Giean’s Perspective
Ken improved far faster then I expected. While he had a lot of help from me and Chrono’s mana what he accomplished is still impressive. 3 days after learning to use mana for the first time his mana vasculature is on par with a C rank adventure. He is now able handle the inflow of mana from Chrono, but I would not say he is home free yet. If Chrono is to evolve and meet his destiny Ken has a lot of work ahead of him.
I let out a loud yawn that sent Bu fluttering off my shoulder. I have gone more then four days without sleep in the past. Yet, keeping ken alive and training him at the same time has taken a lot out of me. My siblings probably could have helped but I can’t tell them about what happened yet.
A strong breeze blows by and I grip Soran’s feathers tighter. He lets out a high-pitched squawk in protest.
“hey that hurts, loosen up before you pull them out.” He complains into my head.
“Sorry.” I reply.
Even for a Grand Eagle Soran is consider big. Laying down I can spread my arms out across the light brown feathers and not span the width of his back. He makes for an intimidating figure since he has the wings and talons to match his bulky body. Yet as we soar high above the beast crater his shadow can not even be seen.
I look down at the great grassland that makes up the center of the Beast crater. This high up the individual blades of golden grass blurred together forming a solid ocean complete with waves rippling in the breeze.
Scanning the ground, I see the great buffalo herd. A pulsing, living black mass following in the path of a giant. I hail Ben through my mind, for a moment the behemoth stops and look up before returning to his grazing. Even with my enhanced eyes my colossal friend is nothing more then a smug. I doubt he can see us at all.
It feels so peaceful flying over this miniature world on Soran’s back, Bu riding on my shoulder. Yet that is the thought that brings down my mood, for this moment of peace will soon be over.
Yesterday I sent Gerald to schedule a meeting with my father and his brothers. My father is the current head of the family his brothers heading the 3 main branch families. The Beastlord family is both old and large, far too large for the Beastwall to hold. As a result, only the head and his siblings are allowed to keep the Beastlord name and live on the wall. from their children the next head is chosen, the others giving up the name and joining other beast tamer families or marrying into high nobility.
When I sent Gerald to arrange a meeting, I was hoping my father would agree to meet in the Beast Gardens. That is where the Suntouched family train the next generation of maids and butlers. It is also considered neutral territory between the branch and head families.
Yet my father had insisted that the meeting be held at his house. An act to assert his dominance as he is still the head of the family, to remind me and his brothers despite my new pact who is in charge. Yet I have no new pact, and his brothers will be angry at being forced to travel to my father’s house.
I let out a sigh, family politics have never interested me, yet here I am again stuck in the middle of them. I still remember all the fighting about who would take charge of raising Chrono. Each family wanted the pact for both power and prestige. It had looked like it might be war till the head of the Suntouched house stepped in.
Gerald’s older brother chose me. It was an obvious choice as I am the next head of the Beastlord house and the only of the last three generations to raise a pact to the level of celestial. Further my celestial is a Blue Celestial Solar Phoenix the strongest of that race. Since chrono has to be raise to the level of celestial I am the only choice, despite that it took external intervention.
I hope that when my siblings and I stand as the next heads we will be more amicable.
Bu bobs her head against my chin. I gently stroke the feathers on top of her head in response. The pact constantly transmits mana between both parties but is only suppose to transmit desired thoughts and feelings. Still I often get the sense Bu can read my mind through the pact anyways.
“What do you think Bu?”
She stares at me for a moment before responding. “You humans make everything so complicated.”
I laugh, she is right about that. I see the beast wall approach and brace myself. With one flap of Soran’s powerful wings he launches himself high over the wall and my father’s house comes into view.
My simple house was the first of its kind on the wall, but when I reached SS rank things changed. My older siblings either out of respect or hoping to find the secret to my growth tore down their houses and rebuilt them to resemble mine. My younger sister followed my example from the beginning. Within the Head family it is now my father’s house that stands out.
A forest of white marble statues rises in front of the main entrance, each ten feet tall and in the shape of a different mana beast. Their polished surfaces gleam in the sunlight, the white of the marble emphasised by the delicate everblooming roses, azaleas and a hundred other flowers, all of which struggle in the altitude and cool climate of the Beastwall. Through the garden a number of black marble paths wind further bringing out the white of the statues and the vibrant colours of the flowers. Even before entering the garden the fragrance is as overwhelming as the display is gaudy.
The black marble paths all find their way to the main staircase made of blue Sodalite framed with gold handrails. The building, large enough to house a village, has 3 wings connected to the main hall. The main hall, which is larger than my house and stable combined, is made completely of white marble with gold and silver detailing. The other wings are also made of white marble but the north wing uses gold for the detailing while the south uses silver and the west wing uses platinum.
Growing up here I had not understood the decadence of the house. It was not until I left the wall, not until I talked to the people of Flouse that I understood. By that time, I had already built my house, simple for the sake of my friends nothing more. But seeing how things are in the shadow of the beast wall, that is when I came to hate this place.
I have Soran touch down just outside of the Garden. With each beat of his powerful wings a gust of wind shakes the statues and scatters leaves and petals from the flowers. Sadly, a massive game of dominos does not ensue as the statues settle and I hop off Soran’s back.
“This might take a while. Feel free to go hunt, I will call you when I need to go back.”
Soran nods before turning around and awkwardly running to the edge of the cliff. He doesn’t bother taking off instead choosing to jump from the cliff, opening his wings at the last second, scraping over the scraggly trees below.
As I turn back to the manor, I hear a voice, loud and cheerful like a trumpet.
“Giean!” Roars a plump balding man as he rides along the wall on what looks like a berserk Hyena.
Its fur is a glossy silver gray with black spots, its shoulder as high as mine. The Hyena picks up its pace as it makes a beeline towards Bu and I the portly man laughing all the way. When the beast finally gets into pouncing distance it stops and rolls onto its back a sign of submission.
As the beast rolls my uncle jumps off with a level of agility that defies his outward appearance. Landing on his feet he shook his head at the S rank mana beast sprawl out at his feet. His smile returns as he looks at me, he walks over and claps my free shoulder.
“Look how big you have grown Giean, and Bu you have got quite the presence don’t you.”
I can not deny that, while I wish it was my presence that made the hyena react like that it is probably Bu. Even the strongest attributeless mana beast in the world bows before her. It is then I noticed the lack of a bright yellow raven following my uncle.
I clasp his shoulder in kind. “it is good to see you uncle Olson. But where is Ven?”
It really is good to see him. I might not get on great with Ivour and Meallin but Olson is different. His happy confident attitude is infectious and lights up what ever is left of a room he enters. However, you would never guess we were related.
Olson and my uncle Meallin take more after my grandmother. They had the same red hair as my grandfather but theirs runs straight down instead of rising up. Olson keeps his haired tied back in a single braid matching his beard. The happy look of his full face is aided by his normal eyebrows and large hazel eyes.
The only thing I can fault the jolly fat man for are his extravagant tastes. Delicate beads of gold, silver and ivory hang in his braids. A ring sits on each of his thick fingers bearing a large rare stone as their centerpiece. His black silk robe also has rare stones sew in along with the gold and silver embroidery forming intricate nonsensical patterns that leave me dizzy and confused when I try to follow them.
“Ho, she is moulting right now,” he says as he directs me towards the path. “you know how fussy they get around that time.”
Bu takes off from my shoulder and lands next to his hand giving him a sharp peck. He pulls his hand back as anger flashes across his happy gentle face.
I laugh to break the tension in the air, “I can assure you I know NOTHING about that.”
My uncles face goes blank for a second before his normal smile returns. He laughs as he slaps my back.
“I am sure ya don’t boy, sure ya don’t.”
I try to ignore it as Bu digs her talons into my shoulder.
“I’ll show you fussy,” she says into my head.
I turn back to my uncle as he asks me a question.
“Where is the little Dragon? I was hoping to meet your newest pact.”
I am tempted to tell the story then and there, but decide against it.
“Let’s head inside I will tell you along with everyone else.”
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