Yaren awoke to slight burning sensation in his side, but the feeling of him being watched prevented him from moving suddenly. Slowly inching his eyes open to look at his surroundings, He saw Redmill sitting in a chair with her legs crossed, twirling a glass in her hand seemingly lost in thought. Looking closely one could see steam coming from the glass in her hand. Upon realizing it was just Redmill her opened his eyes fully and gave a sheepish smile. Redmill jumped as if she was shocked dropping the glass onto the floor. "Gg..Goodmorning Yaren." She said as if she was a child caught in the cookie jar. "Ssorry if I.. I made you nervous I was just curious about something and got lost in my thoughts." She said to him before puffing her cheeks and turning away. She stood up, threw on a robe reminiscent of scholars before throwing open the door. "There are some rolls on the table, and a jar of honey. There is some dried meat on the rack by the window. I will be around later after I finish some tasks". She flashed a brief smile before vanishing out the door.
"That was.. strange." Yaren thought to himself. He glanced at the liquid on the floor. "Flare Hound is what Skrid called her yesterday.." He suddenly thought of the hot sensation he felt in his side when he woke up. He decided to shake off such a thing for now before cleaning up the glass on the floor. " I suppose it's the least I could do." He grabbed a roll before breaking it open and dipping it in the honey. After washing his face in the tub he grabbed a few pieces of Jerky before heading out the door.
Upon entering the Circle, He noticed that the Bonfire was still burning, as hot as ever. Looking around Yaren tried to find a source of fuel for the fire, before becoming distracted by the amount of people in the Circle. "Humans?? And is that an Elf? Why are there so many people here? I saw only Gnolls besides outside of the Inn yesterday." Finding it strange he was about to ask before he realized that he couldn't speak the language of the other races around him. "I can't even understand them." He said inwardly. Yaren was about to head over to Skrids house before he noticed him talking to an Elf dressed in a set of armor he's never the seem the quality of before. It felt as if standing near the man made his skin tingle. Skrid notice Yaren looking over finished what he was saying and bid the man farewell.
"Yaren, come let's go train immediately". He said with a hushed voice. "Whaa..?!" Yaren went to reply before his wrist was grabbed with a force he couldn't resist and pulled behind Skrid. After walked a few streets away from the Circle they reached a large stone building. Skrid looked around before taking his sword out and making a small cut on his palm.
Frowning, he placed his bloodied palm in the handle of the door and whispered "The one who bides his time bestows his wisdom to the patient. The Lord of the Midlands has reverence for those who hold true."
The door slowly pushed inwards before soundlessly sliding into a crevice in the wall showing a dimly lit room. "Inside." Skrid pushed Yaren with urgency. Once both of them were in the room Skrid visibly relaxed as he let out a breath for what felt like the first time in an eternity. Glancing at Yaren he started to explain "The creatures in the Urus Midlands are growing restless. Norn City has sent officials to set up a forward base in Yinnsk Village. The village will face a boom." He said with a seemingly sad smile. "You don't seem excited." Replied Yaren.
A frown slowly formed on Skrids face. "Runt. Listen to me. We became sworn friends so while I can't tell you everything, just know that there's always multiple sides to a story." He paused for a few seconds before patting Yarens shoulder, "All I can say is that in the evening we will return and live in the village like normal, during the day we will come here and train." Yaren saw the intensity in Skrids face, opting not to reply with words, and simply shake his head. "Good, follow me."
As they proceeded down a hallway that felt like it was much longer than it seemed possible when they had entered the building, an unsettling feeling bubbled up within Yaren. "Are you sure about this?" He asked Skrid helplessly. He didn't recieve an answer as they continued walking, reaching a dead-end with a series of doors on all three sides. As Skrid opened a door and went to walk through an unbearable pressure decended upon the two Gnolls. Skrid, suddenly mustering up a previously unshown strength grabbed Yaren by the arm before diving into the opened room. Seeing both had made it in Skrid went to slam the door shut, but as it had shut, it burst open with great force sending the two hurtling further into the room. "OHM? YOU TRIED TO HIDE THE ONE WITH THAT STRANGE AURA DID YOU?" "WAIT... NO.. HMMMM I SEE. A LAUGHABLE ATTEMPT THEY MADE. PITIFUL MONSTER. YOUR TRUE DESTINY IS PLAUGED WITH STRIFE." The crushing pressure suddenly eased up a great deal before a hazy figure appear before the two. The figure ignored Skrid as it approached Yaren. "A MORSEL OF HELP SO SMALL IT COULD BARELY BE CALLED AN AID. GROW CHILD. YOUR AURA.. I KNOW IT." The figure reached out a distorted arm touching the forehead of a trembling Yaren. Suddenly, as if time stopped everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened at all. The door was shut with no signs of being forced open, and the intangible suffocating pressure disappeared as if it never existed.
Skrid slowly pulled himself together, shaking the excess sweat off his mane as he shakily looked around the room. Seeing Yaren unconscious on the floor he immediately ran over to check on him. "That boy is fine. Clean yourself up whelp." Came a dry, yet robust voice. Turning around Skrids eyes widened as he saw the figure before him. "C-C-CHIEF! I'm sorry for my shameful appearance. I don't know how to explain it.." stammered Skrid. "No need, No need." The Chief waved. Standing there was an exceedingly large man with Hyena like features. His weathered face showed the trials he had faced before, and the scars marring his body showcased a lifetime of hard-fought victory. A cascading jet black mane covered the monsters head, with a reddish-brown hide and a distinctive tattoo on the left side oh his face. He gave off a Dignified yet Primal feeling, and his gaze had a small amount of pressure contained with it. This man was Koly Thorntooth the Chief of Yinnsk Village.
Yaren opened his eyes and found himself In a world of haze, his feet not even touching the ground. In front of him sat a beautiful woman, akin to those goddesses only spoken of in myth. Realizing he could still move he slowly floated until he was within a few dozen meters from the woman. She peered through him with crystal blue eyes that seemed deeper than any ocean imaginable. "Fufufufu that fucking toad tried to alter some memories. Although he did strengthen his body slightly." Yaren stared at the woman with his mouth agape. Before him sat a women on a throne made of pure Emeralds shimmering with otherworldly power. Her porcelain skin appeared so smooth, it would be blasphemy to the universe to claim it had so much as even a single flaw. Her hair shimmered with a pearlescent glow as the cloudy nebulae floating within the strange space surrounded her. She rolled her eyes as she tapped Yaren on the forehead. "I can't do much for that child. The memories imparted with him would ignite Divinia into a place of strife and bloodshed. What the fuck was that old man thinking?!" The women was about force Yaren back to reality before she had a sudden thought. "While it isn't a whole lot this is the most I can do with my power at the moment." She thought before flicking a small light towards the floating body of Yaren.
On a small cloud surrounded by infinite darkness sat a beautiful woman. "Why would you do that Yassuie?!" Screamed a light pitched voice. "What do you mean why?" The woman named Yassuie replied. "A first evolution monster. A literal cannon fodder in the realm of Divinia. You used some of the last remaining fragments of your power to contact that fucking.. Thing.. for who knows why!!!" The shrill voice continued. "Don't berate me. You have no idea what I can see." Yassuie said with a huff. The voice of the small being exploded upon hearing those words. "YOU USED YOUR EYES ON IT?!?!" The tiny buzzing being roared out loud.
Yassuie sighed as she summoned a hammock and laid down, swinging while conjuring a sky in a small area above her head within the endless void. "But that beast... has Grandpa's Aura..."