As the Tempest Minotaur's body began to break down into little motes of light, the little motes started to make their way over to Jordie and merge with him
Each of the motes of light were filled with an inexplicable energy, infusing Jordie with a strange yet pleasant feeling that spread throughout his body. Jordie didn't know what this meant exactly, but he has the System to help fill in the gaps of knowledge.
[The Tempest Minotaur has activated Lost Skill - {Passing Mantle}. Host will be granted the Tempest Minotaur's strength, abilities and knowledge over a period of time and as the host grows stronger. Whether or not all of these abilities will be activated will be dependent on the host's own ability to grow. Please refer to personal status tab at your earliest possible convenience and/or when emotionally ready].
The Tempest Minotaur gave one last sad, loving look to her son as the skill reached it's final step.
"His name is Minos."
"Huh?"
"His name is Minos", the Tempest Minotaur repeated again, "Take good care of him for me. Okay?"
Jordie paused for a moment as he looked down at the baby min...As he looked at Minos.
"Yeah...I will", Jordie answered with a nod and a sad smile.
Comforted by Jordie's answer, the Tempest Minotaur closed her eyes and allowed the skill to fully take her. Aside from the baby in Jordie's arms and the small indent in the lake's shore, there was no evidence left of the monster blessed by gods.
Jordie sat there, quietly stunned about the events that had transpired. It wasn't until that he felt the bundle in his arms start to stir that Jordie broke his reverie and began to stare at the source of it.
Minos let out a soft mooing yawn before smacking his lips and staring directly at Jordie. The baby minotaur then began to reach out to touch Jordie's face.
"Huh...guess...I'm your pops now...", Jordie said as he repositioned his arms and gave his finger to little Minos to play with, "Papa's here..."
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Far and away in a place where time and space lost all meaning, a single ruined tower floated in an endless void, sitting on a strange obsidian platform.
The Tower of the Forgotten.
This tower was a prison for the greatest, most dangerous and most vile monsters, fallen tamers and deities known across time and space. At least it was.
The ancient evils locked within it have long since perished. The wardens tasked with watching them no longer present, their job finished.
This place had long since been abandoned...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST THE CHILD?!"
Except for some very cranky residents.
"My lord it's not as ba-GYAAAAAA!"
And their punished subordinate.
Deep within the tower's depth, a tall figure clad in strange black robes was currently electrocuting a large wolf-man that had metallic fur. This was the same wolf that had pursued the Tempest Minotaur mother to her death. Alongside him were equally tall figures,one wearing yellow robes while another wore white.
"What were you going to say?", the figure chided in voice akin to a roaring sea, "Not that bad? You and your men had every possible advantage, you had poisoned that walking hurricane and you still lost both her and the child. Tell me then Valefar, exactly how is it 'not that bad'?!"
"Calm yourself Leviathan", the figure in white said in a wispy voice, "allow our dear subordinate to explain himself."
"And if we find the answer un... satisfying. You may execute a proper...punishment", the yellow robed one added, his voice like a rumbling mountainside.
The one called Leviathan let out a snort before ceasing his electrocution of the wolf-man named Valefar. Valefar fell to the floor, gasping for air as he tried to catch his breath.
"Go on then, mutt. Explain."
Valefar shakily got up into a kneeling position before steadying his breath and explaining.
"Venerable elders. Despite the unforeseen actions that prevented us from capturing the mother and child", Valefar began, "we have already ascertained their location."
Valefar reached into a pouch that had been hanging on his belt and produced a palm sized mirror.
This mirror was known as an Illusionary Scrying Mirror, a type of long distance communication and observation tool.
The wolf-man then began to channel his mana into the mirror, causing it to produce an Illusionary hologram of a 3D map depicting a surprisingly long river, a deep canyon and a large lake connected to the river.
"She and the child had fallen into Glass Viper River. Locals say that the river ends at Black Tortoise Lake. My men are currently scouring up and down the river itself in search of any sign of her, but I also made sure to send Scarlet Hornets to the lake itself to make sure she's there".
As Valefar explained the situation to the elders, he made sure to channel mana into the mirror to show that his wolves were in fact searching up and down the river, while three horse-sized hornets with red shells were making their way northward.
"Fas...cinating", the yellow robed elder answered, "Now how...sure are you...that she hasn't...recovered and...escaped?"
"That would be-"
"Do you doubt my poisons, Behemoth?", Leviathan asked in an accusatory tone, "My Infernal Quicksilver Venom is capable of rendering even top tier dragons into being as harmless low ranked lizards. Unless you'd like a taste for yourself?"
"That...a threat?"
"A promise."
"Gentlemen, please", the white robed one interrupted, "compose yourselves, we have more pressing matters to attend to. Valefar, make sure to keep us updated of any possible changes. Just because we have the advantage doesn't mean that our opponent can't have any aces up their sleeves. Dismissed"
"By you will, Venerables."
With his piece said and done, Valefar disappeared from the ruined tower.
"What games are you playing, Storming one?"
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After the Tempest Minotaur had disappeared, Jordie had spent quite a bit of time playing with baby Minos. Much to the annoyance of the System.
[The host has been entertaining their contracted beast for an extended period of time. It is highly recommended that the host get up and get going.]
"Yeah, yeah", Jordie grumbled as he stood up, "Ready to go little guy?"
"Moo!"