Sorry for for the long wait. been sort of busy these past few days.
Hopefully I'll be able to shell out more chapters soon.
Enjoy a small ti skip.
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“Good afternoon everyone.” A weary Kaidus spoke to the group as he sat down.
“Are you okay?” a female student asked him.
“Yea I’m fine. I just didn’t think the council would still be having this much issues to deal with after a whole term.” Kaidus replied, almost as tired as he looked.
“Is the council still dealing with the Zeyvir problem?” a male student asked.
“No. We were able to get that sorted out last week before the ryes. This ti is sothing else.”
It was now Palx—the last turn of the year, and the end of the school term. The next turn Hiso, would be the Rjus—a long break. Kaidus’s Birthday had co and gone, and he was now 8.
Currently, their 2nd class had just ended and the usual party had gathered for lunch. The group consisted of: Mirat Klivus, Jorva Zeille, Prim Lithius, Lisin Rhonorus, and Kaidus.
It has almost been a whole term since the day Prim and Lisin first joined him—to formally apologize to him. After that, they had joined him for lunch whenever they could. Jorva also ca and apologize to him, joining them. After seeing the four of them, Mirat also joined in.
While an awkward amalgamation at first: a commoner, a low Noble, a prestigious princess of the Lithius family, and two high nobles. The group eventually got past their differences, and were finally starting to speak casually to one another as respectable colleagues.
Eating together had been sothing that Prim and Lisin were doing to alleviate their guilt while getting to know Kaidus better, but with the addition of Jorva and Mirat, lunch beca sothing of a get-together. As Jorva and Lisin got to know Kaidus, their fear receded, and both started joining in on the conversations—making small talks of their own. The incident between them, all but forgotten.
“So what happened?” Mirat followed up on his earlier question.
“Another scuffle between students last night. I spent all of 2nd class helping with the questions and recording everything down. This is the third day in a row.” Kaidus answered as he ate.
“Ugh… sounds rough…” Mirat replied sympathetically.
“I heard the last student in interdiate summoning class has managed to contract with a spirit. It seems, co the new term, all of them will be moving up to advanced summoning.” Prim spoke, not wanting to intrude onto council business.
“Oh, too. There’s only a few of them this term right? Maybe we should sign up next term, and see if we can get ourselves a spirit.” Lisin suggested.
“You must be offered the class during enrollnt Lisin. The masters are the ones who decides which classes you could sign up for.” Prim inford.
“Ah right… that’s too bad...”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to get into summoning class soon Lisin. You just have to keep going like how we’ve been ever since our first year.” Prim reassured her friend.
“Yea.”
“OH! I just rembered sothing I heard from my father over the ryes. Any of you heard about the conflict in Malpaars?” Jorva interjected.
“The war?” Lisin asked.
“A little. My older brother told about it.”
“No, can’t say I have.” Kaidus answered.
“ neither.” Mirat added.
“From what my father says, it seems bandits had incited a…” Jorva spoke as everyone else ate while listening to him.
“What is everyone’s plan for the Rjus?” Mirat asked the group after they finished their talk about the war.
“I’m staying here to practice my magic with so other students who are also staying.” Jorva swiftly answered.
“My father says he has a trip planned for my siblings and , but I still don’t know how long the trip will take. I don’t want to miss the start of the next term.” Prim answered.
“Lisin? Kaidus?” Mirat questioned.
“I’m not sure. Maybe go back ho and spend the Rjus with my family.” Kaidus answered.
“ too.” Lisin added.
“And you Mirat?” Jorva asked.
“Heheh… I will be traveling around and going through Ferrent’s nearby villages and towns with my father. Getting a feel for the land, and acquainted with the people.” Mirat smiled happily as he spoke.
Lunch went by like usual. Random tidbits of information here and there, friendly banters, inquiring about classes, and helping each other with aspects relating to their class.
As lunch ca to an end, the group dispersed and Kaidus left for the council room.
“Where’s Philnor?” he asked as he entered.
“Not here yet.” Julesi answered as she was wrote sothing down.
Kaidus went over to where Willex the 3rd chair is, and started helping to sort through the council records by date—for the end of the term.
The Council had not been what he expected. Thinking back, he had been naïve.
The mundane tasks he was shown that first day was but a fraction of the jobs in the council. He planned to use any free-study ti to peruse the library, but there was always sothing to do.
Student’s accidently hurting bystanders with magic, breaking things, blowing up objects, flooding rooms, fighting with other schools, misconducts unfit for those of the academy, along with various other troubleso causes. The egos of nobles are a truly frightening thing, and is more so, for nobles with great power.
With the day over, Kaidus was in his room looking through the notes he wrote down earlier in the library.
His quest for clues was still an ongoing one. As he had hoped, there were clues regarding large winged creatures in the thousands of records of eye witness accounts and stories. Having ticulously looked through more than half of them, he was able to find so information.
‘If I can just find one of these… if they are as old as the stories claim, maybe… just maybe, I can get so answers.’ He thought to himself as he looked through the countless pages of notes he recorded, putting together where these unknown creatures were spotted.
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As the term ca to an end, Kaidus was leaving for ho. Most of his belongings had already been sent ahead of ti, and it was now just him and a small sack with his notes.
Having said his good byes to the masters, and their little group earlier at lunch, it was ti to leave the academy.
As this would be the last ti he see Zeeke for a while, he decided to bid the Gate seer goodbye.
As he approached, the feline looking spirit ca up to greet him.
“Grrrarar!” it sounded happy.
“Hello Zeeke.”
“Garaaaa”
“I’ll be going ho for a while, so I’m here to say goodbye for now. I’ll be back next term.”
“Ra?” Zeeke replied, sniffing about Kaidus and his luggage.
“Here you go.” Kaidus pulled out a small piece of derilt root from his pocket and gave it to Zeeke.
“Rrraarararaa!” it was elated. Quickly snatching the derilt root and swiftly disappearing into its shack before coming out again.
“RAAAR!!” it roared happily, moving in to nuzzle Kaidus’s leg.
“I’ll bring you sothing fresh when I co back.” as he bent down to stroke the small cat’s grassy fur.
The nature spirit had been indifferent to him at first. Try as he might, he was getting nowhere close to befriending it. It wasn’t until he ca back to the academy, and was eating Adalina's packed lunch by on one of the benches nearby, that Zeeke ca to him. It was because of the laraze slices in the lunch that had attracted the feline.
Ever since then, he’s been giving it all sorts of vegetables. It turns out, Zeeke will only take uncooked raw vegetables. He has no idea what Zeeke does with them, but it was sowhat bringing them closer together.
After saying his goodbye, Kaidus left the academy.
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“KAIDUSH!! Anise tackled him as he ca ho.
“Welco back honey.” Adalina also gave him a hug.
“I’m ho.” Kaidus gave them a big smile.
“I’ve put the luggage you sent earlier in your room.”
“Thanks mom.”
“Diner is ready, but your father is not ho yet, would you like a snack while we wait?”
“No it’s okay, I had a snack on my way ho. We can wait for dad.” He answered as they made their way to the living room.
“Kaidush? Are you shtaying thish ti?” Anise asked, her face pleading him to stay.
“I’m staying for a long ti.” Kaidus answered back with a grin.
“YESH!” Anise exclaid happily as she hugged him. Adalina watched with a warm smile on her face.
“So what have you been up to this week while I was gone?” Kaidus asked Anise.
True to his promise, he had been coming ho every ryes to spend ti with the family.
Taken from , this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Mommy wead the shleeping dog and the angwy cat to yeshterday. And guessh what, guessh what.” she asked him with a smile on her face.
“What?”
“We shaw a big dog today! He walked by ush but I washnt shcared!” a huge grin on her face, her dimples prominently showing.
“Good girl.” Kaidus smiled back as he gently stroke her hair.
“Ehehehe!” she laughed as she hugged him again.
“You said last ti that this will be a long break?” Adalina asked from where she sat.
“Yea. It’s a turn long, so I’ll be ho until the start of Alivai.” He replied back to Adalina while gently petting Anise’s head.
“So… Lord Varath’s been asking about you.” Troyle said with a grin as they were eating.
“…Why would he be asking about ?” Kaidus asked.
“He really likes you Kaidus. And… I may have said sothing about you coming back for a long break while we were drinking a couple days ago.” Troyle tried to give an innocent grin.
“…”
“Is this about the marriage proposal?” Adalina interposed.
“Why does mom know?” Kaidus asked Troyle curiously.
“I… may have told her.” Troyle gave another innocent grin. This ti, with a wink.
“…” Kaidus was dumbfounded.
“Oh? Is it bad that I found out?” Adalina teased.
“No. What do you think about the proposal?” he asked Adalina calmly.
“I thought it was a fine proposal.” Adalina replied. “Miss Reanne has brought Sylvia over a few tis to visit. Isn’t she a cute girl? She’s very nice, and gets along well with Anise too.”
“Shylvia?” Anise looked up from her plate.
“Yes. Big sister Sylvia. You like her don’t you?” Adalina spoke to Anise.
“Yea! Big shister shylvia ish very nicshe. She plays with Anish!” Anise replied happily at the ntion of Sylvia.
“You too Anise?”
‘What fearso parents.’ Kaidus thought, rembering Lord Varath and his wife Reanne. They were truly trying to ensnare him one way or another.
“I know you just got back, but how about joining us tomorrow? The lord’s been asking to bring you to visit for quite a while now. I’ve been telling him you are at school, but I don’t think I can use that excuse anymore.” Troyle asked.
“A visit to Lord Varath’s Estate again?” Kaidus inquired cautiously.
“We’ll just be there to pick up the Lord. We’re heading outside tomorrow to check up on the Derilt farms.
“Sothing wrong with the farms again?”
“There was a report two nights ago about an attack. The lord has gathered up so n, and we’re going to check it out and make sure the farrs are okay.” Troyle explained.
“I see, in that case, please allow join you. It’s been too long since I’ve ventured outside of Ferrent.” Kaidus replied.
“Good. Sa ti tomorrow then.”
“Got it.”
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“Troyle. What do you think is happening?” Lord Varath asked, a wide grin on his face.
“My Lord, they’re children…”
There were four carriages moving toward the outer gates of Ferrent.
Troyle and Lord Varath in the first one, two kids in the second, followed by another two that was occupied by guards.
Kaidus sat facing a girl with short dark blue hair in a cobalt dress. This ti, she was ekly looking back at him. The scared sheltered princess he had t almost a year ago was holding her grounds.
When they arrived at the Lord’s estate, Lord Varath had imdiately called for Sylvia to join them, then threw Kaidus and Sylvia in a carriage together.
“Good to see you again Lady Sylvia. How have you been?”
“I-I’ve been fine. T-Thank you." She managed a ek reply.
“Is this your first ti out of Ferrent?” Kaidus asked.
“Y-yes.”
“Are you scared?”
“No. D-daddy said you would p-protect .” She replied nervously, but her eyes showed absolute trust in her father’s words.
‘Hah… that man…’ Kaidus pictured Lord Varath’s grinning face in his mind.
“Did he say anything else?”
“No...” She looked away embarrassed.
“Sorry. I will not pry on the subject.” Kaidus felt that it was better he did not know.
“F-father said you go to Zorin academy… my big brother Larant is going there soon.” She timidly spoke, trying to start a conversation.
As they rode, Kaidus entertained Sylvia with stories about the academy, and about magic.
Reaching a building in the outer farmlands, Kaidus witnessed what Troyle always talks about—as he stepped out of the carriage.
The areas of farmland that bordered the forests and wilderness were ravaged by wild animals, and many guards were injured. Having expanded the farms into their territories, many animals were retaliating against the farrs, and eating or destroying their crops.
“This is quite bad...” Troyle spoke as they saw the fields.
“Indeed. Even worse than the last ti.” Lord Varath added to the grimness.
“Lord Varath. Thank you for coming!” A guard ca out of the building to greet them.
“Lynor, what happened here?” Lord Varath asked his guard.
“Two days ago the korgas suddenly ca out of the woods and killed three of our kaltiers and two farrs. We’ve been fighting them ever since. So of the workers were able to escape in ti because of the hounds, but none of them are willing to go back out into the fields now.” The guard answered.
“Three kaltiers and two workers?” Lord Varath voiced in disbelief. “Korgas are but a fraction of the size of a kaltier, how is that possible? And what happened to the workers?” Lord Varath inquired further.
“My lord… the workers claid a demon was commanding the korgas, and that it was the one who killed the Kaltiers. The attack was so sudden, that we were caught unawares… we couldn’t protect those two.” Lynor spoke angrily at that last part.
“A demon?”
“Yes my lord. They say it was in the guise of a large hound. Those who saw it, said it was as large as any Kaltier with thick fiery red fur, and a glowing golden eyes.”
“Did any of you see this demon?” Troyle asked the guard.
“No sir, we have not. But with the kaltiers dead, the korgas have been coming further into the farmlands. We barely repelled them yesterday day. If you had not co today, I fear to imagine what would happen if they attacked again.”
“Take inside. I want to hear everyone’s own account. Grenth, you guys keep an eye out, and watch my daughter and the carriages.” Lord Varath ordered.
“Yes my lord.” Both Grenth and Lynor answered.
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Staring at the damages, Kaidus could see that it was out of the ordinary. The fences along the outsides were broken, derilt plants were trampled and dug up, soil was overturned here and there, and the land was a huge ss.
After a while, Lord Varath and Troyle ca out of the building.
“Grenth, take a few n and follow the road. I want you circle back into the forest and scout that area.” Lord Varath pointed towards a patch of the forest bordering the fields. “Don’t take any chances. Just see if you can pick up anything and report back.”
“Understood.”
Taking half the n who ca with them, Grenth and the scouting party followed the road until they were out of sight, then ventured into the thick forest.
“What do you make of this?” Lord Varath asked Troyle.
“I don’t know my lord. Maybe we should consider what the farrs are saying?”
“Hmmm…”
“Every one of them said the sa thing. They all clearly saw sothing, it would be unwise to not consider the possibilities.”
“I don’t doubt that they saw sothing, but no one has ever seen a demon or even know what they look like. I can’t bring myself to believe that it is anything more than an overgrown beast of sorts…”
Kaidus was silently watching the forest as Troyle and Lord Varath talked about the problem at hand. Having silently observed for a while, an ominous presence suddenly originated from the direction of where the scouts had gone.
“Sothing is happening.” Kaidus interrupted their talk.
“What’s going on?” Lord Varath asked.
“GYAHHH!!!!!” a dood scream sounded off in the distance.
Chapter 23 - CouncilForgotten ConquerorChapter 25 - In the Shadows
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