"What do you mean save, Eden?" Ezra asked holding the bird back as it struggled to get out of his grip.
"It's none of your concern, kid. I have to find a master and save Eden. The world may not have enough time." said the eagle as it scratched Ezra's arm.
The eagle continued scratching Ezra's arm to the point that he was bleeding heavily but he kept holding the bird tightly until is calmed down. Ezra felt the eagle relax and loosened his grip.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Since you can hear me, there is a chance that...Can I have your hand?" it asked.
Ezra looked at the strange bird in confusion. "First tell me what's going on." he said sternly.
"Okay fine. There is a great danger that is going to befall this world shortly. The danger involves Eden's gates." the eagle said.
"What's wrong with Eden's gates?"
"They are open."
"I thought that this college is meant to monitor the gates and prevent their opening."
"That's the problem. Someone in this school is opening the gates. The Elder Gods that are trapped in Eden have been hitting at Eden's gates for centuries but they have never managed to open it."
"They only manage to move it an inch every hundred years and that's thanks to the Sword of the Eternal Flame found in the tree of life. But now that sword has been weakened and stolen."
"So that means that the gates are weakened as well."
"Not quite. The gates of Eden can only be opened from outside. Anything inside when the gates close is trapped for eternity."
"So that means that the Elder Gods are receiving help from outside, right?"
"Exactly. Specifically someone strong from this school. Although all the worthy candidates that could do it have no idea the gates are even open."
"Worthy candidates, who?"
"Even though the Elder Gods are trapped, they can still come to this world using people with high soul energy. Like your friend, Nova, the phoenix."
"Nova has an Elder God!" Ezra's eyes widened.
"Yes, you would have one too but for some reason your soul is locked up."
Ezra looked it his palms surprised. He could have had a soul animal? His soul is locked up? He didn't know what to do with all the information he just received.
"So that only means that someone of importance in this college is pulling the strings to open Eden's gate and they most likely have a group of powerful individuals with them."
"But if someone opens Eden's gates, wouldn't it release those Elder Gods?" asked Ezra.
"Them and a number of other monsters. This world would go back to a world of pain and suffering." answered the eagle.
"So I basically need a master and now. Luckily I've found the perfect one. A human with no soul animal."
"Me!?" Ezra asked in shock.
"Yes, you. You don't have a soul animal so your soul wouldn't reject out bonding. I just have to drink your blood."
Ezra's eyes widened. "What? Did my blood? Ew, no."
"Why not. You can hear me, meaning that there is at least some level of compatibility."
"But why do you have to drink my blood?" asked Ezra beginning to reconsider.
"Because it would connect me to your body that is connected to your soul. I don't have a soul link that can connect me to my master's souls directly."
"That's why you were alive when your master was dead." Ezra sighed as he looked at the bird then at his bleeding arm. "Fine. You can drink some."
The eagle then flew onto Ezra's shoulder and perched on it as it drink the blood that was flowing out from where he had scratched.
"Now just say the words." the eagle asked.
"What words?" Ezra asked, confused.
"The words to bond us."
"Oh yeah. Bond." Ezra closed his eyes waiting to bond with the eagle.
"What are you doing?" it asked.
"Trying to bond." he replied.
"You do know that you'd have to sat my name."
"What do you mean?"
The eagle sighed before flying off of Ezra's shoulder.
"All powerful soul animals have names. When they level up, they get a name so when you're bonding with them you have to say their names. My name is 555. Don't forget it."
"Okay. I did not know that." Ezra said.
He then took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Bond: 555
A gust of wind then blew around Ezra as feather spiraled around him briefly before revealing Ezra dressed in a one-piece black and grey outfit with a gold robe and strapped sandals. He also had a Jingasa worn on his head.
He looked forward and saw a large single edged sword planted into the ground. The sword was a meter long along the blade and its hilt was 30 centimeters long. It was fairly long considering that Ezra was 180 centimeter tall.
"What is this?" He asked himself.
"What do you mean? It's the armor of Eden's greatest helper. You wanted actual armor. That would be way to heavy." said the eagle's voice in his mind.
"I guess it does look nice. Though this sword is quite long." Ezra said as he walked up to the sword.
He then held the hilt and lifted up the hilt and pulled it out of the ground. His eyes widened from surprise as to how light the large sword was. He swung it around a few times slashing the air. The sword was incredibly light and he maneuvered it like a professional.
"Looks like your having fun." the eagle said.
"Of course this sword is cool." he said with a smile on his face. "So what powers do I have." he asked excitedly.
"Powers. You don't have a soul animal and you think your soul can hold the powers of Eden's best helper." the eagle said in a tone that sounded disappointed.
"So what I just have a cool sword and new clothes."
"No, you also have a heightened physical abilities. Like speed, strength, healing but not regeneration, and durability." the eagle said.
"You would also have wings for flight but you're too weak to grow wings. You don't have enough soul energy.'
"Oh, that's cool, I guess." Ezra said, disappointed.
"Don't sound so disappointed. It's hard also... Do you sense that?"
"Yeah, I do. Two people are approaching, fast."
Ezra drew his sword closer to himself as he looked around for anyone. The sky then suddenly turned darker as ravens covered the sky. That was the sign of the presence of one person alone, Mother Graves.
"Oh hey there, Ezra Jameson." greeted a female voice.
Ezra turned his head and saw mother Graves floating above him in her classic black dress.
"You've gotten quite strong, haven't you?" she said but Ezra remained silent looking at her intensely. "You're concentrating on the wrong target, dear. Your fight is behind. I'm just here to observe."
"Ezra, behind us." the eagle yelled.
Ezra turned to see what was behind him only to get hit on the side by a large claw. The punch sent him flying but he managed to get a hold of himself before falling down.
He looked at the creature that hit him and in front of him was a large crustacean with an old man on top of it.
"Is that old guy riding a giant crab?"