Charles was digging a grave. Early in the morning. It was one third of the way done. "Let's get back to training for Noble Phantasm." Charles said as he stretched. He takes a deep breath in and out.
"Okay you can do this." I said getting a good amount in the air.
"Noble Phantasm." Charles said as a blob of translucent energy formed. Two yellow eyes formed. Then boom it completely exploded. This time much stronger than any other time before.
"You're getting closer." I said I was trying to be supportive of him.
"Okay Charles, what are you doing wrong?" Charles asked himself.
"Break it down into steps." I said with a little confusion when Sebastian tried to learn a technique he broke it into steps.
"Okay first step?" Charles asked me as I let out a long sigh.
"Separating your Chaos Energy then stabilizing it. Do not try to force it into a shape." I said with a sigh that teaching was so exhausting. Charles nodded at this. Thinking for a second.
"Noble Phantasm." Charles said as the blob stayed for about two seconds before it blew up in his face. Charles let out a long laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" I questioned looking at him. Did he lose his mind?
"Thank you, I was trying to overcomplex things." Charles said with a smile on his face.
"You're welcome?" I said, unsure what he exactly meant. He is so strange.
"Noble Phantasm." Charles said calmly as a blob of his translucent Chaos Energy form beside him. It only lasted a fraction longer than the last one.
"Well let's try and get to at least a minute until we move to the next step." I said, trying to help him plot out how he will learn this move.
"Noble Phantasm." Charles said once again another blob of Chaos energy form. Still translucent, it lasted for a fraction longer than the other two.
"Well at least you're making progress." I said I was trying to still be supportive of him.
"You don't need to be that supportive. I won't quit till I learn this move." Charles said with a melancholy in his voice.
"Hey! There you are, Master!" Pluto yelled out. Waving and running at Charles. His eyes held a warmth we did not see in a long time. Charles shrugged. Landing on his shoulder feeling a bit lazy.
"What up, Pluto?" Charles asked, a small smile spreading to his face.
"We are going out hunting, wanna join? Since you know you're apart from our group." Pluto looked at Charles with a smile plastered on his face.
"Why not." Charles said for a second I felt his muscles tensing. He stopped himself from shrugging. That is an interesting development.
"Thank you." I said with a small bit of glee escaping my voice. Charles touched the ground.
"What are you doing?" Pluto asked, looking just as confused as me.
"I was seeing if he'll freeze over as Valtina never once in my life has said thank you." Charles said while lifting his hand. Then once again his muscle slightly tightens. But it does not move as much.
"Really?" I asked with a dangerous tone in my voice. Charles visibly flinched. He was wearing a nervous smile on his face.
"Well it's like Sebastian crying or Carmine not being a snob." Charles said with a worry in his voice. Wait, he sadly was right.
"Damn it you're right." I said cursing under my breath. Letting out a long sigh. With both of my eyes closed. Trying to calm myself.
"What's wrong with Carmine? He is a refined noble young man." Pluto said, trying to defend the young Pendragon.
"He's a monster. I once saw him…" I said with a trailing off. Forgetting that they did not know he was a Vampire. He once drank all the blood of one third of the servants then let all the ghouls eat the rest of the staff.
"I once saw him do what?" Pluto asked, looking at me. His face was even more confused.
"Yeah what did he do?" Charles also asked, looking at me with some level of suspicion.
"Nothing important." I said covering up the truth. They were not ready. Both of them would think I was insane. Pluto shrugs and Charles' muscles tightened. Letting out another long sigh.
"Well then we should go on our hunt." Charles said with a smile on his face.
"Okay then let me lead the way." Pluto said with a smile on his face. Slowly we reached back to the camp. With five other members of the hunting team. It was Nikki Rivers, Argent, Arrow, Knuckles. All of them seemed to be waiting.
"We have been waiting." Nikki said snarling he never really had patience. He always kills his subordinates on his whim. His claws were gleaming in the morning light. They seemed like three knives attached to the back of metal forehands.
"Quite down Princess." Charles said sarcastically. Looking at the annoyed pink hair Dhampir. This seemed to fill the pinklet with pure rage.
"I am not the princess!" Nikki screeched. His face was flushed red.
"Good to see you." Argent said with a calm smile. Shaking Charles hand.
"Good to see you too." Charles said, matching his calm smile.
"Are we going to start the hunt?" Knuckles said with a small shrug.
"Yep." Pluto said with a smile on his face. As we all started walking.
"What are we hunting?" Nikki asked, looking around the forest. Once again we heard some distant howling of wolves.
"Snow Deer, Ice Tusk and Icicle Sloth." Pluto said with a smile on his face. Charles' eyes flicked around.
"These are our hunting grounds." Charles said with suspicion letting out a small snarl.
"Yeah, what about it?" Arrow said he was being very cold. I wonder why he was wearing a mask.
"Up here." Charles said as a clearing had a massive white fur sloth. Its long claws were made of ice. It let out a bellowing honking sound.
"Who wants to go first?" Nikki said with a bloodthirsty look in her eyes.
"I volunteer." Argent said, stepping in front of everyone. Pulling both of his swords out his sheath.
"Okay then." Charles said with a small smile on his face. Argent and Sloth clash their swords and claws respectively.
"Flash Step." Argent suddenly disappeared before the claw slammed into the ground. Shattering snow all over the clearing as it slowly settles showing the sloth with a few small cuts. Bleeding crimson blood like rain. Once again it let out another honking sound.
"Argent is still one of the strongest of the group." Arrow said. Charles glare at something as I look I see nothing what he was glaring at.
"What were you glaring at master?" Pluto questioned looking at Charles.
"I could have sworn I saw wolves." Charles said, letting out a long sigh. "It must be my mind playing tricks on me." Charles spoke with a tired tone. Hearing something collapse to the ground seeing the headless Icicle Sloth. From the headless body a lake of blood forms around the neck.
"Well that was quick." Pluto said with a happy tone in his voice.
"We need about seven more like this one." Arrow broke the mood stating matter of fact.
"I call dibs on the second one." Nikki said with a huge smile on his face.
"Okay princess." Charles said once again Nikki's face flush with pure animalistic rage.
"Stop calling me that!" Nikki yelled his voice was filled with pure rage. Charles was smiling at this reaction. Charles walked to the corpse and threw it over his shoulder.
"Whatever you say." Charles said calmly. As the group slowly walked back to camp. Charles snarled for a few seconds.
"What is it now?" Nikki asked, clearly annoyed. Sending a glare at Charles.
"Could have sworn I saw some wolves." Charles said in a threatening voice.
"Are you okay?" Argent asked, looking at Charles with some level of worry.
"Yeah I am fine." Charles said with a small nod. "Probably just my paranoia playing tricks on my mind." Charles said, placing the corpse on the ground. Some of the other people nodded. They started to cook with the corpse. As the group of seven members started to walk back into the forest.
"Maybe it has some merit." Argent said. "It is that a the wolves are sacred of you or b you're seeing things that would be understandable since you've been attacking her a lot." Argent explained.
"I mean I am hoping for it to be the first option but who knows right." Arrow said his tone was colder than ice. Why was he acting so cold?
"Is he always like this?" Nikki asked with a look at Argent and Pluto.
"Yes. He is really cold most of the time." Pluto said with a bit of a sigh. As we found another Icicle Sloth. It was alone as it saw us and it let out an annoying honking sound.
"Again." Charles snarled as he was looking at some bushes and thicket of trees. Where he thought he saw the wolves. Nikki had completely dominated the fight single handedly. Causing countless lacerations on its skin like stripes on a tiger.
"Who wants the next one?" Nikki asked, clearly proud of himself.
"I will take the next one." Pluto said with a calm look and a small smile on his face. As Charles heaved the Icicle Sloth over his shoulder. As they slowly carried it all the way back to camp. The people cooking were half way down with the first one.
"Here you go." Charles said dropping the corpse in front of the group of chiefs.
"So what move was training?" Pluto asked. He was looking at Charles with a level of curiosity. Charles let out a low snarl scaring Pluto.
"Nothing much." Charles answered. His annoyance was very clear.
"Okay then." Nikki said a bead of sweat rolling down his face.
"Sorry I have been trying to learn something and it has been frustrating to no end so I was a bit annoyed." Charles apologized.
"If it causes you so much pain then why don't you stop?" Pluto asked. This was a good question.
"Because I want to learn that move." Charles said with a determination written all over his face. As once again Charles glared, meaning he thought he saw wolves in that direction.
"Has anyone told you that you may be paranoid?" Argent asked, looking at Charles.
"Yeah Valtina mostly but I trust my instincts more than what you say." Charles spoke with confidence in his voice.
"Okay then." Pluto said as they came across another Icicle Sloth. It let out the loudest honking sound as it rushed at the group.
"Wonder how he will fare?" Nikki asked, looking at him. With a predatory grin. Charles shook his head as he looked at Nikki.
"Why does your mind revolve around battle?" Charles asked, looking at Nikki. The reincarnation of Nile is one of the three true progenitors that help make the vampire race.
"Because that's just who I am." Nikki said with a shrug of his shoulder. As the Sloth had many holes in form Pluto bident. It swiped its claws horizontally. Pluto jumped back to dodge the attack. Stabbing into it knee it let out another honking sound.
"That true fighting is a big part of my life." Charles said, looking at the fight. Pluto rolled out of the way of the sloth when it slammed its massive clawed hand down. It let out another honking sound, this one much more guttural then before.
"What is that for?" Nikki asked. As Argent let out a sigh looking at both Nikki and Charles.
"The honking sounds before were threat displays to scare off rivals. This one is a warning call; they are commonly a look out for other herbivores." Argent explained as they both nodded.
"So there was a herd of something that ran away. From that call?" Charles questions Argent. Argent nodded at those words.
"Most likely Snow Deer." Argent said with a smile plastering his face. Hearing a loud thud. It was the Icicle Sloth that was finally dead.
"Took you long enough." Nikki mocked. As Charles once again picked up the corpse. Glaring in a direction once again thinking he saw the wolves.
"Still seeing wolves?" Pluto asked as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Pluto was panting a little.
"Why do you believe me?" Charles questioned Pluto; he let out a small laugh.
"You were the first one to realize something was wrong at the Pendragon manor." Pluto said with a huge amount of respect in his voice.
"Thank you follow-up question, why do you call me master?" Charles questioned looking at Pluto without care.
"Because you protected the Pendragon family I owe you respect only second to the Pendragon family itself." Pluto said with a bow.
"Thank you Pluto." Charles said with a happy smile on his face.
"No, we should thank you. You're the one doing the heavy lifting." Pluto said, matching Charles' joyous smile on Pluto's face.
"Okay after this we take like a five minute break." Charles yelled out so everyone could hear him. The walk back was long. Charles saw the wolves three more times on the trip back to the camp.
"Really you're starting to see things?" Nikki questioned whether he might be worried about Charles' health. It was strange to see this side of him; he was always the youngest of us three. He was very childish and selfish to the extreme.
"I hope not." Charles said with a long sigh. As we saw the chiefs they were all done with the corpses of the other two.
"What a wonderful hunt." Arrow said sarcastically letting out a mocking sigh.
"Remember the five minute break." Charles said with his voice being full of command.
"You're going to train Noble Phantasm again." I said as he nodded walking a good bit into the forest I got off his shoulder.
"Noble Phantasm." Charles said creating a blob of Chaos energy that lasted for a little over two seconds again. He was getting better a small bit at a time.
"Getting better." I said, trying to encourage him. He was smiling.
"Noble Phantasm." Charles said as he created a blob of Chaos energy. It did not take shape, it stayed a blob. This one lasts for 2 seconds in total. Before this one blew up in his face.
"Well you're never going to give up are you?" I asked him suddenly. Shocked at what came out of my mouth. Charles had a huge smile.
"Jackal put his blood, sweat and tears into making this so I will learn this the least I can do." Charles said once again that melancholy look in his eyes.
"Yet you still have to master life magic, illusion, mimic style and reinforcement." I told him those were all things he had in his trick bag but still had to master them. But he has only scratched the surface of all the abilities. He let out a long sigh.
"Noble Phantasm." Charles said as a translucent blob of Chaos energy. This time it lasted for two seconds and a half a major improvement that came with a major improvement knocking Charles slamming into a tree trunk.
"You okay?" I asked Charles if his eyes were half lit. His eyes seemed to be filled with a fog. As suddenly he reawakened taking in a deep breath.
"Damn it really took a lot out of me." Charles joked. How could he crack jokes at a time like this?
"At least you're okay." I said letting out a breath I did not know I was holding. Charles stood back up with a smile on his face.
"Noble Phantasm." Charles said as another blob of clear Chaos energy had formed. I quickly took to the sky feeling an incoming dread as two seconds passed. It seemed stable but after another half second another massive explosion. Shooting Charles into the same tree. The tree snapped, falling to the ground. Upturned roots covered in dirt and snow were showing. Why was he being reckless?
"Why are you being this reckless?" I question him as he was dead then he won't be able to master the move. As well would be free. So why did I care that I would be free?
"Because I want to master this move as quickly as possible." Charles said with a massive smile. Letting out a long sigh.
"You're a real piece of work, you know that." I said looking at Charles with some level of pride in my soul. But it was mostly about him putting himself in danger. Charles let out a nervous chuckle.
"Yeah I know." Charles said, wearing his nervous smile on his face. A small smile twitched on the ends of my lips. He is really your son Sebastian.
"Master! Master! Master!" Pluto's voice was getting closer with each call. Charles' smile seemed to grow wider as I landed on his shoulder.
"Jackal you wanted to be free like a bird right so I hope you're flying high." Charles' voice was quiet almost could not hear him. He was now wearing a somber smile on his face.
"Master, we are waiting for you!" Pluto said he was full of worry for Charles.
"Okay." Charles said as he walked past Pluto. He quickly turns and follows behind. As a few minutes pass a peaceful walk. Then I saw a few wolves but as quickly as I saw them they disappeared. Charles was right they were wolves.
"Did you see that?" I asked Charles as he slowly nodded to my quiet question.
"So it was not only my paranoia." Charles spoke his voice low.
"What are you talking about?" Pluto asked. Curiously looking at me and Charles.
"Nothing you should worry about." Charles said with a small frown.
"Okay." Pluto said, looking straight in front of him. With a small nod. As we reached back to the base camp. We saw that a few of the people were already eating even though it was still an early morning.
"Were are the others?" Charles said his eye twitched dangerously.
"Well master I heard two loud explosions so I made up. I lied to check up on you. I am so sorry." Pluto said his head was hanging low.
"Don't worry about the rest of the hunt, we have enough food for breakfast." A random chief said he was offering a bowl of food.
"Thank you." Charles said as he looked at the handmade wooden bowl he had a small smile on his face. As both Charles and Pluto sat down to eat.