"Search high and low!" Arin's father, Aloe, shouted to the older hunters. They all held torches that fought desperately to stay lit in the pouring rain. "They couldn't have gone far!"
"Sir, "these look like Arin's footprints!" An older hunter shouted. Arin's father and the other hunters rushed over, noticing the footprints. They were quick then suddenly stopped. They noticed a large mud print like a fight had happened… with strange paw prints.
"Could he have fought something?" Tyara, Goriath's mother, asked.
"I don't see bloodshed." The older hunter shook his head.
"His spear, sir!" Yuu, Vee's, father pointed out. Aloe moved over and knelt down. The spear tip was definitely his son's. "He can't be far, then, Leader."
Aloe nodded. Yuu was right. Arin hadn't shed a drop of blood so he must be alright.
"The trail continues this way!" Tyara shouted. The old hunters gathered as Tyara and the older hunter pointed at the second trail of tracks. "The paw prints from earlier. Do you think that creature…"
"There's no way that's the same creature, right?" The old hunter asked.
"It's exactly the same…" Aloe whispered. He had dreaded this day. He took off, following the tracks. "Please, boy, be alive."
Aloe was the first to spot Alex. He was weak and was struggling to breathe. "I found one of 'em!" He threw open his pack and grabbed a healing salve.
"H-Hunt Leader…" Alex weakly called to Aloe.
"Shush, boy. It'll be okay. Take this for now!" Aloe smeared Alex's wounds with the salve. The boy screamed in pain as the burning erupted followed by a soothing feeling.
"Is he alright?!?" Tyara asked, kneeling down next to him.
"I put a salve on him. Keep an eye on him, Railand!" Aloe ordered. Railand nodded and knelt downwards.
"Sir," Yuu whispered to Aloe. He pointed to trees all around them. "An ogre is near."
"The rest of you prepare yourself for the worst! Come with me!" Aloe shouted. He led the way through the foliage and watched the scene unfold before his eyes. The young hunters were scattered about and a strange Beast rushed up to the gray ogre, slashing its back while Arin punched through its club and then into its stomach.
"What in Forsaken's name is going on?" Yuu asked.
Arin soared through the sky as Vee's scream erupted.
"VEE!" Vee's father, Yuu, shouted.
Aloe and Tyara watched as Arin disappeared mid-air and reappeared in front of Yuu, plunging his hand into the ogre's chest. Arin tore the crushed heart away, turning his head slightly into view. Arin's eyes pulsed yellow as he tossed the heart away. The ogre stumbled backwards, falling onto the ground as Vee's cries filled the air.
"Vee!" Yuu cried, landing onto his knees and hugging his daughter.
"Dad!" Vee cried, clutching her father.
Yuu looked up to Arin and noticed he wasn't moving. "A-Arin…?"
A loud sigh of relief left Arin's lips before he stumbled forward.
"Arin!" Aloe flashed to his son's side, grabbing him. Arin's eyes flickered yellow before returning to their beautiful emerald color. "Boy, are you okay?"A roar erupted as a Shadow Panther leapt at Aloe, pushing him away from Arin.
Arin and Aloe collapsed onto the ground as the other hunters raised their weapons up.
"Don't." Arin ordered the Shadow Panther. "Don't. They're the Elders." Shadow Panther purred dissatisifed and nuzzled up to Arin. Arin chuckled weakly and patted the Shadow Panther.
"Did you just… see that?" One of the three older hunters asked.
"Mom!" Goriath shouted. Tyara sprinted over to her son, kneeling down. He winced in pain as his rugged mother scanned him.
"Are you alright?" Tyara asked.
"I'm fine. Did you see what just happened? Arin just showed up out of nowhere with that Beast and killed the ogre!"
"Arin…" Aloe slowly rose to his feet. The day he had been dreading had come. "W-what's that?" He pointed at the Shadow Panther. The Shadow Panther turned and looked up at Aloe, planting a seat next to Aloe.
The fabled stories of the Shadow Panther were well-known to the older hunters and Aloe, along with the others, found it extremely hard to understand what was going on. Aloe's son had successfully tamed a Shadow Panther?
"Y-your son, Aloe!" Yuu pointed at Arin. Night turned and watched Yuu closely. It spooked Yuu, who quickly pulled his hand away. "Y-your son couldn't be… right?!?"
"A Beastlord!" Vee shouted. "Arin's a Beastlord?!?"
Aloe's eyes shook. He didn't think a day like this would come for his own son. He could feel it in his bones - the ancient blood that ran through him, told Aloe all he needed to know about his son. He was definitely a Beastlord.
Aloe didn't move closer to his son, but addressed him like everything was fine. "Arin, tell me how this happened. Did you really kill the ogre?"
Everyone knew ogres were threatening for Hunters. If you weren't experienced, you wouldn't be able to take out one - let alone on top of that.
Arin nodded. "What Goriath says is true. I killed the ogre. It wouldn't have been the case if Goriath didn't use Earth magic to distract it."
"But you overpowered it in an instant!" Goriath shouted. He grunted, clutching his stomach.
"Do not stir with anger. You'll hurt yourself more, Goriath." Tyara scolded her son.
"It's true! We would've all died if it weren't for him!" Goriath's eyes began to shake as tears built up. He pointed at Arin, shouting, "How can troublemaker kill a difficult monster like that?!?"
Goriath's comment was one of both jealousy and revelry. Thornwood supported those who were strong and those who didn't follow the rules and this ideal were casted aside. The question Goriath and all the remaining Hunters - old and new (who were conscious) - were asking themselves the same question.
How did someone like Arin become a Beastlord and tame the mythical Shadow Panther?
"Enough," Aloe broke their thoughts. "We need to gather everyone and take them back home." He looked at the Shadow Panther that quietly watched Aloe with a curious intensity. It sat next to his son so calmly.
'How can a mythical Beast foretold in stories since the inception of Thornwood be sitting next to my own son?' Aloe wondered.
He took a step forward and reached out to Arin. The Shadow Panther didn't growl at him and didn't move. It simply watched as Arin attempted to stand.
"Ah!" Arin groaned, hitting the floor.
"Are you alright, Arin?" Aloe asked, quickly supporting his son. From up close, Aloe saw his wife in Arin. The emerald eyes, the tousled earthly hair and the gentle smile that painted Arin's face as he answered Aloe's question.
"I'm fine, Father." Arin replied. With Aloe's help, he stood up. He scanned the surroundings around him and noticed Vee, Goriath and a couple other friends were avoiding eye contact with him. He glanced at the Shadow Panther's way and noticed something strange.
[Congratulations! You've successfully tamed the Shadow Panther!]
The Shadow Panther bowed its head towards Arin before standing and readying itself for the journey wherever his new master would go.
[Would you like to give the Shadow Panther ♂ a name?]
'A name…?' Arin folded his lips together and thought for a moment. He smiled instantly knowing the name he wanted to name the Shadow Panther. 'I'll call you Nocturnis, Noct for short!'
[The Shadow Panther ♂ has been named Nocturnis.]
[Your connection with Nocturnis has been established!]
By the time they arrived home, the rain had died down and the villagers and remaining Hunters were waiting for them. They all gasped as the Shadow Panther followed besides Arin. They all whispered as the Hunters lifted their weapons, unsure of the situation.
Some of the new Hunters were greatly broken, bruised and in horrible conditions. They were immediately treated, leaving Vee, Goriath, and Arin sitting awkwardly together.
"Please, you can't come inside!" The healer stuttered. Arin, Vee and Goriath turned and noticed Nocturnis trying to claw his way in. "A-Arin, I'm told t-this one's yours? C-can you help me?"
"Noct, you can't come inside here. You need to stay out there." Arin spoke loudly. Nocturnis whined and lowered its head, reversing and planting a seat outside the door.
"It listened to you?" Vee asked.
"He's a bit clingy because he trusts me." Arin replied. He turned his attention back to Goriath and Vee who sat parallel to him. While Vee was a bit spooked by the mythical beast being in their village, Goriath seemed… peeved at the situation.
"He? How do you know it's gender? Did you check it's parts?" Vee asked. She clearly was more interested in the Shadow Panther than her little squabble from the beginning of the day.
"Just an instinct. I actually—"
Goriath slammed his fists onto the chair, splintering it. Vee and Arin jumped, turning their attention to the large man. He gritted his teeth together and if Goriath could spew venom, he'd probably be doing it right now.
"How can someone like you be a Beastlord?!?" Goriath screamed. It was unfair. The Hunter Leader's son - the disappointment of Thornwood - was a Beastlord! This didn't sit right with Goriath as he rose from his chair and grabbed Arin's shirt, lifting him up onto his feet. "You don't deserve to be a Beastlord! There's no strength for a Hunter who uses a powerful Beast to do their bidding!"
Nocturnis growled, standing as it carefully watched Goriath's moves.
"Goriath, enough." Vee tried to stop him. "We're in the Spiritualist's center. We should refrain from fighting."
"Screw that!" Goriath roared. He lifted his hand and balled it. Nocturnis roared, paralyzing Goriath and Vee in fear.
Arin let out a sigh and plucked Goriath's hand off his shirt and stepped away towards Nocturnis. He put a hand up, stopping Nocturnis and sadly looking at Goriath.
"Of course, you'd undermine everything that's happened for your hurt little ego." Arin shook his head. "If I didn't get there when I did, you would've all died. Would you rather waste your prideful ego and be stuck in your ways in exchange for all of your lives being taken by the ogre?"
The paralyzing shout vanished, releasing Goriath and Vee. Arin turned, pissed, and headed out the door.
"Arin, you can't leave until—" The healer began to say when he threw a hand up and pulled the door open.
"I'm fine. Compared to them, I'll heal just fine."