Thornspire (3)

'If only I could find Emily…' Seth thought, a hint of worry glimmering in his eyes.

He knew his concern was somewhat unfounded- Emily was faster, stronger, and far more talented than he was. If he could survive the first day in this dreadful place, then surely she could too.

Yet, that did nothing to ease his worry.

Emily wasn't just his best and only friend. She was his protector, his anchor, but most of all, she was like a sister to him.

Of course, he worried for her safety. How could he not?

As Seth sat lost in thought, warmed by the flickering bonfire, the figure behind him moved, silent and precise

Before he could even register what was happening, a hand clamped over his mouth, stifling any chance of a scream.

A muffled yelp of panic escaped his throat as he struggled, twisting and thrashing in vain. But his assailant was far stronger. His resistance meant nothing.

With terrifying ease, the figure dragged the young half-blood away from the fire's glow- into the suffocating darkness of the trees.

Given his predicament, the thought was irrational- but he couldn't help feeling a little offended by how effortlessly his captor handled him.

'Am I really that weak?' he wondered briefly.

As they reached one of the nearby trees, Seth was abruptly yanked behind it.

Much to his surprise, the moment they were concealed in the shadows, his captor let go of him.

Stumbling back a few steps to create distance, Seth finally got a good look at his assailant.

It was another trainee- just like him.

The boy had jet-black hair and wore gear that immediately marked him as someone of noble descent. But what stood out the most were his red eyes, which gleamed in the dim light filtering through the forest canopy.

Seth recognized him instantly.

Casper Von Blackthorn, the most popular and talented trainee of this year's aspirants. His reputation had only grown after it was revealed that he possessed an affinity for Solaris magic, a powerful element considered sacred.

The realization gave Seth pause. He hadn't expected to cross paths with him during the trials.

But then it hit him- Casper was nobility, and he had just ambushed him.

Tension surged through Seth's body as he instinctively raised his guard, ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice.

'So he finally shows his true colors, huh?' Seth thought grimly.

He had always considered Casper an anomaly. Every noble he had ever encountered fit into one of two categories- prideful or arrogant. But Casper was different. He had never shown any bias toward commoners, treating everyone with an almost unnatural fairness.

Or so Seth had believed.

Now that the trials had begun, and they were beyond the watchful eyes of the instructors, it seemed the pure-hearted young master had finally let loose.

And that was bad news.

Seth knew he stood no chance in a fight. The ease with which Casper had overpowered him moments ago was proof enough of that.

Seth opened his mouth, hoping to talk his way out of the situation, but Casper swiftly raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

Before Seth could question him, Casper pointed toward the bonfire- the very place he had dragged him from.

Then, from the other end of the clearing, a towering beast emerged.

Even on all fours, it stood at least five feet tall, its body covered in a strange blend of snow-white fur and feathers. Razor-sharp claws- or were they talons? Tipped each of its powerful limbs, making it difficult to tell where beast ended and bird began.

But its most terrifying feature was its head.

It was eerily small compared to the rest of its body, with no visible ears and two massive, pitch-black eyes that reflected the fire's glow. Below them, a curved beak jutted downward, sharp and menacing.

Seth felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Whatever that was… it was attracted by the fire.

Thanks to his studies from the bestiary, it didn't take Seth long to recognize the harrowing creature before him- an owlbear.

A cunning and lethal predator, owlbears hunted exclusively at night, spending most of the day in deep slumber. Their usual prey consisted of large rodents like dire rats, though they were more than capable of taking down stronger preys when necessary. Most of all, they were notoriously known for tracking their prey and hunting them for sport or the fun of it.

But knowing this did nothing to ease Seth's fear.

If anything, it only heightened it.

Holding his breath, he watched the beast intently, doing everything in his power to remain unnoticed.

The owlbear approached the bonfire, its head tilting at unnatural angles as it studied the flickering flames.

As it drew closer, a glint of light reflected off something on its body.

'A badge!'

Seth's breath caught in his throat.

After observing the gently burning fire for a few moments, the beast suddenly swiped at the bonfire with a paw- one that ended in wicked talons.

In an instant, the flames were snuffed out, plunging the clearing back into darkness.

The creature's nocturnal eyes glowed faintly in the dim light as it lingered for a moment longer. Then, without further interest, it finally turned and disappeared into the forest.

Unlike the dire rats, it didn't appear to have a particularly strong sense of smell, which had spared them from detection.

Only when Seth was absolutely certain the beast was gone did he finally let out a slow, shaky sigh of relief.

Still reeling from the terror of the owlbear's presence, Seth turned his gaze to Casper, who was also steadying himself after the tense encounter.

If he was being honest, a wave of shame washed over him. He had assumed the worst about the young noble, immediately suspecting foul intentions when, in reality, Casper had risked his own safety to save him. Merely approaching Seth had been a dangerous gamble- one that could have easily ended in disaster.

Would he have done the same if their roles were reversed? He wasn't sure. Not only would it have meant putting himself in danger, but he doubted he'd have been able to overcome the sheer terror of the situation.

Filled with gratitude, Seth mustered a few simple words.

"Thank you."