Bloodied all over, each step he took was without a doubt a difficult endeavor but seeing as the goal was not too far now, Douglas chose to keep moving forward.
He’d survived until now, so why not a bit longer?
Taking a deep breath, he dragged along the carcass of a strange fur beast that looked like a cross between a moose and a bull with six legs and terrifying spines on its back.
It had been his most impressive kill in the 7 days he’d spent in the Wandering Forest, living in the wild and trying to understand what it ant for his body to embody entropy.
Douglas didn’t consider himself a genius but after 7 days of not even a single clue coming to mind, he decided to return as he couldn’t help but feel that sothing was amiss.
So, he chose to return but before that, he hunted and his prey happened to be the mutant he was now dragging, intent on revealing it as his prize to the one who left him in the forest.
The watchn on Aragon’s walls saw him coming so once he was close enough, they didn’t bother to open the gates, instead rushing down to inform relevant parties of the situation.
Seeing this unfold, Douglas chose to wait as he let go of the horn he used to drag the mutant back and dropped to his buttocks, before resting his back on the furry body of the monstrosity.
As he glanced at the blue sky above, using mories of Emily to distract himself from the negativity rising within him, Douglas soon succumbed to his tiredness, with his eyes closing and his breathing relaxing.
When he woke up, he found himself in a well-furnished room, lying on a bed with just the person he was looking for seated at the window to the room.
"You..."
"A Pteridon which would translate to Horned Beast in Razan."
"Hmm?"
"That’s the mutant you killed. It’s a rather tricky foe to feel owing to its tough hide and rather annoying capability to charge around like a cannonball." Andre remarked before turning to face Douglas. "How did you defeat it?... It’s quite an impressive feat."
Douglas hesitated at first, considering whether to broach the topic he had in mind but after a while, decided to answer the question first.
"My domain... It works against its charging skill. All I had to do was make it move so fast until it was too exhausted to keep charging, then I charged."
Nodding thoughtfully, Andre muttered. "Simple yet effective. I’m impressed."
"So does this an my body now understands Entropy?"
"Hmm?"
"I brought back the... Pteridon to prove I defeated a powerful foe."
"I’d say that was unnecessary considering even if you wished to lie, it wouldn’t work but that’s beside the point. Tell , do you think you’ve learned Entropy?"
"Of course not. It’s more like I’m just training my domain."
"And that is correct," Andre admitted causing Douglas’s expression to freeze.
"What?"
"Entropy can’t be learned, no matter how much you try. It’s a divine skill our ancestor Viracocha created for himself, even my people require specific sigils to replicate half the power. So tell , do you think you would have a chance to master it by staying in the forest for a few days?"
"But you left there!... You told to embody unpredictability!... If this was the case all along, why waste my ti?"
Breathing heavily, Douglas glared at Andre who stared back unabashedly.
"Did I truly waste your ti?"
"What?"
"Hah, I left you in the forest because that is how young Greyhounds are taught about the wild. It’s not like sothing unique would happen, but it helps to build their experience."
"I... I don’t understand."
Rising to his feet, Andre remarked. "This was a ans of initiation for you. I can’t feel okay giving away the knowledge I and my clan have been tasked to keep just because you made a deal with that idiot Alejandro."
"What?"
"Alejandro might be the Rey but I am the Rune Bearer, if I decide not to give you the Sigils for Entropy, no one would be able to do so," Andre said with a tone of finality causing Douglas’s expression to crumble.
The thought to throw a punch persisted within but shaking his head, Douglas decided against it.
All he had to do now was return.
It was unfortunate but he had to admit that everything was a complete waste of...
"Regardless, You have proven yourself a worthy Greyhound and for that, you have gained the right to know exactly how to gain the power of Entropy." Andre suddenly remarked, causing Douglas to send a confused glance his way.
"... Huh?"
Taking a deep breath, Andre rose to his feet and paced around as he began. "Entropy, as I said, can’t be learned no matter how much you try. But utilizing sigils, we can inscribe Entropy onto objects ranging from weapons to armors and the likes."
"... Can it not be inscribed on the body?"
"It is possible but the pain is unimaginable. Very few Beastn have ever survived the process, Alejandro being one of them."
"I see." Douglas nodded, feeling rather enlightened.
"Now co," Andre remarked as he made for the door. "Your true first lesson shall be to watch inscribe a sigil. Whatever you manage to learn is what you will take ho today so for your sake, watch everything I do closely."
***
"Lucius Fitzgerald, I presu." The headmaster remarked as he got to his feet.
He seed impatient though he tried to mask it with amicability.
Alex nodded. "Yes, you asked to see , Headmaster Roland."
"Indeed, I did. I’m sure you are aware of your promotion considering the channels that advocated for it?"
"... More or less."
"Good." Headmaster Roland nodded in satisfaction before adding. "Now, I would have drafted a letter docunting your promotion properly but that’s beyond at the mont. In any case, there are only two things to note as you are now head of the Finalists departnt."
"And what is that sir?"
"One, do not disturb my studies, do so and I won’t hesitate to send you back to the idiots that got you to your current position and before you think I’m joking, ask around, I hardly do so... except you are a friend of which clearly, you are not."
Pursing his lips, Alex nodded. "And the second?"
"Have a nice ti at the academy, Mr. Fitzgerald, I hope that by the end of the year, you will co to appreciate those who made their way to the top using hard work and intelligence."
Reviews
All reviews (0)