Scout Faction

They kept walking, passed the gates, into the forest, and finally into the grove were it all began. Castiel finally stopped the trio and looked around.

"This should do it. Levi, please look around and tell me everything you see, energy wise." Castiel instructed. Levi looked at him strangely before taking a glance around. It was void of all energy.

"I don't see anything." Levi sighed as he shrugged.

"Hmm, Rachel, care to explain then?" Castiel's expression hardened.

"Levi, maybe try looking a little harder, perhaps while focusing on your own energy?" Rachel suggested. Levi wasn't getting what they were trying, but, with an exasperated sigh, he closed his eyes and began condensing his Soul Energy. He felt the condensed energy in his chest swell and expand more as he condensed a few times. Then he felt it.

Levi snapped his eyes open and glanced around once more. Almost every object in the grove was emitting a faint aura of energy, and right where he stabbed the scorpion man, was a large orb of red energy.

"I see, so that's what you were getting at." Levi began muttering as he approached the orb. Levi touched it and immediately absorbed it. The familiar pain began wracking havoc in his body before finally expanding his own condensed energy.

Once again, He felt a new skill, which he unhesitatingly activated. His body formed scaled armor similar to a scorpions body, but, thank God, no stinger tail.

"By God, he really does have the Adapt Ability. Such a rare ability, it's been centuries since I've seen it." Castiel exclaimed.

Levi walked around collecting the residual energy, though not as painful, each collection, added to a profound knowledge towards crusader fighting abilities. Levi figured he could now effectively fight hand to hand with slight knowledge of swordplay and archery.

"Interesting. Truly remarkable, and he has yet to fully condense his Soul Energy?" Castiel began questioning Rachel.

"That is correct." Rachel nodded.

"Then we are looking at someone who can awaken two inate abilities. If he has already shown his aptitude towards adaptation, I can't help but be intrigued by what ever his second ability might be." Castiel mused.

"Adapt Ability? Rachel never mentioned that, or the fact that a Pawn can manifest two abilities." Levi pondered aloud.

"Because both are extremely rare, although not entirely unheard of. It just means you don't particularly harbor ill will. Now, to the main topic, Levi, I personally recommend you attend training immediately, but be warned, your ability has been known to send the holder into a deep sleep that you may not awake from for centuries. That is why it's a rare ability. It forcefully expands the Soul Energy, nearly destroying the body itself, in which the Soul will choose self preservation and put you into a protected sleep in order to perfect the body to except the power of which it receives. I'm certain you've felt the pain each time you absorb those orbs of energy correct? That's but only your Soul purifying the absorbed miasma and energy, but also the force of power that your body obtains." Castiel began to warn Levi.

He went on to explain that Adapt Ability users tend to have more condensed layers of soul energy than most other ability users. Which means that after condensing the first layer, a second can begin condensing. There are theories that more layers can be condensed, most is speculated as most end up in that deep sleep, so far only two Adapt Ability users are awake, and around four are still asleep, even after a few centuries have passed.

"Then why must I train if the risk is so high?" Levi asked.

"Because, I'd rather you go into a sleep within the factions control rather than outside it, where potential threats can get to you. But, there's also a chance you may not go into sleep, but that's very slim of a chance. That was the opportunity that I spoke of, under the guise of training you as a soldier for a Holy Faction, you will train to harness the power of a Pawn. I'm sure your father will believe you to be serving under the crown, which I hear is profitable in this time, and the greed your father has, I don't expect this to pose an issue." Castiel stated rather bluntly.

"Everything you said is more than truthful." Levi scowled at the thought of that greedy man.

"Since we've settled our affairs, I'll bid you farewell. I expect you to be at the training grounds within the next fortnight." Castiel bowed and vanished.

"Just my luck to make a Pawn with such a risky ability." Rachel sighed as she began walking back towards the fort. Levi followed with the information he had gathered playing upon his mind.

***

Two weeks later, Levi arrived overseas in a colonized settlement called Jamestown. He looked around the drab area. It was mostly wooden buildings and dirt roads without much stone work. But, the best part, there were no walls.

"Cool, I already like this place." Levi nodded in admiration.

"Good to know. Welcome to the Scout Faction Levi." Rachel congratulated him.

"All of this?" Levi looked at her with surprise.

"Haha, no, this is a normal human settlement, we just mingle. As the scout Faction, we go where humans spread, making sure demon activity is lowered or eliminated as much as possible to provide a safe place. We failed once, Roanoke was a pretty big blow to our pride, that was a pretty serious clean up job." Rachel babbled.

"... I see. So, where's the training grounds?" Levi switched the subject.

"You're standing on it." Castiel clapped Levi on the shoulder and stated.

"Huh?" Levi was confused.

"This whole area is the training grounds. Demons are still very active around here, right now they're all rallied under a *Wendigo. Fairly new type of demon, human borne, but extremely powerful. Otherwise we have mainly low tier demons like Succubi, Scorpî, Lamia, Arachnî, and Satyr. Petty nuisances. But the Wendigo is a serious threat. It's been snatching settlers and dragging them out to devour them every night. There's good news and bad news in this information. The good news, is it's not a fully recognized wendigo. The bad news is, it will continue to take more and more humans until it does, when that happens, it'll go into seclusion, which then makes it neigh upon impossible to find them.

"What I'm trying to say is, we're taking you with hunting down the wendigo as your first official task as trainee." Castiel droned on until he finally got to his point.

"Are you serious? He can't face a wendigo at his level! He'll be slaughtered!" Rachel exclaimed incredulously.

"He won't be alone, he'll have three other new Pawns to help him." Casteil stated as if that would help the situation.

"Well, that settles it, Levi, you're going to die." Rachel looked at Levi and said seriously.

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*Wendigo: A Native American Demon of Lore. (Original Orgin, there are many other origins that slightly alter from the Original) In Native American Lore, Wendigos are created when an Evil Spirit Possesses a Human and makes them become monstrous. This Demon is said to be greedy, cannibalistic, and hideously deformed.