4. What Is A Beast Tamer?
The next morning, dawn had barely broken when Orpheus found Riven waiting, a spark of eagerness in his eyes that matched the lingering electricity from the night before. The inn was quiet; the early mist lay thick around them as Orpheus led him out back, where an old stone circle, etched with runes, served as the inn's makeshift training ground.
Orpheus turned to Riven, his expression both serious and amused. "Alright, kid, today's the start. We're going to see just how much control you've got over that lightning inside you. Remember, magic isn't just about power. It's about the balance between power and restraint. Think you can handle that?"
Riven nodded, although he didn't quite understand. He could still feel the electric hum in his veins, an untamed thing buzzing with raw energy.
"All right," Orpheus said, studying him with a squint. "Let's start with the basics. Channeling. Most people have a mana core that pulses gently within them, like a stream. Yours? It's like a waterfall, no, more like a storm cloud— ready to strike. Let's see if you can call it out, just a bit."
Riven took a deep breath, closing his eyes as Orpheus instructed. He imagined his mana core like a storm within, as Orpheus had described— a whirling cloud heavy with power, waiting to be unleashed. He tried to reach for it, focusing on pulling a single spark from the storm.
A faint crackle buzzed in his fingertips, tingling up his arm. He opened his eyes to see tiny arcs of white lightning dancing between his fingers. His face lit up with astonishment.
"There we go, kid!" Orpheus barked, though he couldn't hide the pride in his voice. "Now, keep it steady. That's the first step to control— learning to coax out only what you need. Don't overdo it."
But the excitement was too much. Riven pushed too far, letting the lightning grow until it sparked with a deafening crack. Orpheus stumbled back, shielding his eyes.
"Easy, easy!" Orpheus shouted, his face a mix of exasperation and awe. "You nearly roasted me, boy! This is lightning we're dealing with— not a campfire."
Riven immediately clamped down, heart pounding. The lightning faded, though a few stray sparks still sizzled around his fingertips. "Sorry, sorry!" he stammered, eyes wide with worry. "I didn't mean to—"
Orpheus chuckled, brushing himself off with a sigh. "That's the thrill and danger of magic, Riven. She's a wild one, always tempting you to go bigger, to let it loose. But there's a cost to every spell, even the small ones. Channeling magic is like trying to rein in a wild horse. You have to learn to control it, not the other way around."
Riven looked at his hands, brow furrowed in concentration. "But… what if I can't? What if it's too strong?"
Orpheus rested a calloused hand on his shoulder, his tone softening. "Listen, every adventurer has doubts. Even the greats. I was no different when I was your age. Had too much earth magic at my fingertips— couldn't stop shaking the ground every time I got angry." He chuckled at the memory, though his eyes were distant, shadowed by some long-buried fear.
"Really?" Riven asked, intrigued. He'd never imagined Orpheus, the wise old innkeeper, as anything but an immovable rock.
"Oh, yes. Took me years to learn control. Magic isn't just power, Riven. It's who you are— your spirit, your will. You'll learn in time."
Riven smiled, comforted by Orpheus's words. For the first time, he saw his mentor not just as a teacher but as someone who understood the challenges he faced. "What is a beast tamer?"
Orpheus looked down at him and asked. "Huh?"
Riven raised his voice a notch. "I hear the adventurer's talking about their beasts a lot but I never really see one."
Orpheus looked at him with willful eyes and said. "Learning to control your magic isn't all it's cooked up to be. To be honest the full potential of magic is never revealed until one is bonded to a beast. You see kid, beasts are magical creatures mostly found in dungeons and artifact shops."
"Beasts come in different shapes and sizes but can only he bonded with someone with a similar elements affinity."
Riven's eyes widened with interest. "So someone with flame attribute cane only bond with a beast that works with flame."
Orpheus smiled. "Exactly. But we can't just go forming a contract with beasts, that would be too easy. That's where the term beast tamer comes in, we have to tame them. Sometimes it's easy to tame them and sometimes it's harder."
Riven could not contain his excitement. "Really? And how do I form a contract with a beast."
Orpheus looked at Riven and pondered on his next words before saying. "Actually kid, I think you have already been bonded to a beast. I wondered if perhaps your father linked one to you when you were young but that does not seem to be the case."
Riven's mood dampened as he thought on whether or not to talk about his encounter with the astral dragon.
Orpheus sensing the mood paused and said. "If you don't want to talk about it then don't. Most first tamings are nasty, mine wasn't really cool anyway."
Riven rest his back on the tree there and spoke in a soft tone. "Really? What happened?"
Orpheus smiled and ruffled his hair. "It was a grade two rock golem and a bit too much for me to chew. The contract was a forced contract and I almost died. How happy I was when my catalogue appeared boy was I glad."
"Catalogue?" Riven was puzzled.
Orpheus nodded. "Catalogue is sort of like a guideline that appears when the beast will of the tamed beast activates in the conciousness of the beast tamer. If you really have tamed a beast it'll appear."
Riven sighed. "I don't get it."
Orpheus started to walk back to the Adventurer's Inn. "You'll get it one day, hopefully. I have to set the place up before the troublesome one appear. They usually come in first."
Riven stood there and tried to look within himself if he really did have the inheritance of the astral dragon. "I wonder if I really have become a beast tamer."