, ¡°you notice her, too, huh. That¡¯s Thena. She¡¯s one of the most popular girls in our building. She¡¯s not only pretty, but she¡¯s also one of the top students here!¡±


    Before I could respond to Danyel, I was shoved to the ground. My beef slices and rice were dropped on the floor and the milk was spilled everywhere. A large figure stood over me.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the new student, huh? I¡¯ll make sure that poor kids like you are going to have a great time at Lios Elementary.¡±