"You thieves have ten seconds to explain why you have touch my beast."
The voice still rung in all of their ears while the spear was still trembling in the ground besides Logan's foot.
No one moved for a moment, all caught in fhe shock of fhe moment. Only the Storm Maw let out a small growl towards the treeline with its yellows eyes fixed on it.
Then the branches and leaves parted as a young man stepped through with an arrogant and wicked smirk on his face. He was broad shouldered and slightly taller than Elijah. His dark hair was tied back with strips of leather into a braid, while tribal markings ran all across his bare chest and down both of his arms resembling claw marks on his skin. Carrying himself with the confidence and grace of a born warrior he approached them with another spear in his hand and several more on his back.
His eyes went straight past Elijahi and Selene, straight to Logan and the Storm Maw standing behind him. His jaw tighten at the sight.
"That beast was supposed to be my first bond daemon spawn."
Logan blinked once before replying. Elijah knew he was going say something stupid before he could even stop him.
"Well he choose me so get lost."
The smirk on the young man's face instantly dropped. At the same time Elijah's mind was having old memories rise to the surface. The face of the young man was so familiar as if he knew that face. Then it hit him.
It wasn't from Elijah's memories, but Elian's. Elian knew that face. The body that he was now inhabiting remember the man in front of them. A feeling of hate erupted from his heart as Elian memories went through his head.
His name was Varr, the son of Huntermaster Drogan, the leader of the Hunters within the tribe that thier aunt had taken them into after they had become orphans. He was talented and proud, but what made him an eyesore to Elian was how unnecessarily cruel Varr had always been. He had spent years reminding Elian and his siblings that just because his grin had offer them shelter that did not mean they had accepted them. At any chance he gotten he had made Elian and Kaal feel like crap. How many times had they come home bruised from "sparring" matches with him? Varr was also among the loudest when it came to mocking the Vael in front of the other kids, treating their dead clan like a joke.
Worst of all there was little they could do against him. He was the son of the Huntermaster and one of the most skilled youths in the tribe. His path as a Hunter had already been set from birth. Elijah could not help feeling hatred and helpless at the first sight of him.
The memories were not his, but he could feel Elian's determination to one day make this childhood bully feel just a fraction of the pain he had put him and his brother through. The anger burned in his chest at the moment.
Varr took a step forward while twirling the spear in his hand in an effort to intimidate them before stopping it by his side. His eyes shifted from Logan to Elijah and Serene, recognition dawning in his mind. The smirk that had disappeared earlier quickly appeared again.
"Looks like I had the foul luck to stumble across you rats," he said, clicking his tongue in annoyance before looking at the Storm Maw.
"I tracked that beast since the start of the trial rats. I was the one who wounded it before others interfere and have it a chance to escape. It is my beast, undo your bond while it is still fresh that and I'll let this incident slide."
Logan burst out with nervous laughter in response. Deep within them all the memories of their previous body owners brought about feelings of disgusted and danger at Varr's words.
Elijah stared coldly at Varr. Undoing a bond was possible, but it was something that only someone from Juza Empire would do. The bond between a magical beast and a human was sacred, not something to be easily torn apart. It was something that could easily result in the death of either the beast or human.
"You know what?" answered Logan, stepping forward. One could hear the anger in his voice. "I think you have truly lost your mind."
Varr's face darken at his reply.
"Can't say I did not give you a chance."
Without any further hesitation, he lifted his spear and aimed it directly at Logan's chest.
The Storm Maw behind Logan snarled and moved to step in front of him, but was stopped by a motion from Logan hand. The Storm Maw was still recovering from its wounds.
"Let's see what you got pretty boy."
Varr thrust his spear forward. He was fast, the weapon cutting through the air like a serpent strike.
Logan did not retreat. Planting both of his feet into the ground he attempted to dodge the attack, but it still look like the attack was going hit him square on.
Then the markings on his body began to glow a dull brown. The earth around him trembled as it cracked and rose into pieces that began to clung to Logan's skin. Starting from his legs to his waist and all the way up until stopping just below his head he was now covered in a crude, rock armor. Logan looked like a living statue had came to life.
The spear slammed against his shoulder and shattered against the rock plating.
Silence filled the clearing with even Logan looking shocked by the change of events.
"What are you doing human! Strike him!"
A voice suddenly tumbled through Logan's head. He glanced over at the Storm Maw, instinct telling him that voice had come from it. His eyes nearly bulge out of his head.
"You can really talk?"
"Strike before neither of us get another word in."
Logan did not have time to process everything that was happening at once. He just could feel the energy coursing through his body making him feel stronger than he had ever before. Selene and Elijah were giving him strange looks as he talked out loud.
"I got this guys," he said, giving them a thumb up before turning his attention back to Varr.
The other youth had recovered from his shock and now anger was back on his face. He could not believe that this was happening. The Storm Maw was supposed to be his beast.
Grabbing for another spear, he prepared another to make another move, but he was too late.
Logan was already swinging his fist, more rocks came up from the earth to form an additional layer of jagged rock on his hand. Now it looked as if he had talons or claws himself. He swung his fist straight at Varr's face with all his might. It was time to let this son of bitch know who he was messing with. For Logan, he could feel Kaal hatred towards the figure driving him forward. It was time to let this bully know his place.
But before his fist could land, a suddenly blur dropped in between them.
A palm caught Logan's fist, taking the full force behind it and release a shockwave that blasted leaves and dirt in all directions.
A second young man now stood there.
"That is enough."