Chapter 5: The Village Trials Loom
Rylan's return to the village wasn't the triumphant moment he hoped it would be. His bird perched proudly on his shoulder, its golden streaks gleaming faintly in the morning light, but the stares of the villagers carried the same mocking undertones they always had.
"What's he doing back in one piece?" one man muttered under his breath.
"Must've run from the first beast he saw," another said, shaking his head.
Rylan's jaw clenched, but he didn't let their words sink in. He knew the truth—they hadn't seen the shadow beasts or the glowing runes. They didn't know what he and his bird had just overcome.
He ignored the murmurs and headed straight home, his mind already shifting to what lay ahead.
The Village Trials
The trials were all anyone in the village could talk about. Held once a year, they were a chance for young tamers to prove their skills and climb the ranks. Winners earned respect, resources, and opportunities to join guilds or academies. For someone like Rylan—poor, ridiculed, and with no family to back him—the trials were his only shot at a better future.
He sat at his table, the bird pecking at crumbs beside him, and flipped through the old book again. The page on the Golden Eye of Potential was beginning to feel familiar, but the section on "strength through sacrifice" gnawed at his mind.
"Sacrifice… what kind of sacrifice?" he muttered. The bird chirped in response, hopping closer to nudge his hand.
"I don't know either," Rylan said with a sigh, closing the book. He glanced out the window, where a small group of tamers trained in the village square. Tobin was among them, his silver wolf leaping gracefully through an obstacle course.
Rylan frowned. He'd already fallen behind.
Training in Earnest
"Alright, let's see what you can really do," Rylan said, stepping into a quiet clearing on the outskirts of the village. He set his bag down and turned to the bird, who watched him expectantly.
"Yesterday was impressive, but we can't rely on luck," he continued. "If we're going to face Tobin—and everyone else in the trials—we need to train. Hard."
The bird chirped, flaring its wings as if to say, I'm ready.
Rylan nodded. "Let's start with the basics. We'll work on speed first. You need to be faster—too fast for anything to touch you."
He spent hours drilling the bird, tossing small rocks into the air for it to dodge and weaving through trees as it followed him, matching his movements. By the end of the day, the bird's maneuvers had become sharper, its dives more precise.
But something was missing.
"It's not just speed," Rylan muttered, pacing the clearing. "You need power, too. That light of yours—it's strong, but we need to make it stronger."
The bird tilted its head, then flapped its wings once, producing a faint shimmer of gold in the air.
Rylan's eyes lit up. "That's it! Can you focus it? Make it brighter?"
The bird chirped and tried again, its feathers glowing faintly. The light wavered, flickered, then faded entirely. It let out a frustrated squawk.
"Hey, it's okay," Rylan said, crouching down to meet its golden eye. "We'll get there. This is just the start."
An Unexpected Visitor
As the sun dipped low, Rylan gathered his things and prepared to head back to the village. He'd taken only a few steps when the bushes rustled nearby. His bird flared its wings, letting out a sharp warning chirp.
Rylan froze, his hand instinctively reaching for a stick on the ground. "Who's there?"
The rustling grew louder, and a figure stepped into view. It wasn't a beast, but a person—a girl, around his age, with dark hair tied back in a loose braid. She carried a small satchel and a staff strapped to her back.
"Relax," she said, raising her hands. "I'm not here to hurt you."
Rylan frowned, lowering the stick slightly. "Who are you?"
"Lira," she said simply. Her sharp green eyes darted to the bird on his shoulder, lingering for a moment before returning to his face. "You're Rylan, right? The one everyone's been talking about."
Rylan tensed. "What of it?"
Lira smiled faintly, tilting her head. "You're the boy with the trash bird. Or at least, that's what they call you."
Rylan scowled. "If you're just here to make fun of me—"
"I'm not," Lira interrupted, her tone softening. "In fact, I think you might be the most interesting person in this village."
That caught Rylan off guard. "What are you talking about?"
Lira stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I saw you in the woods yesterday. That light… that wasn't normal, was it?"
Rylan's breath caught. "You… you were watching me?"
Lira nodded. "I was out gathering herbs when I saw the Razorback. I thought for sure you were done for, but then…" She trailed off, her gaze flicking to the bird again. "There's something special about it, isn't there?"
Rylan hesitated. He didn't know this girl or her intentions. Could he trust her?
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said carefully, stepping back.
Lira raised an eyebrow. "Suit yourself. But if you ever need help, I know a thing or two about beasts. I'm not just some village kid playing tamer." She smirked, turning away. "See you at the trials, Rylan."
Rylan watched her disappear into the trees, his mind racing.
Resolve
By the time Rylan returned to his house, the sky was dark, the village quiet. He set his bag down and slumped into a chair, his thoughts swirling.
Lira's words replayed in his mind. "There's something special about it, isn't there?"
His gaze shifted to the bird, who had already curled up in its makeshift nest near the window. Its feathers shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
Rylan exhaled, leaning back. "Special, huh?" He smirked. "Let's show them just how special you really are."
The trials were only a week away. If he and the bird could unlock even a fraction of its potential, they might stand a chance.
For the first time in years, Rylan felt something he hadn't in a long time: hope.
End of Chapter 5