Werem, Jeral, Gira regardless of how they lived their live so far, their reaction to the appearance of Alpha Red Hound implied that they lived an ordinary life whether it be in the city or outside the walls, any ordinary people will definitely break down in front of that beast no matter how accustomed you are to fear and death, I was still shaken and influenced although my experiences had helped, not let the initial reaction, disabled me.
The air an Apex predator such as alpha red hound emitted was the same as when someone faces their death. Werem and Jeral, talented individuals but they were still ordinary kids just only 16 or 17 and it was no surprise that they'll collapse in front of an ominous beast such as alpha red hound. Their untrained instinct couldn't help but override their senses and prioritize their own survivability, after all we humans were also animals originally, the ancestral traits still lingered in our genes.
When we found them in the cave, they were in a terrible state, quivering and panicking as if they had already lost their mind. Werem, the reincarnation of Kalaz was bestowed the ultimate power of magic however, as a human he was still a kid, inexperienced in the dangers of the outside world, however such experience was necessary yet I doubt this was the result Grandmaster Arilyne intended them to have. For better or worse, no one would have predicted an anomaly such as an alpha red hound would be roaming in the protected zone.
Gira Bren was the same but he was facing down on the earth and didn't even look up when we came.
I doubted whether this has impacted Jeral as a person, would he open his mind a little broader in future ? and what about Nyaka, she has experienced terrible fates back in B-12 but unlike me, she has never ventured in the southern forest to hunt so it was her first time coming in contact with one of the apex predators. I saw fear in her face, although she was trying to help them calm down despite being overwhelmed by fear, she was being herself, she wasn't putting on an act of being tough, she was just being kind and compassionate.
" It is dead, Grandmaster has slayed it. " I assured them though Arilyne was still leaning on me, she hasn't fully recovered her strength.
Werem and Jeral looked up as if, after being closed in a dark prison, a light had finally shown up but their expression of distortion hadn't fully left. There was some relief to the news but fear still grasped their souls. Gira finally looked up and I saw some changes in his face.
" We need to move and inform senior Najaki of what happened, " I said.
They just nodded and didn't say anything. They got up on their feet and followed me while I still walked with grandmaster Arilyne, one of her arms wrapped above my shoulder and I carried her.
Quietly they followed me and when they saw the carcass of the alpha red hound, their eyes began to smothered down to the state of calm and waves of relief spread across their faces.
" It's really dead, " said Jeral in an unfamiliar tone, more like a humbled version of Jeral.
" He was a tough opponent, he forced me to use my trump card. " commented Arilyne.
" The Authority of Blood?, " said Werem.
Slowly, their usual spirit was coming back with each conversation and we pressed on back towards the village.
" Lan helped me a great deal in the battle, I owe my life to him. If it was not for him, I would not have been able to win the fight, " She said.
" You don't owe me anything, Grandmaster." I said.
They didn't say anything, the fact that hunter class students gifted with the highest of talents were not able to do something despite fleeing in fear, their inability in that moment condensed into disgrace and a hurt to their pride as a hunter class student. I, on the other hand, was not disappointed at them because I didn't expect anything from anyone, not even them, after all experiences in my life had taught me not to rely on anyone during survival. So to me, it didn't make any difference, moreover I empathize with them, if they let this disgrace fuel them as a driving force, they would inevitably break out of their shell and progress even further. After all, what drives a man to change? hopelessness ?
" Sometimes, I don't know whether you are just brave or stupid, Lan. " Grandmaster Arilyne remarked.
" What do you mean? Grandmaster?, " I replied, a confusion spread on my face. I didn't understand her humor.
" You provoked the Alpha Red Hound with arrows and what next? you attacked it with your puny dagger, " She was recalling my desperate attempts but I had to try something.
" He did what? !!, " exclaimed Jeral.
" That's quite brave of you, Lan. " said Werem.
Nyaka just smiled again and didn't say anything cause she knew I would do something like that.
" Yes, he threw his dagger at the Alpha red hound, although it wounded him. I don't know whether you calculated that or you were just lucky, " she said.
" It was just luck, " I laughed slightly.
" But whatever the means, it worked and we slayed the beast. I'm not ignoble enough to claim all the credit myself, I'll let everyone know you helped me. " she added and smiled at me.
" Yes, he deserves it, " said Werem.
" That's totally unnecessary, Grandmaster. " I said, I wanted to stay low profile but I guessed I have already attracted so much attention ever since I came into this academy.
We walked our way back slowly to the village and catching up with senior Najaki, we were informed of what had happened and imminent actions that were required to be taken soon after we reached the academy. Najaki was dispatched back to inform the slayer outposts and to retrieve the corpse of the alpha red hound so that the scholar division can preserve and study it.
After returning to the academy, back in the dorm, after treating myself to a fresh bath, I was about to take a nap when Dan invaded my time. He burst open my room door and jumped at my bed, occupying himself in his best position, laying down sideways with his head rested on his right hand.
" So what happened?, " he asked with excitement and curiosity brimming in his eyes, his childish stare, I knew there was no point arguing him, he was not about to give up easily.
" You could have waited until tomorrow, " I said as I put on a fresh cloth.
" I get to hear before Ellena, " He chuckled.
" We went on a mission, " I said.
" What? you were called for punishment along with Gira Bren." He argued.
" It's a long story, Dan and I'm tired. " I said and sat on a chair facing him.
" Oh !. you have the bed? I'll sit on the chair and you can tell me, " he said.
" Ahhh- No thanks! " I knew there was no arguing with him.
" I'm all ears, my friend, " and he gave me a smile as if he was giving me a toast.
" Yes, senior Najaki let us tag along as a handyman to one of their hunter class training mission, thats what was supposed to be, along with grandmaster Arilyn- "
" Oh my god-.... you mean to say grandmaster Arilyne!, " I never saw a jaw that could open so wide and round and he interrupted again.
" Yes, I mean to say grandmaster Arilyne. There was Nyaka, Jeral and Werem and we all went to a village in the northern forest, I think it was called sage village. " I continued, " some red hounds were attacking the village so they needed assistance, so grandmaster Arilyne took on the quest and let the hunter class students handle the problem as a part of their training. "
" That's so cool!! There are only three of them in the first year and they are taught by the grandmasters themselves. " Dan remarked.
" I saw them in action, they were amazing, their efficiency and teamwork outclassed us in every aspect. They are good with fighting too. They easily took out twenty red hounds easily and didn't break a sweat. " I said, recalling how awesome they were in that performance.
" Man, I'm so jealous! they get to train with grandmaster Arilyne, " He totally ignored the good part of the story. " Do you know that grandmaster Arilyne is from one of the four pillars?,"
" Really??? I didn't know that. " Although this shouldn't come as a surprise, I was still surprised for some strange reason.
" Her name is Arilyne Lezzlod and despite other pillars, their household is a family of slayers and they have some unique bloodline skill too, my father told me, " He said.
" Yeah she has, The Authority of Blood, " I said.
I told the rest of the story to Dan about how we came across an anomaly division varae, the alpha red hound and I didn't mention what happened with the others and how I helped grandmaster Arilyne during the fight, I narrated him how she fought back the beast but was evenly matched in strength and she had no choice but to use her final trump card up her sleeve, the authority of blood where she commands her own blood as a weapon and that she lived up to the name Blood Empress. Dan gaped most of the time during the narration of the battle, he couldn't believe at first that we fought an alpha red hound, I just said, " Well, go and ask her yourself then,"
At last, he left with his stomach full with my story, a story that won't happen again in near future, he was equipped with such a story that he would have no choice but an urge to tell others.
My peace was found, no one would disturb me, I closed the door and swiped the curtain to my window and I laid down on the bed with my limbs spread wide and murmured to myself, " Finally " and entered a heavy slumber relinquishing my body of fatigue.