''May Erda bless the Beast Master!'' people were shouting as Argo stepped into Winterbrook alongside Dravina and Torv.
''See that boy? Not all of us Varna hate the Forsaken,'' the older man beamed. ''Our brothers and sisters in Spearheart are backward and follow the council like their word is law. I guarantee you they'll come to you after finding out how strong you'll become.''
''Why do you think I'll grow enough to change our people?'' Argo questioned, generally curious as he knew the Varna were stubborn people.
Torv halted mid-stride, turning to face him alongside Dravina. ''Boy,'' he said, surprised. ''You charged headfirst into the Ashen Ones, unleashed your beasts to slaughter, and now you stand here as if nothing happened?''
The name ignited Argo's fury like a spark, bringing back the memory of his birth and his father. His anger erupted, forcing Athena from the Beast Realm. She materialized in a shimmer of blue light, alighting gently on his shoulder and pressing her head against his cheek.
'Calm yourself, Arg,' her soft voice instantly calmed him down. 'You cannot let the past chain you any longer. You're the force that will change this world.'
Dravina and Torv looked shocked as the silver-haired woman finally spoke. ''Looks like you two are bonded far more than I expected.''
''I met her as a baby, then she left for fifteen years only to return recently,'' he replied, stroking Athena's soft feathers.
''It's clear the beast loves you,'' Torv commented. ''I see the way she looks at you, like a sibling. Never take her for granted. She'll pull you out of some dangerous situations.''
"She already has.''
Following that, the older man and Dravina led him to their house, where they stepped into a garden full of colorful flowers that he'd never seen, which surprised him, as someone who loved gardening worked hard to make it look good. He found the place beautiful, but Torv dragged him back to reality.
''There's a small hut behind the ferns, you can stay there while in Winterbrook. Get some rest and we'll talk in the morning,'' the older man informed.
''Thank you,'' he said.
Just then, Athena flew toward the hut. Dravina gave him a bright smile as she left with her father, and Argo approached his second home only to see a similar hut to the one he had back on Exile Cliff. He sat down outside after starting a fire, and the warm air washed over his skin as the cold air was already invading the valley.
While sitting there, he checked his gains from the fight with the Ashen Ones.
[Level Up: 7>10]
[Experience: 000/200]
[Experience Gained: 210]
[HP: 13>17]
[STR: 22>26]
[STM: 13>18]
[CHA: 13>14]
[INT: 13>14]
[Beast Points: 69>269]
[Hunter: 1>2]
[Weapon Master: 0>1]
[New Skill: Predator's Eye (0)]
[Quest Complete: 20 Beast Points + New Skill - Erda's ]
When Argo saw the new skill, he grew curious, pulling up its information only to be shocked at what he saw.
[Predator's Eye: Allows you to see the strength of beasts and humanoids alike. Green for allies. Red for enemies/hostiles. Black for Beasts/People who are stronger. Blue, if you could beat them. Pink for loved ones]
'This will be useful,' he thought, a grin crossing his face.
While sitting there, Argo glanced at Athena, activating Predator's Eye, only for her to light up blue. It was bright, just like his eyes. He smiled and dismissed it as the Grey Owl turned to him. 'You know it's bad manners to pry into a lady's secret, Arg?' she teased.
''Sorry, I was testing a new skill Erda gave me,'' he explained. ''It allows me to see the strength of beasts and people.''
'That is very useful!' she exclaimed, 'Now you can check on beasts and Urvaks before attacking them. I think you should test it out on the cats.'
Argo nodded in agreement, summoning Artemis and Aslan. The two beasts materialized from the Beast Realm, their forms radiating a brilliant blue glow laced with veins of shadow-black, proof of their power surpassing his own. This propelled Argo to his feet, and he jabbed a finger toward the American Lion. ''One day, As. I'll wrestle you to the ground!''
Aslan's ears flicked at the challenge. The massive Lion crouched low, tail lashing like a whip, then pounced. Argo had half a second to yelp. ''Wait, I said one day, not,''
Just then, six hundred pounds of muscle slammed him flat on his back. Dust puffed up around them. Artemis sat and began grooming a paw. Pinned beneath a furry freight train, he flailed. ''As! Personal space! This is not wrestling, this is.''
He was interrupted by a sandpaper tongue the size of a bath towel dragged across his face from chin to hairline, leaving a glistening trail of lion spit and what might've been yesterday's zebra.
''Torture,'' Argo finished, voice muffled under a paw the size of a dinner plate. ''You're making me wet, you overgrown housecat!''
Aslan rumbled, a sound halfway between a purr and a laugh, and licked again for good measure. His hair now stood up in damp spikes like he'd stuck his finger in a socket. Artemis finally glanced over, blue eyes narrowing in judgment. 'You did provoke him.'
Argo tried to wriggle free. "Okay, okay! I surrender! Just stop bathing me like a kitten!''
The black lion sat back, smug, tail curling neatly over his paws. He lay there, face shining like a glazed donut, and muttered. ''Next time I challenge him, I'm wearing a thicker pelt.''
Following that, he scraped the last of Aslan's drool off with a broad turtle shell, one of the Varna's water-catchers, hauled all the way from the Southern Shores. After cleaning off, soft footsteps crunched behind the ferns. Dravina stepped into the firelight, smile bright as moonlit gold. ''Dance with me, Ar?''
A hopeful expression appeared in the young woman's big gold eyes. Argo was shocked but shook his head and curiously asked. ''Why do you want to dance with me?''
The young woman got closer as she responded. ''Why not? You're a handsome warrior who doesn't care for the praise the people put on you, and that's different, compared to the Varna I've known.''
He was about to turn her down, but Artemis spoke up. 'Go, Ar. We'll stay here and relax. You need to be with your own kind and whose better then a beautiful human woman?'
Argo chuckled and nodded. ''Okay, lead the way,'' he replied.
Dravina's fingers slipped into his, steadying the tremor he hadn't noticed in his own hand. Predator's Eye flared without permission. A brilliant blue glow burst around her, bright enough to rival the bonfires ahead, laced with veins of shadow-black that pulsed beneath the surface like something vast and ancient pacing behind a thin curtain.
Argo squinted, focusing on the shape of it, but the harder he stared, the more it slipped away, leaving a throb behind his eyes. He shook his head, blinking hard, and the glow dimmed. Dravina tugged him forward. ''You coming, Beast Master, or do I have to drag you?''
He followed, boots scuffing the frost-rimed path as they left the hut behind and stepped into Winterbrook's heart. The village square unfolded, Varna banners, deep indigo stitched with silver antler, snapped alongside Winterbrook's green-and-gold standards, the fabrics whipping in a wind that carried pine smoke and roasted meat.
Bonfires ringed the space in a loose circle, each one crowned with dancers: children weaving between legs, elders clapping rhythms on thigh-bones, warriors spinning with spears held high like extensions of their own bodies. Sparks spiraled upward, winking out against a sky thick with stars.
Dravina slowed, turning to face him. Firelight painted her cheekbones gold, caught in the loose strands of hair that had escaped her braid. Her eyes searched his face. ''First time seeing the Solstice Dance?'' she asked.
Argo swallowed. ''First time seeing any dance that didn't involve someone trying to kill me.''
A laugh escaped her, bright and startled. ''Then you're overdue.''
She stepped closer, the crowd's roar fading to a distant surf. Somewhere, drums picked up a heartbeat rhythm. Dravina lifted their joined hands, palm to palm. ''Follow my feet. Or don't. Just don't step on mine.''
After that, the drums hit a rolling crescendo and the crowd parted just enough for them to slip into the ring of dancers to have a go themselves. Argo's first step was a disaster. His boot heel clipped hers. She hissed, half-laugh, half-wince, and spun him before he could apologize. ''Left foot, Ar. Left.''
He obeyed, clumsy but trying, and the rhythm caught him like a riptide. The Varna dance wasn't the stiff courtly thing he'd half-imagined; it was all stomps and spins, elbows sharp, knees high. The Spiritblade moved like she'd been born inside the beat, hips rolling, silver hair whipping, bare feet flashing over packed earth.
Every time she turned, firelight slid across her skin. Argo followed as best he could, Predator's Eye flickering at the edges of his vision. The crowd glowed green, allies, revelers, no threats. The young woman's aura stayed blue-pink, pulsing in time with the drums.