" May I come in?, Grandmaster. '' asked Nyaka while standing in front of grandmaster Arilyne's chamber.
" Yes, " grandmaster Arilyne replied.
Nyaka entered her chamber, she had been here before when she first came with the rest of her classmates. It looked the same to her, unchanged, dusty in corners and displaced things which she would like to rearrange them in their original positions. She dare not comment anything, she quietly seated herself in the chair. Grandmaster Arilyne was supporting the weight of her chin on her right palm as if she was troubled by something, bothered by some unsettling news or an unexpected onset of event. ' Why does she look so bothered?' Nyaka thought to herself.
" How are you doing, Nyaka? " asked grandmaster Arilyne.
" I'm fine now, grandmaster. Thank you for asking, " Nyaka replied softly.
" Good, it would be a shame if hunter class candidates couldn't recover after facing a varae, " Arilyne remarked. " but your brother, he doesn't seemed scared at all even when he faced the alpha red hound, in fact he was almost as if he has encountered such things before, "
Nyaka's expression changed, a rather gloomy stretch of air began to form in her eyes and lips. As if she didn't want to recall something, it made her uneasy. Arilyne studied her facial expression and she knew something terrible stories hid in their past but she was more curious to learn about them.
" He is different, grandmaster " Nyaka responded, she didn't want to unveil Lan's past. It could affect his normal life right here, she was being cautious of what she utters.
However, Arilyne knew Nyaka wouldn't easily tell her about him without providing security to such conversation.
" Nyaka, it's fine. I just want to know about your brother. I have already decided to make him my apprentice, that's the reason why I'm prying about him. " Arilyne reassured her.
" Really?? grandmaster! but he is a central court student. Won't other grandmasters object your decision ? on top of that he is magic-less. " Nyaka said.
" Oh don't worry about that, I have made a deal with your brother that if manages to get into top seven in the upcoming Wingless tournament, then I will take him in as my sole apprentice, " She said with a smile.
" And he agreed?, " added Nyaka.
" Yes, " nodded Arilyne.
Nyaka was happy that Lan was finally getting acknowledged by the people of this academy, it was none other than a prominent grandmaster herself. She couldn't but help feel getting left behind, Lan was progressing faster and it made her excited and uneasy. She always has been walking behind him all the time, he was always there to protect her and he suffered a lot in return. Now, this time she wanted to stand as an equal beside him, so that she can pay him back.
" Grandmaster, please don't tell anyone about it, " Nyaka wanted a confidential conversation, she wanted her to promise that she won't spill it to anyone.
Grandmaster Arilyne nodded, " You can trust me, "
" In B-12, we lived around the dumpyard. Me, Lan and his parents. His father was a good man and also taught us many things to help us survive, to hunt and to scavenge, but he was a sick man. Lan mother was a cripple. She couldn't do anything other than teach us how to be a human, she said B-12 would make you a beast if we don't learn to control our instincts and I took care of her most of the time. Lan, when he was barely ten years old, his father purposely hammered all of his knowledge and skills to his son so that he can survive in this cruel world, it was a harsh training but he didn't complain, I saw and observed him faced unspeakable adversary at such a young age, I was afraid he would almost stop feeling at all. His father taught him how to fight, kill, defend, escape and to hunt but in the most cunning way because the nature of our environment didn't allow us to be picky and honorable in our means. '' Nyaka paused momentarily and resumed, " You have no idea about the reality of B-12, grandmaster Arilyne. Residents of B-12 were always hungry and famine cursed our land, the dumping of garbage made our soil infertile, no crops or plants would grow. The ground is filled with cracks and we have to scavenge whatever we can from the dump to even eat. Most residents were foul eaters, they ate mostly whatever they could find, insects, rats, and whatever moved We eat but there was a law even among B-12 residents that cannibalizing is prohibited. However, the hunger deprived us of humanistic values. Some residents secretly consumed human meat. For us, Lan and his father would venture at the edge of the southern forest or what you call the black forest and hunt small animals but still it was hard to even catch one, the southern forest was a cursed forest. We were lucky if they managed to catch even one hare or sometimes a bird, we would preserve the meat and eat until the last days. Everyday they would go out and for days they would just come back with no hunt but just some insects and rotten fruits at times. However, it attracted many lurking danger, they knew somehow we were getting food from the forest but they were afraid of Lan's father, his name was Wandor Gwen Ethren, he was a tall and big man. His presence was like a guardian angel to us, we felt safe when he was with us. Everyday, when we were getting lessons from him, He told us to move out from B-12 and to dream about a better future somewhere, he would consistently tell us that one day everything'll make sense and turn out for the best, even in such a depriving circumstance, he was still an optimistic man. "
" But you have a different family name ?, " added grandmaster Arilyne.
" I was adopted when I was very young and my memories were not clear, barely four years old,, I'm not sure. Lan's father picked me up from somewhere and brought me in as his own daughter, that's what he told me too but I also vaguely remembered about it but it didn't matter because they have been great parents to me. Shortly after two years, when Lan was about to turn fourteen his father was getting weaker and weaker day by day, he was no longer able to hunt and he succumbed to bed just like his mother. From that point onwards, Lan started to venture alone in the southern forest, at first his parents objected him to not go but he won't listen, he kept on venturing and he returned with hunts, hares, rabbits, birds and sometimes boars. Thanks to him, we kept our stomach full and didn't have to worry about hunger, However, As Lan ventured into the cursed forest, he started to change, his innocence disappeared, he became more crude and cold and he almost resembled a beast at times. His mother was worried so we helped him remind who he was at times and for a moment, his eyes would change to his old self but we knew he was changing for better or worse, we didn't know but he still cared for us. One day, when Lan was out in the southern forest, the cannibals who were lurking in the shadows looking for an opportunity attacked us at our shelter, Lan's father being sick tried to protect us but he was outnumbered, he struggled to fight them, there were four of them, I fought them and managed to stab one of them with my dagger but one of them kicked me in the stomach and I felt to the floor, suffocated and choked, my vision was blurry. Wandor was a brave fighter, he killed one of the intruders by snapping his neck but the remaining beat him up bad, he curled up on the floor as they kicked and Lan's mother was screaming in agony, seeing her husband getting killed in front of her eyes, it made her faint with weakness. Hearing the commotion and screams, some nearby residents rushed to our shelter, after injuring Lan's father pretty badly, they fled. One of our neighbour, Ron came to our aid and helped us with some other good will residents, mostly old people. Unfortunately, Wandor was heavily wounded, he had internal bleeding and his weak body couldn't hold on and died shortly after the cannibals left. Lan's mother was still unconscious, she was alive but wouldn't wake up. It also traumatized me to the point that I was unable to speak for sometime and had nightmares for months. After dark, Lan returned and when he found out that his family was attacked by the cannibals he was infuriated, his eyes was soaked with bloodlust but he remained clam. He tended to his sick mother properly and buried his dead father with the help of Ron and at night he brought Ron and some other trusted residents to look after us, I heard him say to Ron to look after us, Ron didn't even try to stop him and once again Lan went out. I immediately fell asleep after he left, I was tired. When I woke up, Lan was there sitting near the door and was wiping his dagger of blood, I saw his blood stains on his dress, his face was also tainted with sprinkle of blood. He had gone out to seek vengeance, I knew but I was still not sure what happened but later that day, the news soon spread that a massacre had happened at Varudar's camp. Varudar was a bandit and a truly evil man who played with the lives of other, he lived by comitting murder, rape, plunder and he took pleasure in his sinful actions, most of the cannibals were his men too and the ones who attacked us was his men, Lan recognised them easily from an earlier truce with them, Varudar's camp was located at northern premise of B-12. it was a properly guarded camp, surrounded by fences and his crazy guards and it was a place everyone avoided at all cost. He was like a tyrannical oppressor, he demanded supplies from us every month and we had to comply with his demands so that we don't get tortured and killed by his men. There were at least thirty to forty men in his camp but all of them were massacred, not even one was left alive but Varudar corpse was hanging from a pole at the gate of the camp. No one spoke of what happened any more, Ron and some other knew it was Lan but no one dared bring it up, Lan was just barely thirteen and he slaughtered all of them. Everyone felt safe that finally they were freed of Varudar's dominion but they were also afraid of Lan. When I asked Lan later on how he did it, he said he put them all to sleep by burning some hallucination mushrooms and sliced their throat when they were all deep into their sleep. At that time, I was truly afraid of what he has become, where did he learn that? I thought, You must know, Grandmaster Arilyne. Lan's father didn't teach him such techniques and knowledge, yes he taught us how to fight, hunt and survive but he never taught such hideous technique. He picked up strange knowledge from the cursed forest. " Nyaka took a deep breath and waited for a moment. The whole time, Grandmaster Arilyne listened to her tentatively without even taking her eyes off from Nyaka.
" After a few days, Lan's mother recovered her consciousness but she was even weaker than before. Her health was getting worse with each day, I tried my best to take care of her but she didn't get better and the recent event took a heavy toll on her health. After a month, she died in sleep and we gave her a proper farewell. Two years later, We came here, "
Grandmaster didn't comment anything, she was at a loss of words, she didn't expect such extreme and dark fates from these two kids. Their lives totally contradicted the life she embodied. As a noble, she grew being sheltered from the harsh realities of mankind, the hardships she faced differed quite drastically from them. They lived and survived despair, watched their parents murdered, and died of illness with no hope of ever treating them, all they knew was surviving and it made them strong and it explained Lan's behaviour, his violence and fearless instincts. The life he led made him so, he had no choice but Lan still have his humanity intact, thanks to the love his mother and Nyaka showed him, Nyaka the soft and compassionate creature, whom Lan admired and cherished a lot, her presence was like a trigger check, she reminded him of his loving mother and it kept him human.
" So What is this the demon of the black forest? he told me to ask you, " grandmaster Arilyne said calmly after tentatively listening to her narrative and swallowing it quietly without a word to dismantle the heavy mood.
Nyaka looked at her and contemplated for a moment and answered, " Can you guarantee me that you'll not judge Lan or change your mind after hearing this story? , "
"I promise on the name of Lezzlod, " Arilyne enacted a gesture by putting her fist at her chest.
" Back in B-12, we called the southern forest as the cursed forest, not because of the upper division varaes that lived there but because of an entity that resided deep in the forest. Folks called it the 'demon of the black forest'. At first, it began out as a tale to keep children away from wandering into the forest but it was a true story. A supernatural being, lived there for centuries anonymous to the outisde world. '' Nyaka said.
" A supernatural being? not a magical creature?, " asked the curious grandmaster.
" No, it was by far not any magical creature, it had strange phenomenal powers and knowledge that was not of this world, it defied our logics and understanding. Lan described its feature as an old man but twice as tall as a man and limbs like old branches dragged on the ground when it walked, it shrouded itself in a torn black cloak but under the hood there was nothing but black smoke. It was hard to believe at first when Lan said to me but it's true I saw it myself. '' Nyaka paused again momentarily and resumed, " One day, When Lan went out to hunt, after his father succumbed to illness, he wandered too deep into the forest and he came in contact with the demon. Lan said he had continuously trespassed his territory multiple times but the demon for some strange reason allowed him to do so, it took a liking to Lan and instead of killing him, it decided to play with Lan. That's when Lan started to change and acquired strange skills every time he came back from the forest. It taught him bizzare tricks and bequeathed secrets of nature, of the forest, of animals. You must have wondered how Lan is able to sense much sharper than any of us without even a sensory boost spells. "
" Yes, I thought he was gifted with such senses, " replied grandmaster Arilyne, " Is it not?, "
" No, the entity bestowed abilities to Lan that exceeded human logic, it was not like just some magic spells that give us a brief boost of strength and senses. Lan said, the demon taught him how to hear and see like birds, how to walk and move like cats, how to sense dangers like animals. It made Lan half animal and half human but it didn't come with a price, Lan underwent extreme trails in order to obtain such strength and abilities. I didn't know why the demon was being kind to Lan but I knew it would come with a heavy price. I believed the mushroom Lan used to kill Varuda's men was also a knowledge the demon taught Lan. However, after a year, an incident occurred at B-12, war deserters, nearly a hundred soldiers, I didn't know which country they belonged to but they stranded into B-12 and started pillaging the residents, at first they just imposed themselves upon us, demanding shelter and food but as time goes on, they started acting just like Varudar's men. They stole young girls, wives and used violence to control us. What could we have done? But Lan was angry, just like the day his father died, he was infuriated and he tried his best to hide me from the mercenaries. There was a man named Rantur Olbog, a despicable man who was the captain of the troop. With few of his men, he came to our shelter looking for me, Lan lied by saying I ran away but Rantur was not convinced and ordered his men to search the place, Lan attacked them, threw them off guard and we ran into the southern forest, his henchmen chased us but they were skeptical of entering the forest, luckily they didn't chased us further. Lan brought me to a place where there was a big massive oak tree that looked like the source of all evil, the air was different, the place was hideous and no creatures dare make sound around that place. Lan said it was where the demon lived and he also said it wouldn't harm us since it recognizes him and that we would be safe from the mercenaries here. I was still afraid and didn't fully trust his words. At nightfall, Rantur Olbog came looking for us with all of his men, little did he know, he made a grave mistake by venturing into the cursed forest. They had a tracker, they followed my tracks and surrounded us at the massive oak tree, Rantur Olbog duelled with Lan and his men were watching as an entertainment, Lan didn't falter but Rantur was a man of big stature, he wore armor and carried a big war axe, he overpowered Lan in the contest of strength but Lan was faster and Rantur couldn't land a blow at him. Lan found an opening, he stabbed Rantur between his armor plates right at his left shoulder, he screamed in agony and he ordered his men to slaughter Lan, no matter how skilled Lan was, he wouldn't have been able to face fifty men all at once. When Lan was about to get stormed by Olbog's men, It responded, ravens accompanied by black smoke descended from the sky like a storm and right in front of my eyes stood the most ominous creature I have ever laid my eyes upon, just like Lan described it stood twice as tall as a man, his back was bent like a crouching old man and his limbs touched the ground. After seeing such monstrosity Rantur's men backed off in fear, some of them screamed in despair and fled the scene but they were all killed that night, roots spurted out from the earth violently and drilled through their bodies and just like it came, it disintegrated into black smoke and disappeared from the scene. It protected Lan, I have no idea what sort of relationship Lan had with that being but it protected him and after it disappeared Lan whispered something to himself something like 'the pact has been sealed'. I asked him later on what happened, he said he made a pact with the being when he asked for help and when I asked him about details, he said it was nothing to worry about. That's it, this was the story of the demon of the black forest. Lan also mentioned that it was a being from another world or he would refer to it as another dimension. " Nyaka took a deep breath after she finished narrating the tale.
Grandmaster Arilyne was laying back on her chair as if she had been on an exhausting journey, a long journey. She rubbed her chin while contemplating deep in a thought and then said, " Based on our knowledge, most of the southern forest remains unexplored and unmapped even now, it's an uncharted land, rumors about black forest dangerous varaes kept slayers at bay or maybe it's because of that being you spoke of that people instinctively avoided that place "
" Does the being have a name?, " Arilyne asked curiously.
" I don't know about that, Lan never mentioned it, " Nyaka answered.
" Hmmm... okay, " Arilyne was still contemplating.
" So, will you still take him as your apprentice?, " Nyaka said doubtedly.
Arilyne looked at her confusedly and replied, " Why wouldn't I?, "
" Ah haha- no, it's nothing. I thought you would be skeptical after hearing his story, " Nyaka giggled nervously.
" His past won't change my decision, whether he made a pact with a demon or not, it doesn't matter. I still want him as my apprentice, " Arilyne declared fearlessly.
" Then, it's all good. " Nyaka gave her a lovely smile which was full of compassion and love.
" All I know is he is a sweet boy deep down, You know after I slayed the alpha red hound, he fed me with water and some strange food to help me restore my strength, " a smile spread on Arilyne's face as she recalled the event.
" He always carries his ' emergency food'. hahaha, " Nyaka laughed in joy.