The village of EverShade where Sage grew up was a peaceful place, situated right at the center of all maps, surrounded by so many tall trees that it appeared hidden from the rest of the world. Since Beasts were so important in their growing economy, it was a custom for the Chief of the village to give a Beast to anyone turning twenty-one. Usually these beasts were small and not too special but Sage felt this first Beast would be a start towards becoming a Beast Tamer. Unfortunately the Ceremony that took place before the Beast was given, had already started a while ago so Sage hurried with his chores. But he cussed loudly after remembering he still had to feed the Water Kenkish, then clean out the stable of the Horned-Beele and milk it, before he'd be able to run to the Chief's house.
Luckily, the first job was easy, since Kenkishes were docile Beasts that loved to eat and swim all day. They were omnivores because of their Chicken DNA and fell under the Hydro Beast category since they lived in ponds. Due to their fish DNA, they acquired the ability to make water bubbles through their gills, which helped them breathe and move on land. In spite of their strange mutation, Kenkish eggs were healthy to eat, so they were harvested each morning and sold to households.
But the Horned-Beele on the other hand, which was a combination of a Bull, bee and mule; didn't like humans, especially one dressed in red. Not only did it have a stinger of 2m in length, it also had powerful horns so sharp it pierced through trees like butter and it could grow wings in a matter of seconds, which was why all six of the Horned-Beeles' legs were chained together. These Beasts fed on smaller beasts and usually lived in flower fields and meadows with the rest of their kind like bees would, but once separated they turned aggressive and stubborn. Due to its ability to regenerate itself, Horned-Beeles were classified as Juvance Beasts. The reason why farmers risked their lives to milk them was because Horned-Beeles produced honey flavored milk so exquisite, only the rich could afford it.
It was because working in this farm was Sage's only source of revenue that he forced himself to finish all his work before he could leave. The man who owned the farm, had been kind enough to offer him a job when he'd been hungry on the streets 10 years ago, but it didn't mean he cared about him more than the rest of the village. For all regarded him with suspicious and sometimes shifty glances when they walked by, he was always aware of their hushed murmurs and sneers whenever they caught him working at the farm or playing with the farm beasts. Of course he didn't blame them, who wouldn't be wary of a man whose eyes had no color yet saw better than the norm, and who always wore bandages on his forearms and had strokes of ink spread over his face like a canvas?
Aside from these anomalies Sage was a fine young man, with waist length locks he loved to tie up, that had such a vibrant color it seemed to capture the sun's flame. He had a cute button nose as well as firm but average pair of lips. His skin was a smooth olive tone that grew darker around his muscular parts. For a man of twenty one, he was tall and well built, with a height ranging from 1.85m to 1.90m. His clothing was the same one he washed every night and wore every morning which was comprised of a hood and overused pair of faded trousers with leather boots, he'd managed to afford after putting all his earnings together last winter.
In the distance, Sage could hear the excited applause of the villagers over at the Chief's house, which pushed him to feed the Kenkishes faster, because he was certain the ceremony had ended and the first twenty one year old was receiving his or her Beast. Once the Kenkishes were fed and happy, they blew water at Sage through their gills, crowing with happiness as they jumped around like Dolphins. Even if Sage was in a hurry, he took the time to laugh at the silliness of these water Beasts and even petted a few calling out, "Your welcome loves." Just as he ran across the corn field to the Stable where the Horned-Beele was waiting for him.
Literally waiting for him, with its horns stretched out before it, its nose flaring and its lips buzzing in outrage when he picked up the bucket and stool preparing to milk it. First, he took a moment to crack his neck, then he gently approached the Beast, begging it, "Now Bela, we've been through this multiple times love, the sooner you stay calm, the sooner I'll leave- deal?" he smiled
Whether the Horned-Beele understood or not, it pawed the ground, looking determined to charge at him. In its eyes, Sage cringed after seeing the Beast's silent threat warning him if he got any closer, it would have an honor of puncturing his body in all the painful places. Sage's shoulder slumped and he shook his head in exasperation, why was Bela the only Beast that hated him, he had no idea but he knew it was only because it was chained up, it hadn't killed him yet.
Again, more applauses came from the Chief's house, so he ignored Bela's murderous glare, rolled his sleeve and stuck close to the wall of the stable where Bela's horns could only graze him and not puncture him. Then after an encouraging breath, he sat on his stool and started milking. The fact was, Bela moved so much and shook so hard, he was always soaked in honey milk before even half the bucket was full. But he straight out scolded, "BELA…oh, goodness girl!" when it managed to kick the bucket over, spilling the content all over the floor.
Sage ran his hands through his locks and puffed out in frustration, getting even more irritated when the Horned Beele kicked the bucket between its six legs, aiming to trample on him when he tried to retrieve it. At some point, just as he'd stretched his arm, shifting his body against the ground to avoid getting his head crushed, Sage caught the bucket handle and right then, Bela jumped and with a, "Oh damn!" Sage quickly crawled back, watching as Bela crushed the bucket under its feet. He regarded the beast with a murderous glare of his own but Bela only scraped its feet against the ground, as if to say, "I warned you, didn't I?" causing Sage to give it a humorless smile
Though it was maddening, this wasn't the first time Bela was being unreasonable so he let his anger go and rushed out the stable, across the corn field to the tool shed near the farm, to take another bucket. This time when he went to milk Bela, he managed to take all the milk he needed without Bela getting the chance to spill any. Perhaps it was why the Horned-Beele kept trying to charge at him when he rose up to leave, and Sage got it even more angry by winking at Bela, "Till tomorrow, my dear." He waved, laughing when the entire Stable shook behind him,
Sage was so happy to have finished his chores, he had completely forgotten to clean the Stable. Instead he dropped the bucket of milk at the Farm house and didn't bother to wash the sweat or dried milk off him. He ran with full speed to the Chief's house, ignoring the dirtied glances of those around him when he arrived. It seemed he'd made it in time, because the three ladies of his age were getting lined up with their beasts and the Chief was beside them, clapping with the rest of the village who wished them a happy birthday. But the cheers came short when Sage made his way through the crowd and stood before the Chief saying as humbly as he could, "Sorry I'm late, Chief Sadon."
It was easy to see Sage was uncomfortable standing before the scrutinizing glance of the Chief, since he, like the rest of the village thought of him as an outsider, as someone who's unknown parents abandoned him in an orphanage, that also didn't want him because of his unholy looks. Even now on this special day, everyone felt the need to show their hate towards him:
"He can't be serious Chief Sadon! He isn't one of us; he doesn't have the right to share our customs." bellowed a man perhaps two years older than him
"I agree. Besides, which noble would ever accept such a strange creature as a Tamer? None, so he has no need for a Beast." Said a bitter older woman, spitting on the ground as she glared at his back
"…Not to mention he's been taking care of Farm Beasts his whole life, which is far more than he deserves." Sneered a flabby man, chewing down on boiled corn
Even the three ladies of his age were talking in hushed voices, giggling at how stupid he was for even thinking he'd have the same treatment as the good people of EverShade. There were still more insults directed at Sage, yet he just stood there, rolling his eyes or shaking his head, thinking to himself, "Same old, same old." All he cared about was what the Chief would say. But even if he didn't get a Beast, he'd promised himself he wouldn't let anyone see his disappointment.
Chief Sadon looked thoughtful, he understood what the villagers were saying and even agreed with them, but a softer part of him was also reminding him that even if the young lad was cursed, he'd known hardship more than anyone in the village ever had, so wouldn't it be fair to offer him one birthday gift?
Sage's face brightened the moment the Chief cleared his voice and addressed the village, "The lad shall have a Beast." He declared
At once, the villagers yelled and shouted their objection to the Chief's decision but the latter rose his arms, instantly acquiring the people's silence and they listened to him "Has the lad not harvested your eggs and milk, shed wool from the Sheerdactiles (sheep/crocodile) used to make your winter clothes? Yet, he's never received a thank you from any of us…"
Amongst the villagers were two brothers, one lean and the other short, both with messy brown hair on their head. The lean one whispered to the other, "The only thank you, that bastard needs is a kick out our village."
"Right you are Jaxon." Answered the other, but they held their tongues when the Chief shot them a glare as he went on, "…Therefore, just this once, the lad will be given a Beast." He affirmed, with his brows furrowed, daring someone to speak against him again
Sage had to say he was shocked, never had he expected to hear such words from anyone, although the Chief's lack of interest in knowing his name showed he wasn't fond of him, it felt good to know he was human to someone. He looked behind at the villagers, amused when they shot him cold glances but couldn't risk angering their Chief so they remained silent. With a happy sigh, grateful for the silence, Sage turned back to the Chief when he addressed him, "Lad, come hither."
Sage followed the Chief into his cottage, which was the biggest house in EverShade, all the other people lived in wattle and daub or stick houses, Sage didn't even have a house, he just slept at the Farm with the friendly farm Beasts. It was why he couldn't stop his eyes from wondering at everything, especially because it was the first time he'd entered anyone's home, much less that of the chief.
From the scrolls he'd read, he knew they were in the living room, and what a vast room it was. To his left were beautiful wooden chairs with cushions placed around a square glass table, and on the wall behind it, was a white cupboard where wooden plates and cups were kept. To his right were several chest boxes, he guessed was where the weapons were stored. On the wall in front of him hung the head of a Bone-Breaker, a Beast with the head of a Killer whale, the tail of a Scorpion and the body of a Gorilla. Due to its eel-like long strands of hair, the Bone-Breaker fell under the Hydro Beast category. But unlike the Kenkishes, Bone-Breakers were savage, blood thirsty predators that ate anything containing blood. They were super powerful and were mostly used for War, they could even evolve, giving them 4th place in the Big 5 Legendary Beast ranking.
Sage had read lots of scrolls about all sorts of Beasts he'd scavenged for in the Farm house, since the owner had a habit of leaving it there once he'd read enough. It's how Sage knew that Bone-Breakers were extremely difficult to tame, only level 8 and 9 Star Tamers could dare to look at the Beast without getting electrocuted, pounded or swallowed whole. This explained why he was curious to know how the Chief had managed to get the head of such a beast, since they were so rare and strong they were never sold or killed for parts, even at auctions. Although, he'd heard of a place called the Shadow market; it was where everything elicit could be found, perhaps the Chief was one of its clients.
"Here you are lad, your beast."
"Oh, right." Sage had been so engrossed by the 200Kg head of the Beast, he'd completely forgotten where he was or why he was here. He faced Chief Sadon, his eyes dropped to the cage and the small Beast of 50Kg sleeping inside it. He recognized it as the Turtleback Cutter. It had the face of an otter, the body of a turtle and cat paws with claws that could grow to 30 cm when threatened. It could even stand on its hind legs and shred Beasts three times its size when properly trained. But incase the Beast was too strong for them, they could hide in their shell and roll away like a hedgehog. They made the best pets because they were loyal and could defend their master if they shared a close bond. Tis why they were categorized as Domestic Beasts but Sage was glad he received a mutation which could fight, perhaps it would help him win battles in the future.
Since the Beast was soundly asleep, Sage carefully took the cage and to his Chief, he bowed his head in thanks, "Thank you Chief Sadon, I…I'm grateful."
"You may go now." Was all the Chief replied, reminding Sage once again that the Chief wasn't doing this because he cared, but rather because he felt obliged to give him something for his years of service. Still, Sage appreciated the gesture nonetheless. As he made his way out the door, the Turtleback Cutter's white eyes shot opened, it raised its nose in the air and took long whiffs of something it found dangerous, so it hissed with a start. Sage halted in his track, "Woah there little guy, what it is?" he inquired, putting his hand through the cage bars to stroke its head. But suddenly, the Beast bit his finger so hard he cussed and yanked his injured hand out, "What the hell!" he moaned,
With his wounded finger raised so the bleeding would stop, he observed the Cutter, trying to understand why it bit him, never had he read about Cutters injuring humans before so he didn't know what to think. He raised his eyes to the Chief about to ask his opinion, but thought better of it, because of the troubled look on Chief Sadon's face but his expression also gave Sage the sense he'd figured out why the Beast reacted with such animosity towards him.
Sage looked perplexed when the Chief cautiously approached him and took the beast back, "It seems, Cutters are not your type of Beast lad… pity." He trailed off, seeming lost in his thought
Sage saw the Cutter relax the moment the Chief held its cage, yet it continued to hiss all the while it had its attention focused on him. The Chief then cleared his throat, seeming to think of what to say, Sage could feel there was something he had just figured out and he couldn't stop himself from thinking that the Chief might've known the Cutter would reacted so wild with him, but why? And was this the reason he'd accepted to give him a Beast in the first place?
The Chief looked really fidgety all of a sudden, like he wanted Sage to be far away from him and his next words did give that impression, "Well, I'm sorry things didn't work out. Maybe next year or…no matter, I believe the Farmer will need your help with something or other so, off you go." He prompted, giving him a smile that looked forced
"Um, yeah; thank you anyway." Sage replied, giving the nervous Chief one last baffled look before getting out the door
As soon as he was gone, Chief Sadon put down the Cutter and rushed over to another room that served as his study. Even in this room the furniture was basic. His study was comprised of a wooden cupboard filled with old scrolls, books and parchments; a wooden table with candleholders and a stand where he could read without needing to hold the book. With no time to spare, he took his seat and began to look through the scrolls piled over his desk. Oddly, every scroll had the illustration of all sorts of legendary beasts and famous Beast tamers with a few notes scribbled on the page. But the one he was looking for was the scroll about Turtleback Cutters and their forewarning aptitudes, and when he couldn't seem to find it, he rambled to himself, "I know I have it somewhere…but I can't remember where I…Ratwag, where did I place it!"
"AH, THERE YOU ARE!" he beamed, when at last he unfolded the right scroll. Quick as a flash he read the notes, and after rereading the section he was interested in, he brought his fist on the table and cried out, "By the King of Beasts, I should've known!"
His eyes lit up with awareness and something else…fear, because if what he thought was true, then the discovery he and his late wife had made back in his scholar days wasn't a hypothesis anymore, it could be proven. But it couldn't come from him or else the lad would know, and the gods knew how he'd react.
"I will have to contact my friends at the Capital to ask for their aid. This could interest even the Kings." He thought, imagining all the honors he would have when word of what he discovered would spread across Wilderbeast, but first he needed evidence.
An idea came to mindso he hurried over to his window, put down his flower pots, licked his lips then made a low-key whistle that only Scholars used to summon a specific Beast also called the Messenger Beasts or, a Piveagle. This golden bird of 1.55m had four eyes, the top two were of the Dove and the bottom two had the 20/20 vision of Eagles, its wings were pigeon shaped, expanding to 4m in length. Due to its mutation, its 6 pairs of wings were attached in a reverse fashion, making it that the Piveagle travelled forward with its wings flapping backwards. It was also part Kangaroo, which explained the pouch on its back that could carry a load of 30Kg, be it weapons, books or even small luggage; and this was also why Piveagles made good travel companions and were excellent messengers.
Piveagles loved to eat water beasts and could regenerate faster than Horned-Beeles, it was even rumored that Piveagles could live forever and that they had the ability to heal with their feathers, it's why they were classed under the Juvance Beast Category and also, they had an evolution stage of level 2. Piveagles were mammals and had the size of normal birds when born. They were white in color and didn't have wings either, but when it was time for them to evolve, they made nests for themselves and after turning into cocoons, they'd have their first pair of black wings and a small pouch, now growing to half a meter in length, but they still wouldn't have the eagle eyes. It was after their second transformation, that they'd grow too big to live in trees so they'd live on the mountains.
It was across the meadow in front of the Chief's cottage, passed the vast trees surrounding the land, and over the bodies of water yonder, where Chief Sadon's Piveagle lived on a Folded Mountain. And after hearing its master's call, it soared down, using rising air currents to gain altitude and speed, so that it would reach the Chief in 15 minutes.
While the Chief waited, he used a feathered pen to write a message on a scroll, that he put in a cylinder container along with the illustrations of the Turtleback Cutter and another Beast. In approximately 15 minutes, the Piveagle landed right in front of the window, Chief Sadon searched in his cupboard and took out dried pieces of Kenkish meat which he fed to the Great Beast before placing his cylinder jar in its pouch. While he caressed the Piveagle under its neck, he whispered the address of his message, "Listen closely Carack, go to the Capital, climb the Tower of Knowledge and find Brother Balk de Biville; you remember him don't you?"
The Piveagle shook its shiny gold feathers in response, so Chief Sadon awarded Carack another fat slice of Kenkish before sending it on its way. The Beast let out a series of high-pitched whistling, it flapped its vast wings making such strong air drafts, the Chief had to hold on to the window frame so he wouldn't get launched back. Before long, Carack the Piveagle rose in the air, and it was a marvel to see it fly backwards yet so fast into the clouds.
The Chief was certain his message would reach Brother Balk in 4 hours or so and he was eager to hear what his old school mate had to say about his findings. But for now he'd have to keep an eye on the strange lad and note down anything else that confirmed his findings, and later in the day, he'd have to send a request to the Overseer, so he could try to locate the lad's parents who abandoned him all those nights ago, but he doubted he'd find any trace of their existence, or their son's birth.
§
"The day had been weird, now it's about to get weirder." Sighed Sage, his fatigue wearing down on him
From the window of the farm, Sage spotted two young men sneaking out their homes, one was carrying a bag and a rifle, and the younger had thick amount of rope on his arm. He recognized them as the Walter Brothers, who were the dumbest ones in the village and had loved to bully him when he was younger, until he'd learnt to send the Degons on them. Degons were part wolf, part snake and were vicious little Beasts with sonic like howls that could send anyone flying, its why they made excellent Farm protectors against thieves. And even though it's been years since the Walters caused him trouble, Sage could read mischief all over their faces and his eyes furrowed as he watched them head out the village.
Despite feeling exhausted after the day's work, Sage felt intrigued, he wanted to know where they were going so late in the night and what they planned to do. Of course he could tell on them to the Chief, but after this morning's incident, he doubted he'd open his door to listen to him. Besides, it had been a while since he'd gone out the village by himself, so this was a great opportunity to reconnect with nature and the Beasts that lived there.
"Ladies, keep my bed warm will you." He winked at the Beasts he shared his hay with
Then, as silent as the grave, Sage went out the Farm and hurried after the Walter brothers, walking in the shadows and staying a good distance behind them so they wouldn't sense his approach. Soon he was out the Village and into the Forest of EverShade. It was a good thing that EverShade Forest was dense, or else anyone would've spotted him with the full moon's light shining so bright above him. Since the Walter brothers were just ahead, he hid behind an Oak tree and took a moment to bask in the nocturnal beauty of the Forest, because Sage loved trees and he loved the open space, especially the Beasts, though he didn't know them all. Tonight though the forest was pretty silent seeming like only frogs and fireflies were still awake.
A fresh breeze swept over Sage's skin, and he welcomed its fresh taste on his tongue. Since his feet were bare, to better move around without being heard, he allowed himself to rub them against the freshly grown grass, nearly purring with glee. Even the sight of the starless sky filled him with happiness, somedays he wondered why he hadn't lived in the forest instead, it was just so peaceful out here. But his peace was disturbed by the sound of one Walter brother shouting out in excitement, "Jaxon I's got it, see it, down there; down there!" He prompted
His older brother instantly wacked him hard on his head, bringing his finger to his lips as he warned "Bogs water Joe, pipe down or someone might hear us hé!"
"Oh, me apologies Jaxon." crumpled Joe, "But see, there is it." He insisted, pointing under the petrified wood at their feet
Behind them, Sage was practically pouncing from one tree to another, closing in on them until he was but two trees behind, he stretched his neck and strained his eyes, eager to know what the fools were up to, but only after inching closer did he see the creature the Walter brothers picked up.
"Look here Jaxon, I think it's the one. Ain't it the spider we's were looking for?" asked Joe, seeming so excited by their discovery he couldn't stop fidgeting
But his brother didn't answer him, he was first examining the web tattoo on the small spider's head to see if it'd match that of the Beast they'd over heard lived under petrified wood in the EverShade forest. Except that Jaxon couldn't remember how the old man had described the spider, so he came up with an idea and nudged his brother, "Hey Joe, why don't we's test it to see if it's a Beast."
Joe scratched his hollow head, asking with a shrug "Okays, but how Jaxon?"
An unpleasant smile spread on Jaxon's face, revealing his crooked teeth when he said to his brother, "Why Joe, we's crush it of course." He laughed, howling with approval when his younger brother dropped the spider and rose his boot clad feet to crush it.
"These two will always be idiots." Thought Sage. How could he have believed such knuckle heads would've been up to something serious, and even if he wanted to leave the two fools to continue in their madness, he couldn't let them crush the innocent spider, so Sage came out of hiding and ran as he ordered, "HEY, LEAVE IT ALONE JOE!"
Jaxon's eyes seemed to turn to slits when he saw Sage running their way, he even took aim with the rifle as he told his brother, "Look here Joe, the sorry orphan followed us."
Joe's small eyes widened with content, happy he was about to piss Sage off again, he crushed the spider, then stuck his tongue out at Sage, gloating with a scowl, "Oops, too slow."
Sage watched the two brothers laughing at the spider's expense and he took a menacing step towards them, "What the hell is the matter with you two!" he hissed between clenched teeth, "You didn't have to kill it."
"What the hell...blah, blah, bleh." Mimicked Jaxon, spitting on the ground then giving Sage a smirk when he affirmed, "We dos what we wants runt, and yous, were dumb to follow us." He chuckled, mindlessly taking a shot at Sage for the fun of it, Sage hadn't even budged, as if he'd known the Walter brother would miss him.
Of course this ticked off Jaxon, he'd always hated how controlled and proud of himself Sage always looked, even when they'd bullied him in the past, he'd never cried in front of them. And now he'd followed them and thought he could order them around? It truly wrecked Jaxon's nerves.
Sage crossed his arms and stood his ground even with Jaxon approaching him with the rifle aimed at his heart, he wasn't afraid because he knew no matter Jaxon's hatred for him, he was too coward to risk going to prison, its why his cheap attempt to intimidate him wasn't working. Therefore Sage warned, "You'd do well to drop the rifle, before you hurt yourself Jaxon."
"And you's got to learn not to mess with a man holding your life into his hand." He shot back, flexing his shoulders as a means to show Sage he meant business
But Sage just blew out a breath and moved his head to the side, thinking he'd have more luck reasoning Joe, but instead his mouth fell opened and he hurried over to Joe's body, that lay on the ground covered in sticky and thick spider webs.
Jaxon had followed Sage about to advise him not to move when he still had the rifle, but he instantly dropped his weapon and rushed to his brother's side wailing, "Oh gods…JOE?!" he wept, trying to pull the webs off his brother's face as if it would bring him back to life. But these webs were so sticky he couldn't even pull his hands free, so he turned to Sage, imploring with panic in his voice, "Hey, hey yous gotta help me…HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU?!" he screamed, attempting several times to yank his hands free
Sage was a few feet away from the Walter brother, and the reason why he wasn't paying attention to Jaxon's desperate pleas was because he could feel someone or something out there watching him, waiting for the right moment to pounce on them both. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't see anything, not even a pair of eyes. But when the alarm bells started going off in his mind, Sage rushed back to help Jaxon and while doing so he demanded with urgency in his voice "Tell me what beast it was?"
Jaxon was too busy sobbing over the loss of his brother to hear what Sage was saying, "OH GODS NO! Who could've done this; WHY HIM…oh gods!" he grieved
But Sage didn't have time to let him morn, once his hands were free, he raised him off the ground by his collar and said more forcefully, "Focus Jaxon, cause if you don't we'll both end up like your brother, you understand?" he commanded, giving Jaxon a vigorous shake to wake him
The seriousness of the situation and the alarm on Sage's face instantly got Jaxon to calm down so Sage went on with his question, "The Beast you two dimwits wanted to capture, what kind was it?"
Jaxon took a moment to recollect his thoughts, he licked his parched lips and rummaged through his memory, "Uh, um, the old man called it a True Beast, in the form of them spiders. Um, uh; also spoke about it being like elastic, or octopus; or was it…"
Sage's face turned even more vicious when he growled, "An ELASPIPUS? You really thought you could capture an ELASPIPUS? Good gods?!" he trailed off, letting go of Jaxon so he could blow off some steam, and while he did so he thought out loud, "I read a small passage about the Elaspipus Beast a while back. It's wild and few in numbers, uhm…and uh, it has adaptation abilities." He put out
But Jaxon barely knew anything about Beasts, him and his brother had wanted a strong one so they could sell it and become rich, he'd never imagined the beast would attack them. But he wanted to know what he was up against so he dared to ask Sage, "Uh, say there, when you mean adaptation abilities…?"
"…Abilities include but are not limited to moving underground, echolocation, size manipulation as well as, the ability to camouflage in its surroundings like its doing now… TAKE COVER!"
Sage had been trying to feel where the Beast could be hiding all the while he'd been talking, he couldn't explain how, but it was almost like he could see the Beast moving, like mist in the wind. That's why he'd been able to see it as it charged behind them and pounced with its huge jaw opened, about to eat Jaxon whole. Jaxon was so scared he'd only huddled in a ball and screamed like a child, unable to get himself to move. Luckily, Sage pushed him out the way in time and the both of them tumbled together, knocking their side against a tree, while the invisible beast landed on its feet.
As Jaxon lamented and wallowed in self-pity, Sage got up and ran, leading the Beast far away from Jaxon.
Trees of all sizes crashed down behind Sage and even though his speed was phenomenal, the Beast was catching up pretty fast. Right then he sensed another bolder sized web heading his way so he let himself slide on the grass, when he neared a tree, he grabbed on and used his body's momentum to pull himself up another direction and he went on running even harder. He swore the moment a tree fell in front of him, blocking his path but quickly ran the other way, only for another tree to block his path again. It seemed the Beast was trying to trap him and it worked, soon the only free path was the one behind him where he felt the Beast stood, waiting for him.
"Think Sage, think." He ordered himself, looking left and right for a way out
But the Beast didn't let him think, it charged forward and launched something invisible at him which he rolled away from, watching this invisible force pound the cave situated several meters away from him into dust. Sage's eyes bulged opened and he gulped, "Good grief, what was that!"
Now this invisible force seemed to come from everywhere at once, so that no matter how he rolled, leaped, ducked or ran, the invisible forces ended up catching all of his limbs and one was even around his throat choking him. He was raised above the trees and could even see his village, sleeping and unaware that he was in danger. Wait, would anyone have even helped him if they'd known he was about to die? He strongly doubted it, and all for what, because he had bandages he couldn't take off or colorless eyes? And to think he'd always loved Beasts, and was about to die by the hands of one before he'd learnt to tame them.
As the thought of dying seeped in, Sage vigorously shook himself, desperately wheezing for air, but his efforts were futile and the Beast knew it, it's why it was taking its time to end him, it wanted to enjoy killing its prey.
Soon Sage's eyes began to roll back, and before everything turned dark he thought with sorrow, "What a waste of a life this has been."
His head dropped forward and he went limb. The Beast removed its camouflage and shook its front legs in victory, roaring so loudly it frightened the nearby Beasts who whimpered into the night sky. The Elaspipus released its prey and with its spinnerets, it rapidly enveloped the corpse in its web. Just as it covered the head, suddenly, Sage's eyes shot opened, revealing two large spider eyes, which looked directly into the Beast's eyeless face. Mole claws shredded the cobwebs around Sage's body and he rose to his feet with the help of his big Tentacle tail. The Mobster felt baffled by his prey's new appearance, what shocked it the most was the resemblance his prey had with him, Sage even had six spider arms attached to his mole hands just like it. His entire body was black except for his grey bat ears and on his face were tattooed spider webs like the one the Elaspipus had on its head. Only Sage's hair was the same, even his size was bigger, more robust; somehow he'd become the very Beast that'd attacked him.
The Elaspipus Beast remained still and Sage waited, both regarded each other over and when the Beast approached, Sage let it smell him. When his scent matched that of the Beast, the Elaspipus pranced in place like it was trying to convince itself this was his prey and not an equal. Yet when Sage approached it, it didn't click or screech aggressively, it just shook its great legs and brought them hard against the ground causing the Earth to quake. But Sage wasn't frightened, he came closer and raised his paw up to the Elaspipus. The Beast once again pranced with its 6 large tentacles swirling high into the air, knocking down more trees. It backed away at first, then came closer to Sage, only to back away again.
Even with a bat's face, Sage succeeded to give the Beast a smile as he addressed it, "This is not a trick, we are the same." He assured him, and somewhere inside him, Sage felt like it was another person communicating to the Beast and controlling his new form
The Elaspipus's heavy tentacles dropped to the ground and even if it was still dubious, its bat ears went back and it sent out an echo to Sage who sent an echo of his own through his mouth. That seemed to win the Beast over, slowly it lowered its big head until Sage could pet it. They stood there in each other's solace and Sage could feel the mutation's thoughts through this strange connection they now shared. It's how he knew the Beast was upset Joe had stepped on him without reason.
"I'm sorry you were treated so wrongly love." Soothed Sage, allowing the Beast to snuggle closer to him so he could hug more of its head. Through their connection, Sage realized this Beast of 3m was still young and had lost its mother to another beast not long ago so it was an outcast just like him. Sage felt for the Beast, it was as if he could feel all the mixed emotions the Elaspipus was keeping inside him, and somehow it echoed with his own pain. Therefore he offered, "Why not come with me, we could help each other?"
The Beast's ears went up and it screeched only for a second, then it cuddled closer to Sage and started to shrink. Sage watched the Beast get smaller and smaller, until he bent down and picked it up in his paws. When the Tiny Elaspipus shot a tiny cobweb at his nose, Sage smiled and petted its head with his thumb. He sat on the grass, looking at the mess it had caused and Sage said, "You're helping me clean this up."
The Mobster screeched at him, informing him it didn't know what that meant, causing Sage to laugh wholeheartedly, "I don't get it myself! But I can't be seen in the village like this, so if I keep busy maybe…whatever this is, will wear off." He reasoned, he was certain that once he turned human, he'd take a good moment to freak out over what he'd transformed into
The Beast cocked its head at him so Sage sighed, "Yeah, I don't understand what I'm saying either." Actually what he didn't understand was this transformation, how could he have morphed into a Beast and what if he remained this way forever, how would he ever live a normal life again? And even if his Elaspipus form wore off, what would he do if he transformed again, in front of people this time; they would have him burnt for sure.
Right now he just focused on the moment and that was cleaning the place before anyone wandered about and began to ask questions that could lead back to him. But suddenly he remembered the Walter brothers, his head rose up in alarm and he screeched like an Elaspipus, "Oh no, Jaxon!"
He'd completely forgotten about the no good scoundrel, no doubt he'd run back to the village after Sage had run off, but had he gone straight home to tell his family his brother had died by his fault- he doubted it, Jaxon always thought of saving his own skin which meant, he was probably putting it all on him. At the thought of this, Sage growled like a mad dog into the heavens, "JAXON!"
§
Back at the village, all except some women and children were awake in their night clothes with lanterns in their hands, crowded around the Chief's cottage where Jaxon Walter was bawling his heart out, telling the tale of how the Beast that killed Joe, had done so under Sage's influence.
"It was horrible I tell y'all, something terrible…" he began; "Poor Joe screamed his last as the Beast buried him in a web coffin. And Sage…oh he was behind it all, ordering his beast to come after me too, but I managed to flee, so he called the Beast back, but joe… WHY HIM!" he balled, bringing tears to the villager's eyes and anger to the Chief's face, he should've taken measures against the lad the second he'd realized he was dangerous. Now because of him, he'd lost a member of their village, but he wouldn't let the lad get away with murder.
It seemed the villagers also agreed with him, one by one they thrusted their arms in the air, demanding that justice be brought to Joe. Only the Walter parents weren't talking, the poor couple were grieving and the mother was even on her knees morning the loss of their son.
Certain that the village had bought his story, Jaxon went to his parents; falling on his knees beside his mother who held him dearly as both wept with sorrow, the father too looked devastated but soon his face grew hard and he too thrusted his arms up screaming, "I DEMAND JUSTICE FOR MY SON'S DEATH!"
At once the rest of the villagers joined in and yelled as one, "...JUSTICE FOR JOE!"
The Chief's face was stern and angry when he nodded at the people's demands, he raised his arm and calm instantly descended on the people. They remained silent as he announced with his fair share of rage, "Joe was one of us; he was a son to us, a friend and a valuable carpenter to our village. His death, is a tremendous loss for us all, and it's but fair that we avenge him, that we bring his killer before us to give him his just punishment!" this fueled the fury in the hearts of his people, so that all their nose flared and their knuckles cracked. They nodded to his words, like church members hailed a priest's teachings.
Now, Chief Sadon shook his fisted hands and shouted with vigor, "And I say, we should go after his killer ourselves; right now and catch him before he fleas; WHO'S WITH ME?!"
"YEAH!" the villagers shouted in one accord, looking more than ready to catch the murderer, none of them wanted to wait for the law enforcers, they wouldn't give the rascal a chance to flee.
The Chief seeing the people were well motivated and ready to take action, smiled within himself, because even if he'd let his villagers capture the lad, he wouldn't let them harm him until he received word from the Tower; no way would he let the people's revenge ruin his chances for wealth. But he would let them think he was doing this for them, so he stimulated them, "Go take out your pitchforks, rifles and crossbows; set the Degons loose and together, we will bring TERROR, to the heart of this demon!"
At once the people went into a frenzy, each of them, men, women and even adolescents of ripe ages took whatever weapon they could find. The farmers, including the one Sage worked for brought out their Degons, eager to have these beasts blast the murderer to pieces.
As for the chief, he went inside his home and took out a crossbow and a sword, thinking to himself, "It's been a while, but I am certain my skills have not dulled." He make a few swings with the sword, to test its sharpness, and nodded when the blade seemed to cut through thin air
By the time he came out his cottage, his people were before him, holding lighted torches and grimacing with hatred and blood lust in their eyes. Knowing if he kept them waiting they would go on without him, he turned to Jaxon who for some reason looked suddenly uncomfortable but he ushered him anyway, "Jaxon my boy, lead the way son."
Jaxon licked his suddenly parched lips and seemed about to say something, but when his parents stood behind him holding his shoulders, he swallowed his words and went on. Inside him he couldn't help swearing at his foolishness, he'd lied to the village to save himself, never thinking they'd actually go after Sage. What if he told them the truth and they believed him; he'd get hanged for sure. But it was too late for him to admit anything, the villagers were so mad they might turn on him and kill him. Therefore he gulped, tried to look calm and prayed Sage had done the reasonable thing and run away.
Unfortunately for Jaxon, fate had other plans and as the villagers were but a few feet away from the exit, the Chief saw someone approaching them and since it was still night he couldn't make out who it was, but instantly thought it was Sage. He made a signal for the villagers to halt, they obeyed and looked to the silhouette the Chief was speaking to, "I can see you. I know it's you lad, have you come to confess your sins?" he accused
The villagers all got agitated when the silhouette approached, they too thought it was Sage and prepared their weapons so they'd attack him together. But when the silhouette got close enough so that the torches on the street shone some light on him, they realized it wasn't Sage. It was a man in trousers, boots and a hoodie shading his face. From the look of his dark outfit, the Chief thought it was a bounty hunter or an assassin, but after seeing the medallion he wore, reflecting the moon's shine, The Chief's eyes grew wide with fear and his body shook, "He's a Huntsman! But why is he here?" he quivered
Huntsmen were like Beast Tamers, they also worked for nobles and the rich but acted more like assassins than heroes. They moved in the shadows and no one ever saw their faces until their time had come, reason why the chief instantly ordered his people in a panicky manner, "QUICKLY, ALL OF YOU, LOOK DOWN, LEAST IT BE YOUR END!"
Frightened, the people instantly bowed their heads, except for Jaxon who scoffed at the silly Chief and at the intruder, "What's this about bowing our heads to a stranger éh? He don't scare me one bit." He smirked, folding his arms and sneering at the newcomer
His father instantly bent his head down and hissed in a hushed voice, "Are you mad boy, avert your damn eyes, he's a hunter!" he warned
Since Jaxon had never really been interested in Tamers, beasts and such, he thought his father was speaking of Tamers, so he shoved his father's hand off and blurted out, "Oh yeah, well I ain't scared o' no hunter." And before anyone could stop him, Jaxon approached the man in black and demanded, "Hey you there, what yous want in our village huh? "
At that moment the Hunter pulled back his hoodie, making the people quiver and shut their eyes. While Jaxon squinted his eyes to look closer, then held his hips and laughed after seeing how ugly the man was. He announced, "Ma, Pa, look at him, he's unsightly as hell he is." He mocked, bending over with laughter
His father shook his head while his mother sobbed some more. Just when Jaxon was about to ask them to look again, something suddenly jabbed through his windpipe, stopping him from breathing or talking.
His throat gurgled, and he touched the knife which was jabbed in his neck, only to look horrified at the amount of blood on his fingers. The Knife he'd been stabbed with had a long metal chain which the Hunter pulled, and Jaxon fell dead on the ground, with the villagers sniveling at the horrific sight.
The Hunter didn't put his hoodie back on, he cleaned his knife on his trousers and hung it on his belt where 20 more knives were kept. Now that he was certain he wouldn't be interrupted, he spoke to the villagers, and even his voice sent pricks in their backs, "Children of EverShade, I am here, because I require your assistance."
The Chief knew he shouldn't ask but he couldn't stop himself from doing otherwise, so without raising his head, he questioned, "How could we be of service, Hunter?"
A cold smile formed on the Hunter's face when he replied, "Oh don't worry yourselves, you'll know soon enough."
The Hunter made a whistling sound then, almost the same one Chief Sadon had made to call his Piveagle earlier. A second later, a Beast came soaring from the night sky and landed on the ground. At once the Degons that'd stood with the people, whimpered with fright and ran back to their farms and kennels with their tails between their legs, causing the villagers to wonder what beast could frightened them so. They raised their eyes to see the mutation but none of them had ever seen this kind before or ever bothered reading about Beasts. Even the Farmer who purchased scrolls on Beasts did so to pass time and barely remembered anything he read. Upon realizing none had had the pleasure of meeting his Beast before, the Hunter's smile widened.
His Beast had the face and body of a snow owl with the height of a canary making it look cute and normal. Except that its eyes were hollow like that of a corpse, and it was no surprise that all who looked into them felt either empty or helpless. Despite its creepy eyes, it didn't have anything special so the people were confused why the Hunter had summoned it. None of them dared to move for fear they'd end up like Jaxon, and the Hunter was pleased by their docile characters but in order for them to carry out the jobs he had for them, they'd need the special touch of his Beast, Mystic.
With another short whistle, Mystic understood was the signal, the Beast made two hops forward so it stood directly in front of its public. With a hooting sound, the Beast shook its feathers and the curious villagers were marveled when colorful peacock feathers of 1m high, spread out from nowhere, in a beautiful display. Somehow its vibrant colors caught the eyes of the villagers so that now, the Beast kicked in its ability. An aura of white colors started to cover the Beast completely and the stomach of the villages turned when the eye patterns on the peacock feathers transformed into real eyes of a Timber wolf. The hundred of eyes moved in all directions, and whenever an eye fixed that of a person, their mind instantly went numb, in such a way that they began to drool.
The fact was, Mystic Beasts were carnivores who preyed on small beasts, especially venomous ones. They were barely five in existence and had an evolution rank of level 3. These creatures with their abilities to influence minds of men and Beasts alike, were considered powerful and very dangerous; which was why they were categorized as Psychic Beasts. Hardly has any beast defeated this creature's control, giving its master total power over his victims. Hence why this small Beast was 3rd in the Top 5 Legendary Beast rankings.
In a matter of seconds, the people present fell under the Mystic's influence; the Beast hooted once more, informing its master that the deed was done. The latter nodded, "Good, now repeat my command…you are all mine, and will do my bidding."
Right then, the Mystic Beast opened its beak and spoke in its master's exact voice, repeating what he said, and since the villagers were under Mystic's influence, they all repeated its words, "We are all yours, and we will do your bidding."
"Indeed you will." cackled the Hunter
The Chief, even with his training at the Guild, hadn't been able to fight off the Mystic's voice in his head or its mind control. But he had thought of something just before his mind gave in completely to the Beast, "The bastard sent a Hunter after me and the village, just to get to him; but why?"
Unfortunately for him, that was a question he'd never have an answer to.