“What a mess.”
I always thought I was unlucky with my problems. Even after I spent half a year of tireless work, pain, and suffering, my World remained small—at least, when compared to other cadets and Blessed who regularly refined their Worlds. I was no longer too concerned with my World’s size, but the problems I went through to get this far were enormous. A decade of fruitless results, or so it appeared at that time.
Regardless, my World was malleable and full of potential, and it would keep growing as long as I kept going. Even if my Soulkins reached their limit at some point, I could always bind a wide variety of young beasts and focus on them to push ahead. Not that I wanted to do that, but it was a possibility.
“When they mentioned the rewards, I was hopeful. I knew nothing would happen, but hope is a messy thing.” Scott shook his head slowly. “The Rulers gave up on me.” He retrieved the small vial and studied it with a sad smile.
Only one item had been rewarded by the Camp officials, and it was none other than the vial in Scott’s hands.
“Is that an evolution serum?”
“Hm?” Scott glanced my way with a pained expression. “Thankfully not. They tried to push Destiny’s growth in a direction I don’t like, and…I cannot tell if they’re mocking me, or if they seriously think this is a good idea.” He moved the vial playfully across his fingers, ignoring the massive chasm separating the flying ship from the ground.
“They want to strengthen her trait as much as possible, hoping I can finally gain full control of it.” He stared back into the clouds. “But that’s nonsense. Her trait is already powerful. She is young and will grow up to become an Unblemished beast thanks to her trait. However, she is physically weak. If they strengthen her trait further, I…I don’t know what will happen.”
Somehow, I couldn’t quite grasp it. Scott looked unbelievably vulnerable as he uttered the last few words, as though not knowing what might happen was new to him—scary, even.
I had a million questions I wanted to ask. Even more so, I wanted my suspicions to be confirmed, but I held it in. Leaving my curiosity unsatiated was painful, to say the least, but it was neither the right time nor the right place to ask Scott about the squirrel beast’s trait. It was not my business, and it was rude to boot.
Therefore, instead of sprinkling salt into his wound, I walked up beside him, my elbows resting on the railing, and enjoyed the silence with Scott. Not that it lasted long. A massive shadow moved across the flying ship, and my danger sense perked up. Something heavy pressed down on my mind. I was half-certain I was going to be crushed, but nothing happened.
A strong breeze wormed its way through the translucent barrier, brushing gently through my hair. That was the worst of it—or so I thought—until a shadow swept over the ship. I turned my head, looked up, and nearly choked on my breath.
A vast shape glided above us, close enough that its wingbeats rattled the translucent barrier. Its body was clad in jagged brown scales that caught the rays of sunlight like fractured stone. Wings stretched wider than the ship’s length unfurled and flapped with effortless magnificence and might. Then its eyes found mine. They were bright, filled with intelligence, yet also merciless, prying as though they might strip me bare. My gaze faltered, my legs trembled, and I didn’t even dare to breathe as my eyes trailed to claws large enough to gut a cruiser, to fangs powerful enough to tear through a Mistral’s neck, each gleaming with cruel promise.
I shuddered, and the weight of its presence—wild and unforgiving—pressed heavier on my chest with every beat of its wings.
Scott stirred beside me, his eyes lingering longingly on the beast. “A Wyvern. Merlin Zerog’s Soulkin.”
“Dirk,” I muttered without thinking, gasping for air when I recognized that I had held my breath too long. The wyvern let out a noise that resembled a snort, and he turned away, revealing the other creatures, some smaller, others larger than the wyvern, gliding through the air alongside the ship.
The pressure of countless beasts lingered on me, most only for a moment, but that was long enough to grasp the meaning of true power.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Scott murmured, his voice full of emotion.
I couldn’t agree more. The sight unfolding before us was mesmerizing. It was the most beautiful thing I had seen, yet seeing so many powerful avian beasts—Soulkins—travel alongside us to the Grand Camp, I could only wonder what our future looked like.
Almost everything I knew about the Camp came from Peter Zerog and the information his wife had collected for Daniel in recent years, and none of it was true. It was already frustrating to no end that the Zerogs had been oblivious when it came to the retinue exam, which had almost destroyed our plans, and now… Now I was gliding through the air on a flying ship to a Grand Camp located in a place that required the protection of dozens of powerful Soulkins and Blessed. It even included a fully-grown wyvern and equally powerful creatures.
What could possibly go wrong? I grimaced, not sure whether I should be anxious or excited.
The future was a blank sheet, and I was not a fan of the unknown.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
***
The cadets gathered later that day, our Soulkins neatly stored in our Worlds. My mind drifted from the uncertainty of what awaited us in the near future to the beast egg resting in my World. Too focused on Aureus’ emotions, his distracting voice, and my attempts to perceive the beast egg to gauge how long I’d have to wait for it to hatch, I failed to recognize Merlin and the others standing on a podium on the other side of the hall.
The cadets didn’t dare to utter a single word, and one could hear a pin drop on the metallic floor, but nobody seemed to notice. The young Blessed looked at the powerhouses towering above them on the podium in marvel.
Someone must have said something, but I was still trying to get a feel for the beast egg. After the Camp officials gave me the option to select one of three beast eggs, all unique in the sense that they fixed my most significant weaknesses, I picked the 'ordinary' one. I didn't select the ethereal egg of the Spyre Elemental for its major empowerment lies in the elements it controls, rather than the mind or the body. Nor did I pick the Horror Tessar from the abyssal plane due to its focus on mind-controlling traits and the resulting mind empowerment, which was even more highlighted than Aureus'.
Instead, I made the perfect choice. While not as unique as the other options, my pick was still incredibly rare, and it was exactly what I needed the most right now; Brawns. Furthermore, I doubted I'd be able to afford either of the eggs if someone demanded I'd pay for them. I chuckled at that absurd thought, my mind drifting to the near future.
I wanted the beast to hatch as soon as possible, to form a strong bond with it, and to nurture it – to add a member to our family, and to grow stronger than ever.
Even though I made it into the Camp, I had yet to complete my mission. I needed to grow, to surpass the other retinues, or I would never be rewarded with a suitable World Aspect for Daniel. That was the least I could do to thank Daniel for always being there for me, and to repay the Zerogs for their investment.
Power!
Yes, we need power. A lot of it!
Power!!
Fortunately, Aureus sought power as much as I did. Not all beasts wanted the same. They were like humans in that regard; all life desired to survive. That was step one, which all life had in common. After that, however, their paths split up. Life was ever-changing and full of surprises. Not every life was the same – not all beings had the same choices. Yet from life rose a near-infinite number of myriad paths that led to different fates.
And I…I was lucky enough to bind my fate to a beast that sought strength as much as I did.
A stab in my side shattered my concentration. I took a sharp breath and glared at Daniel.
“Was that really necessary?!” I whispered harshly, rubbing my pained side.
“Sorry about that, but you should pay attention to the front,” Daniel responded in an unusual, serious tone. He seemed different, and I looked up to the podium to see—
“What the hell is that?” I burst out, eyes bulging.
Pairs of eyes, dozens of them, locked onto me, some glaring, others glimmering with the same confusion as mine, but my eyes stayed on the massive, high-definition screens covering the wall behind the podium. The screens depicted the same object from several angles and multiple locations, but they showed the very same…
My eyes twitched, and I felt Aureus use our bond to look into my most recent memories, showing what I’d just seen. Confusion flowed through the bond, and it mingled with mine, amplifying it greatly.
Human?
No—maybe? I had no idea. The thing—whatever it was—was humanoid. However, it wasn’t human. It looked like a small human girl, but that was where the similarities ended. Green skin caked in dirt, scars, and dried blood, hiding between towering trees and flourishing undergrowth. It almost looked like a beast, a humanoid goblin, but only almost. Razor-sharp tusks jutted from its lower, elongated jaw, its tiny clawed fingers coiled around proper weaponry—be they axes, swords, or spears—and they wore proper clothes. None of those characteristics was enough to say the creatures were more than ‘mere’ humanoid beasts; however, I didn’t doubt it for a second. Not after my eyes lingered on the large, brilliant pairs of eyes that glimmered with otherworldly intelligence.
“This, as mentioned less than thirty seconds ago, are the images of a race called Bekar.” The voice of a young man I hadn’t noticed before rang out. His voice was neutral, yet his eyes were cold and judgmental as they lingered on me a moment too long. He let out a faint snort, which felt like it was directed at me, and continued. “Bekar are not Goblins, nor are they Hobgoblins. They may appear similar at first glance, but you do not want to fight a Bekar—trust me. They’re small, but their tiny bodies hide significant physical strength and agility. They’re intelligent, scheming, and they never appear alone. Know that if you encounter one of them, thousands of them will be nearby. Avoid them if you can.”
Merlin Zerog stepped forward, his eyes drifting across the masses of a thousand cadets. “Recent reports confirmed the appearance of a tribe of Bekar no more than five large Zones from the fifth Bastion, and their intentions couldn’t be more apparent. Their scouts have been discovered in the Zones adjacent to the Bastion. At the same time, their forces, 2,000 battle-ready Bekar, have been seen traversing the Zones, destroying nature and the resources we’ve painstakingly claimed and nurtured over the last few decades.”
He cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the silent hall like a hot blade cutting through butter. “Our forces are struggling to keep them at bay. For now, the fifth Bastion’s army can block their advances and protect the Bastion, but it is uncertain how long we can maintain our stance. More races have been on the move recently, and the higher-ups are certain that something big is happening.”
Merlin Zerog offered us, the cadets, a soft smile. “We have been silent for centuries. We retreated when our enemies took over Razarn and we allowed the beasts and other forces to take the reins, but we are at our wits’ end. We can no longer retreat, or the last Bastions will fall and humanity will be lost forever.” His expression grew serious once more. “Humanity has to grow stronger. You have to grow stronger.
“You have to surpass the old generations—surpass us—and show the world that humans are more than mere punching bags!”
Something inside me stirred. My heart raced like it was about to burst out of my chest, and I wasn’t alone. Cheers erupted all around me. Some cadets roared at the top of their lungs, while others clapped vigorously. However, there were also confused faces. They clapped or shouted. However, their faces betrayed their true feelings, and I was among them.
What in the Rulers’ names is going on here? Since when have there been more races on Razarn?
Beasts were our only enemies. At least, that was how I had been taught. Clearly—my gaze drifted to the images of the Bekar—that was not the case.
We were not alone on Razarn and beasts weren’t our only enemies.