The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of orange and purple as the cool embrace of night began to settle over the forest.
Damien sat near the campfire, the flames crackling softly as shadows danced across his face. He glanced at Keith and Narna, still lying unconscious on the ground. Their breathing was steady, but neither had shown any signs of waking up despite his earlier attempts. Explore new worlds at empire
The only changes he’d noticed came came from Narna’s hand. When he’d rescued her, she was missing one but since her previous waking up that caused Aquila to slap her back to sleep, he’d noticed her hand regenerating.
At first he’d thought he was hallucinating but now that it almost resembled a teenager’s, he knew it couldn’t be a hallucination. He moved closer and touched her arm to find a slimy green liquid all over it. “A potential healing potion, huh?”
He leaned back against a tree, his silver hair catching the faint light of the flames. ‘If they’re alive and breathing, that’s good enough for now,’ he thought.
Deciding to prepare for the night, Damien turned to Aquila, who stood vigilant nearby.
“Aquila, I need you to catch a couple of Blibbits,” he said, his tone calm but firm.
The Griffin tilted its head, letting out a soft chirp before spreading its massive wings and taking off into the darkening sky.
The mission was simple—a Grade Seven mana beast like the Blibbit, known for its smoke-blinding ability, was no match for the power of a Grade Four Griffin.
As Aquila vanished into the distance, Damien turned his attention to the campfire. He gathered dry wood, adding it to the flames, and checked the surrounding area for any signs of danger.
Once satisfied, he sat down and began sharpening his blade with practiced ease, his mind wandering back to the battle with the Obsidian Drake.
‘That was too close,’ he thought, his eyes narrowing. “But we did it. And now… I’ve got questions for these two.’
Damien glanced at Keith and Narna again, contemplating their unconscious forms. He’d tried dousing them with water, shaking them awake, and even lightly slapping their faces, but nothing had worked.
“Stubborn,” he muttered, setting his blade aside. “They’ll wake up when they’re ready.”
Twenty minutes later, Aquila returned, its cry announcing its arrival. In its beak were two plump Blibbits, their fur shimmering faintly in the firelight. The Griffin landed gracefully, placing the creatures on the ground before moving closer to its summoner.
Damien smiled and patted its neck. “Good job, Aquila.”
Without delay, he got to work. He cleaned the Blibbits thoroughly using water from the nearby lake, then skewered the meat on makeshift spits and set them over the fire. As the aroma of roasting meat filled the air, Damien’s stomach growled, and he chuckled softly.
He tore into one of the roasted portions, savoring the tender, smoky flavor. As he ate, his gaze occasionally flicked toward Keith and Narna. He noticed subtle movements—Keith’s fingers twitching, Narna’s eyelids fluttering.
Suddenly, Keith bolted upright, yelling, “I’m awake!” His wide eyes darted around frantically, scanning the area as if expecting to see the Obsidian Drake bearing down on him.
Instead, he was greeted by the sight of a silver-haired boy, dressed in worn clothes, calmly eating roasted meat by the fire. The tension in Keith’s body eased slightly, but confusion quickly took its place.
“Where… where am I?” Keith asked, his voice rough.
Before Damien could answer, Keith’s stomach growled loudly, betraying his hunger. Damien raised an eyebrow, smirking as he gestured toward the skewers of roasted meat.
“Eat first,” Damien said. “Then we’ll talk.”
Keith hesitated, his pride making him reluctant to accept the boy’s offer. But his hunger was undeniable, and Damien could see it written all over his face.
Sighing, Damien decided to prompt him with a question. “What’s your name?”
“Keith,” he answered.
Damien nodded, taking another bite of his meat. “Alright, Keith. What’s the name of the beast that almost killed you and your partner?”
Keith’s eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at Narna, still unconscious. “Obsidian Drake,” he said finally. “That’s what Narna called it.”
Damien hummed thoughtfully, filing the name away in his mind. “Figures,” he said.
Keith’s gaze shifted toward Aquila, and his body tensed when he saw the majestic Griffin sitting near Narna.
“What is that?” he asked, his voice sharp with alarm.
Damien chuckled, waving him off. “That’s Aquila, my companion. Relax, it’s not going to hurt you—unless you give it a reason to.”
Keith seemed to settle down slightly, though his eyes lingered warily on the Griffin. Before either of them could say more, Narna stirred. She opened her eyes slowly, confusion etched across her face as she took in her surroundings.
When her gaze landed on Aquila, she yelped, scrambling backward. “No! Stay away! Don’t come any closer!” Memories of the earlier incident came rushing back, and fear flashed in her eyes.
“Relax,” Keith said, moving closer to her. “It’s not going to hurt you.”
Narna didn’t seem convinced. “It slapped me unconscious!”
Keith blinked, turning to Damien for clarification.
“She tried to tame my beast,” Damien explained, his tone neutral. “Aquila didn’t like that.”
Keith’s mouth opened in disbelief before breaking into a dry laugh. “Of course she did,” he muttered. He turned back to Narna, his tone stern. “You’re a beast tamer, Narna. You know better than to try taming a creature without understanding its strength—or checking if it already has an owner.”
Narna pouted, crossing her arms. “I didn’t know it had one!” she protested.
Keith pressed his hand firmly on her head, forcing her to bow slightly. “Apologize,” he ordered.
Reluctantly, Narna muttered, “Sorry.”
Damien accepted the apology with a small nod. “Good. Now, eat something. We’ll talk after you’ve had your fill.”
Keith and Narna took their portions of meat, eating with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Keith ate slowly, his mind clearly preoccupied, while Narna devoured hers in minutes, tossing the bones aside as she turned to Damien with wide eyes.
Pointing at Aquila, she blurted out, “What kind of beast is that?!”
Keith groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Narna, manners!”
“What?” she said defensively. “It broke out of my taming incantation. I’ve never seen anything like it! It’s not even in my book of mana beasts!”
Damien chuckled, leaning back against the tree. “Aquila’s special,” he said simply. “I’ll tell you more when you’ve earned it.”
Narna huffed in frustration, but Keith quickly silenced her with a glare. Damien’s smirk lingered as he took another bite of his meat, letting the firelight dance across the satisfied gleam in his eyes.
