Ethan sat cross-legged on the cabin floor, Alastair's map spread out before him.
Scruff perched on a nearby chair, preening his scruffy feathers, while Snowfang lay curled by the door, its silver coat glinted in the dim light. The gear Alastair had provided was strewn around him. Leather armor, a crossbow, potions, and a knife.
As he traced his fingers over the map, memories began to surface, he started turning on his mana to simulate his memories of what was gonna happen.
---
The Trials.
Ethan's breath hitched as fragments of his past life pieced themselves together. The Beast Trials were more than a test of skill. They were a crucible, meant to forge tamers into legends or break them completely.
He recalled the visages of the Beastlord's Circle, the council presiding over the Trials.
She came first in my mind, the Ice Matron, as cold and sharp as the frost beasts she commanded. She was a sort of mentor, in his former life, teaching him the subtleties of taming beasts of icy temperaments. A lover of riddles and a sparer of words, one who had frustrated and fascinated him.
Then there was "Darius Stormfang," the gruff, no-nonsense master of aerial beasts. He had been one of the few to show Ethan real respect, impressed by his bond with his Wind Falcon. Ethan smirked remembering the old man's gruff encouragement: "Show them you're not just another wide-eyed kid with a bird. Prove you've got teeth."
Not all memories were happy ones. Ethan's jaw clenched at the sight of "Kael Ironclaw." The man had been a snake in his first life, always scheming and sabotaging other tamers. Ethan could still feel the sting of betrayal from when Kael had tampered with his gear during one of the trials.
And then there was "Leonard Vayne." Ethan's hands curled into fists. Leonard had been his greatest rival, a cunning and ruthless tamer who would stop at nothing to win. In the final trial of his past life, Leonard had exploited a loophole, turning the council's rules against Ethan. The humiliation of that loss still burned.
The map blurred as the memories deepened, pulling Ethan further into the past.
He found himself running through thick woods, mud dripping off his boots, his breathing rough as he tracked a creature. The mission had been straightforward: track and tame a creature in a hazardous terrain. Yet nothing was straightforward. Other challengers had set traps to sabotage other opponents. In his first life, he had almost fallen into a pitfall set up by Kael.
A scene unfolded in his mind. A grand cavern lit by an eerie blue light. Tamers were placed in isolated chambers, forced to connect with their chosen beasts while under duress.
Ethan remembered the tension, the weight of Scruff's gaze as the Wind Falcon chose him in that moment. The memory of that instant, of their shared understanding, brought a faint smile to his lips.
This memory came with a bitter taste. The grand arena, roaring crowds, and the pressure of proving oneself against other tamers. Leonard had stood across from him, his beast. A massive Flame Dracohound. Snarling at Ethan's Wind Falcon. The battle had been fierce, but Leonard's trickery had cost Ethan the victory.
Not this time.
Ethan blinked, returning to the present.
The Trials were on the horizon. He had no intention of failing again, not after the mistakes of his past life. This time, he was prepared.
Scruff fluttered over to his side, hopping onto the table, and pecking at the map as if to draw Ethan's attention back to the task at hand. Ethan absently stroked the bird's feathers, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The Wind Falcon's presence calmed him, reminding him that he wasn't alone. He would never be alone.
Preparation was key. Strategy would be his best weapon. And that's what he was going to concentrate on tonight.
The Hunt started at dawn, and this was one of three demanding stages. Ethan knew well that the trial was equal parts strategic and patient rather than skills.
The goal was simple: track and tame a rare, wild beast within a dense forest. Other tamers would be out there too, and they would stop at nothing to win. The forest wouldn't be their only danger. Human enemies were just as lethal.
Ethan's mind turned back to the woods of his first life. He had learned the hard way not to trust anyone in the Trials, not even fellow competitors.
Kael Ironclaw had set a trap for him, a pit under an underbrush. Ethan had barely managed to avoid it with his instincts and his bond with Scruff, but that was luck. In this life, he would not depend on luck. He would outwit them.
He sat back and deliberated on the plan. First, he would have to make a good choice for his beast. He must ensure he triumphs with as few confrontations as possible.
He remembered the beasts he had faced in his previous life. The Glacial Howler, a monstrous wolf-like creature with a thick white pelt and ice breath, had almost torn him apart in the first trial of his past life. It was fast, and deadly. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistake of underestimating it.
However, Frostshadow Lynx was quite different. Ethan had seen how Snowfang was faithful to Alastair and had grasped her potential to be an adaptable companion.
He had Scruff, where his aerial dominance was well on his side. He could rule open spaces of the forest. Still, he was cautious, for his beasts were an advantage, but they could also pin-point him to a spot.
He would then have to take advantage of the terrain. Ethan had studied the map that Alastair had provided for him, marking where the terrain could be an advantage over the other tamers.
The northern area of the forest was dense with underbrush and small caves, ideal for ambushes or setting traps for the other tamers. There were also several points marked where the rarest of beasts was said to roam. Ethan decided to concentrate his efforts on the Redmist Grove, a misty thicket of trees and home to the Silvermane Elk. Maybe if he could track that first, he might be able to tame it before someone else did.
---
The second test, the Bonding Challenge, would find out how strong his bond is with his beast. Ethan had always been good in this part of the Tests. He knew beasts in ways most tamers didn't. The tests were about taming a creature. But that would be no easy task.
He remembered the Tethering Chamber. A massive, sterile space where they would be isolated with their beast. The environment was designed to test the mental and emotional limits of both the tamer and the beast. The creatures would be placed under extreme stress, with their instincts pushing them to either fight or flee. The tamers, too, would be tested. The slightest lapse in concentration could break the bond, causing the beast to reject them.
Scruff had picked him eons ago, even before the fact when Ethan had initiated the Trials. Scruff was an uncomplicated creature. Loyal and smart, but not one of the complicated beasts in the Trials.
Snowfang was a different story altogether. The Frostshadow Lynx was an intelligent, powerful creature. Its bond with Alastair was something that Ethan could never do overnight. However, Snowfang had taken an interest in him. In the past, it had meant that she had respect for his abilities. Now, it could also mean that she might choose to bond with him, if he proved himself worthy.
The Bonding Challenge was about showing strength and demonstrating trust. Ethan had done that once. Attempting to force the bond, attempting to make the beast submit instead of letting it come to him. He would be different this time. He would be slow. He would spend the coming days taking his time with Snowfang, letting her grow to trust him.
He would do that. He would take time with Snowfang over the coming days.
---
Ethan's fists clenched as his mind turned to the final trial. The Final Clash. The grand arena, the crowds cheering, the roars of beasts echoing through the air. He could see Leonard Vayne across from him, his beast. Flame Dracohound. Snarling in anticipation. The battle would be fierce, and every part of him screamed to be ready for anything.
In his first life, he had lost because he had let his emotions cloud his judgment. Leonard had used every trick in the book, exploiting the rules to his advantage and manipulating the arena itself. This time, Ethan knew he couldn't let that happen.
---
Ethan stood, taking a deep breath as the weight of the Trials settled on his shoulders. Turning off the mana mental simulation.
"Let's do this," he muttered to himself, glancing down at Scruff and Snowfang. His beasts gave silent affirmations.