Chapter 2: The First Clue
Chapter 2: The First Clue
The fire's embers flickered low, throwing jagged shadows across the room as Rylan's eyes traced the page again and again. The book's words burned into his mind:
"The Golden Eye of Potential: A beast dismissed by all, yet the key to unlocking legendary strength. Its path lies hidden to all but those who dare look."
Rylan's fingers ran along the inked sketch of the small bird, nearly identical to the creature watching him from across the table. Its single golden eye seemed to glow faintly in the dim light.
"How could you be…" Rylan whispered, his voice trailing off. Legendary strength? That was something only high-born tamers with rare beasts dreamed of. Beasts like phoenixes or thunder wolves—not some ragged fledgling everyone called "trash."
The bird chirped, its golden eye never leaving him.
Rylan's hands tightened on the book. For the first time since the ceremony, the crushing weight on his shoulders lifted just a little. He had a clue, a chance. If the book was telling the truth, this bird—his bird—held a hidden evolution that no one else could see.
A soft knock broke the silence.
"Rylan? You in there?"
Rylan tensed. Tobin. His childhood rival. The guy whose silver wolf was already the pride of the village.
"Go away," Rylan called, his voice sharp.
The door creaked open anyway, and Tobin strolled in like he owned the place. His wolf followed, padding silently across the floor, its silver fur shining in the firelight. It glanced once at Rylan's bird, snorted, and turned away.
"Nice place you've got here, Rylan," Tobin said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Cozy. I thought I'd stop by and see how your… 'beast' was settling in."
Rylan bristled. The bird fluffed its feathers but didn't move.
"What do you want, Tobin?"
Tobin pretended to look around, as though he hadn't heard. "I'll be honest with you. Everyone saw what happened today, and… well, it's kind of sad." He grinned. "A tamer's only as strong as their beast. You should just quit now before you embarrass yourself further."
Rylan's fists curled. "You don't know anything."
"Don't I?" Tobin gestured to his wolf, who growled low and menacing. "I've already started training Shadowfang here. In just a few weeks, we'll be ready to compete in the village trials. What about you? What can that thing do?"
Rylan glanced at his bird. The truth was… he didn't know. It hadn't shown a single skill yet, and everyone's scorn made him question whether it ever would. But then he remembered the words in the book.
He met Tobin's gaze. "It doesn't matter what you think. You'll see soon enough."
Tobin chuckled, his smirk widening. "Right. Well, don't cry too hard when Shadowfang and I win. Oh, and Rylan?" He leaned closer, his voice dropping. "Try not to get eaten in the wilds, yeah? Beasts out there don't take kindly to weaklings."
With a sharp whistle, Tobin turned on his heel and strode out, his wolf following silently. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the room unnervingly still.
Rylan exhaled, his jaw aching from how hard he'd been clenching it. "Arrogant jerk," he muttered.
The bird chirped softly. It hopped toward the book, pecking at the same page again—the Golden Eye of Potential.
"You really believe this, don't you?" Rylan murmured, brushing a hand over the bird's feathers. "Okay. Fine. If you're as special as this book says, we're going to prove everyone wrong."
The bird fluffed its wings, its golden eye gleaming with a strange intelligence.
The First Step
The next morning, Rylan woke before the sun. The book lay open on the table beside him, the page stained slightly with ash from the dying fire. He tucked it carefully into his bag, scooped up the bird—who chirped groggily—and slipped out of the house.
The streets of the village were still quiet, the air cool and misty. Rylan's heart raced as he passed the houses, doing his best to avoid being seen.
"The key to unlocking legendary strength lies hidden."
That was all the book said. It didn't explain how to start, where to go, or what to do. But Rylan had a hunch: if his bird's evolution required something special, he wouldn't find it here, surrounded by stone walls and fields of grain. He needed to look where the beasts lived wild and untamed—the Whispering Woods.
The Whispering Woods loomed just beyond the edge of the village, a sprawling forest shrouded in mist. Tales of beasts lurking among its shadows kept most people away, but Rylan wasn't most people. He'd grown up hearing the elders' stories about rare creatures hidden deep within.
As he approached the edge of the woods, he paused. "You ready for this?" he whispered.
The bird chirped once, tilting its head as though unimpressed.
Rylan smirked faintly. "I'll take that as a yes."
He stepped into the trees, the mist swallowing him whole.
The forest was quiet—too quiet. Rylan kept his steps light, his eyes scanning the undergrowth for any movement. Branches creaked above him, and somewhere far off, he heard the low growl of something big.
"Don't think about it," he muttered under his breath. The bird perched on his shoulder, watching the woods with its sharp golden eye. It didn't look afraid at all.
After an hour of walking, Rylan found a small clearing where the sunlight broke through the canopy. He dropped his bag and pulled out the book, flipping through its pages.
"Hidden paths… hidden paths…" His finger stopped on one line: 'Strength is unlocked through adversity.'
"Adversity?" Rylan frowned. "What does that even mean?"
Before he could think further, a low rustling sounded from the bushes across the clearing.
Rylan froze, his pulse quickening. The bird let out a sharp chirp, wings flaring.
The bushes shook violently, and a creature burst into view—a massive boar-like beast, its eyes glowing red and its tusks dripping with saliva. It snorted, steam curling from its nostrils as it pawed the ground.
Rylan stumbled back. "A Razorback…!"
The Razorback charged.
End of Chapter 2