Cabro

Trees were scattered around the training area. They were brought down with force. Some fell far away from the trunk they left. At the center, a huge black beast continued ramming on the blackwood tree. Aeneas distinguished the beast the moment he saw it even though its behind was facing them.

"A cabro," the boy whispered.

Although similar in size to a harion, the cabro has a buffer body. They are boar-like creatures with bristles that harden over time and could shoot it at will. One could determine a cabro's age through the length of their tusks protruding from the lower jaw. These beasts are known for the hard skulls they use for attacking with a powerful charge. For magic, it is documented that they could manipulate the earth. Some coat their spikes with hardened earth before launching it at their foes.

Aeneas and Tiriara hid inside a bush. The boy told her to speak with the lowest voice as the cabro has amazing hearing. He has great knowledge about the creature in front of them. When Aeneas turned thirteen, he hunted a much smaller one together with Arsen and his knights. Although he has company, they were only there in case something unexpected happened. Aeneas managed to kill his prey alone.

Confident with skills and knowledge, "Let's hunt it," Aeneas whispered.

Tiriara disagreed. She suggested that they return and inform Arsen and the others.

In a soft voice, "Why? I defeated one a few months ago. And I did it alone," Aeneas said.

"It's dangerous," Tiriara showed her wooden sword to Aeneas, "We don't have real weapons," she said.

While the two decide, the cabro continued charging on the blackwood. It failed every time but stood and charged again without rest. A behavior that was uncanny for the creature. It would've been obvious to the boy had he been paying greater attention to the beast.

Aeneas told Tiriara that they could just scare it away. With that goal in mind, he said that their wooden swords were more than enough.

"Besides, you can use fire magic."

Tiriara nodded before saying, "But, I still think we should just return home and tell the others."

The boy's temper started to boil. He could feel his body temperature rise.

"Then leave, I'll do it alone."

Tiriara grabbed Aeneas's arm, "Let's go back, your sickness might come back if you fight that," she said.

Aeneas had enough, he glared at the girl, and with a loud voice, "What's wrong with you?"

Confused, Tiriara just stared at him and didn't know what to say.

"Ever since yesterday you've been treating me like I am fragile," Aeneas forced his hands out of Tiriara's grasp, "I've defeated you in a duel, I am not weak!" he said.

Tiriara's lips were shaking and her eyes glistened like glass. But, she felt something. Malice, coming from her right. Aeneas also turned to the same direction. They both see the cabro charging at them. When it was a bit closer, the two of them noticed its eyes were blood red.

Any later and they would've been hit by its charge. Guided by their instincts to fight, both of them went to the open area. Aeneas towards the east of the Blackwood and Tiri to the west. Without wasting a second, the cabro looks for its target. It faced Tiriara's direction and charged without hesitation.

Eluard's whistle was already in Tiriara's hand. She blew it as much as she could before assuming her stance to fight the boar head-on. Aeneas stared, deciding whether to stay and watch, trusting that Tiriara, a Zeal-bearer of the Lion, could strike the boar down, or, if he had to run and attack the boar from behind. But, he decided to stay put when he saw the girl was using her Zeal.

Tiriara's eyes glowed together with her Zeal above the left side of her chest. The golden light passed through her shirt. She swung her wooden sword with all her strength the moment the cabro was within her reach.

Her sword broke in half. Although it did damage the boar, it wasn't enough to stop its charge.

"Tiri!" Aeneas shouted from a distance. He saw Tiriara get flung by the beast. She was thrown far away and was stopped by a tree she crashed into.

Aeneas knew that it was his fault. He couldn't control his temper. Tiriara wasn't informed of the fact that the cabro's skull was hard as well as the bristles surrounding it. And that the beast in front of them has been infected with madness.

With a scream of anger, Aeneas dashed to the beast. It turned to him and charged as well. The boy dodged and hit the boar on one of its hind legs. But, the cabro didn't react and just continued attacking him. Aeneas managed to dodge every attack. At the same time, he was calling for Tiriara every time the beast missed.

Irritated, the cabro stomped the ground, causing tremors to occur in the area. Then, the beast screamed. Rocks levitated around it. They turned soft like mud and then stuck to the larger bristles on the back of the beast before hardening.

Paired with the blowing of its nose, the cabro shoots out its sharp and hard bristles armored with hard earth. They went in different directions before turning towards Aeneas who dodged most of it. But was hit by smaller ones in his thighs. The earth covering the bristles wasn't only meant to harden it but for the beast to also be able to control its trajectory with earth magic.

Due to the desire to check on Tiriara, Aeneas had positioned himself in front of her. A stupid and grave mistake. He sees the girl with her eyes closed and doesn't respond to his calls. But the beast driven with madness could care less and charge at him. This time, it covered its head with hardened earth. It was the time when the young Caspius realized his mistake, and dodging was removed from his options. He clicked his tongue, "Oh, for Leo's sake," he muttered.

Aeneas stood. His legs shook as he gripped his wooden sword, glaring at the mad beast charging at him with all its might. With a deep breath, Aeneas screamed. Preparing himself to attack the beast and defend the unconscious Tiriara.

Then, from the direction they were hiding before, came a strong gust of wind. The cabro was hit on its side and was launched towards the blackwood. Aeneas looked in the direction from where the gust of wind came.

It was Donos, he was together with Konon, the knight looking after Tiriara.

Aeneas fell to his knees. Relieved to see the calm and strong demeanor of his dependable uncle Donos. He tried to calm the fast and loud beating of his heart and looked behind him to watch if Tiriara was breathing. He went to her, checked her pulse and looked for any fatal injuries while trying to wake her up.

Tiriara woke up coughing. She witnessed the sad and worried expression of Aeneas, calling her name while he held her head.

Tiriara smiled, groaned, and said, "You're noisy, I'm trying to sleep."

Aeneas chuckled. He told the girl to use her Zeal to help her broken bones heal. Then, they watched how the others dealt with the beast driven by madness.

As if it wasn't hurt, the cabro stood. It changed targets, facing the direction of Donos and Konon. The boar let out a loud blow from its nose before stomping the ground, releasing tremors to the area again.

A blazing arrow flashed behind Donos and Konon. With great speed, it pierced through the hardened earth on the spiked boar's head. The boar's skull stopped the arrow, but the fire it brought along, burned the beast's face. Again, it didn't show any sign that it was in pain, as it wiggled its head trying to put off the fire.

Eluard stood at the area from where the arrow came. A reddish glow was coming from his right forearm. And in it was a blemish forming a symbol: a diagonal arrow, with its head at the top. It also has a line through it. The Zeal of the Keen Archer, Sagittarius.

Eluard's attack was far from enough to slay the beast as it screamed much louder this time. It covered its entire body with hardened earth before charging towards Donos and Konon.

Without speaking a word to each other, Konon drew his sword as he paced towards the beast. The Zeal of the venerable Twins on Donos's face glowed. He pointed his right hand towards the charging beast and with the twitching of his fingers, a strong wind blew from below the cabro. The wind was strong enough to lift the creature into the air.

A cabro's greatest weakness is its belly. Even though it was covered with hardened earth, a knight could attack through it with their strength.

And Konon did. At the left side of his right leg, a light showing a greenish glow passed through his trousers. Then, in a split second, Konon dashed. His speed exceeded that of a harion. With a single downward slash, Konon sliced through the boar.

Aeneas wasn't able to see his attack. All he saw was the cabro's blood splashing and its body falling from the air already cut in half.