"The kid's back, but why is he covered in ash?" The two men that had been bickering earlier were still drinking in the front hall of the tamer's building.
But now, they saw a completely different person walking in. The casual glance from Clark made them feel as if their souls were under examination. As if they could be swallowed up by a monster at any moment. Even their tamed rocky lizards cowered in fear seeing Clark walk through.
"What's with you? You shouldn't be back here." Clara had been ready to go and tell her father of who she had found and that she had used their family name to write a recommendation letter to Nova academy.
It would be a big deal and she wanted to ensure that everything was perfectly set up. Finding such a promising youth about to move upwards to higher education was exactly what they needed for the city which constantly fought beast waves.
"Take back the letter. Train me instead. I don't care what it costs. I don't need anything else. Just teach me to be stronger than you." The dead tone made Clara shiver. The bite mark she had on her arm from Devi was nothing compared to the chill that came along with Clark's words.
The slight change in the air as Devi became visible again made Clara see that there was more going on here. No one would leave here with such good news and return in such a state. The fact that Clark's tamed beast was in disarray and couldn't sit still was clearly the fact that Clark was in extreme pain.
A spirit beat was the closest to their tamer since they were born in to this world together. Their emotions were shared with many other things. Since Devi knew how Clark felt, all he could do was signal in his own way for that help. And since Clark had marched in deathly silence to the most powerful person he knew around, Devi also asked for this help from Clara.
"Follow me and don't say a word here." The words came with weight that made the two tamers nearby sober up. A quick glance from Clara made them move to lock the door and close up for her. This was a rare occasion that they would actually be doing their jobs and guarding the floor instead of waiting for something interesting to happen before they went home. No more drinking.
Obediently, Clark followed the order. When he entered a large office behind the desks Clara looked right at him. But Clark was done for. He was already falling forward to the ground. She just barely grabbed him with a look of confusion on her face, she had no idea what could have exhausted and broken the foolish and grinning boy in front of her so quickly.
"Get in here! I have a mission!" The two that had just locked up rushed in. "Go to this boy's home and investigate what has happened. This is a mission directly from the Mane family. If it is spoken of to any other I will personally bury you in the ground." The order was not even debated, the pair rushed away while Clara moved Clark to a couch nearby.
Hours passed by and eventually, the voices of Clara and an older man started to wake Clark.
"No, this was another problem the Mourne family caused. Their children abuse the people, their elders take advantage of anyone, and that stupid general helps it all along in his desire to be a rank ten spirit tamer above others. That boy came right here after he went to his home and found this out. Why else would he come back and want training instead of my invitation to Nova academy?" Clara spoke with steel in her voice.
"That's nothing that can be solved now. You know this. I will speak to him when he stops pretending to be asleep." The gravelly voice made Clark force himself up. He felt dead. His body was sore but his insides felt hollow. The only thing he felt was a slight chill on his arm where Devi had latched on waiting for him to awake.
"You are Clark stormwood. A beastless child until recently. You have gained my daughter's recommendation for the Nova academy and you have recently lost a lot. I know what you want. I have seen those eyes in men when they watch those they care for slaughtered by berserk wild beasts. You will get your revenge, but not now. Don't be foolish and throw a pebble at a giant. It won't defeat it." The man speaking was larger than any that Clark had seen. There was a large coat covered in fur that almost made the man seem like a lion in human form.
"My men investigated. I know exactly what happened and how. Do not look at me as if I would tell lies. You should know me, I am General Mane. My daughter sent urgent news of a possible genius that she tested. Now I return to this news? You will not get training from myself or my daughter. We will throw you in to Nova academy and let you find your own strength. When the time is right, you are going to pay us back for the investments we are making by backing you. I have quarreled with the way General Mourne acts and his family. Do you understand? You get stronger and manage to stand beside me. Then we will clean up the garbage that is polluting this city. Is that understood!?" The sudden roar as the general stood up finally broke Clark's frozen face.
Small tears dripped down while Clark hardened his heart around that empty feeling. The tearing sensation where his love had been replaced by a rage that seemed to want him to rush to death, but General Mane had offered an alternative. A way to cut away the problem at the root. A way to prevent this tragedy from happening again and again.
"The son, I want to kill the son of the Mourne family myself. That's the only requirement I want. We will erase his soul from this earth." Clark's fist clenched tightly enough to cause blood to drip from his palm. Devi reacted and tried his best to calm Clark, yet they could all see that Devi had the same rage. He too had sensed and felt the family around him while invisible in egg form. He had felt the love that Clark shared between his family. And he could feel the endless void where his love had been.
"A wise choice. You will have that. You will have proper justice, and I swear upon that under the name and title of the lion general Mane. I will have my daughter take you to a guest house we have. She will give you what you need. You are going to be sent directly to the testing grounds of the Nova academy. You have a recommendation but you will need to get accepted properly as well. You have a few days to prepare, I recommend you do that." Clark could barely respond before the general nodded to Clara. She stood up and pulled Clark out the door.
"Remember my father's words. He is always true to them. You will get what you need. When that day comes, you can finally relax. I didn't get where I am today because I stopped. The Mourne family is the reason my mother isn't walking this earth anymore. I have the very same promise that you and my father made once upon a time. We will remove the corrupt poison from this city."
Clara stopped speaking then and there. The trio walked in silence through the streets as the sun rose in the air and the people began to emerge from their slumber. Clark didn't need more information. They found their shared emotions, their shared hatred. It would give birth to strength that no one could resist.
Rumors quickly spread as people woke up. The events that caused a street of homes and shops to burn were explained away as a torch left too close to hay. No one was at fault. No one would be punished. The few who asked what would happen were told that the Mourne family had graciously volunteered to help the citizens rebuild.