《Odyssey of the Guardian Emperor》


 1. Where it all started

    It was a cold day in a remote town built atop five hills, aptly named the Five Hills, situated on the far reaches of the Valerian continent.


    The air hung dry and heavy, as though even the world had forgotten how to breathe.


    The birds didn¡¯t chirp in the trees and the wind didn¡¯t whistle. Only the ominous caw of ravens tore the insidious silence apart.


    The stench of death lingered, thick and suffocating.


    A green-eyed boy, barely eleven, staggered forward, knees buckling under the weight of another boy slung over his back, unconscious.


    The pair were covered in mud and blood. Their breathing was worrisome at best and they were covered in wounds, their clothes shredded by what looked like the claws of a gigantic bear.


    Alaric, the dizzy walking dark-haired boy, wished it was a bear. Perhaps they could have escaped a bear¡­ but not a demon.


    The creature¡¯s gargantuan misshapen mass, abhorrent appearance, mangled jaws and menacing teeth still flashed through his eyes. Its roar, a rusty deranged cackle that ended in an ominous gurgle, was still fresh in his memory, like the call of death.


    To the boy¡¯s side, covered in black armour from head to toe, was a tall graceful feminine figure of a knight stood at almost two metres tall which was impossibly tall for a human.


    In one of her large slender arms, she held a small sleeping boy with fiery hair who couldn¡¯t be over seven years old.


    The knight, towering and impossibly tall, moved with a grace that belied the weight of her armour. Her eyes, hidden behind the shadow of her helm, seemed to watch over them like a sentinel.


    She emanated a powerful yet comforting aura. At her side, a girl held onto her free hand for support, walking along with the two boys.


    With the exception of the spotless knight, the girl and the little boy had sustained the least damage.


    Tears streamed down Alaric¡¯s face as the events of the past hour flashed through his mind in feverish waves.


    His heart ached with each memory of the vicious attack. The palpable feeling of helplessness that robbed him of his ability to breathe was crushing.


    The sound of crushing bone and ripping flesh as the demon mercilessly eviscerated the owner of most of the blood covering him.


    To the demon, he¡¯d been but a mere cub, incapable of doing anything.


    Still, that feeling was second to the fact that he¡¯d survived and yet, his friend, Jared, hadn¡¯t.


    He still remembered the creature¡¯s abhorrent maw getting obstructed from view by a human body seconds before what should have been his death.


    Because of him, Jared was mangled beyond recognition. The sight played on repeat as though he was cursed to remember it for the rest of his life.


    Seconds¡­ That¡¯s all it had taken for the powerful demon to snuff out the life of his friend, who¡¯d been a lot older than him. What hope did an eleven-year-old have against such a beast?


    Had it not been for the sudden appearance of the tall graceful knight, they would all have met the same fate.


    Surrounding the small group of battered children and the knight were dried woods. Having shed most of their leaves, the trees carried an ominous aura¡ªas though they¡¯d been aware of the demon dwelling in the forest.


    The female knight looked down at the crying boy. Their pace was less than ideal but she wished to give him time to let his tears flow. A shimmer of magic encased the boy he was carrying, preserving his life.


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    A ghost of a smile graced the dark knight¡¯s face. The situation might have looked grim¡­ but the weeping boy she was looking at hadn¡¯t even once paused to rest even though the person he was carrying should have been equal to his weight.


    His muscles should have been burning. His legs should have given up a long time ago¡­ and yet he forged forward. It didn¡¯t matter that he was crying or broken¡­


    The knight knew for a fact that he was going to be alright.


    That was just the way her master¡¯s spirit was.


    As the group lumbered on, they passed through a translucent barrier at the foot of a hill. The familiar change in landscape was a signal to the children that home was not so far. This hill, like four others, was a part of the little village they called home: the Five Hills.


    Today, however, going home felt worse than Alaric had ever dreamed. Alaric stood still, looking up at the hill they were meant to climb. The dark knight paused a moment later and turned back to meet his gaze.


    ¡°Keep moving forward,¡± her soft voice echoed.


    Alaric looked down at his dirty feet and brutally damaged shoes. His legs wouldn¡¯t budge and his heart beat heavier with each passing second.


    Every step from this point on would be an excruciating one. He would have to face everyone¡­ and tell them of the bad news.


    ¡°ALARIC, FINN¡­¡± a voice called out to them. Alaric¡¯s green eyes snapped up in fear. A beautiful lady with white hair dressed in an old apron came rushing down to meet them for a moment, her voice laden with worry.


    Alaric knew this face all too well. It was the last one he wanted to see. The face of Sister Marla, their caretaker. The very person he lived to impress¡ªthe last person he¡¯d ever want to let down.


    Yet here he was, the cause of the loss of one of the children she loved so dearly. Alaric¡¯s heart beat faster in his chest. The voices coming towards him grew dim.


    He fell to his knees¡­ ¡®I¡¯m the reason Jared¡¯s dead. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    Then he blacked out.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    Five days passed before he regained consciousness. The dark-haired boy came to in a familiar small bed. The roof above him was dilapidated with dusty wooden beams running through the roughly built mud wall.


    He looked up for a long moment before his name returned to him. But with it came a dam of memories. Alaric bit back the tears and emotions that threatened to tear him apart.


    [You¡¯ve been through a lot,] a feminine voice suddenly rumbled through his mind.


    The boy sat up abruptly and pulled himself to the wall, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    [Your guardian¡­ and I can hear your thoughts. You don¡¯t have to shout,] the voice came again, bearing more concern than he deserved.


    At the same time, his shadow bubbled and a thick mist began to emerge from it. He¡¯d seen this mist once before¡­ but that was a memory he didn¡¯t want to delve into, for it came right after Jared¡¯s death.


    The mist formed a figure roughly the shape of a human which solidified to form a tall female knight, ¡°My name is Alia. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    The boy stared at the woman from between his knees, ¡°Alaric¡­ I thought you could read my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not so polite to pry,¡± Alia replied with a warm smile.


    Alaric looked away from the guardian, ¡°Thank you¡­ for saving us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your guardian so it¡¯s part of the job,¡± the guardian replied.


    ¡°Guardians are supposed to manifest at the age of fifteen,¡± Alaric mumbled.


    ¡°Not always¡­¡± the knight answered.


    Alaric wouldn¡¯t look the guardian in the eye. He doubted he could look himself in the eye if he had a mirror. No, he was far too¡­ ashamed to do that. How could he face anyone after everything that had happened?


    He was beaten, defeated. Everything hurt, both in his body and his mind. He was empty¡­ and angry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself for Jared¡¯s death,¡± the guardian spoke.


    ¡°Hey! You said you wouldn¡¯t pry,¡± Alaric snapped at the knight.


    ¡°I also said protecting you is part of my job,¡± the guardian replied.


    Alaric went quiet.


    The guardian sighed, ¡°You know. When I suddenly awakened, I thought I would be meeting my powerful master. ¡®The prince,¡¯ they said. Then I find you, a helpless little child who can¡¯t even through a punch let alone take down a weakling of a demon.¡±


    ¡®Weakling¡­ That thing was a monster!¡¯ he wanted to say.


    His eyes went dark instead and he kept his head turned away from the knight, ¡°Then why not go back wherever it is you came from?¡±


    The knight scowled, ¡°You¡¯re such a wimp! All you¡¯ve done since I came is cry and be weak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not weak¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. You¡¯re nothing like the prince you¡¯re meant to be,¡± the guardian argued.


    ¡°I¡¯m no prince¡­ I¡¯m no one,¡± Alaric yelled at the knight.


    The knight stood and came close enough for him to smell the dark metal that formed the visor of her helmet, ¡°And you¡¯re okay with that?¡±


    Those words struck the boy like a hammer on an anvil. He was no one¡­ Was he okay with that? He didn¡¯t know why it meant so much to him. He didn¡¯t know where the sense of self-loathing and repulsion came from¡­ but he absolutely hated it.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°There is the prince I serve,¡± the guardian smirked, ¡°There might be hope for you yet.¡±


    ¡°I can be strong with you by my side,¡± Alaric said.


    ¡°I¡¯m no babysitter, Alaric. It¡¯s not enough for you to have a powerful guardian. You must be strong so that something like this won¡¯t ever happen again. I will train you, young prince and I will make you strong.¡±

 2. Breakfast at the Orphanage

    Four years later.


    Alaric stirred in his sleep, the thin blanket tangled around his legs. The morning birds chirped outside, heralding the new day. Slowly, his green eyes fluttered open to the sight of the familiar wooden ceiling, marred with scratches and the scent of new wood from recent repairs.


    The walls, however, looked like they¡¯d been standing for generations. Cracks riddled the old brick walls while tough vines grew into their very structure, humming with the faint shimmer of magic.


    The dark-haired boy lay still for a moment, listening to the soft snores and murmurs of his fellow orphans.


    [Good morning, Alaric] a motherly female whispered into the boy¡¯s mind.


    [Good morning, Alia] he greeted back with a warm smile.


    [You dreamt of him again] the voice came again. Flashes of the traumatic event four years ago came and went at the sudden reminder.


    Taking a deep breath, he swung his legs over the bed and stepped onto the cool crack-ridden concrete floor, a shiver running through him.


    [Why wouldn¡¯t I? Today is a day he¡¯d been looking forward to for a long time¡­ but never got to experience it] Alaric replied with a sigh.


    The dormitory was small and sparse, but each bed had a touch of personality. An old, weathered book lay beside his flattened straw pillow: "Guardians: A Curated Guide to the World of Guardians."


    Nearby, a makeshift curtain blocked out the sun, casting a shadow over a small table holding trinkets he''d gathered over the years.


    [Then live this day just like he would have; To its fullest,] the guardian replied. Her voice carried warmth through the boy¡¯s body and dispelled his dark emotions almost entirely.


    Jared wouldn''t have wanted him to be sad on a day as bright as this one.


    Alaric was tall for his age, well-built¡ªa little too built¡ª with dark short hair and soft green eyes. He gazed down at the scars on his chiselled torso, vaguely tracing the abs that had formed as a result of gruelling training and hard work.


    Clenching his fists, he took in a deep breath, ¡®Right¡­ to the fullest.¡¯


    So much had gone into the preparation for this day. It felt as though a frozen clock had started to tick once more.


    Today was a special day indeed.


    Today, Alaric and the other fifteen-year-old children from the Five Hills as well as those from all over the Valerian continent would be appraised.


    He glanced around, his gaze falling on a boy with sandy brown hair sleeping not so far from him. A faint scar peeked out of the top of his sandy mop, a constant reminder of the attack four years ago.


    In Alaric¡¯s dream, this had been the unconscious boy he carried from the woods that day. This was his best friend, Finn.


    ¡°Hey, Finn, wake up, you lazy sack,¡± Alaric whispered, shaking his friend¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Get away from me, you busybody,¡± Finn mumbled, rolling away. His bed, unfortunately, wasn¡¯t large enough to escape far.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want Sir Garin to find you unprepared, do you?¡± Alaric tried. The boy stirred for a moment, lifting his head momentarily before slamming it down, followed by a loud snore.


    ¡®This is hopeless¡­¡¯ Alaric slumped his shoulders. It had been four years¡­ and Finn was still a terrible morning person.


    A soft knock at the door drew Alaric¡¯s attention. Marla, their caretaker, peeked in, her white hair framing a kind beautiful face. Alaric¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the sight of the gentle lady.


    He saw her every day but on days when his mind drifted back to that dark day, he was also forced to remember that her love saved him from the self-torment that nearly tore him to pieces.


    ¡°Good morning, Alaric,¡± the woman called in a whispering voice.


    ¡°Good morning, Marla,¡± he replied with a smile.


    Marla stared at the sleeping sandy-haired boy and beamed, ¡°Good morning, Finn.¡±


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    Finn grumbled in response, failing to make any words.


    The caretaker chuckled and turned back to Alaric, still whispering, ¡°Breakfast is almost ready. Help me get everyone up.¡±


    Alaric saluted her playfully. ¡°I¡¯m on it, Sister Marla. We¡¯ll be out before breakfast is ready.¡±


    ¡°Take your time, Alaric. You don¡¯t want Cody to blow off the roof again,¡± Marla giggled before disappearing behind the door.


    Alaric turned to an odd structure at the very end of the room. Humming with magic, a gargantuan mass of constricting vines folded in and out of each other in a complex mess of knots and stitches to form a tight egg of vines.


    Drawing from experience hacking away at the resilient bundle of vines, Alaric shrugged¡­ ¡®Meh, we¡¯ll be fine.¡¯


    Silently, he walked to the window and opened it wide, letting in a chilling draft. Naturally, Finn wrapped himself even tighter in his blanket.


    A dark smile appeared on Alaric¡¯s lips as he approached his friend. Suddenly, he whipped Finn¡¯s blanket off him, exposing him to the chilly air.


    ¡°ALARIC!!!¡± Finn bellowed, his eyes popping out of their sockets from the sudden shock.


    BOOM!!! An explosion shook the dormitory.


    Alaric and Finn froze with grimaces on their faces. Contrary to popular belief, an explosion in this odd home never meant an attack.


    Rather it was the side-effect of a single boy waking up¡­ and everyone was used to this.


    At the end of the dormitory, isolated from the rest where an egg of vines once stood, was a solitary bed on which a young boy with fiery hair stirred.


    The area around Cody¡¯s bed was blackened with soot, charred vines, leaves and branches still glowing with hot flames while a thin veil of smoke wafted through the room.


    Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Cody mumbled, ¡°Finn¡­ you scared me.¡±


    The door burst open, revealing a flustered Marla. She rushed to Cody¡¯s side, checking him for injuries. Finding none, she pulled him into a hug. ¡°You¡¯re alright!¡±


    Cody hugged her back. ¡°I¡¯m fine, big sister Marla.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± she sighed in relief, ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    Alaric felt a pang of guilt but quickly shook it off. ¡°Sorry, Cody. Good morning, Cody.¡±


    The young boy replied absentmindedly, ¡°Good morning, Alaric.¡±


    As part of his assignment, Alaric moved about the room, helping the younger children wake up¡­ or rather confirming that they had woken up.


    As the dormitory came alive with activity, the anticipation of the day¡¯s events filled the air. Today was the day Alaric and his age mates would journey to the Tower of Seekers, and Alaric knew it was the beginning of something much larger.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    The scent of cinnamon, bread and baked potatoes filled the air as a lively table of children chowed down on breakfast with lively conversation filling the dining room.


    Alaric filled his plate with food and with more vigour than usual, chowed down on his meal. His heart was beating faster with thoughts of the future.


    ¡®What does the Tower of Seekers look like? How is the Appraisal done? How many people shall we find there?¡¯ his thoughts rambled on.


    His guardian, who was hidden safely within his shadow, didn¡¯t bother to answer, instead rolling her eyes at the excited boy¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Slow down, Alaric or it¡¯s the physician you¡¯ll be visiting,¡± Marla chided from her place at the head of the table.


    The dark-haired boy narrowed his eyes at the caretaker. Unfortunately for him, his cheeks were too full of potatoes for him to reply.


    ¡°He looks like a chipmunk,¡± a girl with long silky brown hair coolly commented. The younger ones at the table laughed in response to her comment.


    Alaric, finally scoffed down the food in his mouth only to take a large scalding sip of tea¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ Hot! Hot!¡±


    ¡°Slow down, you musclebrain,¡± the girl scolded him, ¡°You¡¯ll choke.¡±


    The changes in the tone of her speech were so subtle that it wasn¡¯t easy to notice a difference. For those who had lived with her for long enough, however, it was easy to tell that she was genuinely worried for the boy.


    Alaric managed to get a cold sip of water down his throat and catch his breath, ¡°Oh, is the famous Darla worried? Afraid I¡¯ll leave you here with Finn and join the Guardian Academy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right! Keep dreaming. Finn would give up his sword after sparring with me just once. He¡¯s barely entertainment,¡± Darla replied with a slight huff.


    Finn, who had been quietly minding his breakfast turned to them with a dangerous glint in his eye, ¡°Huh¡­ Are you talking about me? I must have had wrong because you certainly weren¡¯t talking about me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, dear Finn. I¡¯ll explain it to you again. Your guardian is bound to be a little bunny of the lowest class so naturally you won¡¯t be able to compete against me once I¡¯ve summoned mine,¡± Darla countered in the same even tone.


    Cody pitched in with his high-pitched voice, ¡°I¡¯ll spar with you, Darla.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes opened wide at the sudden proclamation, ¡°No way¡­ You¡¯re still too young.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m eleven now!¡± the fiery-haired boy raised his head with pride, ¡°And Alaric¡¯s been training me so I can hold my own just fine. I might even summon my guardian like he did.¡±


    Alaric chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s right. Bow before Cody, the Flame Emperor!¡±


    A few tongues of flame flickered to life at the tips of the little boy¡¯s fiery hair as he stood on his little chair with his chest puffed out with pride.


    ¡°Cody, get down from there,¡± Marla called out, ¡°There will be plenty of playtime after Alaric and his friends come back from the Tower.¡±


    Cody obediently got down from his seat, the flames at the tips of his hair going out. Alaric didn¡¯t miss the concerned look on his face when Sister Marla mentioned the Tower of Seekers. He could already think of a few things running through the boy¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Ah, today is the Appraisal Ceremony. Finn, don¡¯t feel too bad if you find out your guardian is D-class. I¡¯m sure having a bunny is just as cool as the powerful guardian I¡¯ll get,¡± Darla, the girl with silky dark brown hair, smirked.


    ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll summon my guardian and he¡¯ll be cooler than Alaric¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I think you meant to say cuter. Perhaps you can cuddle with your guardian. I know, you could fight demons with the ultimate cuddle guardian. I feel sorry for the demons already,¡± Darla smirked.


    ¡°UGH! YOU¡¯RE IMPOSSIBLE!¡± the sandy-haired boy squealed, ¡°Just you wait.¡±


    Alaric found himself laughing at the scene. Darla enjoyed pushing Finn¡¯s buttons¡­ and the hothead never failed to disappoint, reacting to her every jab without fail.

 3. Alarics Successor

    The atmosphere during breakfast got a lot livelier after that. Banter flew about the table, several times returning to matters of the Appraisal Ceremony, just like it had been for the past few weeks leading up until this day.


    Breakfast came to an inevitable end ushered in by a time-sensitive caretaker.


    Marla shooed everyone away from the breakfast table, rushing them off to start on their morning chores before then messing up the orphanage with whatever fun they had planned for the day.


    Of course, that would all happen after Alaric and his friends left for the Tower. Alaric stuck around clearing the table, insisting on doing a few more things before going to change.


    In truth, he wanted some time to talk to someone he¡¯d noticed was getting wistful.


    He folded the old table mats, careful not to add any more creases or tears to the old fossils, and then placed them neatly in a pile on the table. Cody, the wistful child in question, hovered around him as he carried out these minor tasks, asking random questions:


    ¡°What is the best way to fight a specialist in reinforcement magic? Why don¡¯t you use magic when training? What about Guardians that can see the future, how would you fight those?


    ¡°Do demons have magical powers, too? What do you think the Guardian Academy will be like? I hope I also get to the academy. Big Brother Adam made it to the Elite Guard and was able to pay to fix the roof. What will you do when you join the Elite Guard?¡± the questions came flowing like a never-ending stream.


    And for each question, Alaric answered¡­ without missing a beat:


    ¡°You beat reinforcers by running their mana reserves low or by hitting them with an attack enough to break through their defences.


    ¡°Guardians that can see the future don¡¯t usually fight. Besides, I doubt you¡¯d see them coming if their power was good enough. So you wouldn¡¯t need to fight them.


    What you should have to watch out for are the guardians they send after you to fight for them instead.


    ¡°Yes, demons have magical powers. The more powerful the demon, the more terrifying the ability. Be careful if you ever encounter one.


    ¡°I think the Academy will be fun. There will be many kids like us and many more with powerful guardians. We¡¯ll make friends and go on missions.


    ¡°When I make it to the Elite Guard, I¡¯ll send lots of money back here. Then Big Sister Marla can buy you a better sword and who knows what else.¡±


    The humble caretaker remained silent by the sink, washing the dishes while listening to the two boys talking.


    Oddly enough, the other orphans were nowhere to be seen with the doors of both the girls'' and boys¡¯ dormitories closed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of fighting demons?¡± the flame-haired boy continued.


    ¡°Not when each demon I defeat means the world is a safer place for my little brother,¡± Alaric replied with a genuine smile.


    Coming from anyone other than Alaric, this statement wouldn¡¯t have meant much. However, all the orphans knew of the convictions Alaric had developed after Jared¡¯s death.


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    ¡°Will we see you again?¡±


    ¡°Of course you will. I¡¯ll make sure to visit whenever I get a chance. Soldiers of the Elite Guard get holidays too, you know,¡± Alaric replied.


    A small whimper got Alaric¡¯s attention away from the table he was wiping. He knelt on one knee and looked the teary boy in the eye, ¡°What are those tears for? You know this place will always be our home.¡±


    Cody hid the flowing tears behind his sleeves and fought to wipe them away, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ *sob*¡± With each messy swipe at the streaming rivulets, more salty streams replaced them, determined to soak his arms till he had nothing left to wipe them away with, ¡°There is just something in my eye.¡±


    A smile graced Alaric¡¯s face as he watched the boy struggle to wipe the tears.


    He pulled the boy into a hug and gently patted his back, ¡°Just be sure to remember everything I¡¯ve taught you. Train hard. You wouldn¡¯t want me coming back to find you weaker, do you?¡±


    The boy shook his head gently, remaining quiet.


    ¡°Get that fire magic under control, too. Learn how to use it so that when your Appraisal Ceremony comes around, you¡¯ll be unstoppable,¡± Alaric elaborated.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Watch over everyone. Read Nora stories when you get time. Help Lia with her drawings every now and then. She might not look it but between you and me, I think she loves the compliments¡­ and I think she¡¯s getting better,¡± Alaric continued whispering the last parts to keep an eavesdropping Nora from listening in.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Cody nodded.


    ¡°You could try to teach Max how to use a sword though I think you¡¯ll find that a lot harder than the Dance of the Serpent. It would give him enough exercise to put some muscle on those bones.


    Help Jasper stay out of trouble. You¡¯ll find that he¡¯s more of a handful than the birds that make nests in old Thomper¡¯s branches. Oh, you¡¯ll have to get those out regularly, by the way. The dried grass makes the old guardian quite cranky,¡± Alaric added.


    Tears rolled down the fiery-haired eleven-year-old¡¯s face but he continued to nod.


    ¡°Make sure Ben and Nina don¡¯t get carried away with their alchemy experiments. Adam just got the roof fixed for us. Take care of the twins, Tommy and Mira. They¡¯ll need a big brother to look up to¡­ and I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll remember much about me from our time here,¡± Alaric checked his mind to make sure he¡¯d covered everyone.


    Putting this much on the shoulders of an eleven-year-old would normally be unfair¡­ but Cody was different. Aside from the fiery nature of his abilities¡ªwhich had also manifested at a very young age¡ª, he was a kind soul that cared deeply for his family.


    He also wanted to be so much like Alaric that he stuck to the boy like glue. Now that Alaric was leaving, he would be the oldest along with Max and Nora¡­ and that meant he would have to look after everyone.


    Alaric¡¯s responsibilities would soon be his to bear.


    The dark-haired boy pulled Cody into a much-needed hug, ¡°And most important of all, protect your family. They are going to need you now more than ever.¡±


    There was silence for a while before the sound of creaking wood split the silence. Murmurs came from the other side of the door leading to the boys¡¯ dormitory.


    Marla, who¡¯d stopped doing the dishes to listen, placed the dried plate she¡¯d been holding down, walked to the door to the boy¡¯s dormitories and opened it. Like dominoes, a rather unique collection of male orphans fell out in a heap.


    The caretaker sighed and turned to Alaric, ¡°Get ready. Garin will be here soon. His guardian has a thing for tardiness so you better be ready before he gets here.¡±


    As she said that, she approached Cody and gently nudged him, ¡°Cody, he¡¯ll still be here for ten days before he can leave for the Guardian Academy. For now, let him get ready.¡±


    Cody slowly allowed the caretaker to peel him away from his idol before mouthing a ¡®thank you¡¯ to the dark-haired boy.


    Alaric replied with a silent ¡®thank you¡¯ before standing up and leaving for the boy¡¯s dormitories. The boys who¡¯d been found hiding were just dusting themselves off when he passed them at the door.


    Alaric needed a bath¡­ Perhaps the cold water would wash away the heavy emotions weighing over him.


    [I¡¯m going to miss that kid] a feminine voice resounded in his head.


    [I could have used your help, you know] Alaric thought back.


    [I think you handled yourself well, Young Prince]


    Alaric scoffed, rolling his eyes at the proud remark. Handling a crying child was a difficult task. One had to know exactly what to say and how to say it. It was only after Alaric had doused his head with cold water that he relaxed enough for his mind to slow down and allow a thought to cross his mind, ¡®I¡¯ll miss Cody too.¡¯

 4. Ominous Arrival

    The orphanage sat atop the highest hill, overlooking the small village nestled within the valley formed by five hills. The village of Five Hills, with its old streets of old cracked cobblestone and dirt and the common thatched-roof cottages, was a place Alaric cherished deeply.


    Each hill had its own unique charm: the hill with the market bustling with traders and shoppers, the hill with the vast lush fields where children played in the farms on hot afternoons, the hill with the serene man-made lake reflecting the sky like a mirror, occasionally summoning storm clouds to replenish what was the village¡¯s water supply, and the hill crowned by the ancient forest where Alaric had trained his body tirelessly.


    Upon the slopes of the hills were scattered homes and settlements harbouring the population of natives Alaric had grown around.


    The memories of growing up here, exploring every nook and cranny, flooded Alaric¡¯s mind, filling him with a bittersweet longing.


    Today, however, was a day that caused him turmoil. While he¡¯d been looking forward to it, he was also reminded that he would be leaving the Five Hills for the first time in his life. He would be leaving his family for the first time in his life.


    Naturally, a boy his age would be excited to explore the great unknown, but unlike most boys Alaric¡¯s age, he loved his home a bit too much.


    Why was he supposed to be strong? Simply because he was far too cool to be seen crying during a goodbye, especially since he was expected to return this very day.


    [Too cool, huh!] Alia chuckled in his mind.


    The chilly wind of the misty morning pinched his skin mercilessly, snapping him back to the present. Finn was hugging the last of the younger orphans, while Darla stood amidst a heap of little girls clinging to her as though she was their mother going on a journey to the great unknown.


    This scene was the same as it had always been whenever this day came around each year. The orphans below the age of fifteen would bid the ones that had come of age farewell.


    The only difference this time was that Alaric was on the receiving end of these farewell greetings.


    And while he had already managed to extricate himself from the grabby hands of his loving family, one little still remained: Cody.


    Cody still held onto his hand, as if holding on meant Alaric wouldn¡¯t leave. If it meant the fiery-haired boy would stay strong a little longer, Alaric wasn¡¯t about to deny him that time.


    ¡°Finn, if your guardian turns out to be a bunny, can I pet him?¡± a young boy with maroon hair and dark brown eyes named Jasper asked Finn.


    Finn ruffled the boy¡¯s hair, ¡°You better pray my guardian turns out to be a bunny¡­ because I¡¯ll be telling them everything you said.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so scared,¡± Jasper faked his fear.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this family? Fear me!¡± Finn screamed


    ¡°Never¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Marla, where is Garin? It¡¯s not like him to be late,¡± Finn cried.


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    Marla, who¡¯d taken to ruffling Cody¡¯s fiery hair, turned to the horizon absentmindedly, ¡°You¡¯re right, Finn. He always arrived in time to see the rising¡­ sun.¡±


    The caretaker¡¯s face turned white as a sheet. Alaric felt her discomfort wash over him like a chilling wind.


    The crimson rays of the rising sun fell on the caretaker¡¯s face like heralds of a troublesome future.


    Half an hour ago, Marla had stopped Finn and Darla¡¯s bickering and spurred the children into a frantic frenzy. They¡¯d bathed and dressed so hurriedly that they¡¯d even tripped on each other amidst their hasty preparations, donning clothes that felt too lavish compared to their usual wear.


    Even Finn had managed to slick back his stubborn bed-head with Marla¡¯s miracle-working ointments. Despite their rush, Alaric had suspected they were so late that Garin would find them still getting dressed.


    And yet, the sun was now rising.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Marla paled.


    Her kind face, which was usually composed, was now frozen in an inscrutable expression. The large tree by the side of the house, Old Thomper, shuddered in response to her emotions.


    Alaric regarded the caretaker¡¯s guardian with a worried expression.


    ¡°Sister Marla?¡± he called.


    ¡°Charms. Where are your charms?¡± Marla snapped, not giving Alaric the time to ask what was going on.


    Alaric, Finn, and Darla pulled rugged-looking lockets from their pockets, holding them up for the caretaker to see. The pitiful trinkets were haphazardly crafted from silver, bearing no air of elegance.


    Instead of looking stylish and elegant, they were mishapen disks with carelessly inscribed runes on their surface.


    The caretaker inspected each of them carefully before sighing with relief.


    ¡°Put them on¡­ and don¡¯t you take them off until you¡¯re safely back here,¡± Marla ordered.


    Sensing the tension in the air, the three oldest children did as they were told and gathered around Marla, concern etched on their faces.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Sister Marla?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so. Garin has never been late. I want the three of you to stay close to each other at all times. Don¡¯t fight and listen to Alaric. Alaric, you listen to Alia.


    It¡¯s time to put all that practice you¡¯ve been doing to a test, Alaric. Keep Alia¡¯s presence concealed at all times.


    And don¡¯t forget to never take off your charms for whatever reason you might have,¡± Marla instructed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Big Sister Marla, look!¡± Cody called out, pointing towards the opposite hill.


    As though in response to the boy¡¯s shout, a high-pitched sonar rang through the air followed by the sound of heavy wingbeats. The morning sun vanished from sight as a deep shadow was cast on the orphanage.


    The body of a ginormous creature obscured the horizon itself. Its body fanned out like a beautiful cloth kite, extending outward into triangular tips and ending in a long ribbon-like tail.


    Its underbelly was white as snow while the top of it shone a brilliant shade of azure.


    Alaric had read of creatures like this in a book before, however, that book had specified that these creatures only ever lived in water. Garin¡¯s guardian was a giant stingray that ruled over the skies.


    Just like a kite, it continued to rise higher and higher into the sky as though the wind itself carried it. The beast had no legs to speak of, but it was clear it didn¡¯t need any.


    The colossal sheet of flesh simply glided through the air with the grace of a ribbon and the speed of an arrow.


    Alaric had seen it before¡­ He saw it every year on this same day, but it never ceased to amaze him. In a few moments, a large gust of wind announced the arrival of the enormous creature.


    From afar, it was hard to see the leather harnesses running along the narrow parts of its front and back, fastening a long column of leather seats onto its back.


    Seated atop the creature was a man in full white plate armor and a white cape blowing in the wind. A prestigious symbol of a Quill in an Ink-pot was embroidered into the white cape.


    The stingray tilted to the side and banked to a stop at the road, floating a meter or so above the ground effortlessly.


    The man atop the large beast took off his helmet and grinned widely. His hair was a brilliant shade of red, and sat atop his head in a messy mop. His chiselled build and commanding presence easily translated to power.


    If not for the kind look on his face, anyone would have frozen in his presence, afraid to make the wrong move. Somehow, his presence itself was enough to tell someone of the sword resting at his side even before seeing it.


    ¡°Lady Marla, it¡¯s been a while,¡± he greeted.


    ¡°You¡¯re late, Garin,¡± Marla replied, a fire of urgency burning deep within her beautiful eyes.

 5. Mysterious Knight of secrets

    Garin was a man of lean build, exuding an aura of power and kindness¡­ as well as something else. A glimmer of mischief resided deep within his dark azure eyes.


    His looks were enchanting and so was his smile, almost unnaturally so.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Sister Marla growled, walking up to the approaching knight.


    Garin¡¯s grin fell off his face, replaced by a worried expression Alaric had never seen before, ¡°I ran into a few demons on my way. But you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Loners?¡± Marla asked, somewhat worried.


    ¡°Yes and no. They were too small a group to belong to a Stampede but not so little as to be Loners. Perhaps a Coalition. They didn¡¯t seem coordinated enough to have a Leader either, so I¡¯d set my worries aside,¡± Garin explained.


    ¡°Did you subdue them?¡± Marla asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have much time. I dealt with it but you know how demon-hunting is without a holy mage,¡± he replied with a sigh.


    Marla didn¡¯t look satisfied by this answer but she nodded.


    ¡°Alright then. Alaric, Darla, Finn! Off you go! Don¡¯t take your charms off and if anything happens¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen to Alaric! We¡¯ve only heard it a few thousand times, Big Sister,¡± Finn groaned.


    The woman sighed, ¡°And Alaric.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Alia,¡± Alaric responded with a nod.


    ¡°Exactly. Come here, you three,¡± the three children embraced their caretaker, ¡°If you get too hungry, just ask Garin. I¡¯ll pay him back.¡±


    Garin watched silently with a warm smile, his azure eyes reflecting a mix of duty and compassion.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back before you know it,¡± Alaric gave Marla a reassuring smile.


    The trio approached the armored man and bowed deeply, ¡°Good morning, Sir Garin.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the brats leaving the orphanage this year. If you do well, your lives will change drastically after this,¡± the man chuckled. ¡°Up you go.¡±


    Alaric and his friends turned to the floating beast and looked between each other. The stingray guardian could not be more bothered with their presence even when they approached its floating body.


    The only problem was, the creature¡¯s wings were floating at least a meter off the ground.


    Alaric sighed¡­


    [This old man¡¯s up to his tricks again.] Alia¡¯s voice resounded within his head.


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    Finn and Darla stopped when approaching when Alaric did. Finn opened his mouth to speak, then closed it with a look of realisation. Darla let her shoulders drop with a sigh.


    ¡®Yup! Never changes,¡¯ Alaric mentally sighed.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Garin¡¯s voice came with a slight hint of amusement.


    ¡°Seriously, old man? We saw this with Adam,¡± Finn argued.


    Marla chuckled while the knight grumbled, ¡°The kids get more boring each year. Let them up, SwiftWind.¡±


    Only after this did the azure beast lower its wing and allow them to climb¡­ or rather, amble up onto its back. Atop the guardian¡¯s back was an impressive setup of seats made of light metal alloy and wrapped in leather.


    Considering the nature of the guardian¡¯s body, the seats weren¡¯t raised and would require one to sit with their legs out in front of them. Because of this, they were well spaced to allow plenty of leg room.


    A better view of the creature¡¯s back came the revelation of another group of children.


    Occupying three seats in the middle of the long column were three other kids the same age as Alaric and his friends, waiting for the ride to continue.


    ¡°Tch! That was boring,¡± a boy with messy blonde hair clicked his tongue. Alaric was no expert but he could tell the boy¡¯s hair wasn¡¯t a mess by choice.


    A girl with red hair seated behind him laughed, ¡°I thought it was impressive. How did you guys know about the trap?¡±


    Alaric took a seat on the second row from the front and simply said, ¡°It¡¯s gotten obvious over the years. He pulls some random stunt every year. I just didn¡¯t think he¡¯d pull the same one as last time. I guess he¡¯s getting less creative.¡±


    Finn held himself from laughing, ¡°I still can¡¯t forget Adam¡¯s first time. This guy tried to jump onto the SwiftWind¡¯s wing and got tossed around like a ragdoll.¡±


    Darla giggled while Alaric joined Finn in mirth. The blonde boy with messy hair turned a shade redder.


    His comrades, however, didn¡¯t spare him as they burst into laughter as well. It seemed they had witnessed a similar event themselves that very morning. Only this time it had been the blonde boy getting tossed around.


    ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± the boy growled and looked away.


    Garin joined them only moments later, ¡°Alright, brats. Strap in and don¡¯t fall out. I¡¯m not responsible for catching you if you do.¡±


    Flying stingrays were limited to the number of people whose guardians had manifested as such creatures¡­ and considering how varied the forms guardians took were, the probability was extremely low.


    Alaric fastened the leather harness in his seat and held onto a pair of alloy handholds on the side as the great beast took to the sky with a single flap of its massive wings.


    The sudden jerk and quick acceleration threatened to tear a scream from Alaric¡¯s lungs.


    ¡®AAAHHH,¡¯ went Finn.


    The wind howled in their ears as they shot into the sky, swallowing the remainder of the Finn¡¯s scream and Alaric¡¯s laughter.


    The three orphans who¡¯d just just joined were thrust into the backs of their seats from the recoil.


    Moments later, Garin¡¯s guardian reached a good height and levelled out into a comfortable soar. Up here the wind died down enough for them to relax¡­


    However, the world below them also exploded in all directions. When Alaric failed to recognize his surroundings, he turned just in time to see their small town of Five Hills becoming smaller and smaller.


    A translucent bubble that was the protective barrier protecting the village illuminated its position. Looking at it from this high for the first time, Alaric was awestruck. ¡®My whole life in a bubble.¡¯


    From this high up, the world looked so small. The orphanage was only but a spec now¡­ ¡®I guess calling him SwiftWind wasn¡¯t for show,¡¯ Alaric mused, taking his eyes off the village.


    [He¡¯s among the fastest of his kind,] Alia replied.


    [You know him?]


    [Not in the way you think] Alia replied with a chuckle.


    There were times when the stalwart female knight would tell Alaric something about magic or the world around him in ways so vague that his mind just turned to mush trying to comprehend them.


    This was one such moment and Alaric wasn¡¯t ready to have his mind blended with concepts beyond his understanding. When something didn¡¯t make sense ¡®the way Alaric thought,¡¯ then it most certainly wasn¡¯t meant to make any sense at all.


    Guardians were just mysterious that way.

 6. Prodigy

    Alaric took in the world around him. This far from the capital, the main economic activities were agriculture, mining and hunting.


    Once in a while, they spotted mighty fields, covering acres of land and filled with vibrant healthy crops. Large swaths of overturned land were being ploughed by powerful machines that appeared to be brilliant amalgamations of magic and technology.


    Here and there, a few quarries and mines could be seen dotting the world below them.


    Alaric had read of many of these from books and wasted no time in looking straight down. ¡®Ugh, I can¡¯t see anything.¡¯


    [Hmph! And you claim to be my master,] a feminine voice scoffed in his mind.


    [I love you too, Alia,] he chuckled.


    ¡°Wow¡­ Everything looks so tiny from up here,¡± Finn gawked.


    Letting the gears in his mind grind, Alaric thought up an idea before closing his eyes, ¡°Let me try something.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Finn turned to his friend to find that he¡¯d closed his eyes in concentration, ¡°Oh! Darla, he¡¯s showing off again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Darla sighed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± the dark-haired boy chuckled.


    When Alaric opened his eyes, Garin tensed and looked back at the boy who¡¯d just emitted the slightest pulse of aether.


    Alaric¡¯s green eyes had gained a slight resplendent glow to them, a bright smile gracing his surprised face.


    The boy looked down once more and gasped, ¡°Woah! I can see the men working in the mines¡­ Oh dear, is that a stone elephant¡ª No¡­ What is that thing? I don¡¯t know what that is. It looks like an elephant made of stone¡­ and like a rhino at the same time.¡±


    The creature he was staring at did, in fact, resemble a perfect fusion of the two creatures, however, that¡¯s where the resemblance ended.


    The magnificent beast easily towered several feet higher than the average elephant or rhino would ever hope to and sported a body made of earth and padded with metallic armour.


    It bore armoured tusks, a frightening pair of steel horns in a line roughly after its forehead and a powerful trunk.


    A deep guttural laugh filled the air, startling kids.


    ¡°That¡¯s a chimera-type Guardian. You¡¯ll see more of those than SwiftWind here. They come in all shapes and sizes and have even more abilities to boot,¡± the man explained.


    Alaric let his eyes linger on the menacing guardian for a bit. It rammed into rocks with its armoured skull and horns, drilled into the ground with its powerful tusks and trampled over the fallen boulders with its earthen hooves, raising large dust plumes like a living natural disaster.


    With a little more focus, Alaric saw a glimmering shimmer coming out of the stones, ¡°What are they mining?¡±


    ¡°Wild Aether, Minerals¡­ Anything they can get their hands on honestly. See that glowing machine at the centre of the quarry?¡± Garin pointed out an odd large device humming with powerful magic.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called an Earth Miner. It pulls valuable minerals from a hundred-kilometre radius closer to one place without damaging the land. These miners are then tasked with getting those minerals out of the ground surrounding the Earth Miner,¡± the knight explained.


    Moments later, the mines were far and Alaric was searching for more interesting landmarks. It wasn¡¯t long before they witnessed more of these mines, each with a unique armoured guardian decimating the rocks and making the work that followed easier.


    Finn leaned over and whispered into Alaric¡¯s ear, ¡°I want to see, too.¡±


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    The boy, who had already been thinking of a way to grant his friends the benefit he¡¯d just attained, held Finn¡¯s hand and concentrated for a bit.


    A bead of sweat formed on his brow before something clicked within him¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go of my hand.¡±


    Before the pair could return to watching the passing features, a chuckle interrupted them.


    Garin turned to the boys with an amused smile, ¡°So the rumours are true then. There really is an orphan who managed to summon his guardian in the Five Hills,¡± the man laughed out, ¡°Not only that but he can use magic already. This is rich.¡±


    ¡°You can tell I have a guardian?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Using magic is usually a dead giveaway. But there are exceptions like that kid, Cody,¡± the man shrugged.


    ¡°Then how did you know?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Your Concealment Spell is good for a novice. Only very powerful A-class and above slayers will be able to detect your guardian. A few B-class exceptions might be able to tell as well. You can rest easy. Almost everyone at the Appraisal Ceremony has something to hide. You won¡¯t even stand out that much,¡± Garin winked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. How can some no-name orphan learn magic? He has no patron and there is no one to teach him in the Five Hills,¡± the blonde boy in the back yelled out.


    ¡°There is more than one way to learn magic, Aiden. Once in a while, you¡¯ll find prodigies that naturally excel at magic, especially elemental magic. In even rarer cases, it¡¯s said a guardian can teach their masters magic. That¡¯s if they are of a high enough level. I don¡¯t know where this young lad falls but I¡¯m interested to see where he goes,¡± Garin explained.


    Alaric¡¯s stomach twisted. What was this man saying? This callous carefree harebrained knight of a man was exposing everything about him without any restraint. Was he trying to make him a target?


    At this rate, Garin was bound to make these kids his enemies. Did Alaric care though? Maybe. For now, all he cared for were Darla and Finn.


    ¡°Then let him show us his all-powerful guardian,¡± the blonde boy argued.


    Alaric huffed, ¡°I don¡¯t think I will.¡±


    ¡°Aiden, play nice. I think I mentioned he was using a Concealment Spell,¡± Garin chuckled, ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d try to get along. You six are from neighbouring villages and have been in the care of old friends of mine. It would do you good to become friends.¡±


    Alaric thought through the man¡¯s words. He knew nothing about these children¡­ nor did he feel the need to make friends with them. He didn¡¯t even know where they were from.


    He did not need some blonde hothead he¡¯d just met on the ride to the Tower of Seekers. But from what he¡¯d heard of the Guardian Academy, there was talk of squads, captains and teamwork.


    There was no telling what squad he¡¯d get assigned to. Making enemies with someone who could be his potential squadmate was not ideal.


    ¡®Why does life have to be this complicated?¡¯ he internally cried.


    [You could put your trust in Garin] Alia pointed out.


    Garin was good friends with Sister Marla-friends enough for the overprotective caretaker to trust with their safety. Perhaps Alaric was not giving the man enough credit.


    Oblivious to the boy¡¯s inner turmoil, Garin continued, ¡°You keep up the miracles lad and you just might grow to be as strong as some hero I once met. The bastard was a resourceful cockroach who wouldn¡¯t go down no matter how often he was beaten down.


    Unfortunately, he died. You see, kids¡­ In this world, you must know when to fight¡­ and when to run. You don¡¯t pick all your battles and you can¡¯t win them all either.


    However, you choose which ones you¡¯ll take part in and that can mean the difference between life and death. There is no shame in running from a battle beyond your capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows the story of Hero Caspian, the only hero to stand against the Demon King. His statue stands in the city square at the centre of the Capital of Valeria. I don¡¯t mean to be too disrespectful, Garin, but this kid is nothing compared to the hero,¡± Aiden snorted, ¡°Hero Caspian summoned his S-class guardian at the age of five. It¡¯s never happened again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re well-informed, Aiden. I underestimated you, however, age has nothing to do with talent. Not always anyway,¡± Garin chuckled.


    Alaric didn¡¯t feel like saying anything after all this. He¡¯d heard the stories of the hero that nearly defeated the Demon King too and had looked for as much information on him as he could, with next to no luck.


    After Jared¡¯s death, the destruction of all demons had been all he could think about for months. He¡¯d trained hard and studied whenever he had the chance so nothing Aiden said struck him as extraordinary.


    ¡°Do you think the Demon King will ever be defeated?¡± Darla finally spoke up. Her tone was low but her words were carried far.


    ¡°That¡¯s not something we can just accomplish overnight. Become a part of the Elite Guard, then you can worry about such matters,¡± Garin replied, ¡°To do that, you must first get an impressive appraisal at the Tower of Seekers¡­ and speaking of the Tower, here we are¡­¡±


    The landscape had changed significantly since the start of their journey, from smooth hills with quarries, mines, fields and forests to a rocky mountainous range.


    With a deep guttural grunt, the guardian flew higher and higher into the sky as they came across an especially tall peak that pierced the sky. When it seemed as though the mountain was too high to crest, the stingray banked to the side and went around it.


    Emerging from the other side, the scenery instantly changed, exploding right before the children¡¯s eyes. The other side of the mountain had been completely cut and in the pocket formed, a massive structure of pristine white alabaster had been built.


    They had arrived at the Tower of Seekers.


    Alaric¡¯s jaw dropped and the tense conversation they¡¯d just had was all but a ghost of the past.

 7. The Tower of Seekers

    Alaric¡¯s small mind was blown to smithereens.


    A towering structure of pristine white stone rose high into the air, challenging the mountain for dominion over the skies. As it reached the clouds, the tower split into three spires forming an ominous trident pointing towards the sky.


    Crystalline windows dotted the spires in neat spirals, some open while others remained closed. Normally, someone would be interested in the inside of this illustrious building but Alaric was more interested in the design of these windows.


    Every inch of the window sills was covered in beautiful clear gems while intricate designs ran along the framing of the windows.


    Rising from the two minor spires were white flags, one with a symbol of a quill and an ink pot similar to the one on Garin¡¯s cape while the other sported a majestic shield with a wand standing in the middle of it, the flag of the Valerian empire.


    Alaric had only seen this sigil a few times before but this was the first time he was catching a glimpse of its intricate details.


    Atop the middle and tallest tower, an orb of pure white light pulsed with strong magic, ¡°Is that an aether crystal?¡±


    ¡°Yup. It''s one of the largest ones you¡¯ll ever see. It powers a millitary-grade barrier that keeps demons and unauthorized people away from the Tower. It does some other things but I¡¯m not allowed to say,¡± Garin explained.


    The armoured rider noticed Alaric¡¯s expression and chuckled lightly, ¡°You¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    The Tower, as it so happened, was only the beginning of the wonders this place held. Dotting the skies were flying creatures of all shapes and sizes.


    Owls, ravens, crows and other smalling flying critters fitted with small bags to carry mail and small deliveries darted left and right either entering the Tower¡¯s numerous windows or flying out.


    Griffins carried riders wearing plate armour much similar to Gavin¡¯s and, on occasion, much more opulent.


    The chilling wind seemed to vanish the instant the stingray had flown through the transparent barrier put up by the pulsing orb of aether at the top of the tower.


    Alaric¡¯s eyes widened when he saw a creature covered in brick red scales with spikes running along its spine. Its powerful forelimbs extended outwards to form two majestic batlike wings. Cables of steel muscle rippled under its gleaming red scales.


    The creature¡¯s head was menacing enough to send shivers down anyone who saw it. Rows of razor-sharp teeth, a harrowing presence and a characteristic pulse of aether that indicated its affinity to Fire Magic.


    Fitted on its back was an impressive saddle holding a two passengers and two small, yet fine bags.


    ¡°Is that a wyvern?¡± Finn gasped.


    ¡°Yup. One of a few in existence,¡± Garin answered.


    There were a few stingrays as well, albeit of different colours. Out of all of them, Alaric surmised that Garin¡¯s azure guardian was by far the largest and most beautiful.


    On the ground far below, carriages drawn by a variety of creatures made their way to the tower¡¯s vicinity. The ground below was featured clean paved streets and buildings made of similar white stone.


    Further down still, carriages continued to ferry in more children that were now of age and coming for their Appraisal Ceremony. This day wasn¡¯t important for Alaric and his friends alone. This was a day known across the entire Valerian continent.


    It was a day when new warriors would be born.


    Citizens of the small town bustled all around, going about their errands and staying clear of the multitude of beasts and carriages that brought children from all over the Eastern region of the Valerian continent.


    ¡°An entire village curved into the side of a mountain,¡± Alaric mused.


    ¡°More like a city if you ask me,¡± Finn muttered under his breath.


    Aiden chuckled loudly from behind, ¡°A city is much bigger than this.¡±


    ¡°Have you been to one?¡± Finn turned around.


    Aiden shrugged, ¡°It didn¡¯t interest me.¡±


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    Alaric¡¯s mind had already drifted away from the conversation. Something still rattled him about this place.


    ¡°Why do they need such a large Aether crystal though? I thought that¡¯s something we¡¯d find at the Academy,¡± he wondered.


    ¡°Oh?! You¡¯re this ignorant and yet you have hopes of joining the Guardian Academy? I pity you, phony genius,¡± Aiden mused from his seat behind.


    The armoured man seated at the front smirked, ¡°Then you don¡¯t mind explaining then, right Aiden?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. I¡¯d be more than happy to impart my vast wisdom¡­¡±


    Alaric found himself stunned by the words considering Aiden had never struck him as a bookworm. If anything he was bound to be the best with a sword amongst the three teenagers they¡¯d found on SwiftWind¡¯s back.


    The callouses on his hands were proof of that.


    ¡°¡­The Tower of Seekers doesn¡¯t just serve as some place for teenagers to get appraised. It¡¯s also the place where Masters of Guardians with affinities to revelations reside. Powerful Seekers have the ability to divine the future. Once in a while, they even manage to produce an Oracle which is the highest honour for a Seeker. Because of this, they are also entrusted with gathering and preserving knowledge of the kingdom. You¡¯d do well to conduct yourself in an appropriate manner,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Thank you for the heads-up,¡± Alaric replied, then went silent once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. As you can already tell, Seekers are not known for their abilities with swords. They do, however, have great magical capabilities. It explains all the guards they have. This place is like a fort,¡± Aiden continued.


    [This boy talks too much,] the female voice in his head asked.


    ¡®Tell me about it,¡¯ Alaric groaned internally.


    Garin guided his Guardian to the courtyard of the colossal tower right in front of the large wyvern. The view was perfect enough for him to catch a glimpse of the people who had come riding upon the majestic guardian.


    A girl dressed in fine white clothes stepped down. A thin rapier rested in a sheath at her side and her porcelain face remained as still and expressionless as a doll.


    A man dressed in gold armour got down not too long after her. The man¡¯s armour and sword were equally impressive, shining a little too bright for Alaric¡¯s liking and pulsing with a few too many enchantments.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Finn whispered.


    The sandy-haired boy had completely forgotten that they were supposed to dismount. Alaric looked at his clothes which were perhaps the most expensive clothes he¡¯d ever worn¡­ and yet, now he noticed that they too, were faded third-rate clothes that couldn¡¯t match the opulence of the flashy pair that arrived on the wyvern.


    ¡°A noble,¡± Darla noted.


    Alaric nodded, ¡°Never seen one before today.¡±


    He stood and walked off the floating stingray, trying his best to dispel thoughts of inferiority towards the pair. It wasn¡¯t like all that equipment was going to make them better at combat.


    They would obviously have some boost in their power because of the enchantments and a sword was definitely going to have trouble cutting through all that armour should a fight break out but in the end, that didn¡¯t change one¡¯s skill-level¡­ right?


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ the boy breathed.


    ¡°Where does someone even get such equipment?¡± Alaric mumbled.


    Garin briefly noticed Alaric¡¯s fascination with the equipment. He¡¯d been working on getting one of the girls out of malfunctioning harness when he answered in a low tone, ¡°You would need the backing of a very powerful House. Equipment like that can only come from a few blacksmiths¡­ and it¡¯s never cheap.


    Join the Elite Guard and rise through the ranks. There are only a handful of other ways I can think of.¡±


    Knitting his brows, he continued working on getting the girl free. Somehow, she had gotten her waistlong black hair caught up in the locks and Garin was struggling to get her out without clipping as much as a strand of her hair.


    The girl in question had turned red as a tomato as everyone¡¯s attention turned to her.


    Alaric let his eyes wonder. He saw many children his age. Some had come with their parents, some had come with escorts and bodyguards. A few had come on their own.


    There were tall ones, short ones, muscular ones, lean ones and they came in all manner of clothes as well. As his eyes wandered, they stumbled upon the girl in who¡¯d arrived on the wyvern.


    She¡¯d arrived with an escort. A knight whose Guardian was probably the powerful wyvern. He also noticed that she wore at least three rings, each pulsing with abnormal amounts of mana.


    When Alaric tried gleaning more, he realised there was more to her clothes than just their opulent quality. Multiple waves of aether rippled through the very fabric of her high-end clothes.


    ¡®Why does she even need a bodyguard with all that gear?¡¯ the boy thought to himself as he shifted his attention to the rest of his surroundings.


    [So her clothes are more attractive than her face?] his guardian whispered into his ear.


    [When it comes to looks, Darla and Sister Marla have got her beat. I don¡¯t think any amount of ointments can help her with that,] Alaric responded with a mental chuckle.


    ¡°Alaric, are you even listening?¡± Darla snapped her fingers in front of the boy¡¯s face.


    ¡°What? Did I miss something?¡± Alaric snapped back to the present.


    ¡°You see one noble and you start daydreaming,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I was¡­ thinking¡­¡± Alaric gave the girl a tight-lipped smile.


    She narrowed her eyes at him, ¡°About what?¡±


    The boy swallowed, ¡°How you would look in better equipment.¡±


    Darla blinked rapidly and her face turned the slightest shade of pink, ¡°Oh¡­ Well, we might never know. Garin has left. He says we should follow the rest of the Aspirants to the main hall of the tower where the appraisal will be held. He has something to sort out with the Council of the Tower but he says he¡¯ll be back before we¡¯re done with appraisal.¡±


    ¡°Aspirants?¡± Alaric wondered.


    Finn put his hand around his best friend and answered, ¡°It¡¯s what their calling us. Aspirants¡­ children who aspire to be something.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Is there anything else we should know?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes. He also said this place is heavily guarded this time of year. Not everyone who comes to be appraised is an upstanding citizen of Valeria. Nobles come with their guards who can get violent very quickly, so try to stay out of their way,¡± she explained.


    [Alia¡­]


    [Keep your charms near. This place might be protected from demons¡­ but today, it¡¯s open to all sorts of people for as long as they are escorting some kid, so stay on your guard,] Alia¡¯s voice filtered into his mind.


    Alaric relayed the guardian¡¯s words to his friends and together, they made for the tower.

 8. Thief

    The Tower of Seekers was nothing if not impressive. The building was unusually clean and the streets lacked even the slightest sign of dust, a stark contrast to the peaceful village of the Five Hills.


    Alaric noticed that not all the flying guardians that had arrived were meant to land.


    A few stayed in the air, hovering with fearsome knights seated on their backs. Each one emanated an aura, unlike the people Alaric was used to.


    ¡®Slayers, all of them,¡¯ he thought to himself, ¡®An aether crystal and a few powerful guards.¡¯


    This place was indeed heavily protected. Even then, many teenagers arrived with guards of their own unlike Alaric and his friends.


    As the trio started walking towards the Tower, Alaric felt a gaze on him. He turned just in time to see a rugged boy disappear behind him, mingling effortlessly with the bustling crowd.


    ¡°Stay close,¡± Alaric told his friends.


    Moments, later, a loud bellow rang out through the courtyard, ¡°Where is my damn wallet?¡±


    The angry shout had come from a large bearded man holding a giant steel mace. Despite his stout appearance and round belly, Alaric could tell he was good with the mace.


    The man looked around until his face bloomed with rage, ¡°There¡­ a thief.¡±


    The crowd parted as the sound of wingbeats rose in response to the commotion.


    A griffin descended to the ground, parting the crowd to reveal a boy in black tattered clothes pinning under the clawed foot of the griffin before he could escape.


    The knight on the griffin jumped down and searched the boy¡¯s pockets until he retrieved a white leather purse.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± the large bearded man grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll take this lad off your hands.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ the boy will be appraised, then punished accordingly,¡± the knight announced sternly.


    ¡°You¡¯re sparing this little punk. He¡¯s a waste of space,¡± the man yelled.


    ¡°With all due respect, sir. He¡¯s still fifteen. There is more he can do when compared to old fossils like us. The tower has a policy for punishing wrongdoers¡­ but does not condemn children,¡± the knight announced.


    Alaric was yanked from the scene by Darla only moments after this statement had been made. It seemed as though negotiations would continue and the boy¡¯s fate would be left to the Tower.


    Finn rushed along at Alaric¡¯s side as they continued through the Tower entrance as did all the other teenagers who didn¡¯t want to get involved with the pitiful thief, ¡°Why pardon him though? He¡¯s a thief. That won¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the Tower is just that forgiving and believes in second chances?¡± Alaric tried.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple. Something about what that knight said got me thinking¡­ It¡¯s probably nothing,¡± Finn tried to shrug off the rising suspicion.


    Alaric wasn¡¯t far behind him on that front. He too found it odd that the knight was defending the thief against the guard. There were too many guesses he could make but right now, he had no way of telling which one was true.


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    In the end, he chose to stop thinking about it which turned out to be surprisingly easy as their entire surroundings morphed into an even more captivating grandeur.


    The ridiculously high ceiling of the well-furnished hall was covered with beautiful chandeliers that cast a soft amber glow on the children walking in. Guards were forced to stay at the entrance as the Tower could only accommodate so many.


    Alaric marvelled at the opulent architecture of the Tower and even wondered how much it must have cost to build it all. As an orphan boy from a remote village, the limits of how rich one could be were new to him.


    He was used to a casual life filled with liveliness, love and fun. He¡¯d never found himself worried about the price of the material his clothes were made of or even if they had cool designs on them or not.


    Of course, once in a while, he got to see Darla and the girls marvelling at some trinkets they managed to procure from the market and sometimes, travelling merchants but that was something he attributed to them ¡®just being girls¡¯.


    He enjoyed sparring, playing games with friends, and venturing off into the woods where he and his friends would do all sorts of creative activities, his best being hunting.


    In so doing, none of that fun involved spending crazy amounts of money.


    Alas, his sharp mind easily picked up on the stark reality that plagued his world.


    The clothes Sister Marla had salvaged to make them look their best for this day were proof of that. Alaric realised now that it couldn¡¯t have been so easy for her to procure them¡­ and that realisation stung deeper than he could have thought.


    A soft hand tightened around his. He noticed Darla¡¯s concerned gaze and wiped whatever melancholic look he¡¯d inherited from his thoughts. Darla might have been the least expressive out of all of them, but she was more compassionate than the two boys put together.


    She was also better equipped for this situation. A part of Alaric was glad he¡¯d come here with his friends.


    A few years ago, Adam, an older orphan had travelled to the Tower of Seekers all on his own. Alaric couldn¡¯t imagine what the boy had gone through then.


    Shaking off the dark thoughts, Alaric took another look around. His eyes finally noticed rich tapestries woven with fine thread depicting a myriad of images from scenes of past battles to portraits of the Emperor and his Imperial Court.


    There were portraits of old men and women dressed in white garbs similar to the themed attire Alaric had noticed around the Tower.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, genius? Cat got your tongue?¡± a familiar voice interrupted Alaric.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Aiden,¡± Alaric replied with a tight smile then turned to Darla and Finn, ¡°This place is nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Finn replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. What¡¯s on your mind, Alaric? You seem quiet,¡± Darla asked, ¡°¡­well, quieter than usual.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering how this place was built. It was definitely through magic, right?¡± Alaric chuckled.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± Aiden intervened.


    Alaric¡¯s smile dropped, ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    Finn and Darla hid their laughter.


    Oblivious to this or at least pretending to be, Aiden coughed and puffed out his chest, ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked. I¡¯m here to satisfy my own curiosity. You see, the Tower doesn¡¯t segregate based on background. Being an orphan from some backwater place like the Five Hills does not mean you¡¯ll be weak.


    And from what Garin said, I¡¯m curious to know more about you. Now come on, fake genius. Follow me.¡±


    Alaric chuckled to himself and beckoned for his friends to follow the blonde hyperactive braggart. Along the way, Aiden enjoyed showing off his knowledge of the tapestries in the tower.


    There were battles against legions of demons, portraits of heroes, Seekers, and bureaucrats who held high positions in Eastern Valeria.


    The sheer amount of knowledge contained within these tapestries made Alaric wonder what kind of place this really was. They were only walking through the Halls and they¡¯d happened upon hordes of captured events of the past.


    As Alaric had suspected, the Tower was a lot bigger on the inside than it appeared.


    Eventually, however, one of the tapestries caught Alaric¡¯s eye. Enough for him to even inch closer and try to touch it.


    Just before he did, however, Aiden pulled him back, ¡°Don¡¯t touch the tapestries. You¡¯ll get sucked in.¡±


    Alaric furrowed his brows in confusion, ¡°What?¡±


    Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose and pulled Alaric to rejoin the group, ¡°Be more careful. This place is full of magical items. The tapestries are no exception.¡±


    Alaric nodded and looked back at the tapestry one last time. The rich silky material depicted an image of a black sky with a single round glowing ring in the middle of it.


    ¡°Our generation is known as the Miracle Generation. It¡¯s no surprise that you know that one. After all, we are the generation that was born in the year that had the Day of the Black Sun exactly fifteen years ago,¡± Aiden sighed.

 9. Sea of Orbs

    The Day of the Black Sun.


    An event engrained at the back of everyone¡¯s minds, haunting the nightmares of young children and staining the dreams of grown-ups. A catastrophe so dark it kept pregnant mothers up at night, constantly worried that the stars might just not be in their favour.


    Of course, Alaric knew the stories. Every single person on the continent of Valeria knew of the events that happened on that day, albeit in varying levels of knowledge.


    ¡°They say¡­¡±


    ¡°Shush, Aiden. We¡¯ve arrived,¡± a girl with short red hair elbowed the blonde boy just as the hall they¡¯d been traversing suddenly expanded out around them, shooting out in all directions to reveal a grand chamber that dwarfed all of Alaric¡¯s previous thoughts on the Tower¡¯s architecture.


    If what he¡¯d already seen was marvellous, this was downright mind-blowing.


    Everything in his field of vision shouldn¡¯t have been able to fit inside the building¡­ and yet it did.


    It only dawned on Alaric then that the Tower was several times larger than he¡¯d initially anticipated¡­ and that it didn¡¯t matter how many Aspirants there were.


    Space was the least of the Tower¡¯s concerns.


    The gargantuan chamber was so large that Alaric almost failed to see the wall on the other side.


    Briefly shifting his attention to the person who¡¯d interrupted Aiden, he recognized the girl from their ride on Garin¡¯s guardian, SwiftWind.


    She had red short hair, which, unlike Aiden¡¯s, was well-kempt with a silky glow to it. Beside them was another girl whom Alaric also recognised.


    Surprisingly, her features were also ingrained at the back of his mind. Long jet-black hair with a reserved expression that was almost shy. This facade, however, hid what was actually a very observant young girl.


    When she gazed at Alaric, he could tell she saw more than just his unassuming appearance. Oddly enough, he didn¡¯t shiver under her gaze and as a boy who trusted his intuition, he figured she meant him no harm and chose to let her be.


    Up until this point, the group of six hadn¡¯t had proper introductions, so Alaric resolved to calling her Black while he called the other girl Red.


    Even Aiden¡¯s own name had leaked out during a conversation with Garin, as had Alaric¡¯s.


    ¡°Welcome, young Aspirants,¡± an old raspy voice boomed through the Great Chamber.


    Shooting high above them, the chamber seemed to have no end. A man dressed in pristine white robes similar to those of the great Seekers they¡¯d seen in the tapestries was floating on a platform looking down on the children that had come to be appraised.


    Above him, the ceiling was drowned in a multitude of glowing orbs of different colours, each pulsing with magic, gently floating together in a sea of aether much like a multi-coloured starry night.


    [Red, Silver, Gold, Bronze and¡­ Emerald. What do you think those are?] Alaric sent a thought to his safely-hidden guardian.


    [Look closely at their distribution,] she replied.


    [Distribution?]


    [How many they are¡­]


    [I can¡¯t count all those things. It¡¯s like trying to count the grains of sand at the lake back home] the boy argued.


    [Oh dear!] the guardian groaned, [I didn¡¯t ask you to count them one by one. Just pay attention to which colours seem more than the rest.]


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    [Oh¡­ You should have just said that] the boy chuckled.


    As Alaric paid more attention, he noticed they weren¡¯t of equal number. The gold orbs were the fewest among all of them, drowning in a sea of countless other colours while the bronze orbs seemed to dwarf all other colours with their numbers.


    The dark-haired boy grew vaguely aware of what this meant, not to mention the fact that even within the orbs of the same colour, some were designed far more intricately than others, possessing swirls and shimmers more dazzling than the others.


    ¡®Those are the things that will decide how strong our guardians are, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ he sighed.


    [Yes, they are. Now pay attention. It¡¯s starting,] Alia chided.


    The boy looked to the old man standing on the platform high up with the orbs and for a moment, the two locked eyes or at least, that¡¯s what Alaric thought they did.


    The old man seemed to tense under his gaze but only for a brief moment before he continued to survey the room.


    ¡®Can he sense you, Alia?¡¯ Alaric asked.


    [Perhaps¡­ Garin was able to, so I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised] The guardian shrugged.


    Alaric felt his mood dim at the realisation. He could already feel the strain as the aether in his body continued to circulate, maintaining the spell that kept Alia¡¯s presence hidden. It was an intricate spell to hold. While it wasn¡¯t the most effective out there, it was far more powerful than anyone his age should have been able to achieve¡­


    ¡®This sucks,¡¯ he groaned¡­


    ¡°I see plenty of promising candidates this year¡­¡± the old man began.


    ¡®Of course, you do, old snitch!¡¯ Alaric mentally cursed.


    Alia merely chuckled.


    Oblivious to these mental remarks, the Seeker continued talking, ¡°I am Elder Gregory, the Master of the Eastern Tower of Seekers. Allow me to welcome you all to the Eastern Tower of Seekers. Today is a big day for you all. You¡¯ll get your guardians appraised. Now, listen well. Having your guardian appraised doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to summon them right away¡ª¡±


    ¡°What is he doing here?¡± a rough male voice suddenly tore through the vibrant speech.


    Everyone turned to witness a boy with messy blue hair staring at another one dressed in ragged clothes. Alaric easily recognized the boy in ragged clothes. It was the same thief that had been caught outside.


    ¡®So they decided to let him in,¡¯ Alaric thought to himself, wondering what angle the Tower was playing at.


    He also noticed a knight standing behind the boy in tattered rags with a golden rope that bound the thief¡¯s hands behind his back. From the mana pulsing off it, Alaric could tell it was no ordinary rope.


    ¡®There were exceptions to those that could come in without escorts,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    [Technically, the boy¡¯s tied up and the guard is here to make sure he doesn¡¯t cause any more trouble. That¡¯s hardly an escort] Alia corrected.


    This was true¡­


    However, even though he couldn¡¯t really call the knight an escort, he was still not an aspirant.


    ¡°The same thing you¡¯re doing here, Aspirant. He might have been caught stealing but he was also doing so with magic. I don¡¯t have to explain how rare that is,¡± the Seeker answered.


    There were a few murmurs here and there but when the sneering boy who¡¯d interrupted his speech didn¡¯t speak, the Seeker turned away from the banter, ¡°Please refrain from interrupting me unless you have a real problem.


    We have visitors here who¡¯ve travelled for days to get here and would rather rest than be bothered by trivialities. Alright, where was I? Having your guardian appraised doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to summon them immediately¡­ right¡­


    After knowing how powerful your guardian is, you will be given the choice to take on any walk of life you so desire, depending on your guardian¡¯s power, of course. If you so wish to undertake a path that¡¯s not within your guardian¡¯s abilities, you might be required to take extra tests. And yet, some of you will have the whole world open up to you.


    Choose well and you might just make a name for yourself in this world. Above us are objects you¡¯ve all probably noticed by now unless you¡¯re blind to both light and aether. You will notice several floating orbs of different colours. These orbs stand for the different classes in our power measuring system and they are as follows.¡±


    Tension in the room continued to rise as the old man explained the rankings to the aspirants. Everyone here had come hoping to receive a high ranking for their guardian after all. Alas, this was not a choice any of them could make for themselves.


    They would have to leave it all up to chance.


    Even then, however, rankings didn¡¯t determine everything. When it came down to it, so many things determined whether one would ultimately be considered powerful.


    There were, however, some limitations to how much one could alter the equation of power.


    One could train their bodies and improve their skill, honing their bodies till they were as sharp as an executioner¡¯s blade, but how far this could go was determined by their guardian.


    Unfortunately, Guardians didn¡¯t have much room for improvement.


    A guardian¡¯s power and limitations were determined at birth¡­ and that was why the rankings existed this way. That was why appraisal was so important. To know the limits of one¡¯s guardian.


    The old man¡¯s voice rumbled across the vast chamber big enough to be a colosseum.


    ¡°The Bronze orbs stand for D-class, The Red orbs stand for C-class, the Silver Orbs stand for B-class, the Emerald orbs stand for A-class while¡­ well, you know what the gold orbs stand for. The fabled S-class.¡±

 10. Unwanted Class

    The old man¡¯s voice rumbled across the vast chamber big enough to be a colosseum.


    ¡°The Bronze orbs stand for D-class, The Red orbs stand for C-class, the Silver Orbs stand for B-class, the Emerald orbs stand for A-class while¡­ well, you know what the gold orbs stand for. The fabled S-class.


    Now, I ask that you don¡¯t get disappointed if the orb you receive is not gold. Those orbs rarely ever come down from there. If they do, then you might as well be witnessing a miracle,¡± the man¡¯s voice was grave enough to send shivers down Alaric¡¯s spine.


    Not to mention the fact that as he said these words, his old eyes landed on Alaric¡¯s.


    [That man senses me] Alia¡¯s voice filtered into Alaric¡¯s mind.


    [You can tell?] Alaric whispered back, [I haven¡¯t stopped concealing you ever since we left the Five Hills.]


    There was a faint chuckle from the hidden knight, [Your abilities as a magician are commendable but the fact that you¡¯re only fifteen still stands. That man¡¯s abilities are beyond your level.]


    Alaric¡¯s heart sank. It was one thing to speculate having been discovered but another to get a confirmation from a most trusted source.


    Noticing his panic or at least that¡¯s what Alaric thought it was, the platform floated down until it was only a few metres above their heads. Alaric thought he heard the sound of shuffling footsteps but he kept his eyes trained on the descending platform, ¡°Young man, answer this truthfully. Are you a guard or an aspirant?¡±


    Locking eyes with the old man, Alaric swallowed, ¡®He¡¯s not talking to me, is he?¡¯


    Alaric looked around himself and felt his face go pale as a sheet. The aspirants that had previously surrounded him were all at least a metre away leaving him with Darla and Finn at the centre of the circle.


    ¡­a guard¡­


    ¡®What does this man think I am? Some sort of cheater?¡¯ Alaric panicked.


    Alia sighed, [Don¡¯t forget to answer the question.]


    ¡®Of course, he could see through my concealment spell,¡¯ the boy sighed, ¡®I was foolish to even believe I¡¯d masked your presence well.¡¯


    [Alaric¡­] Alia groaned.


    [Right.]


    ¡°Aspirant,¡± Alaric replied in the most collected way he could muster, which was borderline a squeak.


    ¡°Where from?¡±


    The boy coughed his nerves away, now wondering whether he needed to prepare an answer to his favourite meal¡­ ¡°Five Hills.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Of course. Why didn¡¯t I realise it sooner? You¡¯re the Alaric boy,¡± the man¡¯s face beamed.


    ¡°Alaric boy?¡± Alaric raised a brow at the man.


    ¡°That is your name, is it not?¡± the man asked, more hopeful than before.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm. I knew that was you. I¡¯m glad you could make it. Greet Marla for me when you return to your home,¡± with that, the magical platform rose back up as the man turned away, ¡°Without further ado, let the Appraisal begin.¡±


    His words left no room for the murmurs and rumours that threatened to blow the roof off the Tower.


    ¡®Who is that boy?¡¯ ¡®Is he friends with the Master?¡¯ ¡®He must be a noble.¡¯ ¡®From Five Hills, are you sober?!¡¯ ¡®Why else would the Master be interested in a boy from the Five Hills?¡¯


    A resonant hum filled the room, silencing the remnants of the rumours. Following the sound, the walls came to life with amber light that flowed in unique intricate patterns all around them starting from the ground and to the ceiling of floating orbs.


    Once it was there, the glowing orbs vibrated and hummed as though they¡¯d been rudely awoken from a peaceful slumber.


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    Then, they went still, casting the room into a still ominous silence.


    Elder Gregory¡¯s voice was the first to break the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you all to stand to one side of the room. Once you¡¯ve received your orb, you¡¯ll move to the other side so we know when everyone¡¯s been properly appraised. We¡¯ll start from D-class and work our way up,¡± the old man¡¯s voice boomed.


    Reluctantly, the Aspirants all moved to one side of the room. Alaric made sure to stay with his friends as they were now even closer to the other aspirants; aspirants they were already wary of.


    As soon as there was enough order in the room, a large swath of bronze orbs lit up casting a brilliant hue on the starry sea of orbs. The sheer magnitude of the orbs that was glowing was so great that Alaric almost thought it exceeded the number of Aspirants in the room.


    Alas, the number of Aspirants had to be greater considering Alaric had no way of knowing just how many they were.


    There was a short period of silence as a deep sense of dread filled the hearts of the aspirants.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me,¡± a large boy a few meters ahead of Alaric dropped to his knees.


    A ripple of murmurs started and began to grow more and more erratic. Alaric thought he heard a boy chuckle.


    ¡°I knew a lot of you were bronze good-for-nothings.¡±


    ¡°How can that many of us be D-class?¡± another said.


    ¡°This system has to be wrong somehow,¡± a girl shivered.


    Alaric grabbed the hands of his two friends and pulled them closer to him. The bronze orbs descended and with that descent, something weird happened.


    The sea of aspirants began to move like the undulating waves of an angry sea. Aspirants dove away from the approaching swarm of bronze orbs like they were trying to avoid a swarm of blood-sucking locusts.


    They pushed and pulled at each other, some trying to throw weaker aspirants in the way of the approaching swarm of bronze orbs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Alaric groaned.


    When the aspirants ahead of them turned to run, he glared at the ones directly ahead of them¡­


    For a short second, they feared his towering built form more than the approaching orbs. Finn and Darla¡¯s physiques weren¡¯t so different from Alaric¡¯s given the three children trained together. Alas, in the face of fear, there was no space for logic.


    ¡°Triangle formation,¡± Alaric ordered and his friends quickly obeyed. Darla and Finn positioned themselves with their backs turned to each other in a triangle, then raised their fists in silent anticipation.


    Alaric allowed the aether in his body to spread to his friends with the sole intention of strengthening their bodies. It wasn¡¯t a perfect spell¡­ but it was enough to turn even Finn¡¯s fist into the equivalent of a bowling ball.


    No sooner had they done this than the running aspirants crashed into them. Alaric caught the first boy to jump at them by the torso, gritted his teeth and launched him back at the approaching mob with a grunt.


    The next one he kicked straight in the gut and sent him flying straight back into the crowd.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit too rough, Alaric?¡± Darla called out in the fray.


    ¡°Not if I might end up breaking a limb,¡± Alaric grunted as he threw yet another aspirant back into the mob.


    ¡°SILENCE¡­¡± the powerful voice of the Tower Master boomed across the great chamber. The walls rattled, the floor rumbled and the air resonated with powerful magic as the man¡¯s rage reached everyone¡¯s being, freezing them in their spots.


    Elder Gregory¡¯s voice had cut through the chaos and frozen all the panicking aspirants in their tracks, ¡°If you¡¯re not brave enough to face your fate, then perhaps you were only ever worthy of D-class.¡±


    These words put a stop to the harrowing panic. At the same time, however, they were proven accurate as most of the aspirants that had panicked found bronze orbs hovering above their heads.


    ¡°F**K,¡± a boy screamed.


    ¡°Restrain yourself, aspirant. Belonging to D-class doesn¡¯t make you worthless,¡± Elder Gregory¡¯s voice boomed.


    Alaric recognized the boy to be the same one who had called out the thief allowed to attend the Appraisal Ceremony.


    ¡°I¡¯m a noble. There is no way I¡¯m a D-class garbage. No¡­ I¡¯m meant to be S-class. I know it. I¡¯ve trained myself to be the best. I will be the best of the Elite Guard,¡± the boy screamed.


    Sparks of lightning crackled around the boy before chains of gold snapped into existence, wrapping themselves around the enraged aspirant and restraining him tightly. Alaric looked up and noticed the spell had come from the old man. With a wave of his hand, the boy was cast to the side of the room they¡¯d cleared for aspirants that had been appraised.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make myself clear. Your appraisal will help you make better decisions. You say you¡¯ve trained yourself to be the best. It seems you missed a crucial lesson in your training.


    Grow up. The world will not bend over for you just because Daddy has all the money in the world,¡± the old man spat.


    His face, for a brief moment, had contorted into a disgusted grimace so grotesque that he might have been a demon himself. The transformation lasted a brief second before he regained his composure.


    Now then, D-class is assessed purely because of power, in most cases, aether output but there is more than one way to utilize the power of a guardian. Some things in this world require a delicate touch rather than a fist. This very Tower was built by a brilliant architect who was D-class.


    There are great engineers, architects, Seekers, farmers, Scholars and performers that have risen from that class, so don¡¯t feel disheartened. Your limits are your attitude, imagination and the will to forge a great future for yourself,¡± the man¡¯s words were enough to calm the group down after the disgraceful display by the ungrateful noble.


    Alaric¡¯s heart was racing just by watching the abhorrent act. Of course, despite everything, he also understood why the boy was so angry.


    Even though old man Gregory''s words were true, he¡¯d intentionally left out jobs like Soldier, Mage, Adventurer or even Slayer¡­ because no one in D-class ever got accepted into the Guardian Academy.


    They didn¡¯t possess enough power to oppose demons, especially powerful ones.

 11. Finns Appraisal.

    Alaric¡¯s heart skipped a bit and his face turned a shade paler. He might not have panicked when he saw the bronze orbs descend but never, in his wildest imagination, could he have predicted this outcome.


    As the situation currently stood, the bronze swarm of appraising orbs had claimed more than half the gathering of Aspirants to come to the Tower.


    This didn¡¯t make sense at all. The number of powerful guardians on the Valerian continent was small but even then, he¡¯d never imagined the D-class guardians would be this many.


    There were five classes, yet more than half the aspirants had already fallen into the lowest class.


    Goosebumps spread all over Alaric¡¯s arms as the pressure and tension in the room went higher than it had been before.


    In a place like this, having high expectations for one¡¯s appraisal was one of the worst things if the results didn¡¯t turn out the way they wanted them. The Aspirants in D-class were so many that he was left shaken.


    [Couldn¡¯t you tell from the number of bronze orbs present?] Alia scoffed.


    Alaric looked up at the orbs with a dark expression, seeing their numbers in a different light. Deep down, he''d known the reason for the unfair distribution of orbs but nothing could have prepared him for this. A little part of him had still hoped the results wouldn''t turn out quite so dire.


    Now, that part of him was snuffed out, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth. Most of the aspirants were indeed part of D-class which meant the chances of him and his friends being a class higher than C-class had just dropped considerably as well.


    On the bright side, neither Darla nor Finn had received D-class appraisals, which was already an incredible feat in and of itself. It meant the only three children from the Five Hills to come to the Appraisal Ceremony had managed to make it past D-class.


    Alaric¡¯s hopes didn¡¯t go too high though.


    The boy who¡¯d screamed his lungs out only to get himself thrown in chains had been a trained noble. Being a noble, it was obvious he¡¯d been trained by a powerful Slayer and if someone of his skill could get an appraisal as bad as that, then their odds were starting to look pretty slim.


    Alaric turned to his friends, ¡°You guys okay?¡±


    Finn and Darla nodded feverishly but it was clear to see that they harboured the same fear. Finn wiped a smidgen of blood off his hand and looked back up at the Head Seeker. The Appraisal Ceremony was only getting started.


    ¡°The minimum requirement for getting into the Guardian Academy without taking a test is B-class. Let¡¯s just hope we get that and above,¡± Alaric tried.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ No pressure,¡± Finn squeaked. His eyes turned red and shut them to try and calm his rising nerves.


    This attempt was rendered useless when the red orbs flickered to life, capturing the attention of the aspirants.


    What made the Aspirants turn pale and feverish, however, was the sheer number of red orbs that were glowing. As it so happened the number of aspirants that were in C-class¡­ were many¡­ much more than they should have been.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. At this rate, no one will make it to A-class,¡± Finn breathed out.


    Frightened murmurs filled the room. Tension turned to panic as aspirants began inching away from the orbs like the plague. Alaric was not sure what ran through their heads as they did. The magic imbuing the orbs was nothing to scoff at.


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    Even if they managed to run away from the glowing little buzzers, they would simply follow them regardless of where they went. A red orb came flying towards Alaric and stopped in front of him¡­


    The boy smiled and tilted his head¡­ When the orb didn¡¯t respond to this motion, he stepped out of the way and watched it continue on its way.


    ¡°You¡¯re confident in your abilities, huh!¡± Aiden scoffed.


    Alaric shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m just ready for whatever I get.¡±


    The blonde boy scowled and then looked away from him. Darla came close to Alaric and held his hand. The girl¡¯s hand was cold to the touch and there was a slight shiver going through her.


    Nodding reassuringly, Alaric squeezed her hand in response. At this point, they had witnessed a few aspirants take to their heels with red orbs chasing after them like little fiery comets.


    One boy even dashed straight for the exit only to get launched back by a shimmering translucent magic barrier. Before he could get up, the red orb had caught up to him.


    The reaction was even worse than that of the aspirants who had received bronze orbs.


    Perhaps because a red orb was just one class lower than a silver one which was B-class, the minimum requirement for joining the Guardian Academy.


    Getting a red orb was like reaching the finish line and being told you were running the wrong race.


    Panic turned to tears and more golden chains sprung up to grab the aspirants that acted too erratically to be trusted. The most aggressive ones were chained and tossed to the other side, leaving an even staggeringly small group behind.


    The first two classes had been sorted out. Now only three remained. Considering there hadn¡¯t been an S-class in a long time, it could only stand to reason that there would not be one today as well.


    Everyone left would either get an A-class or B-class ranking. These classes were high enough to give one a chance to become a noble should their contributions to the continent of Valeria prove valuable enough.


    This was mostly possible through working as a member of the Elite Guard and subjugating a certain number of demons. Awards were given to outstanding members of the Elite Guard and in some cases, noble titles.


    Alaric let out a shaky breath. He¡¯d gone through the roughest part of the test. His friends had survived too.


    Finn fell to his hands and knees with a thud. Beads of sweat covered his brow, ¡°This is not what I bargained for.¡±


    Darla chuckled, ¡°I thought you really wanted a kitten for a guardian.¡±


    ¡°Not funny, Darla,¡± the sandy-haired boy huffed.


    ¡°You should be proud, Finn. There is nothing that says we were meant to be appraised above C-class. To have all three aspirants from the Five Hills appraised this way is a miracle. I¡¯m sure Sister Marla is waiting to comfort whoever comes with either D or C-class orbs,¡± Alaric smiled.


    The room went silent once again and this time, several silver orbs lit up. The silver orbs threatened to be more than the number of remaining aspirants at first glance which didn¡¯t help the nerves of the remaining children.


    The ones who¡¯d already been appraised and had regained their composure turned to see who would get appraised in B-class. Alaric caught a glimpse of silver hair in the corner of his eye, ¡®So the noble is still a mystery. I wonder what¡­ Oh, never mind.¡¯


    As it so happened, Alaric¡¯s question was answered right before he could formulate it. A silver orb was floating right above the head of the opulently-dressed silver-haired noble.


    Her face remained expressionless as she stared at it, however, considering the time with which she spend staring at it, Alaric guessed she didn¡¯t like this appraisal.


    To his surprise, he caught her tilting her head to see if the orb would follow. She didn¡¯t go as far as to try to run away from it as it was clear the little critter would follow her.


    ¡®Was she watching me?¡¯ he wondered.


    [Probably.]


    ¡°Congratulations, Miss Vermillion. You¡¯re Class B,¡± Elder Gregory¡¯s voice rumbled.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Vermillion snorted and strolled towards the group that had been appraised. Her mood was sour but she managed to compose herself.


    ¡°Umm, Alaric!¡± a voice interrupted him.


    The dark-haired boy turned in time to witness a glowing silver orb floating above his friend¡¯s head. Finn had been appraised, ¡°That¡¯s awesome. Keep your charm on you and stay where we can see you. We must not get separated. Also, congrats.¡±


    ¡°You and Darla will do better. You still haven¡¯t been appraised,¡± Finn chuckled, ¡°I was hoping I¡¯d show you up, Darla.¡±


    ¡°Your fight was memorable. As a reward, I¡¯ll stop making calling your guardian a cute kitten,¡± Darla replied with a small smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s just one of the many things you¡¯ve called my guardian,¡± Finn¡¯s shoulders dropped.


    ¡°Is it?¡± the girl smirked, ¡°I can¡¯t seem to remember.¡±


    The sandy-haired boy sighed and narrowed his eyes at the girl. If only looks could kill. Seeing as time was of the essence, he left with a tired wave.


    As Aiden silently walked past Alaric, the ¡®prodigy of the Five Hills¡¯ raised his voice, ¡°Congratulations, Aiden. I guess I¡¯ll be seeing you at the Academy¡­ if you have the guts to choose it, that is.¡±

 12. Name your price

    As it so happened, Aiden¡¯s friends had been sorted into D and C classes.


    After watching the first of Alaric¡¯s friends get B-class yet he had been the last of his to get appraised, Aiden wasn¡¯t in a talkative mood anymore.


    Instead, he swallowed his pride and silently joined the appraised group of Aspirants saying nothing back at Alaric.


    Alaric stared forward as Aiden joined the rest, ¡®What¡¯s his problem? He got a high appraisal.¡¯


    [I thought you weren¡¯t interested in making friends with some talkative boy you¡¯d just met] Alia reiterated a version of Alaric¡¯s past thoughts.


    ¡®¡­¡¯ the dark-haired boy sighed, keeping his face expressionless against the tumultuous emotions revolving in his heart.


    Alaric hadn¡¯t even asked the three children for their names or where they were from.


    He knew a few neighbouring villages but had no clue which one they were from. Shaking away the thoughts, he resolved to talking to them when he next got the chance.


    Now though, another problem presented itself.


    The first three classes had been sorted¡­ and the appraisal had been far more brutal than anything Alaric could have imagined.


    Powerful guardians seemed to be far rarer than Alaric had first thought.


    Now, only a few aspirants remained on the side that had not yet been appraised. A boy so large for his age that he must have been some long-lost descendant of a giant.


    A girl dressed in neat simple clothes with her silky blonde hair tied in a high ponytail, Alaric, Darla and one more individual.


    The room had gone deathly silent especially because of this one person.


    It was a boy in tattered clothes and his hands bound by rope, a guard standing behind in the white plate armour of the Tower¡¯s guards.


    The smug grin on the boy¡¯s face stretched from one ear to the other as everyone came to realise that the possibility of him having an A-class guardian had just skyrocketed.


    ¡®Not good¡­¡¯ Alaric thought to himself.


    [I wouldn¡¯t be so worried about him] Alia shrugged.


    [He¡¯s a thief. Who knows what else he has done?]


    [For a sinister thief, he¡¯s dressed rather terribly, don¡¯t you think?] Alia replied.


    Alaric looked back at the boy. His smug expression was more than enough to divert anyone¡¯s attention from the callouses on his hands, the dirt on his clothes, the subtle dampness at the tattered hems of his ragged clothes.


    These easily overlooked features told a story unlike one Alaric could have thought of at first glance.


    What were the odds that the boy had travelled to the Tower on foot? He also seemed alone which could only mean he wasn¡¯t supervised. Did he even have a home, to begin with?


    [There you go, little prince. Not everything is as it seems. Remember not to be quick to judge] Alia¡¯s voice rang through his head.


    Alaric was forced to reconsider his views of the boy. Could there be more to his story than a life of thievery and crime?


    If he was as good a thief as Alaric thought him to be, why would he be dressed in clothes that bad?


    The boy chuckled darkly as he too realised the implications of his current predicament. Not only was he on a temporary pardon for his crimes but his value had also undergone a severe increase.


    The world had just twisted in his favour so much so that he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at this situation.


    Discarding his former opinion of the boy, Alaric chose to silently observe. After all, there were a few more pressing issues at the moment.


    Only five aspirants remained.


    After everything that had happened, these were the only ones left in the group that would be appraised for A-class.


    S-class remained out of reach as per the stories while A-class was already so powerful that no one really cared for an S-class appraisal.


    Oddly enough, however, Alaric¡¯s shock vanished as soon as it had arrived. Compared to the swarm of aspirants that had been sorted out, these remaining four each bore a subtle oppressive aura about them.


    Even without expressing their emotions, the world around seemed to react to their slight whims in subtle ways.


    Staring at the large boy could easily make an inferior person go weak at the knees.


    The blonde girl was perhaps the only aspirant he¡¯d seen who could rival Darla¡¯s beauty and as the cherry on top, looking at her only entranced someone to look even more.


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    Darla had a chilling stare that Alaric had witnessed several times himself back in the Five Hills.


    Of the four aspirants, the one whose aura wasn¡¯t as oppressive was the bound thief.


    Alaric was willing to bet that none of these four had panicked during the appraisal of the lower two classes.


    ¡°Ah, Five Hills boy made it to this part of the Appraisal Ceremony,¡± the old man¡¯s voice boomed with barely-contained excitement.


    ¡®Do I know that old man?¡¯ Alaric wondered.


    [I apologize. It is I who is attracting this much attention to you,] Alia sighed.


    ¡®You¡¯ve done nothing wrong, Alia,¡¯ Alaric responded.


    Now that there were only five aspirants left, the ceremony was going to end soon. A small group of emerald orbs glowed brighter and descended.


    Gasps ran through the group as everyone stared at the descending orbs. This time, even the old man tensed up on the floating platform, staring at the descending orbs with a petrified expression, ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±


    Tension rose in the room as something unspeakable unfolded.


    Four orbs descended and settled on top of the heads of four individuals.


    Alaric recounted the orbs a few times, then felt the blood drain out of his face¡­ ¡®One¡¯s missing.¡¯


    Following the course of the four orbs, he watched as each orb settled above the heads of the four Aspirants¡­ but him.


    Alaric looked up and found that the space above his head was empty.


    His heart sank.


    ¡®Is this the part where we panic?¡¯ he wondered, barely containing himself.


    [Take a deep breath,] Alia replied¡­ and so he did.


    Alaric¡¯s realisation was slow and crushing.


    At first, he¡¯d thought this setup of the Appraisal Ceremony was bad only for those with low-class guardians.


    It had been a mess at the start after-all.


    Aspirants had cried, bawled their eyes out, fought, cursed and done all sorts of things to try and reject their fates as the bronze and red orbs descended on their heads.


    The calmest time was when the emerald orbs had chosen the aspirants that would be B-class.


    But that had all been his naivety talking because now, the tables had turned.


    Not only had the last of the aspirants been appraised but he was still standing there unclassified.


    Eyes of envy, greed and jealousy bore into the bodies of the aspirants with the emerald orbs while a few eyes of suspicion bore into the frame of the sole aspirant without an orb floating above him.


    Alaric¡¯s ears naturally listened to the murmurs on the other side of the room:


    ¡°Think he¡¯s an S-class?¡± ¡°Na¡­ he¡¯s probably trying to get a second appraisal illegally. It happens sometimes for unworthy saps expecting to get a different appraisal the second time.¡± ¡°The Elder Seekers would never allow that kind of mistake though.¡± ¡°And yet they let a thief in¡­¡± ¡°You have a point there.¡±


    The murmurs continued.


    ¡®Not good¡­¡¯ Alaric thought to himself.


    [Relax, little prince] Alia¡¯s voice rumbled through his mind.


    Alaric took in a deep breath and shut out the voices. It would be nice to say they didn¡¯t get to him¡­ but they did.


    Somewhere inside him, he wanted to prove them all wrong.


    Fortunately for him, this was not the time to entertain such thoughts.


    Everyone had come here to receive something as legendary as an A-class appraisal¡­ but now that only four had made it, something darker was revealed.


    A good portion of the aspirants looked at them with envy, jealousy and greed while a few stared with much darker ambitions.


    The change was subtle but Alaric¡¯s heightened senses picked it up efficiently.


    The dark-haired boy¡¯s eyes darted through the angry mob, memorizing and burning the most hateful glares into memory. These, he could look out for¡­ but these weren¡¯t the most dangerous.


    There were others who didn¡¯t show this hatred openly on their faces.


    Alaric blinked and his eyes flickered with a subtle kaleidoscopic effect.


    This time, his eyes saw more than just people. He could see their auras as well. And among those that were enraged by the cruelty of the Appraising ceremony, there were petty souls that held emotions far darker than mere envy.


    Some even masked it with expressions of indifference¡­ but Alaric saw the darkness of their souls in the form of vile dark hues of hatred.


    Alaric would remember these faces the most.


    ¡°My my! I did not foresee this,¡± the familiar old man¡¯s voice rumbled with a hint of curiosity, ¡°Let¡¯s have the A-class candidates join the rest.¡±


    Darla gave Alaric¡¯s hand a squeeze and a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Find Finn and wait for me,¡± Alaric ordered.


    She nodded and walked away with the other A-class aspirants.


    Alaric watched as the three aspirants with the most powerful guardians walked off and joined the rest.


    Now, only he stood alone on the side of aspirants who hadn¡¯t been appraised.


    The dark-haired boy took in a sharp breath and tried his best to ignore the eyes boring into his frame.


    He looked up and waited for the orbs to glow¡­ Was his A-class rating running late?


    ¡®What¡¯s the hold-up?¡¯ Alaric wondered.


    [It takes time to classify S-class guardians. It¡¯s only natural that there would be trouble appraising me] Alia responded with a yawn.


    The boy sighed and looked around, trying to keep his eyes away from the other aspirants.


    Elder Gregory looked up at the orbs with a frown, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re an Aspirant?¡±


    Alaric went still at the question.


    He looked up.


    Nothing was responding to him. ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯


    ¡°Answer the question, boy. Unless you want me to force you to reveal your true form,¡± the old man asked.


    Alaric had been here long enough to know he stood no chance against the old man. But he also knew the old man was nothing if not reasonable, ¡°Is something wrong with the orbs?¡±


    ¡°The orbs are just fine.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s my appraisal?¡± Alaric steeled his voice.


    The man went silent. With a sigh, he looked up to the orbs and with it, his platform rose until he was high up. There, the orbs all moved away from him. The man held out his hand and a few golden orbs flew to them.


    Alaric saw the slight glint in his eye as he studied the small devices. His face turned a bit pale. With a wave of his hand, two of the gold gems merged with each other¡­


    Nothing happened.


    His face turned paler still.


    Training an eye on the waiting boy¡¯s form, the elder turned away from the aspirants and continued his tinkering in privacy. After a while, his shoulders drooped.


    There was a short silence before he turned back to the aspirants, not showing his hands. There was no orb in sight and yet his platform came down.


    ¡°Aspirant Alaric has been appraised as S-class,¡± the man confirmed with a bright smile.


    ¡°Where is the orb that chose him?¡± a steely voice hissed from among the aspirants.


    The man remained still for a moment before opening his hand to reveal a glowing golden orb. The orb floated down and settled above Alaric¡¯s head.


    [This is not our classification. It¡¯s much too weak,] Alaric¡¯s guardian whispered with a hint of rage in her voice.


    ¡®That¡¯s good then,¡¯ Alaric responded.


    Being S-class came with its perks¡­ But right now, there was nothing more dangerous. If Alaric couldn¡¯t be classified by the orbs available, then it was a good thing the old man had hidden this fact.


    Elder Gregory opened his mouth to speak only to get interrupted by a female aspirant.


    ¡°You¡­ boy from Five Hills,¡± the steely voice stopped the Elder in his tracks.


    Alaric turned in time to see who was approaching him. What came from her mouth, however, shocked him to his core.


    ¡°Name your price¡­ then give me your guardian.¡±


    Silence¡­


    ¡®Huh¡­¡¯

 13. The Price of Alarics Guardian

    Dressed in the finest clothes Alaric had ever seen in his life,  each silky thread wreathed in invisible powerful enchantments no doubt preserving the immaculate quality of the threads, the girl before Alaric could have passed for a goddess in a more ¡®ignorant¡¯ setting.


    Her skin was flawless and her features seemed sculpted purposely to appease the eye.


    And while she wasn¡¯t as frightening and imposing as Alia¡ªwhose face Alaric had only seen a few times¡ª, this noble carried herself far higher than a human ought to have done so.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Alaric himself had grown up surrounded by beautiful girls, her looks would have ensnared his mind in a tight grip.


    Instead of that, looking at her had made the dark-haired start to draw comparisons like how her nose was slightly longer than Darla¡¯s or how her jawline was sharper, robbing the kindness from an otherwise beautiful face and many others like these.


    To demerit her looks even further, Alaric found himself unable to entertain such fruitless thoughts.


    Deep within him, an unfathomable emotion started brewing. Unknown to him, the temperature of the room grew slightly colder as he stared at the girl.


    The object of his attention, Ms. Vermillion, if he remembered correctly, had just made the most daring statement to ever grace the boy¡¯s ears.


    Alaric was taken aback by the girl¡¯s offer. Not only was she offering to take his guardian but she was also offering to compensate him with anything he could wish for.


    Such was the depth of her pockets or was it her audacity that was so appalling?


    If she was really that wealthy, then Alaric couldn¡¯t imagine the size of her family vault.


    Was that kind of wealth even possible? Alaric wouldn¡¯t know.


    The kind of thing she was offering just seemed too unrealistic.


    What if he asked her for land as far as the eye could see or gold that could fill the unknown depths of the ocean or perhaps a mountain of diamonds so high he could hike on it?


    What made her so confident in her family¡¯s coffers?


    Here Alaric was, planning a way to make enough money to give Marla and the orphans back in the Five Hills a good life and she was offering to pay him all that and so much more.


    Now, Alaric was no fool to think she was offering that much money.


    That¡¯s just how much he valued his guardian. Alia was everything to him¡­ His guardian was priceless and no amount of riches could make him give her up.


    Knowing that, the boy balled his fists and struggled to contain his rage.


    ¡°Well?¡± the girl¡¯s voice snapped him out of his reverie, filled with a tone of impatience that irked Alaric even more.


    The dark-haired boy took a deep breath and turned away, scanning for his friends.


    Calmly, he answered, ¡°No.¡±


    The girl¡¯s beautiful face was suddenly marred with an ugly mix of contempt and rage.


    It was an ugly look that she wiped from her face almost as fast as it had appeared, making anyone who had seen it doubt their vision.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand what I-,¡± the girl spoke through gritted teeth only to be stopped by another voice.


    ¡°Miss Vermillion, I¡¯ll ask that you refrain from acts of hostility while you¡¯re in my Tower. If you wish to discuss matters with Aspirant Alaric, I ask that you do so outside,¡± the old man spoke up.


    This time, Elder Gregory¡¯s voice regained a piece of the hostility with which he¡¯d restrained the first ungrateful aspirant from lashing out after receiving a bad appraisal.


    Tension rose within the room and for a brief moment, Alaric thought the girl would lash out at the old man.


    Luckily, the silver-haired girl wasn¡¯t as deranged as he thought she was. Ms. Vermillion held the Seeker¡¯s gaze for a moment before she sighed and turned away from Alaric with a ¡®hmph.¡¯


    This was far from over and Alaric knew it.


    ¡°Alright then. May I have everyone¡¯s attention?¡± the room went silent, ¡°The orbs in your hands are more than just glowing trinkets. Those are Awakening Orbs. Each one of those orbs contains aether that matches your Guardian¡¯s energy. That¡¯s why they are effective at appraising your class. By absorbing the aether in those orbs, you¡¯ll be able to manifest your guardian and begin your journey.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Wherever that journey leads you is entirely up to you and your destiny.


    Manifesting one¡¯s guardian usually takes between a period of ten days to one month depending on how powerful or accepting your guardian is.


    You will return to your homes for that period of time. Once your guardian has manifested, you get to decide what to do with your life.


    I know you have a lot of questions but answers can only be found with time and patience.


    As you leave this place you¡¯ll be given a book at the exit. That book contains all the different occupations related to guardians of different abilities, classes and affinities.


    Think it over and when one month elapses, Messenger Familiars will be sent to your residences. The Tower awaits your answers,¡± the man explained in detail.


    Alaric took note of all this as he walked to his friends. He¡¯d finally spotted them and now¡­ it was time to leave.


    Keeping his eyes gentle and unassuming, he did his best to maintain a calm facade when in fact his body was itching to run.


    Not long after the man¡¯s speech had begun, his senses had kicked into overdrive.


    Several aspirants lingered, watching him, some with awe while others with¡­ malice.


    Finn punched Alaric¡¯s shoulder when he reached them, flashing a bright smile, ¡°S-class! What have you been hiding?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just as surprised as you,¡± Alaric responded, a little shaken.


    ¡°I expected it,¡± Darla said indifferently, ¡°Alaric¡¯s always been strong so it only seemed natural.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing ¡®natural¡¯ about being S-class, Darla. Didn¡¯t you see the over-equipped ice princess get B-class?¡± Finn chuckled.


    ¡°Finn¡¯s right. A-class guardians are supposed to be absolute monsters. I don¡¯t even know what makes my guardian so powerful,¡± Alaric answered.


    [Hey! What¡¯s that supposed to mean?] Alia yelled into the boy¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I hear you. So, where to next? Can we grab a bite to eat?¡± Finn asked.


    [No, wait, don¡¯t agree with him¡­ and don¡¯t change the subject. Why are they all agreeing?] Alia continued to argue within the boy¡¯s head.


    Alaric chuckled, [Focus, Alia.]


    [Fine. You¡¯re all wimps! Tell them that¡­ and also tell them that there is no time for meals. We need to leave now] Alia lamented.


    ¡°Do you guys always refer to Alaric before you do something?¡± a blonde boy interrupted the group.


    Following Aiden were the two girls they¡¯d come with. From his expression, Alaric could tell he still wasn¡¯t happy about what had just happened.


    Finn turned to the new arrivals. The Great Hall had buzzed to life and most aspirants had started making their way out of the Tower.


    Of course, Alaric didn¡¯t let his guard down for a second, keeping his eyes scanning through the masses for any potential threats.


    More times than he would have liked, his eyes locked with malicious gazes that quickly dissolved with the crowd¡­ lurking.


    ¡°Alaric! Hell no. Why would we listen to him? What gave you that idea?¡± Finn smirked.


    Alaric rolled his eyes at the sandy-haired boy, ¡°We won¡¯t have time for a meal. Let¡¯s get back to SwiftWind.¡±


    [They are all wimps¡­ Say it¡­] Alia¡¯s reminded Alaric mentally. Alaric¡¯s expression remained unchanged despite the guardian¡¯s constant nagging.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the boss of me,¡± Aiden scoffed.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Alaric shrugged, turned and led his friends away.


    Unfortunately for the dark-haired boy, they didn¡¯t get too far. The room had been thrown into a careless commotion now that the appraisal was complete.


    Amidst that chaos, a platform descended in front of the retreating group, ¡°Aspirant Alaric. Might I have a word?¡±


    Surprisingly, Alaric was not shocked by this turn of events. Out of the hundreds, if not a few thousand Aspirants that had come to be appraised, the old man had singled him out.¡±


    ¡°Can I come with my friends?¡± Alaric asked.


    The man looked at him in amusement, then nodded with a shrug of his shoulders.


    The three aspirants approached the flat platform and mounted it, their eyes wondering what part of a floating slab of decorated black stone was safe.


    As soon as they were ¡®securely¡¯ standing away from the edges, the platform rose up.


    Alaric could still feel the eyes of many watching as they ascended higher above the crowd.


    The group continued up until they reached the sea of countless multi-coloured orbs.


    The orbs parted and where Alaric expected a ceiling, he found that the tower was only still going.


    The great tower was large and imposing from the outside, so large in fact, that Alaric¡¯s country mind was stuck trying to understand how such a massive structure was ever built.


    Now, however, the inside seemed to defy all laws of logic, boggling his innocent mind even further.


    Not only was the inside far bigger than the outside had been but it was also enchanting in all sorts of ways.


    Rising all around the cylindrical chasm of what should have been a grand staircase was an empty space illuminated by glowing crystals set in walls.


    Embedded in those walls were doors with no doorsteps running from the very bottom of the tower to the top.


    ¡°This platform works as the stairs,¡± Alaric mumbled.


    ¡°Good observation. But not entirely complete. The platform also restricts access to those that don¡¯t have clearance.


    For example, I would never be able to use this platform to reach the female lounge no matter what I tried.


    And a woman would never be able to make it reach the men¡¯s lounge,¡± the man explained.


    ¡°Which makes the female lounge the only place you cannot go in the whole tower,¡± Alaric mumbled.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the Master of the Tower. I doubt you planned on sounding perverted,¡± Darla intervened with the slightest hint of animosity.


    The old man narrowed his eyes at the boy and his group for a short moment before nodding his head, ¡°Sharp as the rumours say. I am Elder Gregory, Master of the Eastern Tower of Seekers. I have been Master of the Tower for twenty years now. Now that we¡¯re no longer in the presence of prying eyes, I¡¯ll ask the question that¡¯s currently on my mind.


    Do your friends know about your guardian?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As the platform neared the high ceiling of the colossal tower, a grand door carved with gold and rich hardwood greeted them. The door knob twisted on its own, as though sensing their arrival, opening to reveal what should have been the Master of the Tower¡¯s office.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk in here.¡±

 14. Game-Changing Offer

    Elder Gregory¡¯s office was the opposite of what Alaric had been expecting.


    From the lavish gold and richwood door, his mind had already started to cook up a world unlike anything close to an office, filled with otherworldly items of the old Seeker¡¯s amusement, Cabinets of magical items, a few aether crystals, enchanted orbs and perhaps a few swords, plenty of magnificent tapestries along with several other rarities that he lacked the mind to imagine.


    How he managed to fill his imagination with items he¡¯d never seen was beyond him¡­ but he was high on expectation¡­ only to go still and stiff with outright disappointment.


    ¡®Not even a silver disk to stare into precious memories?¡¯ he wondered.


    [Where did you get that idea?] Alia raised a mental brow at her master.


    Alaric pondered this for a moment¡­ [I don¡¯t know. It seemed right.]


    Shaking his head, he returned to the odd simplicity that came with an office whose door was adorned in gold. The old man¡¯s office had barely anything in it.


    There was a table made of rich hardwood, a quill set aside in an ink pot and lots of rolls of parchment containing information he still needed to attend to.


    ¡°So much parchment,¡± Alaric mumbled.


    ¡°Ah, yes. The Tower does like to spoil its people. I have been asking them to redirect funding to procure cheaper paper for non-official use.


    They are afraid the Tower will lose face if we endorse such a cheap plant-based product.


    In any case, a Seeker¡¯s life is that of a minimalist. We need few distractions if we ever hope to produce another Oracle,¡± the man explained.


    ¡®Minimalist?¡¯ Alaric thought to himself.


    [Someone who likes to keep things simple. This room has far too little for the Master of the Tower] Alia replied.


    Alaric had heard little about what being a Seeker was all about. For starters, it was in the name. They were Seekers of knowledge¡­ but how one became an Oracle remained a mystery to him.


    ¡°You wanted to talk?¡± Alaric urged the man.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s in a hurry,¡± the man raised a brow at him.


    ¡°I sensed bloodlust from a few aspirants. I apologize for being hasty but we really have to get going,¡± Alaric replied, barely containing his patience. Among the reasons he wanted to leave quickly was to reduce the time his enemies would take to prepare whatever traps they had in mind for him.


    The old man¡¯s lips parted slightly as his old wise eyes lit up in wonder, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I was told you¡¯re an orphan from the Five Hills under Marla¡¯s care.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± he rubbed his beard, ¡°Did you perhaps sense these individuals with your Inborn Ability?¡±


    ¡°No, my Ability has nothing to do with it,¡± Alaric answered, hiding his subtle irritation.


    Why all the questions?


    [Calm down, Alaric.] Alia admonished the boy.


    Hearing her warning, he breathed deeply, ¡°I used magic.¡±


    Elder Gregory swallowed, ¡°You can use Search magic already?¡±


    ¡°My guardian taught me,¡± Alaric answered.


    The man¡¯s eyes opened wider, ¡°Wow! That¡¯s impressive¡­ How about this?


    I¡¯ll assign you a few guards to make sure you make it back to the Five Hills in one piece. Is that enough to buy some of your time?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much trouble for a mere aspirant?¡± Alaric raised a brow at the man.


    ¡°Not when I get to make good friends with said aspirant. You see, one of the perks of being Master of this Tower is that you get to talk to promising aspirants when they¡¯ve just been appraised.


    Should I deem an aspirant too valuable to let go of, I¡¯ll do my best to aid them¡­ in exchange for a favour, of course,¡± the man explained.


    ¡°A favour?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If it won¡¯t be too much trouble, I would like to offer you the opportunity of having the Eastern Tower of Seekers as your patron,¡± the man offered.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itFinn¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°P-Patronage!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big offer,¡± Darla finally commented, her face flushing with more emotion than she usually let on.


    Alaric had only heard of things like this from the stories they received through letters of orphans that had gone on to the Guardian Academy and other walks of life.


    Gaining patronage of the great Houses and powerful organizations was one of the most secure ways to become successful.


    If Alaric were to accept this offer, he would have the backing of the Tower of Seekers. The same Tower that was entrusted with appraising the children of the whole Eastern region of the Valerian continent.


    The same Tower that was home to powerful Slayers and housed the largest gathering of knowledge in the whole of East Valeria.


    The same Tower whose architecture boggled his mind to no end¡­ and as a bonus, the same Tower that had trouble purchasing cheap merchandise.


    Alaric wouldn¡¯t be some no-name orphan with an S-class guardian anymore.


    It all seemed too good to be true.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡± Alaric asked.


    Elder Gregory took a deep breath, ¡°I won¡¯t mince words. What we get from being your patron is your power. That¡¯s why any organisation would suggest backing a youngster such as yourself.


    We¡¯ll cater for your well-being and resolve bureaucratic issues that start to get out of hand¡­ but you¡¯ll also lend us your power whenever we call for it.¡±


    Alaric walked around the office and let his eyes wander onto the small shelf of books the man allowed himself to have in this small office.


    Each leather-bound book looked expensive and rare. The titles engraved into the covers were just as imposing.


    Alaric read five titles and felt a cold shiver run down his spine before he decided against perusing through the rest of the book titles.


    ¡°What happens if I decline?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll still offer you the security you need to get back to the Five Hills. But from then onwards, you¡¯ll be on your own,¡± the man explained.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been on my own pretty much my whole life,¡¯ Alaric thought to himself.


    [You¡¯ve lived at the orphanage your whole life with me, Thom and an entire family around you. There is a difference] his guardian, Alia corrected.


    ¡®Right¡­¡¯ Alaric sighed. Without his family, Alaric doubted he¡¯d be here in the first place. Sister Marla and the children at the orphanage had done so much for him that he couldn¡¯t imagine living without them.


    He couldn¡¯t stay there forever, though. Now that he¡¯d been appraised with an S-class guardian, Alaric was going to have to join the Guardian Academy and become a Slayer which meant leaving the Five Hills.


    ¡°I need time to think about it. I also need to know everything that¡¯s required of me if I¡¯m to accept this patronage,¡± Alaric replied.


    The old man leaned back in his seat again and rubbed his temples. Alaric couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking but the lines of stress on his brow made him want to smirk.


    [Look who¡¯s getting cocky!] his guardian chuckled.


    Before Alaric could answer the guardian¡¯s words, Elder Gregory spoke up, ¡°Very well. Can you read?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll send you my familiar with the full document in two days. She¡¯s a white owl so you won¡¯t miss her.


    Go over the document, preferably with Marla¡¯s guidance and think it over. I¡¯ll accept whatever decision you make,¡± the Seeker regarded Alaric with an expectant look.


    Alaric nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Right. Before I forget, may I have that golden orb I gave you?¡± Elder Gregory held out his hand.


    Alaric fished it from his pocket and handed it over.


    The man froze with the orb in his hand, then pursed his lips, ¡°You¡¯re not surprised.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m grateful. Thank you for protecting me,¡± Alaric replied with a slight bow of his head.


    Indeed the act had been very much appreciated. After Alia mentioned how weak the orb they¡¯d been given was, Alaric realised just how much trouble he¡¯d been saved from.


    Granted, any normal S-class guardian would be hunted to no end while their master was still incapable of protecting themselves.


    The severity of that hunt, however, would have been increased tenfold if that strength happened to¡­ exceed expectations.


    ¡°No responsible adult would put such a burden on a child. Regardless of your reply, I don¡¯t regret the show I put on back there,¡± Elder Gregory sighed.


    The old man walked over to his desk and took a seat, placing the glowing orb on the table while in deep thought. Alaric could almost see the gears turning inside the man¡¯s head as he went silent.


    Finn was the one to break the silence, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt¡­ but what happened back there? And what show are you talking about¡­ sir?¡±


    Elder Gregory turned to Alaric who just shrugged his shoulders, ¡°Friend of Alaric, what I tell you now is to never leave this room.


    The appraisal orbs weren¡¯t enough to classify your friend. Aspirant or not, they should have reacted to him¡­ but they didn¡¯t.


    People try to sneak in here all the time for a second appraisal hoping to change the results.


    It¡¯s a shame considering you can¡¯t use an Awakening Orb twice. It would simply be a toy that lights up when in your presence.


    That said, none of them reacted. Why do you think that was?¡±


    ¡°Because none of them was enough to measure his guardian¡¯s abilities,¡± Darla replied indifferently.


    ¡°Precisely¡­ And that¡¯s why I faked your appraisal,¡± the man finished his explanation.


    Alaric was stunned at how fast the man¡¯s mind had worked. Not only had he figured out the severity of the situation but he had also managed to devise means of hiding this information from all the aspirants around.


    ¡°Does something like this happen often?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°No¡­ it doesn¡¯t. It¡¯s actually the first I¡¯ve heard of it,¡± the man responded.


    ¡°So¡­ I don¡¯t get an appraisal?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you do,¡± Elder Gregory chuckled, raising his hands over the table before him.


    The man summoned a large amount of aether and started performing magic silently.


    ¡®No chants¡­¡¯ Alaric observed.


    [Did you think you¡¯re the only one that can do that?] Alia laughed in his mind.


    The door swung open and golden orbs flew into the room, swirling around the man in mesmerizing before coalescing right in front of him.


    One by one, the aether-imbued orbs bombarded a growing golden mass hovering above the table.


    With each addition, the old man¡¯s face grew paler. Alaric suspected the orb forming in front of the Elder was meant to glow the moment its energy resonated with Alia¡¯s¡­


    One, two, three¡­


    Seven, eight, nine¡­


    Fourteen, fifteen¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Twe¡­Twenty golden orbs!¡± Elder Gregory breathed.


    Floating in front of him was a large golden orb the size of a grapefruit glowing bright with intricate patterns, pulsing with a strong resonance of aether as it shimmered in front of him.


    Like a magnet, the ball floated away from him and settled above Alaric¡¯s head¡­


    [Now that¡¯s more like me] Alia hummed with pride.

 15. Transporting Big Shots

    Alaric¡¯s group silently made its way for the exit. They were mostly quiet following the stunning reality of the power Alaric¡¯s guardian possessed.


    As they walked, Alaric tried sorting through the thoughts in his head.


    Fortunately, Alia was around to settle a few things for him, [Haven¡¯t you always wondered why Marla must always keep the Anti-Detection Barrier active¡­ especially when I intend to manifest?]


    [I¡­] Alaric was stumped.


    What use was there really for always suppressing his guardian¡¯s presence?


    Sister Marla had even gone to great lengths to teach him powerful Concealment spells just so he could keep his guardian hidden.


    Now, it was starting to make sense to him. Alia was a very powerful guardian.


    But that also brought one more question to light¡­


    [Why would a guardian so powerful need to hide all the time?] Alaric wondered.


    [I¡¯ve seen you read stories of knights slaying dragons and behemoths. Imagine yourself the dragon] Alia shrugged.


    The thought made Alaric¡¯s stomach turn but he got the meaning behind it.


    His power didn¡¯t necessarily mean he was safe. In fact, it was the opposite.


    [Humans fear powerful creatures. And when humans are threatened, they will stop at nothing to eliminate that which threatens them]


    Alaric somberly digested the harsh truth of his reality, then tucked the thought to the back of his mind.


    Unconsciously, he rubbed the silver bracelet that now wrapped around his wrist, humming gently with powerful undetectable enchantments.


    This little trinket was one of many boons he¡¯d walked out of the Tower Master¡¯s office with.


    After the appraisal, not only had the old man lost it but he¡¯d also abandoned all decorum and practically begged Alaric to join the Eastern Tower of Seekers.


    Naturally, begging would have involved getting down on his knees and grovelling but the old man was an expert of the art.


    Elder Gregory, Master of the Eastern Tower of Seekers, had done something much worse than measly begging and grovelling.


    Alaric currently wore a silver bracelet engraved with the symbol of the Tower of Seekers.


    Beyond the bracelet¡¯s lavish appearance and obvious opulence that contrasted with Alaric¡¯s faded clothes, was a powerful enchantment that completely concealed Alia from preying eyes.


    Not only that but this trinket doubled as a storage item. Alaric had placed his golden orb, along with his friends¡¯ appraisal orbs inside.


    By accident, he¡¯d activated the retrieve enchantment while trying to stow the orbs and the three orphans had watched with open jaws as gold coins spilled out of the bracelet almost ceaselessly until they formed a pile that reached Alaric¡¯s knees.


    This was Elder Gregory¡¯s way of ¡®grovelling.¡¯


    To top it off, the trio was now following a pair of armed guards, each dressed in high-quality armour and oozing power.


    Alaric could tell from their auras that they were both powerful B-class Slayers.


    A-class Slayers were rare and S-class were nearly extinct¡­


    While the pool of B-slayers remained small, they varied in strength, their training allowing them to reach the threatening peak of their guardian¡¯s class.


    Alaric stared at the bracelet once more¡­


    He wasn¡¯t yet in the Guardian Academy¡­ and yet he already had more money than he ever dreamt of having.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The gold in this one bracelet was more gold than he¡¯d ever seen in one place, let alone a dream¡­ and yet Elder Gregory had given it to him¡­ all in the hopes of becoming his patron.


    ¡®He¡¯s going to spend even more money on me once he¡¯s my patron. Why waste so much money just to recruit one person?¡¯ Alaric wondered, astounded by the man¡¯s methods.


    Wasn¡¯t he the one that had just hinted on his hopes of encouraging the Tower to use cheaper paper instead of parchment? Why then would he turn around and grace Alaric with so much money?


    [Well, perhaps this is just a taste of the life you¡¯d get to enjoy if you took him up on his offer] Alia took a stab at the topic.


    [Can we trust that old geezer?] Alaric wondered.


    [He¡¯s not bad. It depends on what you want] Alia replied, [Just take your time and think.]


    Outside, Alaric found Aiden and the two girls already seated on SwiftWind.


    Garin stood with his helmet under his armpit and an exasperated expression on his face.


    Only after noticing the escort bringing the trio to his stingray guardian did his face morph through a series of expressions before settling into angry curiosity, ¡°What sort of trouble did you lot get yourself into?¡±


    ¡°Patronage trouble,¡± Finn blurted out, puffing his chest out.


    Garin¡¯s eyes went wide, ¡°Yeah, right! Like that old geezer would let go of his money to recruit some random kids.¡±


    ¡°The boy speaks the truth, Garin,¡± one of the sentries escorting Alaric and his friends spoke up, ¡°We¡¯re escorting them back. How did your talk with the Elders go?¡±


    Garin¡¯s shoulders drooped and he turned away from the guards, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you on the way. Climb aboard, kids. We should get going before I resign.¡±


    Alaric and his friends hurried and climbed aboard SwiftWind. Meanwhile, Alaric was more curious about what the man had just said considering this was the same organisation that had just offered him patronage.


    ¡°What do you mean? Why would you resign?¡± he panicked. Was there something wrong with the Tower that he ought to know about?


    Garin stepped onto the tip of his guardian¡¯s wing and walked along the cool smooth skin casually as though he was on flat ground.


    No, in fact, he walked along SwiftWind with more grace than he did on the ground.


    He shook his head with a sigh, ¡°Happens in every organisation. Once in a while, expect to disagree with someone.¡±


    The two armoured men standing on the ground chuckled as the air around them rippled. In the next moment, two beings emerged from the ripples in space.


    One, a black horse with menacing fangs growing out the sides of its mouth and a pair of black sizzling horns jutting from the centre of its head.


    The horns were straight with jagged cracks running along them with the longer one between the creature''s eyes and the other down closer to its nose, making it look like a two-horned unicorn of darkness.


    Graced with a gleaming black hide, majestic black wings and four powerful limbs, the creature¡¯s appearance sent shivers down Alaric¡¯s spine.


    The other guardian was a large lion with eagle-like feet and eagle wings. The creature¡¯s golden mane shimmered in the sun while a gentle rumble escaped its throat.


    The man riding the lion chuckled, ¡°What did you expect them to do? The next generation of Eastern Valeria is coming here and you intend to spread the news about a demon sighting?¡±


    Garin pursed his lips, ¡°Bah! It doesn¡¯t matter now. Scouts were sent out and they found nothing.


    They are calling my report a Nerve Hallucination, the symptoms of a nervous breakdown. I¡¯m being given time off.¡±


    Before the trio could continue their discussion, Garin clicked his tongue and prompted the great stingray to lift to the sky.


    With one powerful beat of his majestic wings, SwiftWind took to the skies and was shooting upwards in no time, two knights following along on equally majestic beasts.


    Alaric took the time once more to observe the tower as it vanished behind the mountain. Once the trio had stabilised in the air, the conversation continued casually.


    ¡°So about this patronage? How did it happen?¡± Garin asked.


    ¡°You believe me?¡± Finn beamed.


    ¡°Have you seen the Storage item on that boy¡¯s hand? The Tower doesn¡¯t hand those out to just anyone,¡± the man laughed.


    ¡°You should have seen the old man. He was treating the boy like some golden egg in there,¡± one of the guards laughed, flying closer to the head of the stingray.


    ¡°I had rumours of an S-class guardian. Why didn¡¯t he take that one?¡± Garin asked curiously.


    Alaric covered his face with his palm.


    ¡°The S-class guardian belongs to Alaric,¡± Aiden said quietly when no one spoke up.


    Silence followed this revelation as the information sank into Garin¡¯s mind. An S-class guardian, the first in fifteen years.


    Garin took in a deep breath as he struggled to fathom what all of this meant.


    The man sighed, then placed his hand on the cool azure skin of his guardian and closed his eyes.


    There was a small subtle change following this gesture. Alaric couldn¡¯t tell what it was but he could feel them moving a bit faster as time went on.


    Turning to the guards, Garin yelled out, ¡°LionHeart, Gunther¡­ try to keep up.¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Aiden asked.


    ¡°It will be if we fly as leisurely as we came,¡± the man responded grimly.


    [We¡¯re late] Alia hinted.


    [Yeah¡­]


    There was nothing to be seen all around them and yet, Alaric had already picked up on the signs of trouble.


    As they travelled, Alaric got to notice odd details about their surroundings¡­


    The sun had slowly vanished from the sky, getting replaced by dark gloomy storm clouds that stretched out as far as the eye could see.


    There were flashes of light within the clouds but no thunder¡­


    There was wind but no cold¡­ and what was more, their bodies still felt the heat of the sun, as though it never left.


    When the air itself became palpable with the hum of aether and the slight tinge of malice, everyone went stiff with dark anticipation.


    ¡°Transporting big shots has always been such a hassle,¡± Garin sighed.


    Moments later, their peace was broken.

 16. Black Swarm

    Garin¡¯s guardian was surprisingly fast for a creature of its size. The three flying guardians shot through the sky like falcons, cutting their way through the clouds with astonishing speed.


    Alaric¡¯s curiosity mounted as he noticed a few odd things about their flight. On their journey to the Tower, he¡¯d heard the wind screaming in his ears the faster they flew, however, now there was nothing.


    Just the eerie silence of flight, interrupted by the methodic flapping of the giant stingray¡¯s wings. At their sides, the majestic lion and black unicorn darted forward, the lion¡¯s feet tucking close to its body while the unicorn galloped with an odd dusty trail of aether scattering in its wake.


    ¡®The wind¡­¡¯ Alaric thought to himself, ¡®A spell?¡¯


    [It could even be an ability of his guardian. Who knows?] Alia shrugged.


    Alaric pondered on this for a little while longer before shifting his attention to something else. They were travelling faster now and while that only barely boosted his confidence, he took some solace in the fact that they were making good time.


    Sighing, he turned his attention to the others. Darla and Finn had both gone quiet, ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    Darla spared Alaric a small smile, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    This was a facade¡­ but Alaric wasn¡¯t about to call her out on this. He turned back to the three teenagers seated in the back seats. The girl with short red hair, Red, beamed a smile that he returned in earnest.


    The girl with long raven hair, Black, smiled a bit before turning away from him quickly. Aiden, on the other hand, was still not paying Alaric any attention.


    ¡®Is he still sulking? Did I get the wrong impression of him?¡¯ Alaric thought to himself.


    Earlier, he¡¯d tried taking several jabs meant to throw the boy off but Aiden had gracefully taken it all in stride and continued to pester them like it was nothing.


    [What do you think of him?] Alia wondered.


    [I thought he was a fighter. I thought he wouldn¡¯t give up on proving his superiority simply because you¡¯re S-class] Alaric argued.


    [He denied your abilities¡­ and yet he was proven wrong. Anyone would take a step back after getting such a wake-up call. Cut him some slack] Alia whispered into the boy¡¯s mind, [Besides, is he really the one you should be worried about? I haven¡¯t seen the sun in a while.]


    Just as Alia said it, Alaric looked around and came to the same realisation. A tight knot formed in the pit of his stomach.


    SwiftWind glided forward with the two majestic flying guardians flanking him on both sides. The three riders, however, had gone silent, just like their guardians.


    Garin and the two guards kept their eyes forward, indifferent expressions on their faces. At first glance, one would think the three Slayers had simply run out of things to say to each other.


    To enunciate the point of their bored indifference, the man on the unicorn gave a wide-mouthed yawn that made his chin peep out of the bottom of his white helmet.


    Alaric had more reason to believe they were everything but indifferent though¡­


    That feeling of dread hung in the air like a wet blanket of doom, sucking the happiness from everything around them.


    The fields far on the ground were empty as well¡­ In a little over fifty kilometres in the distance, the fields came to an end, revealing a large forest thick with greenery.


    Out here in the fields, there was no barrier to protect anyone from demons. Those were reserved for towns and villages and as a result, farmers and other workers that worked outside these barriers had systems set up in place to protect them from the demons and so without slayers to fend off the demons or at least mages strong enough to put up such barriers to work with, farmers would have to stay away from their fields.


    Alaric looked around, trying his best to keep his breathing even and his mind calm. It became increasingly hard to focus when his senses fired off warning signals and demanded that he go into defensive mode¡­ a decision that would most certainly get him killed.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    SwiftWind dashed forward with incredible speed¡­ the fields below them blowing past just as fast and yet, the feeling of danger didn¡¯t lessen.


    The clouds¡­ they looked, wrong. Normally clouds covered the sky and stayed out of reach to the grounded human, like a blanket shrouding the heavens on gloomy days.


    These ones, however, hung unusually low, pulsing with the light of weak lightning flashes but no thunder. Not only that, they moved oddly fast for clouds, the bulbous hilly masses of evaporating water inching closer with each passing second.


    Alaric could easily have guessed what the scene would look like from some far off. A stingray, a lion and a black unicorn getting chased by a mass of ominous storm clouds.


    ¡°Transporting big shots is such a hassle,¡± Garin sighed.


    Alaric didn¡¯t comment on this¡­ but knew it was a jab meant for him.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t clouds, are they?¡± Darla asked when her curiosity peaked.


    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t¡­ Gunther, what do you think?¡± Garin asked one of the guards.


    Gunther was a lean man of exceptional build. He sat atop the black unicorn with a chilling presence that matched his menacing tusked guardian. Just looking at him was enough to make someone¡¯s hair stand on ends with static electricity.


    Gunther shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before they reveal themselves. Know someplace nearby that would give us terrain advantage?¡±


    Garin rubbed his chin¡­ and just as his face beamed, Alaric tensed and shifted in his seat. His senses alerted him of a burst of mana to his right.


    Instinctively, he called out, ¡°GARIN!¡±


    To their right, a rift cut through a cloud, revealing part of a black mass of teeth, claws and appalling cables of muscle hidden beneath a furry hide. Alaric didn¡¯t get a good look at the creature before a feeling of weightlessness caught him off guard.


    In the next moment, the large stingray tilted and descended into a nose dive. It happened so fast even for Alaric¡¯s trained eyes. He did, however, manage to catch a glimpse of obsidian claws slash at the very spot he¡¯d been moments after descending.


    The ominous blanket of clouds tore like shattered glass to reveal a cloud of dark creatures of varied shapes and sizes surrounding them in a mess of teeth, claws, menacing growls and deranged gazes.


    Demons!


    The wind finally howled with the deranged shrieks of demons, the world lost all happiness, tension rose and a great chase started.


    [Calm down, young prince,] Alia yelled into Alaric¡¯s mind.


    [Those are¡­ actual demons,] Alaric hyperventilated.


    [Make up your mind, Alaric. You either fear the beast that killed Jared¡­ or hate it. You can¡¯t do both,] the female guardian yelled into his mind.


    Alia¡¯s words made no sense¡­ but oddly enough, those words were like a bucket of cold water. Alaric took a deep breath and steeled his resolve¡­ This was not the time to freak out. He had work to do.


    A moment later, he reached for his magic reserves¡­ and got to work.


    In the commotion that followed, as everyone struggled to grab onto their seats and stay aboard the diving stingray, Alaric turned to look back at the black swarm of abominations chasing them.


    The world behind them was black¡­


    How could so many demons have appeared out of nowhere? How had so many demons remained hidden for so long?


    ¡°Buckle up, kids¡­ This is about to get bumpy,¡± Alaric heard Garin yell at the top of his voice.


    Looking forward, he paled. The ground was quickly approaching and SwiftWind only accelerated. Alaric swallowed his aether back down and gripped his seat.


    A second or two away from the imminent crash, SwiftWind pulled up, demonstrating a control over flight that Alaric had thought impossible for the gigantic stingray.


    The creature moved through the air with so much ease and grace that it might have been a snake as opposed to the large pancake of a beast that it was.


    SwiftWind might have been skilled in flight¡ªa little too skilled¡ª, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for the demons pursuing them.


    The black mass of abominations crashed into the ground, releasing a loud cohesive sound of breaking bones, menacing growls and pained shrieks.


    It was then that Alaric got a proper look at the beasts pursuing them.


    Now that they were gaining some distance, he noticed more than just their teeth and differences in shapes and size. He saw their similarities too. They all had relatively large ears, light wings sown to their forelimbs and menacing jaws.


    They looked like the deranged cousins of bats but much larger, more deadly and grotesque. He didn¡¯t get more time to take in their appearance as SwiftWind flipped and faced them, ¡°Gunther, LionHeart, behind SwiftWind.¡±


    The two guards did as they were told.


    At the same time, the surface of the great stingray was starting to stretch and expand like an inflating cow¡¯s stomach.


    In response to this transformation, the seats began to shift and change, unlocking odd hooks and chains as they evenly spread out on the beast''s inflating back.


    It took roughly thirty seconds for the seats to spread across fully and in that time, they got separated by at least a metre to accommodate the engorged stingray.


    SwiftWind had swelled so much that he currently looked like an over-inflated pufferfish.


    Then¡­ there was a loud SONIC BOOM.


    ¡­and DESTRUCTION followed.

 17. Decoys

    SwiftWind¡¯s body had engorged to an impossible size, the stingray¡¯s thick azure skin turning light and leathery. The gentle hum of aether grew chaotic in Alaric¡¯s ears as the creature bottled up immense amounts of energy.


    The seats on the guardian¡¯s back had been well-designed to accommodate this transformation.


    Interlocking chains and contraptions allowed each seat to come apart on its own and glide over the expanding surface of the stingray¡¯s back instead of restricting it allowing the already large stingray to balloon up to insane proportions.


    When it seemed like the leather-metallic chains would snap, however, the expansion stopped.


    There was a short moment during which Alaric¡¯s eyes nearly popped from their sockets in shock, then, a great SONIC BOOM shook the world.


    The stingray let out a tyrannical cry, unlike anything Alaric had ever heard before.


    Even situated behind the Stingray, Alaric was forced to cover his ears as the stingray unleashed its powers on the black swarm of demons.


    The two Slayers that had come to protect Alaric had already flown past the stingray, leaving only demons behind them.


    The two guards had drawn their bows and hovered behind the stingray, letting arrows loose at the creatures that managed to escape the scope of the Sonic Blast.


    With his ears covered, Alaric noticed something odd. All the other aspirants had their ears covered, gritting their teeth under the tyrannical assault of the stingray¡¯s cry.


    Meanwhile, the adult slayers seemed unbothered by the screeching sound coming from the engorged stingray.


    Since SwiftWind had turned to face the demons, Alaric had no vision of what was happening, so he missed the gruesome part of watching the demons get ripped apart by the Sonic attack.


    But then, that became irrelevant as Garin approached the six aspirants with an inscrutable expression.


    The man twirled his hands and uttered some inaudible words. A dome of silence formed around the aspirants.


    Despite the relative silence, Garin¡¯s voice came strained and louder than it should have been, ¡°Alaric, you¡¯ve concealed your guardian well before¡­ Are you able to conceal your friends as well?¡±


    Alaric frowned at the question but then nodded.


    ¡°Then the six of you are to dismount and head for the woods,¡± the man argued.


    ¡°And go where?¡± Alaric yelled back.


    Garin pointed to the far north, ¡°North... About ten kilometres from here. You¡¯ll find an outpost. At the outpost, you¡¯ll have food, drinks and a Gateway that can take you as far as Jack¡¯s Fall, which is where Aiden and his friends are from.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Alaric asked.


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    ¡°You don¡¯t worry about us. Without holy magic, demons can¡¯t be truly defeated, so we¡¯ll have to subdue them.


    We¡¯ll meet you at the Gateway. If not, then we¡¯ll meet you at Jack¡¯s Fall. Rub that bracelet if you get into trouble¡­ And protect them well,¡± Garin replied, ¡°Now go¡­ we don¡¯t have much time before SwiftWind runs out of breath.¡±


    It was only then that Alaric noticed the strangeness of this situation. While their conversation hadn¡¯t been long.


    In fact, it had been hurried, giving him far too little information¡­ and yet, SwiftWind¡¯s attack was still going.


    The engorged stingray was still shooting a perilous scream of sound waves, berating the swarm of demons. The boy doubted this powerful attack would be enough to end the fiends.


    Which meant the three Slayers were getting ready for combat. At most, SwiftWind was keeping the demons at bay.


    Having received instructions, Alaric lifted his palms and summoned more of his aether. It was time to perform another spell.


    ¡°It will work better if you take down the barrier around SwiftWind,¡± Garin chuckled.


    ¡°You knew?¡± Alaric¡¯s expression paled.


    ¡°The demons would have attacked us a long time ago if nothing was keeping them back.


    You must think yourself a hotshot to think we didn¡¯t notice,¡± a guard chuckled loudly.


    Alaric chuckled nervously, then followed Garin¡¯s instructions and stopped the supply of aether to a spell he¡¯d cast in secret.


    With more room to focus on the concealment of his comrades, the six aspirants vanished from view within a few seconds.


    One of the guards snapped his fingers and static mirages of the six children appeared on SwiftWind¡¯s back. They weren¡¯t perfect and didn¡¯t move much¡­ but they were convincing enough to play the part of decoy.


    With that, Alaric added one more modification to his spell, allowing the other aspirants to gain knowledge of that which had been concealed.


    They could all see each other now, albeit a bit greyed out as though the world remembered them as mere phantoms.


    Without wasting more time, the six aspirants disembarked and dashed for the forest. Once they were safely under the cover of the trees, the guards shifted their attention to the enemies behind them¡­


    It took a few more seconds for the engorged stingray to return to his normal size.


    By this point, Garin had drawn a brilliant steel sword enchanted to keep its sharp edge and unreasonable durability.


    The other two Slayers had drawn similar weapons.


    The world before them had been levelled, the grass gone, the ground overturned with dust everywhere. Dark fetid blood coated the stone and dirt that had been overturned as mangled pieces of limbs, bones and splattered innards littered the area of SwiftWind¡¯s attack.


    ¡°You¡¯re still as frightening as ever Garin,¡± the man on the two-horned black unicorn commented.


    ¡°Right back at you, Gunther,¡± Garin replied with a smirk.


    The giant stingray gently lowered itself to the ground before vanishing in a swirl of mist. Garin now stood between the unicorn and the flying lion, wielding only a blade.


    His guardian¡¯s attack might have sent most of the demons to their deaths¡ªor rather placed them in a state of subdual¡ª but three creatures still stood in the mess that remained, towering at least four metres high.


    Their bodies were bloodied with cuts and bruises but even those injuries were quickly closing. The beasts that attacked them bore a faint resemblance to bats.


    Completely black with leather wings attached to the front muscled limbs which had a talon each touching the ground. Their grotesque maws featured tusks that dripped with drool and growls that sent chills down the spines of the experienced slayers.


    It was one thing to face a demon¡­ but another to face one that had just survived a sonic attack powerful enough to dig a metre deep into the ground.


    ¡°They heal fast¡­¡± LionHeart, the man on the lion spoke.


    Garin walked forward with his sword ready, ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to take them down fast as well.¡±


    A shrill scream escaped one of the three menacing beasts before they locked their red eyes on the approaching targets¡­ and barrelled straight for them.


    Abandoning previous restraint, Garin dashed forward just as well, bursting forth with so much speed that he left dust in his wake and blurred from view.


    The man on the unicorn nocked an arrow into his bow and as he pulled on the string, a crackle of black electricity flickered on the tip of the arrow.


    The third man held out his hands and two balls of flame roared to life¡­ The battle was on.

 18. Jealous?

    In the great continent of Valeria, everyone was born with a guardian, a supernatural being blessed with wondrous abilities.


    Guardians came in many forms, shapes and sizes, ranging from a rogue amalgamation of random creatures of the world, to inanimate objects like swords, statues or even plants.


    The multitude of powers and abilities they possessed were just as numerous, as the stars that dotted the night sky.


    Humans had tried to comprehend the wondrous existence of their guardians¡­ but so far, such a task had proven truly daunting.


    A few theories existed, many of them pointing to the twelve constellations and the stars.


    Alaric read a lot about guardians whenever he got the chance and even with how much he¡¯d read, he wasn¡¯t at all shocked when a miracle he didn¡¯t understand occurred right in front of him.


    Miracles like Cody, for example, who looked less like a human with his fiery hair and rogue fire magic. More times than Alaric could count, he¡¯d witnessed the boy control flames with just his mind.


    When Alaric met an astounding guardian who went against all reason, it was common for him to get enthralled by them, searching for answers.


    At first, SwiftWind had seemed ordinary for a guardian¡­ but then, Alaric started to notice a few odd things.


    Why was it that a creature belonging to the seas moved so freely through the air as though the ground had no power over it?


    SwiftWind rarely touched the ground¡­ and even then, he never looked to be struggling to stay away from it.


    He simply floated through the air as though he was one with it. As though he was never truly flying but rather within his element. Garin had similar grace when he was aboard the stingray.


    These thoughts had turned over and over in his head as he noticed the strange behaviour of the wind around the stingray.


    It wasn¡¯t right to just say the stingray had a high affinity to the skies.


    No, it was more like the stingray ruled over the air around him.


    It didn¡¯t matter whether it was windy or not, his flight remained graceful, controlled and untouched by the wind¡¯s whims.


    Now, the magnificent creature had released a powerful sonic attack.


    ¡®A-class?¡¯ he wondered.


    [Could be a High B-class or Low A-class] Alia observed.


    Alaric saw the creature vanish into thin air as he and his group dived below the cover of the trees leaving the battlefield behind.


    ¡°Will they be okay?¡± Finn asked, jogging alongside Alaric with a worried expression.


    ¡°They should be. They¡¯re trained for situations just like this,¡± Alaric tried, ¡°Let¡¯s get to the GateWay. The sooner we¡¯re in Jack¡¯s Fall the better.¡±


    Alaric watched the flow of aether in his system with concern.


    He¡¯d been supplying the enchantment concealing his guardian with aether, maintaining a protective barrier around the giant Stingray and now, he was using it to keep six people invisible.


    This much aether use was great, even for him¡­


    The six aspirants dashed through the woods as fast as they could weaving around thick trees whilst trying to remain as silent as they could be.


    As they ran, Alaric carefully took note of their states, slowing down when he realised one of them was growing too tired and signalling for everyone else to do the same.


    It was thirty minutes before the green-eyed boy raised his voice, ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    As soon as he said this, the two girls, Red and Black, dropped to the ground with heavy thuds, panting heavily and covered in sweat.


    Aiden was leaning against a tree, keeping his back to the direction they¡¯d come. He didn¡¯t look too well either but he held himself better than the two girls.


    [He¡¯s pretending] Alia shrugged.


    [He¡¯s doing well for a pretender] Alaric replied with a nod.


    Meanwhile, Finn and Darla were fine, a fact that Alaric could tell didn¡¯t sit well with Aiden.


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    The pair sat on a large overgrown root and watched the others recover.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Darla asked.


    ¡°No signs of the Outpost yet. It¡¯s probably further than Garin said it would be,¡± Alaric noted. As he said this, his expression seemed to glaze over.


    ¡°How can you tell?¡± Aiden asked.


    ¡°I can use my Inborn Ability to check ahead,¡± Alaric replied absentmindedly, ¡°We¡¯ll have to walk to the Outpost.


    I doubt our friends can handle a run for the rest of the journey,¡± Alaric explained, his gears grinding hard as he analysed the situation.


    ¡°What if we run into lions¡­ or worse, Aether Beasts?¡± Aiden argued, ¡°We should wait for Garin and the others to catch up. We¡¯ll be safer.¡±


    ¡°Most animals won¡¯t come out of their dens when demons are around. The Outpost most likely has a barrier that demons can¡¯t cross. Most demons are nocturnal which means the forest will get a lot more dangerous when the sun comes out,¡± Alaric replied with the same dazed expression.


    To Aiden and his friends, the dark-haired boy appeared to be multitasking using some clairvoyant ability that allowed him to see far away.


    ¡°How do you¡­ know so much about demons?¡± Black asked, still out of breath.


    ¡°Alaric, Darla and I have been training to be slayers for four years,¡± Finn replied in Alaric¡¯s stead.


    Walking to the girls, the boy knelt before them, ¡°Deep breaths¡­ They will calm you down faster.¡±


    Breathing deeply, he maintained eye contact and prompted the girls to follow his lead.


    The girls took deep breaths following Finn¡¯s instructions. They were on their feet within a few seconds, albeit holding onto the sandy-haired boy for support as they regained their balance.


    Darla watched them in silence, keeping a neutral expression.


    ¡°Must be nice to be S-class. You probably think we¡¯re dead weight,¡± Aiden mumbled.


    Darla and Finn regarded the blonde boy for a moment before turning back to Alaric with expectant expressions.


    ¡®These guys¡­! What am I supposed to say to that?¡¯ he mentally cried.


    Alia chuckled into his mind, [Be the prince that you are.]


    [Not helping, ALIA.] he screamed back at the dotting guardian.


    Biting down on the slight agitation he felt, Alaric spoke up, ¡°Jealousy is not a good look on you, Aiden.¡±


    ¡°Jealousy? Give me a break. You got lucky,¡± Aiden spat back.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your problem?¡± Alaric countered.


    When no answer came after that, Alaric sighed and turned to the others, ¡°We should get moving.¡±


    ¡°No, we should wait for Garin,¡± Aiden was quick to answer.


    ¡°I just told you why we can¡¯t,¡± Alaric turned back.


    ¡°Why would I listen to you?¡± the boy replied flippantly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you had to. We¡¯re the same age and we¡¯ve never met before today. Do what you want for all I care,¡± Alaric replied with a shrug.


    Aiden snorted and looked away¡­ agitated for reasons Alaric could only guess.


    The dark-haired boy turned his attention to the recuperating girls. He¡¯d looked ahead as far as his abilities could let him and knew a long walk was  all that awaited them.


    What he feared was the darkness of night descending with them in the woods.


    He walked up to the girls who were still getting their footing with Finn¡¯s help.


    ¡°Can you walk? We must start moving. Demons are more active at night and we don¡¯t want to risk running into any that can see through my spell.¡±


    The girl with long straight black hair looked up at the translucent apparition that was Alaric with a curious expression, ¡°How can you keep this spell up for so long?¡±


    Alaric resisted the urge to get flustered. He knew his aether reserves were potent for a fifteen-year-old¡­ but he had also grown used to that fact.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you too can get used to it with practice,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we just wait for Garin and the others?¡± Red mumbled.


    It shouldn¡¯t have taken long for Garin and the others to defeat the demons. Alaric had thought of this¡­ and yet, something told him that would not be the case.


    Something about the way the knight had rushed them away from the battlefield made his stomach turn.


    The way the guards had cast illusions of them on the back of the Stingray Guardian.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t the illusions vanish when Garin released SwiftWind?¡¯ Alaric¡¯s stomach turned¡­ ¡®I have a bad feeling.¡¯


    A short moment later, Alia¡¯s voice echoed, [Me too.]


    It took the girls a few more minutes to regain the energy to walk and even when they did, Alaric noticed how they gritted their teeth and held firm expressions, suppressing the pain of their aching muscles.


    Finn soon rejoined him and Darla as they walked on.


    ¡°You okay?¡± the sandy-haired boy asked his friend.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m f-,¡± Alaric froze all of a sudden, then raised his hands abruptly.


    At that moment, the forest went still along with them and the wind stilled all at once. Instinctively, Alaric turned to Aiden and placed a stern finger on his lips before the boy could raise another complaint.


    As it turned out, he¡¯d still followed them after they¡¯d started walking.


    Aiden furrowed his brows in frustration but obeyed and remained quiet.


    For everyone but Alaric, the world had gone all but silent.


    Alaric¡¯s senses were better than the others though owing to his guardian¡¯s awakening, a boon the others would get once their guardians awakened as well.


    To Alaric, a foreign sound had interrupted the peace of the quiet forest. It was the sound of running footsteps.


    The boy checked his spell and aether reserves to make sure he was keeping all six in his group well-concealed.


    When it was that his friends finally heard the sound of footsteps, they turned pale.


    The sound of footsteps echoed through the forest, coming fast in their direction.


    The six aspirants waited in silence until the source of the sound finally broke through the cover of the woods.


    The source of the sound was Garin. The lower half of his armour was missing, replaced by a strong fabric trouser which was also covered in cuts.


    His face, no longer covered by a helmet, was ragged, as anyone would expect of someone who had just been involved in a battle.


    As he appeared, a look of glee crossed everyone''s faces. They sighed, chuckled and at some point, Aiden said, ¡°You scared us, Garin.¡±


    But as all this happened, Alaric waved his hands frantically at the aspirants who took a second too long to notice his warning.


    A sinister expression bloomed on Garin¡¯s face. The man plunged his hand into his pocket and fished out a metallic object that Alaric recognised to be a whistle¡­ ¡°I found them boys,¡± he cackled, then blew on the object as hard as his lungs could allow.


    As he did, his skin bubbled and his armour vanished, only to be replaced by a more sinister-looking appearance, the visage of cunning and evil.


    He was still human¡­ but nothing like the kind-hearted boisterous knight that was Garin. This man looked a lot more¡­ vile.


    ¡®Crap.¡¯


    [You can say that again¡­] Alia groaned, [And he¡¯s not alone.]

 19. Suspicious Bunch

    Garin and his comrades worked efficiently. The boisterous slayer¡¯s sword sang through the air with lethal accuracy, mirroring that of his comrade as he danced around the grotesque monsters.


    An archer in the air rode on a two-horned unicorn every once in a while releasing a single black arrow that arced through the air so fast that the path it took sizzled with power.


    The force of the arrow¡¯s impact was equally devastating. With the help of the talented archer, the demons had already been blinded multiple times.


    Their regenerative abilities made the blindness only temporary. It was those narrow moments when the demons were blinded that had allowed Garin to dismember the creatures methodically as well.


    It didn¡¯t matter that the creatures towered meters above the small hunter. He zipped around them with frightening speed, cutting large holes into their leathery wings and aiming for their vital organs.


    Chilling shrieks send shivers down his body as he pushed forward and several times he avoided the creature¡¯s maws and claws by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    Unfortunately for the beasts, their adversary wasn¡¯t just nimble and hard to catch but he also had frightening control over the air.


    More than once, Garin could be seen kicking off space or skidding to a stop in mid-air and launching forward with no regard for the laws of physics.


    There were limitations to the ability but with how efficiently he dissected the demons, it could be said that those limitations did little to slow him down.


    Still, Garin¡¯s abilities only increased his chances of survival. After all, it was impossible to kill a demon without holy magic and subduing them was a lot harder.


    The battle wasn¡¯t an easy one at all. Despite all his fancy tricks, deep down Garin knew that he stood no chance of winning in a battle against even one of these monsters if he was facing those monsters alone.


    And that was the point. He wasn¡¯t alone.


    Where he lacked strength, his comrades backed him up. Where he lacked aether, his comrades launched spell after spell at his enemies. Where he lacked speed, his comrades covered for him with a barrage of arrows and spells.


    Where he stumbled, they took his place and kept the demons at bay as he, their vanguard recovered and stepped back into the fray.


    In the end, the Slayers managed to slay the demons albeit with a lot of effort on their part. Garin especially felt his legs begin to give in when he was battling the last creature.


    LionHeart, the fire-wielder helping him had depleted his reserves of aether and was only using that power to enchant his dark-blade and together with the archer, they had fought the creature to what almost looked like a draw.


    Its leathery skin was hard to cut through and even when cut, it healed faster than any normal demon Garin was used to hunting.


    Dark arrows sizzling with black lightning shot into the creature¡¯s hard body, stunning it and slowing it down¡­ and yet, the creature had roared on and barreled towards them with crazed murderous intent plenty of times.


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    At the end of the battle, Garin¡¯s sword rested in the demon¡¯s chest and with one final twitch the creature finally stopped moving.


    Garin¡¯s body visibly relaxed. He was panting hard after the constant exertion. Reluctantly, he pulled his sword out from the creature¡¯s chest and lumbered away from the gigantic monstrosity.


    His body was covered in sweat and he¡¯d lost the lower half of his armour during the battle after nearly getting his feet mangled in the bat-like demon¡¯s maw.


    Subconsciously, he checked himself for injuries, making sure there were no fractures or torn ligaments.


    In the end, his armour had taken most of the force of the attacks that had landed on him, just like the enchantments were meant to work.


    To have armour simply wasn¡¯t enough when fighting demons. That armour itself needed enchantments to make it a shield worthy of standing up against terrifying demons.


    The stingray rider surveyed the battlefield as his comrades cleaned up their weapons and surveyed the demon¡¯s bodies for anything of worth.


    They might have had no equipment or magic to purify the aether crystals that could be salvaged from the monster¡¯s carcasses¡­ but they could at least keep them till they found somewhere to sell them.


    The three of them got to work, ¡°What do you think, Gar?¡± Gunther asked.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Come on. You know what I¡¯m talking about. These bastards gave an A-rank slayer trouble. I haven¡¯t seen you use your Inborn Ability that much in a long time.


    Don¡¯t you think they were a bit too powerful Let¡¯s not forget the fact that SwiftWind¡¯s Rare Factor was the only reason we only got to fight the three most powerful demons in top shape.


    If we¡¯d fought the swarm, we would¡¯ve been goners¡­¡±


    ¡°Guys!¡± Lionheart cut them off, ¡°Come look at this.¡±


    While the others had also been in the process of cutting into the demons for their impure cores, they hadn¡¯t gotten as far as LionHeart.


    The dark-skinned man gestured for his friends to join him¡­ and they did so with haste.


    A large gash opened up to the very heart of the beast which had also been dismantled for the object that should have been inside.


    The only problem was¡­


    The object of their interest was at least the size of an average human¡¯s head, pulsing with dark purple energy.


    To put this into context, it was at least a third the size of the Aether Crystal nestled in the skies above the Tower of Seekers.


    The mass of crystal they were looking at didn¡¯t stop at simply looking massive. It also pulsed rhythmically with ominous waves of dark aether. ¡°That¡­ Is that really¡­¡±


    ¡°The core¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­ you old men work fast,¡± a voice interrupted the slayers.


    Garin turned to look up just in time to witness a gathering of guardians. At least twenty beasts dotted the sky, their riders chuckling at the utterance of a joke made by one of them.


    ¡°Those are no Elite Guards,¡± LionHeart whispered beside Garin.


    Garin nodded knowingly.


    Unlike the discipline and order Elite Guards normally displayed, these ruffians varied in how they dressed and bore no semblance of order.


    Instead, the group was completely disorderly and their haggard appearances set the Tower Slayers nerves on fire with caution.


    ¡°And you are?¡± Garin responded.


    ¡°Oh?! We¡¯re merely the concerned members of the village watch from a few miles south.


    We noticed the commotion and gathered all able men and guardians. We might not look it but we¡¯re pretty strong¡­ as you can see,¡± a man dressed in black clothes with cut sleeves quipped.


    His face was pierced and decorated with rings and pins in at least three places. The grin on his face seemed permanent, just like his overbearing ego.


    ¡°Well, sir, we¡¯ve dealt with the demons. So you can set your worries aside and return to your village with calm minds,¡± Garin replied.


    ¡°I can see that. You must be experienced slayers. Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if you happened to see a party of six children upon a great stingray pass by here.


    The poor lasses looked to be in bad shape and we just want to make sure they make it home safely.


    We heard they were headed to Jack¡¯s Fall which is quite a few leagues away,¡± the man grinned.


    Garin¡¯s grip on his sword got tighter. The information rolling off the man¡¯s tongue was becoming more and more detailed for a simple village guard.


    ¡°You certainly have many flying guardians for a group of village slayers. Which village did you say you were from?¡± Garin asked.

 20. Outnumbered

    Tension rose between the three Slayers of the Tower of Seekers. It was clear to see that these weren¡¯t your ordinary members of the village watch.


    Far from it actually. This group of ragtag bandits was the exact kind of group Garin had been hoping to avoid on this journey despite knowing how foolish it was to make such a wish.


    In truth, after hearing Alaric had been appraised S-class and further assigned two guards to help him get back to the Five Hills, he¡¯d expected an encounter such as this.


    What he hadn¡¯t expected though, was for this attack to happen right after fending off a large swarm of demons.


    SwiftWind was winded from using his powerful sonic attack. Their aether reserves were running low and yet the sky was dotted with bandits, reeling with menacing auras, fresh aether reserves and goofy grins.


    The repulsive leader of the bandits wore barbaric clothing torn here and there from head to toe¡­ and yet the fabric seemed expensive, wreathed in minimal enchantments. The permanent wicked grin on his face made the knight¡¯s stomach turn.


    Garin kept his expression calm and tried his best to keep himself from snapping at the man. They were outnumbered so the worst thing he could do now is lose his cool.


    ¡°Village we¡¯re from? You don¡¯t need to trouble yourself with the details old man. We just want to help. Rumour has it that one of the boys on that stingray got an S-class appraisal. Now I don¡¯t know much about rumours but anyone would be starstruck to meet such a promising young chap, am I right fellas?¡±


    The gathering of ruffians bubbled into barbaric cackles as they listened to their leader ramble.


    ¡°Maybe we could even get his autograph?¡± some of them voiced.


    ¡°Here that old man. The boy already has some fans¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to see the S-class orb¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! The S-class orb¡­ Now that¡¯s something even I¡¯ve never seen outside of the Tower of Seekers,¡± the man responded to his men¡¯s words boisterously.


    ¡°We could teach the boy a few tricks too,¡± another yelled out.


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Hey, I happened to be a slayer back in my day too. Killed me a couple of demons while serving the Elite Guard and all that,¡± the leader added to the chaotic mess of suggestions.


    Garin had heard some darker suggestions like getting to know Alaric¡¯s guardian or helping keep his female friends cozy while they taught him a few tricks to being a slayer.


    The knight scuffed down the urge to punch the man in the face for making such a bold claim, ¡°Which unit?¡±


    ¡°Ah, only the best of them. When I served the force, I was stationed in the far South of the Valerian continent.


    Lots of them shady fire types and all down there. You know¡­ the type that love their meat seared but a little raw on the inside with the slight taste of fresh blood.¡±


    ¡°Flame Vipers,¡± Garin growled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, old man,¡± the multi-pin-wearing ruffian beamed, a look of deranged bliss blooming on his twisted face.


    ¡°From what I heard just a few minutes ago, the screams of that flying Blue Devil would make you the Sound Knight, Garin of the Eastern Tower of Seekers¡­ and Tyrant Slayer,¡± the man¡¯s expression hardened, ¡°You¡¯re a legend.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t go by that title anymore,¡± Garin raised his sword and got ready should they attack.


    From the man¡¯s tone, this did not look well. Not only was the group sporting quite several flying guardians, but some of the guardians were carrying more than one person.


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    In a battle of numbers, Garin and his comrades were heavily outnumbered.


    ¡°You¡¯re no humble villagers,¡± Garin sighed. LionHeart and Gunther readied their weapons as well.


    The man responded in a dead tone, ¡°And you¡¯re no random travelling slayers either, imagine that! Fan out, men¡­ Those kids couldn¡¯t have gone too far and bring that S-class Awakening Orb to¡­¡±


    Before the man could finish barking his orders, the sky crackled with lightning. He looked down in time to see a black unicorn with two horns crackling with black lightning stepping out of a spatial rift.


    Not far, a large lion stepped out of a similar rift, its mane shimmering like flowing gold.


    ¡°Ah, Elementals. What luck I have!¡± the man¡¯s empty voice echoed.


    He lifted his hand and made an odd gesture with his hands.


    Ten of the flying guardians flew off at tangents, spreading out and away from the battlefield while the other ten turned their attention on the slayers on the ground.


    ¡°You three might be top-notch slayers¡­ but there is only so much you can do against so many,¡± the smug look on the enemy¡¯s face only grew more irritating as a long scythe appeared in the man¡¯s hand, seeming to be pulled out of thin air.


    Only when the menacing weapon had been fully drawn out did the man jump down from his flying panther to meet the knights on the ground.


    A black arrow streaked through the air, its sizzling path fizzing with smoke as it shot for the falling bandit.


    As quickly as it appeared, it vanished, downed by an impossibly quick slash of the black scythe, moving with pinpoint accuracy. A wicked grin bloomed on its wielder¡¯s face, ¡°You guys are fun.¡±


    More bandits dismounted and before the three Tower Slayers knew it, they were completely surrounded. Surprisingly, Garin didn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we talk this out like civilised humans?¡± the knight asked with a half-smile.


    The fear that seemed to have gripped his being only moments ago was suddenly gone from his system. Instead, now he held his sword with a relaxed careless swagger that made him appear to have lost his mind.


    ¡°Tch¡­¡± the leader of the bandits snorted, ¡°Kill these fools.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    Just as guardians came in many shapes, colours and sizes, so did humans and the powers they derived from their guardians.


    Aether was the most fundamental form of energy humans derived from their guardians. Upon awakening, there were several changes one would experience.


    The infusion of aether from the bond they shared with their guardian, the increase in strength, speed, agility and the enhancement of their five senses.


    Even their very perception of the world changed. However, even beyond that came an ability derived from the very nature of one¡¯s guardian. An ability that could not be regenerated using magic.


    An Inborn Ability.


    In some rare scenarios, this ability could even manifest before the guardian ever awakened¡­ like Cody¡¯s fire abilities.


    Alaric¡¯s ability was particularly potent while at the same time, difficult to master.


    It was because of his ability that his heart went cold the instant he saw Garin¡¯s face.


    Unlike the Slayer he¡¯d come to know, this one bore no connection to the wind around him. That change, no matter how minute, was one that Alaric¡¯s strange Inborn Ability, allowed him to recognize faster than his eyes could capture the light from ¡®fake¡¯ Garin¡¯s face.


    He looked very much like Garin¡­ and yet, to Alaric, he couldn¡¯t be any far off.


    He was a completely different creature altogether simply because he didn¡¯t feel the presence of SwiftWind.


    [ALARIC!] Alia warned.


    Alaric waved his hands at his friends frantically, desperate not to make a sound while at the same time desperate to protect them from the terror of the imposter.


    The imposter might have been blind to the invisible children¡­ but he could perceive their actions if they shifted something around them or made a sound.


    Alas, Alaric¡¯s attempts had been in vain.


    Following Aiden¡¯s sudden outburst, the man¡¯s body had morphed from that of the steadfast knight to that of a ruffian dressed in rugged clothes and covered in piercings that made him look less human.


    The devilish expression on his face and his sinister smirk sent shivers down Alaric¡¯s spine as he witnessed the man¡¯s true appearance come to light.


    Something else shook Alaric¡¯s core, however, and that was the presence of a guardian connection so fundamentally wrong that it made the boy¡¯s stomach twist in horror.


    Aiden took a step back, fear written all over his face¡­


    At the same time, the man¡¯s hand rested on the pommel of a lithe dagger.


    Aether coursed through Alaric¡¯s body and before he could think of what was happening, he shot from his spot and slammed into boy¡¯s body, pushing him out of the way just in time for him to witness the sharp tip of a deadly blade glide past his eyes.


    This wasn¡¯t over though¡­


    Not only had they avoided the blade, but they¡¯d also erased all doubt from the man of their presence with their sudden actions. A grin covered the man¡¯s face as he slashed more times at the space in front of him, yielding no results except to confirm that the children were no longer there.


    ¡°An Invisibility spell¡­ No, magic like that is too advanced for children like you¡­ Perhaps an Inborn Ability. Comes in handy when hiding.


    Where is your guardian, little boy? You can¡¯t possibly believe that a guardian is a good thing¡­ They control us and try to show us the right way to live¡­ I say screw them. This world belongs to us humans.


    Come out, boy! It¡¯s no use hiding. You¡¯ll never run from me¡­ Not while you carry an orb that hasn¡¯t been seen in fifteen years,¡± the man cackled.

 21. Bizarre Ability

    A loud whistle had gone off, its sound enhanced by simple wind and sound enchantments, the item itself appearing like an ornament made of rich brass with the enchantments curved into its cylindrical sides.


    A signal¡­ and a powerful one at that.


    Alaric shuddered as he heard footsteps thundering throughout the forest. Reinforcements were on their way.


    The lone villain, oblivious to the children¡¯s positions, stabbed the air around him a couple of times before a smirk graced his disturbing face full of piercings.


    A chuckle echoed from the man¡¯s lips, ¡°Aether Augmentation. Smart! But what¡¯s a little aspirant doing with such a skill?¡±


    It was only now that Alaric realised how far he¡¯d cleared Aiden from the man¡¯s position.


    If it weren¡¯t for the hand he had over Aiden¡¯s mouth, the boy would have given off their location with uncontrolled gasps.


    Aiden¡¯s eyes bulged and he struggled to contain the raspy breaths that assaulted his thirsty lungs.


    Catching his breath without making a sound was starting to top his list of most painful experiences. His lungs screamed for relief¡­ yet, he ignored the urge to cough and gasp loudly.


    Alaric felt his eyes welling up with admiration for the boy¡¯s efforts.


    Looking back at the man, his expression darkened. Naturally, the man wouldn¡¯t expect them to have gone far from their position.


    But Alaric had used far more than his natural strength to escape the edge of his blade, which placed them a fairly good distance from their enemy.


    They weren¡¯t safe yet though.


    Aiden was still vividly shaken. The memory of the cut that nearly separated his head from his shoulders still pulsed clear in his memory.


    The red-haired girl had a hand over her friend¡¯s mouth, biting into her lip to keep herself from making a sound as well.


    The two girls had witnessed their friend¡¯s close brush with death and had nearly given out their locations as well.


    Darla, on the other hand, was currently seated on a large tree root with a neutral expression, watching the man in front of her calmly.


    It almost looked like she was calculating a way to take him down.


    She might not have said it but her indifferent nature to the situation relaxed Alaric enough for him to get an idea.


    The green-eyed boy pushed himself off Aiden slowly and kept low to the ground¡­


    He gestured to Finn and Darla, casting another spell he¡¯d been taught by Sister Marla.


    In the next moment, his voice rang clearly in their minds.


    [Get everyone into the trees. I¡¯ll distract him.]


    The two nodded and waited for his signal¡­


    Alaric put his lips to his mouth and gestured for Aiden to stay put.


    This time, the boy nodded feverishly in response to his order. With a smile, Alaric walked slowly away from the boy and made sure he was safely away from the others and didn¡¯t make a sound.


    Taking a deep breath, he did the one thing his nerves screamed against. He spoke.


    [Aiden¡­ Darla and Finn are going to help you and your friends climb into the trees. Once there, you don¡¯t move a muscle¡­]


    He spared Aiden a look and only looked away from him when he nodded.


    ¡°Aether Augmentation is a basic technique,¡± Alaric answered the man, then gestured for his friends to start moving.


    The leaves in the trees rustled with no wind in them, the ground shuddered and Alaric began to move around the man, slipping behind a tree and dashing away from the place he¡¯d just spoken.


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    As Darla and Finn began to move stealthily around the man, Alaric got to work on his next step.


    The man¡¯s eyes darted around, looking for the source of movement.


    ¡°Basic technique, my foot! A commoner like you shouldn¡¯t be able to use it without proper training!¡± the man yelled.


    A smile graced Alaric¡¯s face. It was comforting to know how easy it was to rile up his opponents. And knowing how many more surprises he could pull out of his bag of tricks only made him more confident.


    ¡°Sounds expensive. Who are you, anyway?¡± Alaric replied, dashing about even more and willing the trees to make more chaos as he scattered his voice in all directions.


    ¡°The last face you¡¯ll ever see,¡± the man replied, brandishing his dagger and scanning his surroundings.


    Alaric chuckled as he moved around, this time making the trees on the opposite side of his location rustle and shudder, ¡°What makes you so confident?¡±


    The constant movements covered any small noises his friends made as they climbed the trees.


    Not waiting for Darla and Finn to start helping him, Aiden climbed a tree himself.


    When no answer came, Alaric leapt up and effortlessly ascended a tree as nimbly as his trained body could allow him without making a sound.


    ¡°Are you that eager to fight an S-class guardian?¡± he smiled devilishly.


    The man¡¯s snide smirk vanished for the first time since he¡¯d arrived.


    Alaric allowed his mind to reach out to his friends and the three aspirants from Jack¡¯s Fall through the spell he¡¯d initiated earlier.


    [If I do end up summoning my guardian, I ask you to keep what you witness to yourselves.]


    The man standing below Alaric snapped at the voice that had been dashing around him.


    ¡°Where are you, you little orphan? You think little tricks can scare me. I¡¯m a mercenary¡­ I have killed more demons and powerful slayers than the meals you¡¯ve had in your pathetic little life. Show your face now.¡±


    Alaric furrowed his eyebrows, ¡®Orphan?¡¯


    [He knows more than he should] Alia observed.


    Alaric sighed, using his Inborn Ability to stare at the multitude of mercenaries littering the woods.


    Each one of them sent the same chill down Alaric¡¯s spine when he took note of the dark connection they shared with their guardians.


    It was the definition of something that shouldn¡¯t exist.


    [Dark Magic]


    Alaric¡¯s eyes teared up as he suppressed the urge to attack the man himself.


    Was Alaric supposed to fight these men on his own? He was a child from the Five Hills who¡¯d been trained by his powerful guardian.


    [You know I can¡¯t help you without an S-class Concealment Barrier to hide my presence] Alia mentioned.


    ¡®They could kill me!¡¯ Alaric tried to calm his beating heart.


    In response to his emotions, the forest rumbled and shuddered.


    The man below lost his dark expression and furrowed his eyebrows, observing his surroundings.


    Reinforcements were within hearing range. Soon, he¡¯d have even more eyes to help him search for the hiding children.


    [Just use that power you¡¯ve been suppressing. I won¡¯t be offended] Alia replied indifferently.


    [Can I win?] the boy tried.


    [Of course you can¡­]


    Alaric beamed¡­


    If Alia thought he could do it, then perhaps he could. Of course, it could also mean she wanted to see him getting beat to a pulp.


    At the same time, however, he knew how much she hated him relying on her strength.


    If he ever hoped to call himself her master, he would have to grow strong enough to wield her power as his own.


    Alaric placed his hands on the stem of the tree at his side and drew on an innate power that lay dormant within him.


    Everyone had an Inborn Ability, one unique to them. They varied in intensity and effectiveness¡­ but they were always there.


    It could range from something as simple as being able to see in the dark to slowing down time or even making things out of thin air¡­


    Alaric¡¯s case though¡­ was exceedingly rare, mind-blowing and utterly bizarre.


    As he placed his hand on the stem of the tree, the bark beneath his palm began to wriggle and morph like clay, giving way to his palm.


    However, his palm didn¡¯t just sink into the softening bark¡­ It too shifted and morphed, becoming more calloused than smooth, dried up yet wet.


    The effect spread further up his arm, travelling along to his body. His hand turned as brown as the bark he touched and continued to move deeper into the tree.


    At the same time, the tree seemed to shudder and groan as an unnatural change took hold of it.


    Alaric¡¯s body continued to change, with each passing moment, it lost the delicate features of a fragile human and became more of that of a tree.


    The invisible aspirants from Jack¡¯s Fall who had their eyes glued to him were now pale as sheets as they watched the transformation before their eyes.


    With the movement of the trees all centred on one location, the bandit smirked as he finally caught a glimpse of a leg vanishing within the confines of the tree, ¡°There you are.¡±


    He raised his hands into the air and called on his aether, dark mist swirling around his hands as he began chanting words in the ancient tongue


    At the last syllable, a conflagration of fire burst into existence in his palm moulded into the form of a ball of immolating flames.


    Just as he aimed his hand at the spot with a disappearing leg, something slammed into the man¡¯s back and sent him toppling into the ground.


    Alaric let out a loud chuckle as he watched a nimble Darla make her way back up the branches of another tree.


    By now, four men were meeting up with the man who¡¯d just blown his whistle.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± one of the men yelled out, fear in his voice.


    Alaric¡¯s laugh came from no particular direction¡­ and everywhere at the same time¡­ as though the forest itself had come to life.


    ¡°You said that witch Marla wasn¡¯t with them,¡± the mercenary who had just arrived yelled out loud.


    ¡°I know what I said,¡± the first mercenary yelled as he stood up, anger mixed with fear in his expression.

 22. Copy Viper

    Garin and his comrades were seasoned warriors even among slayers albeit he was one of a much longer history in the world of slayers than the other two.


    Earning a nickname in a world where everyone had a guardian wielding otherworldly abilities was not an easy feat, and yet, here Garin was¡­ The Sound Knight.


    His abilities were renowned throughout Valeria for their potent destructive capabilities. It was the sole reason an entire swarm of demons stood no chance against him.


    All that considered, facing off against a mob of ruffians, he found himself filled with anxiety. Demons were a lot less insidious compared to humans. The concept of who was stronger in a battle shifted drastically in a battle against a human, simply because of one thing: Intelligence.


    The battle-crazed maniac rushing towards him wasn¡¯t the least bit bothered by his fame or skill. If anything, he was excited. Garin¡¯s stomach turned.


    Not even calling the bluff of the skill he possessed in the stories had made the bandit hesitate.


    Unfortunately, that could also mean he too was a slayer of a high calibre.


    Hailing from the Flame Vipers, a group stationed in the far South of Valeria, the monster in front of him had most likely turned to a life of shady crimes, using his sinister abilities to perform tasks besides protecting the continent from the demons that plagued them.


    Garin was no expert in dark magic¡­ but he¡¯d felt it when the world turned just a bit colder with the emergence of the ominous black scythe.


    The long curved blade whistled through the air, colliding with his sword at least three times in every second and with pinpoint precision.


    The sword, however, had collided with two other weapons. At the same time, it clashed with the scythe, whipping around Garin in serpentine paths that met each of his attacker¡¯s weapons with calculated force.


    It was a fight of one against three¡­ and yet the knight stood his ground.


    Garin¡¯s speed kept him moving like a blur in the triangle of hateful bandits.


    A forced chuckle filled the air, ¡°You¡¯re even more fierce in person.¡±


    Garin¡¯s sword didn¡¯t stop for the chatter though. In the next moment, he deflected the scythe to one of the villains, sidestepped a downward slash from the third and drove the tip of his blade into the gut of the bandit.


    It had all happened within a fraction of a second and even then, Garin was already moving on to the other two. There was no time to tend to their fallen comrade as the Sound Knight¡¯s focus on them quickly doubled.


    A black arrow whistled through the air only to be cut down by the black scythe¡­


    Thunder rumbled through the sky, the air hummed in the resonance with magic coming from the dark clouds.


    Then, right after a short moment of silence, dark jagged arcs of lightning rained down on the battlefield in a mess of chaos, painting the battlefield in bright blue light.


    Flying guardians that were unlucky dropped from the sky, their wings stunned by the electric shock and their bodies charred by the black lightning.


    The flame-wielding slayer struck his opponents down just as well, unleashing the destructive power of the fire augmenting his fists. The whole battle seemed to be moving faster than Garin thought it would be.


    Of course, this was to be expected considering half of the mercenary force had already got away and seemed to be going in the direction of the children.


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    They didn¡¯t seem to know the exact direction and were simply spreading out¡­ but that in and of itself worried Garin.


    Guardians had a wide range of abilities, some even specialised in searching.


    It was only a matter of time¡­ so Garin and his comrades had to work fast if they wanted to return to the children.


    A few minutes later, the only bandit left was the Scythe-user, who also seemed to be the boss of this mercenary group.


    Out of the fifteen rogues they¡¯d battled with, enduring the vicious cycle of downing them as they replaced each other in a heartbeat, Garin deduced that this ¡®leader¡¯ was the most skilled out of all of them.


    ¡­and yet, something still felt off about him.


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed,¡± Garin grunted as he exchanged blows with the man.


    ¡°Oh! And why is that?¡± the man asked with a grin on his face.


    Despite his friends being struck down, he seemed happy with himself.


    In fact, he continued to fight with no regard for his comrades, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about your friends?¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡± the man asked¡­ then burst into laughter and with the loud burst of laughter, his strikes grew more erratic.


    He struck with more vigour and speed and a deranged look graced his features as he hit the knight¡¯s sword.


    Each time their weapons struck each other, the world around them shuddered in recoil only for them to collide yet again.


    Garin¡¯s palms yelled out as the force behind the mercenary¡¯s strikes grew even heavier. ¡®Is it just me¡­ or is he stronger¡­¡¯


    At the same time, Garin caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eyes. The Sound Knight vanished in a super-fast backstep¡­


    Time seemed to slow as he watched a chipped blade strike the spot he¡¯d just been standing in.


    The scene before Garin gave him pause.


    Not only was the person that had just attacked him steaming and stinking of burning flesh but he also looked vaguely disfigured. His bones were broken in several places and yet he was still moving.


    The man that had attacked him was in no condition to fight at all¡­ and yet, he¡¯d attacked with the speed and agility of a healthy person.


    Before Garin had the time to decipher what was happening, the man¡¯s frame bubbled and turned into a moving mass of black goop which flowed into the dark villain¡¯s palm.


    The mercenary group¡¯s leader cracked his neck with glee, his aura growing a lot more potent and intimidating, ¡°You said something about me letting my friends die.¡±


    It was only now that Garin noticed something wrong with the battlefield. There was not a single body in sight¡­


    ¡°Figured my Ability out yet, Sound Knight?¡± the man grinned¡­


    An arrow of black lightning streaked through the air at blinding speed.


    For the first time since the start of this battle, however, the lightning-infused arrow was stopped.


    The movement of the man¡¯s hand was imperceptible as he caught the sizzling arrow by the shaft.


    ¡°Careful where you aim these things¡­ They tickle,¡± the man chuckled to himself.


    ¡°Darth, the Copy Viper,¡± one of the Alaric¡¯s guards, Gunther whispered.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard¡­ in a very long time,¡± the dark man grinned.


    Garin¡¯s senses suddenly went into overdrive and time slowed down. He¡¯d heard of this man before¡­ albeit only through rumours and stories. Stories of a man that could split his body into many.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to realise the man had used magic to change the appearance of his copies. It seemed the ability also made his power decrease¡­ which meant that now that many of his copies had rejoined him, he was a lot stronger.


    In the next moment, the villain was upon him, having crossed a distance greater than five metres in a fraction of a second, time that Garin had only used to grip his sword tighter.


    The stingray rider drew vast pools of aether into his system in time to deflect the descending scythe.


    Unfazed, the scythe spun behind the mercenary¡¯s back, switching hands only to come down on Garin¡¯s frame once more in the time one would take to blink.


    Garin¡¯s sword was up as well, parrying the next attack just in time.


    An arrow whizzed, only to be caught by the madman. Without hesitating, the bandit drove that sharp crackling tip into Garin¡¯s shoulder.


    A buzz of lightning stormed through Garin¡¯s body, but he gritted his teeth and stayed standing. Slayers of his calibre had more robust bodies than the average human¡­ or even slayer¡­


    This was just a scratch.


    ¡°Ah, not Glass Temper Rank, I see. I wonder which one it is, Wood Temper Rank?¡± the man grinned.


    Garin did his best to ignore his taunts. In a battle such as this one, even a little hesitation could mean the difference between life and death.


    While Body Temper Ranks were indeed important in battles, this one had already began and fighting to figure out his opponent¡¯s rank was just bound to get him killed.


    Fighting through the pain of being electrocuted, Garin drove his sword into the man¡¯s torso. The sharp blade sank into his flesh like butter¡­


    What should have been a fatal wound only made the madman before him grin like a fool.


    It took Garin longer than he would have liked to realise why it was so easy to stab the abnormally powerful anomaly.


    The flesh at his sword had already turned black, a grin forming on the man¡¯s lips¡­ ¡°Ah, I have good news, Sound Knight. We found the kids.¡±

 23. Inborn Ability.

    Roots, branches, leaves¡­ countless, countless leaves¡­


    Alaric had unleashed the power of his Inborn Ability and the forest shuddered in response to his oppressive control.


    The green-eyed boy took a few moments to re-adjust his senses, mapping out not only the layout of the tree he¡¯d just merged with¡­ but all the trees in the forest that were within the range of his consciousness while he used this ability.


    In this form, a lot doesn¡¯t make sense if one thinks like a human. For one, he didn¡¯t exactly have eyeballs anymore. Trees didn¡¯t sense everything around them the same way humans did.


    However, the power he¡¯d tapped into was not a pure depiction of trees on steroids either. Instead, it was a power that drew on the near-omniscient presence of nature and gave it a consciousness.


    As such, Alaric wasn¡¯t fully a tree either. He could move, albeit not the same way a human would. He could feel and he could see¡­


    His vision, however, was also fractured a million times, giving him different images from so many angles at the same time.


    When he spoke, the forest spoke with him, as though he was everywhere at once.


    When he willed the forest to tremble, it trembled and when he willed the branches and vines to move, they moved per his command.


    This was the omniscient power of nature that he was using.


    It took him back quite a bit¡­ to the first time he¡¯d ever used this ability.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.two years ago¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Alaric, along with his two partners in crime, came back from Forest Grove Hill, a hill among the Five Hills that was covered in woods from top to bottom, serving as the village¡¯s one source of timber and fuel whenever demon sightings outside their magic barrier grew more frequent.


    For Alaric and his two best friends, this hill was used for nothing other than training.


    Under Alia¡¯s supervision, the three would endure gruesome training drills and learn how to use the weapons they¡¯d chosen to master.


    Two years had passed since Jared¡¯s death¡­ and yet the training never seemed to get easier.


    Alaric and Finn had bulked up a bit and beneath Darla¡¯s stunning looks was a weathered warrior female with callouses and scars no girl would ever want to have.


    Her raw determination as well as the endless support she got from her comrades kept her going.


    That evening, the trio was returning from a long day of training, walking at a pace slower than usual.


    ¡°Today¡¯s training was brutal,¡± Finn winced at the pain that sprung up through his leg with each step.


    Alaric supported the sandy-haired boy¡¯s battered body as they walked on.


    Finn turned to Alaric with an envious look. The green-eyed boy had barely broken a sweat compared to him and Darla.


    His clothes were drier, cleaner and he lacked the signs of exhaustion they had, ¡°Must be fun for you, having an enhanced body and all.¡±


    Alaric smiled wistfully. His mind was preoccupied at the time, churning.


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    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he said absentmindedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about your Inborn Ability again,¡± Darla hit the nail on the head with her observation.


    Alaric nodded, ¡°It¡¯s been two years and she still refuses to tell me. We¡¯ll be fifteen in two more and I worry that I won¡¯t be strong enough by then.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it helps, most aspirants aren¡¯t even trained by the time they are fifteen,¡± Darla argued.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I know. I just have this bad feeling, y¡¯know. Every day I spend without knowing my Ability, I get more restless¡­ like I won¡¯t be complete until I find out what it is,¡± Alaric complained.


    ¡°Have you really tried asking Alia?¡± Darla asked.


    The dark-haired boy felt his breath quicken with irritation at the question.


    He¡¯d said this dozens of times already. Alaric had pestered his guardian on the matter so many times¡­ and each time, Alia merely frowned and turned away from him, saying nothing.


    Normally, the stalwart knight guardian would butt into his conversations with others, distracting him and making him react in ways that didn¡¯t fit the context of his conversations¡­ but when he spoke of his Inborn Ability, she went silent as a grave.


    Alaric took in a deep breath and nodded. It wasn¡¯t fair for him to get mad at his friends. If anything he wanted to snap at his guardian¡­ and even then, he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to snap at the only reason he was still alive.


    Unbeknownst to Alaric, the world around him had gone cold, reacting to his emotions in the slightest way.


    The air around him went cold as though the world itself was angry and wished destruction upon everything that walked and breathed.


    It was this way that his friends found out when he was angry.


    Darla let the matter drop immediately¡­ She knew how much he wanted to discover what ability he gained from having Alia as his guardian.


    The black knight was insanely powerful. So powerful in fact that she didn¡¯t manifest except in the presence of an S-class concealment barrier.


    And yet, two years had gone by with no progress.


    Later that night, Alaric was resting on one of the branches of the large oak tree in the garden, Old Thomper, Sister Marla¡¯s guardian.


    Whenever he was in a bad mood, he came here to relax himself.


    Today, he felt especially agitated¡­ partly because he had let his emotions run amok.


    ¡®Don¡¯t let your emotions get the best of you.¡¯


    ¡®Think with a levelled head.¡¯


    ¡®Your battle clarity is your best weapon.¡¯


    Alaric had heard similar phrases so much from his guardian that he could recite them in the order that they came.


    He knew when to expect them¡­ but today, the guardian remained silent and yet the phrases resounded within his mind like a broken record.


    The tree guardian he was sitting in rumbled in agitation. His surroundings always got colder when Alaric came to ¡®relax.¡¯


    Today, the guardian just wasn¡¯t having it. Alaric steadied himself on the shaking branch, ¡°Sorry, Thomper¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll climb down now.¡±


    Before Alaric could climb down the nature guardian though, leaves and branches bunched up around him, creating a cradle that kept him from leaving.


    Alaric gasped at the sight, then looked up at the guardian.


    Old Thomper never said anything except to his master, Sister Marla. It was through her that the orphans and residents of the Five Hills knew of his sentience.


    Today, however, Alaric found himself asking the guardian a question directly¡­ ¡°What are you trying to tell me?¡±


    The cradle moved closer to the creature¡¯s girthy stem. Instinctively, Alaric reached out with his hands.


    Right as his hands came into contact with the guardian, something beyond his wildest imagination happened to him.


    His senses flared and his heart rate shot up. Suddenly, his perception got warped far beyond what he could have imagined.


    ¡°Young Prince,¡± an old earthen voice rumbled into his mind.


    Alaric felt his knees go weak and his mind shattering into a million pieces. A short scream escaped his lips before he collapsed within the cradle Thomper had created, unconscious.


    In the mess that his mind had endured, he¡¯d found out several things about himself.


    He¡¯d felt emotions, power and a powerful connection to a world beyond his imagination.


    When he awoke, he was in his bed in the boy¡¯s dormitory.


    A female knight in pure black armour was standing guard at the foot of his bed¡­


    Alaric¡¯s heart sank, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Welcome back to the world of the living, Little Prince,¡± Alia quipped.


    Alaric nodded in response, then coiled in his bed, ¡°The ability to connect with any guardian¡­ and use their abilities.¡±


    ¡°An ability worthy of a king,¡± Alia sighed, defeated¡­


    Her sad tone didn¡¯t go unnoticed, ¡°Enough with the king stuff. Why can¡¯t I use your abilities?¡±


    ¡°Thomper¡¯s power was enough to make you pass out. What do you think mine will do to you?¡± Alia asked.


    ¡°I thought that was just¡­¡±


    ¡°Just what, Alaric? Backlash! You weren¡¯t ready? No, Alaric, Thomper is powerful¡­ and I¡¯m even more powerful.


    Train hard¡­ Only then do you have hope of using my abilities,¡± Alia vanished in a puff of smoke¡­ and Alaric knew then that she was done talking.


    What he understood through their connection was different though. Alia was¡­ jealous.


    [I will use your abilities one day] Alaric promised.

 24. A Monster That Shouldnt Be Allowed to Exist

    Alaric learned of his power two years after his guardian had awakened. And soon after discovering it, he¡¯d also found out that Old Thomper had deliberately clued him in.


    Had it not been for the tree guardian, he would still be fighting over the topic with a female knight that still wasn¡¯t happy with him learning of his power.


    Alia¡¯s reasons were more selfish than they were logical and for that reason, Alaric vowed to grow strong enough to need no other guardian¡¯s power except for Alia¡¯s.


    Speaking of his Inborn Ability, simply put, Alaric¡¯s power was intimately related to guardians. To hone in specifically on what its limits were was something even he hadn¡¯t discovered yet.


    Of course, Alia wasn¡¯t willing to spell it out for him. So, Alaric had made his own experiments over the years.


    From what he tried, he learned that he was able to speak to guardians as well as use their abilities if he got in contact with them. He¡¯d also taken notice of how guardians reacted oddly around him.


    Knowing all this made him wonder if he had multiple Inborn Abilities.


    Was Alaric¡¯s power too much for one person? Yes, he thought so.


    It just didn¡¯t make any sense. There were so many Abilities out there that could be of use to him in any number of ways. And yet, one faucet of his allowed him to copy other guardian¡¯s abilities.


    How was that normal?!


    While the process of learning how to use other guardian¡¯s abilities required a lot of training, focus and patience on his side, it still gave a much higher boost in power than any Inborn Ability he¡¯d heard of.


    It wasn¡¯t just that he could learn a guardian¡¯s abilities but rather he could connect with guardians on levels beyond anything documented and in turn, use his Inborn Ability to imitate their abilities even when it required physically changing his body.


    Much like it was the case now that he¡¯d merged with a forest, calling on Old Thomper¡¯s power and using it to the best of his abilities.


    Using the tree guardian¡¯s power to the fullest was still too great a feat for Alaric to achieve. However, he could use them to a certain extent.


    The forest roared, leaves rusted, branches groaned and the ground rumbled. Altogether, the trees swayed and their great stems growled.


    All around the bandits, the forest seemed to run amok with action. It was as though the very forest had come to life.


    ¡°You said she wasn¡¯t with them¡­¡± one of the bandits stuttered timidly.


    ¡°Get a grip of yourself. This isn¡¯t that witch¡¯s power,¡± Darth growled at the panicking man.


    ¡°Then explain all this,¡± the bandit screamed at the top of his voice.


    ¡°One of those brats already had a guardian awakened,¡± the man responded, ¡°That¡¯s the only explanation for this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± the third man interjected with an shaky tone, ¡°Perhaps this is all just an illusion. I know¡­ They were given a Frozen Spell and brats unleashed it here to cause a distraction while they ran¡­ I will explain everything. Besides, we are all fine, aren¡¯t we? The woods aren¡¯t even attacking us directly¡­.¡±


    The man continued to ramble on, shifting his perspective and trying to find better explanations for their situation. He almost sounded like a broken record¡­ or at least, the replay of a confused string of thoughts that never seemed to fully form.


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    He was so absorbed in his discussion that he let his guard down and didn¡¯t notice the insidious tree vine creeping up behind him.


    The other bandits noticed and moved further away from their oblivious comrade and stared at the space behind him. It took the man a few moments for him to notice the change in their demeanour.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± the man suddenly yelled at them.


    The dark-skinned man with piercings in his face smirked, ¡°You know, Donnie. You talk too much.¡±


    ¡®Donnie¡¯ turned around just in time to see a tree vine rushing for him. The thick vine quickly constricted around him in a serpentine grip.


    Drawing on the power of his aether, the mercenary ripped the vine apart with a smirk, ¡°That¡¯s not enough to hold me, brat!¡±


    Before he could let the vine fall to the ground, two vines sprung the stump and began to coil around his arm.


    The smile vanished as the man ripped those off himself as well. Like a plague, more replaced the vines he tore.


    For each vine he broke, two more grew in its place, spreading even faster around his body in different directions.


    The other bandits attempted to come and help, however, before they could take a step forward, they soon came to realise that their entire lower bodies were tightly bound by vines that had crept up on them as they watched their friend¡¯s torment.


    Alaric¡¯s mind was fractured a few hundred times as he implemented the same attack in at least ten places at once, stalling the converging group of bandits that were responding to the loud magical whistle.


    ¡°Still think I¡¯m bluffing?¡± Alaric¡¯s voice rumbled again.


    The men grunted and sneered, looking around for any source of the voice that tormented them, ¡°Show yourself, you little coward!¡±


    Alaric focused harder, binding them in tight bundles of vines. His fractured vision, however, only made his stomach¡ªif he still had any¡ªturn.


    The woods were still far from secure and from all directions, more slayers approached. Using the spell from earlier, he communicated with his friends.


    [There are more of them. Try to stay off the ground.]


    Alaric¡¯s perception in this form was warped in so many ways and to a degree that even he, the user of this power still struggled to fathom.


    Thomper was on the powerful side of guardians and his abilities were truly devastating, especially in a place where there were so many trees around.


    Alaric still remembered the strain of using this ability the first time. His body and mind couldn¡¯t handle the strain of his own ability at the time¡­ and so he had to train¡­ and train¡­ and train.


    Under Alia¡¯s supervision, his dreams became attainable little by little.


    In little over a year, he¡¯d managed to use a fraction of Thomper¡¯s power. It took even longer to master that which he could use now.


    When in this form, his consciousness was spread all over the area of the forest within his influence¡­ and in that area, he reigned supreme.


    Alaric captured one bandit after the other, binding them tightly within the vines.


    Those that had arrived with their guardians experienced a similar outcome despite their abilities. The vines weren¡¯t going anywhere. When they were cut, they grew back, when they were burnt, new ones took their places and when there was an attempt to cut a tree at the stem, the vegetation weaved itself back together and kept attacking.


    The whole battle seemed to be going in Alaric¡¯s favour¡­ until something unexpected happened.


    The boy noticed some of the bandits he¡¯d captured were starting to melt and turn into black sludge, much like the transformation the first one had gone through when they met him.


    The only problem was, this time, they didn¡¯t change their faces.


    ¡®So changing his appearance had nothing to do with his ability,¡¯ Alaric thought to himself.


    Then again, there was always one limitation to spells that abilities didn¡¯t have. Spells used aether¡­ while abilities rarely did.


    Even now, Alaric didn¡¯t rely on aether to maintain the use of Thomper¡¯s power. Rather, he would have to endure the strain the ability had on his physical body.


    Inborn Abilities were less like magical spells and more like muscles.


    The bandits that turned to sludge evaporated as a black mist and shot away, all shooting straight for one place at the periphery of Alaric¡¯s fractured vision.


    Alaric¡¯s nerves churned as he realised something was terribly wrong.


    The forest shuddered.


    Alaric paid attention to the source of the forest¡¯s reaction.


    The culprit soon became very clear when a man dressed in a black overcoat finally stepped onto the scene.


    Black mist converged around him and a black lightless scythe rested diagonally on his back.


    Alaric didn¡¯t know how¡­ but he knew this man was dangerous. Having an A-class guardian didn¡¯t necessarily mean a slayer was powerful.


    Alaric had heard this before¡­ but he had never once met a person that defied that law so masterfully as the monster he witnessed now.


    The man exuded a cold aura of destruction and death, his very presence chilling the world around him. The mist from all the bandits that had disintegrated was vanishing into him, with each passing second, his aura grew more vast and deadly.


    When he lifted his head, he seemed to stay right into the heart of Alaric¡¯s split vision, locking eyes with him¡­ something that shouldn¡¯t have been possible.


    ¡°A monster like you¡­ shouldn¡¯t be allowed to exist,¡± the man said in a serious tone.

 25. A Battling Forest

    Alaric¡¯s act was not a mistake. Were his aether reserves too deep? Maybe.


    Was he using one too many spells? Perhaps.


    Was he in too many places at once? You could say that.


    Was his Ability a bit too strong for a fifteen-year-old? He really couldn¡¯t say. Alaric hadn¡¯t met enough Aspirants or even interacted with enough to know what was really normal.


    The fact remained that no one should have been able to stare at a multi-perspective amalgamation of a plant and a human and make it feel like they were looking straight into their soul.


    Even for an experienced adult, that was just some next-level voodoo.


    Alaric almost ventured to guess that the man was capable of controlling his perception of things but he didn¡¯t have the time for it.


    In any case, the boy had seen this coming a mile away and as a result, he sent his power reeling through the forest, making the roots of the trees tremble and mimic a small earthquake.


    [One of them is very powerful. Head for the Outpost¡­ I¡¯ll be right behind you] Alaric yelled into the minds of the five remaining aspirants.


    At the same time, the branches around his friends had fashioned themselves into protective pods made of vines and pushed themselves to the far edge of the boy¡¯s perception.


    To confuse the enemy, Alaric made several more of these pods numbering close to a hundred and spread them all through the forest.


    Many of these pods spread out but five in particular kept heading north, straight for the Gateway they were meant to find.


    The mercenary looked around briefly. Being the last one of the group of ruffians that could still move, Alaric focused solely on him.


    His heart, if he had any now, was beating rapidly in his chest.


    He could feel the immense power gap between himself and the man.


    It was enough to make him pause for only a moment, ¡®Think, Alaric, think!¡¯ he mentally screamed.


    He had the power of the forest on his side¡­ and yet, he still felt inadequate.


    The man closed his eyes for a short moment, ignoring the chaotic wails the trees emanated or even the screams of the comrades who called out to him, trapped in cocoons of constricting vines.


    For a split second, Alaric felt a wave of mana brush through the woods, expanding in a circular dome.


    ¡®A searching spell¡­¡¯ Alaric¡¯s heart sank. It was only a matter of time before a slayer with the power to use such a spell showed up and Alaric had been preparing himself for such a moment.


    At the same time, however, Alaric picked on a small group entering the forest at the very periphery of his control.


    Two beasts flew through the air at a high speed, heading straight for the noise. Thunder followed the guardians while on the ground, and a man in white armour gave chase. This time, Alaric could tell it was indeed Garin.


    The stalwart knight and his comrades were coming¡­ For a brief moment, Alaric felt relief but then, the wave of mana hit the five pods rushing North and the mercenary opened his eyes.


    ¡®Crap,¡¯ his heart sank.


    The man took one step forward, then shot forward like a missile on steroids.


    Fear ran through Alaric¡¯s leafy self, spurring him into action. He had no time to think.


    Vines shot from the ground, trees, leaves and whatever the forest had to offer within a chaotic flurry that was strong enough to rip the average human to shred.


    Shooting in response to the mercenary¡¯s actions, the vines were within range in less than a second, only to be incinerated through the sheer destructive force of the mercenary¡¯s movements.


    Alaric mentally cried at the sight of the evil man¡¯s scythe cutting down his vines as though they were paper. Like before, the vines would grow back two-fold. Unfortunately, the man¡¯s scythe had heated up to the point where it left sizzling marks on the vines it cut.


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    The vines wouldn¡¯t grow back as fast.


    At this rate, he was going to reach his friends before Garin and the Tower Slayers ever reached them.


    ¡°I must say, little boy. You¡¯re far too skilled for your age,¡± the man¡¯s voice rumbled.


    Alaric¡¯s consciousness sailed through the woods at lightning-fast speed, pushing the pods even further whilst he focused on keeping the man¡¯s lethal scythe busy.


    Time after time, the vines attacked, getting shredded by the scythe with each attempt. It almost seemed like the man wasn¡¯t going to slow down.


    Alaric wouldn¡¯t stop though. He reached out and pulled on the forest¡¯s reserves as well as his deep wells of aether¡­ and unleashed a hellish attack on the fiendish villain, growing more and more wary as he watched the scythe blend into a dome of sheer unfathomable destruction.


    ¡®If it means slowing him down even for a second, I won¡¯t let up,¡¯ Alaric gritted his¡­ ¡®teeth?¡¯


    An idea formed in his mind amidst the highspeed battle. His current mode of attack was buying him a few seconds at best, which wasn¡¯t enough.


    He reached for the aether available to him and sent it flowing into the vines that attacked the man, altering their properties ever so slightly and focusing hard on what he wanted.


    At first, he didn¡¯t achieve much but once he¡¯d found the right method to use for his intended purposes, a resonant clang rang through the chaotic forest.


    The scythe had bounced off one of the vines with a resonant clang. The vibrations sent Alaric¡¯s brain reeling as the force of the scythe went through the entire tree connected to the vine.


    Alaric didn¡¯t falter. His consciousness was a lot greater than a single tree. He continued attacking.


    The man, shocked, leapt into the air, dodging an ensnaring enchanted vine. To his dismay, more followed. He struck at the snake-like ropes and found that all of them resisted his scythe just the same.


    A moment later, the scythe hummed with aether and sliced through the annoying vines like a hot knife through butter. With one sweep, a vacuum of space was created between the man and the vines.


    Alaric¡¯s mind shuddered with the sudden influx of magic.


    ¡®Ouch! That¡¯s hot!¡¯ he winced.


    The boy didn¡¯t take more than two seconds to recover from the sudden attack. However, in a battle such as this one, two seconds were too many.


    In that moment of respite, the mercenary shot forward, not wasting any more time. Alaric hadn¡¯t stopped pushing the wooden pods containing his friends further and further away.


    However, he was starting to feel the strain from using his Ability.


    Their fight hadn¡¯t gone on for long¡­ but in that time, he¡¯d kept the mercenaries that hadn¡¯t turned into a black mist tied up, he¡¯d pushed his friends far from the battle and he¡¯d fought this man, all while keeping an eye on the approaching slayers and imbuing the vines with aether to fight this abomination of a man.


    Pain pulsed in various places within Alaric¡¯s mind. It was an odd feeling¡­ pain as a nature entity. It felt both mental and physical. Some trees were strained, never made to move as much as Alaric had pushed them.


    It was a wonder that Alaric had survived this long against someone that was clearly stronger than him. In fact, if he hadn¡¯t resorted to using Thomper¡¯s power, he was sure he wouldn¡¯t have lasted this long.


    But now¡­ his energy was waning.


    The vines lost their speed and ferocity and it got a lot harder to focus¡­ Alaric felt sleepy from exhaustion. This wasn¡¯t working. If he kept going like this, he was going to lose.


    He felt pain at the roots, stems, leaves¡­ ¡®Why do my leaves hurt?¡¯ a part of him cried. The other part didn¡¯t have time to worry about trivial pains such as these.


    At first, Alaric had suspected these bandits of wanting his S-class orb but now, he couldn¡¯t tell. The man had called himself a mercenary and the dark power rolling off his body only reinforced this claim.


    ¡®Why would a mercenary be hired to steal an S-class orb?¡¯ Alaric¡¯s mind strained, ¡®This guy is also so damn persistent for a mere thief. How did they get past Garin anyway? They just came out of nowhere.¡¯


    Alaric struggled to understand what the man¡¯s presence meant. He¡¯d seen the looks of utter hatred and loathing from a few aspirants back at the tower. He¡¯d even gleaned darker auras.


    If one of those aspirants had sent this gang, then he didn¡¯t want his friends anywhere near them. He could already sense the murderous intent rolling off this man¡¯s body.


    As the man tore through the forest, Alaric took on different measures to slow him down. His first strategy had worked against him, draining him of aether and rendering him so tired he could barely tell up from down.


    Alas, there was no time to rest¡­ He had to keep moving. He couldn¡¯t let the man reach his friends. His consciousness flowed through the woods, keeping watch on his surroundings and bending it all to his will.


    The vines didn¡¯t move to obstruct the man anymore.


    No, now, the forest itself moved.


    The trees shuddered and swayed, changing forms in ways that distorted the very concept of direction in the convoluted mass of trees and greenery.


    The coming storm obscured the sun which would have made this illusion a lot harder to pull off. The sound of thunder was scattered around by the trees and the sun wasn¡¯t around to keep the man aware of which way was North.


    Once in a while, the scythe cut down the trees that got in his way, while other times, Alaric was able to turn him around completely or at least send him spiralling in circles.


    ¡°You¡¯re one annoying bug, boy,¡± the man growled.


    With how fast the man was going, however, it was only a matter of time before he caught up to the fleeing pods. Alaric sucked in a sharp breath-if at all this was possible-and watched as the man leapt into the air and brought his scythe down on a fleeing wooden pod.


    Slicing it in two with one clean cut, the pod fell to the ground to reveal nothing inside of it. It was then that the man noticed a multitude of pods fleeing from him, all in different shapes and sizes¡­ but all built for the sole purpose of acting like decoys.


    Only five of these fleeing balls of nature contained the children he was looking for¡­ and Alaric wasn¡¯t about to let him touch them. Alaric felt the fabric of the woods approach its limit, just like the muscles of his body would normally burn.


    There was no telling how much longer he could keep this up.


    [Start casting an S-class Concealment Spell.] Alia¡¯s voice softly whispered into the mind of the tired boy.

 26. Travelling Barrier

    How does someone defeat a guardian who was practically everywhere, could see everything and grew back every single part of them you kept cutting down? Alaric had no clue.


    It was part of the reason he¡¯d stopped worrying for his life during this whole charade. He¡¯d watched the mercenaries sever the vines he conjured up, he¡¯d watched them try different things to try and evade him.


    One even had the Ability to phase through anything, and for a moment, that worked well¡­ until Alaric poured a little aether into the vines restraining him. Alas, aether was a lot harder to phase through than ordinary matter.


    This ill-placed confidence, however, vanished the instant Alaric laid eyes on the abomination that was currently chasing his friends with a black chilling scythe and a murderous gleam in his eyes.


    Alaric had stopped talking and turned all his focus on the mercenary. He manifested empty pods at high speed, swarming them around the real ones and pushing his friends even further North.


    What was more, he completely abandoned the bound mercenaries at the start of the forest once he realised he couldn¡¯t keep his consciousness spread so far. To keep the illusion of his control, he¡¯d left aether lingering in the vines and doubled their thickness before letting them be.


    On the bright side, Garin and his fellow Slayers of the Tower had intercepted that group by the time he let go of their restraints. While that was a note of relief, Alaric found himself more worried about the scythe-wielder than all the other bandits combined.


    The bound bandits were bound to stall Garin and the Tower Slayers for a few moments as Alaric struggled against the monstrous mercenary.


    His movements were swift and his attacks were sharp. Alaric shifted entire trees, turned the forest into a maze, raised dust with the help of whipping root vines, and created messes of enchanted vines to bar the man¡¯s path.


    But alas, with each passing second, the man broke through Alaric¡¯s defences.


    One by one, the decoy pods fell to the man¡¯s scythe. His search spell had weakened now that he was focusing on destroying the pods and navigating the shifting woods to get to the fleeing children.


    [Start casting an S-class Concealment Spell.] Alia¡¯s voice softly whispered into the mind of the tired boy.


    Alaric was no expert at magic¡­ but he¡¯d trained under his guardian¡¯s guidance for four years. He was no novice either.


    A deep guttural voice hummed through the woods as the boy began chanting the ancient tongue. It was a long and complicated spell that required a lot of focus.


    Fortunately, in this form, splitting his focus was a boon he could enjoy. The sound of the spell reverberated through the woods as Alaric poured more and more aether into his voice.


    The mercenary cleaved a tree in half and burst through a mesh of vines with a flurry of strikes, leaping over vines that were ready to retrain him on the other side. With each step, he shot even further through the woods, only slightly impeded in his progress.


    Through all that, the man looked around him and allowed a small grin to grace his smile, ¡°You¡¯re so full of surprises, kid¡­ But a barrier of that calibre won¡¯t work. If you haven¡¯t noticed, we are moving too fast to stay within such a barrier. You don¡¯t even have the power to cast one large enough to trap me.¡±


    The man¡¯s evil cackle echoed through the woods.


    Alaric fought back relentlessly, tossing some pods into the man¡¯s face at the last moment in an effort to stall him.


    This proved ineffective.


    The man forged on, cutting down more and more pods¡­


    His speed¡­ was a lot faster than anything Alaric ever thought he¡¯d have to deal with. Even in the form of an ethereal being that travelled through the trees of the forest, he was having trouble keeping up with the fiend.


    The barrier began to form as Alaric continued chanting. The boy felt his aether reserves drain even faster as he continued casting the spell.


    One of the side effects of casting the spell, however, was that he lost some focus on the forest. His chaotic control of the forest started to dwindle in strength. The man cut down more pods than Alaric could conjure up and he made slightly more progress than Alaric could cover up.


    The distance between him and his friends started to get even less and less. Alaric grunted, feeling his mind buzzing with pain as he pushed himself to his limits.


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    The pressure was starting to grow far too heavy. He wanted to sleep¡­ He wanted to rest¡­ He wanted to drink a sip of water and take a break.


    But he couldn¡¯t¡­ Not when each passing second meant the man got even closer to his friends. He¡¯d already seen the black scythe cut through the stem of a full-grown tree like it was made of butter.


    Had that been one of his friends, they would have lost their lives.


    [Almost there¡­] Alia edged the boy on.


    A few lines of the spell remained¡­ Alaric poured everything into those lines, buying more and more time as he chanted. He attacked more chaotically, throwing trees in the man¡¯s way now instead of pods.


    Alas, he watched the man get closer and closer to his friends, his mind jumping from one tree to the next with chaotic speed. To the outsider¡¯s eye, it would appear as though a soft amber glow was dashing along the tree stems, branches and leaves in pursuit of the destructive dark mercenary.


    Two lines were left in the spell¡­ and with those two lines, Alaric drew a sharp breath.


    The black scythe had just cut down the last empty pod and not far from that pod, Aiden was bundled up inside, frozen with fear and hugging himself so tightly that he almost looked like he was trying to calm his beating heart.


    Of course, Alaric only knew this because he could see into the pod and through the invisibility spell he¡¯d cast on the Aspirants.


    One line was left in the spell¡­


    The man had already crossed the distance between himself and the pod containing Aiden.


    The dark-haired boy¡¯s vision went black as his instincts kicked in. Vines shot from the ground and all around, constructing a humanoid figure made of vines and leaves.


    Unfinished, the figure shot straight for the mercenary, placing itself between the fleeing pod and the evil mercenary, a sword weaving itself from branches.


    At the last moment, the two swords slammed into each other with a powerful clang.


    The construction had happened so fast that the dark man was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the humanoid nature warrior.


    The man smirked, ¡°Finally showed your face coward.¡±


    The scythe sang through the air.


    Alaric felt his heart beat faster¡­ but not in fear.


    Oddly enough, Alaric wasn¡¯t afraid. No, anything but that.


    In the moment he¡¯d witnessed the scythe start its path for the pod containing Aiden, Alaric had lost all forms of caution and lashed out, summoning all the power he could muster.


    That power, allowed him to create a human replica of his body, albeit still covered in green. His limbs were all created with branches and twigs. The only difference between his body and the woods around him was the thick concentration of aether infused within his body.


    It was because of this aether that the pitch-black scythe clanged against the wooden great sword Alaric had conjured.


    The man¡¯s smirk vanished right before a fist went crashing into his gut. The plant wraith sent him slamming into a tree.


    The mercenary chuckled, tasting blood¡­ and yet, in the next moment, he vanished, appearing right above the towering abomination of nature, scythe raised and plummeting fast.


    Alaric¡¯s form reacted in kind, raising his sword in time to block the attack¡­


    The clang of metal never came¡­


    Instead, Alaric felt himself go dizzy and weightless. To those who had been watching, The scythe had flipped hands only to switch to a horizontal slash that completely severed the hands and head of the powerful amalgamation of a human and plants.


    ¡°TRAVELLING CONCEALMENT BARRIER: S-CLASS,¡± Alaric¡¯s chanting voice echoed through the woods one final time before everything went still.


    The wooden humanoid¡¯s head, which looked a lot like Alaric¡¯s face, lost the amber glow in its eyes and fell to the ground with a soft thud.


    The forest went silent¡­ the leaves going still, the branches seizing in their swaying. The fleeing pods had long since disintegrated, dumping the invisible aspirants a few paces away.


    They had witnessed the whole fight¡­ from its inspiring start to its short and dark end.


    ¡°You¡­ you killed him,¡± a feminine voice breathed.


    The dark-skinned scythe-wielder was panting hard. He looked up in the direction of the voice, then up at a translucent barrier that shimmered high in the air¡­ ¡®What¡¯s this boy¡¯s angle?¡¯


    ¡°You wanted orbs!!! Not death!¡± Darla yelled, forgetting about her safety.


    The man chuckled loudly, sounding deranged as he went on, ¡°Oh no, little girl. You confuse me for those wastes of space back there. Who would hire a professional killer like me to steal a few measly ¡®awakening orbs.¡¯?¡±


    The man looked up at the towering humanoid mass of plants in awe. Even after cutting him down, Alaric¡¯s form remained imposing, as though it still beat with life.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had this much fun since¡­ oof!¡±


    An overwhelming force cut him, slamming him into a tree trunk. The man let out a loud grunt and sent an angry scowl in the direction the force had come from.


    Sticking through his shoulder was a steel arrow humming loudly with powerful magic. In the distance, light weaved the feminine being he¡¯d been talking to into existence.


    The invisibility spell that had obscured her from vision faded as a young girl of fifteen was revealed. Only this girl had streams of tears dripping down her face and a glowing bow made of pure light growing from her hand.


    Floating beside her was what looked to be a little fairy dressed in a neat suit¡­ Only that this little butler fairy emanated a pulse unlike any other the man had ever seen in his life.


    ¡°Nice shot, Master,¡± the fairy replied in a gentle voice.


    ¡°A talking guardian¡­¡± the mercenary gawked.


    ¡°One more shot,¡± the guardian¡¯s voice reverberated.


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Darla replied drawing a bowstring along her hand. The arrow weaved itself from pure aether as she drew the string taut.


    Before she could launch the arrow herself, however, a voice interrupted them, ¡°Not just yet. I want to kill him myself.¡±


    The shadows bubbled around the tree-like abomination that had been Alaric, and from their depths emerged a two-meter-tall Amazon clad in black lightless armour.


    Her aura¡­ sent shivers down the mercenary¡¯s spine as it seemed as though the world itself had been drained of all life and happiness.


    The power of the guardian made the barrier above them tremble just to contain her presence. The mercenary, for the first time in a very long time, felt his heart beat in fear as he stared at the lightless visor of the black knight.


    ¡®So this is an S-class guardian¡­¡¯

 27. True Loneliness

    The world turned cold and the forest grew quieter. Even the wind stopped blowing¡­ as though it too was afraid of the new entity that emerged from the shadows.


    An immense pressure presented itself at the same time, sending the poorly made barrier rippling wildly in an effort to contain the powerful aura. The dark-skinned mercenary felt the smirk on his face vanished as he stared at the two-metre-tall knight walking his way with a measured gait, her lightless visor showing no emotion.


    Every cell in his body told him to run, flee, turn tail and run, take to his heels, disappear¡­ This was no place for a mortal, ¡°They didn¡¯t mention the guardian had already awakened¡­¡±


    The man was no stranger to S-class guardians. All the guardians he¡¯d met were bad news, singular entities that stood above all other guardians in terms of power¡­ but something about this one made him regret the day he accepted this job.


    When he tried to move, however, a jolt of pain shot through his shoulder.


    Turning to the pain, he noticed the thick arrow that pinned him to the tree with at least half the shaft driven into the tree. His eyes bulged with shock, ¡®What kind of shot was that?¡¯


    The girl who¡¯d shot the arrow had a small guardian floating above her. Her hand had morphed into what appeared to be a bow made of light. Her presence, however, pulsed with the distinct energy of an A-class guardian¡­ a powerful one at that.


    Sensing its master¡¯s despair, a large black puma descended from the sky, tearing through the trees and landing between the approaching dark knight and the man. The large cat, at least the height of a human, stood between the two of them baring its sharp fangs.


    Alia tilted her head at the guardian, ¡°You would dare?¡±


    The puma glared for a bit locked in a short staring contest, then flinched and wiped the hostility from its body and bowed its head to the knight.


    ¡°Alia¡­¡± Darla broke out of her rage upon hearing the guardian¡¯s voice, ¡°You¡¯re alive¡­ but how?¡±


    She stared at the decapitated creature made of wood with a faint glimmer of hope.


    Alia turned to the girl with an odd look. A guardian couldn¡¯t exist without their master. That was just a fact¡­ Then again, Alia had emerged from the shadows in a rage as well¡­


    The guardian looked at her hands for a bit, feeling the faint connection between her and her master, ¡°Alaric?¡±


    The woods remained quiet for a bit before a whisper blew through the woods, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I think.¡±


    For the aspirants and Alia, this was a total relief. The reckless boy wasn¡¯t dead. Even though he sounded like he was about to pass out, he was not dead.


    ¡°HOW?¡± the mercenary yelled out in anger. Pain shot through his shoulder but he ignored it. He¡¯d been the one with the upper hand in the fight, ¡°How is that possible? I cut you down.¡±


    ¡°Trees don¡¯t die the same way humans do¡­ so I guess cutting off my head means nothing,¡± Alaric explained in a tone that sounded like he¡¯d just shrugged.


    ¡°Alaric, get out of that form. You¡¯ve done more than enough. I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± Alia spoke out loud.


    There was silence for a bit before the forest began to sway once more.


    Three sets of footsteps joined the group just as a group of seeds fell to the ground and began to grow at a rapid pace. The seeds planted their roots fast and quickly entangled themselves in a mess of vines.


    Oddly enough, the mess of growing vines seemed to have a vague order to it. Everyone, including the slayers from the Tower of Seekers, watched as the mess of vines intertwined and twisted endlessly, swelling and taking form until it was evident that nature was crafting the being that had acted as its master in the past few moments.


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    Darla rushed to the boy¡¯s side while the other aspirants came into view, the invisibility spell coming undone.


    As Alaric¡¯s body weaved itself from nothing, Alia turned her attention to the mercenary, ¡°Who sent you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you,¡± the man said through gritted teeth. Blood covered his hands and the spot where a steel arrow was embedded into his skin. As it so happened, the arrow proved more than difficult to remove.


    From his rugged appearance, frustrated expression and bloodied shoulder, Alia could tell that he¡¯d already tried to escape a couple of times.


    Alia scoffed, ¡°I think you have the wrong idea here, buddy. You¡¯re at my mercy now. Your guardian can¡¯t help you which means I can do any number of things I want to get the information out of you¡­ Death is your only escape. It would be a mercy.¡±


    The man turned to his guardian and frowned when he found that the majestic black creature was still bowing, ignoring his surroundings. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not going to just stand there and watch as she does all this, are you?¡±


    The puma remained silent, unmoved by his words. It didn¡¯t matter that he was in despair or that his life was currently in danger. His guardian had gone completely unresponsive¡­ like a parent abandoning their child.


    A bond between a master and a guardian was a sacred thing. So much so that the silence made the mercenary feel colder than he ever had in his life. With a guardian, no one was ever truly alone.


    True loneliness, therefore, was among the most painful things in the Valerian continent and one of the few Forbidden Techniques of Torture.


    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t even know the name of your guardian,¡± Alia mocked.


    ¡°Shut up! Who are you anyway?¡± the man snapped.


    ¡°Someone you¡¯ll never want to see in your life ever again,¡± Alia replied with cold indifference.


    She raised her hand into the air right before a gentle voice reverberated through the woods. Shadows began to coalesce around her palm right before a voice interrupted her, ¡°Not yet¡­¡±


    Alia turned in time to see Alaric standing up from a mess of vines and dirt. Darla supported the boy just as he was about to fall.


    ¡°You¡¯re in no position to walk, Alaric,¡± Alia panicked.


    ¡°I know,¡± the boy nodded earnestly, then limped over towards the puma.


    Alia walked up to the boy and stood between him and the bowing big cat. The guardian¡¯s face was hidden beneath her helmet but her voice carried her emotions clearly, ¡°Not this one.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want his power,¡± Alaric gave a half-smile.


    [You¡¯re the worst liar, Little Prince] Alia gave the prince a sad look.


    [I want to know what happened to this guardian] Alaric replied.


    [You don¡¯t have to. You¡¯re still fifteen] Alia complained.


    Alaric found himself chuckling at this excuse. Since when did his age mean he didn¡¯t have to do certain things?


    [And yet I know how to fight and use aether¡­ I¡¯ll be fine, Alia]


    Loudly, he spoke, ¡°We can find out everything we need through his guardian. You don¡¯t have to torture the man.¡±


    ¡°He deserves it and so much more,¡± Alia growled.


    ¡°His guardian will decide that,¡± Alia replied with a weak but warm smile.


    Reluctantly, Alia let the boy through but stayed by his side.


    Alaric¡¯s ability was a powerful one¡­ but it didn¡¯t come without its side effects. Alaric brought his hand down on the puma¡¯s dark fur and stroked it¡­


    For a brief moment, everything was fine¡­ but then, it wasn¡¯t.


    The boy¡¯s knees buckled and he fell onto one knee. His tired mind was filled with so much information that he felt his eyes roll back into his head. He felt his mind near the brink of destruction, a feeling he was starting to feel often.


    He was in no way used to the agony that came with using his power¡­ and yet, he didn¡¯t plan to stop using it.


    ¡®On the bright side, I didn¡¯t pass out this time,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Alia heard these thoughts but merely balled her fists. A few moments later, Alaric¡¯s mind was cast into a world he¡¯d never had the chance to experience.


    A man dressed in black robes was walking down the halls of an expensive mansion. The walls were covered with intricate tapestries and art pieces.


    Walking behind him was a majestic puma. The two paid no mind to the antiques. Rather, they were engrossed in a deep argument.


    ¡®Quit the Flame Vipers, Darth.¡¯


    ¡®No, Sabre. I won¡¯t quit. We¡¯ve never had so much money before¡­ and yet we¡¯ve served the Elite Guard for years. What do they give us in return? The bare minimum to get buy. No, we¡¯ll be mercenaries¡­ and we¡¯ll use our abilities to pave the way to our future.¡¯


    ¡®But you¡¯ll be killing people. I know we¡¯ve always been lax on morals, but that¡¯s a last straw for every guardian¡­¡¯


    ¡°Darth, is that you?¡± a voice interrupted them.


    Darth turned just in time to witness a man dressed in full ceremonial mage robes walking up to him. The man carried himself with an air of dignity unlike any other safe for the Emperor himself.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Good evening, Master Jafar,¡± Darth bowed.


    ¡°Guardian trouble?¡± Master Jafar asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ but we¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it once more. You won¡¯t be able to change your guardian¡¯s mind. I can imagine he just said killing is a no-go for you,¡± Jafar chuckled.


    ¡°Yes¡­ h-how did you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ simply because that¡¯s what they all say,¡± the man replied quietly. Clicking his tongue, he gestured for the man to follow him.


    Something inside Darth¡¯s stomach turned. He knew he shouldn¡¯t have followed Master Jafar¡­ but curiosity got the better of him that day.


    This would be the day that he forgot his guardian¡¯s name.

 28. Forgotten Guardian

    Master Jafar was a famous and powerful mage in the South known for his vast knowledge and ''innovative'' ways of using aether to perform miraculous feats. Even in the field of magic, he was known to stand in a league of his own with only very few who could stand against him.


    It was because of him that South Valeria was prosperous and full of aspiring mages. While the rest of the continent was aspiring to create the best generation of Slayers in the ways of Elite Guards and Adventurers, South Valeria was booming with aspiring mages, alchemists and inventors.


    Instead of striving for the prestige of joining the Elite Guard, this man had shattered the status quo and given the world an entirely new way of looking at the power their guardians granted them.


    Even the emperor was pleased with his work¡­ And yet, as he led Darth through the great austere halls of the Flame Viper Squad''s headquarters, the novice mercenary found his mind screaming in pain.


    From a young age, Darth had learned to suppress pain of great magnitude, being born in a rough neighbourhood only to be orphaned very early on. And yet, right now, he struggled to contain the headache he had coming on.


    His stomach turned and his nerves flared. Something was very wrong here. ¡®What if the rumours of Master Jafar being a Dark Mage are true?¡¯ he wondered.


    He spared the man a glance. Black robes, an imposing aura, a height every man dreamed of and the chiselled face of a pampered noble. He was rich, good-looking and beyond successful. Everything Darth wanted.


    His guardian, however, whilst acting completely normal, yelled into his mind, [Get out of there. Don¡¯t follow this man. His soul has been tainted by something foul. This man is bad news.]


    [Hey, what did we say about judging a book by its cover? Master Darth is the sole reason why the Flame Vipers have thrived. He¡¯s the reason we even got ourselves a job that paid very well, remember?] the novice mercenary yelled.


    [THAT JOB WAS A MISTAKE! Killing is forbidden. How many times will I tell you this?] Sabre answered him sternly.


    [How many times will I tell you that I did that for us? We need the money. I¡¯m not going back to the streets just because you don¡¯t have the guts to do what it takes] Darth yelled back at his guardian.


    At this point, his agitation was visible on his face.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jafar asked him, having noticed the twitching of his facial muscles.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Darth muttered, ¡°Just fine.¡±


    Inside, he was a mess of pain and emotions. It took everything for him to keep from collapsing on the floor in pain.


    ¡°Actually¡­ ever since I returned from the hit mission, I¡­¡±


    ¡°...Can¡¯t stop arguing with your guardian. You must be in a lot of pain,¡± the man finished his sentences with a knowing smile.


    Darth gasped¡­ then his pain doubled and he gritted his teeth.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Jafar added nonchalantly, "Just a little further."


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    Images of a dead boy with a slit throat flashed through Darth¡¯s eyes. The sight of his eyes losing that little spark of life was engrained into the back of his mind like a permanent scar. With these images, immense pain rippled through Darth''s head, ''What''s with this headache?''


    He wanted to lie down. He wanted to go back to his quarters and sleep it off. Perhaps even take a sleeping tonic while he was at it.


    Jafar led the novice mercenary up a tall spire. While the Flame Viper Headquarters had four of these, this one was forbidden for reasons unknown to the majority of the squad members.


    Jafar claimed it was where he handled his experiments and no one bothered to ask any more of him.


    Higher and higher they went until they reached a door that led to the very top chamber. The older man, without saying a word, opened the door and led Darth into the chamber.


    This room, unlike what Darth had expected, was filled with hundreds of transparent glassware, all filled with unknown liquids of different colours. Books were scattered on the tables in a mess, depicting odd magic circles and symbols he didn¡¯t understand.


    An unnatural stench filled the air as well as an ominous palpable form of aether. Whether the two were one and the same remained a mystery to the novice mercenary.


    Only after the suspicious closing click of the room¡¯s door key did Jafar finally let a smile grace his face, ¡°You did well to make it this far.¡±


    At this point, Darth collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain, ¡°What¡¯s happening to me?¡±


    The large puma, which had been following the pair all this time, growled and pounced at the mage.


    Jafar waved his hand at the creature dismissively, summoning a network of black chains into existence. The chains violently bound the guardian and pinned it to the ground, covering every inch of Sabre¡¯s luscious black fur. It all happened within a fraction of a second, yet Jafar didn''t look shaken at all.


    Taking his eyes off the guardian, Jafar turned back to Darth¡¯s pained form on the ground. The young man had balled himself up with his hands over his ears, gritting his teeth in pain.


    ¡°You¡¯re a strong one, Darth,¡± Jafar spoke, moving over to his desk. Absentmindedly, he started putting away his books and fixing up his lab little by little, ¡°Fighting your guardian¡¯s will is no easy feat. Making it to the last place a guardian would ever be caught wandering is even greater.


    You, my friend, are very special,¡± the man¡¯s voice echoed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, you do.¡±


    Jafar remained silent for a moment, then walked to a table at the centre of the laboratory. Darth was struggling to understand what this had to do with anything. His head was on the verge of exploding and yet the man before him was¡­ relaxed.


    Was this some form of torture he hadn¡¯t heard of? And why was his guardian tied up?


    [Leave this place¡­ and RUN!] Sabre whispered into his mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your guardian. Those bonds are merely for my protection. Once we¡¯re done here, I¡¯ll set him free,¡± Jafar responded calmly.


    ¡°Those chains though¡­¡±


    ¡°The minimum amount required to hold a guardian of his strength. You should be proud. Even I¡¯m straining against him. He¡¯s a fine partner,¡± the man responded with a smirk.


    Darth didn¡¯t know what to make of this situation. His guardian was visibly straining against the multitude of chains holding him down like a second skin. The black chains rattled and rolled across the guardian¡¯s fur, failing to contain the contours of the puma¡¯s bulging cables of muscle rolling beneath them, fighting to set the guardian free.


    [Get out of here now, Darth. This man is bad news¡­]


    ¡°Don¡¯t you wish your guardian would just stop bossing you around for a bit¡­ and listen to you for once?¡±


    These few words¡­ sounded like honey in Darth¡¯s ears. Maybe it was the way he said it, or maybe it was something deep down within him that related so much with the man¡¯s words¡­


    ¡°And the headaches?¡± he asked, his heart beating loudly in his chest.


    The rattling chains came to a halt¡­ [You wouldn¡¯t.]


    Darth spared his guardian one last look, wondering what it would be like for the big guy to stop arguing with him at every turn. He¡¯d gotten them here, hadn¡¯t he? He was standing in a very forbidden room talking to a very powerful man who had just referred to him as ¡®special.¡¯


    Turning away from Sabre, he asked the mage calmly, ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    This was also the last day he called his guardian by his name. Not because he didn¡¯t want to¡­ but because he was no longer able to. The name ¡®Sabre¡¯ would continue to vanish from his memory even though he heard it a thousand times.


    Such was the weight of his crime.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

 29. Darths Punishment

    Alaric snapped back to the present moments later. Beads of sweat gleamed on his brow while his stomach churned in repulsion to the memory he¡¯d just witnessed.


    He staggered back, leaning on Darla for support, ¡°You okay?¡± the girl asked.


    Alaric nodded, ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡±


    He then regarded his free hand. His skin had turned darker and light fur had sprouted from his hand. His eyes shone amber with slit-like pupils.


    As his mind came back to the present, these transformations faded away, returning him to the way he was before.


    Alaric noticed everyone around him. The Tower Slayers had arrived, along with Garin. While the three weren¡¯t looking their best, they were alright. Garin mouthed, ¡®Are you done?¡¯ to which Alaric shook his head.


    The three slayers were acting tame for now but Alaric could already guess they had procedure for situations like this. Darth had a lot in store for him. Before all that happened, however, Alaric wanted to know a few things.


    Fortunately, Garin was understanding enough to allow him this opportunity. Now that Alaric looked at the dishevelled man, he noticed several differences between him and his past self.


    His body was a lot more built than it had been in the memory. His expression was more sinister, his dark-skinned face littered with pins and piercings that made him so unrecognizable from the innocent novice he used to be¡­ all because he chose to walk the path he was currently on.


    Did he still even care for his guardian like he used to? While it was true that he had a weird way of showing it, Alaric had indeed detected the pure intentions behind him trying to make enough money to get himself and his guardian off the streets and into a better life.


    How things had gone this wrong, however, was completely beyond his comprehension.


    ¡°You suppressed your guardian,¡± Alaric whispered with suppressed anger.


    ¡°Dark magic,¡± Garin sighed, ¡°South Valeria is home to most Dark Mages.¡±


    The large puma, Sabre, as Alaric had heard from its memories, was in constant pain, much like Darth had been back then. Darth¡¯s pain, however, had been caused by his constant disagreements with his guardian.


    The pain Sabre was being subjected to, however, would never go away regardless of what the guardian did. It didn¡¯t matter how well he performed what was asked of him.


    It was only now that Alia and Alaric had stepped in and suppressed their bond that the Saber was experiencing relief. Waves of gratitude flowed into Alaric¡¯s mind, as well as waves of great sadness.


    Darth was still the guardian¡¯s master. That would never change.


    Now that Alaric had the time, he managed to notice some more details of the guardian¡¯s appearance. There were scars matting its fur in several places. Its majestic wings had missing feathers, its muscles had degenerated greatly and there was a general lack of the vibrance he¡¯d witnessed in the memory manifesting most in the faded thin fur.


    ¡°So what if I did suppress him? I only got him to obey me more. Kill him, Black!¡± Darth yelled out.


    Garin and the two guards tensed, aether flowing as they got ready for a fight that never came. Sabre didn¡¯t move¡­ Only silence awaited the sick command.


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    ¡°I said¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice left him as the puma fell to the ground, unconscious¡­ or rather, asleep, ¡°Black?¡±


    Among the things this guardian had not had in a long time was a peaceful sleep.


    Alaric didn¡¯t miss the look of worry on the mercenary¡¯s face, ¡°You almost look like you care for your guardian.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing about me,¡± Darth yelled out, straining against the arrow that still had him pinned to the tree. When he tried to force it out of his shoulder, the steel rod burrowed deeper into his shoulder, drawing a painful grunt from him.


    Darla stared at him more intently, magic pulsing from her bow as she kept the arrow firmly planted in the tree.


    Alaric swayed slightly, confusion filling his mind. How was he supposed to approach this? He wanted to punish this man but no number of punishments satisfied him. Alia was as much a part of him as his heart was.


    To taint their bond with dark magic was unspeakable. Silently, he whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve your guardian.¡±


    The forest got colder at the boy¡¯s words. Like a switch in his mind, he felt something click before the black puma vanished from existence.


    Darth gasped¡­ ¡°My¡­ My guardian.¡±


    Alaric¡¯s knees gave out, his consciousness slipping for a moment. At that moment, however, hell broke loose.


    Darla switched her attention to catching him as he fell. Finn was by his side a moment in an instant.


    Away from them, Darth shot off the arrow pinning him to the tree, disregarding the damage that was done to his shoulder and shot for the dizzy boy with intense murderous intent.


    His black scythe curved through the air and clanged loudly as it struck a black shield and bounced off. Alia had intervened faster than the man could follow.


    As he reeled back, the guardian stepped forward and struck his gut with her fist slamming his body into the ground with a punch that shook the forest with the force of an earthquake.


    All this happened in the time it took for Alaric to blink slowly.


    Alia checked the man¡¯s body, then sighed, ¡°He¡¯s still alive. He must have a really high Temper Rank.¡±


    Garin approached the guardian, ¡°We realised that when we fought him. Splitting his body creates clones with lower Temper Ranks but as a whole, he¡¯s on another level, probably Steel Rank. The Tower can take it from here especially considering he attacked a potential ally.¡±


    Alia nodded and returned to her master, ¡°Alaric get some rest¡ª¡± the guardian shook her head, ¡°Who am I kidding? Darla, make sure he gets enough rest. I must retreat so he can let go of the barrier. Garin, I leave these children under your protection.¡±


    ¡°You can leave them to me,¡± Garin nodded.


    Silently, Alia retreated into her master¡¯s shadow and as she did, the rippling barrier shattered and vanished from existence. Darla and Finn helped Alaric settle down as he¡¯d lost most of his strength.


    Aiden and his friends joined them as well. No one said a word as they watched the slayers get to work restraining the criminal. A long spell Alaric couldn¡¯t quite place was used to block his aether pathways and another to limit his strength.


    His scythe, which had remained physical even after he was knocked out, was confiscated and the man was hauled back to where the other criminals had been rounded up.


    Gunther, one of the Tower guards assigned to Alaric was to stay behind to handle transporting the criminals while the other, LionHeart, was to accompany Garin and the kids back to their homes.


    ¡°You¡¯re guardian awakened,¡± Alaric told Darla, finally breaking the silence. The bow of light on her hand had vanished when she caught him but the small flying butler still existed.


    Darla¡¯s guardian was a handsome pixie-sized man who hovered through the air, his wings flapping noiselessly as he stayed by his master¡¯s side.


    ¡°Meet Apollo,¡± Darla said calmly.


    Apollo gave a dignified bow, ¡°It¡¯s an honour to meet you, Prince Alaric. I am Darla¡¯s guardian and my name is Apollo of Concept.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no prince. Just Alaric,¡± Alaric narrowed his eyes at the guardian.


    ¡°Oh¡­ but I would never refer to someone like you by their name,¡± Apollo''s composure seemed genuinely shaken.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Alaric sighed, then turned to Darla. The girl had just awakened her guardian without the help of an Awakening Orb. As far as Alaric knew, the condition for that was extreme despair, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you.¡±


    Darla¡¯s usually inexpressive face was suddenly tinged with teary eyes that never seemed to let down the tears held within them, ¡°You better be. I thought you were gone.¡±


    Alaric pulled her into a warm embrace.


    If there was ever something he was serious about. It was this. On the day Jared died, Alaric had felt so much despair that something inside him broke¡­ and awoke Alia from her slumber.


    He could imagine the same thing had happened to Darla and for that, he was truly sorry for what he¡¯d put her through.


    Garin returned shortly after to the children who were under LionHeart¡¯s protection, ¡°There is nothing more for us to do here. Let¡¯s go home.¡±

 30. Apollo of Concept

    Alaric tried his best to sleep on the back of the great stingray. And while it was indeed comfortable, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to relax in case some other enemy showed up.


    Besides this, there were plenty of things that kept him awake. One of them was what happened to Darth¡¯s guardian. Alaric knew his Inborn Ability was not like most.


    Unlike many Abilities out there that were straightforward to use, his remained unclear as to what it truly was. Instead, he bore several faucets with only one aspect remaining consistent: Guardians.


    Alaric¡¯s power, whenever activated, had something about Guardians.


    Normally, one¡¯s guardian would take on the responsibility of revealing the nature of their Inborn Ability if they hadn¡¯t yet discovered it. Alaric, however, had no such luxury.


    While everyone got their powers spelt out for them by their guardians, Alaric was stuck figuring out how his work was. From the moment he¡¯d discovered the little things about it from Thomper, Alia hadn¡¯t said a word to add to his knowledge of his ability.


    All he knew was that his power was one that Alia deemed fit for a king, and that was all.


    Now, he seemed to have made Darth¡¯s guardian disappear. The large puma still haunted his dreams, making him wonder where it had vanished to. From the look of rage on Darth¡¯s face as he attacked Alaric after that, he could tell something fundamentally wrong had happened.


    Part of him even dared to guess that he¡¯d unknowingly severed the bond between Darth and his guardian, Sabre.


    Why else would the mercenary have risked nearly tearing his arm from its socket just for revenge?


    Taking a deep breath, he turned to the flying pixie hovering above Darla¡¯s shoulder, ¡°So, are you a Grounded?¡±


    Apollo¡¯s face fell, ¡°Is my presence that displeasing, Prince Alaric?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m just curious,¡± Alaric asked, seemingly unfazed by the guardian¡¯s jabs.


    ¡°No, I am not a Grounded. I can be called upon at a moment¡¯s notice and do take less time manifesting into the Physical world than most guardians,¡± Apollo replied.


    Grounded Guardians, like Thomper, were guardians that manifested into the real world permanently upon their Awakening. Several theories regarding why some guardians were made that way had come up, some more sensible than others.


    The majority of people settled for just asking the question to know how their lives were going to change in case their guardians were indeed Grounded.


    Hearing Apollo¡¯s explanation, he nodded and moved on to his next question, ¡°How does your power work? I noticed the bow that manifested on Darla¡¯s arm.¡±


    ¡°I hold the power of Concept. Any concept my master wields will be amplified significantly. The more mastery she has in a certain concept, the better I can help her. If she was a master, the bow she manifested could become a physical weapon like the arrow that came out of it. It would never miss,¡± Apollo explained with a triumphant humph.


    ¡°Oh, so where do you fit in all this?¡± Finn pitched in with a suspicious look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I bear knowledge of every concept. I merely need to be unlocked by my master for me to guide her in how to be better,¡± Apollo puffed out his chest once more.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re a broken library,¡± Finn¡¯s face fell.


    ¡°You ingrate!¡±


    ¡°Not sure what that means but it¡¯s probably more powerful than you are, tiny,¡± Finn argued.


    Without warning, the flying man launched himself at Finn. Finn raised his hands and shut his eyes, ¡°Get him away from me, Darla.¡±


    ¡°Give him the good stuff, Apollo¡­¡±


    Two minutes later, Alaric had his palm covering his face while Finn laughed like a maniac under the ticklish attack of a pixie assaulting his ribs. As it turned out, Apollo was indeed useless in a fight.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    His fists were more or less non-existent. Intelligent as the guardian was, he¡¯d abandoned the impossible odds of winning in a fair fight and resorted to going for Finn¡¯s weak points.


    ¡°Make it¡­ stop¡­ Darl¡­ Darla¡­¡±


    ¡°You brought this on yourself. I see no reason to help you,¡± Darla sighed, keeping a small smile on her face.


    Alaric laughed along with his friends. There were still things on his mind¡­ but for now, he allowed his mind to relax.


    Alaric came to know the names of his guards. One, a tall large man with a winged lion for a guardian, was aptly named LionHeart while the other, a lean man with a black unicorn and the power of lightning and storms named Gunther.


    Gunther volunteered to watch the bandits, summoning reinforcements from the Tower of Seekers. The task of keeping the demons they¡¯d defeated subdued also fell on him. Fortunately for him, it didn¡¯t take long before reinforcements arrived.


    Alaric sat in his seat, his mind tiredly flashing with memories of pain. Waves of fatigue washed over him, piling in intervals and revealing more and more of how tired he truly was.


    The damage he¡¯d received from fighting against Darth should have made it impossible for him to stand let alone stay awake¡­ and yet, here Alaric was, failing to rest in spite of his friends¡¯ insistence.


    Alaric raised his hand up and watched as black fur sprouted from the back of his hand, then vanished. Next, he watched as his nails lengthened and grew sharp before returning to their normal appearance.


    ¡°Want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Alaric asked absentmindedly.


    ¡°About what you found in Darth¡¯s mind,¡± the girl responded, ¡°You know you¡¯re the reason we know Sister Marla used to be a badass adventurer.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alaric chuckled, remembering the time he¡¯d made it into Old Thomper¡¯s memories of his master.


    Back when he¡¯d used his ability on Thomper, he¡¯d felt nothing but warmth and joy from Sister Marla¡¯s past. She was surrounded by people who loved her, enjoying a job that allowed her to help people before finally settling down as the caretaker of an orphanage in the Five Hills.


    It wasn¡¯t the same for Darth though. Where there was happiness in Sister Marla¡¯s path, pain and suffering flourished in Darth¡¯s memories.


    Disobeying his guardian had caused him a constant headache, especially on the day she followed Jafar up his spire.


    It was through the dark mage that he then placed his guardian through the same pain for years, intensifying whenever orders were disobeyed.


    And for years, the guardian had endured this pain, at times going against his own principles for a bit of reliefs.


    Sadly, going against his principles meant committing atrocities like killing, torturing and atrocities Alaric¡¯s mind had been shielded from.


    What little he witnessed though¡­ was unthinkable.


    Shaking, Alaric tried to take his mind off these thoughts, [Alia, you okay?]


    [Yeah¡­]


    [What¡¯s on your mind?]


    [Just wishing I killed Darth before the Tower Guards stopped us] Alia responded.


    The boy was stumped by the reply. Could she really kill him?


    [Doesn¡¯t killing him mean his guardian dies?] Alaric asked.


    [It¡¯s better than a life of eternity] the knight responded indifferently.


    The logic broke the poor boy¡¯s mind. Death is a better than life¡­?


    It was a thought he couldn¡¯t wrap himself around. Death to Alaric was nothing¡­ the ceasing to exist. When he was numb and emotionless, he pinched himself to remind himself he was alive.


    So to him, pain was a reminder he was alive. Why then would he ever wish for death?


    A light chuckle resounded within his mind, ¡®You don¡¯t have to think of all that now. You¡¯re still only fifteen.¡¯


    Alaric wanted to argue but then a voice tore through the silence, ¡°So the rumour is true then? A boy in the Five Hills awakened his guardian.¡±


    Aiden had finally spoken up.


    Alaric didn¡¯t turn back and remained silent. The boy had been difficult to read since the end of the Appraisal ceremony.


    ¡°That makes two now,¡± Finn corrected with a smile.


    Darla struck the boy¡¯s side, ¡°That¡¯s not a good thing, doofus.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Finn asked, confused.


    ¡°Because it means the Five Hills is a dark place,¡± Gunther spoke from his flying horse, ¡°Guardians are summoned prematurely when someone is exposed to a traumatizing event. When someone witnesses something close to death, their guardians can awaken because of that.¡±


    ¡°What will happen to Darth?¡± Alaric asked abruptly.


    ¡°That¡¯s for the Tower to decide. He might be looking at five years in prison¡­ if the Flame Vipers don¡¯t get involved that is,¡± Gunther shrugged.


    ¡°He was using Dark Magic though. Isn¡¯t that illegal?¡± Alaric asked, curious.


    Everyone went silent at the claim. Garin and Gunther were silent for a moment before the Stingray rider spoke up, ¡°That¡¯s a big accusation. The kind that could get you killed. Dark Magic is forbidden. So, anyone who practices it has deep roots in protecting them. Careful what you say.¡±


    Alaric went silent after that¡­ and a few minutes later, he sighed and told Alia, [I¡¯m starting to like your idea with each passing minute.]


    The guardian chuckled at his words, a laugh that sent warmth through the tired boy¡¯s cold heart. Alaric, for a moment, forgot what they¡¯d been talking about as well as the problems that troubled him, and marvelled at how much he¡¯d missed her laugh.


    The carefree nature of the laugh, the sincerity and emotion behind it was simple¡­ and yet strong enough to light a spark in his frozen bitter heart, reminding him of the boy that woke up that morning to attend an Appraisal ceremony.


    Alia, missing this subtle transformation, finally spoke through her laughter, [You leave the killing to me, little prince. If it were up to me, I¡¯d make sure you never have to shed a single drop of blood for as long as you live.]


    The statement itself had two sides¡­ and Alaric didn¡¯t miss them.


    [Right,] he replied.


    Alia¡¯s unspoken words, however, remained clear as day¡­ Alaric would come to spill blood in time¡­ and Alia was sure of it.

 31. Thank You

    The rest of the journey happened without incident. If anything, it was pleasant. Finn and Apollo weren¡¯t done bickering. However now it was becoming clear that the tables had turned and Darla was the one who had a somewhat cute guardian.


    Calling Apollo ¡®cute¡¯ was not exactly fair considering the kind of aura he emitted. How he managed to exude so much power and be so weak at the same, however, was another matter altogether, considering Finn couldn¡¯t bring himself to fear the midget.


    SwiftWind flew through the clouds, above them and below, offering the children brilliant views of the world from all possible angles. They flew past towns and witnessed the lives of various people as they travelled.


    Alaric, seeing a few carriages every now and then, realised the stingray wasn¡¯t making its rounds when it picked them up. SwiftWind really only visited Jack¡¯s Fall and the Five Hills for reasons other than ¡®to do his job.¡¯


    Other Aspirants weren¡¯t as lucky as they were to have a caretaker whose friend worked at the Tower, so they had to make do with harsher means of transportation.


    In other news, now that Alaric was off guard duty or rather, off secret-guard duty, his mission was to rest. The stingray flew slower and steadied its pace to an intentional one that gradually lulled the boy to sleep.


    Silently, Garin left his place at the reins to adjust Alaric¡¯s seat.


    A few clicks later, the leather seat converted into a comfortable recliner. The man retrieved a thin blanket from a storage bracelet on his hand much like the one Alaric had around his wrist and covered the boy.


    ¡°The rest of you should get some rest as well. We used a powerful Search Spell. We should be safe this time,¡± the red-haired knight suggested.


    Darla shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ll stay awake and protect Alaric like he did for us.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Garin shrugged and returned to his place at the head of the giant stingray.


    ***


    The sun was starting its journey down the sky when Alaric stirred awake. The moon was already up in the distance, shooing the sun away.


    To the boy¡¯s right, Darla had her head in her hands, struggling against the sleep weighing down on her eyelids. To her right, Finn was comfortably sleeping with his arms wrapped around Apollo¡¯s small frame. The little pixie didn¡¯t seem to mind as he too had long since fallen asleep.


    A small smile graced Alaric¡¯s face as he turned his gaze back to check on the others. The two girls with Aiden had gone to sleep. Aiden, on the other hand, was wide awake and looking down on the world below them.


    Following his gaze, Alaric spotted a town in the distance. Lanterns of ambient shades and soft colours filled the streets in beautiful hues, painting the town in a festive light.


    Checking his aether reserves, he frowned in thought for a bit before using a little magic to enhance his sight.


    In the distance, he managed to spot villagers setting up decorations while vendors, performers and traders went about preparing their various places of work for what appeared to be festivities.


    And yet, Alaric found no memory of any festivities this time of the year.


    ¡°Did you rest well, Alaric?¡± Garin¡¯s voice filtered into Alaric¡¯s ears.


    The boy nodded, ¡°Yes¡­ What festival is being celebrated at this time of the year?¡±


    ¡°Ah! You don¡¯t know. Jack¡¯s Fall¡¯s Coming of Age Ceremony is today. You ready for it, Aiden?¡± the man asked.


    Aiden shrugged his shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s not like I have a choice in the matter.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°You got that right, boy. I wish I could be there to celebrate though,¡± Garin chuckled, ¡°I attended last year¡¯s ceremony and it was phenomenal.¡±


    Despite Garin¡¯s attempts at talking in low voices, the children began stirring. Apollo, being the first, began to squirm out of Finn¡¯s iron grip.


    ¡°Coming of Age?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Folks of this little town hold a celebration for the brats returning from the Appraisal Ceremony. It¡¯s a time to eat, drink and be with family,¡± Garin explained.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Alaric¡¯s eyes went wide, ¡°That sounds like¡­ fun.¡±


    At the same time, he remembered the fact that Garin had just mentioned ¡®family.¡¯ He was from an orphanage, so he knew well the difference between his family and what the word ¡®family¡¯ should have meant. Still, this didn¡¯t get to him. There were more orphans than children with families anyway.


    With a ceremony like this though, children were bound to be looking forward to their Coming of Age Ceremony. It explained, to some extent, the excitement Aiden had had at the start of the Appraisal Ceremony.


    ¡°You should see them dance,¡± Garin chuckled.


    ¡°Shut up, Garin,¡± the blushing blonde at the back yelled at the top of his voice.


    The damage, however, had been done, ¡°Aiden??? You know how to dance?¡± Finn asked excitedly, the sleep long gone from his eyes while he absentmindedly swatted away a buzzing Apollo.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Aiden yelled at the boy.


    Finn beamed, ¡°You¡¯ve got to show me.¡±


    ¡°Never¡­ GARIN, LAND NOW,¡± Aiden yelled.


    Finn and Garin burst into laughter. Darla giggled along before Garin said through his chuckles, ¡°You heard the boy, SwiftWind. Take us down.¡±


    The gigantic stingray rumbled before banking into a gentle nosedive. Unlike earlier, they didn¡¯t speed like a rocket aimed for the ground. The stingray glided to the ground in a gentle downward spiral, landing at the top of the hill with a well.


    Alaric spotted a gathering of people approaching the well, their faces beaming with proud smiles. They were the kind of smiles that infected even the gloomiest of people¡ªsmiles filled with such pride and love that Alaric found himself instinctively smiling.


    His smile widened even more when a little girl let go of the hands of her mother and father and came running toward the landing stingray, ¡°Big Brother!¡±


    Aiden was already jumping off the guardian before they were properly stopped only to be engulfed in a huge hug. The other two girls, Black and Red were met by their parents as well.


    ¡°No orphans?¡± Alaric wondered.


    He knew the difference between an orphan¡¯s welcome and that of a child who had a loving family. While he had no problems with the latter, he was also aware of the staggeringly large amount of orphans in the world.


    In Valeria, an orphan was a lot more common than not.


    He was also aware of the fact that the word ¡®orphan¡¯ was merely a title in this twisted world. Living in an orphanage and going by the title of orphan didn¡¯t require one to have lost both parents.


    Alaric knew of this¡­ but the reason why still eluded him. Asking Sister Marla had yielded no results as well. As the caretaker of an orphanage herself, she was beholden to certain information.


    ¡°No orphans are coming of age in Jack¡¯s Fall this year,¡± Garin answered with a shrug.


    ¡°I see,¡± Alaric replied, his smile still stuck to his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking brighter. How are you holding up? You used up an insane amount of aether,¡± Garin observed, walking off the edge of the stingray.


    Alaric checked himself, feeling for his slowly replenishing aether reserves. His body hurt a ton and he could do without any unnecessary movements. Other than that, he felt fine, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    This time, Alaric and his friends would be the ones staying on the stingray while Garin delivered the Aspirants that had been placed under his care back to their parents.


    He watched as Garin and the three Aspirants from Jack¡¯s Fall approached the villagers, leaving Alaric and his friends in comfortable silence.


    Alaric lingered, watching the happy reunion taking place in front of them. Aiden had a wonderful family with two vibrant parents and two siblings, a younger sister and a baby brother. The children all took on their father¡¯s blonde hair, leaving their mother standing out with her black wavy locks.


    The other two girls had much larger families welcoming them while Garin walked up to an older-looking man whose form radiated a calm yet powerful aura.


    [That man has a strong guardian] Alia whispered.


    [S-class¡­]


    [I can¡¯t tell. Perhaps a high-grade A-class] the guardian responded. It struck Alaric as odd that he hadn¡¯t sensed the man at all during their arrival.


    ¡°He must have been a remarkable fighter in his younger days,¡± Darla muttered.


    Alaric nodded in agreement, ¡°I wondered how reaching the Gateway would ensure our safety. Now, I know.¡±


    ¡°You alright, Alaric? Really?¡± Finn asked, this time he too sounded concerned.


    Alaric turned and gave the boy a tight-lipped smile, ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Before the friends could proceed to more important topics, the stingray shuddered as something heavy landed on it. Alaric looked back to see Aiden standing not far from him with his hands tight on a leather seat.


    Garin laughed while the other children giggled, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want seconds.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Aiden gripped the leather seats even tighter as he remembered his first time hoping onto SwiftWind¡­ It had happened on this same exact hill.


    ¡°Did you forget something, Aiden?¡± Alaric asked, withholding his own laughter.


    Aiden turned back to Alaric, stumbling all over his words for the first time since Alaric had met him.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡­ I¡­ forgot to say ¡®Thank you¡¯.¡±

 32. Village Elders Manor

    Alaric blinked, dumbfounded. Had Aiden just¡­


    [Don¡¯t make it weird] Alia snapped the boy out of whatever twisted thoughts he was about to concoct.


    ¡°Oh, it was nothing,¡± the green-eyed boy countered smoothly. ¡®Why is my heart beating so fast?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to act cool. I think I¡¯ve seen enough,¡± the boy chuckled, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, we would not have made it back and I can¡¯t thank you enough for that. I¡¯ve heard rumours of thieves stealing orbs from promising aspirants for various reasons¡­ Portions, Temper Pills, Money¡­ But I never thought I¡¯d meet the worst of them. Most of the rumours mention bandits, not mercenaries.¡±


    As Aiden spoke, the large gathering approached the stingray. SwiftWind slowly glided lower so they could all see the boy seated atop his back.


    Covered in dirt and the scent of the woods with one hell of a messy mop of hair, Alaric couldn¡¯t look any more dishevelled. His clothes were covered in dirt, sap and wrinkled beyond recognition having been recreated poorly by his Ability.


    All that remained intact on his body was a shiny silver bracelet with the symbol of the Tower of Seekers and a simple charm hanging from his neck.


    ¡°So this is the boy that we owe our children¡¯s lives to,¡± the old man with a powerful aura spoke out loud, catching Alaric¡¯s attention.


    Aiden stood aside and bowed his head respectfully to the man. The air seemed to react to man¡¯s presence as well, going completely still. Under his calm gaze, the world went deathly silent¡­ too silent.


    [He¡¯s even more impressive up close] Alia chuckled to herself. In truth, the shivers that ran through the powerful guardian reached Alaric through their bond.


    Alaric hadn¡¯t met anyone Alia didn¡¯t disregard as second-rate except for the Master of the Tower of Seekers. While he had the chance, Alaric took in the man¡¯s features.


    Wisps of white hair were mixed into his dark hair, creating a pure black-and-white contrast, unlike anything Alaric had ever seen. It almost appeared intentional for him to have partly black hair and white hair. If it wasn¡¯t for the randomness of the two colours, he would have thought the man dyed his hair.


    He wore a simple tunic that looked more like a gown worn for ceremonial events than normal clothes. Alas, the silken texture of the simple clothes told a different story, a story of opulence beyond what a small village should have been capable of.


    Still, these clothes were simple in contrast to those worn by Miss Vermillion, the high-strung noble who had offered Alaric money in exchange for his guardian.


    ¡°I would like to express our deepest gratitude to you. Perhaps a warm bath, a change of clothes, a warm bed and the best food Jack¡¯s Fall has to offer,¡± the man suggested.


    Alaric¡¯s heart melted¡­ A warm bath sounded exactly like the thing he needed, ¡°It¡¯s getting late though. We really have to¡­¡±


    ¡°We can send Miss Marla a message by messenger owl. The three of you will return to the Five Hills in time for breakfast. Tonight, let¡¯s thank you for returning our children to us safe and sound.


    We have a festival this time of year, you know. It would be a shame for a hero to miss such a brilliant event,¡± the man¡¯s voice was deep and had that charm with the power to stop all rejections in one¡¯s throat.


    Alaric was fighting a losing battle. He squirmed under the man¡¯s gaze, turning to his friends for help. The two looked away from him and Alaric could almost hear their thoughts, ¡®You¡¯re the hero, not us.¡¯


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Garin?¡± Alaric turned to the stingray rider with a beaming smile.


    ¡®My knight in shining armour,¡¯ his thoughts swooned.


    The man sighed deeply¡­ ¡°If the Messenger Owl returns with Marla¡¯s positive reply, we can stay the night.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± the old man replied, ¡°It¡¯s decided then¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡­¡± Garin started only to get cut off by the old man.


    ¡°Aiden, lead these fine aspirants to my manor. The festival today is about them too, y¡¯know. And you can never have too many aspirants.¡±


    Aiden turned to Alaric and extended his hand for him to take, ¡°Come. I¡¯ll show you to the old man¡¯s manor.¡±


    ¡°When did I agree to¡­¡± Garin tried once more.


    This time, the old man turned to him with his hand raised, ¡°Come, Garin. Let¡¯s get the message to Marla before it''s too late to wake the owls.¡±


    With that, Garin left with the old man and elders to discuss other matters in detail, while the youngsters gathered around Alaric and his friends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try having proper introductions this time,¡± Aiden cheered before they spiralled off into the epic tales of Alaric the Brave and All-Powerful.


    The two girls that had attended the Appraisal Ceremony turned to them at the mention of introductions, ¡°You¡¯ve met Raven.¡±


    Raven, a girl with short red hair whom Alaric had simply named Red, bowed her head a bit, ¡°My name¡¯s Raven. An only child and Aiden¡¯s best friend. Honestly, he wouldn¡¯t be able to function without me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough about Raven. She loves herself a little more than everybody else so don¡¯t take offence if she suddenly calls you ugly or untalented,¡± Aiden rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t run from the truth, Aiden. Everyone else¡¯s talent is dull in the light of my genius,¡± the redhead raised her chin to the sky.


    ¡°She comes from a family of swordsmen who also happen to be skilled swordsmiths. I¡¯m not sure how that combination worked out for them but they taught me everything I know about battle. The old man paid for everything though,¡± Aiden explained.


    ¡°Next, we have Rose. She¡¯s a bookworm, that one. She knows more about Elemental Guardians and music than she does about the length of her hair,¡± Aiden explained.


    The girl in question, looked at her waistlong jet-black hair and blushed red, keeping her eyes on the ground, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Her voice was as small as her confidence. Her clothes were long and straight like her hair and her personality dull¡­ and yet, in the rare moment that she lifted her eyes to meet Alaric¡¯s, the world seemed to light up like a beautiful sunset.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it ironic to call someone with red hair Raven and someone with black hair, Rose?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Their parents are friends. If you ask me, I¡¯d say it was a practical joke,¡± Aiden responded.


    After this, Aiden introduced everyone else as they descended the hill. The rowdy blonde was back in his talkative mood¡­ and was even acting a little friendly.


    He didn¡¯t exactly change the way he treated Alaric¡­ but he did stop trying to show off like before.


    Aiden had two siblings, a baby brother who stayed behind with his parents and a younger sister who stuck to him like glue much like Cody would always be seen following Alaric.


    Raven was an only child while Rose had a much older sister who was pregnant with her firstborn. The children were swarmed by a group of four children younger than them, mainly seeking more intel on the tales of the hero from the Five Hills.


    Following behind them was Gunther who couldn¡¯t be bothered to say a word.


    Alaric¡¯s found himself relaxing under the ambient lighting of the festival lights. Being a village, Jack¡¯s Fall lacked the fancy cobblestone streets and buildings made from fine stone.


    However, they easily replaced all that with masterful woodcraft. The houses in Jack¡¯s Fall were made of wood and the roads were paved with red stone, unlike anything Alaric was used to.


    A bit of gardening here and there added a touch of nature¡¯s beauty to their front lawns and backyards, giving the humble homes a much fancier look than an ordinary village.


    The village elder¡¯s manor was a bit isolated from the rest necessitating a short journey away from the village itself before finally reaching it.


    When they saw it, Alaric and his friends went silent¡­ and for good reason to. Besides the red stone roads and wooden style of building, everything about the manor was different from what they¡¯d seen so far.


    For starters, this manor sat on a sizable chunk of land and sported two floors running around in a square to create two compounds, one inside and one outside the house.


    ¡°This is where that old man lives?¡± Alaric breathed.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s even more impressive on the inside. Maybe someday you can visit and tour it a bit more,¡± Aidan chuckled.


    It was only for a moment but Alaric was reminded that he and his friends were only spending the night. There was much to see considering tonight was the Coming of Age festival.


    They would be returning to the Five Hills the next day to then prepare for their journey to the Elite Guard Academy.


    It would be a while before they returned to Jack¡¯s Fall.


    [All the more reason you should enjoy yourself] Alia whispered into the boy¡¯s mind.

 33. Misplaced Honorific

    Once inside the manor, the children were met by an old man walking with the help of a walking stick. His face was wrinkled, a rarity in the Valerian continent, all while he still managed to exude a firm aura.


    He wasn¡¯t as impressive as the Village Leader who owned this manor but he was a veteran in his own right, a recognizable one at that. A few scars marred the sections of his skin that his outfit didn¡¯t manage to cover, telling gruesome tales of battle and adventure.


    The man greeted them with a low bow. ¡°Good evening, young Aspirants. I am Hail, the caretaker of this manor,¡± the man spoke with refined poise.


    Aiden bowed to the man as well and wouldn¡¯t move another step further, ¡°You¡¯ll be shown to your rooms from here.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°I have to get ready for the festival. It¡¯s the Coming of Age ceremony tonight, remember?¡± Aiden replied with a smile.


    ¡°Right. You have to get ready to dance,¡± Alaric nodded in thought. Finn covered his mouth and turned away. Alaric looked around¡­ ¡®Did I say something wrong?¡¯


    The blonde went red in the face and turned around, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡®What did I say?¡¯ Alaric¡¯s eyes went wide with shock. Darla and Finn looked like they were about to implode with laughter which only confused Alaric the more¡­ ¡®Garin said he would dance. He said it was phenomenal.¡¯


    [I think it would be best if you kept these thoughts to yourself] Alia sighed. Alaric swore he could hear her facepalming.


    ¡°Big Brother, are you crying?¡± the little girl at Aiden¡¯s side asked as they walked away.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re all red.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Nana. Let¡¯s just go,¡± Aiden tried.


    ¡°Mommy says it¡¯s fine if boys cry¡­¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m not¡­ When did mum even say that?¡± the boy continued arguing with his little sister as they left.


    When Aiden and his group were gone, Finn let out the laughter he¡¯d been holding back. Darla let loose as well, giggling melodically.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± Alaric asked, heat creeping up his cheeks as well.


    Darla simply shook her head, ¡°No, Alaric. You were fine.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Warm water covered Alaric¡¯s face as he dipped himself into the pristine white tub in the Village Leader¡¯s manor. His eyes darted from the neatly furnished walls, the silky curtain that allowed him privacy, the steamy clear water and appeasing scents that wafted into his nose.


    [Their old man lives well] Alaric noticed.


    [Yes¡­ yes, he does] Alia replied.


    In truth, Alaric had never had the luxury of enjoying such lavish facilities. The bath in the orphanage was amazing for a place that was barely functioning such as theirs but there were many things they still couldn¡¯t afford.


    The water here flowed from faucets at just the right temperature whilst they had to boil water in a pan at the orphanage if they wished to have a hot bath. Even then, they could never boil enough water to fill the tub.


    Besides that though, Alaric had started to notice something odd about the place. He tried to circulate aether through his body and was shocked at how easy it was¡­ Not only that, but the process sent more energy rolling through his body than he was used to.


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    He gasped, then stabilized his breathing, [My aether is replenishing faster than normal. What¡¯s with this place?] Alaric asked.


    [Right, you can¡¯t tell. Old blood runs deep in these walls. You¡¯re still too inexperienced to notice it but this place has held a firm grip on its past and for that, it¡¯s cherished by the spirits] Alia replied, [The guardians here are the most attuned with their masters that I¡¯ve ever encountered. Almost everyone in this little town has achieved a level of synergy that you and I can still only dream of.]


    Alaric shivered in the tub of warm water. Alia had said this kind of thing many times before. About becoming strong enough to harness her power at its strongest. His mind remembered this quite clearly.


    It was a concept he wasn¡¯t ready for¡­ and one he still tried not to think about. Just like using the abilities of powerful guardians caused him pain and left him drained, tapping into Alia¡¯s power felt like being plunged into the heart of an erupting volcano.


    Knock knock knock


    The sound of someone at the door brought Alaric back to the present.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the shower,¡± he yelled out.


    Alaric heard the door click open after he¡¯d said that, followed by the sound of several footsteps. His heart didn¡¯t quicken as his senses didn¡¯t pick on any dangerous auras. As someone with enhanced senses, he could tell that these footsteps were hurried.


    The boy casually glanced at the silver bracelet lying safely on a table beside the tub, somewhere he could see it. It was for this reason that he wasn¡¯t bothered by the sudden intrusion.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t much trouble, the master of the house would like to meet you, young master, preferably in twenty minutes. Clothes have been laid out for you to wear and I¡¯ll be waiting outside in the hall to take you to him,¡± the caretaker said in a gentle tone.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alaric frowned. He was still enjoying his bath.


    [I know we said we¡¯d listen to the old man since Garin and Marla seem to trust him, but did he have to put Finn and me in separate rooms?] Alaric sighed.


    [You should be drying yourself and getting ready to meet him,] Alia replied.


    [Yeah, I know] Alaric replied, lifting himself out of the tab.


    A part of him was now curious about the festival. It was bound to be far livelier than this old mansion. While the mansion itself had a quiet appeal that made him feel at home, he longed for the noisy streets and celebratory music of the festival.


    Alas, that would have to wait until the old man permitted them. Emerging from the shower in a fine towel, Alaric¡¯s eyes landed on the fine tunic that had been placed out for him to wear.


    The odd attire was made from the softest material Alaric had ever had the chance to touch. Not only that but when Alaric donned the clothes, they grew smaller to fit him perfectly.


    He dried his hair some more and combed it in a mirror. Comfortable with his plain appearance, he stepped out of his room, bracelet covered by the long sleeve of the luxurious garbs.


    Outside, the caretaker beamed, ¡°Right this way, Lord Alaric.¡±


    ¡°Lord?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a title of respect that we award to¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what a lord is¡­ I think. I¡¯m just wondering why you¡¯re referring to me as one,¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Well, the Master of the house asked me to address you with the respect of his flesh and blood,¡± the man replied with a respectful bow. His honeyed words rang with confidence and sincerity, ¡°He doesn¡¯t show just anyone this kind of treatment.¡±


    The dark-haired boy shrugged dismissively, ¡°You must be in short supply of heroes then.¡±


    Hail chuckled, ¡°Right. This way, my lord.¡±


    Alaric sighed, choosing to ignore the misplaced honorific and enjoy the rest of his night. As they walked, he took in the sights. Portraits of different people covered the walls on both sides¡­ and yet, each one bore a resemblance.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to realise these men¡­ and women were all related. What was striking about their appearances as well, however, was how high they carried themselves. Each one of them was always dressed in luxurious clothes, wearing a smile that was tailored to nobility.


    ¡®Nobility this far from the Capital. I find that unlikely,¡¯ Alaric inwardly groaned.


    At the end of their journey, Alaric was brought upon wooden double doors that opened out into a large enclosed compound. The compound itself had a fountain at the centre surrounded by a small pond and many grey rocks, partly covered in moss.


    A variety of insects and butterflies flew around the pond, some even glowing and adding to the ambient atmosphere. To the side, seated along the shed on a casual mat, was the old man of the house.


    Unlike the opulently dressed portraits in the halls, he was dressed in rather simple clothes. They looked worn out and had been repaired a few times from the few crooked seams Alaric noticed.


    And yet, he also managed to recognize the old faded clothes. After all, they had been used in one of the paintings or at least, Alaric had seen a few copies. Faded as they were, they were once luxurious clothes fit for a king.


    The old man turned to Alaric and smiled warmly, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you doing well, Alaric. Have a seat. Take some tea¡­ We have a lot to discuss.¡±

 34. So Many Questions

    Alaric walked past the man and sat on the opposite side of the tray of refreshments he had laid out. Silently, he watched as he poured a cup of tea for the boy to take. He then passed a ceramic sugar bowl and gestured for the boy to help himself, all while retaining a warm, friendly smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have questions?¡± the old man asked, the air dancing around him with a calmness that held a silent tension, like a silent scream.


    Witnessing this man¡¯s influence on the world around him was a bizarre experience. Perhaps what made it more frightening was instinctively knowing that the world around him reacted the way it did because of his presence, whims and moods.


    ¡®So unfair,¡¯ Alaric sighed, ¡®Right questions¡­ Where do I start?¡¯


    There were a variety of curiosities that bothered Alaric. He hadn¡¯t interacted with the town or people of Jack¡¯s Fall a lot but he was already letting down his guard faster than he normally would. Something was weird about this town.


    His aether was recovering at an incredible pace which had never happened before. This man was powerful enough to be acknowledged by his guardian, Alia. This, too, was a rarity in and of itself.


    The spirit energy Alia had sensed earlier. The astounding level of quiet respect the town''s people had for this old man. The seemingly opulent mansion cast out to the far reaches of the Valerian continent that was Jack¡¯s Fall.


    Besides all that, Alaric wanted to know why he¡¯d been separated from his friends. Why was he assigned the title of a lord when he¡¯d barely done a thing to deserve it? Heroes were not always rewarded and even when they were, their reward was never as great as a title so grand as ¡®lord.¡¯


    Alaric also wanted to know the old man¡¯s relationship with Sister Marla. The old man, at first, had appeared to be a humble village elder, only to end up owning a mansion as large as this one. Alaric wanted to know what a family like his was doing this far from the Capital.


    ¡®Wait, I already mentioned that,¡¯ the boy winced. His thoughts were starting to get mixed up as he lost count of what he wanted to know or what was important to begin with.


    Defeated by his swarming brain, Alaric stated calmly, ¡°I have many¡­ But I don¡¯t know where to start or which ones really matter.¡±


    With the same warm smile, the man gestured to the sugar bowl Alaric hadn¡¯t touched. The boy nodded and took the bowl. Pausing, he noticed how even now he didn¡¯t question this man¡¯s motives.


    The sugar could have contained something dangerous, but even then, he simply went along with everything as if he were safe. Before his thoughts could spiral even deeper into the storm of questions, the man¡¯s gentle voice stirred him from the confusion.


    ¡°At times like that, I recommend going for the more selfish question. Our intuitions tend to care for the things that truly matter to us,¡± the man spoke, taking a sip of his own cup of tea.


    ¡°Alright then. Why did you tell the caretaker to treat me like we are flesh and blood? He¡¯s calling me a lord now. Ha! A lord! And why did you separate me from my friends? Those were your orders, were they not?¡± Alaric¡¯s breath went up the longer he spoke.


    ¡°Yes, it was I who gave those orders. You can rejoin your friends as soon as we finish talking. I only separated you from them so we would get time to talk in private¡­ just the two of us and no one else.


    Your friends have been escorted back to the town where they¡¯ll enjoy the festivities. The Coming of Age Ceremony is performed at midnight when the moon is at its peak, so we still have time,¡± the man responded to his last question, then proceeded to the first, judging the nature of the importance of his own accord.


    ¡°And I only asked that they treat you with respect because you protected our aspirants from a highly-trained group of mercenaries,¡± the man responded.


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    Alaric¡¯s face went pale, ¡°Don¡¯t you mean overconfident thieves?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean mercenaries. Those men who attacked you weren¡¯t there to steal Awakening Orbs. They were there to kill you,¡± the old man replied.


    Alaric tried to keep a calm expression, ¡°You weren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°But Garin was,¡± the man responded.


    ¡°Why would they be trying to kill a bunch of harmless children?¡± he stuttered.


    ¡°Because an S-class guardian hasn¡¯t been seen in a long time. Some people would like to keep it that way. It doesn¡¯t help that you happen to be friends with someone with an A-class guardian.¡±


    Hearing this confirmation from someone other than the deranged thief and his own suspicions of murderous intent was a different kind of blow to Alaric¡¯s mind.


    He¡¯d heard the man singing himself praises of being a dangerous killer¡­ but his logic had kicked in to explain this as a mere jest. Surely a highly-trained mercenary would not be needed to take down a bunch of children.


    [And yet that mercenary failed] Alia chuckled, [I¡¯ve been telling you for a long time that many would wish to see you dead.]


    Alaric remained silent. It felt like his very mind was humming with the gong of sudden realisation. It was true that his guardian had warned him time and time again.


    For starters, she never stepped out of Alaric¡¯s shadow unless they were safely under an S-class Concealment Barrier like the one Sister Marla had placed on top of the Anti-Demon Barrier back in the Five Hills.


    He remembered her warnings clearly and these warnings had been taught to everyone at the orphanage. It was why he concealed her presence all the time.


    It was why he so tirelessly trained his body to be able to protect those that he held most dear¡­ To keep those he cared about safe.


    Taking a deep breath, the boy slowed his beating heart, ¡°Thank you for everything¡­ even though I still think you¡¯re going through a lot of trouble for one hero.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not just any hero. You are also a hero with the power to subdue guardians,¡± the old man winked.


    Alaric felt a shiver go down his spine and pulled himself away from the man. A loud clink disrupted the ambient gardens as the cup he was holding fell and its contents spilt onto the wooden floorboards. Luckily, the fall was not enough to break the delicate teacup.


    ¡°Relax¡­ I¡¯m not an enemy,¡± the old man smiled.


    ¡°How?¡± Alaric asked.


    The old man snapped his fingers at the door not too far from them. From within the mansion, the old caretaker emerged and surveyed the scene.


    Noticing the spill of tea, he hurriedly approached them, raised his hands and chanted a short spell. Droplets of water mixed with the black remnants of the fragrant tea floated off the floorboards.


    Ignoring Hail¡¯s diligent presence, the village leader spoke, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to tell when you know what I know.¡±


    Alaric heard his guardian scoff, [He¡¯s stalling.]


    The boy remained silent as the man continued, ¡°There are not many people that can do what you can do¡­ No, not even remotely close. An ability like yours falls under a certain category of abilities that knowledgeable scholars refer to as Arcane.


    Powers so strong that the hierarchy of power seems to lose meaning in their presence and only a few know about such Abilities. Old Blood runs deep in Jack¡¯s Fall. We have stories here that are older than the lives of seven oaks.


    We have known of Arcane powers like yours for eons¡­ and have also known of their significance. What they represent matters to our history. Your friend, Darla, for example, happens to possess a guardian with one such ability,¡± the old man spoke.


    Alaric was frozen once more. What was the man talking about? Arcane power? Seven oaks? Oak trees live for a very long time, right? Old blood runs deep in Jack¡¯s Fall. Isn¡¯t that what Alia said? They know of my power? What about Darla? What power does Darla have? Their significance.


    ¡®Well, crap!¡¯ he mentally cursed.


    As the drops of tea finally vanished from view, cast aside to wherever it was the caretaker disposed of spilt tea and a new cup was poured for the boy.


    ¡°Your tea, Lord Alaric,¡± the man offered with a gentle smile.


    Alaric returned his smile and took a sip, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hail.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just Hail is fine, Lord Alaric,¡± the man responded kindly. Alaric narrowed his teeth at the caretaker, only to get shocked when the old man chuckled silently.


    ¡®That devil¡­¡¯


    With a wink, the old caretaker left the two to their conversation, seemingly oblivious to the heavy discussion that had just happened within his presence.


    The village leader chuckled to himself as the old caretaker left, ¡°Your mind¡¯s been filled with questions since we started talking.¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Everything about this town is weird¡­ but I can tell you¡¯re not going to answer all my questions. So what can you tell me?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Not much honestly. If I could, I would¡­ but that would take you more time than you have. So, I will tell you this. If you follow that instinct that kept you alive in that forest¡­ and the same instinct that kept you from activating your Area Spell the moment you set foot on Jack¡¯s Fall, you¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Wait! How did you?¡±


    ¡°The signs of a paranoid soul are among the easiest to spot, young Alaric,¡± the man smiled¡­ ¡°Plus Garin gave me the whole list of spells you¡¯ve used ever since he met you this morning. Just how much aether can you use in one day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand just how loose Garin¡¯s mouth really is,¡± Alaric grumbled through gritted teeth.

 35. Cakes and an Orphan

    Alaric sipped his tea in comfortable silence for a bit longer, allowing his thoughts to churn slowly in his mind. Ever since going to the Tower of Seekers, his life has been turned upside down.


    The cool silver bracelet under the sleeve of his silky garments was proof of that. The Tower of Seekers had offered him patronage, a girl had offered him all the wealth he could imagine in exchange for his guardian, he¡¯d fought against a gang of mercenaries, and now, he was to attend a festival in a town not too far from home.


    There was still a bit of time before he left for the festival. ¡®One more question wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡¯


    ¡°Old Blood runs deep in Jack¡¯s Fall. What do you mean by that?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°My ancestor, Jack, settled here many centuries ago. Our stories are that it is here that he laid down his sword and settled into a comfortable life. I take it not many liked what he did and ended up calling the town Jack¡¯s Fall while others like to joke that he fell down the hill after fetching a bucket of water from the well, being a rich aristocrat who¡¯d never known a day of labour in his life,¡± the old man chuckled.


    Alaric laughed as well, wondering why such a silly act would cause the town to gain its ridiculous name.


    ¡°From that day on, we¡¯ve lived here, preserving his memory¡­ I am his direct descendant. My daughter lives in the capital. She¡¯s currently serving the Elite Guard. A few more years and she¡¯ll be allowed to return where she¡¯ll take my place and we¡¯ll continue to protect the knowledge and history this town holds¡­ That, and to make me cakes,¡± the last part came out with a tinge of excitement.


    ¡°Cakes?¡± Alaric doubled back, wondering whether he¡¯d heard the man right.


    ¡°Hail¡­ bring a few of Talia¡¯s lemon cakes please,¡± the old man roared with excitement and stars in his eyes.


    Hail popped his head out of the door with an ashen expression. The blood seemed to have drained from his face, ¡°The ones in the vault, my Lord?¡±


    ¡°The very ones, Hail,¡± the master of the house replied.


    It wasn¡¯t long before a fragrant scent came leaking out the door. On a delicate tray, the old caretaker had a collection of delicious-looking lemon-green cakes, each one topped with lime-green icing.


    [Oh dear] Alia mentally face-palmed.


    ¡®Those cakes look amazing,¡¯ Alaric¡¯s mouth watered. When was the last time he¡¯d tasted a cake? Did cakes even come in the colour green¡­ The boy¡¯s mouth watered even more. The smell of sugar made the extravagant tea he¡¯d been taking look like garbage¡­ utter piss.


    ¡°I thought you said your daughter was in the capital,¡± Alaric mentioned absentmindedly, watching the steam rise off the surface of the heavenly treats.


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    ¡°Well yeah¡­¡±


    The boy¡¯s mind froze like SwiftWind pumping the brakes before colliding with a cliff. What was he missing? The cakes were hot¡­ and yet¡­


    ¡°When did she make these?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sharp as a tack. I use magic to keep them fresh and hot. It¡¯s not perfect so they don¡¯t compare to the ones freshly baked. Still, I¡¯d do anything to hold onto something my daughter made for me,¡± the man happily picked up one of the cakes. His face was stuck between joy and sadness, both because he would get to taste his daughter¡¯s cooking and because he was reminded of her absence.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll have one,¡± Alaric sympathised¡­ before taking one bite of his cake.


    An explosion of flavour erupted in his tastebuds, turning his brain to mush.


    ¡°HAIL¡­ LOCK THE VAULT!¡± the old man yelled¡­


    Hail came a moment later, ambling over just in time to see Alaric gobbling up the last cake with a teary look of bliss on his face, ¡°That was soooo good. I¡¯ve been starving, too. Do you have more? You must have more¡­ Where is the vault?¡±


    ¡°Far away from you,¡± the village elder cried. Hail was gone in a flash, his disappearance followed by the sound of a closing metal door.


    Alaric chuckled, ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡­ uh, lost myself for a moment.¡±


    [Alia, what happened?] Alaric inwardly yelled.


    Alia¡¯s only reply was an outburst of laughter which only made the boy go red with embarrassment, ¡°I really am sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ Hail, tell me we still have more stashed away,¡± the Village Elder held the tray with a look of sadness.


    Hail remained silent, then turned to the young boy, ¡°Come, Lord Alaric. The master will need some time to himself.¡±


    Alaric stood, ¡°Again¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind Hail. He¡¯s only messing with you. Show him to the festival. And Hail, make sure the boy eats his fill,¡± at the end, Alaric felt a shiver run down his spine.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually feeling a bit better now that I¡¯ve¡­¡±


    ¡°Hail¡­ All stalls are to treat him to whatever he wants¡­ My treat,¡± the old man cut Alaric off, ¡°Enjoy the festival, Lord Alaric.¡±


    Before Alaric could say more, the old caretaker took his hand and led him back into the house.


    On their way, he let out a long chuckle, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the master like that in a long time. Thank you, Lord Alaric.¡±


    ¡°But he looked furious,¡± Alaric argued, matching the old caretaker¡¯s speed. For an old man, he was quite agile.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take him a while to mourn the loss of his daughter¡¯s cakes¡­ but don¡¯t worry about it too much,¡± Hail replied with a chuckle, ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to your friends.¡±


    At the gate, Alaric met a familiar-looking behemoth of a knight dressed in white, ¡°Lionheart?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Alaric, you certainly took your time,¡± the man responded. As he spoke, the air behind him rippled and a massive lion stepped out, shaking its magnificent mane and spreading its majestic golden wings, ¡°Let¡¯s go join the others.¡±


    ¡°Lord Alaric, do you know this man?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he was assigned to watch over me by the Tower of Seekers,¡± Alaric replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine now. Thank you for everything. I¡¯ll see you either after or at the festival.¡±


    With that, Alaric ran up to the large gold-maned lion. The creature lowered his back and allowed the boy to climb aboard. Enthusiastically, he pointed forward, ¡°LionHeart, let¡¯s go¡­ Onward.¡±


    Lionheart chuckled at the boy¡¯s enthusiasm only for his face to go pale when the great lion bent down and kicked off with a powerful jump, taking to the sky. With a graceful flap of his powerful wings, the lion shot towards the town, leaving its master behind.


    ¡®Heh¡­¡¯


    Hail watched the lion shoot to the sky and allowed a smile to grace his face. As the lion¡¯s master ran off in pursuit of his guardian, rage burning through his every fibre, the caretaker whispered to himself, ¡°Lord Alaric¡¯s certainly an interesting fellow.¡±

 36. Precise Orders

    The sudden rush of wind caught Alaric off-guard. Partly because he¡¯d sensed something amiss the moment the massive lion bunched its legs in preparation for takeoff, and partly because he would never, in his wildest dreams, have thought a guardian was able to listen to anyone other than its master.


    Just when he thought all he had going for him was absorbing the abilities of guardians, speaking to them and seeing into their memories, something else was thrown into the mix.


    It had taken Alaric everything to keep himself from reaching for the guardian¡¯s abilities¡­ and adding them to his slowly growing corpus of powers. And, he¡¯d succeeded in keeping himself tame.


    Considering how many things had happened in this one day, Alaric¡¯s panic was justified.


    ¡°Wait! LionHeart! Where are you going without Lionheart?¡± the boy screamed at the top of his lungs when he¡¯d caught his breath.


    The flying lion angled his wings and shot straight up before a deep voice echoed into his mind, [[You gave the order to fly.]]


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give YOU that order,¡± Alaric replied.


    [[Then you should have been more specific,]] the creature retorted before banking its wings to return to the manor.


    By then, the elder¡¯s manor was a dot on the ground, cementing the true scale of this creature¡¯s flight ability into Alaric¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your master though,¡± the boy grumbled¡­


    The giant lion¡¯s muscles stiffened at his words, then relaxed as it descended. It didn¡¯t say anything else¡­ but Alaric could already feel a headache forming from the silent tension between them.


    Massaging his temples, he inwardly asked his own guardian, [What just happened?]


    [You ordered him to fly¡­ and he flew. It¡¯s not that hard to figure out.] Alia replied.


    [Thanks for stating the obvious. I¡¯m asking why it happened] Alaric replied.


    [You should have been more specific] his guardian replied with a huff.


    Alaric gritted his teeth and turned his attention away from the guardian. ¡®Why does she have to be so difficult all the time?¡¯ he huffed.


    He knew Alia was aware of the intentions behind his questions and yet she played the long game, refusing to give him a straight answer like she always did.


    Lionheart¡¯s guardian had just reached the ground when the knight dressed in white came rushing over. The boy¡¯s heart sank when he noticed the expression on the man¡¯s face.


    Rage¡­ LionHeart was angry. It only got worse when the man started yelling, sending shivers down the boy¡¯s spine, ¡°Alaric, get down from there. You stay away from my guardian, you hear me?¡±


    Alaric jumped off the lion and backed away in fear. The sound of LionHeart¡¯s voice still echoed in his mind. ¡®What did I do?¡¯


    LionHeart, ignoring the frightened boy, turned to his guardian and started checking him up and down. ¡°What did he do to you? You¡¯re irritated. Did that weirdo make you do something you don¡¯t like doing?¡±


    The lion locked eyes with Alaric apologetically, adding more to the boy¡¯s confusion. The green-eyed boy remained silent for a bit before turning away and walking towards the town. He didn¡¯t care how long it would take him to get there. He just wanted to be anywhere but here.


    A lot of what had just happened lay beyond his understanding¡­ He did know one thing though. He¡¯d done nothing wrong and to be yelled at for not even knowing what the problem was didn¡¯t sit right with him.


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    When he looked up to the sky, he noticed the moon was still a few hours from reaching its zenith which allowed him the time to walk to the town and join the festivities.


    Where would he find his friends? How would he find his way around town? Those were all problems for later¡­ ¡®I could just perform an area search with Thomper¡¯s powers,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    A quick image of vines sprouting from the ground and ripping all the wooden houses from their foundations flashed through his mind.


    ¡®Ugh, that won¡¯t work.¡¯


    ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± a familiar voice came following him.


    ¡°To the festival,¡± Alaric answered in an irritated tone.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be faster if we fly,¡± Lionheart added.


    ¡°You seem to think I¡¯m some guardian thief so you and your guardian can stay away from me,¡± Alaric yelled, enraged, then kept walking.


    [Alaric¡­]


    [No, you¡­ you stay quiet. I don¡¯t want to hear anything from you. I¡¯ve heard enough] Alaric yelled at Alia, his mental voice cracking. It was one thing to yell at LionHeart¡­ but another to yell at Alia.


    Silence greeted him, followed by guilt¡­


    No, why was he feeling guilty for something that clearly wasn¡¯t his fault? So what if he could talk to guardians? Guardians weren¡¯t known for talking to humans who weren¡¯t their masters¡­ and that made him an anomaly among humans.


    But it seemed that wasn¡¯t enough, he had to go and have the power to command them as well. When was he awarded the power to command guardians?


    [Isn¡¯t this what you wanted? The power to protect your friends] Alia asked.


    The boy took in a deep breath¡­ then another¡­ and another¡­ This one came with a single tear which he wiped quickly from his face.


    Did he ask for this? The irony of that statement was quite twisted. Did having the power to protect his friends and family mean he would be hated and feared? Did it mean he would be looked at like some plague that was not to be touched?


    Alia listened to the boy¡¯s thoughts and answered her calling as his guardian.


    [People are afraid of what they don¡¯t understand. Imagine someone came and took Old Thomper away from Marla. You¡¯ve seen how much she cares for him] Alia tried.


    Alaric furrowed his eyebrows.


    Something felt wrong with this analogy¡­ and yet, it made all the sense in the world. Marla and Thomper were inseparable. Only when Alaric was asked to take the old guardian out to the fields to help the farmers boost their yields did he ever see the two more than ten meters apart?


    Other than that, they were always with each other. Many times, the orphans found Sister Marla sleeping within the old tree¡¯s branches.


    This also made sense with the sudden disappearance of the mercenary¡¯s guardian back in the woods. Back then, Darth had lost all sense of self-preservation and lashed out, nearly tearing his arm off just because his guardian had vanished.


    Still, Alaric refused to listen to LionHeart¡¯s request and kept on walking. He needed the time to cool off anyway. The man kept his distance after that but continued to watch over the boy.


    Alaric made his way to the village. The first houses he found on the outskirts were empty yet decorated with a few ribbons and balloons.


    Further in, the air grew a lot more lively. Children ran around, playing and laughing as they toured one stall to the next.


    A few times, Alaric saw parents, or at least, caretakers, chasing after the children.


    Fragrant scents filled the air along with the sound of burbling oil and the smell of many foods Alaric had never seen or tasted before. He touched the silver band on his wrist, tempted to pull out a gold coin and spoil himself rotten.


    ¡°Is that him?¡± a voice out of the many finally reached Alaric¡¯s sensitive ears. It was one he didn¡¯t know¡­ but the pit of his stomach turned in a way that said the voice was talking about him.


    ¡°Dressed like a noble, protected by a guard and without a clue where he is. Yeah, that¡¯s him,¡± another voice replied.


    ¡°No one said he was easy on the eyes,¡± a female voice cooed.


    Alaric turned just in time to see a trio standing by a few stalls. One of them had her hands on a ladle skilfully turning the contents within a large saucepan enhancing the sizzling sound coming from within it.


    A man was standing by what seemed to be a restaurant stall, looking out to the street. Alaric could tell they were humble citizens from how they fidgeted the moment he saw them.


    Two of them quickly took their eyes off him and returned their attention to whatever it was they were doing. The last one, however, a man dressed in a neat green apron smiled warmly and approached him.


    His confident approach made the other two gawk with open mouths at his boldness.


    ¡°You must be Lord Alaric. Might I interest you in a meal? My brother makes a mean stew and I¡¯m sure Rita¡¯s fried chicken will knock your socks off. For you, it¡¯s all free of charge, of course,¡± the man spoke with a large smile.


    ¡®Free¡­¡¯ Alaric¡¯s mind buzzed.


    What Alaric didn¡¯t realise was that the smile on this man¡¯s face was one of a trader who had just struck gold. Similar glints of excitement could be seen in the eyes of the other vendors¡­ They¡¯d just hit the jackpot and all the other vendors that witnessed this sneered with the grim realisation of the losses they¡¯d just made.

 37. Free Feast

    Alaric followed the man with visions of free food making his mouth water when a tap on his shoulder snapped him from his tummy-filling daze. Alaric¡¯s skin was not the only one that reacted to the touch.


    His nose reacted as well, shamelessly reminding him of the perfume still lingering on the person touching him. It was not a scent he was familiar with but one that got imprinted in his mind the moment he recognized its owner.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking good, Alaric,¡± Darla¡¯s eyes scanned his garments from top to bottom.


    Unlike him, she was dressed in her clothes from before although they weren¡¯t as messed up as they¡¯d been. How they¡¯d been washed and dried in time for the festival was beyond Alaric¡¯s imagination.


    ¡°Darla,¡± Alaric breathed before engulfing her in a hug.


    Surprised, the girl stiffly hugged him back before yelling, ¡°He¡¯s over here guys. I found him.¡±


    Peeking out a corner, Finn revealed himself¡­ A moment later, he was accompanied by more familiar faces. The group was silently followed by a knight dressed in light clothes. While the children reunited, Gunther joined a sombre LionHeart in quiet conversation. Alaric missed the look of shock on his face as their conversation continued.


    Aiden was part of the group as well, dressed in an outfit similar to one Alaric had on, albeit not as luxurious.


    While Alaric donned a marvel of shimmering silk whose every thread spoke of fine craftsmanship and the delicate touch of a master at work, Aiden¡¯s kimono was a duller material with just the right amount of elegance.


    Alaric¡¯s clothes made him stand out in ways he was not used to at all. From Finn and Darla¡¯s appearances, he could tell they hadn¡¯t been given the same amount of special treatment, which made him question the old man¡¯s motives even more.


    ¡°Looking sharp, Alaric,¡± Finn whistled, ¡°Hail wasn¡¯t joking about the old man doting on you.¡±


    ¡°Are you friends of Lord Alaric?¡± the man who¡¯d tried escorting Alaric suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°A humble restaurant owner. If the lord so wishes it, we could extend Elder Jill¡¯s offer to you as well,¡± the man replied with a gentle smile.


    Behind the gentle smile, however, hid giddiness, excitement¡­ and a little greed. It was all too clear for Alaric to see now that he wasn¡¯t beguiled by dreams of mountains of free food.


    Now, however, something clicked in his mind. He suddenly remembered what the old man had said to him earlier at the manor.


    ¡°That old man wasn¡¯t kidding, was he?¡±


    ¡°Kidding about what? I¡¯ve never heard Master Jill¡­ kid,¡± the man responded, leading the group up to the restaurant.


    The group finally got seated and was served without questioning their tastes. Plate after plate, a feast was piled in front of them, ¡°Eat to your fill. Julia, bring some of your chicken in here. The Lord¡¯s treat.¡±


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    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­ overdoing it a bit?¡± Alaric tried.


    The man shook his head though, ¡°Oh no¡­ I remember Master Jill¡¯s words were, ¡®Feed him till he bursts.¡¯¡±


    Alaric nodded, ¡°Ah¡­ What have I gotten myself into?¡±


    Without much choice, Alaric ended up narrating what happened between him and the Village Elder, a man whose name he hadn¡¯t known until now.


    One mention of his daughter¡¯s cakes sent Aiden and his little sister reeling with laughter. Apparently, it was a known fact that the old man loved his daughter more than anything in the world¡­ and anything from her, was by extension, a treasure.


    Alaric barely remembered eating those heavenly cakes¡­ His memory only retained the first bite, then a blur of a continuous flow of that heavenly taste before they were suddenly gone¡­


    Darla laughed it off as well, ¡°Let¡¯s eat¡­ then we¡¯ll go check out the festival. There is so much to do here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Alaric wondered.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I saw a few booths further in. Some of them require money though, so we won¡¯t be able to try it all out,¡± Darla shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I offered to help you out with that,¡± Aiden blurted out. Alaric could tell this wasn¡¯t the first time they were having this conversation.


    ¡°What if I paid for those?¡± Alaric tried.


    Aiden turned to Alaric, ¡°You have money?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ As long as the games are not too expensive, I think we should manage,¡± Alaric replied.


    ¡°Wow¡­ If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think the old man was trying to adopt you,¡± Aiden chuckled.


    Alaric smiled in response to this. He didn¡¯t want to mention the money he spoke of was from the Tower of Seekers instead. Now there was an old man who seemed interested in adopting him.


    ¡°Gunther, LionHeart, join us,¡± Alaric called to the knights standing not far away. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t object which made this all easier for Alaric. He still wasn¡¯t ready to start actively talking to LionHeart.


    ¡°Get this, Alaric. Aiden here, says he¡¯s a decent swordsman. Trained by Master Jill himself,¡± Finn mentioned.


    ¡°I said I was under training,¡± Aiden turned red.


    ¡°Yeah yeah¡­ but then I challenged him to an arm-wrestling match to test out his strength¡­ and guess what-¡°


    ¡°You cheated,¡± Aiden cut him off, ¡°What kind of coward pretends to be weak just to win an arm-wrestling match.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I won out of pure skill. Swordsmanship is not all about brawn, you know,¡± Finn winked.


    ¡°Tell that to Alaric,¡± Darla said before taking a sip from a glass of juice.


    ¡°Alaric stays out of this. Logic doesn¡¯t apply to him,¡± Finn threw his hands up in defeat.


    The girl giggled in response, ¡°You¡¯re just a sore loser.¡±


    The meal continued in a similarly light mood. Alaric made sure not to fill himself up too much since they had a lot of moving around to do. In the end, there was a lot of food that wasn¡¯t touched.


    ¡°Gunther, does food go bad inside of storage items?¡± Alaric asked when everyone was done.


    ¡°No¡­ it stays fresh if it¡¯s packed well, why?¡± Gunther replied from his seat across from the children.


    ¡°I would like to pack this food. Would be nice to take a bit of festival back to the Five Hills with us,¡± Alaric responded with a smile.


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± Gunther responded, standing up to get the owner of the restaurant.


    The food was carefully packed in containers which were paid for with a few silver coins Gunther had on him. Once packed, Alaric placed his silver band above them and willed the magic to take them all to the storage space.


    In a flash, the food was gone, ¡°Let¡¯s get going then.¡±


    For the next two hours, the group visited every part of the Festival that looked to be fun. They took turns playing the games each of them wanted to play, even that which Aiden¡¯s sister wanted to play.


    There were shooting contests, archery ranges, magic casting competitions which only Alaric and Darla could take part in, haunted houses, fortune-tellers, card games, sword-fighting arenas, performances that ranged from dances to songs, story-tellers and many others.


    The fun only stopped when the moon neared its zenith. At that point, a loud gong rang from the top of a large building that looked nothing like the rest. The Ceremony House, Aiden had called it.


    When this gong sounded, he had to go and get ready for the main part of this ceremony.


    ¡°I want you guys to be there,¡± Aiden said, ¡°Everyone will be there.¡±


    And with that, he left to prepare.

 38. The Tricky Tower of Twinkling Treats

    The evening featured a lot of fun activities. Victorious uproars of triumph had filled the night, wistful tears of defeat here and there along with the adventurous discoveries of various dishes, candies and drinks.


    The group of children could be spotted every once in a while, going through the various stalls like a whirlwind of action. Once Alaric discovered how valuable a gold coin was, the children didn¡¯t hold back on anything they wanted to do¡­ which placed Finn in his current predicament.


    Stationed a distance away from the main action was a makeshift toilet powered by numerous spells Alaric didn¡¯t have the brainpower to understand. Magic kept water flowing and spatial magic made everyone¡¯s festival wastes vanish to gods-knew-where.


    In the silent tranquillity of this secluded station where party animals that didn¡¯t know restraint went to die, heaving noises followed by the sloshing of vomit and water punctuated the tense air.


    Alaric and Darla waited patiently outside the restroom for their friend to get the evening¡¯s contents out of his system. With each painful hurl, the pair winced at the pain he must have been going through.


    ¡°I told him that pie looked suspicious,¡± Darla murmured through gritted teeth.


    ¡°It had a few spells that made it alluring though. Finn was only fooled because his guardian¡¯s not around to protect him from those spells,¡± Alaric replied.


    ¡°You could have warned him though,¡± Darla tried.


    ¡°He was having too much fun. Besides, I think that pie did more good than harm,¡± Alaric replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°How so?¡± this time Gunther intervened.


    The stormy guard had been watching over the children in stern silence along with his comrade Lionheart. Not obligated to follow Alaric around, Garin had excused himself a long time ago to hit the village tavern, a habit Alaric had no idea about until then.


    ¡°Now he¡¯ll have space for more food,¡± Alaric replied earnestly, ¡°What¡¯s Finn at a festival without food?¡±


    Darla sighed, ¡°I want to argue with you but sadly, you¡¯re right about this one.¡±


    The silence that followed was soon punctuated by laughter.


    ¡°You guys better not be talking about¡­ oh no, here come the sausages¡­¡± The heaving hurl that echoed from the inside of the restroom only doubled their laughter.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    After Aiden¡¯s departure, the trio had decided to enjoy the festival a little more as they still had time before the Coming of Age Ceremony. Only after visiting a few stalls had they found a rather peculiar display of foods.


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    The title of the stall had been aptly named The Tricky Tower of Twinkling Treats and seated on rotating tiers was a vast collection of foods ranging from sour candies to impossibly delicious cakes, scones and pies.


    The scent coming from the confectioneries had been intensely sweet and the colours that decorated the stall didn¡¯t leave any room for distractions. Finn just had to try one of the pies¡­


    For as much as a silver coin, a die would be cast, selecting the tier from the tower. Casting the die three more times would allow the stall owner to choose three foods and from those, the customer would choose whatever they wanted.


    The catch was the fact that the foods on the tower could either be immensely sweet or utterly disgusting. What¡¯s more, was that the appearance and smell of the treats had nothing to do with the taste or¡­ effects the food would have on its consumer. There was no way of knowing until a bite was taken.


    After asking what the worst effect could be, Finn had taken a shot at the die¡­ Who could have thought that his luck would be rotten enough to get him to hurl all the contents of the evening down the toilet seat of the enchanted restroom?


    Moments later, Finn emerged from the restroom, wiping a thin film of sweat from his brow. Alaric, who had been holding a bottle of water he bought from a stall on their way to the restroom, handed it over to the boy.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Finn burped, corking the bottle and draining it of its contents.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Alaric asked.


    He nodded, ¡°Hell yeah¡­ I can eat again,¡± he wiped his mouth on his sleeve with a look of determination. The night wasn¡¯t nearly over.


    Darla facepalmed while Gunther and Lionheart snickered.


    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go. We should have a few more minutes to make it to the Coming of Age Ceremony,¡± Alaric mentioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be boring. I doubt they¡¯ll be anything like the performers we saw earlier,¡± Finn grumbled, ¡°Do you have more of that water, Alaric?¡±


    ¡°We can get some on our way there,¡± Alaric responded, reaching into his pockets to pick out some change with a sparkle of curiosity in his eyes.


    Since the start of the festival, he¡¯d learned more about currency and found that each gold coin in his possession was actually worth a lot.


    A gold coin was worth a hundred silvers while each silver was worth a hundred coppers. The price of most of the events they¡¯d been through ranged within a few coppers. Every once in a while, he even had to utilize what was known as a nickel.


    A copper was worth ten nickels.


    Fishing a silver coin from his pocket, Alaric handed it over to Finn. The boy looked at it for a bit, then turned to Gunther, ¡°Do you have some change on you, good man? My rich comrade happens to have forgotten the language of the common people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll charge you ten coppers for this transaction,¡± Gunther replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s robbery,¡± Finn backed away, ¡°Alaric, ten coppers, please. Keep the silver.¡±


    The boy partially groaned, then started counting the money. It was a hassle to have to count ten coppers instead of simply handing over a silver but he understood why it was necessary. At certain times, having money that required a lot of change would become a curse when trying to buy something as cheap as a bottle of water.


    A few minutes found them in a fast-moving line to the entrance of the large cathedral that would hold the Coming of Age Ceremony. People of all sorts had come to attend the Ceremony, making Alaric wonder quite a bit, ¡°Don¡¯t you think there are a lot of people here¡­ for a small village on the outskirts of Valeria?¡±


    Darla turned to Alaric with an odd expression, ¡°A lot of people?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a lot of people. Everywhere we¡¯ve gone, there have been people everywhere. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say we were in a large town or the capital?¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t noticed then¡­¡±


    ¡°Noticed what?¡±


    ¡°That most of the people here¡­ are actually spirits,¡± Darla replied.


    ''Heh...''

 39. Village of Spirits

    Alaric doubled back as his face went white as a sheet, ¡®Heh!¡¯


    What had Darla just said? Scanning around, Alaric saw normal people. Everyone around them looked normal¡­ but as he concentrated even harder, he began to notice a few oddities.


    For every person he saw, there were at least three to four people moving with them, talking amongst themselves and sometimes talking with the person Alaric had now pinned to be, ¡®the centre.¡¯


    Sometimes, ¡®the centre¡¯ would be more than one person and the people surrounding those were even more. It would also be important to note that Alaric only noticed these people who seemed to have those crowds surrounding them as far more vibrant in appearance.


    The difference was subtle but after knowing what to look for, everything snapped into focus. The spirits were simply paler than those that were still alive. It bothered Alaric that he hadn¡¯t noticed at all.


    ¡®What? Why? How?¡¯ his mind rambled on as he looked around even more.


    [Don¡¯t you remember me talking about powerful spirit energy in the air?] Alia asked.


    [You didn¡¯t mention they were actual spirits] the boy whined.


    ¡°You really hadn¡¯t noticed?¡± Darla asked, snapping him out of his conversation with his guardian.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Darla, cut him some slack. Even I hadn¡¯t noticed until you told me,¡± Finn suddenly spoke up, ¡°To be honest, even you only noticed because of your guardian.¡±


    Darla shrugged, ¡°I hadn¡¯t told Alaric because I thought Alia had already told him.¡±


    Alaric¡¯s eyebrows twitched at the mention of Alia. The guardian had indeed told him¡­ in a way.


    Turning to his surroundings, Alaric shifted his attention to his surroundings. Just like he¡¯d noticed earlier, for every ¡®centre¡¯ of attention, more than four spirits swarmed, dwarfing the number of actual humans that were present, ¡°The question that remains now¡­ is why there are so many spirits here.¡±


    As though sensing his question, a man in front of them turned and gave them a gentle smile, ¡°Hey¡­ Lord Alaric. I know I¡¯m¡­ no one and shouldn¡¯t even dream of talking to someone as great as you but would you grant me the honour of answering your question?¡±


    The people in front of the line all turned to the man with varied expressions. Some were freaking out that he¡¯d just talked to Alaric while others stared on with looks of¡­ envy?


    Trying to ignore the attention they¡¯d drawn, Alaric allowed his mind to engage the conversation as smoothly as he could, ¡°We were that loud, huh?¡±


    Alas, the boy¡¯s body betrayed him a bit, turning his cheeks a light shade of pink from the embarrassment. What¡¯s more, he wasn¡¯t just catching the attention of fellow humans but spirits as well.


    ¡°Oh no! Not at all. If it makes you feel any better, a few of my friends called me Nosy back in my day,¡± the man responded with a wink.


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    ¡°And you¡¯re sure it wasn¡¯t because you had a long nose?¡± Alaric replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Perish the thought,¡± the man curtsied.


    ¡°Alright. Tell me what I¡¯m missing here,¡± Alaric gave up.


    ¡°Okay. Since you¡¯ve already met Master Jill, I take it that you already know that Old Blood runs deep in Jack¡¯s Fall,¡± the man started.


    ¡°I might have heard the phrase a few hundred times. Go on,¡± Alaric nodded.


    ¡°Well, today is a special day, you see. It¡¯s the day that we see our young ones blossom into adults. For many years, our children train hard for this day so that when they dance, the work and effort they poured into perfecting their choreography would fill our hearts and in turn reward them with a fruitful Awakening,¡± the man said in a giddy tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard this year we have a promising contestant. He¡¯s a swordsman who¡¯s trained tirelessly under the instruction of Master Jill himself. Naturally, we all have high hopes for him,¡± the man responded.


    ¡°What does the Coming of Age Ceremony have to do with spirits?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°When we die, our spirits are sent over to the realm of guardians. What happens there is not to be disclosed to mortals¡­ but for those of us with strong ties to our past, there are times when the boundaries between the two realms are just weak enough that we can visit our loved ones again, to cherish and sometimes, bless them,¡± the spirit explained.


    ¡°This is one such day, Lord Alaric. Today, the spirits of Jack¡¯s Fall return to bless the next generation and keep the village prospering for aeons to come,¡± the man explained.


    Alaric looked around¡­ ¡°Because of the past though, these people here can¡¯t move on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you misunderstand, my Lord. Staying true to Jack¡¯s Fall has nothing to do with being bound to the village. It simply requires one to perform certain rituals in their family homes. Rituals like childbirth, burials, and marriages. Those are the rituals that bind us to Jack¡¯s Fall¡­ You must have heard that Master Jill¡¯s daughter is serving the Elite Guard. When she¡¯s done, she¡¯ll return and the cycle will continue,¡± the man responded.


    Alaric sighed, ¡°In a way, you never truly die, do you?¡±


    ¡°Nope! Now, did I ever tell you of the story where old man Jack fell down the hill and broke his leg? It¡¯s a famous tale that gets this colourful village its name,¡± the man started.


    Just then, a large woman turned and smacked the back of his head, ¡°I think that¡¯s enough out of you, Nosy. Keep talking and Master Jack will hear you. Pardon me but this one will cause you far too much trouble, Lord Alaric,¡± the woman apologised before dragging Nosy out of line and away from Alaric and his friends.


    Alaric held his laughter in¡­


    He still remembered the look on Master Jill¡¯s face as he thought of the rather distasteful tale of Master Jack¡¯s fall, inevitably giving the town its name. Of course, a tale like that would have to be funny for Nosy to find it amusing enough to retell.


    The boy had no doubt it had been spiced up over the years that followed its first narration. Alas, Alaric would not get to hear that tale today. Or at least, not now. Who knew? Perhaps later, he could get to hear it from someone else.


    ¡°Lord, huh¡­¡± Finn broke the silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s this thing that Master Jill insists on,¡± Alaric responded.


    ¡°Oh no¡­ I¡¯m not judging. But humour me¡­ First, the Tower of Seekers offers you patronage¡­ and now, you¡¯re a lord. What next?¡± Finn asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go growing a big head and forgetting where you came from Alaric?¡± Darla tried.


    ¡°Never,¡± Alaric responded.


    Yes, in the end, these two were the reasons he gave up seeking answers to why he was being referred to as a lord by everyone in Jack¡¯s Fall. He¡¯d resigned to getting used to it rather than asking questions.


    As he¡¯d noticed from his experience with Master Jack, any question he asked only unravelled more questions¡­ and after the mess, he¡¯d been through today with the mercenaries, he was not about to put his brain through more hell just to find out something he had no idea about.


    What he did know, however, was that his friends were the most important thing to him. Perhaps another day, when he was well-rested and bored, he¡¯d return and ask the old Master why he insisted on calling him a lord.


    After all, his intuition had already told him enough to quell his curiosities anyway. All of this had something to do with Alia.


    And from past experiences, his intuition was never wrong.

 40. Great Ancestor

    Alaric looked to the entrance with silent anticipation as it slowly grew closer with each passing second. The excited sounds from the spirits and living beings that had come to attend the Ceremony faded into the background as he looked on forward.


    What were the odds that he wasn¡¯t here by some freak accident? He wondered¡­


    ¡®I want you guys to be there,¡¯ Aiden had said. Something about the way he said it betrayed Alaric¡¯s image of him. His original thoughts on the ceremony were that being there would make Aiden too embarrassed to go through with it¡­ and yet, he wanted them to watch the dance.


    Alaric¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he thought more about the matter. What kind of dance was it anyway?


    He¡¯d resolved to take it easy and not hunt for answers that would lead him to know more questions¡­ but with the revelation that there was more to this Ceremony than meets the eye came an unending thirst for the truth.


    Not to mention the high degree of respect he was being awarded at this event.


    What were the odds that there was some big reason the spirits referred to him as Lord? What were the odds that there was a reason he was being treated so well by everyone in Jack¡¯s Fall?


    The boy mentally cried [Alia.]


    [Yes, Alaric,] the guardian replied.


    [You¡¯re not telling me something] Alaric commented.


    [That¡¯s obvious] the guardian replied with a shrug. Before the boy could clench his fists though, she added, [You¡¯ll be fine though. You don¡¯t feel troubled, do you?]


    There was a moment of silence before he replied, [No.]


    [Then we¡¯ll be fine] the guardian replied.


    ¡°Alaric? Are you okay?¡± Darla asked the quiet boy.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I was just¡­ thinking. Green¡¯s not my colour, don¡¯t you think?¡± Alaric smiled; a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°Well, of course, it¡¯s not. You look horrible in green. Even a vomiting Finn looks better,¡± Darla nodded.


    Finn, who¡¯d been listening, opened his mouth to speak¡­ then closed it, ¡°I know there is an insult in there somewhere.¡±


    Darla chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar, Alaric. You look great in green. It matches your eyes. Just stay with us and we¡¯ll be fine. You feel like leaving the Ceremony at any time and we¡¯ll be out of there immediately, okay?¡±


    Alaric nodded, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine¡­ We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Why was he so worried? Jack¡¯s Fall was throwing him off. Yes, the entire town was throwing him off. First of all, Alaric didn¡¯t feel the need to defend himself or at least keep wary of potential dangers and that, in and of itself, was disorienting.


    Darla noticed his rugged breathing and held his hand. He relaxed under the warmth of her hand and tried his best to act normal. ¡®This is pathetic. Who gets frightened by safety?¡¯ he sobbed inwardly.


    Jack¡¯s Fall was perhaps the safest place he¡¯d ever been¡­ and he didn¡¯t even know why that was or why he was so sure of it.


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    With his hand in Darla¡¯s, the three children walked into the cathedral. A man standing at the entrance with a pad glanced at them for only a moment before bowing, ¡°Lord Alaric.¡±


    Alaric passed with his friends, nodding with a tight-lipped smile.


    The hall that led them in was short, giving the right amount of pause before opening up to a sight unlike anything they could have expected.


    Shooting up in all directions was a gargantuan colosseum. Rows of seats filled with hundreds of spirits and people all talking amongst themselves in a meshed cacophony of excitement.


    A large bell floated above the giant arena that had been repurposed into a very wide podium fitted with floating amber lights, probably for the dancers that night.


    No part of the Colosseum was obscured by the darkness of night as the light of the full moon tore through the dark veil and illuminated every corner of the arena.


    A gentle breeze blew through the bleachers every once in a while keeping everyone cool and yet not too cold.


    Alaric wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this especially since his gaze was arrested by the colosseum¡¯s open top, revealing a beautiful sky littered with countless shimmering stars.


    ¡°I thought this was a cathedral,¡± Finn breathed.


    ¡°You can never be sure with magic, I guess,¡± Alaric responded.


    ¡°Lord Alaric, I¡¯m glad you could make it,¡± a man suddenly approached Alaric.


    From the paleness of his skin, Alaric could immediately tell that he was a spirit. However, nothing about him being a spirit diminished his stunning looks.


    His skin was smoother than anything Alaric had ever seen. His beautiful eyes seemed to contain the tapestry of the nightsky, glittering with countless stars. His hair was like a river of rich silk while his voice was utterly enchanting.


    The man gently held Alaric¡¯s hand and gave it a light kiss.


    Alaric¡¯s eyes widened when the man started floating upwards, and his heart started beating fast when his feet left the ground as well, all while the man maintained the gesture of greeting with his hand.


    He winked, flashing a set of mesmerizing pearly whites, ¡°We¡¯ve all been excitedly awaiting your arrival. You took your time.¡±


    Alaric was panicking now. He wanted to reply but the words got caught in his mouth, ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ my friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. They will be fine,¡± the spirit spoke.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to sit with¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, put him down,¡± a feminine voice suddenly boomed through the Colosseum. The spirit¡¯s beautiful captivating face lost focus for a moment and turned to the source of the voice.


    Standing stern before him was none other than Darla. The girl was looking up with a look of annoyance that sent shivers down Alaric¡¯s spine¡­ and he wasn¡¯t even the target.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s a feisty one! Know your place, little one,¡± the spirit replied dismissively.


    The space beside Darla shimmered and from it stepped a fairy-like man adorned with feathery wings. He was dressed in an elegant suit and his presence pulsed with a wave of aether that blew a gust of wind through the entire colosseum silencing everything and everyone in the vicinity.


    Now that everyone¡¯s attention had been drawn to the spectacle, Darla spoke again, her voice calm but deadly, ¡°I will say this one more time. Put him down¡­¡±


    ¡°My! Oh my! The Guardian of Concept¡­¡± the spirit cooed.


    ¡°Long time no see, Jack,¡± the guardian flying beside Darla¡¯s shoulders waved.


    ¡°Hello, Apollo,¡± the spirit replied with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯d like to invite Lord Alaric and his friends to sit with Jill.¡±


    ¡°Liar,¡± Apollo scoffed.


    ¡°Fine, I wanted to snatch him up and have fun in the VIP section of spirits. Can you blame me for wanting a celebrity all to myself?¡± the spirit whined. As he did, however, he brought Alaric down and placed him on the ground, ¡°Apologies if I was too forward with you, Lord Alaric. I lost my composure.¡±


    ¡°Lost your composure?! I¡¯ve never seen you act so out of character, Great Ancestor,¡± a new voice stepped into the conversation. Alaric turned to see Master Jill walking up to them in a faded silk gown much like the one he¡¯d seen in a portrait of his younger self.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t judge, Jill. It¡¯s been¡­ a very long time. Let him sit with you in the VIP section. Take his friends with you too¡­ Also, we¡¯ll talk later about why you haven¡¯t extended the same privileges you awarded Lord Alaric to his friends as well,¡± with that, the spirit straightened out his gown and floated up to a parlour of spirits seated much higher.


    A bunch of feminine and boisterous male giggles could be heard coming from the spirits that had just watched the spectacle. Alaric could have sworn he saw Master Jack¡¯s cheeks turn a slight shade of red.


    Master Jill rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers, ¡°Why did he do that? Now he¡¯s going to sulk for getting rejected.¡±


    ¡°Rejected?¡± Darla asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Alaric rejected him. No one rejects my Great Ancestor Jack. Now then, tuck that guardian away. You¡¯re scaring the masses. Let¡¯s take our seats. The Ceremony is about to start.¡±

 41. Dance of the Sword.

    Alaric and his friends followed the village elder to a set of stairs, which went up higher than Alaric had been expecting. Higher and higher they climbed until the ground began to look quite a distance away.


    Along their way, Alaric found himself having to smile and endure the number of people who greeted him with respect, calling him ¡®Lord Alaric¡¯, spirits using the title with a lot more gusto than most.


    The boy¡¯s resolve to ignore the title was starting to waver when they finally reached a door that opened into a spacious booth, unlike the endless rows of seats they¡¯d seen earlier.


    Food was placed on a table along with drinks Alaric was almost sure were made from a different world. The very bottles that held the peculiar liquids were made of intricately curved glass that made one want the bottle more than what was inside it¡­ and yet, Alaric had the feeling the drinks were a thousand times better than the bottle holding them.


    Following the small section of bottles was a long table filled to the brim with fruits, confectionaries and food. Finn tapped Alaric¡¯s shoulder aggressively, ¡°Is this heaven?¡±


    ¡°No, Finn, it¡¯s wealth,¡± Alaric replied with a light chuckle.


    ¡°Help yourself to the food. This booth will only be visited by former village elders and¡­ loved ones. I¡¯ll be seated with my wife. Call me if you need anything,¡± the old man spoke, his voice cracking at the end of his words.


    Alaric¡¯s eyes easily surveyed the few luxurious leather seats before falling upon a pale beautiful woman dressed in a jade gown. Her features were a sight to behold and yet, Alaric felt that her character was even more beautiful.


    Her character? Alaric wondered why he¡¯d imagined she was a nice person. He¡¯d never met her¡­ Perhaps it was because she bore the same enchanting gaze Master Jack had used when addressing him.


    Finn rushed over to the large table, ¡°You coming, Alaric?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alaric responded, walking over and grabbing a plate for himself.


    As Finn filled his plate with almost everything in sight, Alaric browsed the more exotic items, many of which he¡¯d never seen, ¡°I can barely name half the things here.¡±


    ¡°I know, right,¡± Finn replied happily, ¡°We should make lots of money and treat our siblings to such meals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to pack some of these for them,¡± Alaric chuckled.


    ¡°You better wait for me to have my fill, brother,¡± Finn warned, drawing more laughter from Alaric.


    ¡°It¡¯s all yours, Finn.¡±


    [Funny how he threw up just a few moments ago and now has space to stuff himself up again] Alia sighed deeply. Alaric laughed on, not sure whether that was good luck or bad luck.


    The village elder stared at the children with a complicated expression. He¡¯d taken his seat by his late beloved, his thoughts churning within his head.


    ¡°Everything alright, my love,¡± the woman¡¯s angelic voice roused him from his thoughts.


    ¡°I fear getting scolded by the Great Ancestor but my stomach boils whenever I see Lord Alaric acting like a peasant,¡± the man groaned, sitting back in his chair and looking on with disdain.


    The woman chuckled, ¡°Have you already forgotten the kindness that dwells within him?¡±


    ¡°Hogwash!¡± the man scoffed.


    The woman laughed instead, ¡°What really troubles you?¡±


    The man sighed, ¡°The Great Ancestor scolded me.¡±


    ¡°As he should have. I could feel that boy¡¯s loneliness from the Astral Plane,¡± the woman replied, ¡°You¡¯ve got a flaw that doesn¡¯t let you see the bigger picture sometimes.


    Pardon me for speaking freely, my love, but it¡¯s a flaw you share with the Great Ancestor. When you see something you like, you lose yourselves. You forget the object of your affection is rooted in so many other ways.


    Have you bothered to ask how his life has been up until this point? You¡¯ve showered him in luxury and even made him a Lord without his permission. I¡¯ve seen his expressions¡­ He doesn¡¯t like it. I reckon he doesn¡¯t even know what he is.¡±


    All through the woman¡¯s speech, the man had looked to the side, feeling his stomach turn at her sugared words of care, cursing every second that care was not directed towards him¡­ until the last sentence where his eyes snapped open.


    His eyes snapped down at the boy enjoying mountainous plates of food with his gluttonous friend, oblivious to the swooning spirits that would give anything to sit beside him, perhaps even feed him.


    ¡°How can someone hold so much power¡­ be loved by so many¡­ and not know they are special? Is he stupid?¡± Jill asked.


    His wife laughed at his remark, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to refer to such a person as ¡®stupid.¡¯¡±


    Jill¡¯s eyes widened and he looked around to make sure no one had heard him, ¡°Apologies.¡±


    His wife chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re alright.¡±


    They watched the boy a little while longer before a loud gong called for their attention. It was time for the Coming of Age Ceremony.


    Alaric allowed part of his attention to be drawn to the ceremony as the mood of everyone seated in the Colosseum shifted entirely. The spirits simmered down as well as the humans and everyone¡¯s attention turned to the podium that had been set up for the Ceremony.


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    In the still silence that followed, a man walked onto the podium, dressed in a gown much like the ones the village elders donned. His gown was nowhere near as opulent but the style and minimalist design fit the occasion perfectly.


    A shimmer of aether floated around his neck briefly before he opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°CITIZENS OF JACK¡¯S FALL,¡± the man¡¯s voice boomed, reaching every corner of the Colosseum.


    Alaric¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the amplification caused by the spell.


    ¡°Tonight is a night we wait for every year. A day that a select few among our cherished children finally step into adulthood. A day when they show us how determined they are to take on the world, in whatever realm of profession and mastery they so desire.


    Today, they dance, so that we, their family might grant them blessings in the treacherous journey that lies ahead. We¡¯ve seen them work hard in the years before this¡­ Today, however, we¡¯ll witness the fruits of their labour and grant them their reward. Tonight, we even have a special guest of the Great Ancestor himself,¡± the man announced.


    With this announcement, a chorus of cheers erupted through the audience, shaking the very walls of the Colosseum only to simmer down when the man raised his hands.


    ¡°I won¡¯t waste any more of your time. Let¡¯s welcome a boy we¡¯ve all come to know and love, trained by Master Jill himself: Aiden¡­¡±


    Alaric¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡®He¡¯s going first.¡¯


    Murmurs filled the bleachers as many of the spirits and humans talked amongst themselves.


    ¡®Aiden¡¯s going first. I thought they were going to save the best for the last. Isn¡¯t he the one that got the highest appraisal? I think he asked to go first. I¡¯m excited to see what he has for us. Do you think he¡¯ll rise above his appraised rank? We can never know until we watch.¡¯


    Alaric¡¯s ears heard a lot more from the rumours than he would have liked. As it turned out, Aiden was a bit of a celebrity and many had come with high hopes for him. Alaric himself had expected a lot from the boy¡­ though he hadn¡¯t realised just how much everyone else did.


    ¡°Exciting, isn¡¯t it?¡± a deep voice at Alaric¡¯s right suddenly piped up, startling him.


    The dark-haired boy managed to grab a hold of himself before he spilt the plate of food on the table in front of him. Seeing the handsome spirit seated to his right, he rubbed his temples, ¡°You startled me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean I¡¯ve always been a charmer but it means so much coming from you,¡± Master Jack puffed out his chest which was the slightest bit exposed, revealing a creamy skin that almost appeared artificial.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Alaric responded with a warm smile.


    Despite the man¡¯s odd approach to making friends, Alaric failed to keep his guard up around him. This feeling had become recurrent since entering Jack¡¯s Fall and Alaric was starting to lean into it.


    The boy turned his attention to the stage where a young man was finally coming onto the podium. A palpable silence took over the Colosseum as the figure of a boy in a sleeveless ceremonial outfit walked onto the podium.


    Unlike the range of kimonos Alaric had seen though, Aiden was dressed in loose pants and a sleeveless shirt, his face decorated with odd paints that made him look like a seasoned warrior. Alaric could see his toned arms under the ambient light of the moon and magic lights around the podium.


    ¡°Is that Aiden?¡± Alaric asked absentmindedly.


    The boy¡¯s friends had their eyes pinned on the boy as well¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I expected for a dancing outfit,¡± Finn laughed lightly.


    Coming to this ceremony, Alaric had expected a calm and light atmosphere where everyone watched aspirants dance in celebration¡­ but Aiden looked like he was going to war. His face was expressionless, decorated with streaks of white substance at his cheeks.


    A jewelled band went around his forehead, adding an air of nobility to his determined face. His shirt was sleeveless but unlike anything Alaric had ever seen. Unconsciously, he enhanced his sight and got a closer look at his friend.


    Aiden¡¯s sleeveless shirt was made of fur while his trousers were made of leather. He approached the podium barefoot with a determined expression until he stood right before the announcer.


    Aiden introduced himself to the silent crowd and turned to the announcer, ¡°What path do you choose, Aiden of Jack¡¯s Fall?¡±


    ¡°I choose the path of a warrior,¡± Aiden replied firmly.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure this is the path you choose for you shall never stray from it? Should the time ever come, you¡¯ll use your power to protect your home?¡± the announcer asked.


    ¡°I will,¡± Aiden responded.


    ¡°Very well¡­ Do you have a weapon of choice?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Sword,¡± Aiden responded.


    The announcer raised his hand in the air allowing an elegant sword to materialise from thin air. Alaric couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a prop or some special manifestation of aether. Creating something from thin air, even with the help of magic required special conditions. And it bothered Alaric to think the man had that ability.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be too convenient? He thought to himself.


    ¡°The sword is made of spirit energy. A test awarded to the aspirant to prove his might and resolve,¡± Master Jack explained.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Thanks,¡± Alaric replied, his curiosity piqued.


    Aiden took the sword and turned to face the audience, still as a grave. A deep silence took over the colosseum as everything faded, leaving only Aiden as the sole centre of attention.


    The boy raised his sword into the air and struck the space in front of him before starting what looked to be like a one-man choreography of katas Alaric was familiar with.


    From the very first movement to the rhythm of breathing the boy utilized, Alaric¡¯s eyes had gone wide with shock as shivers ran down his spine¡­ ¡®This¡­ is the Dance of the Sword.¡¯


    Each movement was engineered to perfectly mirror a fight between a human and a powerful monster. However, with each move, the monster¡¯s movements got faster and consequently, so did the human¡¯s.


    The dance had variations targeted at dealing with different kinds of monsters¡­ but each and every one of the basic variations had been drilled into Alaric¡¯s body for four arduous years. Finn and Darla as well.


    Who had done this? Alia.


    Alaric and his friends had endured training from the guardian, learning the forms the arduous dance entailed and growing stronger with each passing day. Alaric had practised this fighting style tirelessly with the hopes of growing powerful enough to wield the power that was rightfully his. The power Alia held¡­


    Don¡¯t get me wrong, he¡¯d learnt a lot of the dance. He¡¯d learnt so much in fact that it made him an excellent swordsman. One that would put most of the contenders in the village of the Five Hills to shame.


    Only Darla and Finn remained close behind Alaric in skill.


    Aiden continued the Dance of the Sword. He leapt into the air, pirouetted, slashed, pivoted, weaved, parried and sidestepped in a dizzying frenzy of movements that placed him all over the place in a mesmerizing dance, leaving after-images in his wake.


    Alaric watched in awe as Aiden continued to weave through the air, going faster¡­ and faster¡­ and faster still. His skill alone was crazy¡­ and yet, shaky.


    A faint whisper in the crowd gave Alaric the reason behind this¡­ ¡®Has Aiden always been this good?¡¯


    As it so happened, Aiden was doing better than he usually did. His movements were a lot more skilful than they normally were. As Alaric watched on, his eyes grasped a deeper image of the dance he was performing¡­ and the creature he was battling.


    ¡°The Dance of the Snake and the Mongoose,¡± he breathed.


    Out there on the podium, Aiden dashed from one end of the podium to the other, snapping with the ferocity and agility of a mongoose, effectively evading the attacks of an increasingly dangerous python.


    And with one shattering swing of his sword, the python snapped into existence with a flourish of spirit energy. The Ceremony was only getting started¡­ From here on out, it would only get harder for the boy.


    The snake hissed menacingly before shooting straight for Aiden, the one playing the mongoose in this deadly dance of the Sword.

 42. Iron Will

    As Alaric watched Aiden demonstrate the intricate Dance of the Sword, his mind flashed back to a moment in his past. About four years ago.


    ¡°The Dance of the Sword?¡± Alaric had asked the black knight towering over a meter above him. He looked at the poorly carved wooden stick she¡¯d handed him for practice.


    ¡°Yes. A fighting style fit for a king,¡± the towering knight paused with a smirk, ¡°¡­and the only way you¡¯ll ever grow strong enough to realise your true power.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. How do I learn this Dance of the Sword?¡± Alaric pondered. Since awakening, he¡¯d been yearning to grow into his power. He was surprised to find that his senses, without any effort, had already grown much sharper and his strength had gone up by leaps and bounds.


    At the time, he was nothing but an ignorant eleven-year-old hungry for power. Impressive as Alia¡¯s awakening had been, this was nowhere near enough to satiate him. Even with the power to lift a boulder his weight with little effort, he knew he was still too weak. Not leaving any room to celebrate his increase in power, he was already eager to grow even stronger.


    At the time, he didn¡¯t recognize how blessed he¡¯d been to gain power in any other way than through sheer effort. So anything to push him towards his goal faster was welcome.


    As a beginner, he didn¡¯t know the harrowing journey of a swordsman, the patience it took, the practice it took to add an ounce of speed to his abilities, to add a second to his endurance, to sharpen his swings to new heights, to naturally temper his body and hone his abilities to the sharp tip he so desired.


    He endured arduous training, tirelessly pushing his body to its very limits and earning himself a litany of scars, bruises, a few dislocations and sprains¡­ but he never gave up. With each mountain he climbed, he found himself at the bottom of yet another towering mountain.


    Not only was the Dance of the Sword physically tasking but it was also vastly intricate, hoarding numerous nuances to the way of the sword that were all difficult to learn.


    Even now, after four years, he was nowhere near the pinnacle of strength he desired. If anything, he¡¯d learned to have the patience to allow himself to improve bit by bit, amassing strength through consistent training and hard work.


    Alaric would not give up¡­


    As he stared at the Dance of the Snake and Mongoose, his memories resonated within him, reminding him of the day he¡¯d mastered the basics of this dance.


    Unfortunately, there was more to the dance he¡¯d not mastered. From what Alia had told him though, he¡¯d learnt about everything his current physique was capable of¡­ and he would need to revisit it once he¡¯d grown stronger physically.


    Staring without taking an eye off the dancing Aspirant, he watched Aiden replicate this dance with the accuracy of a thread through a needle.


    [Didn¡¯t you say the Dance of the Sword was extinct?] Alaric¡¯s voice echoed deep into his mind.


    Alia¡¯s voice came a moment later [I also remember saying Old Blood runs deep in Jack¡¯s Fall.]


    There it was again¡­ The phrase he¡¯d heard so many times in this village. So now he knew the memories preserved in this town were old enough to retain the elusive forms of the Dance of the Sword.


    ¡°That fighting style¡­ Alaric, isn¡¯t that?¡± Darla shivered.


    The boy nodded in confirmation. Aside from himself, Darla and Finn had trained along with him, learning the difficult forms to grow along with him.


    Finn¡¯s eyes remained pinned on the performance before them, unable to lift another piece of cake to his mouth. For the first time since the start of the festival, he looked serious.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Alaric walked to the rails, looking down at the scene before them intently. His friends joined him in quiet awe.


    Aiden strained against the limits of his human body, going through the forms and katas of the fighting style with shaky precision, weaving through the different katas as smoothly as he was capable.


    He parried, side-stepped and danced around the spirit serpent that continued to attack in patterns natural to snakes but also in rhythm with the choreography he¡¯d learned at Master Jill¡¯s manor.


    The snake struck with lightning-fast speed, its coils following in a chaotic frenzy that kept everyone in the audience in tension. And yet, Aiden was always a step ahead, side-stepping at the right moment, cutting at the scales of the powerful beast, deflecting its venomous fangs with pinpoint precision whilst weaving through its coils as though he knew where it would be at every moment.


    Alaric watched as the speed of the duel grew even faster for human eyes to follow, a feat that shouldn¡¯t have been possible for the boy who hadn¡¯t yet awakened his guardian. Of course, Alaric wouldn¡¯t know this considering he¡¯d not started training until his guardian awakened.


    Aiden blurred across the podium with the graceful skill of a seasoned swordsman, reaching high for the limits of his human body. At this point, he¡¯d performed a feat far greater than Alaric had ever hoped for him¡­ and yet, in the next moment, his ghostly sword struck the python¡¯s scaly hide and cut through till it emerged from the other side, severing the giant python¡¯s neck clean off its body.


    Aiden landed right at the centre of the podium with the sword at his side. His breathing was heavy and beads of sweat covered his brow. But then, he settled into a different stance.


    The python vanished in a swirl of sparks. Signs of exhaustion could be seen manifesting on Aiden¡¯s body. His stance looked perfect but Alaric could see how he balanced his weight to favour his right foot and how he shifted his elbow just a bit lower not to strain his muscles. His breathing also looked strained and yet, his eyes burned with a fire like no other¡­


    With a determined expression, he started a new choreography, this one also known to Alaric. The crowd gasped.


    ¡°What¡¯s that boy thinking? He¡¯ll die if he goes too far beyond his capabilities,¡± Master Jill snapped from his seat.


    The spirit of Master Jack standing behind Alaric snapped at the old man and put a finger to his lips, mouthing the words, ¡®Stay quiet.¡¯


    The words were accompanied by a death glare and head movement that pointed towards Alaric. Master Jill sat back in his seat and furrowed his brows in angry silence.


    Aiden, whose mind was completely focused on the task ahead continued to follow the forms he¡¯d learned over the years. He¡¯d never been perfect at the katas taught to him by old Master Jill¡­ and yet, as he went through the dance, performing one form after the other, stringing them together to form an intricate dance, he found himself unable to back down.


    So what if he didn¡¯t know the katas to the bone? So what if he had never had that much interest in sword-fighting? So what if he¡¯d never wanted this so badly in his life until this VERY moment? So what if his ambitions had never shone through this brightly before?


    His motivation might have come late but Aiden was determined to see this through to the end¡­ And so he fought¡­ and bound every fibre in his being to his will, unleashing the full might of his human body. No, even more than that, he was determined to fly past those heights.


    He allowed himself to embody the dreams and ambitions of his vessel. To harness all that he desired and truly aspired to become and pour them out into this very moment. In this moment, he would become the embodiment of his iron will.


    ¡®Are you watching, Alaric? You better not blink,¡¯ his thoughts echoed.


    As he danced, a new silhouette of a tiger took form before him, striking with its mighty paws and devastating speed. His body, however, embodied the long reach and agility of a praying mantis.


    He leapt through the air, evading the tiger¡¯s paws and reaching right within striking range. His sword flashed through the air in well-calculated slashes and thrusts only to leap away in time to avoid the paw that threatened to crush him¡­


    ¡­But he wasn¡¯t done. He struck again only moments after, dancing around the tiger with impeccable elegance. His mind remained clear and as tranquil as a still lake as he continued to string the pieces of the intricate dance together.


    Until today, he¡¯d never understood the importance of the different katas¡­ Now, however, they made all the sense in the world and with that understanding, he unravelled countless possibilities and peered into a tapestry of swordsmanship far beyond his capabilities.


    A smirk graced his face as he ducked to avoid the slash of the tiger¡¯s claw only to shoot forward and deliver a glaring gash to the creature¡¯s side. The tiger twisted and slammed its paw on the ground, missing the agile swordsman by a hair¡¯s breadth only to receive another cut on its other side.


    Flashing faster across the podium, the battle raged on in an elegant display of swordsmanship and savagery.


    A spirit in one of the front rows, a little girl, stood up and raised her hand in silent approval. At this point, the whole Colosseum had gone completely quiet, each of the spectators too ensnared by the performance for them to speak.


    A silver orb floated above the fight, responding to the little girl¡¯s gesture with a subtle glow. Shimmering motes of light floated from her hand and filtered into the silver orb. Alaric easily recognized this orb.


    This was Aiden¡¯s Awakening Orb.

 43. Lords Approval

    [Are you watching Alaric? You better not blink] went a string of words in Alaric¡¯s mind. At first, the boy was sure he¡¯d been hallucinating¡­ but then, Alia confirmed what he¡¯d heard.


    It was Aiden¡¯s voice calling out, loud and clear. The fact that the Aspirant had achieved this without the aid of an awakened Guardian made it all the more impressive.


    Alaric had watched the performance with increasing interest. One by one, the spirits silently stood and raised their hands in honour of the young aspirant. With each addition, the glowing sparks of energy increased in number.


    Aiden continued his dance for what felt like forever. The tiger fell to the pincers of his mantis only for the boy to return to the centre of the podium, this time drenched in sweat only to take another stance.


    Master Jill lost his breath at this sight. His wife had to hold his hand to keep him from interfering.


    One by one, the spirits continued to stand and raise their hands, sending shimmering stars of energy into the silver orb glowing in the air¡­ As the shimmering stars of energy filtered into the orb, it gained a few intricate patterns.


    ¡®The quality of the orb is improving¡­¡¯ Alaric observed, ¡®But that would defy the results of his Appraisal. That should be impossible.¡¯


    It seemed the spirits were directly changing the results of his appraisal. Turning inward to his guardian, he spoke [I thought someone¡¯s Appraisal came from the power of their sleeping guardian. There shouldn¡¯t be a way to increase the power of someone¡¯s guardian¡­ should there?]


    [It¡¯s a difficult task¡­ but not an impossible one,] Alaric¡¯s guardian replied, [It looks like the people of Jack¡¯s Fall have access to one way.]


    Even then, to get the spirits to improve the quality of the orb, an aspirant was meant to go through the same perils Aiden was enduring right now.


    [The Ceremony is like a test] Alaric wondered.


    [Perhaps to those that wish to attain more power before embarking on their journey in a chosen career] the guardian stipulated.


    Putting speculations aside, Alaric watched as a gathering of shimmering lights floated into the orb, the shimmering collection of aether appearing like a vast ocean of floating snow.


    Calling it aether, however, wasn¡¯t enough to explain this type of energy. Alaric easily noticed how concentrated each spark of aether was, each bearing enough power to sustain one of his most difficult spells to cast.


    Some were more concentrated than others even. The scope of what was happening was almost too vast to grasp.


    The flow of aether continued, now flowing from both spirits and humans as they watched the intricate dance unfold before them.


    The awe-filled silence soon transformed into a chorus of handclaps, congratulating the boy on the brilliant performance¡­ and yet, Aiden didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Aiden¡­ I think,¡± the announcer mentioned from his place in the bleachers¡­


    His voice didn¡¯t have an impact on the boy¡¯s neverending battle against the creatures conjured up by his dance. To the man¡¯s dismay, Master Jack waved his hand at him, silencing him.


    ¡°Great Ancestor¡­¡± Master Jill stood up, ¡°This is enough. He¡¯ll die if he keeps pushing himself like that.¡±


    Master Jack, however, looked angrier the more Master Jill disturbed him.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    [This is bad] Alia whispered into Alaric¡¯s mind.


    But Alaric was of a different mind. This was far from bad¡­


    ¡®You should come watch me,¡¯ Aiden had said only to call out to him again mentally during the whole dance. The choreography happening before them wasn¡¯t just a suicidal attempt at wearing himself out beyond exhaustion.


    Alaric looked up at the orb that was reaching the pinnacle of power in the B-class and raised his hand. Deep down in his gut, Alaric felt something stir. The performance had certainly ensnared him¡­ but now, something else swarmed in his mind. His hands twitched with impatience.


    [Alia, what do I do?] Alaric called out.


    His intuition rang out¡­ but he found himself stumped. What was he supposed to do?


    When no response came, he walked out of the VIP booth, leaving everyone in the VIP booth staring at him with mixed expressions. Alaric walked down the stairs. If Alia wouldn¡¯t give him some sort of clue on what he was supposed to do, then he¡¯d do whatever came to mind.


    What was the worst that could happen?


    Alaric chuckled to himself, ¡®This is absolutely crazy.¡¯


    He broke into a sprint and went flying down the stairs. Right when he was halfway, he poured aether into his legs and leapt off the stairs, sailing straight for the podium¡­


    To Alaric¡¯s surprise, he never landed¡­ Instead, he stayed floating in the air, caught by an invisible force. He locked eyes with Aiden for a split second before a ghost of a smile appeared on the sweaty aspirant¡¯s face.


    With one final move, he dashed straight past a gigantic centipede, slicing the creature in two. For the first time, however, he didn¡¯t return to the podium to start another variation of the Dance of Swords.


    Aiden turned and flashed a pearly white smile at the floating boy, ¡°You came.¡±


    ¡°You asked me to,¡± Alaric replied simply, then looked around, ¡°Why am I¡­ floating?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ sort of my fault,¡± Aiden rubbed the back of his head.


    ¡°How come!¡±


    ¡°Well, I was sort of¡­¡±


    ¡°YOU WISH TO SERVE MY MASTER¡­¡± a feminine voice boomed across the colosseum. From a shadow on the podium below Alaric, a majestic two-meter-tall knight emerged, rising till her head was beside Alaric¡¯s floating form. As soon as Alia appeared, all spirits bowed in respect.


    Alaric¡¯s eyes nearly popped from their sockets, [Alia, there is no S-class Barrier¡­]


    [Relax, Alaric. With this many spirits in one place, there have to be measures to avoid attracting unwanted attention] the guardian responded in Alaric¡¯s mind.


    Meanwhile, when Aiden saw the guardian manifest from the shadows, he got down on one knee and kept his gaze on the ground, ¡°Alaric saved my life¡­ and did so without caring for his own. I know it¡¯s selfish of me to ask this but I would serve no one else.¡±


    Alia had walked up to him and regarded the boy for a bit. Alaric waited in silent anticipation, waiting to see what his all-powerful guardian would do¡­ only for her to turn to Alaric and go, ¡°Well¡­?¡±


    ¡®Well¡­!!!¡¯ the word echoed in the boy¡¯s mind. He blinked twice¡­ then caught up with reality.


    [WELL!? IS THAT ALL YOU¡¯VE GOT? YOU ABANDON ME, LET ME TAKE OFF RUNNING AND FLY STRAIGHT INTO¡­ WHATEVER THIS IS AND ALL YOU HAVE IS¡­ WELL¡­] Alaric mentally screamed.


    The female knight flinched at his mental voice, then coughed, [Can we get back to that part later? I¡¯ll make it up to you.]


    The dark-haired boy huffed, then turned to Aiden.


    Finally taking the time to look at Aiden again, several flashbacks went through his mind, going over the events of the day. It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯d just met Aiden today that he hesitated, it was that even before he talked to Aiden, he¡¯d felt drawn to the boy.


    He took pleasure in teasing him and even listened to him gloat about all the things he knew back at the Tower of Seekers. While many hid their personalities under layers of deceit, Aiden wore his on his sleeve.


    He was a complicated human, but less complicated than most. He got angry and made mistakes like the rest of them¡­ but he was himself, never wearing another personality just to fit in.


    ¡°So you fought all those monsters just to prove that you could be of use to me?¡± Alaric asked.


    Aiden nodded.


    Alaric chuckled in response, ¡°That was reckless. Look at you, all beaten up.¡±


    Placing a hand above the boy, Alaric let a spell unravel in his mind, drawing from his vast pools of aether. Aiden¡¯s body was still standing purely because of his will. In truth, he should have succumbed to the heavy burden of exhaustion a long time ago.


    As Alaric¡¯s magic mended his wounds and torn muscles, Aiden grew weaker, fatigue finally hitting him in full swing. Alia caught the blonde boy before he hit the ground, unconscious.


    With a sigh, Alaric raised his hand and willed the silver orb to float down to his palm¡­ He intended to let aether flow into the orb as well, just like everyone else had done.


    When it touched his palm, however, something extraordinary happened. His aether flowed into the orb for only a moment, bathing the room in the pressure of his vast reserves of aether, then, the surface of the silver orb shattered to reveal an emerald orb within, pulsing with immense power.


    Aiden was now A-class.

 44. Basics...?

    A palpable gasp swept through the Colosseum followed by a deep silence as the gathering of humans and spirits watched what could just as well be considered a miracle right before their eyes. A transcendence from B-class to A-class was unheard of, only ever surfacing in myths and fantasies children liked to make up.


    It wasn¡¯t just the orb¡¯s colour that changed or the amount of power held within it¡­ but the very aura surrounding the unconscious boy as well. His unconscious guardian had gone through a transformation just like the orb had.


    Subtle waves of power radiated off his body now that his sleeping guardian had just undergone a complete metamorphosis. The boy¡¯s presence was a lot more imposing, much like Darla¡¯s was.


    The announcer¡¯s voice came only about a minute later¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s the first I¡¯ve seen of this. For the first time in Fifteen years¡­ no, for the first time in my life, the Coming of Age Ceremony had produced an A-class guardian,¡± the announcer¡¯s voice, usually professional, sounded stunned by the sudden development.


    The man lost his former sense of glamour and decorum and just started speaking his mind. Several giggles rippled through the audience as they noticed him fumbling. This too, was a first.


    Alaric held the orb in his hand with a smile.


    ¡®Congratulations, Aiden. You¡¯ve earned this,¡¯ with that, he turned to the crowd and scanned through the masses.


    His eyes landed on a familiar group of people not so high up in the stands. Alia lifted the boy into her arms and followed Alaric off the podium, ascending the stairs to a family too stunned to speak.


    Alaric recognized the family from earlier that day. Picking out Aiden¡¯s sister, he knelt and held out the emerald orb, ¡°Hold onto this for your brother, okay? He¡¯ll need it in the days to come.¡±


    The girl gingerly picked the glowing emerald orb from his outstretched palm and gazed at it in awe, ¡°Thank you for healing brother.¡±


    It was only then that Alaric noticed the tears on Aiden¡¯s sister¡¯s face. Not only hers, but the whole family in fact, including the older spirits that bore a resemblance to Aiden¡¯s parents.


    Aiden¡¯s father walked up to the towering black knight and bowed his head in respect.


    ¡°Lift your head, sir. You¡¯ve raised a fine young man. You should be proud,¡± Alia¡¯s voice thundered, ¡°He¡¯ll need plenty of protein-based food in the coming days to build a stronger body. Now that his guardian¡¯s class has changed, his body will need all the strength it can get to accommodate that change.¡±


    After this, she handed the boy over to his father and dissolved into the shadows. With her disappearance came numerous breaths of relief as the oppressive pressure of her presence was released.


    Alaric gave a small bow and was about to walk back to the VIP booth when he noticed a handsome spirit floating down from the VIP section. Master Jack was visibly glowing with pride as he took Alaric¡¯s hand.


    With this simple gesture, the boy¡¯s feet left the ground and they began to float back to the VIP booth. This time, Alaric didn¡¯t resist the Great Ancestor¡¯s power.


    ¡°You scared me for a moment there. Just how high are your standards? Could you not see that the boy had reached his limit?¡± the handsome spirit asked.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about my standards. I just didn¡¯t see him get past the basics of the Dance of the Sword,¡± Alaric replied indifferently.


    Master Jack¡¯s face grew pale and his smile withered, ¡°Basics¡­? Have you already mastered every step of the dance Aiden just demonstrated?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ and so have my friends,¡± Alaric responded again with a small nod, ¡°Besides, Aiden¡¯s forms were unstable. I could tell it was his first time going through that many.¡±


    ¡°Then why grant him a new class?¡±


    Alaric paused for a moment as he allowed the Great Ancestor to fly them back to the VIP booth. He knew the answer to this too. Aiden hadn¡¯t trained as hard as Alaric had¡ªor any of his friends for that matter¡ª, but he¡¯d demonstrated something that quite easily negated his former negligence to training.


    Tonight, Aiden had demonstrated a will stronger than any Alaric had ever encountered. He¡¯d forged forward even after his muscles had repeatedly raptured. He¡¯d demonstrated his unwillingness to give up.


    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to be strong¡­ but another to have the will to fight when all your strength has been taken from you. To stand up to a basilisk and fight even when the odds are clearly stacked against you. Today, Aiden showed me the might of his Warrior¡¯s spirit,¡± Alaric explained.


    ¡°The strength¡­ of a Pillar,¡± Master Jack mumbled to himself thoughtfully.


    Alaric returned to the VIP booth and took a seat, this time between Finn and Darla. The two were quiet for a bit before Finn spoke up, ¡°Was that wise?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± Alaric replied. Had he missed something? No one told him wisdom had anything to do with what he¡¯d just done.


    ¡°Since when can you change the class of someone¡¯s guardian?¡± Finn asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was possible.¡±


    ¡°Finn, cut Alaric some slack. All the spirits and humans here contributed power,¡± Darla stopped the angry sandy-haired boy, ¡°Besides, Alia approved of this. So, it must be fine.¡±


    Finn went silent, then mumbled to himself, ¡°This place is too weird.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird because it¡¯s peaceful. In a world ravaged by demons, crime and dark magic, a place like this is weird,¡± Master Jack suddenly spoke up, ¡°If you ever feel like you need a peaceful place to rest your head or recuperate, feel free to return to this village. You¡¯ll always be welcome here. Any friends of Alaric are.¡±


    With that, Master Jack left to rejoin Master Jill, his wife and the other spirits in the VIP section while the Coming of Age Ceremony continued. None of the children had noticed him lurking¡­ but they did notice how he sulked when he took his seat beside Master Jill.


    Of the three children, only Darla felt sorry for the man for being silently rejected a second time. Of course, Alaric was none the wiser.


    He merely continued to watch the rest of the Ceremony play out in the company of his two best friends. He watched dances from the other two girls who had travelled to the Tower of Seekers.


    Much to his slight disappointment, the girls didn¡¯t perform the Dance of the Sword. Instead, they performed different dances, recognized within the fields of the professions they wished to follow.


    One chose to follow in the path of a songstress while another chose to become a Seeker. Their dances were not as aggressive or ambitious as Jack¡¯s but were equally elegant.


    If anything, Alaric noticed how hard they worked to put on a show that wouldn¡¯t be dwarfed by Aiden¡¯s spectacular demonstration and unlike Aiden¡¯s dance that had come from his inner desire to prove himself to Alaric, these girls had mastered their dances going through each step of their choreographies with gracefully refined poise.


    Eventually, however, the event came to an end. It had been a long night and the three children needed to rest. Garin showed up moments after the end of the ceremony to make sure they went off to bed early.


    Before Alaric could leave, however, a voice called out to him.


    Master Jack sat in the corner of the VIP section beckoning for him to come over, ¡°I¡¯ll only be a moment. If I take too long, don¡¯t wait for me.¡±


    Alaric hurried up to the spirit, noticing on his way up that he¡¯d become a bit paler since meeting him. Now it was all too obvious that he wasn¡¯t a being of this world, ¡°Master Jack, you¡¯re pale. What¡¯s happening to¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just Jack to you, Lord Alaric,¡± Master Jack replied.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think off¡­¡±


    The boy was cut off by the spirit shaking his head fervently, ¡°Don¡¯t make me beg in the few minutes I have left. The moon is no longer at its peak which means the barrier between the spirit world and the human world is closing¡­ I won¡¯t be here much longer. Care to talk to me while I wait?¡±


    ¡°What about your family?¡± Alaric tried.


    ¡°I can always talk to them on the next full moon¡­ But I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll ever talk to you again,¡± the man replied with a sad smile.

 45. Master Jacks Last Moments

    Master Jack was a handsome man with a complicated personality. He had less awareness of the people around him much like his descendant, Master Jill¡­ and yet, Alaric got the vague feeling he cared all the same.


    After all, a powerful barrier surrounded the beautiful village courtesy of an old spell cast by the same man. ¡°You¡¯ve probably noticed by now that most of the people here are highly attuned to Spirit Energy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my guardian told me. I wouldn¡¯t know really,¡± Alaric replied.


    Master Jack nodded knowingly, ¡°What do you know, then?¡±


    ¡°I know this town holds secrets. I know there is much more happening around me than I realise¡­ but I also know I care about my friends more than those things. I asked Master Jill earlier¡­ and the face he made showed me I was not ready yet. It¡¯s a lot, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alaric asked.


    Master Jack laughed while nodding, ¡°Yes, Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°Just Alaric, please,¡± the boy raised his hand, a pained expression making its way to his face.


    Master Jack breathed deeply, ¡°There are laws that run the spirit world. I¡¯ll assume you know the Spirit World is the same as the world our guardians come from. It¡¯s sometimes referred to as the Higher Plane. In the Spirit World, there are rules¡­ Rules which are meant to keep balance. Most of those rules apply to guardians¡­ and most times, loosely apply to spirits such as myself.


    A guardian shall protect their master no matter the cost¡­


    A guardian will ¡®guide¡¯ their master in the proper ways of life and virtue.


    A guardian will keep their master from straying off the righteous path they¡¯ve chosen. Humans are creatures of mistakes¡­ and guardians know that so they help them.


    I could go on and on about the rules but I don¡¯t have much time. You can ask your guardian to teach them to you. With time, you¡¯ll come to know of these two worlds, what makes them so similar yet different and why they should always stay in perfect balance.


    You, Lord Alaric, happen to be a very special boy known to all guardians and spirits by name. Ah¡­¡± the spirit bit his lip as though thinking through his words. His eyes were dazed for a split second that Alaric almost missed, almost like he was communicating telepathically. When he spoke, however, he didn¡¯t seem to show signs of having lost focus, he just continued undisturbed.


    ¡°So special in fact, that a spirit is unable to say your name¡­ without adding a title of respect,¡± the man responded, ¡°Your life will not be an easy one¡­ but with time, it will all make sense.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Alaric blinked and noticed something wrong with Master Jack¡¯s body. The handsome man was now so translucent that he might have been a figment of Alaric¡¯s imagination.


    ¡°Keep your friends close and follow that intuition of yours,¡± the man said before flashing a genuine smile, ¡°I¡¯m so glad I met you this soon. I was afraid I¡¯d be too late.¡±


    With that, the translucent image of the spirit burst into shimmering dust, only for it to fade away just as well. Suddenly, the Colosseum was very silent. Alaric turned back to the exit of the VIP section and noticed his friends were still waiting for him.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to notice why it was so silent. The largest population of Jack¡¯s Fall had been made up of spirits, going back several generations¡­ and now they were gone. Just like that, the full amphitheatre was evacuated, like nothing had ever happened.


    The void left by the cheerful loving spirits was palpable, ¡®So this is what the people of Jack¡¯s Fall go through every full moon,¡¯ he thought to himself. He couldn¡¯t imagine just how painful it must have been to see a loved one once every month, and then lose them all over again.


    Alaric stood up and made his way to his friends. ¡°You okay?¡± Darla asked.


    The boy nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­ Just got a lot to think about now.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do, Lord Alaric,¡± Garin chuckled, ¡°Let¡¯s get going, brat. Remember, you have to be up early to head over to the Five Hills. I don¡¯t want Marla talking my ear off on how irresponsible I am.¡±


    ¡°I thought she got a letter from Master Jill,¡± Alaric tried.


    ¡°So what if she got a letter? This is the first time I¡¯m spending a night with her aspirants. If I had known you¡¯d be this much of a celebrity, I probably would have dropped you off at the Five Hills first,¡± the man complained.


    As the group exited the cathedral, they found a pair of bored knights dressed in white armour waiting outside. LionHeart was yawning a lot while Gunther played with one of his arrows, sharpening the tip with a small whetstone out of pure boredom.


    ¡°I heard the ceremony was a blast,¡± LionHeart yawned.


    ¡°It was¡­ Why didn¡¯t you guys come in?¡± Finn piped up.


    ¡°Nothing really¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Gunther fumed, ¡°Alaric, forgive this loser for whatever sick twisted thing he did to you. His guardian wouldn¡¯t even let him in and I had to stay out here to keep him company like some babysitter. I practically missed the whole thing because of him.¡±


    LionHeart flinched at his friend¡¯s tone, then turned sheepishly to Alaric, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ right.¡±


    Alaric¡¯s mind went on pause for a bit¡­ [His guardian didn¡¯t let him in?]


    [The last time Aslan saw you, LionHeart had made you mad] Alia clarified.


    [But that¡¯s so¡­ whimsical] Alaric slumped his shoulders.


    ¡°Can I see your guardian, LionHeart?¡± Alaric asked.


    LionHeart nodded.


    The space beside him rippled before a massive magnificent lion with a great golden mane stepped out. The guardian¡¯s aura, unlike before, was subdued and gentle. Nothing like the menacing imposing lion Alaric was getting used to.


    [I would like to apologise for my charge¡¯s behaviour] The lion spoke before Alaric could address him, [I¡¯ve tried to make him see reason but¡­ humans are stubborn.]


    The dark-haired boy found himself chuckling at the remark.


    Wasn¡¯t he a human himself? Wasn¡¯t he also stubborn? All the time he¡¯d so far spent here, he¡¯d refused to accept the title awarded to him by the spirits of Jack¡¯s Fall. But now¡­ now he understood, if only just a little bit, how much of a big deal it was.


    He might have been lacking the most important details of his power¡­ but at least now he had an inkling of an idea. Most of all, he knew now more than ever how urgent it was that Alia stayed hidden.


    ¡®How long will that last though?¡¯


    [Until you¡¯re strong enough. When you¡¯re strong enough, you¡¯ll be free] the guardian replied to his thoughts.

 46. Not Quite Human

    Alaric stared into the eyes of the magnificent lion, ¡°Aren¡¯t I also human?¡±


    The lion tilted its head a bit as though in confusion [ You don¡¯t exactly fit the description of a human that we guardians have come to know.]


    [How so?] The boy raised an eyebrow at the guardian.


    [Well, you would never consider using dark magic and yet normal humans would easily fall for that temptation. Dark Magic, after all, defies the rules of balance and can achieve feats magic is incapable of. Its very nature makes it difficult for a human to resist¡­ but that all doesn¡¯t apply to you] the guardian explained, [And this is only one example.]


    ¡°I see¡­ Though I also have legs, eyes, a nose and a mouth, crave love and yearn for money. We could go on and on about the subject of me being human but that¡¯s not important right now. We¡¯re discussing your master so let¡¯s try to stay on topic. What happened earlier wasn¡¯t his fault and I¡¯ve gotten over it?¡± Alaric said to the lion, ¡°You do understand why he was angry, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The lion was silent for a while before growling, [He had no reason to be angry. He should have been¡­ proud.]


    ¡°Who do you serve, Aslan?¡± Alaric¡¯s groaned.


    [I serve¡­ LionHeart.]


    ¡°Then continue to serve him as you always have,¡± Alaric beamed.


    [ Not until he¡¯s been punished for angering you. He should be grovelling at your knees and begging you to use his back as a chair, offering you soothing massages and performing duties as your slave until there is nothing but gratitude to wash away the stains of his abhorrent transgression] The lion boomed with pride.


    Alaric groaned, rubbing his temples.


    Garin, who¡¯d been watching a one-sided exchange with only Alaric¡¯s words being audible, turned to his large friend with a withering smile, ¡°I take it negotiations aren¡¯t going as smoothly as you would like.¡±


    ¡°Aslan has never been like this. He even refuses to talk to me,¡± the burly slayer looked out of place with a crestfallen expression. His massive shoulders were slumped and he looked less like a mighty warrior and more like a sad puppy.


    ¡°What happened between you and Aslan?¡± Darla asked as the group followed behind the negotiating pair. The group had subconsciously started walking back to Master Jill¡¯s manor, leaving Alaric and Aslan at the front, immersed in discussion.


    ¡°This genius over here went ahead and scolded Alaric. He practically yelled at him, telling him to stay away from Aslan. I wasn¡¯t there but my guardian was able to relay how furious Aslan was by the incident,¡± Gunther relayed.


    ¡°Oh, you weren¡¯t there. One moment Aslan was fine and then the moment Alaric was on his back, he flew off like he didn¡¯t know me. I called him back but he wouldn¡¯t listen,¡± LionHeart complained, ¡°That boy¡¯s abilities are really scary. We all saw what he did to that guardian back in the woods.¡±


    ¡°Alaric would never harm a guardian, let alone take one away from their master,¡± Finn quietly yelled, adding to the number of people that weren¡¯t on LionHeart¡¯s side.


    ¡°What makes you so sure? You weren¡¯t there,¡± LionHeart countered.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Simple¡­ What did Alaric do the moment Aslan took off?¡± Darla asked indifferently.


    ¡°He¡­¡± LionHeart¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°¡­He asked Aslan to bring him back down.¡±


    At this LionHeart went silent, returning his attention to the boy walking with Aslan in front of them. Alaric was still dressed in the opulent tunic given to him by the village chief. Surprisingly, however, the attire didn¡¯t look out of place.


    For an orphan from the Five Hills, Alaric couldn¡¯t look more elegant. His skin was flawless and milky, his features sharp and otherworldly. Perhaps it was because he¡¯d taken a bath after the dreadful battle in the forest but even that thought seemed far-fetched when one paid close attention to his aura.


    ¡®He¡¯s certainly S-class,¡¯ the man sighed.


    His thoughts were interrupted by a disturbed groan from the boy, ¡°Ugh, what will it take for you to let him off the hook?¡±


    LionHeart¡¯s ears perked up¡­ but as it had been for the past hours, he didn¡¯t hear his guardian¡¯s voice the same way he was used to. The feeling of being disconnected from the great lion turned his stomach and sent chills down his spine.


    Still, he waited for Alaric¡¯s reaction to whatever it was the guardian said next.


    [ I want him to apologize to you. He does that, then I¡¯ll speak to him] the guardian responded indifferently.


    Alaric could tell something was missing though, ¡°What else?¡±


    [ If I had it my way, I¡¯d ask him to commit to five years of being your slave before I ever forgave him] the lion grumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh. Can you try something less¡­ horrifying?¡± Alaric tried.


    Behind him, LionHeart turned a few shades paler. Was his guardian really discussing his punishment with someone other than him? What was going on here? Aslan was his guardian¡­ Why was he supposed to face punishment for trying to protect his¡­


    ¡°You do realise he was worried about you when he lashed out,¡± Alaric¡¯s words spilt out in conjunction with his thoughts, silencing the larger man¡¯s mind for once.


    LionHeart was suddenly reminded of the last conversation he¡¯d had with his guardian.


    At the time, he¡¯d thought the words he was hearing to be utterly ridiculous. But now that Alaric was talking to his guardian¡ªand so casually at that¡ª, trying to negotiate a lighter punishment for him all while not forgetting exactly why LionHeart did what he did.


    Alaric wasn¡¯t throwing a tantrum like LionHeart would naturally expect. From the sound of it, he even had a better understanding of the situation than he¡¯d given him credit for. After this, LionHeart stayed silent, forced to look at the boy a little differently.


    His thoughts now soared in a different direction.


    What if there was really something different about the boy? Something beyond simple definitions like ¡®weird.¡¯ What if he was never normal to start with? Was there more to the boy than they thought? LionHeart was now curious to find out.


    The boy went quiet for a while, probably listening to the lion speak¡­ eventually nodding in contentment after what felt like a long negotiation. While he still didn¡¯t like the guardian¡¯s steep compromise, it was the best he could get him to agree to.


    Aslan slowed down and fell back with the group, matching LionHeart¡¯s pace, [ I¡¯ve decided. ]


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    The group finally arrived at the manor where they would spend the night. Hail dutifully emerged to meet them. ¡°I trust that you had a good time, Lord Alaric,¡± the old man bowed.


    ¡°Yes, Hail. The festival was every bit as good as you said it would be. Did you stay here the whole time?¡± Alaric raised a brow at the man.


    ¡° I would never have missed it. Garin and the two Protectors will follow me. I¡¯ll show you to your room. Lord Alaric, help yourself to the warm serving of tea I left in the living room. Your friends can sleep in the rooms opposite yours,¡± the diligent man bowed, then led Garin and the knights away.


    ¡°Thank you, Hail,¡± Alaric called back as he left.


    With the butler gone, Alaric led his friends into the manor, following the halls as though he¡¯d lived there his whole life. The three children naturally found themselves revisiting the day''s events, unloading their experiences all at once.


    Naturally, revisiting the day¡¯s events meant talking about Finn¡¯s unfortunate incident with the cursed pie, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Finn¡¯s guardian had a talent for cooking,¡± Darla started.


    ¡°Yeah, that would be nice,¡± Finn swooned before a vague look crossed his face, ¡°Wait¡­ no, I have a B-class guardian. My guardian will be awesome.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ A B-class bunny then?¡±


    Alaric covered his lips at the jab, containing his laughter.


    ¡°At least I don¡¯t have a butler for a guardian,¡± Finn bit back.


    The fairy-like guardian materialised on the spot drowning the manor with his powerful aura¡­ ¡°I am no butler. I. Am. Apollo.¡±

 47. For Jared

    ¡°Next time you think of insulting someone¡¯s guardian, keep me out of it,¡± Apollo seethed, fluttering angrily in Finn¡¯s face.


    ¡°What kind of guardian is Apollo? I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve met one other than Alia who can talk,¡± Alaric suddenly asked.


    The boy had been wondering about this from the moment he heard the little pixie¡¯s voice. That said, all guardians could talk. Alaric had even talked to Aslan only a few moments ago but that had been through a telepathic connection he, as Alaric, was able to create.


    Even then, his ability to talk to guardians other than his own was sort of a taboo that he kept between those his gut told him he could trust.


    Apollo and Alia¡¯s cases were different though. Both guardians were capable of forming audible words, a feat so rare that Alaric hadn¡¯t seen another guardian like Alia before meeting Apollo. Even then, he¡¯d be considered to have met one too many guardians who could talk without the need of a telepathic link.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m special, obviously,¡± Apollo replied with a shrug, then floated back to his master and settled on her shoulder.


    ¡°Special is one way to go. I¡¯ve never seen a guardian as small as you,¡± Finn grinned.


    Apollo shrugged, ¡°And yet they all fear me. Most guardians are all bark and no bite anyway. Just put us up against one of them and we¡¯ll show ya.¡±


    ¡°As you know, Apollo holds the power of Concept. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was at first even after his explanation before but I think I¡¯m starting to get the hang of it,¡± Darla replied¡­


    ¡°He did mention the power of Concept earlier¡­ That bow that came from your hand was a part of that power, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Alaric asked in deep thought.


    Darla nodded, then put her hand out, allowing a bow to weave itself from light, ¡°It¡¯s not complete yet since there is so much I need to learn about archery. But since I already know much of the basics, I can use Apollo¡¯s power to amplify it. There are limits to it though, so I have to improve my skill with a bow to be able to use more of it.¡±


    Apollo sighed, ¡°You only got that partly right, Master,¡± the fairy-like pixie fluttered off her shoulder and faced her, ¡°There is more to the limits of my power than you realise. On top of depending on your skill level, I can only enhance your body to what it¡¯s capable of withstanding. So if you have a skill that¡¯s further along its mastery than normal, your own body¡¯s weakness will stop you from drawing out that skill¡¯s full potential. You need to improve your skills as well as your body.¡±


    Darla furrowed her brows, ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that ever since you woke up but I still don¡¯t know what you mean. I have trained my body and honed my skills for four years. What else do I have to do to get stronger? Keep training?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Alaric said before the guardian could respond.


    Darla looked around her guardian curiously, ¡°You know what Apollo is talking about?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. I¡¯ve trained for four years as well but I¡¯m not yet strong enough to touch Alia¡¯s power. There is more than one way to strengthen the body and the stronger it gets, the more of your guardian¡¯s power you¡¯ll be able to draw out,¡± Alaric responded.


    ¡°Are you talking about the stories from the books you read? The ones about elixirs, pills and rare materials scattered all over the Valerian continent. You said there were many ways humans could enhance their bodies with a special form of sorcery left behind by the Divine. You called it Alchemy, right?¡± Finn suddenly spoke up.


    Apollo¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°The melon-head can think?!!!¡±


    Finn¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Of course I can. What do you take me for, pixie?¡±


    ¡°I said my name. Is. Apollo,¡± the guardian fumed.


    ¡°More like A-Pole-No,¡± Finn bit back.


    ¡°You insufferable insignificant detestable little human,¡± Apollo towered over the boy.


    Finn grinned, ¡°You seem to be describing yourself.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The banter went on and on, getting heated as the two of them threw insults at each other. Darla giggled at their behaviour. Sensing no hostility from her guardian, she didn¡¯t feel the need to stop them.


    Alaric, on the other hand, was drawn in by his guardian¡¯s voice, [Huh, even I¡¯m surprised Finn can remember something like that.]


    The green-eyed boy chuckled to himself, [ It¡¯s not that surprising. When I told him about Alchemy, he practically stole all the books I had on the subject. Of course, it was never enough to give him enough information and any other book on the matter was much too expensive for us to buy¡­ The problem now is where we start. ]


    [Weren¡¯t you listening to Elder Gregory? You start with the Awakening Orbs. Each of those orbs contains a power customized to the guardian they¡¯ve been used to appraise. By absorbing that power, the human body is pushed to the beginning stages of Body Tempering. The lower Temper Rank, Glass.


    Different masters can draw out the full power of their guardians at different Temper Ranks depending on how much it takes to contain their power, so not all humans have to hunt for methods of reaching the heights of the Divine to use their power to its fullest. They usually stop as soon as they can fully merge with their guardians. To be honest, I envy them ] the guardian spoke.


    Alaric¡¯s heart sank as he realised what the guardian was saying. Of course, he¡¯d read about this concept before¡­ The only problem was that he hadn¡¯t been able to fathom it fully. Even now, he felt as though there were still several pieces missing like how Alchemy was really performed. The whole concept left him stunned without as much as a clue as to how it would help them grow stronger.


    Alaric vaguely remembered Darla firing an arrow from her own hand, an arrow so powerful that it continued to pin down its opponent, imposing her will on the steel arrow. An insidious arrow like that one was the product of Darla¡¯s understanding of archery and her guardian¡¯s power of Concept and from what Alaric could tell, what Darla had achieved was incomplete.


    [ Oh, it¡¯s more than that. Body Tempering doesn¡¯t just prepare your body to contain your guardian¡¯s power. Anyone who¡¯s undergone Body Tempering can no longer be considered an average human. They are far stronger and more superior to humans. You wondered why that man could stare at you even when your consciousness was spread through the forest, how he could slice through the forest vines like they were nothing even after you reinforced the with aether.


    You must have wondered how he could be so strong and fast at the same time. He didn¡¯t even need an extra ability to counter Thomper¡¯s unbeatable abilities. He¡¯s a human just like you and yet, he was faster and stronger in so many ways. That man three whole ranks above the first Temper Rank which meant he far outclassed you. Being able to pin down someone like that tells you just how much Apollo is capable of. There are other factors that could have contributed to that but you know what I mean ] Alia explained.


    [ Factors like what?]


    [ His guardian¡¯s abilities. The nature of his Inborn Ability. There is a possibility that his power was focused on every facet of his power other than defence. Some idiots can be that stupid, ] his guardian explained.


    Alaric could feel a slight headache coming on as more and more information filled his brain¡­ The possibilities.


    His heart beat a lot faster. For the past four years, he trained his body and grew stronger, learning the Dance of the Sword to staggering levels for a fifteen-year-old. As it stood, he was approaching a bottleneck in his progress of the elusive Dance of the Sword.


    But now¡­ Now he was uncovering an entirely new faucet of power that wasn¡¯t available to him before.


    Naturally, this wasn¡¯t the first time he was hearing of Temper Ranks and he had indeed asked his guardian about it a long time ago. Surprisingly, at the time, Alia hadn¡¯t withheld the information she had on Body Tempering as she did on his Inborn Ability.


    What she did say, however, was that they couldn¡¯t start the process without an Awakening Orb from the Tower of Seekers and to get that, Alaric needed to be fifteen years of age.


    ¡°You have an idea, don¡¯t you?¡± Darla was the first to break him from his thoughts.


    Alaric blinked, ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°You get all quiet and pensive when you¡¯re thinking. It¡¯s even more intense than when Alia is talking to you,¡± the girl replied with a small smile.


    Alaric nodded, ¡°I have been thinking about what we¡¯ll do once we return to the Five Hills.¡±


    Finn and Darla both tuned in, their expressions turning grim and serious at once. Only the flying guardian seemed out of place when the mood suddenly changed, looking back and forth at the faces of the three children with a hint of worry.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re moving on to the next phase,¡± this was more of a question than a statement.


    Alaric nodded solemnly, ¡°Now that we have our Awakening Orbs, we can move our plan forward. When we return to the Five Hills, we¡¯ll start work on absorbing the power contained within them. I doubt our guardians are complete without that ritual. It¡¯s the reason all we could do these past four years was train.


    The power in the orb will awaken Finn¡¯s guardian as well. After that, we¡¯ll need to increase our Temper Ranks. That¡¯s a lot harder said than done. Our biggest disadvantage currently is a lack of information so that will be our priority.


    While at the Eastern Elite Guard Academy, our primary mission will be to gather information and use that information to grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt to pommel a few demons on the way,¡± Darla shrugged.


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t draw the attention of the Demon King, that¡¯s fine. Otherwise, all of this will be for nothing,¡± Alaric added, ¡°We are still far too unprepared to face him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious,¡± Darla chuckled, then went dead serious, ¡°Finally, we can take another step forward. For Jared.¡±


    ¡°For Jared.¡± Alaric and Finn replied in unison.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

 48. Mercenarys Cost of Failure

    Chains rattled in rhythm with wooden wheels bumping against the grooves of the white stone street. Gasps filled the air as the residents of the town surrounding the Tower of Seekers witnessed an ominous procession of Protectors.


    Knights clad in white armour walked around a carriage drawn by a powerful grey behemoth with their hands on the pommels of their blades, ready for action at the slightest hint of a mishap. Powerful cables of muscles strained under the grey fur of the creature pulling the carriage along.


    The carriage itself was open at the top with two thick pillars rising high on both sides, fitted with at least a dozen chains wreathed in white holy magic, pulled taut as they bound the hands, legs, torso and neck of a powerful villain.


    Transporting Darth had been an easy task at first but it soon became clear that his unconscious state was the only reason for that illusive peace. Even with an eye open, the fiend was already ten times more dangerous.


    And so, countless spells were used to keep the man asleep for the lion¡¯s share of their journey back to the Tower of Seekers. Even then, the mages tasked with keeping him at bay ran out of aether one after the other, suffering severe backlash from Aether Depletion.


    On top of that, the Stone Rank Mercenary was a lot heavier than he looked. Weighing several times the average human, his body proved too big a task for the stingray guardians that took turns carrying him.


    In the end, aerial transport proved too cumbersome and a carriage was been designed a few kilometres from the village where the unconscious bandit was secured moments before the magic keeping him unconscious was let down.


    His gaze, which could barely be seen through a thin visor, was chilling to the bone, almost as though he was capable of staring into the depths of someone¡¯s soul.


    In the end, however, he was safely transported and secured in one of the Tower¡¯s strongest dungeons bound by a multitude of chains that left no part of his body exposed.


    The process of locking him up was quiet, eerie and painfully slow, each passing second reminding the Protectors of the risks they were taking by even breathing the same air as a Flame Viper of the Stone Rank.


    Eventually, however, he was left alone in a dark cell bound by enough chains to keep him suspended high in the air.


    He could feel more inhibiting enchantments on him than he could count. His voice had been taken from him, his muscles were frozen still, his mind was slow, the aether in his body wouldn¡¯t flow and yet, all of that paled in comparison to the silence of the non-existent bond with his guardian.


    Not even the blaring pain of his severed arm could compare to the loss he felt after losing his guardian. The face of a certain aspirant flashed through his mind, haunting him like a beacon of darkness.


    He wanted to make the boy pay for what he had done¡­ and yet, he knew there was no chance in hell that he could defeat the Black knight protecting him. Not even someone of a Temper Rank as high as his would dare think of crossing that guardian.


    ¡®What was that thing? I¡¯ve never seen a guardian so strong¡­ even for an S-class guardian,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    Before he could continue, however, a sound caught his attention. It sounded much like a heavy sigh of disappointment, bouncing off the walls of the dungeon-like an ominous echo.


    ¡°So this is all you could achieve with that power I granted you. Time in the dungeon of the Tower of Seekers. What a let-down!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Darth¡¯s paralysed body went still, shivering against the magic spells that kept it still, in fear of the voice that invaded his mind¡­ or was it something in the wind? Darth couldn¡¯t tell where the voice was coming from.


    That didn¡¯t matter though. What he feared was much more than the direction of the voice but rather its owner. He¡¯d heard this voice before¡­


    ¡®Master Jafar!!!¡¯ his eyes widened in horror, ¡®How?¡¯


    ¡°Surprised, are we?¡±


    ¡®Of course¡­ wait, can he hear me?¡¯


    ¡°I can hear your thoughts just fine, Darth. My, look what they¡¯ve done to you¡­ After you even took the time to make sure measly Wood Rank nobodies faced off against a horde of demons. I¡¯m thoroughly disappointed, I must say,¡± Jafar¡¯s voice rumbled.


    Due to fear of the man¡¯s voice, Darth hadn¡¯t noticed when the room turned pitch-black, adding to the chilling atmosphere. The mercenary shivered even more¡­


    ¡®You weren¡¯t there,¡¯ Darth muttered to himself.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? You¡¯ll have to think louder,¡± the Dark Mage egged him on.


    ¡®I said you weren¡¯t there. You didn¡¯t see a thing. The Sound Knight¡­ You said he was a weak wannabe adventurer yet he took down that horde of demons before I even had the chance to see him struggle,¡¯ the man continued.


    ¡°Tch!¡± the Dark mage scoffed, ¡°Is that all you have for me? Excuses. What else are you going to say? A fifteen-year-old boy cut off your arm? I didn¡¯t come here to hear any of that.¡±


    ¡®Then why are you here?¡¯


    ¡°The Flame Vipers had a mission and you blew it. It¡¯s my responsibility to make sure you stay quiet¡­ I had high hopes for you, Darth. You¡¯re one of the few that managed to stand up to their guardian without dark magic¡­ The others will be disappointed to hear of your passing. But don¡¯t worry; we will succeed where you fail. The Emperor¡¯s Bane will not be given a chance to grow.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Meanwhile, at the Village Chief¡¯s manor in Jack¡¯s Fall, Alaric and his partners in crime went to sleep shortly after discussing their plans for the future.


    There was a lot of information they were lacking and since they¡¯d never been to the Elite Guard Academy, they didn¡¯t know what to expect.


    What they did know, however, was that Alaric was more inclined now to join the Tower of Seekers as the information they possessed was too precious to pass up.


    The night passed by in a blur and before anyone knew it, they were up at dawn, packed and ready to depart, their expressions solemn and serious.


    Darla double-checked the items in Alaric¡¯s bracelet, quickly learning how the magic item worked.


    With her guardian now awakened, she was able to access aether which was essential for the use of most magic items.


    As it turned out, she was a quick study in the ways of manipulating aether and managed to tinker with the storage item in a matter of minutes.


    While this didn¡¯t mean she could cast a spell, it did imply there was a high chance she was capable of learning basic spells quickly. Seeing as her guardian was Apollo of Concept, Alaric guessed she would be a natural at anything she set her mind to.


    A large stingray floated outside the manor as the old village chief came to meet up with them. Walking behind him was Hail, dressed in less opulent clothing but exuding a regal aura nonetheless.


    ¡°Aiden?¡± Alaric asked the approaching pair. Master Jill¡¯s eyes were clouded with an inscrutable emotion Alaric couldn¡¯t decipher.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone into stasis. He asked to handle his body¡¯s recovery together with his Awakening ritual. Another reckless decision as a result of meeting you,¡± Master Jill furrowed his brows with mild frustration.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him to do that,¡± Alaric tried.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. Hail, what were Aiden¡¯s last words?¡± Master Jill asked the old butler beside him.


    ¡°I believe the young man¡¯s last words were, ¡®The next time we meet, I¡¯ll be strong enough to stand by your side,¡¯¡± Hail echoed with pride.


    ¡°But I¡­¡±


    Master Jill raised his hand quickly, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Observing you inspired that kid. Something I haven¡¯t been able to do since he was born. For that, I thank you¡­ But I¡¯ll also ask that you keep him safe. I have no doubt that he¡¯ll follow you to the ends of the world,¡± Master Jill¡¯s voice echoed with sadness.


    ¡°I will protect him. I always protect my friends,¡± Alaric said sternly.


    The knights gave the boy an odd expression, almost stunned by his words. Hearing them from anyone else would have sounded arrogant¡­ but Alaric had proved this already.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Master Jill replied, ¡°I heard you were offered patronage by the Tower of Seekers. I know old Gregory. He¡¯s a good man. So accept it¡­ and if you ever need a helping hand, you can always rely on Jack¡¯s Fall,¡± the man spoke up, ¡°Hail.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± Hail bowed, then walked forward.


    Approaching Darla, he gingerly pointed at the bracelet she was checking. The girl hesitated before handing it over. Hail connected a golden ring to the bracelet for a little moment before giving it back.


    When Darla next gave the item a look, her face paled.

 49. Farewell, Safest Place in Valeria

    [ My my! You¡¯re quite the charmer, Alaric. ] Alia cooed. Alaric felt his eyebrow twitching. The fact that he could feel the satisfaction Alia derived from teasing didn¡¯t help at all.


    So what if he had just received gifts yet again from a powerful individual? It didn¡¯t mean anything.


    The people of Jack¡¯s Fall were just a bit¡­ extra. It wasn¡¯t his fault they were drawn to him. This whole situation wasn¡¯t in any way related to what had happened at the Tower of Seekers.


    [ Of course ] his guardian snickered, [ Gregory just slipped and dropped a few hundred gold coins from his wallet into your Storage Bracelet. ]


    [ We¡¯ll talk about this later ] the boy seethed, then turned his attention to the two people who had sheltered him that night.


    A warm feeling of gratitude spread through the boy¡¯s chest. He¡¯d miss Jack¡¯s Fall and all its eccentricities. It had been a long time since he¡¯d let his guard down¡­ Four years, to be exact.


    Ever since they stepped into Jack¡¯s Fall, Alaric¡¯s senses had gone completely dull, something he didn¡¯t even think was possible. What kind of place existed without some sort of danger?


    ¡®Trust your intuition,¡¯ his guardian would always say.


    Alaric¡¯s intuition was telling him this was the safest place on the whole Valerian Continent and he didn¡¯t even know why.


    Not only that but he even felt free enough to go frolicking in the woods and dancing in the fields. This place was simply oozing with goodness and warmth.


    [ Frolicking is beneath you, Alaric ] Alia murmured at the back of his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be just a moment,¡± the dark-haired boy said to Garin and left the departing party to talk to Master Jill. Curiosity rose in the hearts of those watching and a palpable silence settled over the world.


    It was one of those moments Alaric was forced to notice the way the world easily bent to Master Jill¡¯s will.


    Naturally, everyone expected Alaric to bow his head in respect and thank the old man for all his hospitality. It was the natural thing to do after the kind of special treatment Alaric had been subjected to.


    Then it happened.


    Alaric engulfed the elder of Jack¡¯s Fall in a big hug. Garin¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets with shock, ¡®What¡¯s that brat doing?¡¯


    To the man¡¯s surprise, however, Master Jill returned the hug with a warm one of his own, even closing his eyes as though he enjoyed the moment.


    ¡°Thank you, Master Jill¡­ For everything.¡±


    The rest remained unspoken¡­


    How could Alaric thank the man for food, clothes, fun, clarity, a home, the gifts in his bracelet, the festival, a new friend and a better understanding of his abilities¡­?


    It was a lot for Alaric¡­ and while the old man withheld a lot of information from Alaric, he¡¯d helped him find the clarity he needed to let his story unfold naturally. Perhaps one day he¡¯d return and ask for the rest... For the story of Jack¡¯s Fall.


    Master Jill gave Alaric a gentle squeeze, ¡°Jack¡¯s Fall is a part of your past¡­ and might or might not be a part of your future. But I know one thing: It will be here for you when and if you ever need it. Don¡¯t be afraid to ask us for help. Now get going, Lord Alaric.¡±


    As the man said the boy¡¯s title, his shoulders seemed to relax a great deal, releasing a pressure Alaric hadn¡¯t noticed.


    [ He¡¯s been holding back on calling you that since we arrived, ] Alia noticed.


    Alaric pulled back when their embrace was done, nodding in response to the man¡¯s words. So what if the people of Jack¡¯s Fall were weird? That weirdness was also what made them so damn memorable¡­ and cool.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You have a bit of¡­ a tear, tears¡­ Oh, whatever! Get going before you make me tear up,¡± Master Jill threw his hands up in defeat.


    One tear on Alaric¡¯s face had turned to five and before they knew it, prominent streams of tears flowed¡­ and yet, there wasn¡¯t a crease of sadness on the boy¡¯s face so he never looked wistful at any one point.


    Alaric was happy.


    As the stingray sailed into the air and shot away, Hail couldn¡¯t help but speak up between his sniffles, ¡°He¡¯s a special one.¡±


    ¡°More than you know,¡± the man responded.


    ¡°Patrols found vines growing around village borders and there were several reports from the townsfolk of Alaric offering help whenever he saw someone struggling. He even packed food for the orphans back in the Five Hills,¡± Hail reported.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ That was all to be expected. May the Guardians be with you, Lord Alaric,¡± Master Jill breathed.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    When Jack¡¯s Fall was nothing but a speck, Alaric rubbed his eyes clean. Their emergence from the barrier had turned his hyper senses back.


    The ever-present sense of danger was a welcome reminder that he was to protect himself and his friends, ¡®Right, we have work to do.¡¯


    The boy turned to the knight at the stingray¡¯s reins, ¡°Garin, I¡¯d like information on Body Tempering.¡±


    ¡°How much information?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°All you can give me,¡± Alaric replied.


    ¡°Right¡­ Since you¡¯ve asked, you must know that the power of a guardian is limited by the power of their master. No matter how powerful a guardian is, their true power can never be expressed if their master is weak¡­ and that¡¯s what Body Tempering is for,¡± Garin explained.


    The three children listened intently, ¡°This topic is not discussed a lot because of how hard Body Tempering really is. Some masters go years¡­ decades even before they manage to achieve the body required to express the full might of their guardians.


    On top of that, Body Tempering is divided into seven stages known as Body Temper Ranks. At the bottom, we have Glass followed by Wood, Stone, Steel, Diamond, Saint and finally Divine.


    You¡¯ll rarely find anyone in the last three kinds. Those ranks are beyond anything anyone has been able to achieve in centuries. As you can already tell, each stage pushes someone away from being human and closer to being something greater.


    It is said that the Divine Rank can be compared to achieving actual godhood¡­ Pfft! Like anyone could believe such rubbish. Not even the Emperor of Valeria is at the Divine Rank.¡±


    ¡°Really? What Rank is he?¡± Alaric¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    ¡°No one knows¡­ It¡¯s difficult to appraise the rank of someone more powerful than you. So, no one knows for sure,¡± Garin shrugged.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. How do you know he¡¯s not at the Divine Rank then?¡± Darla blurted out.


    ¡°Because the Demon King is still alive. The fact that the Emperor won¡¯t rid this world of that fiend tells me all I need to know. Even he¡¯s not strong enough,¡± Garin announced sternly.


    ¡°Enough talk about the Emperor. Talk about him long enough and he¡¯ll hear you,¡± Gunther warned the group.


    [He¡¯s joking] Alaric shivered.


    [No] Alia whispered back.


    ¡°Anyway, let me shed some light on the importance of having a good Temper Rank. The mercenary Alaric fought in the woods started off with Wood and Glass Temper Rank bodies before his body copies merged back into his original Stone Rank. Even without the power of his guardian, he was incredibly powerful.


    That¡¯s just the difference between the average human and someone who¡¯s gone through Body Tempering. Not to mention the fact that Body Tempering enhances one¡¯s Innate Ability.¡±


    Alaric perked up, ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°That man out there in the woods. I mentioned all his body copies were Wood Rank, some were even Glass Rank¡­ and he had around twenty copies in total. By the time we were done rounding up the rowdy bandits, there were only six of them that didn¡¯t turn into black mist. Meaning he¡¯d split himself into many different people and even imitated some guardians to throw us off their real numbers.


    Pulling that off with an ordinary body would have been impossible since splitting himself means his power is reduced among all those copies. With a Stone Rank body, the number of times he could clone himself increased drastically and so did the distance with which he could maintain that ability.¡±


    Alaric listened intently, making sure he understood what was happening. If Body Tempering was that important, then¡­ the boy froze.


    ¡°Does that mean I won¡¯t feel pain when using Thomper¡¯s power?¡± he wondered.


    ¡°Not just that. That man uses Illusion magic on all his clones to make them look different, which means your aether reserves would also grow deeper and the range of Thomper¡¯s power would increase,¡± Darla added her layer of deductions.


    ¡°Interesting. Can the Awakening Orbs also help with Body Tempering?¡± Alaric asked the guardian.


    ¡°You want to perform the Awakening Ritual together with the Tempering Ritual?¡± Gunther was the one to ask this time.


    ¡°Yes. Can it be done?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Yes but¡­ You¡¯ll increase the time it takes for you to absorb the Awakening orb. And you don¡¯t want to be late to the Academy,¡± Gunther explained.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just start early. As soon as we land in the Five Hills, we¡¯ll get started. You can tell the Tower I¡¯ve accepted the patronage and that we¡¯ll discuss the terms in detail at our earliest convenience,¡± Alaric¡¯s voice was urgent and commanding.


    LionHeart laughed loudly at the sudden string of commands that came his way, ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve made up your mind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t support this,¡± Gunther warned.


    ¡°Well, I do. Something tells me we¡¯ll see something interesting. I¡¯ll also stay in the Five Hills for the whole process. You¡¯re welcome to join me,¡± LionHeart¡¯s voice boomed with enthusiasm.


    Gunther sighed and looked away. Their originally short trip had turned into a lot more than a simple errand, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

 50. Rough Journey

    The current mood of the children made it difficult to enjoy the flight back to the Five Hills. Alaric and his friends had asked a lot of questions but many more still remained.


    Alas, it wasn¡¯t easy to ask questions of things you¡¯d never seen. Alaric had heard many things about Alchemy, Pills and Body Tempering but the fact still remained that he didn¡¯t know what all these terms meant.


    What really was a Pill? Some coalesced orb of power¡­ or was it like medicine¡­ or both? For any of it to make sense, Alaric was going to have to let the information sit in his mind for a while so he could figure it out.


    A sigh escaped his lips as he lifted his chin off the hand that had been supporting it. To pass the time, he reached for SwiftWind¡¯s azure skin.


    Moments later, he regretted ever making that decision.


    Like a flash of lightning, Alaric¡¯s mind buzzed and his eardrums popped. His hand shot off the stingray¡¯s cool skin in recoil¡­ Alas, it was now too late.


    The boy gritted his teeth and quietly struggled to maintain a passive facade, ¡°You okay, Alaric?¡± Darla asked the boy.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± Alaric nodded as calmly as he could but didn¡¯t let her eyes meet his.


    His head pounded like a hammer against an anvil while the cells of his body sizzled with new data. It took everything to keep himself from jumping off the stingray¡¯s body and letting his cells do what they wanted.


    Out of habit, he¡¯d subconsciously activated his Inborn Ability when touching Garin¡¯s guardian¡­ and now, he was paying the price.


    His head spun with a deep spell of vertigo as he struggled to appear normal in front of anyone staring at him. He didn¡¯t know who was staring nor did he have the strength to pay them any attention.


    Was this a weakness of his? Alaric was incapacitated after using his Ability on a guardian. Faking a calm facade alone was proving harder than breathing.


    Still, if he didn¡¯t want to relive the moments he¡¯d had with LionHeart, it was in his best interest to act extremely normal.


    [ Understand SwiftWind¡¯s power. It will ease the pain ] Alia¡¯s soft voice broke through the cacophony of Alaric¡¯s screaming mind.


    ¡®Right¡­ Learn,¡¯ he managed to think.


    The biggest cause of the vertigo he was going through was the large influx of information floating through his head.


    In the moment that he¡¯d touched the flying stingray, his mind had been zapped with so much information that he was left disoriented. If this had been his first time experiencing this, he would have passed out.


    Since he was still conscious, he set his mind to reduce the effect of using his power to the best of his ability.


    First, an image flashed through his head when he touched the stingray¡¯s skin. Just like Thomper, this giant marvel perceived the world differently from humans.


    Only now did it occur to Alaric that SwiftWind had no neck to move his eyes around and yet he never seemed to struggle to look over his back.


    The answer lay in the wind and how it reacted to the beast of the sky. Just the day before, Alaric had started to notice how gracefully the guardian moved through the air regardless of which way the wind blew.


    Now, he knew it was far more than that. The Stingray Guardian was a lot more than meets the eye. First of all, the wind surrounding the guardian was an extension of it, bending to its will and providing the current required to keep it afloat.


    The thing that astounded Alaric the most, however, was just how powerful the stingray¡¯s control was over this bubble of wind.


    SwiftWind¡¯s control over the wind was so sophisticated and powerful that it catered for why the guardian never touched the ground.


    Wind aside, the guardian possessed one more mortifying ability: a very loud sonic attack that had decimated an entire horde of demons. This much came from the very nature of the guardian¡¯s body.


    As Alaric dove deeper into the nuances of the guardian¡¯s control over the air around it, he came to learn a few things, like how Garin could never fall off the guardian for as long as a part of him touched it.


    He learned that the small air domain around the guardian was impervious to even the mightiest of storms, which meant SwiftWind was able to navigate comfortably in the midst of a terrifying storm.


    Alaric¡¯s headache gradually went down as he tucked the information away, one piece after the other.


    By the time the headache had subsided, the great stingray was descending upon the Five Hills.


    Casting a great shadow on an old building that stood next to a large tree, SwiftWind swooped down in a gentle nosedive and setting the trio of children down by the stone-paved road.


    At the same time, a group of children poured out of the small doors of the orphanage, storming around the stingray, too excited to contain themselves.


    A ghost of a smile graced Alaric¡¯s face at the sight of his family rushing to greet him. Part of him wished he could get started on absorbing his Awakening Orb but at the sight of a fiery-haired boy, his heart melted.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The boy quickly wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug, ¡°Welcome back, Alaric.¡±


    The older boy sighed and patted the fiery-haired boy¡¯s head, ¡®Maybe the ritual can wait just a little bit longer.¡¯


    [ How about I handle the preparations? ] Alia tried.


    [ Oh! Thank you ] the boy responded.


    Sister Marla came out to greet them, following behind the children who ran out to greet their returning comrades. The caretaker¡¯s expression was a mix of many emotions through which only one shone: Concern.


    Alaric greeted the children, answering their neverending avalanche of questions with promises of the tales of his adventures over dinner, ¡°What was Jack¡¯s Fall like? Aunt Marla said there was a festival. Did you eat a lot of food? What was the food like? What about the Tower of Seekers?¡±


    Before Alaric knew it, he, Finn and Darla were dragged away into the orphanage, which did not allow them time to reconnect with Sister Marla. As they left, a black knight rose from Alaric¡¯s shadow and stayed behind.


    It was only after the children were out of earshot that the adults started talking. Sister Marla was the first to speak, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with them. What happened to my children?¡±


    Her anger was directed at Garin at first, then it spread to the two guards who¡¯d come with them. Garin raised his hands defensively, ¡°We did nothing. It all happened in Jack¡¯s Fall. One moment they were kids, and the next, they were asking about Body Tempering. I don¡¯t know what that old man told them but I¡¯ve never seen normal kids act like this.¡±


    Marla¡¯s face went pale, ¡°It¡¯s happened before¡­ and back then, it took them months to finally start acting normal again, especially Alaric,¡± Sister Marla worried.


    A tall black knight walked up to the woman and put down one knee, coming down to her height, ¡°It¡¯s because of what happened four years ago that they¡¯ve returned to this state. They don¡¯t want it to ever happen again.¡±


    ¡°But if they had just listened to me, they wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all that,¡± Marla argued.


    ¡°If they hadn¡¯t gone through that, they wouldn¡¯t have made it back from the Tower,¡± Alia said indifferently.


    Marla turned pale as a ghost, ¡°What?¡±


    Garin took it from here, ¡°On our way, we were attacked. Mercenaries from the South. The leader was at the Stone Temper Rank. If it wasn¡¯t for Alaric, I¡¯m afraid we would have lost someone.¡±


    Marla wanted to argue but found herself tongue-tied. It¡¯s not like Garin was a weak slayer. In fact, he was Wood Rank himself¡­ but he was only one man and from what she could tell, they were attacked by a group of trained mercenaries.


    The Flame Vipers were infamous for their ruthless methods and for those that knew more than most, for their involvement with Dark Magic.


    ¡°Mercenaries? Don¡¯t you mean bandits?¡±


    Garin shook his head¡­ ¡°These were after blood.¡±


    ¡°How did they survive?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Alaric used the power he borrowed from Thomper,¡± Alia summarised before Garin could struggle with explaining the boy¡¯s weird abilities. Sister Marla turned even paler but the guardian continued without skipping a beat, ¡°He wants to combine the Body Tempering Ritual with the Awakening Ritual.¡±


    ¡°No way I¡¯m letting him do that. He¡¯s still only a boy!¡± the woman responded fiercely.


    ¡°That ¡®boy¡¯ nearly got himself killed. If you want him to be safe, then help him grow stronger before it¡¯s too late,¡± the guardian countered calmly.


    ¡°What about you? You can protect him,¡± the woman tried.


    ¡°Marla, Alaric can¡¯t cast an S-class Concealment Barrier nearly as strong or stable as yours. Every time he spends outside of one, he¡¯s vulnerable,¡± the guardian argued, ¡°¡­you can¡¯t protect him forever¡­ and I want to be able to do something, so help me, please.¡±


    Sister Marla¡¯s shoulders slumped after a long moment of silence. It was clear she wasn¡¯t happy with any of this. But what choice did she have? If she refused to go along with this and he died because he was too weak, there was no doubt Sister Marla would blame herself.


    The world they lived in was not a merciful one. Going against her motherly instincts was one thing she¡¯d failed to get used to ever since she opened the orphanage. Even as their discussions commenced, she felt a heavy weight on her shoulders¡­ ¡®Why does it have to be like this?¡¯


    For the next two hours, Alia went over the details with Sister Marla and the three slayers. Their discussion dived into the nitty gritty details of  Alaric¡¯s requests, spelling out what they could and could not do within the allotted time.


    Before they could abandon anything, however, Alia specified a daunting sum of gold Alaric had suddenly come to possess, bringing it forward to fund any purchases they¡¯d need to make to pull this off.


    Meanwhile, Alaric spent time with the children. Having been overpowered by their demands, he started telling them of the different things they experienced at the festival. He told them of the spirits that visit their loved ones every full moon. He spoke of the Coming of Age Ceremony and the dances that were performed.


    Just when everyone was about to get bored, Finn mentioned Darla had awakened her guardian¡­ and the attention shifted away from Alaric in a heartbeat.


    The orphans became even more of a lost cause when Apollo was summoned, especially the girls.


    Later that afternoon, Alaric was washing the utensils used to pack the extravagant lunch he¡¯d produced from his bracelet, humming to himself gently. His mind was peaceful for once, having let go of the matters concerning the rituals he wanted to take part in.


    The calm atmosphere soothed him as though nothing was about to break it. Helping him rinse the bowls, plates, dishes and cutlery was a fiery-haired orphan who enthusiastically dealt with the utensils sent his way. Despite his smaller hands, he worked fast enough to turn to Alaric¡¯s slower hands, eagerly waiting for more.


    ¡°You¡¯re slow, Alaric,¡± Cody said.


    ¡°But effective,¡± Alaric responded with a satisfied hum.


    ¡°You can be fast and effective, you know,¡± the boy complained.


    ¡°Yes¡­ but then I would have to worry about breaking the dishes. I¡¯d miss a few spots in the name of being fast¡­ and when one of us gets sick, I would feel bad. We¡¯d have to spend money on medicine and¡­ Sister Marla would worry,¡± Alaric explained in a sombre tone.


    Somehow this conversation had started with washing utensils and then found its way to buying medicine.


    ¡°Alaric¡­ Cody. I¡¯ll finish the dishes. I¡¯d like you to take Old Thomper to the Farming Hill. Mrs Perkinson¡¯s beans have started wilting again,¡± Marla suddenly interrupted the peaceful washing session.


    ¡°Yes, Sister Marla,¡± they responded.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Later that evening, Alaric lay on the thick branch of the old tree guardian, breathing evenly. His mind flashed with memories of the tree guardian spreading vines through the ground and restoring its fertility by cutting them off from himself.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough that they were vines. These vines were filled with nutrients enough to make the beans grow to thrice their normal size. It was because of this that the Five Hills had abnormally large produce in the markets.


    If there was one thing the remote village didn¡¯t lack, it was food.


    ¡°Thomper, thank you for your power,¡± Alaric mumbled, remembering the fight in the woods. Had it not been for the Guardian¡¯s power, Alaric was not sure what he would have done in that situation. He had many spells at his disposal but the battle was far too fast for him to follow and he rarely got the time to come up with countermeasures to what the insidious mercenary did.


    In the end, Thomper¡¯s ability was the best thing he could have asked for at a time like that.


    The tree groaned in response¡­


    The peace that permeated the air was surreal and calm. In the distance, Alaric watched the three Knights of the Tower of Seekers emerge from the Forest Hill, walking down the dirt path with tired expressions.


    [ How long? ]


    [ Soon. ]

 51. Hunt

    [ Hmmmmmm¡­ ] came a long exaggerated sigh, filtering into the mind of a sleeping Alaric. The boy covered his head, only to hear one more, this one longer.


    [ Hmmmmmmmmmmmm¡­ ] his guardian went. It now dawned on the boy¡¯s sleepy mind that there was no kind of wall capable of muffling a sound that came from inside his own head.


    [ What is it, Alia? ] he grumbled.


    [ I didn¡¯t want to disturb your sleep seeing as you seem tired but¡­ ] the knight lingered.


    Alaric rolled his eyes knowing he wouldn¡¯t be getting a reason. He did, however, understand that she wouldn¡¯t have done this without a reason. Normally, the guardian really didn¡¯t care what time he woke up. As long as he finished the training he had planned for the day, she had no problem with him.


    On some occasions, she would even make him train late into the night just so he wouldn¡¯t miss a day.


    [ No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m up now. Might as well tell me what¡¯s going on. ]


    [ Preparations are nearly complete. What¡¯s left is a few items that are required for the ritual. ] she started.


    [ Items? Don¡¯t we just need the Awakening Orbs? ] he wondered.


    [ Sometimes I forget just how oblivious you are. There are some clothes for you at the foot of your bed. Finn and Darla are already dressed up and are waiting for you outside ]


    Alaric¡¯s eyes shot open, [ WHAT?! ]


    [ Finn and Darla are¡­ ]


    By this time, the boy was flying out of his small bed, eyes scanning through the dormitory for the clothes she¡¯d just mentioned, [ I HEARD THAT PART! Why didn¡¯t you lead with that? ]


    The guardian merely chuckled and went silent, leaving him in quiet silence. The boy grabbed the mess of leather and metal that appeared to be the clothes his guardian was talking about and started searching for where to fit his head.


    Ten seconds later, he furrowed his eyebrows and stopped panicking¡­ ¡®What is this?¡¯


    [ Armour. You¡¯re going hunting. ]


    [ Hunting? ] he smiled. Not only was he going hunting¡­ but he also had armour. Real Armour!!! Excitement poured out of every skin pore.


    He lifted the mess of metal and leather with a new look in his eye, then frowned once again.


    ¡®What¡­ what am I looking at?¡¯


    Laces went in and out at various parts of the complicated outfit. A few metal parts here and there made it even more difficult for him to understand what he was looking at.


    Before his little brain could explode from the confusion, a black knight rose from his shadow and sighed, ¡°Amateur.¡±


    She pulled the leather armour from his hands and started helping him fit into it.


    [ How come I have armour? ]


    [ The Tower sent it over when they received your acceptance. It''s another one of their long list of appreciative gestures, I guess. I¡¯ll be happy about it only after I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t look like a doofus ] the guardian replied as she tightened the laces that wrapped behind his calf, fastening a metallic plate to the boy¡¯s shins.


    [ It came with a letter too: ¡®The best for an aspiring Elite Slayer such as yourself. I personally picked this out, Alaric. Please accept it and know that many more such boons will be awarded to you once this patronage is confirmed.¡¯ ]


    [ Once it¡¯s confirmed, didn¡¯t we¡­ Ah, that¡¯s a little tight ] The boy winced when the chest plate pressed into his ribcage a little too hard.


    The guardian let the laces loose just a bit, [ Sorry. Either they sent this before they got word of your acceptance or they don¡¯t consider your acceptance before you sign some binding documents. That old man¡¯s knows something we don¡¯t. I can feel it. ]


    [ How so? ]


    [ I don¡¯t think they¡¯d spend this much money trying to convince someone to join them, ] the guardian explained her thoughts, [ I don¡¯t like it. ]


    [ Oh, okay¡­ ] the boy replied, looking up in thought, [ I didn¡¯t feel anything off with him though. ]


    The guardian paused at that, [ You mean he¡¯s sincere? ]


    [ Sincere is not the way I¡¯d put it. More like Elder Gregory means no harm ] The boy chuckled, [ Are you done back there? ]


    [ Yes ]


    Alaric walked ahead and turned around so the guardian could see him fully, [ How does it look? ]


    Alia stayed frozen for a bit, observing the boy¡¯s outfit. On top of his normal clothes was a set of unique white leather armour.


    Fitted at vital spots like his chest, forearms and shins were metallic fittings that were far lighter than Alaric had initially thought. The armour was complicated but surprisingly comfortable, light but sturdy offering the right amount of protection without robbing him of his mobility.


    On top of that, it managed to retain a stylish look to it, bearing the mark of the Tower of Seekers at the right upper corner side of his breastplate.Stolen novel; please report.


    [ It suits you well ] the guardian breathed.


    Alaric smiled, ¡°I think so too¡­ But where did they manage to get white leather?¡±


    ¡°Some unfortunate Aether Beast probably,¡± the guardian replied with a shrug.


    ¡°You done, Prince Alaric?¡± a bang on the dormitory door.


    Alaric turned to Alia with a small smile, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The knight nodded, then disappeared without a word, leaving Alaric in an odd silence. Now he looked like he was staring at the space behind him with a goofy expression¡­ ¡®That was¡­ odd.¡¯


    Another bang on the door shook him from his thoughts. He was out moments later, meeting Darla and Finn who were dressed in similar armour.


    Considering Alaric¡¯s patronage came with the condition that his friends would be coming along with him, his ¡®special¡¯ treatment extended to them as well.


    Finn rushed up to the boy and struck a pose, flicking his sandy hair back. In a thick accent Alaric couldn¡¯t place, he¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªslurred, ¡°How do I look, Lord Alaric?¡±


    ¡°Like an arrogant rich boy,¡± Alaric responded with an infectious smile.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s working,¡± he puffed out his chest.


    ¡°You need a bit more gel to pull it off. Pucker your lips when you see a beautiful girl that¡¯s not Darla. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to wink,¡± Alaric suggested.


    Finn practised for a bit making a face that made him look more constipated than handsome before the pair burst into laughter.


    Darla, who¡¯d been watching, facepalmed, ¡°Will you two ever grow up? We¡¯re going hunting¡­ outside the barrier¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so dramatic, Darla. You have a pixie protecting you so you should be fine,¡± Finn commented, ¡°Care to help me practice my rich boy act?¡±


    A flying man in an elegant tuxedo appeared to defend his honour after being called a pixie, ¡°Not on your life. You keep those lecherous eyes off Lady Darla this instant.¡±


    It was hell from that point onward.


    Garin, who¡¯d been watching this groaned as he started walking away, leading the chaotic children alongside LionHeart. The burly man laughed instead, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see them in better moods this morning. Also, shouldn¡¯t you educate them on how Seekers should actually conduct themselves?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start with me, LionHeart. Why couldn¡¯t we just leave them behind? I don¡¯t get the point of this exercise. We can secure the target ourselves. It will be faster,¡± Garin groaned.


    ¡°They need some action before the rituals. You know how those go. We¡¯ll watch out for any demons while they do the hunting. It will be good practice. And besides, you also know they need to cool off. They¡¯ve been on edge ever since Jack¡¯s Fall,¡± LionHeart reasoned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get that deer already,¡± Garin responded. Outside the orphanage, the group was met by a group of orphans more than excited to check out their friends¡¯ outfits, which slowed them down even more.


    Sister Marla approached the knights giggling, ¡°You seem to be having fun, Garin.¡±


    ¡°Fun? This is not my ¡®fun¡¯ face,¡± the stingray rider growled, ¡°Where is Gunther anyway?¡±


    ¡°He went out to train. I showed him the way to the Training Grounds the Village Watch uses,¡± Sister Marla replied. The woman had a basket full of wet clothes resting between her hip and right hand, ¡°Now get going. I postponed breakfast so they wouldn¡¯t go hunting on an empty stomach so get them back quickly.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. Can you help us with the other kids though?¡± Garin tried.


    The caretaker rolled her eyes and turned away from them, ¡°That¡¯s enough everyone. Let¡¯s let Alaric and his friends go on this important mission.¡±


    With a bit of grumbling and a ton of convincing words to make Cody stay put, the group managed to leave the orphanage and make it to the barrier. It wasn¡¯t long before they reached the translucent wall of the village¡¯s barrier.


    On the other side, a tall healthy forest stood tall, inviting any courageous adventurer with more curiosity than caution to test their might against the perils of the untamed wild.


    ¡®See, nothing to fear¡­¡¯


    [ Exactly ] Alia chuckled in response to Alaric¡¯s thoughts. The boy suddenly let out a long yawn, a testament to the sleep he still had stored up.


    Walking through the barrier, they headed straight into the forest. Alaric and his friends were silent by the time they reached the forest, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any danger.


    Garin observed them for a bit before sighing. It was hard to stay bored when watching children try their best. His curiosity climbed even higher when he caught Alaric yawning. Unlike his two friends, he didn¡¯t seem to be on edge at all.


    The stingray rider cleared his voice and spoke, ¡°The three of you have one mission. Capture a Silver deer. LionHeart and I will help in case any demons show up so just focus on hunting the Silver deer.¡±


    Alaric nodded only to see the two slayers leap up into the trees and vanish above the canopies. The stingray rider¡¯s voice came a second later, ¡°Try to be done before sunset.¡±


    ¡­silence¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­ and there won¡¯t be any breakfast or lunch for you before you finish this mission,¡± the man responded nonchalantly.


    ¡­silence¡­


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it? They¡¯re leaving us to do this on our own without any clues. They didn¡¯t even show us the Silver deer,¡± Finn screamed.


    Alaric chuckled, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that hard if they think we can do it.¡±


    ¡°They gave us¡­ A WHOLE DAY!¡± Finn argued.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big forest?!¡± the green-eyed boy tried.


    ¡°Alaric, have you ever seen a Silver Deer? What kind of deer is Silver?¡± Finn asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not called a Silver Deer because of its hide but its antlers. According to what I¡¯ve read, they cast a soft silver glow. They also like eucalyptus trees so we should try looking for those,¡± Alaric tried.


    ¡°Eupaliptus¡­ Great!¡±


    ¡°Eucalyptus,¡± Alaric corrected.


    ¡°Whatever. All I see is trees. Knowing the name of some random tree doesn¡¯t mean you know what it looks like,¡± Finn threw his hands in the air.


    Alaric smiled, then raised his nose in the air and inhaled deeply, ¡°Luckily for us, we don¡¯t need to know what it looks like. Eucalyptus is used to make sweets.


    It¡¯s responsible for the cold feeling you get when you lick mints. I read that if you have a sensitive nose, you can pick up on the scent of an Eucalyptus tree from two kilometres away.


    With the increase in demand for Silver deer, eucalyptus trees have been grown close to settlements to attract them and have them breed close by.¡±


    Darla snickered, ¡°Is there anything you forgot, Alaric? You read that book when you were like¡­ nine.¡±


    Alaric¡¯s eyes snapped open as he felt his lungs go colder¡­ ¡®There¡­¡¯


    A smirk brightened up the boy¡¯s face, a rush taking over him, ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to find out. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The three children broke into a measured run that was neither slow nor needlessly fast, somewhere between a jog and a sprint. LionHeart and Garin, who were nestled on the backs of their guardians high above stared in awe as the children suddenly dashed deeper into the forest.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± Garin gasped, ¡°Do they even know where they¡¯re¡­ Never mind.¡±


    In the distance, the man could already see a grove of eucalyptus trees, telling him they¡¯d figured out where they needed to go.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised when it comes to Alaric,¡± LionHeart chuckled, watching the children dash through the forest with no signs of tiring.


    ¡°Beginner¡¯s luck.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Let¡¯s go with that,¡± LionHeart shook his head, scanning the surrounding areas. His eyes latched onto various figures down in the forest.


    Squinting, he ascertained their nature before his shoulders relaxed. Since there were no demons among them, he chose to stay out of it. He could always swoop in if things didn¡¯t go according to plan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. Since when are you so chummy about helping Alaric? I remember a grumpy man who wouldn¡¯t stop complaining about escorting some orphan around,¡± Garin poked at the elephant in the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m just serving my punishment,¡± LionHeart replied with a sigh.


    ¡°Punishment? What punishment?¡± Garin chuckled, ¡°You look happier than I¡¯ve ever seen you.¡±


    ¡°How do I put this? On one hand, I get to protect Alaric until he¡¯s finished this stage of Body Tempering. On the other hand, I can¡¯t opt out,¡± the man responded indifferently.


    Garin¡¯s smile faded¡­ and after a pause, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡±


    LionHeart shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m Alaric¡¯s bodyguard until he makes it to at least the fifth level of the Glass Temper Rank.¡±

 52. Feel Free to Hold Back

    Alaric dashed through the woods with his friends at his sides, depending on his senses to pick up on subtle changes and lead them deeper into the woods.


    Much as he was itching to go full-throttle, he knew that would be unwise in case anything happened. Alaric still remembered Garin¡¯s words clearly. The knights would help them in case of demons¡­ but that was not the only danger in the woods.


    These woods were filled with one other kind of danger¡­ Aether Beasts. For that reason, Alaric didn¡¯t utilize his full power lest he risked getting separated from Finn, whose guardian hadn¡¯t awakened yet.


    The minty smell of eucalyptus was getting stronger the longer they ran¡­ but so was the rich sense of aether in the air. Alaric put his hand on the pommel of the sword hanging by his side, then kept running.


    On top of the armour they¡¯d been given, the children had also been given swords to help them out. Unfortunately, the knights didn¡¯t trust them enough to give them deadly weapons on their first mission.


    For that reason, they were stuck with blades enchanted to go blunt if they cut themselves by mistake. The sentiment, while coming from a good place, made Alaric grind his teeth.


    ¡®We are ready for this. This is a simple mission¡­ and we¡¯ve trained hard,¡¯ Alaric tried.


    [ Feel free to hold back ] Alia yawned from the back of his mind.


    The boy sighed, then called out to the boy running slightly behind him, ¡°Finn, want to take the lead?¡±


    ¡°You serious?¡± Finn coughed, surprise evident in his voice.


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­ Let your mind go wild. We are yours to command,¡± Alaric replied with a smile.


    Finn wasted no time rushing forward as Alaric fell back with Darla. They¡¯d practised similar drills many times before¡­ even though never alone really.


    The trio had been out hunting with the villagers before, mainly with members of the Village Watch, helping them with their luggage and learning as much as they could.


    After profuse requests from the trio, they¡¯d managed to badger the men into letting them join their formation as they made their way through the woods on several occasions.


    ¡°Where is the target?¡± Finn asked shortly after taking the mantle in front of them.


    Alaric could feel his lungs going cold with every breath now. They were very close¡­ Close enough for him to rely on his other senses. Straining his ears, he relayed the information Finn was asking for, ¡°About three hundred metres in front of us. Two herbivores. Most probably the kind we are looking for.¡±


    ¡°Any nearby enemies?¡± Finn asked.


    Alaric focused more¡­ A distinct growl to his right, the swish of a bushy tail to his left and further ahead, the soft shuffle of a quiet predator¡¯s paws¡­ There was more information creating images in Alaric¡¯s mind but no time to get a clearer image.


    ¡°Crystal Bear, about a hundred metres or so to our right. Jade Fox, three hundred metres to the right but closing in slowly. And¡­ another catlike animal I couldn¡¯t identify stalking the Silver Deer,¡± Alaric relayed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little bit too accurate of an update,¡± Finn chuckled, ¡°Darla and I will handle the Silver Deer and whatever is stalking it. Alaric, you make sure the Crystal Bear stays distracted and don¡¯t let the Jade Fox anywhere near our position,¡± Finn ordered.


    Of course, the distribution of manpower was a bit skewed considering two people were handling one situation while another had to deal with two all on their own¡­ however, there was also the fact that they didn¡¯t know what was hunting the Silver Deer.


    The unknown took the most priority when it came to hunting.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Alaric said before dropping back and taking a sharp right. The Northern reaches of the Valerian continent were known for their warm tropical weather and relatively dense aether.


    There were places with denser aether and even terrifying storms of the ethereal substance that made them uninhabitable or so Alaric had read.


    As a result of the magical substance, animals around the world took on varied ¡®somewhat enhanced¡¯ appearances as well. Such as the massive white behemoth that appeared before Alaric.


    Tall crystalline monoliths rose from its back, towering over the boy as he approached the creature. When the bear saw him approach, it growled in chorus with the ominous clinking sound from the crystals on its back.


    Alaric stopped at that moment and went still, staring into the bear¡¯s eyes. Of course, there were several ways to take down a crystal bear Alaric and his friends had learnt from the hunters during the occasional hunting sprees.


    ¡°You¡¯re not my target today, mighty one,¡± Alaric whispered.


    The creature stared at him for a while longer¡­ then turned and walked away.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Alaric let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d been holding and rushed back. His sharp ears confirmed that the Crystal Bear would not attack or go close to where they were hunting¡­ but the same could not be said for the Jade Fox.


    ¡®Sneaky Fox,¡¯ the boy thought to himself.


    Jade Foxes were not so threatening as far as Alaric knew. However, they were pests that hunters looked out for. It would be very unwise to overlook the cunning Jade Fox.


    When Alaric got to the clearing, he felt the blood drain from his face.


    His friends were fine¡­ but everything else had happened without any need for his intervention. Impaled through the heart, a large tiger with red gleaming crystals jutting out of its shoulders hung from the side of a tree, nailed to its stem by a steel arrow.


    A similarly thick arrow could be seen on the ground beside a large Silver deer. Finn had cut the tip of the deer¡¯s antlers and was currently siphoning a silver liquid from them and into the vials they¡¯d been given.


    Finn looked at him with a grin, ¡°Flame tiger¡­ It was a young one but Darla took care of it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to do anything,¡± Alaric whined.


    ¡°You had a Crystal bear,¡± Darla replied.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count. The bear didn¡¯t even fight me,¡± Alaric continued whining.


    Unbeknownst to the children, a large stingray and a mighty lion hovered high in the air, their riders staring at them with open mouths.


    ¡°It happened so fast! You think we should warn them about the Jade Fox?¡± Garin tried.


    Before LionHeart could speak, they witnessed Darla look to the side and give the hiding Jade Fox an icy stare.


    The cunning fox, which blended with its surroundings so well, shivered in fear before darting away from the clearing, bumping into trees and large exposed tree roots on the way, frightened out of its mind.


    ¡°They have it covered,¡± LionHeart sighed.


    Garin ran a hand through his head, ¡°That Darla is something.¡±


    ¡°Finn wasn¡¯t so bad either,¡± LionHeart observed.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°He gave all the orders.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± the stingray rider¡¯s eyes could have popped out of their sockets.


    ¡°Yup¡­ Let¡¯s just wrap this up,¡± the burly master of Aslan sighed and tapped his guardian.


    With that, the two guardians descended, meeting up with the children.


    ¡°Well done! Honestly, that went a lot faster than I thought it would,¡± Garin mumbled.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Garin?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong. Where did you go? We saw you separate from the group and tagged you but left surveillance to SwiftWind,¡± Garin asked.


    ¡°Tagged me?¡± the boy started looking himself over.


    ¡°You¡¯ll learn how to do that soon enough, now speak,¡± the man waved him off.


    ¡°I went to keep the Crystal Bear away from our hunting grounds,¡± Alaric replied.


    ¡°Crystal Bear? You defeated a Crystal Bear without your guardian?¡±


    ¡°What? No! I asked the bear to stay away and he did. Must have not been hungry,¡± Alaric shrugged.


    Garin turned a few shades paler, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with these kids?¡¯


    LionHeart let out a chaotic burst of laughter, ¡°In any case, we got what we came for. Let¡¯s head back to the orphanage.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    The wait lasted two days in total during which the children helped around at the orphanage, trained and went hunting the Garin and LionHeart that one time.


    Alaric was also able to make more progress in understanding how SwiftWind¡¯s power worked. Truthfully, the power was confusing to the normal mind and required time for the boy to slowly learn and digest.


    Trying to understand that the stingray was capable of controlling every single particle of air within a limited range to achieve the effortless flight that made it look so graceful was something Alaric was still trying to wrap his head around.


    He¡¯d already tried it a few times on his own and granted himself the mother of all headaches on each attempt. Fortunately, the headache lasted at most an hour before he could try again.


    This was not so different from how he¡¯d struggled to learn Thomper¡¯s power. It had taken him a lot of time and dedication to be able to use the power without breaking down in a pile of agony.


    If anything, SwiftWind¡¯s ability was giving him less trouble. While Alaric and his friends could easily come up with a few more ¡®fun¡¯ and ¡®important¡¯ activities to keep them occupied, the day finally came. They were going to start the Temper Ritual.


    The adults had made sure to prepare everything away from the children¡¯s eyes, adding to Alaric¡¯s curiosity. So much so that the boy had referred to every book he had in his possession or whichever book he could at least get his hands on.


    Alas, none of them gave him anything concrete. He had, however, managed to see a few images of people sitting cross-legged and focusing hard on parts of themselves Alaric had never heard of¡­ ¡®Spirit Vessels.¡¯


    ¡°Have you heard of Tempering Rituals, Alaric?¡± LionHeart asked, walking beside him.


    Garin, Marla and Gunther were leading them ahead, a black knight walking along as well. For the past few days, Alia had also been spending a lot of time with the adults, discussing matters she never relayed to Alaric.


    Since the boy¡¯s instincts didn¡¯t raise any alarms, he assumed everything was out of control and didn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you guys talking about it¡­ and I¡¯ve tried looking for books on Tempering Rituals but I can¡¯t find what I need,¡± Alaric sighed.


    ¡°Seriously? We need to get you more books,¡± LionHeart was genuinely shocked, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of Wild Aether and Spirit Energy?¡±


    Alaric nodded and the man continued, ¡°Wild Aether is all around us, untamed and unyielding. Of course, in some places, it¡¯s far more concentrated¡­ and a little more deadly. Spirit Energy is something even harder to perceive.


    Authority over it mostly lies with our guardians. Of course, there are people out there with the power to use it.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with the Tempering Ritual?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Well, Tempering requires the cultivation of a body that¡¯s strong enough to withstand the dense Spiritual Energy of one¡¯s guardian and allow a stronger flow of aether through their body.


    If a normal human even tried to take on half the power of their guardians, they would be torn to pieces in an instant, destroyed by the power that makes up a guardian¡¯s body,¡± the man responded.


    Alaric had experience with this pain and had even known that this ritual was the key to him getting closer to using Alia¡¯s power but it never occurred to him that it was actually the main purpose of the ritual.


    Alaric had been quiet a bit before his next question, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    His guardian stirred at the question, throwing him a worried glance before returning to her discussion with the adults.


    LionHeart sighed, ¡°That depends on the person. For some people, it hurts like hell¡­ while some find it to be as peaceful as sleeping. In the end, it¡¯s about how much you want your body to change or how willing you are to accept the change.¡±


    ¡°How was it for you?¡± the boy asked, trying his best to hide the increasing anxiety.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt one bit,¡± the man smirked.


    Alaric nodded¡­ Oddly enough, this was reassuring. If LionHeart could do it, why couldn¡¯t he?


    The adults led Alaric and his friends to the Forest Hillside facing away from the village. Here, Sister Marla cast a spell that revealed a dirt path leading deep into the forest.


    Something told Alaric that despite all the times he¡¯d played and trained with his friends in these woods, he would not recognize anything they saw inside.

 53. Suspicious Wit

    Alaric stared into the forest and gulped. The air around him hummed with tension at the sight of the woods before them. The change that made him waver wasn¡¯t noticeable even with magic enhancing his eyes¡­ and yet, Alaric felt his feet go heavy and his heart sank.


    This wasn¡¯t the same forest his friends played in. His instincts told him the woods weren¡¯t as safe as they¡¯d always been. Embedded deep into the space surrounding the woods was an insidious spell that made his stomach twist.


    Most of the trees in the forest were allowed to grow wild while others were planted manually, mixing them with the natural trees mainly for the purpose of maintaining an emergency supply of timber and firewood during times when demon sightings were higher than normal.


    [ Back when Jared died, the forest was nearly cut down to half its size ] Alaric mentally mumbled.


    [ Yes¡­ I remember. ] Alia responded in his mind, not sparing the boy a glance from her place at the front of the group.


    Jared¡¯s death was perhaps one of the most chilling events in the history of the Five Hills, accounting for the biggest number of human-planted trees in the forest currently.


    ¡°You okay?¡± LionHeart snapped the boy out of his thoughts.


    Alaric nodded, then stared at his shaking hands. ¡®Why am I afraid? I¡¯ve been here plenty of times.¡¯


    ¡°You have sharp senses,¡± LionHeart nodded with a grin of approval.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    Before the man could answer, Sister Marla¡¯s voice cut him off, ¡°Stay close everyone. I¡¯ve activated the forest¡¯s defences.¡±


    ¡°Defenses?!¡± Alaric mused. Was that what was making his hair stand on end? And what kind of forest had defences? It made no sense for a forest inside a Holy Barrier to have¡­ defences. The boy¡¯s thoughts were swarming so fast that the time it took Sister Marla to respond felt slower than usual.


    [ The forest has had defences for a long time. Didn¡¯t you hear the words Marla used to activate them? ] the green-eyed boy swallowed.


    He vaguely remembered the woman mumbling something in the ancient tongue but he hadn¡¯t bothered to listen or even translate them based on his limited knowledge of the Old Tongue.


    ¡°That was an activation spell, wasn¡¯t it? These defences have been here a while,¡± Darla whispered.


    Alaric¡¯s eyebrow twitched and his mind went on pause. Considering she¡¯d only recently awakened her guardian, Darla was in no means skilled in magic. Aether Manipulation was only possible once one¡¯s guardian had awakened.


    Granted there were exceptions like Cody but Darla was not one of those exceptions. All Alaric was trying to understand was where a girl who¡¯d never had access to aether¡ªand thus no real use for magic¡ªhad gotten the time to cram the syllables of an ancient language into her mind without the aether to practice with.


    Alaric¡¯s mental fuming session was cut short by a light chuckle resounding in his mind, [ I¡¯ll let it slide for now but when we¡¯re done with the Ritual, you¡¯ll recite all thirteen Constellations of the Old Tongue as well as their derivatives just like I taught you.


    Alaric shivered¡­ ¡®Great.¡¯


    ¡°Am right, aren¡¯t I?¡± Darla reiterated.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Alaric responded with a light nod, ¡°That¡¯s impressive. Why does the forest need defences though? It¡¯s inside the Holy Barrier. No demon¡¯s coming in here¡­ and I think I¡¯d actually like to see a thief try to steal a tree.¡±


    Chuckles rippled among the men while Sister Marla shook her head before explaining, ¡°The forest is enchanted to protect our aspirants during this time. Anyone that tries to follow us in will lose their sense of direction and either get lost in the forest forever or wind up going back the way they came.¡±


    Alaric nodded¡­


    The towering black knight¡¯s voice suddenly rumbled, ¡°That won¡¯t be enough to protect Alaric.¡±


    The air was tense for a moment before Sister Marla asked the towering knight, ¡°What more would you have us do, Alia?¡±


    ¡°Put up four Magic Barriers layered on top of each other. The Containment type. If they cover the whole village, they will be able to withstand the pressure of the aether better,¡± the Guardian explained.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something they do for Metal and Stone Tempering Rituals?¡± Gunther asked.


    ¡°Wait, such a thing exists?! I thought the old Seekers at the Tower were messing around,¡± LionHeart¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s real. They say the Tempering Ritual of Stone and Metal Ranks can be so violent that the place literally turns into a Wild Aether Zone. The stories the old geezers have let me read are wild,¡± Gunther narrated.


    ¡°Alia, is all that they say true?¡± Sister Marla asked in a cold tone.


    The knight nodded, ¡°Almost.¡±


    ¡°What happens to the people of the Five Hills then? There is a reason humans don¡¯t live inside of Wild Aether Zones,¡± the woman replied.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be as bad¡­ but that¡¯s the problem. From what I know, it will be more like an Aether Pool than a Wild Aether Zone,¡± the guardian replied.


    ¡°And the difference is?¡± Alaric tried. So many terms were flying around that he was barely keeping up with what was being said.


    He¡¯d heard of a few of them¡­ Aether Pools, Wild Aether Zones. Myths of mystical places like this were everywhere¡­ but for someone like him, who¡¯d only got this information a chain of ¡®I heard from this who heard from that who heard from whoever followed along the chain¡¯, he was clueless when it came to the details.


    ¡°Both of them are places with dense Aether but the Aether from Wild Aether Zones is unruly and often deadly while that of Aether Pools is tame. Of course, an Aether Pool is home to a whole bunch of Aether Beasts, so simply going to an Aether Pool won¡¯t guarantee you return with the treasures of such a gold mine,¡± LionHeart chuckled.


    ¡®Treasure?¡¯ Now, Alaric was fixated on the fact that there was treasure to be found, ¡®My head!¡¯


    ¡°Won¡¯t so much aether draw attention to the Five Hills?¡± Darla wondered.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why she wants so many Magic Barriers,¡± the girl¡¯s mouth opened in an ¡®o¡¯, not realising she¡¯d just interrupted Gunther only for her eyebrows to furrow again, ¡°Containment type¡­ Will it be alright to contain so much aether in one place?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a sharp one,¡± Garin chuckled, speaking for the first time in a while. The journey to¡­ wherever it was the children were being taken, was turning into more of a lesson on Aether, not that Alaric was complaining.


    Tuning back into what Garin was saying, he listened, ¡°Naturally, the nature of aether is that it will keep spreading¡­ unless something ties it down. Wild Aether Zones, as well as Aether Pools, usually have epicentres that keep the aether there coalesced. When so much aether has nowhere to go, it begins to do all sorts of things. It can turn into crystals which are very valuable for their many uses. Aether can also affect normal animals creating what you all know to be Aether Beasts.¡±


    ¡°So, the Crystal Bear was once just a normal bear?¡± Finn wondered.


    ¡°Exactly¡­¡±


    ¡°Can that happen to a human?¡±


    The man smirked, ¡°Of course it can. Haven¡¯t you asked yourself where this aether we speak of is supposed to be going?¡±


    Alaric¡¯s mind perked up. Garin had just said something essential. The only problem was that his brain was swarming with so much information that he hadn¡¯t had the chance to compile it all neatly in a way he could understand. He had been listening on and on about the topic of Aether Pools and Wild Aether Zones and he could no longer draw conclusions.


    Before he could dream of the answer, Darla¡¯s voice tore through the silence, ¡°It¡¯s the whole point of the Body Tempering Ritual. Humans control aether much better than animals do¡­ and that¡¯s the essence of the Body Tempering Ritual.¡±


    Alaric could feel the shivers run down his spine as he stared at the girl in a new light¡­ Had she always been this fast?


    ¡°Girl hit the nail right on the head,¡± Gunther whistled.


    Garin nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, Darla. The Tempering Ritual will transform your bodies on fundamental levels, using Aether as its hammer to forge them anew.¡±


    Cool as that all sounded, Alaric¡¯s mind was somewhere else¡­ ¡®Could Darla¡¯s Inborn Ability have to do with her mind?¡¯

 54. Tempering Ritual

    It all made sense now. No, really, Darla had been quick on the uptake since Jack¡¯s Fall. She¡¯d figured out pretty much most of what puzzled them since then and even then, she¡¯d gone as far as to glean the secrets of Alaric¡¯s Storage Bracelet.


    Yes, there were times when Alaric would shine like with the Silver Deer but Darla was shining a lot more frequently. Now, Alaric wasn¡¯t one to have a competition of wit. It just wasn¡¯t one of those things that made him light up.


    He fancied playing with his friends and doing all the things they liked. Now if that ever had something to do with mind games, Alaric would be all for it. But for as long as his friends weren¡¯t interested in such activities, he saw no reason to pursue them.


    Naturally, Alaric¡¯s reluctance to discover what he truly enjoyed bothered Finn and made it his little quest to find that one thing Alaric enjoyed exclusively. This too, was something Alaric was happy to help with, a response that had only made Finn groan at the time of that conversation.


    The point here was that Alaric¡¯s cells were tingling¡­ and they tingled at the fact that he¡¯d stumbled upon his friend¡¯s Inborn Ability. All that was left was to ask her.


    ¡°Now that I think of it, neither of the dense Aether Regions sounds good. Wild Aether Zones are uninhabitable while Aether Pools are so valuable that every adventurer within a hundred-mile radius will be headed this way,¡± Sister Marla¡¯s voice sprang the boy out of his thoughts.


    Garin sighed, ¡°Knowing that dastardly chief Garrick, he¡¯ll be looking to monopolize that Aether.¡±


    ¡°The aether from this ritual will be pure and easy to harvest¡­ however, I¡¯d be more comfortable if it wasn¡¯t over-exploited. The people can take only that which they need and if they are to sell, then they should do so at rates that won¡¯t draw suspicion to the village. Taking too much might affect the Ritual,¡± Alia added.


    Sister Marla nodded solemnly, ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Marla. You are kind,¡± the guardian gave a slight bow. Alaric remained quiet, stowing away the information that was now starting to make his brain go numb¡­ Before he could turn to the matter of Darla¡¯s Inborn Ability, however, a gasp filled the air.


    ¡°That was my reaction, too,¡± LionHeart smirked at Finn¡¯s pale face.


    Alaric followed the boy¡¯s eyes and went still as well. They¡¯d reached their destination and what they found was something unlike anything Alaric could imagine.


    ¡®A Vine¡­ Cottage?¡¯


    Calling it a cottage was doing this marvel justice. The structure, house, dwelling, or whatever it was Alaric was talking about was comprised of the same properties any normal cottage would have in terms of appearance. Pillars, walls, a roof, windows¡­ but that¡¯s where the similarities ended. Even then, it was the incredible power of the mind trying to draw similarities that made this building resemble one.


    The windows were small circles with glasses reflecting the dim light of the forest. The misshapen pillars holding up the whole thing were made of a convoluted mess of vines wound onto each other continuously until vague pillars stood strong enough to hold the tapestry of meshed vines that formed the walls of the Vine Cottage.


    Of course, that wouldn¡¯t have been strong enough to ensure the structural integrity of this place. To combat that, thick ropes shot out of the cottage and latched onto the surrounding trees, holding up the weak parts of the cottage and successfully keeping the whole structure up.


    ¡°The door is made of¡­ what is this?¡± Finn mused as he ran his hands along the rigid door. At first glance, it almost appeared wooden.


    ¡°Vines drained of every last bit of water¡­ It¡¯s not as strong as actual wood but a good replacement. It¡¯s a nifty trick Thomper taught me when I was still mastering his Ability.¡±


    Sister Marla approached the door and opened it with a few words in the Ancient tongue. Inside, Alaric stood still yet again, this time forgetting to breathe for a few moments.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    A large intricate circle was curved into the earthy ground, giving off a dim glow that caught your eye before anything else.


    The dark-haired boy took in a sharp breath, then massaged the goosebumps blooming on his arms. He strongly resisted the urge to circulate aether through his body in sync with the gentle breeze of pure aether washing over his body.


    ¡°The aether here is dense,¡± he mused.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome,¡± Sister Marla replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s easier to perform Temper Rituals in dense aether.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± the boy nodded. Now that they had reached their destination, he was stumped yet again, ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Now¡­¡± LionHeart¡¯s voice came with a muffled groan as he emerged from a small room Alaric hadn¡¯t noticed. The large man was carrying what looked to be a large ceramic bath. Placing it down, he continued, ¡°Now, we¡¯ll prepare the potions and have all of you soak in them for the next month. Don¡¯t forget to circulate aether to quicken the process actively.¡±


    ¡°One month. That¡¯s when the Elite Guardian Academy opens,¡± Alaric noted.


    ¡°They add an extra ten days for late arrivals since the journey to get there takes five days anyway,¡± the man responded with a shrug, ¡°Help me with this, Gunther.¡±


    Gunther, who¡¯d been stuck staring at the gems and crystals intricately embedded into the walls in mesmerizing patterns, snapped back to the present, ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    As he walked over to the small store to help LionHeart, he continued speaking, ¡°Those aether crystals are the ones keeping the aether dense, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Alaric walked over to the store room and silently offered to help. With a silent nod of the head, Gunther pointed to the last remaining ceramic tub in the room. Something told Alaric the storeroom was enhanced by magic since the inside of it was a lot larger than he¡¯d initially given it credit for. ¡®So much magic around me lately.¡¯


    ¡°The magic circle doubles as a magnet for the aether in the crystals and circulates while also serving as the right spell for the Awakening Ritual,¡± Sister Marla explained.


    While Garin went about retrieving the different items they¡¯d procured over the past two days, she stood above the first tub to be set down and mouthed a few words in the Ancient Tongue. Balls of water formed before pouring into the tub in a smooth silent stream.


    Alaric and his friends watched as potions they called Bases were mixed in the water along with the Silver Deer Essence, the tubs placed at equal angles against each other in the centre of the magic circle.


    Translucent water bubbled with a fragrant smell as it swirled with a slight push from a silent command muttered by Sister Marla. After some time, the woman turned to Alaric, ¡°The Awakening Orbs.¡±


    Alaric¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Right¡­¡±


    He first retrieved the silver and emerald orbs, handing them over to the caretaker before pulling out an exceptionally large golden orb with intricate patterns.


    The room went silent at the size of the orb which was comparable to that of an apple.


    The other two orbs were at least the size of a round grape which made Alaric¡¯s orb several times their size, not to mention the fact that it was golden.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an Awakening Orb that size before,¡± Gunther broke the silence.


    Alaric looked around, then turned a few shades of red, ¡°Oh right. I never did show it to you guys, did I? Sorry!¡±


    Alia, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, ¡°The aether in that orb is precisely the reason why the town must be concealed during this period. Add protein and calcium Bases to the potion every week and a vial of Silver Deer essence every two weeks¡­¡±


    ¡°I take it an orb that size doesn¡¯t go down without a fight,¡± LionHeart surmised.


    Alaric stared at the tubs of water with a complicated expression. It seemed everything was now ready¡­


    ¡°What are you waiting for, children? Get in,¡± LionHeart snapped at the kids with a devilish grin.


    ¡°No way,¡± Alaric turned away, ¡°Nuh-uh! I¡¯m not willingly drowning myself in a tub of water. Give me the ocean at least.¡±


    A deep chuckle filled the room, ¡°It¡¯s been fun watching your mind try to figure out how the Tempering Ritual works. To put it simply, you¡¯ll stay submerged in this water for a month. Since this is your first ritual, you won¡¯t be awake through most of it. One of the spells Marla used to prepare this portion will allow you to breathe underwater.¡±


    Alaric looked back at the tub, then shuddered, ¡°Why would anyone in their right mind breathe in water, let alone sleep in it?¡±


    LionHeart laughed his heart out, ¡°Bahahaha, I never get tired of this part.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you show Alaric it¡¯s safe?¡± Finn tried.


    ¡°Yeah, so he can get his drool all in there,¡± Darla countered before the idea had the chance to sink in. Given LionHeart¡¯s expression, Alaric figured the man had done this before and laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put my trust in Alia,¡± Alaric responded, stepping forward. He took off his shoes and dipped his foot into the nearest tub. Surprisingly the water was warm. He clenched his fists to keep them from shaking, then gently lowered himself into the tub.


    As his face dipped under the surface of the water, his consciousness grew clouded and his mind grew still. At the heart of his mind though, one resonating thought fought its way to the surface, ¡®Why was I feeling so uneasy?¡¯


    The last thing he saw was the large golden orb floating above his head pulsing with thick waves of Aether.


    ¡°Marla, the barriers¡­ now¡­¡± Alia¡¯s voice played like a broken record before she crumbled into nothingness, returning to the shadow below her master.

 55. Forged in Battle

    Explosions shook the earth, and aether sang an ominous song, as ice, vines, fire, and a multitude of elemental and non-elemental forces clashed on the grim battlefield.


    Buildings were torn asunder, the remains of what used to be humble abodes now reduced to rubble; a town no more. The smell of blood tainted the air, a permanent reminder of the grim reality that was this perilous battlefield.


    A thick palpable sense of murderous intent sank into the bones of every human, civilian and slayer alike as the forces of light and darkness clashed with one another.


    On one hand, creatures of various shapes and sizes teamed up with humans dressed in navy blue stylish coats with the occasional flashes of luxurious armour mixed within these masters of combat.


    Of course, these coats were enchanted to act like body armour as was the minimum defence requirement for any member of the Elite Guard deployed in a fight against demons.


    In addition to these enchanted armaments, the humans were armed with a littany of weapons varying in shapes, sizes and lethality yet all forged for the sole purpose of slaying demons.


    On the other hand, dark monstrous abominations tainted with jet-black darkness rampaged all over the ravaged town destroying everything in their path and lashing at anything with a heartbeat.


    The demons varied in size and appearance, bearing many insidious abilities as well. Each one was a force to be reckoned with, some more than others.


    Somewhere closer to the edges of this ravaged town, inside a battered house with its roof half-torn open, a particularly nimble sandy-haired boy dressed in a navy blue coat gripped his sword tighter and gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his forehead.


    He could feel his lungs burning for air, his muscles screaming, the sweat burning into the scrapes he¡¯d so far gathered in this battle as well as the slight limp in his leg where a pair of bloody holes had been made.


    In front of him, a serpentine creature slithered up onto a cupboard, glaring at him with hate while it eyed the dismembered black arm the boy had just managed to cut off. From the stump of the severed arm, black ooze leaked out, tainting everything it touched with something dark and sinister.


    ¡®I have to finish this quickly,¡¯ Finn thought to himself as he took in a deep breath. It was bad enough that he¡¯d been bitten by the abomination when his guard was down but now he was running out of time. Fighting while poisoned was a double-edged sword since exerting himself only made the poison work faster.


    The air in the half-open room shifted as he burst forward with a quick step. The demon slithered off the cupboard and leapt high into the air, trying to distance itself between itself and the boy.


    A look of fear flashed through its eyes almost as if it recognized the mirage of a mongoose striking with lethal precision.


    Finn liked to think this might have been the last thought on the creature¡¯s mind as its head slid off its neck and landed on the ground. Not thinking much on where to land, the attack had sent Finn flying through the open hole in the roof of the damaged building and onto the roof of another.


    He looked around, then sighed with a grim expression. It was as though the world was ending. Screams mixed with growls filled the air, punctuated by the hum of aether.


    Taking a deep breath, Finn allowed the incantation of the words of the spell ¡®Search¡¯ cross his lips in the Old Tongue, then clenched his fists as the exhilarating rush of his draining Aether reserves sent shivers all over his body.


    Feeling a bit dizzy, he cussed, ¡®Damn it! Got it wrong again.¡¯


    [ Darla said to put more emphasis on your breathing when you use this spell ] A voice echoed through his mind.


    [ I know¡­ ] the boy breathed.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Mastering the small nuances of Spell Casting in the Ancient Tongue was taking its toll on Finn. In battle, mistakes this small were enough to mean the difference between life and death.


    Fortunately for him, the Search Spell brought back a favourable map of his immediate surroundings. The same could not be said for areas further away though.


    He turned his eyes to another building much larger than the one he¡¯d just faced the Serpent in. With the demon subdued, its poison was a lot less lethal which bought him some time.


    He pondered using the Healing Spell for a bit, then decided against it. Unlike his best friend, Alaric, Finn was not blessed with bottomless reserves of aether. He had to be careful in the way he used aether lest he risked passing out from Aether Depletion.


    Crouching, the boy shot off the roof and landed several meters away only to leap once more. He looked at the ground for a bit, observing clashes between slayers of the Elite Guard and demons. He recognized a few faces and sighed in silent prayer.


    Under normal circumstances, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to help¡­ but right now¡­


    [ Hurry, Finn ] The voice came once more.


    The boy dashed forward, pushing his body to his limits while circulating aether through his limbs. As he reached speeds higher than humans should have been capable of, he found himself feeling somewhat lacking¡­ ¡®Alaric was faster than this.¡¯


    [ You¡¯re not Alaric. ]


    While the guardian¡¯s voice was soothing, it wasn¡¯t enough to completely banish this feeling of inadequacy that plagued the boy¡¯s mind. A small part of him wished he could just magically get stronger than he was.


    The bigger part, however, saw through opportunity in this very moment. On this battlefield, he was awarded the chance to forge his strength through combat. There was nothing better at improving one¡¯s experience and combat skills than a battle where one¡¯s life was on the line.


    It was a suicidal tactic and one that warranted a mental checkup but Finn was running out of options. He vaulted over a group of three slayers teaming up against a rogue black mass of tentacles and teeth.


    On top of that, this thing had a mass of eyes on its head that stared in all directions at once, swivelling in their eyeballs independent of each other. Brandishing his sword, Finn sliced at a tentacle shooting for his flying body and severing the demon¡¯s appendage before it had the chance to rope into a fight he had no interest in joining.


    ¡°Basement¡­ The man¡¯s in the basement. Hurry,¡± one of the hunters dealing with the demon yelled out at him.


    The boy nodded and gracefully landed on the window sill of the building he¡¯d been running to. This was where his Search spell had led him, into a rundown two-storey building with a helpless civilian trapped in the basement.


    Fortunately, the man was bright enough to hide himself from the demon searching for him. It was only a matter of time though, before it would be too late for any of the Elite Guard to save him.


    A loud boom resonated through the battlefield, capturing Finn¡¯s attention for a brief moment as he stood on the window sill. For no more than a second, he allowed himself to steal a look at the source of the deafening boom.


    Far from his current location, at least half a kilometre stood a calamity Finn had no business getting involved with. A grotesque amalgamation of stone-like boulders at least the size of a four-story building crawled on four legs in the distance. Its maw let out a great roar as it faced off against much smaller creatures as well as humans.


    The boulders on its back bubbled and grew larger before shooting off into the sky when they¡¯d grown big enough. Once high enough, however, the boulders would explode to release flying pests.


    ¡®Perhaps I could fight the flies,¡¯ he thought to himself as he zipped downstairs running as fast as he could with his sword at his side. His ears were peeled, listening for any slight changes.


    Another word of the Old Tongue passed his lips, this one altered to work more as a small-area Search Spell. He aimed to locate the demon hiding in this building as well as the civilian trapped by its insidious presence.


    His eyes snapped open, ¡®There you are¡­¡¯


    [ I could¡­ ]


    [ You stay put. I can handle this ] the boy yelled back at his guardian. In a softer tone, he added, [ Let me handle this. You can show off when we find stronger ones. ]


    There was a sigh in his mind before the guardian conceded, [ I don¡¯t what¡¯s scarier. Your ambition or the danger you¡¯re running into. ]


    The boy just chuckled before slamming right into the door of the basement. The wooden door went flying off its hinges. On the other side, a creature much like the one the other slayers were fighting outside turned to meet the edge of the door slamming right into its face.


    Finn shot forward in a blur and started hacking at the creature¡¯s body. Tentacles shot out in all directions, stopping him before he could reach the creature. It crashed into the wall but that didn¡¯t seem to stop it from unleashing its neverending wave of tentacles.


    Finn¡¯s sword changed trajectory, slashing one tentacle after another. The sound of splintering wood told him the demon had gotten rid of the wood.


    ¡°GET OUT NOW. I¡¯LL DEAL WITH THE DEMON.¡± Finn yelled out.


    From behind a table, a dishevelled man emerged, shaking from head to toe. The demon gave him one look and he went screaming his lungs off and out the door. His disappearance came with a palpable pressure filled with rage and murderous intent.


    Finn clicked his tongue, ¡°Ugh! Screw you! I missed breakfast for this. This makes us even.¡±


    The demon let out a gurgling growl, then came barrelling towards the boy, tentacles looming over him like an avalanche of ominous darkness.

 56. Business in War

    ¡®Hell na¡­¡¯ Finn screamed at the back of his mind as he darted about the room in a chaotic frenzy. The tentacles followed the boy without fail, stabbing the ground in a line of promising death that ripped holes into the old building¡¯s foundation.


    ¡®This is not what I signed up for,¡¯ he panted as he continued evading the creature.


    [ This is exactly what you signed up for. ] his guardian reminded him.


    ¡®Hey, who¡¯s side are you on?¡¯ he bit back¡­ then cried, ¡®Ah, why is this so hard?¡¯


    [ Dance of the Serpent]


    ¡®I know what I¡¯m doing,¡¯ Finn bit back whilst emulating the convoluted form of the Dance of the Serpent.


    Cracks covered the shaft of his blade, a testament to the durability of this demon¡¯s tentacles despite their malleable nature. A few more hits and he was afraid the demon would destroy his blade. This was why he¡¯d resorted to evading its attacks entirely. That, however, was starting to prove troublesome.


    He was growing tired of running. Even for someone along the Glass Temper Rank like him, there was a limit to how long he could keep up such high-speed combat. Demons didn¡¯t tire, which meant he was going to have to think of something fast.


    He slipped behind the table the man had been hiding behind, pivoted on his heel and kicked it at the demon. A risky manoeuvre but one that he¡¯d been building up for.


    Without wasting any more time, he threw the two chairs that were stationed behind the table. As the table was torn into a million fragments by the demon¡¯s tentacles, the chairs replaced it, soaring at a speed high enough to knock the abomination back.


    This time, Finn was right behind the chairs, shooting forward with deadly precision. Words of the Ancient Tongue passed his lips as his sword cut through the demon with lethal accuracy. The blade shone a bright searing orange as it cut through the demon¡¯s body.


    Before the creature could register what was happening, Finn delivered another strike, this time cutting through to the solid orb residing at the heart of the beast¡­


    Tentacles wrapped around his legs and torso then squeezed the air out of him. Stars dazed his vision. The world spun.


    ¡®Not yet¡­¡¯ he gritted his teeth, gripped his sword like a javelin and hurled it forward at the last possible second.


    A devilish grin filled the demon¡¯s multi-eyed face as it held up its prize, the elusive gnat only for it to still, then shudder. The skin of the demon began to convulse uncontrollably, its hold on the boy coming undone.


    It crawled away from him, spitting black liquid from its maw before collapsing in a heap, unconscious. Finn collapsed on his knees, panting wildly. This was not his second fight since they¡¯d deployed the Elite Guard to this unfortunate town ravaged by a demon attack though he hoped it would be the last.


    ¡®From what I noticed on my way here, the Elite Guard has got this thing covered,¡¯ he thought to himself.


    ¡°Hey, rookie! You okay down there? Did you die? I heard noises,¡± a voice called from upstairs. Finn sighed, then walked up to the demon to retrieve his sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he replied.


    The door opened to reveal a boy shorter than he was with falling black messy hair and blue inquisitive eyes. ¡°Woah, you actually defeated that thing? I thought you were a goner. Took three of us to defeat the one outside.¡±


    ¡°I got lucky,¡± Finn replied, eyeing the demon suspiciously¡­ ¡®My sword.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re so modest, Finn,¡± the boy giggled, rushing up to the demon. He retrieved his own sword and began hacking at the body haphazardly, ¡°Lucky, my foot.¡±


    The boy raised his sword and got to severing the grotesque beast¡¯s tentacles. After cutting a tentacle off the demon¡¯s body, he would throw it away from the main body, scattering them all across the basement, before he got to the main body.


    At this point, he was panting while Finn watched in silence. Not only was the beast larger than he expected but it also still had a total of thirty tentacles by the time Finn was done fighting it.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Pausing at the main body, he turned to Finn with a bewildered expression, ¡°Are you going to just stand there or will you help me out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine right here. I just need my sword,¡± Finn replied with a nod towards the demon¡¯s body. While subtle, it could be seen that something was keeping the body vaguely unbalanced on the ground, as though something under it was propping it up.


    The boy sighed, then silently continued chopping the fiend into pieces. Only when he¡¯d made it to the impure core reeking with a dark miasma did he stop and move aside, ¡°Get your sword. I¡¯ll report the body to the priests.¡±


    ¡°For how much, Gary?¡± Finn raised a brow at him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me, Seeker. I¡¯ll only ask you one more time. How much are you paying for the demon?¡± this time, Finn was standing closer to the boy¡¯s face, fury radiating off him.


    The Seeker, Gary, took a step back, ¡°Fifty coppers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pocket change,¡± Finn growled.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s your price?¡±


    ¡°Two silvers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much! Ninety coppers,¡± Gary argued.


    ¡°You pay me well, Seeker and I¡¯ll make sure you claim all my next demons,¡± Finn said in a low tone.


    There was a short moment of tension between the two before the boy swallowed, ¡°One Silver and Fifty coppers. That¡¯s a hundred and fifty coppers and my final offer.¡±


    ¡°Deal. Pay up,¡± Finn perked up.


    ¡°Who carries their wallet to the battlefield? No, I¡¯ll pay you back at the Academy,¡± Gary shook his head.


    Finn ground his teeth in frustration, ¡°I¡¯ve got a few more demons for you if you¡¯re interested. However, if you so much as try to cheat me, those credits will be the least of your worries.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes lit up at the sound of more demon cores, ¡°Relax, Finn. We¡¯ve known each other, what¡­ five months? I have no reason to cheat a friend and fellow Seeker.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Finn rolled his eyes.


    Gary was a fellow Seeker from the Tower of Seekers. However, unlike Finn whose guardian was B-class, Gary had a C-class guardian. B-class guardians were powerful and when compared to C-class, the gap was laughably wide.


    For people with C-class guardians, getting into the Elite Guardian Academy was determined by one of two things, combat ability and money. Gary fell into the latter group. As a result of this, he spent more money scavenging for demon cores which would be traded for credits at the Academy.


    The boy removed a small pouch from the belt hidden beneath his navy blue cloak and muttered a Word of the Ancient Tongue. Just like that, the core vanished into the pouch.


    [ Which Word was that? ]


    [ A combination of activation spell and wind magic. Though I reckon he learnt it from the person who gave him the pouch. Knowledge of that calibre doesn¡¯t come cheap ] his guardian responded.


    A few moments later, the pair was dashing atop the roofs of the ravaged buildings with Finn leading the boy back to the house where he¡¯d slain the serpent.


    The world shook and the wind blew his sandy brown hair as he ran on, leading Gary along. Finn¡¯s heart was beating wildly in his chest, fear merging with exhilaration.


    Far to his right, he spotted the calamitous demon. By now, it was the only demon left to hunt, drawing the full attention of the Elite guard squadron that had been deployed in this town.


    ¡®That ugly pile of boulders is still alive?¡¯ he wondered.


    [ Perhaps it¡¯s too powerful for a team of B-class slayers ] his guardian responded.


    [ B-class slayers are rare. It¡¯s probably a handful of B-class Slayers. Still, there must be a few Stone Temper Ranks in there ] he wondered.


    Finn watched as the boulders on the back of the massive demon shot up and exploded into a swarm of buzzing gnats. A few units of slayers detached from the main fighting force and delivered torrents of flame and poisonous smoke to keep these pests from interfering with the battle on the ground.


    From Finn¡¯s vantage point, he couldn¡¯t see what was happening on the ground¡­ but something told him it wasn¡¯t good. In any case, he could now see the house where he¡¯d left the serpent.


    Just as his mind was about to start thinking of the Silver and Fifty coppers he would be getting for this demon core, a sharp whizzing sound echoed across the battlefield, stopping him in his tracks. He knew that sound.


    A moment later, a massive shockwave blew through the whole town, felling buildings that were too brittle to stay standing and raising a mass of dust into the air.


    ¡°Haha! We¡¯re saved now that she¡¯s here,¡± Gary rejoiced at the top of his voice when he stopped by Finn, panting his lungs out.


    Yes, they were indeed saved. Finn didn¡¯t need to hear such an obvious declaration of victory. The demon that had taken so many slayers just to keep it at bay was now missing a large chunk of its side, a large swath of its body having been taken out by a single attack.


    The silence was followed by a loud guttural shriek from the massive demon, powerful enough to rattle the very bones of the slayers standing at a safe distance around it.


    Cutting the creature¡¯s scream short, another arrow, powerful and unyielding, shot through the air, drowning the shriek as though it cut through the very fabric of the space it slithered through.


    *BOOM*


    Another arrow¡­


    *BOOM*


    Three arrows in succession and the massive abomination stopped shrieking and shuddered. The bubbling rocks on its back also stopped before collapsing on the ground. Finn looked up at a wyvern flying high in the sky.


    Atop the wyvern, a girl stood with a dark bow embedded in her arm. As she lowered her arm, the bow retracted into her skin and vanished. A cold indifferent expression rested on her delicate beautiful features as she watched the battlefield from above.


    ¡°Damn, Lady Darla is so cool and powerful, not to mention extremely beautiful, don¡¯t you think?¡± Gary swooned.


    Finn spared the boy a grimace, ¡°Her guardian is a pixie.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call Sir Apollo a pixie. He is an A-class guardian, after all,¡± the boy responded.


    Finn rolled his eyes and shrugged off the conversation. ¡°Just follow me. Let me show you the kinds of cores low-levels like we will ever see.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

 57. Lady Darla

    Seated atop a majestic wyvern was a small cohort of warriors dressed in intricate outfits. Expensive slick armour covered them in an aura different from that of the warriors below.


    Resting in the elegantly designed scabbards at their waists were expertly made weapons of potent capabilities.


    Among these individuals was a silent girl with an indifferent expression on her perfect face. She stared at the world below her without saying a word. Her right arm still buzzed slightly with the power of her guardian¡¯s abilities.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t kill you to smile a bit, Darla. You just killed a demon that a whole cohort of Elite Guards had failed to kill,¡± a girl at the back called out.


    Darla regarded the girl for a bit. Her pleasant looks were accompanied by light makeup which only made her appear more angelic. If it wasn¡¯t for the brutish warrior armour beneath her cloak, she could have entranced all men. Instead, weak men were afraid to approach her.


    ¡°There is no celebration to be made on a battlefield like this, Amber,¡± Darla responded coldly. She then turned to a blonde man casually dressed in golden armour behind her, ¡°Julius, why didn¡¯t we depart faster?¡±


    Julius yawned, then wiped a hand through his shiny blonde hair, ¡°Because we¡¯re indispensable. Like you just demonstrated so beautifully, one of us is worth hundreds of them. Don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking we can be in so many places at once.¡±


    Darla turned her attention back to the battlefield down below. An entire town had been ravaged by the demon scourge. She¡¯d seen what the demons could do many times before but nothing on this scale. It made no sense to her¡­ Was the Demon King perhaps on the move?


    The biggest and most perilous of the demons had been defeated and now all that was left was to clear the smaller ones. Of course, this was no easy job. Demons had insidious powers and their bodies were tougher than iron, sometimes being tough enough to shatter the steel of an ordinary sword.


    It went without saying that the rest of the battle would be hard. On top of what was already a difficult battle, Darla witnessed the remaining bulbous boulders on the now-defeated demon pop and release more abominations. The battle was far from over¡­


    Taking a deep breath she walked to the edge of the luxurious saddle atop that giant wyvern and looked down. It was a steep drop but not one that could injure her supposing she used the right spell to smooth her descent.


    ¡°Darla, have you forgotten who you take orders from?¡± Julius growled. His aura bubbled and he looked ready to kill someone and yet, his rage was met with a mere shrug.


    ¡°Of course, I know. I¡¯m not dumb,¡± with a slight chuckle at the end of her words, Darla jumped.


    The rider at the head of the giant wyvern chuckled as he brought a device to his lips, ¡°Call the Priest. And tell them to bring extra hands and a lot of Spirit Water. There will be a lot of exorcising today.¡±


    Amber giggled, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the Great Julius take this long to tame a maiden he¡¯s set his eyes on.¡±


    Julius looked away from him with an angry expression, ¡°She clings to the delusion of this all-powerful slayer with an S-class guardian. Alaric, she calls him¡­ Tch! A complete hallucination if you ask me. If not a hallucination, then a coward of the highest calibre.¡±


    ¡°Delusion or not, she loves him more than I¡¯ve ever seen a woman love a man. I¡¯d consider it adorable if the person pursuing her was not you, Julius. She doesn¡¯t even realise how many girls would wish to be in her shoes,¡± Amber sighed.


    Julius smiled at the compliment, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll see it soon enough. I have faith that this¡­ Alaric won¡¯t be showing up any time soon. Not even the Tower of Seekers will speak of his existence anymore. With him out of the way, she¡¯ll be mine soon enough.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    On her way down, Darla sneezed a couple of times, ¡®He must be really angry to say my name so many times. Achoo!¡¯


    [ Can we focus on the battle ahead? Julius sickens me ] Apollo piped in, not doing anything to hide his dislike.


    [ Sure thing ] the girl responded, drawing her sword from its scabbard. A few words of the Ancient Tongue passed her lips before the enchanted sword was wreathed with arcs of electricity. With one slice of the air before her, an arc of lightning went sailing straight for the swarm of insect-like demons she was hurtling towards.


    The swarm lit up with the explosive force of the attack. Being so close to each other, the demons conducted the electricity through the whole swarm, causing a large swath to get sizzled by the same attack. A hole opened up in the horde of demons through which Darla slipped through and slammed onto the ground with a shockwave.


    ¡°Need some help?¡± she called to a commander recognized.


    The bearded man nodded with a fond smile, ¡°Men, this is no longer a battlefield but a competition for credits. Let¡¯s show these monsters not to mess with the Elite Guardian Academy.¡±


    Darla¡¯s mind short-circuited, ¡®Uh¡­ what?¡¯


    It took her some time to register that she was meant to collect credits for all the demons she killed. ¡®What a pain!¡¯


    [ We need those credits to buy more time in the Tempering Chamber ] Apollo mentioned.


    She sighed, ¡®I hear you, Apollo.¡¯


    In the next moment, her figure echoed through the battlefield as she zipped around the battlefield, cutting down demons like they were made of paper. The more credits she could get, the better. Her only regret was that she¡¯d come late¡­ Perhaps if she¡¯d come earlier, this demon attack wouldn¡¯t have gotten this bad.


    As the battle raged on, nearing its conclusion, an angelic screech announced the arrival of another group. The air itself seemed to get cleaner and more pleasant with this group¡¯s arrival. A glowing moth, larger than Garin¡¯s stingray broke through the white carpet of the clouds, arriving with a group of people dressed in white elegant garments.


    At the head of the creature, a woman dressed in white with a white veil over her head held her hands together in prayer, mumbling words of comfort. The crew she¡¯d come with disembarked, each one of them flying off with mothlike wings attached to their backs, an extension of the great moth¡¯s power.


    The white-clad descended, each of them holding vials of glowing liquid which they poured on the bodies of the fallen demons in chorus with prayers in the Ancient Tongue. The liquid sizzled and spread, covering everything that was black and vile, turning it white, ethereal and wispy.


    The battle ended soon after that.


    As the sun travelled across the sky, the battlefield turned from a grim dangerous place with a dark miasma tainting the air to peaceful ruins cleansed of the demon scourge. A barrier in the plains far from the village dropped to reveal a large group of people, many injured and receiving treatment from the white-clad warriors.


    Darla, having handed in the mountain of demon cores and getting her credits worth, made her way to these plains. Tents had been raised with several people darting in and out of them, transporting supplies needed to make treatments as well as delivering messages.


    The warriors who saw her greeted her with respect as she walked through the camp, showing no reaction to the results of the demons¡¯ carnage despite her bleeding heart.


    ¡®If only we¡¯d showed up earlier¡­¡¯ she thought to herself.


    [ No¡­ Don¡¯t go there. We did what we could ] Apollo screamed into her mind.


    As she walked through, she found a slayer wrapping the wounds of an injured old man, ¡°There you go, man. With that portion, it should heal in a day or two.¡±


    Darla tilted her head at the boy¡¯s words, ¡°Why so long?¡±


    Finn turned to her with a look of surprise, ¡°Oh, Darl¡­ Lady Darla. The high-grade potions have been reserved for the severely injured. There was a lot of destruction¡­ some people lost limbs. The sort of stuff only high-grade potions can handle. But I guess you didn¡¯t see that from all the way up there.¡±


    ¡°I helped¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Darla. We all saw your grand entrance. Kinda hard to miss an arrow that literally cuts through time and space,¡± Finn picked up the towels and equipment he¡¯d been using and closed the first aid box, moving on to the next injured civilian.


    The next person he tended to was a young boy, probably an orphan, who was still caught in a daze after all that had happened. ¡°You okay, little boy.¡±


    The boy snapped at him¡­ and pulled his singed hand away, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine. Save my sister. She¡­ she¡­¡±


    Tears pooled in his eyes before he crumpled to the ground, reliving the horrifying moments at the start of the attack.


    [ I hate this, Apollo ] Darla announced.


    [ You hate the fame and fortune of having an A-class guardian or having your best friend treat you like a disgraceful noble? ] Apollo asked.


    [ No¡­ I can take Finn¡¯s attitude. I deserve it¡­ I hate my weakness¡­ ]


    [ Hey, I said we did what we could¡­ ]


    [ Alaric wouldn¡¯t have let this happen. ]


    [ Alaric is not here¡­ and he hasn¡¯t been here for six months. ] The guardian responded with an angry huff.

 58. Battle Aftermath

    Darla watched Finn apply the low-grade healing potion to the boy¡¯s singed hand. Low-grade healing portions were abundant and cheap on the market; however, when the number of people who needed healing made up a whole town, even they became scarce.


    It hurt Darla to see her friend apply only the minimum amount required for him to save more people. The red blood staining the boy¡¯s clothes vanished, leaving a wound that was several times less painful but still a wound, nevertheless. The limits of this low-grade portion were to stop the flowing blood at least and kill the germs that threatened to infect it.


    Beyond that, however, this boy would need something a little more expensive. The creases on the boy¡¯s brow vanished as the pain in his hand went away.


    ¡°There you go,¡± Finn soothed him, ¡°Let me wrap this up for you so it doesn¡¯t get worse as it heals.¡±


    The boy leaned into his gentle touch and nodded. The tears on his face had long since dried up as he watched the Elite Guard in front of him tend to his injuries as though there weren¡¯t other patients requiring his help.


    ¡°You work for the Tower of Seekers,¡± the boy pointed at a symbol of a quill in an inkpot engraved on his breastplate. Not sparing the symbol a glance, he pulled a roll of bandages from his first aid kit and got to wrapping up the boy¡¯s wound, all while making sure not to reopen his wounds, ¡°Yeah, sort of.¡±


    ¡°What is someone like you doing on this battlefield?¡± the boy asked.


    [ Tch! Kid¡¯s going for the jugular ] Apollo scoffed at the back of Darla¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Well, if I wasn¡¯t here, who would treat you?¡± Finn gave the boy a tight-lipped smile when he saw the boy¡¯s words get caught in his throat, ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be alive. Treasure that gift.¡±


    After a short silence, the boy said, ¡°You¡¯re kind, sir.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t say?¡± Finn replied, carefully wrapping the bandage around the boy¡¯s arm, ¡°Hold this for me.¡±


    The boy held the bandage and watched as Finn gathered up some cotton soaked in the healing potion. The slayer placed the potion on the covered wound and continued to wrap the wound up.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t Finn, the talentless wannabe,¡± a snarky voice interrupted the boy.


    Darla turned to see the Elite Guard that had said it. Dressed in navy blue with silver epaulettes, a man with flowing green hair stared at Finn with a snarky smirk, ¡°Good day to you, too, Edward.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes¡­ A good day to me who butchered four B-class demons. I¡¯m getting a bunch of credits for the cores¡­ If you grovel, I might just spare you some of them. It would be more than the Tower can offer you. It must suck to be stuck at the Glass Rank,¡± the man snickered.


    Darla turned fully to the boy, ¡°Edward!¡±


    ¡°Lady Darla¡­ Have you come to your senses? You¡¯d make the perfect bride for someone of my background. The offer still stands, you know. Ditch this half-wit, Julius and all the other suitors that no doubt fawn over you and come shine like the glorious gem that you are,¡± a chorus of chuckles followed his remarks.


    A small man with fairy wings materialised from thin air and went shooting towards the slayer, ¡°You Bastard!¡±


    ¡°Oh, pipe down, Apollo,¡± Edward reached out with his hand. He conjured up a net of aether that effectively trapped the guardian with nowhere to go. Apollo fought against the bindings but found them much too resilient for him to break.


    ¡°For an A-class guardian, you¡¯re rather weak without your master,¡± the slayer mentioned as he brought the net closer to his face.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Apollo vanished in a puff of sparks and reappeared at Darla¡¯s side. This time, however, he didn¡¯t lash out. Instead, he turned to Darla, ¡°Why do you let him run his mouth?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s irrelevant,¡± Darla replied coldly.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Edward¡¯s face contorted in a dark grimace.


    Darla spared him a glance, shrugged, then turned away, ¡°Anything from Aiden?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Finn replied, putting a clip on the bandage, ¡°There you go, kid. It should be healed in two days at most. Try not to move it too much during that time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, sir,¡± the boy replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, peasants. I¡¯m a noble and far outrank you. I bet that¡¯s why your precious S-class friend abandoned you,¡± Edward lashed out.


    Finn paused in his movements, spared Edward a glance, and then moved on to the next person that needed his help. An old man with a scraggly beard and equally tattered clothing. While his appearance was much like that of a beggar, Finn didn¡¯t make the mistake of writing him off. His aura was on a higher level than that of an ordinary human while his muscles were a tad bit toned.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the long searing cut on his calf, perhaps he would have been useful in the battle that had just occurred, ¡°Need some help, sir?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let that weakling talk shit to you?¡± the man looked up at Finn. His strong eyes were enough to tell Finn he was capable of reading more into the situation. It was one thing for someone to try and boost his courage to stand up for himself but another thing entirely for someone to see through his false facade of weakness. This man belonged to the latter.


    ¡°There are people here that need my help. I¡¯d rather not waste my time,¡± Finn replied gently, then reached to place his first aid kit down and got to work on the man¡¯s leg.


    The man looked up at Edward, ¡°Beat it, brat!¡±


    Edward was about to snicker when a palpable aura pressed down on his shoulders, enough to make his knees shudder with weakness. Before his body was forced to kneel, however, Edward darted away in anger.


    Finn chuckled, ¡°What could have done this to you?¡±


    ¡°A-class demon. Caught me off-guard at the start of the attack. My friends and I managed to defeat it but that¡¯s about all I could do before my injury got too bad,¡± the man responded.


    ¡°No healing potion?¡±


    ¡°Gave them all to my friends. They needed everything they could get for the evacuation,¡± the man responded.


    ¡°Were you a member of the Elite Guard? I don¡¯t recognize you,¡± Finn asked while applying his low-grade healing potion. The thought of using some of the high-grade potions he had stowed away had occurred to him at first, but then he heard the story of the man¡¯s sacrifice and decided against it.


    ¡°Nah¡­ Adventurer. Forged my power in the Nebulous Springs of Darza,¡± the man chuckled, ¡°I never was one for the formalities of the Elite Guard. Too many nobles for my taste.¡±


    Finn chuckled, ¡°Nebulous Springs of Darza? That¡¯s a Wild Aether Zone.¡±


    ¡°You know your stuff,¡± the man chuckled, amused.


    ¡°I try,¡± the boy responded. The two continued to talk casually while Darla watched the boy work in stiff silence. Normally, this silence would be considered awkward but awkward happened to be Darla¡¯s middle name. If there was ever someone who wasn¡¯t affected by awkward silences, it was Darla.


    So much so that the man talking to Finn let out a loud chuckle when the boy was done tending to his leg, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t keep the lady waiting. She must be worth it if she can wait for you this long.¡±


    Finn¡¯s face went the slightest bit red, ¡°She¡¯s not¡­¡±


    ¡°Bah, you don¡¯t have to convince me of anything. I know how the story goes,¡± the man winked, then forced himself to stand up, hopping on his good leg before gingerly testing out the leg that had just been treated.


    After a few moments, he walked away with a slight limp, not forgetting to spare Finn a wink as he left.


    ¡°Finn, did you get it?¡± Darla asked, wishing they could move past the suggestive winks that made her hair stand on ends.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± the boy responded, retrieving a paper from his pocket, ¡°I tried to note down all the important stuff, hopefully, I didn¡¯t leave out something vital.¡±


    The girl skimmed through the writings on the paper with a focused expression, ¡°This is more than I could ask for, Finn. Thank you very much.¡±


    Without warning, she pulled the sandy-haired boy into a big hug, one that gained him several evil glares from clandestine eyes watching them, along with a few new enemies. Silently, Finn accepted his fate.


    When she released him, she lifted her hand into the air, ¡°Apollo¡­¡±


    The guardian flew up above her hand and closed his eyes¡­ ¡°Hmm¡­ only the basics. The effect won¡¯t be so powerful.¡±


    ¡°I know what effect it will have, Apollo,¡± the girl responded indifferently.


    ¡°Understood, Master,¡± the guardian spread his hands out and with one gesture, enveloped the entire camp with a radiant pale green healing light.


    It wasn¡¯t much¡­ but it was more than anyone could spare at the moment, and while she didn¡¯t know it, she saved nearly a hundred lives with that simple gesture buying the healers enough time to tend to the severely injured while healing those that didn¡¯t need so much attention all at the same time.


    Hidden behind a few tents, a man in golden armour watched her exchange with the sandy-haired boy with a look of awe¡­ and a little envy.


    ¡®I will have her,¡¯ his thoughts echoed.

 59. Time to Breathe

    Frozen still with an expressionless face that was a tad too handsome, devoid of knowledge of the world¡¯s suffering, a young man slept beneath the surface of a bath filled to the brim with enchanted water suffused with numerous portions, humming with the touch of magic.


    At first glance, it almost appeared as though the man was dead. With great patience, however, one would learn to notice the minuscule rising of his chest as continued to breathe through the help of a Breathing Spell.


    The serenity of this room almost followed the boy into his dreams. Vague dreams of tranquillity kept the young man¡¯s mind company bearing with them a monotony that could have driven even the strongest mind mad.


    In these dreams, he dreamt of a neverending meadow. A meadow where the sun never rose or fell, where the winds blew constantly and the smell of ripe wheat filled the air even though there was no wheat to speak of.


    Alaric¡¯s vision was not as clear as he remembered it but oddly enough, that didn¡¯t bother him. And in this meadow, he would spend nearly every hour of his neverending day, playing with a young girl. Naturally, he knew this young girl since the two of them shared a very strong bond. How this bond came into existence was none of his concern.


    The girl wore glowing golden armour which¡­ sometimes puzzled Alaric.


    Oddly enough, his confusion always lasted a short while before they continued playing in the beautiful meadow. They played hide and seek in the tall grass and chased themselves around in a game of tag. They played puzzles and joked repeatedly for what felt like an eternity.


    Much of the world didn¡¯t make sense¡­ and yet, Alaric found that even this detail of the odd world didn¡¯t matter. Everything simply¡­ was. On occasion, his mind would grow muddled with worry.


    The more he felt as though the world did matter, the more he furrowed his eyebrows and felt his stomach twist into a knot. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    In moments such as this, he would turn to the girl and ask her to tell him what was wrong. Each time, he was perfectly positive that she would give him the right answer and each time, she dismissed his question, distracting him with more games.


    In the incident that he grew persistent, she would ask, ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    And before he could press the matter, his mind shattered and his thoughts were scattered in the wind, leaving him exactly where he started, ¡°You¡¯re right. It shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Then, he played some more.


    This cycle went on for a very long time¡­ until the day it stopped.


    It was a sunny day just like any other¡­ Time flowed¡ªor didn¡¯t¡ªas it always had, and Alaric, as usual, had no idea of how long he¡¯d been here.


    On this day though, the armoured girl was less playful and more¡­ wistful. As Alaric approached, he felt a foreign pang of pain in his chest, an indication of an emotion he¡¯d never felt coming from the bond he felt with the young girl. Normally, he felt a few tinges of sadness coming from her, especially when he asked her weird questions of why the world was the way it was but this was different.


    He almost expected her to break down into tears and yet at the same time, that thought seemed so comical that he could have laughed at himself.


    ¡®As if Alia could ever be caught crying?¡¯ he mentally chided, then froze, ¡®Who is¡­¡¯


    The pang of sorrow roused him from his thoughts. With a sigh, he approached the girl from behind, emerging from the tall grass and onto a small hill. Growing from a small mound of earth raised above the neverending sea of the great meadow was a great oak tree that went high into the air, casting a shade onto the small island of shot grass above the tall stalks.


    He paused for a bit, then took a seat next to the girl, looking out to the meadow. Somewhere out there, Alaric saw the grass shift and the tip of a large black wing emerge only to dive back into the sea of tall grass, ¡°Can¡¯t believe we still haven¡¯t caught that cat?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The girl chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s not going anywhere. If anything he¡¯ll come to us when he¡¯s no longer shy.¡±


    Something in Alaric¡¯s mind told him the girl was not lying¡­ but that same thing also told him he didn¡¯t understand the full implications of her words. Shaking the confusing thoughts away, Alaric decided to approach the elephant in the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The girl looked at him, her radiant beauty and kind demeanour shining even through her sadness, ¡°Our time together is coming to an end.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alaric blinked, ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any¡­¡±


    ¡° You need to wake up, Alaric. You need¡­ to breathe.¡±


    Alaric¡¯s mind shattered like glass and the image of the radiant girl blinked like a malfunctioning flashlight¡­ then, he took a deep breath.


    His muscles, which had been resting for longer than they ever had in his life, were suddenly jolted awake pushing him a meter above the surface of the water before he crashed back into the tub with a loud splash.


    Oblivious to the mess he caused, the boy staggered out of the tub in a coughing fit only to drop to the ground¡­ He stared back at the tub whilst still struggling to catch his breath¡­ ¡®I was¡­ underwater. For how long?¡¯


    [I¡­ don¡¯t know myself,] Alia¡¯s voice replied. A sense of warmth swept over the boy¡¯s body, ushered in by his guardian¡¯s voice. It was good to hear Alia¡¯s voice, like a reminder that a vital part of him that he could not live without was still safely with him¡­ and not going anywhere.


    As he looked around, he noticed a few makeshift beds, a pitcher of water, some cups and a tray. All looked vaguely out of place in the glowing room covered with runes and glowing crystals.


    When Alaric noticed the other two tubs, he rushed over to them, only to find them empty and clean. ¡®They¡­ already left.¡¯


    From the looks of it, his friends had woken up and even had the time to clean out their tubs. The boy ran a hand through his hair. His memories were fuzzy and his mind was still struggling to recall everything that happened before he went into the Tempering Ritual.


    Flashes of a beautiful meadow went through his mind in a convoluted haze, devoid of any sense of time¡­


    [ Thank you, Alia. For keeping me company, ] Alaric finally said.


    [ It was my pleasure, ] Alia replied.


    Alaric took the time to look around. A subtle sniff around told him this chamber was visited a lot. He walked to the bedding near the door and checked the pitcher.


    It was half-full with water which he downed with an inhuman thirst, never taking the vessel from his lips. Once he had finished the water, he felt a bit better. He was still hungry¡­ but that was something he would solve later.


    Now, he needed to get back to the orphanage. Before he could stand, he noticed a pile of folded clothes by the bed. The clothes were white and made of fine material, soft to the touch. More importantly, however, they resembled a unique colour theme he¡¯d seen before. Checking them, he noticed the insignia of a pot of ink and a quill embroidered into them.


    [ The Tower of Seekers. Are these for me? ] he wondered, then sniffed them. They smelled fresh¡­ and new? ¡®Is that what a new cloth smells like?¡¯


    [ Try them on ] Alia edged him on.


    Alaric stood and unfolded the clothes. Holding them to his height, he realised they were slightly shorter than he was¡­


    Shrugging, he took off his wet clothes and waited a bit for his skin to dry, then put on the clothes.


    During the time that he changed, a black hand rose from the shadows and held the door shut. Of course, Alaric was oblivious to this and didn¡¯t notice at all.


    Once he was dressed and made sure the fancy clothes weren¡¯t uncomfortable despite not reaching his ankles, he walked to the door and opened it.


    [ Was the entrance always this short? ] Alaric asked.


    [ No, you¡¯ve grown taller ] Alia replied.


    The boy froze for a bit¡­


    He¡¯d grown¡­ taller? That didn¡¯t make any sense at all. But then, when he looked at the ground, it did seem a little farther down than he remembered. His heart quickened¡­ [Mirror¡­]


    [ I¡¯m sure Sister Marla has one, ] Alia comforted him.


    [ Okay, let¡¯s get back to the orphanage, ] Alaric breathed then stepped out of the door.


    Outside, he froze. Rather than being met by the elegant forest he knew and loved, Alaric was hit with the worst kind of unfamiliarity. The trees were at least twice as large in girth and the leaves were a bit too thick even to be called leaves. At this rate, each leaf resembled a cactus leaf. Vines had grown all around constricting around the road they used to get to the cottage.


    The sun was even less and instead, large strange crystalline objects were growing out of the ground in scattered clusters and lighting it up in an ethereal glow¡­ ¡®Aether Crystals.¡¯


    [ Just great! ] he sighed.


    Almost as fast as the unfamiliar scenery had bombarded his eyes, his senses were bombarded with an immense wave of aether. ¡®Aether¡­ So much aether,¡¯ Alaric breathed.


    When did the Five Hills gain so much aether? He wondered to himself.


    It was a question he would have to ask the others once he¡¯d returned to the orphanage. There was so much Alaric didn¡¯t know. Where were his friends? How long had been asleep? Why was the air so rich in aether now? What happened while he slept?


    ¡°Alaric? Is that you?¡± a familiar voice suddenly interrupted the boy¡¯s thoughts.


    A large man of familiar build appeared at the end of the path as a bright smile bloomed on Alaric¡¯s face, ¡°LionHeart!¡±

 60. Im Home

    Sister Marla stared at a charred mess of vines and branches surrounding her with a tired expression. Not far from her, a puddle of molten metal was only starting to cool, the remnants of what used to be a metallic bed.


    The bed inside the cocoon of vines she¡¯d manifested the night before had melted, the sheets and mattress incinerated to oblivion.


    A little boy coiled in the corner of the room, away from the incinerated plant-like cage that had been made to contain his flames, sobbing.


    Feeling her heart crack at the sight, the caretaker made her way through and scooped the boy up into her arms, ¡°There there, Cody.¡±


    Cody only buried his face into her stomach and continued sobbing silently.


    While she soothed the boy, she gazed around with a concerned expression. The door to the boy¡¯s dormitory opened just moments later, admitting a few concerned girls and a man dressed in elegant white armour.


    Garin came in with a worried expression. His red hair had grown a bit more, giving him a richer beard and an overall older appearance. Somehow, his look of worry looked deeper this way, ¡°I heard the¡­ umm, explosion. How is he doing?¡±


    Marla shook her head, then commenced rubbing circles on the boy¡¯s back, ¡°He¡¯s a strong boy. We¡¯ll figure this out. Thanks again¡­ for reinforcing the walls.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Thank Alaric when he wakes up. He¡¯s the one that left you all that money,¡± Garin replied.


    ¡°How is he?¡± the woman asked.


    The man shook his head with a sad expression, ¡°Same as always. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think he¡¯s¡­¡± Marla gave the man a stern look that silenced him before the words could leave his tongue, ¡°In any case, he didn¡¯t seem any different when I left this morning.¡±


    The caretaker carried the flame-haired child out of the dormitory and to the kitchen where she started surveying his body for injuries. Lately, Cody¡¯s abilities had been getting more out of control.


    Before, his ¡®episodes¡¯ were not strong enough to cause the caretaker to worry. After all, she simply needed to place a cocoon of vines around his bed and problem solved. The bed was also engraved with fire-resistant runes that were strong enough to resist his flames.


    Now, however, all of that was rendered useless. Cody¡¯s flames blew away the cocoon entirely and shook the orphanage, burning the bed along with it.


    Thanks to the now-furnished and reinforced walls and ceiling, he hadn¡¯t blown the orphanage to bits¡­ yet.


    Even as the caretaker wiped the tears and ash from his face, his fiery hair still burned with a few feisty tongues of flame.


    ¡°And the aether wraiths?¡± she asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been getting less and less. You know LionHeart and Gunther wouldn¡¯t let those roam around freely,¡± Garin responded, ¡°On another note, I have a message from Garrick.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not moving him, Garin,¡± Marla snapped at the man.


    Garin raised his hands quickly, ¡°Don¡¯t yell at me. I¡¯m just a messenger. The people have been on edge ever since Alaric started his Tempering Ritual.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong, Aether crystals have been bringing in a lot of money for the Village but how long shall we be able to keep the secret of the source of this Aether from the empire?The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Just the other day an Aether Wraith nearly drained the butcher, Horst, of all his aether.¡±


    ¡°As long as we have to, Garin. I don¡¯t care what Garrick thinks. Honestly, what¡¯s wrong with that man? After everything we¡¯ve done for this village. Does he have no heart?¡±


    ¡°Is Alaric going to be okay?¡± Cody asked, catching up with the conversation happening before him.


    ¡°Yes, dear. Alaric will be just fine. I won¡¯t let anything happen to him,¡± Marla replied, finally returning her attention to the child. The clothes he was wearing were ruined with charred patches from the flame magic.


    ¡®Pssh! Fire-resistant pyjamas my foot,¡¯ the woman mentally scoffed.


    ¡°Go get changed, Cody. We¡¯ll get you new pyjamas today, okay?¡± Sister Marla spoke.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts¡­ Let me worry about the money. You focus on being a child for as long as you can, okay?¡± the woman quickly intervened.


    The boy nodded diligently, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Marla pulled the boy into a short hug before allowing him to hop off the counter and run off. As he left, she called out to him, ¡°Breakfast will be ready soon. Tell your brothers and sisters to stay close.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± the boy yelled back.


    Marla sighed, then went about finishing with the breakfast she¡¯d started preparing at the time of the chaotic explosion in the boys¡¯ dormitory.


    The boy¡¯s situation puzzled her greatly. She¡¯d even taken extra measures to contain his flames but had fallen short.


    For safety purposes, she¡¯d switched from a single-walled cocoon of hardened vines to a triple-walled cocoon and moved the rest of the boys to the other side of the room.


    Now she was thinking of walling off Cody¡¯s part of the room¡­ That, however, was a solution she was hoping to hold off for as long as she could.


    ¡°You think his powers are being affected by the aether, too?¡± Garin asked.


    ¡°Yes. That is exactly what I think,¡± the woman responded, ¡°When is that boy going to wake up?¡±


    Garin, feeling the need to get moving, started helping out as well. He went about setting the breakfast table, picking ceramic plates from the newly installed high-quality cabinets.


    As things now stood, the old orphanage was old no more, having gone through a complete renovation, erasing every sign of its previous dilapidated state.


    ¡°He should wake up soon considering the aether has been getting thinner,¡± Garin offered.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right. Still though, do humans with S-class guardians release that much aether?¡± the woman wondered.


    Garin had thought about this before as well. He¡¯d even sent a letter to the Tower of Seekers asking for information on the phenomena happening within the village of the Five Hills but had come up with nothing.


    For an organisation with information on nearly everything, this was unprecedented. Apparently, something like this had never happened before, even among slayers with S-class guardians. At most, it was something that was only ever experienced with a human trying to raise their Temper Rank to either Stone or Metal Rank but never Glass Rank.


    Glass Rank was simply too weak to terraform a village literally.


    In the end, all Garin had confirmed was that they really needed to keep the barriers surrounding the village intact if they wanted to keep Alaric safe.


    ¡°Where is Gunther?¡± Sister Marla asked as she grabbed a baker¡¯s peel, opened a fiery hearth and retrieved nine steaming hot loaves of bread.


    Garin looked her way, admiring the golden brown loaves the woman placed by the window to cool. The wind blew an enchanting scent into the orphanage and roused the man¡¯s empty stomach, drawing a growl from it, ¡°Gunther? Gunther went to bring our share of last evening¡¯s produce.¡±


    ¡°More unexpected yields, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Farmers have been thinking of shipping some of the food off to Jack¡¯s Fall and Mel¡¯s Hollow,¡± Garin chuckled, ¡°But as usual, Garrick refuses to let them saying it will be too suspicious for our little village to have this much abundance so suddenly.¡±


    The woman sighed.


    Garin, on the other hand, had made his way close to the loaves of bread. He took a good long sniff, barely containing his giddy excitement, ¡°Ever considered becoming a baker?¡±


    ¡°After how much you¡¯ve recommended it, how could I not? Along with Healer, Adventurer, Farmer, Apothecary and interestingly enough, Miner¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay okay¡­ I hear you, O-talented one,¡± Garin chuckled.


    The door swung open as the two laughed together, admitting a wave of aether and a familiar air of warmth and love.


    The world itself seemed to grow excited in the presence of the new arrival. It was an effect only those who had lived with Alaric long enough had gotten used to even though this felt like an over-exaggeration even for him.


    Marla¡¯s laughter vanished, replaced with electrifying anticipation.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ she thought to herself, [ Thomper, why didn¡¯t you¡­ ]


    [ I thought it would be better as a surprise, ] the old tree guardian replied.


    And a surprise it was, not just because it was so unexpected to see Alaric walk in through the door¡­ but also because the boy that walked in was at least half a head taller and several times more handsome and refined, the air about him humming with unrestrained power.


    Alaric had evolved to a new Temper Rank.


    With a smile that lit up the world, Alaric said, ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±

 61. Impossible Achievement

    Alaric¡¯s arrival was one of those that just didn¡¯t need an announcement.


    This was proven when a burly man barged into the orphanage before Alaric and yelled out, ¡°Look who I found!¡±


    No one reacted to LionHeart¡¯s entrance. It felt as though the world had gone silent and time had stopped.


    The orphanage replied with a vacuum of silence as a wave of aether swept through the rooms, breathing the news of Alaric¡¯s arrival into every last orphan inside and outside it.


    It was an effect Alaric himself wasn¡¯t aware of. No one was about to tell him though.


    The words that did cut through the tense silence were from Alaric himself, these making it to the ears of everyone that had gone still, ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°Alaric¡¯s back,¡± a boy suddenly yelled, rushing out of the boy¡¯s dormitory like a speeding cart.


    His red hair was set ablaze in response to his emotions but no one seemed to care. The sight would have stunned Alaric if his happiness to see the boy wasn¡¯t stronger than his curiosity.


    Unconsciously bracing himself, Alaric opened his arms wide and caught the speeding boy in a big hug, ¡°Cody!!! How have you been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now that you¡¯re here,¡± Cody responded with a giggle.


    His words didn¡¯t go unnoticed but Alaric chose to ask the boy about this later. His trip to the orphanage alone had given him more to think about than he could currently handle. Alas, the news continued to flow into his mind.


    In the short moments of their reunion, Alaric noticed how more efficiently the boy¡¯s aether flowed through his body, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve grown more powerful since the last time I saw you.¡±


    Cody chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve been practising!¡± the boy flexed his non-existent biceps, ¡°But you¡¯ve grown taller.¡±


    ¡°Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed. Maybe you grew shorter,¡± Alaric grinned.


    Cody¡¯s quick arrival had allowed that many sentences into their short reunion before, ¡°Woah, Alaric¡¯s taller.¡±


    A mop of chestnut hair had popped out of the boy¡¯s dormitory. ¡°Hey, Ben,¡± Alaric smiled. Not a second after, two more children emerged, then Alaric stopped counting as they all loomed in for hugs.


    Slowly, the mountain of hugs grew bigger until Alaric had met everyone. Marla was the last to address the boy, still shocked by his sudden arrival.


    Aside from the reduced density of the aether in the air, there was no other sign that he would be waking up soon. So this was quite a surprise. Not to mention the fact that the boy had grown taller. These changes had looked fuzzy in the dim lighting of the Ritual Room but now, all of his features were clear to see.


    His eyes were sharper, his skin smoother and his features more defined. Still, despite these changes, nothing changed about his innocent expressions and tender personality. Alaric was still Alaric.


    For Alaric, it was only after he met the caretaker that he came to terms with the sudden change in his height. The caring woman was now at his eye level which, oddly enough, didn¡¯t bother him.


    The boy pulled the stunned woman into a hug, ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°As happy as I am that you are¡­ When?¡±


    ¡°An hour ago¡­ could be more,¡± Alaric responded with a shrug, ¡°The Five Hills look¡­¡±


    ¡°Like a Wild Aether Zone,¡± the woman completed with a knowing nod, ¡°It happened while you were asleep. How are you feeling?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Great! I¡¯m still a bit disoriented by all the changes but I¡¯m alright. Aether Crystals, everywhere,¡± Alaric mused. This was something that had failed to leave his mind since he woke up. From what little he knew of Aether Crystals, they were a valuable resource that was not only hard to get but also critical in the lives of many. Shaking these thoughts away, he asked, ¡°Need help setting up the table?¡±


    ¡°Oh, just take a seat. We¡¯ll be done soon,¡± Marla ushered the boy out of the kitchen and to the large hardwood dining table.


    Alaric, for the first time, noticed the polished wood of the pristine table. The table had been replaced. Cody, Ben and Jasper were setting up the table, laying brand-new table mats before every chair.


    The only problem was, that each table mat was alien to Alaric along with the chairs that surrounded the grand table. The floor was no longer covered in cracked stone and dirt. He berated himself for failing to notice the smooth retouch of marble that made the orphanage feel much more luxurious.


    He looked around and noticed the walls were devoid of the cracks and old hues of faded paint that he previously remembered.


    The dusty girders holding the renovated roof had vanished from sight as well, hidden from sight by a stylish ceiling adorned with beautiful green colours that gave the room a forest-like touch.


    Cody was seated next to him in a matter of minutes, ¡°Your clothes don¡¯t fit.¡±


    Alaric looked down and noticed his exposed ankles, ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess they were made for the former me.¡±


    Garin, who only heard this as he walked in with a tray of warm bread, replied, ¡°Gunther will take your measurements and have new ones made.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alaric returned, still looking around, ¡°Where are Finn and Darla?¡±


    ¡°They are at the Academy. They¡¯ve been quite busy. I heard Darla even joined a party of powerful Slayers at the Academy. They left when you didn¡¯t wake up in time,¡± Garin replied, ¡°Since you have an S-class guardian, the Academy made an exception and excused your tardiness. That said, be prepared to brush shoulders with a few high-strung nobles who aren¡¯t happy with the way the rules were bent for you.¡±


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t get more nobles asking to buy Alia, I think I¡¯ll be able to handle them,¡± Alaric responded with a chuckle that faded quickly, ¡°How long was I¡­ asleep?¡±


    Garin sighed, setting a plate of sliced bread on the table, ¡°You were out for six months. At first, it had to do with your Awakening Orb which was growing smaller too slowly for our liking¡­ but then, even after that, you remained unconscious for a long time.¡±


    Alaric nodded, ¡°That means Finn and Darla have been at the Academy for five months already.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have. You¡¯ll have a lot to catch up to¡­ but seeing as you¡¯ve already gone through a few stages of Body Tempering, you¡¯ll manage,¡± Garin explained.


    Alaric sighed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I worried all of you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Besides, we didn¡¯t really expect you to take a month to go through both the Absorption process and the Body Tempering. The Tower of Seekers had already prepared your case and presented it to the Academy when the time came,¡± Garin shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s reassuring,¡± the boy replied.


    By this time, the table was set and the delicious scent coming from the bread, potatoes and tea placed in front of Alaric drew a growl from his stomach.


    ¡°You can eat, Alaric,¡± Sister Marla laughed as she watched the boy staring at the food hungrily, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten anything in six months though, so eat slowly.¡±


    Restraining himself, Alaric bit into a hot potato, then swooned at the sweetness that exploded on his tastebuds.


    ¡®This tastes a lot better than water,¡¯ Alaric swooned.


    Moments after he¡¯d started eating, Garin picked a potato as well, then took a bite only to stop halfway and rush to the kitchen in search of cold water¡­


    LionHeart, who was staring at the basket of potatoes, had made a similar observation. Alaric stared at the potato in his hand. It was indeed hot. Smoking even¡­ but for some reason, the heat didn¡¯t burn him as much as he thought it would.


    Out of hunger, he¡¯d forgotten about the temperature of the food and bitten into it. The odd part about this was that he could tell he shouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand this kind of heat.


    [Alia, what rank of Body Tempering did I achieve?] Alaric asked.


    [You managed to break through the ten levels of Glass Rank and rise to the second level of Wood] the guardian replied.


    The boy went pale, [ Wood Rank! I skipped the whole Glass Rank!!!]


    This was the second of seven ranks in Body Tempering. The achievement was so great in fact that Alaric found himself doubting his guardian¡¯s words.


    ¡°Garin,¡± he called out to the man who was only just returning, ¡°What Temper Rank are you?¡±


    ¡°Wood Rank Level Four. I¡¯ve been stuck there for a while. Can¡¯t seem to find the time to properly Temper my body,¡± the man responded with a smile, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Damn! Alaric¡¯s at Wood Rank, Level Two,¡± LionHeart piped up, his face beaming.


    ¡°What?¡± Garin and Darla both snapped at the man in disbelief. The children, however, were not so quick on the uptake. All they understood was that their big brother Alaric had achieved the impossible yet again.


    Of course, Alaric was sure there had to be an explanation for all this. What he didn¡¯t like about it was that there was a high chance he wouldn¡¯t be getting it the easy way.

 62. Unpleasant Visitor

    Silence filled the room with only a bit of murmuring from the children. Learning of Alaric¡¯s Temper Rank had shaken the adults, ¡°That¡¯s not possible, LionHeart,¡± Garin broke the silence of the adults.


    ¡°See for yourself,¡± the large man shrugged, turning part of his attention to his food.


    Uncomfortable under the gazes of the Tower Knights, Alaric tried to pay more attention to his food. He placed the potato on a plate and went about filling it with food¡­


    [ My appetite¡¯s ruined. ] he sighed.


    [ Just suck it up. You¡¯ve not eaten in a long time so your mood doesn¡¯t matter today ] Alia retorted.


    [ I hear you ] the boy replied. Despite the absence of his excitement for the food, Alaric was quite hungry. Looking up at Garin, he caught the man squinting at him silently.


    Before he could ask, a nearly imperceptible wave of aether blew past his body and then Garin¡¯s expression grew pale and defeated, ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    ¡°What did you just do?¡± Alaric asked.


    ¡°Appraisal. It¡¯s a harmless technique,¡± LionHeart stated, ¡°Still, this explains everything. The staggering change in appearance, his height, the aether surrounding your Temper Ritual.¡±


    ¡°Boys, how about we talk about this after breakfast?¡± Sister Marla butted in, ¡°Alaric, you¡¯ll have all the time you need to get to know about Temper Ranks later. For now, however, eat your food and try not to overdo it.¡±


    Alaric nodded, ¡°Yes, Sister Marla.¡±


    With that, the discussion had come to an end. While it had indeed come to an end if only temporarily, it didn¡¯t stop Alaric from thinking about it. He¡¯d been a bit disoriented after waking up from the Tempering Ritual that he hadn¡¯t noticed the numerous changes to his body.


    And while he was still disoriented, he was stable enough now to think and experiment. Now, he noticed the ground was a lot further than it used to be. His joints were a lot smoother¡­ which was an odd sensation considering he¡¯d never thought there was anything wrong with them.


    Now that he¡¯d risen in Temper Rank, he could feel as though each movement he made was several times easier and his body was lighter. Not only that but he was a lot more sensitive to aether now. His vision, sight and hearing had grown much sharper while at the same time, his mind had grown to accommodate the added information coming from his senses.


    It was one thing to have all these upgrades but another to know how to use them. Without even realising it, Alaric had already started experimenting with his newfound capabilities. He tried to find out just how much information he could capture separately.


    As stories flew about the breakfast table, catching Alaric up on the different things that had been happening around the Five Hills and the orphanage, Alaric paid attention to smaller details like whoever was being left out, the quiet conversation the adults were having as well as the faint sounds of the bustling town in the valley.


    As a part of him marvelled at these newfound capabilities, another part of him focused on engaging the table in conversation so no one would notice he was absentminded.


    As it turned out, in the six months during which had been asleep, the Five Hills had changed faster than they ever had in his whole life.


    Ben and Nina had finally got proper books on alchemy and were even allowed a few harmless ingredients to experiment with, as well as a small aether crystal to replace their lack of an aether source. As children with no connection to aether through, they were limited in what aether they could achieve.


    In any case, they seemed to be having more fun with what they were learning even without a connection to aether. This one time, Nina had been caught trying to sneak an unorthodox ingredient into the potions meant for Alaric¡¯s Tempering Ritual. An ingredient that was, in her opinion, supposed to make someone(Alaric) more manly, like LionHeart.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    This bit of information was both good to hear and a little¡­ frightening. In the end, all that mattered was that Alaric was safe now.


    Lia, a quiet shy girl had got excited to the point of bringing a large drawing book to the table, filled with many pictures she was drawing.


    Alaric¡¯s smile was wiped clean off after turning a few pages. The formerly childish doodles had transformed into more professional-looking pictures. She was still having trouble with faces but that didn¡¯t matter when the artist in question was still over four years away from turning fifteen.


    Max, Jasper and Cody had finally gotten themselves real practice swords and were steadily getting better under Cody¡¯s instruction, sometimes with a little intervention from Garin and LionHeart¡­ at least that¡¯s what they told Alaric. He would have to see for himself to know if they really did improve. Then again, that would be tricky to ascertain seeing as he wasn¡¯t sure of his capabilities himself.


    The stories went on even after breakfast, only ending when Marla stepped in and shooed the kids away from the table so she could tidy up.


    Alaric chuckled as he saw the children rushing away. As he approached the table, however, the woman slapped it away, ¡°You go with LionHeart and you train hard. Now that you¡¯ve woken up, I¡¯m sure the Tower will send a letter soon.¡±


    The boy nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll get on it then.¡±


    Before he could leave, she called back, ¡°Alaric¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sister Marla?¡±


    ¡°Take it easy for the first few days. Tempering Rituals can be disorienting. You¡¯ll have to adjust to your new strength and find your new limits. Pace yourself,¡± the woman replied.


    Alaric returned her advice with a warm smile, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Marla facepalmed.


    Outside, LionHeart was stretching in normal clothes, ¡°You¡¯re ready, rookie?¡±


    ¡°I am in your care, LionHeart,¡± Alaric responded, then stood beside the man and started mimicking his stretches.


    LionHeart chuckled lightly as he watched the boy mimic him. It was comical to see the boy¡¯s eyes widen when he easily stretched into odd postures that shouldn¡¯t have been possible for him.


    Shortly after starting the mimicking game, Alaric was seated on the ground in contemplation, ¡°This is bad.¡±


    ¡°Meh! You¡¯ll get used to it. It will be harder for you though. Normally people go up one level at a time. You rushed past twelve of them, not to mention one of them was the barrier between the Glass Rank and Wood Rank. You¡¯re probably not even sure how your legs work anymore,¡± the man observed.


    LionHeart was right¡­ but there was at least one thing Alaric could say for certain. He was stronger. Alaric felt the strength that now coursed through his body. Explosive strength waiting to be unleashed.


    [ Was this how powerful Darth was? ] he wondered.


    [ Darth was stronger. He was Stone Rank, which is still a whole rank above you. The only reason you could follow his movements was the omnipotence of Thomper¡¯s power and the Dance of the Sword you had been practising ] the guardian explained.


    Slowly, the reality of their situation back then was starting to set in. Alaric could have gone on with his observations if it wasn¡¯t for his ears picking up on the sound of a carriage and the hum of aether.


    The boy turned to the edge of the hill and watched as a luxurious creation of mahogany, engineering and magic rolled up the road and parked before the orphanage. Alaric skipped the fine details of the masterful craftsmanship and stared right at the door as it swung open.


    He watched in anticipation as a man dressed in fine silk stepped out of the carriage. He had gem-like ornaments decorating his outfit, making him appear to come from a high-bred noble family¡­ and yet, Alaric recognized him.


    ¡°Chief Garrick?¡± he exclaimed before he could stop himself.


    The opulently-dressed man approaching the establishment flinched at the sudden mention of his name. His eyes scanned the boy sitting in the dirt, failing to spark with recognition.


    What he did notice, however, was that the boy¡¯s outfit was white and adorned with the sigil of the Tower of Seekers. Still, his clothes didn¡¯t seem to fit him right which only made him wonder why he was dressed in such clothes, to begin with. Then there was the matter of his handsome face that he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on.


    It wasn¡¯t strange to find a good-looking man in an orphanage. Many rich families hid their children in orphanages and obscured their identities¡­ but taking them to the Five Hills would be overkill. The village was just too remote. Not to mention this boy was sitting in the dirt.


    What sort of desperate noble would think to place their child in such a rundown¡­ No, the orphanage had been doing well ever since the Appraisal Ceremony. Did this strange boy have something to do with it? Had he come along with the slayers that guarded the place now?


    So many secrets¡­


    ¡°Yes, that is I. I guess my reputation precedes me,¡± the gaunt man responded with effortless flair.


    Alaric furrowed his brows, ¡®Reputation? Isn¡¯t he the one that taxed the orphanage into its former rundown state¡­ and when did Garrick get an expensive carriage?¡¯


    Alaric responded with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡­ but you look well.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here, Garrick? Marla already gave you this week¡¯s tax. I delivered it myself,¡± LionHeart growled.


    ¡°Straight to the point. That¡¯s what I like about you slayers. Marla has been ignoring my letters for the past few weeks, so I came here personally to deliver an ultimatum. Either the boy be moved or the orphanage¡¯s tax is tripled,¡± the man¡¯s voice echoed.


    Alaric¡¯s heart thundered in his chest, ¡°Ultimatum?¡±


    As always, the air around him got a few degrees colder and the sun disappeared, covered by a cloud that hadn¡¯t been there earlier. Alaric¡¯s mood dropped, ¡°Is Sister Marla in trouble?¡±

 63. Garricks Punishment

    Alaric¡¯s heart beat faster in his chest. The situation was a lot worse than he could have imagined it. As the orphanage¡¯s condition had soared, so too had the condition of the Five Hills.


    It was expected that a village blessed with this much aether and aether crystals would start to flourish. And while all that was a good thing, Alaric hadn¡¯t thought for a moment that it would have some negative impacts as well.


    As it so happened, one of these negative impacts was Chief Garrick. He¡¯d been greedy before but the repulsive being before Alaric now was the personification of Greed. He was now Greed Incarnate, complete with the rotund belly to prove it. Not even the silk tunics wreathed in enchantments could hide how fat he was getting with all the taxes he now had access to.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Sister?!¡± the village chief¡¯s shocked expression lasted only a few moments before it morphed into relief and then snide laughter, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this brat is who you brought to fill in for Alaric. You slayers must be as dumb as your swords. He doesn¡¯t even look like the boy. I must admit, you almost got me with the voice¡­ and you know, the way the air gets colder when he gets mad. How did you do it?¡±


    Before Alaric could respond, however, Sister Marla burst out of the orphanage and came rushing to them, her expression unreadable. It almost looked like she was angry and shaken at the same time. Still, Alaric couldn¡¯t tell to whom the anger was being directed.


    She walked up to them and wedged herself between Alaric and the village chief, ¡°Garrick, leave now.¡±


    Alaric¡¯s mind was quick on the uptake but his emotions gathered like a storm, bidding their time. He could hear Sister Marla¡¯s rushed heartbeat.


    ¡®Fear,¡¯ he confirmed.


    He knew Sister Marla was trying to avoid a scene. The problem was, how could she avoid one? Not a single fibre in Alaric¡¯s being was willing to turn a blind eye to the obvious evil that was right in front of him and for quite several reasons.


    For starters, Alaric knew of the situation with the Village Chief. His senses had gotten stronger after Alia¡¯s awakening and during that time, Alaric had overheard a few troubling conversations¡­ by accident, of course.


    Not only that but after tapping into Thomper¡¯s power, he¡¯d spread vines throughout the village as part of his plan to improve the safety of the village by subconsciously watching out for trouble. The side effects of this involved learning a few things he shouldn¡¯t have.


    Alaric had come to learn some terrible truths about this remote town, especially in regard to the Village Chief.


    Chief Garrick was in the habit of hassling money out of everyone in town in the name of tax, especially those with establishments that would, under normal circumstances, be making a decent amount of money.


    Orphanages, especially private ones that weren¡¯t aided by the Empire, were known to be funded by rich individuals who wanted the best treatment for their anonymous children. It was because of the nature of these orphanages that the man suspected money to be flowing into Marla¡¯s orphanage.


    Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case for this orphanage at all. Yes, it sat on a sizeable piece of land on one of the hills in the Five Hills but that was just about it. Up until six months ago, its structural integrity itself was questionable in terms of children¡¯s safety¡­ and yet, even then, the Village chief had taxed the orphanage heavily.


    This was the dark truth behind why Old Thomper had to go down to the farmers and use his power to help increase their crop yield at least once every three days.


    At first, this had been a favour that Marla would offer once a month¡­ but as the taxes drained her pockets, she monetized Thomper¡¯s services and offered them more frequently all to survive the Village Chief¡¯s gauntlet.


    ¡°Ah! Marla, you¡¯re looking fairer than ever. About my proposal¡­ I¡¯m sure you heard it from Garin. I¡¯m not sure if Garin¡¯s been slacking but I haven¡¯t been getting any replies,¡± Garrick spoke.


    ¡°I said, ¡®Leave now.¡¯ We can talk about this another time,¡± Marla hissed again.


    Alaric couldn¡¯t tell why she was trying to drive him away so much. This was the Village Chief after all. He could go wherever he wanted unrestricted simply because that was his power as the Village Chief.


    [ Why is he asking for more taxes? ] Alaric wondered.


    [ That should be obvious, Alaric. Greed. ] Alia responded in a dark tone. Through their bond, Alaric could sense her anger as well, [ Look at his face, Alaric. Do you see a hint of remorse? ]


    [ You don¡¯t have to spell out his audacity. It¡¯s all too clear to see. What can I do about it though? ] Alaric replied.


    [ You¡¯re at the Wood Rank and have the power to command guardians¡­ and you still think yourself powerless. I overestimated you. Seriously, what was all that training for if you won¡¯t protect those closest to you? ] the guardian continued.


    Alaric¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Was it really fair for him to use his powers this way? Alia was his guardian though. Would she advise him to do something wrong? Besides, wasn¡¯t it the Village Chief in the wrong here? He¡¯d come with the intention of tripling Sister Marla¡¯s taxes.


    [ Those taxes are coming out of the money you gave to the orphanage. He¡¯s probably going to buy himself a new carriage at this point¡­ or build a mansion as he searches for more ways to drain the village of all its earnings. ]


    The wind stopped howling and the world went deathly quiet, ¡°Why is he asking for more taxes?¡±


    Everyone went quiet at the boy¡¯s voice. The air seemed to hum quietly with a tense pressure that made everyone hold their breaths.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Garrick chuckled, ¡°Ha! The brat puts on a good act. I commend your efforts,¡± Garrick chuckled, ¡°Beat it, kid. The grownups are talking.¡±


    Alaric stood up from his place on the ground and dusted himself off, the aether in his body rumbling with barely restrained anger. It was rare for him to feel this much of it boiling inside of him. He wanted to let his magic fly loose but he also knew that wouldn¡¯t do him any good.


    ¡°He really doesn¡¯t recognize me¡­ Has my face changed that much, Sister Marla?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± Sister Marla responded with a nervous smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    Alaric nodded, ¡°Summon your guardian, Garrick.¡±


    Alaric walked out so he was in full view of the man who called himself the Village Chief. The air around the man rippled and a two-legged reptilian creature the height of a human stepped out. Its spine was lined with needle-like fins while its skin gleamed with shimmering stone-like scales. A long maw filled with razor-sharp teeth dripped with dark venom.


    Menacing as the beast looked, it bowed its head the instant it was out of the spatial rift and in front of Alaric¡­ just like it had plenty of times before. Only this time, Alaric was not in a good mood.


    The beast¡¯s master, Garrick, went pale as a sheet no doubt after hearing the confirmation from his guardian that he was indeed staring at Alaric himself.


    ¡°Al¡­ Alaric, wow. You¡¯re back! I didn¡¯t realise it was you,¡± the man stuttered.


    ¡°I noticed,¡± Alaric responded¡­ ¡°I also couldn¡¯t help but notice you were threatening Sister Marla.¡±


    ¡°Threatening? Oh dear, no¡­ I think you misheard. Fortunately, there is no issue here since you¡¯re now awake and all. I collected my tax and¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± Alaric asked, ¡°You look tired. Or maybe¡­¡± Alaric turned to the man¡¯s guardian, ¡°Someone just told you to get away from me.¡±


    It was a smart choice to run away. Under normal circumstances, Alaric would have simply let this go and let the man rush off but today, there was one difference. He would be leaving for the Tower of Seekers and Elite Guardian Academy soon. There was no better time to settle this man¡¯s bad habits than today.


    Garrick¡¯s expression of fear morphed as he furrowed his brows in anger, ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve. Seems like the Tempering Ritual gave you a big head.¡±


    Alaric kept his eyes on the man¡¯s guardian. The menacing beast¡¯s head was still bowed, [ Please¡­ F-Forgive him, Lord Alaric. ]


    [ I would like to but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll stop picking on my family. How can you let him be this cruel? ] Alaric¡¯s voice bellowed into the guardian¡¯s mind, [ Aren¡¯t guardians meant to guide humans to become the best versions of themselves? Why have you neglected your duty? ]


    The creature took a step back, keeping its head to the ground. Garrick didn¡¯t miss the touch of fear that rolled off his guardian, ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually afraid of this boy?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Garrick. You¡¯ll only make it worse,¡± LionHeart snapped at the man.


    ¡°Make what worse? I¡¯m the Chief of this Town. I can kick you and this whole orphanage out if I so wish it,¡± the man bellowed.


    Alaric approached the reptilian guardian and stood before it. The guardian looked ready to vanish into the ground, never to be seen again. This situation reminded him a lot of the situation with Aslan, LionHeart¡¯s guardian. That guardian, however, had been far more prideful and elegant compared to this one.


    Before he could understand what had happened, Alaric felt a connection with the guardian in front of him. A part of him wondered how this was possible without him touching the guardian but then he focused more on the creature.


    The raptor was scared¡­ and timid, despite being gifted with strength, teeth and venom. Garrick¡¯s guardian knew of the dire consequences of invoking Alaric¡¯s rage, from something as simple as a punishment to something as permanently damaging as severing their bond, just like he had with Darth and Saber.


    The guardian¡¯s fear and knowledge of its own shortcomings were somewhat enough to keep Alaric from lashing out. In the end, Alaric was not well-versed in the art of punishment. He knew it was required at a time like this but did not know how to administer it.


    He sighed, ¡°You¡¯re his other half. You¡¯re responsible for teaching him what he should and should not do. So, what do you reckon I do for him?¡±


    The raptor looked up at the boy, then at its master. A kind resigned voice rumbled through the air, ¡°He has angered you, my Lord. Any punishment you see fit would be fine with me.¡±


    Garrick¡¯s face went white as a sheet, ¡°You¡­ can talk?¡±


    LionHeart scrunched his face in disbelief, ¡°What?! You¡¯ve never heard your guardian speak before? Not even in your head?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve heard him talk in my head,¡± Garrick yelled, ¡°But not like this.¡±


    ¡°I tried to get you to leave,¡± Marla sighed, her expression becoming indifferent to what was happening, ¡°This is out of my hands now.¡±


    Alaric wasn¡¯t listening to their conversation though. He didn¡¯t know about punishment so he didn¡¯t know what lengths he was allowed to go to without overdoing it. He didn¡¯t know the limits of his power over the guardian and frankly, he wasn¡¯t one to condemn someone to harsh punishment.


    Unlike Aslan, this raptor wasn¡¯t even offering to have the man enslaved or thrashed a hundred times. This guardian was asking for mercy. ¡®I guess not all guardians are the same either.¡¯


    ¡°You are his guardian¡­ so guide him. In three days, he must present a full progress plan to the village, a full breakdown of the taxes as well as a full account of what those taxes will be used for. The Village must accept these terms and only when they¡¯ve accepted them should he be allowed to proceed.


    He can decide on how much he¡¯d want the taxes to pay for his needs. Should he reject this course of action, then you¡¯ll have him step down from the position of Village Chief.¡±


    As Alaric spoke, the Village Chief grew paler with shock.


    Pulling up all the papers and details concerning tax collection was a tall order considering how much of that tax never made it to the Village Treasury. There was almost no way to accomplish all this without coming clean with where taxes had been going.


    However, not going through with it also meant he had to step down and lose access to all those taxes completely. This was madness. The world didn¡¯t operate on such black-and-white principles.


    There was hope though, or at least that¡¯s what Garrick thought. There was always a chance his guardian rejected these terms. Which guardian, in their right mind, could accept to watch their master treated like some third-rate slave? It simply wasn¡¯t possible.


    But then, his guardian replied with a bow, ¡°Very well, Lord Alaric.¡±


    Garrick stared at his guardian with a look of utter disbelief, ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re bowing to? I¡¯m your master!¡±


    A feral growl from the velociraptor stopped him in his tracks. The beast turned to him and stalked closer to him, ¡°You''re my guardian¡­ Not¡­¡±


    The world turned colder, the happiness draining from everything close by as the Village Chief¡¯s guardian grew even angrier with his master¡¯s conduct. Alaric could hear the words between their communication, [ Shut your mouth¡­ before we get an even bigger punishment. Trust me. He¡¯s doing us a favour. ]


    Garrick stared at the boy who had just commanded his guardian to punish him with a complicated expression. Then he saw the clenched fist Alaric was trying to conceal.


    Alaric¡¯s emotions were the easiest to read. The tense still air along with the absence of the sun were proof of them. And that only meant he was, for whatever reason, holding himself back. An idea sprung up in his head, [ He doesn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Marla. He¡¯s bluffing. ]


    Before the man could say a word, the velociraptor dashed to his side bit down on his collar, then threw him at Alaric¡¯s feet, [ I asked him to punish you and he held back¡­ and you have the audacity to think of blackmail. ]


    Alaric sighed, ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d accept the punishment. I¡¯ve known you for a long time and so has everyone in the village. I would hate for something bad to happen to someone I know. I know you take money from the Apothecary, the farmers, the market vendors, the travelling merchants¡­ I¡¯ve seen the way you treat them. This is your chance to make it right with everyone. Listen to your guardian and all will be well. You have three days.¡±

 63. Generation of the Black Sun

    Not noticing what was happening around him, the children of the orphanage had gathered at the door and sides of the orphanage, all in time to see Garrick get dragged away unceremoniously by his reptilian guardian who looked to be on the verge of biting his head off.


    [ What if he disobeys his guardian? ] Alaric wondered.


    [ Then we¡¯ll expose him. Just like Marla keeps her problems with him to herself, many others do the same in fear of what he might do. He¡¯s oppressed many to get where he is today. It¡¯s not hard to send everything he¡¯s built tumbling, ] Alia replied with a satisfied humph.


    Alaric was only partly okay with all this. One last detail didn¡¯t sit right with him, [ What about him? ]


    Was it worth it to foil an evil man in a way that made Alaric no better than he was? Justice had always been a difficult concept for Alaric to envision even with all the lessons Alia had given him. Taking revenge was an idea that left a bitter taste in his mouth.


    [ Hahaha! ] Alia suddenly laughed, [ Nothing about this is revenge. Revenge would involve emptying his coffers of all the money he¡¯s taken from the Five Hills, then sending him to toil in the fields for years until every last nickel of his treachery has been paid off, at which point he¡¯d be exiled from this village with his guardian making sure he stays as far away as possible and yet even then, such revenge would be merciful. But that¡¯s not what we¡¯ll do. ]


    Alaric swallowed, [ Alia, you can be frightening sometimes. ]


    [ Meh! I try ] as their conversation drew to a close, Alaric¡¯s mood began to improve and the world returned to normal. The clouds cleared and the wind continued to blow, almost as if life was returning to the world.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting punishment you gave him. I doubt he¡¯ll go through with it,¡± LionHeart spoke as the tension dissipated.


    Having been on the receiving end of Alaric¡¯s bizarre authority, he was aware of the punishments Guardians demanded of masters that went against Alaric. It was six months since his punishment had been issued and thinking back on it now, he couldn¡¯t consider it one. It benefited Alaric with whom he had no quarrels, so it was all good.


    However, unlike Garin and Gunther, he wasn¡¯t able to leave the Five Hills and stayed here for the whole duration of Alaric¡¯s Tempering Ritual. Then again, it was only because he¡¯d accepted his punishment that he wasn¡¯t hurt by its restrictions.


    ¡°If he values the bond he has with his guardian, he¡¯ll do it,¡± Alaric replied, ¡°And besides, his guardian is a smart one. There are many ways he can carry out that task without ruining his reputation. Can we go now?¡±


    ¡°Right. This way,¡± the pair walked off, leaving for the Forest Hill. Only this time, they wouldn¡¯t be activating the Protection Spell surrounding them. Without it, there was no chance of ever finding the Ritual Room but that was okay. It had served its purpose.


    As Alaric and LionHeart left the orphanage and vanished down the hill, Sister Marla let out a breath she didn¡¯t know she¡¯d been holding¡­ ¡°Sir LionHeart had told me¡­ about¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s frightening to watch in person,¡± Garin replied with a light chuckle, ¡°Now that he¡¯s Wood Level, there is no doubt about it. He¡¯s stronger. I¡¯m glad he held back his anger.¡±


    ¡°Did you¡­ find out why Alaric can do that? Command Guardians, I mean,¡± Sister Marla asked, still shaken by what she¡¯d just witnessed. Thomper had told of similar oddities surrounding the boy but nothing nearly so frightening. To be able to command a guardian other than one¡¯s own was unprecedented.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Yes, I looked into it. There isn¡¯t much information on such a power¡­ except for an old legend of Kings and Pillars. I asked only those Seekers I could trust and even they didn¡¯t have the full details. It¡¯s a myth so old that its records are not revised anymore,¡± Garin explained, ¡°The only Seekers that have heard of it are the ones that enjoy speculating on the variety of Inborn Abilities the world has to offer.¡±


    Sister Marla was interested in hearing about this even more. Seeing her expression, Garin continued, ¡°Then again, he could have just been born on a very special day. You know what they¡¯re calling the Aspirants this year, the Generation of the Black Sun, born within the year when the Day of the Black Sun occurred, fifteen years ago. You do know his birth date, do you not?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s classified information. No orphanage gives out the birth dates of their orphans. You of all people should know that,¡± Marla hissed quietly.


    ¡°Yes, I know. I know¡­ and I wasn¡¯t asking to try and get that information out of you,¡± Garin raised his hands.


    Sister Marla took a deep breath, then turned back to the orphanage, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He¡¯s just got me worked up. Not to mention, I don¡¯t know when he was born.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Garin was by her side in an instant.


    ¡°You heard me. Out of all the orphans here, he¡¯s the one whose origin isn¡¯t known. Fifteen years ago, I found him on my doorstep with a sheet of paper written in the old tongue¡­ It spelt his name,¡± Marla replied.


    ¡°How old was the baby and during which month did they turn up?¡± Garin tried.


    ¡°It was during the Month of the Willow and he looked much older than a month so I wouldn¡¯t know when he was born exactly,¡± the woman replied.


    ¡°Did you ever think perhaps that he could have been born on the Day of the Black Sun?¡± Garin tried.


    Marla chuckled humourlessly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would be happy to find out he was born on such a terrible day. It would certainly explain everything¡­ but it would be far more dangerous and¡­ sad. From what I know, every child born on that day died. That tragedy is why people don¡¯t hunt power through the Constellation births anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± the man sighed.


    For now, Alaric¡¯s astonishing powers would remain a mystery to everyone who knew him. An orphan with no family, origin or knowledge of birth. The first S-class guardian in fifteen years as well. It was only natural that everyone would be asking questions.


    ¡°It took us two months to finally shake off the self-serving nobles who wanted something to do with Alaric. I¡¯d hate to add rumours of a child born on that day to the pool of reasons they want him so badly,¡± Garin sighed.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Deep within the woods was a familiar barren field, the ground battered from the heavy footfalls of training slayers and battling guardians. In the shade of a tree was a stall equipped with water, towels and a rack with a few training weapons for those who needed them. The trees here were surprisingly thick as though obscuring the activity that would happen here.


    Alaric and his friends had come here plenty of times to train. When there was no one using the Training Grounds, they had Alia train them and when there were other people, they would train themselves in the Dance of the Sword.


    Today, there seemed to be a few people training. A group of four men were sparring in the heat of the sun, their shirts off and sweat glistening off their muscular bodies brimming with vitality.


    These were also the only members of the Village Watch. They had fairly decent guardians and were paid by the Village Chief to carry out their tasks. For a remote village like the Five Hills, they were sufficient protection.


    ¡®Four? Shouldn¡¯t they be three?¡¯ he wondered¡­ then his eyes opened wide in shock when he recognized the extra person.


    Alaric knew the men here well¡­ but what surprised him was the presence of a newer face among the four men. This man wasn¡¯t like the other three. His body was a bit smaller but his movements were far more refined.


    The white armour neatly stashed at the edge of the clearing affirmed his identity. His long black hair was tied back in a ponytail swishing every time he dodged an attack from his opponents.


    Together, the four men blurred, three attacking one in coordinated efforts to bring him down. Alas, Gunther was a lot swifter than the average human.


    The talented archer darted between the men, weaving between their strikes with immaculate skill all while commenting on their weak spots at the same time. When Alaric and LionHeart arrived, he was on the defensive¡­ or at least that¡¯s what the battle appeared to be. In truth, Alaric could see all too well that he was holding back against the warriors.


    ¡°Sharpen your senses. Anticipate your opponent¡¯s movements. Don¡¯t assume your opponent won¡¯t be able to dodge. That¡¯s what leaves you open. If I was being serious, then you¡¯ve all died three times already,¡± Gunther¡¯s voice roared through the clearing.


    Alaric watched, entranced by the graceful dance of the man¡¯s movements, ¡°He¡¯s good.¡±


    LionHeart¡¯s eyes widened. He looked between Alaric and Gunther really fast, then scoffed, ¡°Pfft! Gunther¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°You are better, right?¡± Alaric turned to him.


    The burly knight cracked his neck a few times, ¡°P-probably.¡±