Grimoires & Masters - Chapter 30. (Patreon)

'Clang!’
’Clang!’

A longsword parried the attacks of the blunt saber. The first rays of the sun pierced the night-blue sky, and every minute, the sky brightened. The two youngsters had been going at their training session for the last hour, and their forms created a stark contrast. The tall one had an exquisite form of swordplay, and the younger and shorter looked to have not found his style yet. His attacks were shabby, lacking any exquisiteness and precision. 

“Put more weight behind the saber when you attack from the flank.” Aoun easily parried the attack again and swirled around, getting behind Rumi and hitting his back with the hilt of his longsword. “Twist at the parry, play with your weight. Cover your openings as fast as possible.” 

Rumi kept giving his best and listened to the instructions, but nothing was working his way. The number of flaws Aoun pointed out kept piling, and Rumi slumped down on his rear and panted heavily after another failed round. 

“You did well…” Aoun patted his shoulder and then sat by his side. He took out a whetstone from his Blood-Ring and calmly worked on the edges of his sword. 

“I can never have your love for Swords in me…” Rumi laughed hollowly. “I can not become like you.” 

“Yes, you can not become me.” He nodded in reply. 

“What do you think I am lacking?” His words were urgent. The question was getting on his nerves now. 

“You tell me…” Aoun glanced at him and smiled. “What was the result of all the rounds we had?” 

“You won…” Rumi frowned.

“How?” 

The young man contemplated for a while and recalled all the short-comings that resulted in him losing each round. 

“Every time I try to cover one opening, I leave another un-checked.” 

“Mhm…” Aoun nodded. “Let’s not talk about covering all your flaws for now. Tell me, how can you minimize the number of your flaws?” He asked him seriously. 

Rumi was confused as he tried his best to come up with solutions. 

“My Sword-Art….”

“No,” Aoun shook his head. “That takes time to develop. Even if you find a Skill Scroll, those things can only help you in getting an insight, you have to learn the skill yourself.” He explained to him, "Now think of something that can help you in combat, and cover your most evident flaws.”

“Shields?” This time, Rumi asked with bright eyes. 

“You are asking me?” Aoun chuckled. 

“But Shields are heavy. I use a Saber to keep the balance of power and speed. If I use a Shield, it would hinder my agility.”

“There are different types of Shields.” Aoun took out a spare Gauntlet Shield from his Blood-Ring and handed it to Rumi. “Try it on!” 

Rumi nodded and carefully wore the Gauntlet on his weak hand, and as he clenched his fist, a triangular Shield emerged on it, guarding his arm up to his elbow. Rumi tensed up when he saw the Gauntlet Shield briefly sparkle in a Green hue. 

It was a Green-Graded Shield. And all Weapons and Shields of this Grade were expensive.

“I have a better one on me at all times.” Aoun casually said, easing the reservations in Rumi’s heart. He did not look at him as Rumi traced the black metal of the Gauntlet, and kept working on his Sword with the whetstone. 

“Sky Rank…” There was an excitement in Rumi’s voice now. 

“Mhm,” Aoun nodded. 

“This is for the first time in my life that I am holding a Sky Ranked equipment in my hands…”

“Alright now, stop sounding so touched.” Aoun chuckled. “Wear it at all times today. Get used to his weight.” 
Rumi nodded his head with a bright smile. He retracted the triangular shield and got back up on his feet. 

“Can we have one more round?” He hopefully asked. 

“No,” Aoun refused. “Elena and Simca are coming back. We will have our breakfast now, and then we will head inside the Red Canyon.” 

Rumi turned around to look in the direction Elena and Simca had entered the forest, but he could not see anyone even after a minute. 

“Are they really coming?” He curiously asked. 

“Mhm..” He nodded. “They are three minutes away.”

It was exactly after three minutes that Elena and Simca emerged from the woods, holding a couple of rabbits in their hands. 

“Are you done?” Elena curiously looked at Rumi and asked. 

“Yes…” He sighed. “I don’t think I did well.”

“It’s okay.” She smiled at him. “He can be tough when it comes to teaching.” She lovingly pouted at Aoun, referring to all the dirty things he taught her in the Devil’s Paradise.

Her words made Aoun sigh and smile at the same time, and Elena laughed at his reaction. 

Simca smiled at the sibling's interaction and came forward to lock her arm around Rumi. 

“I learned some basics today.” She proudly informed him. “Archery is fun…” 

“You are a natural at it, and that is why it is fun.” Elena appreciated her talent and then handed the hunt to Aoun. “I am hungry!” She complained.

“You are always hungry…” Aoun retorted and started working on their breakfast. 

An appetizing aroma wafted on the cliff where they were camping. 

“How is your cooking so good?” Rumi curiously asked. “Do they make the princes cook as well?” 

“They do!” Aoun chuckled at his words and nodded. “I was three years old when my training started. The first three to four years of training are basically to determine where the natural talents of the child lie. I was fond of Food, Music, Chess, and Swords. And therefore, I worked more on these things in subsequent years.”

Aoun told them a few accounts of life where he found it hard to master new weapons and messed up a few times. The conversation made both Simca and Rumi more comfortable. Knowing that Aoun owed his talent in Swords mostly to his tireless obsession and hard work, they were more determined to work harder. 

After they finished their breakfast, they started planning for the day.

“The Red Canyon has two Forests, on either side of the river Zamrakh. There are three Vineyards on the Southern side, and there are two Mining Sites.” Elena looked at the Map that came with each Quest they had in the Red Canyon. “We will head to the Wolf Dens that are outside the Western Forest, and we will take this Route.” She pointed at one of the Mining Sites, and then at one of the Vineyards. “All Mining Sites belong to the Kingdom, and these Vineyards belong to three City Lords. The Security there keeps the rogues away, and it is a safer route. But after we have entered the Western Forest, we would have to prepare ourselves for the worst.”

“That place is where other Guilds would be, hunting, and sabotaging other Guilds.” Rumi nodded and seriously reminded them. 

“They won’t do anything around the Vineyards or the Mining Sites. No Master can afford to have evidence of his wrong deeds spread.” Simca looked at the map again and nodded. “The Soldiers stationed on the Mining Sites are allowed to handle things their way as long as the Mining Process is not hindered. They don’t care what the Guilds and Wanderers do to each other inside the Western Forest.” 

Aoun looked at the Map of the Red Canyon and then turned to look at the Canyon itself. His eyes traced the majestic river flowing from the north and then settled at the place where several towering cliffs were situated. 

“The Mine we will be passing by is near the Riverend Cliffs. The Dungeon is there. It isn’t active, but the Stronger Guilds must be camping in that place. That place is safe from Wild Beasts, and even the King Beasts would avoid it.”

“The route we are taking is nearly 125 miles long. Therefore, our day’s goal is only to reach the last Vineyard, find a spot to camp at, and then head inside the Western Forest to get familiar with the place and hope we find some Calian Greenback Wolves.” Elena smiled at Rumi and Simca. “We will skip the lunch and will have a sumptuous dinner when the day is over. Of course, we will have to find something suitable for dinner.”

The young Guild set out on the day’s journey with high ambition, but tension grew the moment they climbed down the cliff and entered the Canyon.

“The tracks are fresh.” Aoun looked at them and warned them. 

On their route they found tracks several Horses moving in the direction they were headed. They hoped that it was not some rogue Guild, but whatever the case was, they had to remain vigilant. 

It was only after they entered the vicinity of the Mining Site that they took a sigh of relief. 

“Stop!” 

A brash voice called out to them as soon as they neared the barriers set around the Mining Site. 

“What’s your purpose in coming here?” The Soldier, wearing the Kingdom’s Military Uniform inquired. 

“Quests for the Guild,” Aoun replied to him and tossed the two Quest Parchments they would be working on inside the Red Canyon. 

The Soldier checked the Quests Parchments and returned them. After that, he signaled to the Guard inside the booth, and he came forward with a register. 

“To pass through the Mining Site, you will have to show your Identifications, and pay a fee of a silver per person.” 

The fee of 40 Kyrls per person was not much, considering they would be provided a safe passage of nearly 60 miles in this Canyon. 

Elena paid the fee and everyone showed their Identity Cards before they were allowed inside the Mining Site.

On their way, they came across several Signboards that provided information about the Mines in the Area. The mineral found here was Zethryl. It was a beautiful crystalline metal that was used in creating ornaments as well as decorating Weapons, Armors, and Shields. Its beautiful forest-green color was charming, and its durability was one of the best.

There were a total of seven mines of Zethryl in this Mining Site, and only one mine at a time was explored for 9 years. Then it was put to rest for the coming 54 years before it is explored again. The process made sure that the mineral in the mine would not be completely exhausted, and the colonies of Beasts residing inside the mines would help the place grow some more Zethryl peacefully. As the miners went deeper inside the mines, the colonies of the Beasts went deeper as well, making way for them, and leading them to safer routes and more mineral lodes. 

Every Nation made sure that none of its mines are ever completely exhausted. If that happened, the species of the Beasts specific to these mines would go extinct. It was not a scenario that anyone wished for. 

These Beasts, if given time, would fill up the mines again with precious minerals, so there were only benefits of keeping them alive and safe. It was also the reason why some species of the Beasts were classified as sacred, and could not be hunted. And it was also the reason why all Mines were State-Owned and did not belong to any magnate. It was the same for most Kingdoms and Empires. 

They traveled down the red dirt road, and on their way, they passed several other Guilds and Wanderers. To avoid any confrontations, they minded their own business and did not bother greeting anyone or stopping by at their campsites. 

Almost all the miners were civilians, and they had their housing colonies in the Mining Site. The place was not as desolate as they had expected, but it still lacked the warmth of a city, town, or a village. 

By noon, the four of them exited the Mining Site and headed toward the Vineyard that they had chosen to travel through. Watching the fields of grapes, on either side of the road as far as they could see, awed them. It was a sight to behold, and the sweet scent of the air here was welcomingly refreshing. 

The security here was not as tight as that of the mining fields, but a few guards and Beasts were guarding the fields. The grapes had not matured yet for the coming season, but their unique purple color was presenting itself on the partly green grapes. 

What was amazing was that they found some proper Inns in the Vineyard. These Inns were crowded by the Wanders, Guilds, and by the Soldiers of the Kingdom. 

“Let’s get some Wine from here.” 

Elena decided for them as soon as she saw a few people coming out with a few bottles of wine. All the business here was owned by the Owner of the Vineyard, who happened to be the famous Magnate and the City Lord of the Blossom City. 

Aoun sighed when he saw Elena splash their money on expensive wines. She was spending from her share, but it still ached the hearts of Rumi and Simca. To them, these tens of thousands of Kyrls were wasted on mere wines, but to Elena, it was money well spent on experiencing unique delicacies. 

Their plans for the day went down the drain when Elena announced that they would be having their lunch at the Inn. No one complained about that, and they decided to stay in the restaurant for nearly two hours, having their lunch and chatting merrily. 

It was only after they exited and continued on their journey that the smiles on their faces paled. 

“There’s a berserk King Beast creating troubles in the Western Forest. It is the Forest Beast of Rage; Babalu, and it is King Beast with Indigo eyes.”

Simca informed them about things that she had eavesdropped inside the Inn during their lunch. It was one of the reasons why they had decided to stay there for a while and gather some information. 

“Usually the Bears don’t travel in groups, but this King Beast had gathered several other Desolate Beasts around it, and is trying to claim Territory in the Western Forest. It is moving against a Golden Beast of Rage; Ursaar. A Bear that is another Indigo-King and has been controlling the riverside of the Western Forest.” Simca told them all she learned about the situation of the Western Forest. 

“As if the Rogue Guilds were not troublesome enough, now we have to stay wary of the Two Beasts of Rage,” Rumi complained and sighed. 

“That’s not all,” Simca lightly smiled. “The Greenback Wolves that we are after are not as active in the Western Forest now. They stopped coming deeper inside the woods because of the tension between the two King Bears.”

Rumi hollowly laughed at her words and sighed again. 

“Looks like we will be heading to the Den of a King Wolf, and ask its permission to hunt some of its subordinates.” He sighed again. 

“Things don’t look good, but we have the Quests to complete.” Elena smiled at them. “We could go fishing first.”

“With time, the tension between the two King Beasts would only rise. It would get messier than it already is. We need at least 7 Orange and 2 Yellow Cores of Greenback Wolves to meet the requirement of the Quest. We should try to wrap things up as soon as possible.” Aoun thought for a while and decided. “We will stick to the initial plan. Wolves First, and then Fishing.”

Less than an hour later, they were out of the Vineyard and the security of the Kingdom’s Soldiers. The Western Forest of the Red Canyon awaited them with its dense woods and lush green crowns that curtained the sunlight and only allowed bleak rays to illuminate the place. Even in the brightest afternoon, the forest looked terrifying. They could only imagine what things would be like in the pitch darkness of night.

They had to pass right through Western Forest to get near the Cliffs on the other side where the Den of the Wolves were. They braved their hearts and stepped inside the forest. The Two Horses lowered their pace and walked cautiously.

“Chino…” Elena planted a kiss on the small monkey that was resting on her shoulder. She then showed it a map and told it where they were headed. 

“Eeno!” The little monkey excitedly answered to her and disappeared in the woods.

The Paradise Wanderer returned and caught up with them after a few minutes, and then guided them on the route that it thought was safer. 

“Chino is smart!” Simca exclaimed to the glee of the little monkey who disappeared from its place once more to scout ahead. 

“Eeno!” Its reply to everything was as simple as that. 

“She is a Spirit Blood. Highly intelligent. She can understand everything that we talk about, but she only takes action when asked.” Elena was grateful to her Fate that she came across Chino so casually and got to be her Master so easily. 

Masters would spend their entire lives searching for such Beats and never find one. She was lucky. 

“Eeno!” The little monkey appeared on Aoun’s shoulder and called out in a grave voice. 

Aoun stopped Ray from advancing, and Rumi stopped Rulo. Elena was faster than them as she had already called back Maya inside her Grimoire. As Chino’s Master, she understood the Beast better than anyone.

They were terrified when Chino gestured them to keep quiet, and Simca hurriedly activated her Celestial Rune of Echona to create a sound barrier around them. 

Ray and Rulo were called back in the Grimoires. All found of them climbed onto a joint tree, and Aoun used his Element of Darkness to surround them and mask them in the Crown of the Trees they were hiding in.

Their hearts skipped a beat when they saw a Majestic Golden Bear with an Antler Crown on its head pass by where they had just been. 

The King Beast was trying to catch the smell of the place as it looked in all directions, sniffing around with its Indigo eyes shining brightly. It briefly looked in their direction, stayed looking, and then roared majestically, making the entire Forest tremble to its might. 

“We are going to die…” Rumi trembled uncontrollably but opened his eyes wide in shock when the Beast decided to keep moving and not attack them. “It didn’t locate us?” 

“It did…” Aoun sighed. “But it deemed us insignificant against its might. We already showed fear by hiding ourselves.”

“Let’s get away from this region.” 

“No!” Aoun shook his head. “We will stay put for the next half hour.”

“The subordinates of the Golden Bear must be in the area. With the tension in the Forest, it wouldn’t stupidly wander around to get ambushed by the Forest Bear.” Elena explained to Rumi. 

And their decision proved to be right. There were dozens of its subordinates in the Area.