Cebrice in his red cape and boots returned to the Dar Yi market a few days after he placed his order. He navigated around the strange sight of an Orphan picking something up from the ground. He felt a rush of warmth on his skin. Cebrice thought it strange, and for a moment, the market felt quieter. That of course was impossible. It was also short-lived, for within a few moments all the regular cacophony of thoughts and intermingling voices returned. His temperature normalized. He shook the strange moment off. He approached his destination, trying to focus on his task.

The man at the stall laid a short-sword out on the table for him. He looked at it with eyes gleaming. The chitin had been filed to thin edges. Along the blade were small etchings in the shape of an open hand and the shape of the creature below. It was a blade with a story. He felt a sense of pride at that - but recalled that he was not the one who started or even carried on the fight. He was only the one to end it.

“What about the rest?” he asked him.

“Ah yes.” It was not as if the man had forgotten, Cebrice understood, but he had waited to see the expression on his client’s face before continuing. It was a little theatrical element he enjoyed.

He pulled out a very elegant spear with a closed fist etched into the base of the shaft. This one was for Runiek. Since their argument, Cebrice had spent much of their time together trying to make amends to her for their fight. But Runiek would have nothing to do with him. Even during their training, it seemed like she would ignore him. It was starting to feel immature, but Cebrice wasn’t sure how to address the situation. All the ways he had tried had felt like the wrong ones.

He was also presented with two daggers and a well-crafted shoulder piece. All were in that white almost translucent shade he had last seen in the depths of the tunnels. Seeing it up so close again was eerie to him, but he was thrilled with the results nonetheless.

These items, once shown off, were hoisted to various attachments about his bag. The staff in particular was a bit more awkward to fit in a container. He decided to haul it through the market by hand. He was careful not to knock anything off a table or out of the air with his unwieldy cargo.

Soon he was back Home. He brought his things in through the main gates. Some servants offered to take things from him, but he wanted to bring them in himself. He wanted to go around to look and see if any of his pack was around to share in the treasure trove. First, he dropped everything on his bed in his room. It was such a small chamber that it could hardly fit. He had to lean a few things against the wall so that he could still get through from one side to the other.

He couldn’t find his pack yet though. He had a meeting to get to. It had come time to meet for that specialized training Elder Issik had promised him.

He hadn't been sitting idle, either. He had gone to the farms in the last few days and seen if he could move a rabbit or an ox. He spent hours a day there when he wasn’t training with the pack. Not that there had been any luck. He needed a bit of direction. He was optimistic about the guidance he’d receive but terrified of putting a foot wrong.

It seemed his efforts didn’t go unnoticed. It was at the farms where Issik had said for him to meet his new tutor. He tried to imagine what the teacher would be like. Perhaps he would be a successful rancher or veterinarian. He tried to think of all the helpful things he could do with an ability like he was learning.

Then descended the Era bat with its two sets of wings, tall ears, short face, and strong back legs. Cebrice recognized it but had never seen one up close. His eyes opened at the sight, and at first, he wasn't sure if he shouldn't prepare himself for combat. Its four wings enabled it to more efficiently navigate vertical space, so its descent was precise and calculated.

Curiously, he tried to reach into the animal's mind and found a calculating intelligence paired with ravenous hunger. It had a rider. Unknown to Cebrice, this of course was Rohchec, looking glamourous and well-rested.

The man stepped down from his steed and looked Cebrice over with warm blue eyes. Cebrice wondered what might be a good thing to be thinking about. Victory maybe. Or strength. He settled with the classics: his adoration for the Bheorse house and his thankfulness at being here.

Cebrice heard nothing from Rohchec yet. After the initial glance, the scarred man moved over to one of the ranchers here. The Era bat did not feast on the livestock - until money passed hands. Then, it was as if the leash was released on an untrained dog. The Era bat’s two sets of shoulders both raised in excitement as it stalked over to the penned oxen. The ones that Cebrice had been on the verge of mentally linking with for the last couple of days.

Cebrice felt terrified for them. He urged them to run in his head but knew there was nothing they could do. In seconds, one was hauled up into the air, and the Era bat found a perch upon which to rip its fresh meal apart. It was a messy business, and the splatter was enough to make Cebrice feel ill. The stench of blood permeated the air, but Rohchec didn’t seem to even notice. They were standing far enough away that none of it would splatter on them directly. The other oxen voiced their fear, but at Rohchec’s glance, they were quiet again.

“Poor thing,” Rohchec said to Cebrice - his first words to him. Cebrice thought he meant the ox but was mistaken. “He’s been desperate for a morsel.”

Stolen story; please report.

Cebrice stared up at the blood-soaked creature. He certainly had been, even the glimpse Cebrice had gotten had told him that much. He noticed the appearance of his ribs through his fur.

“Yes. It looks like he’s been out of luck for most of his life. I'd say a runt.”

“That’s a runt?” He was surprised. He was big enough to take the ox into the air without a problem.

Rohchec nodded. Cebrice realized without much surprise that the walls of Rohchec were as strong as an Elder’s. Although he was quite young to be at such a level. Cebrice guessed he was in his early thirties, but not older. Although, as far as Cebrice was concerned, that was another lifetime away.

“It was so hungry it nearly threw its life away,” Rohchec said to Cebrice. “But it was free, driven. It’s weak now, but it will get strong with enough meat.”

Cebrice couldn’t help but think the metaphor was about him, always considering himself something of a runt. Though he wouldn’t call himself either driven or free. Rohchec laughed, a sound like a close friend. He gave Cebrice a hearty slap on the back which nearly sent him forward. Rohchec maintained perfect posture, himself.

The man who would be his teacher looked down at him as he righted himself. “I am Rohchec. You’ll be able to direct him by the time I’m through with you,” he said, gesturing up at the Era bat. Its white fangs eagerly ripped at his meal.

“I look forward to it, Sir Rohchec.”

“Good.” Rohchec gave him an approving nod. “Now I have heard of your victory. Let us see you work.” He lifted his hand and gestured to the remaining oxen in the pen. They started to walk in a circle about the area. “See can you make them go against the herd.”

Oh no, Cebrice had dreaded this moment. “T-that seems a bit-“

“Tough? Do it anyway.”

Cebrice wondered how people could say things like that so easily. He rolled his shoulders as if it would help. As if his shoulders were sore from doing anything. Then, he focused on one of the oxen.

He tried to think of the ancestors who were known for this task. He had researched since he discovered the ability on who would have helped him. He thought if he could see their face, he could connect with their spirit easier. Cebrice tried to imagine these oxen turning around, but they only continued on their path.

He tried to get inside their brains. All they were thinking about was how afraid they were of the Era bat. How they didn’t want to walk, but clustered together and did so. They would break out of here if they could, but instead, they were walking. And they would no longer sound out their fear. Quiet, obedient. Docile and defenceless.

There was no way they were going to listen to his thoughts. He tried to tell them to turn around, but they ignored him so completely that Cebrice wasn’t sure they had heard at all

“They’re going the wrong way, Cebrice,” Rohchec warned him.

“I don’t know what to do. How do you get them to turn around?” Cebrice was starting to feel under pressure. His first performance and he hasn’t even gotten the damn thing to turn. A Dar-Yi farmer could do that with a whistle. Cebrice considered the technique.

“Focus.” Rohchec brought him back to attention. He watched Cebrice from his periphery, not turning his head from the animals. “What made you decide to try to communicate with the insect?” he asked.

The question was a happy diversion, although it was hard to both focus and answer. “Well, nothing else was working, so I thought I had to try something.”

“And why was nothing else working?”

It had all been a blur, so Cebrice had to think about it. He was surprised Rohchec let him answer with words, but he did. “Well, we didn’t want the caves to collapse. And Mofrim had just gotten hurt then, so-“

“So you were worried for him?”

“Of course I was. I was the only one with him.”

“The only one… I see. Interesting. If the others were still with you, would things have been different?” Rohchec asked.

Cebrice didn’t understand and looked over at the man. How could he know if they would be different? They had been there with them before, and they hadn’t succeeded.

“I don’t think it could have gone any differently than how it did,” Cebrice said.

“I disagree. I think they would have been different because you would have felt no reason to step up, would you? I think if you hadn’t been losing, you would have stayed in the shadows and watched.”

“N-no, I wouldn’t have, I was trying to fight even before- I’m just…” Cebrice felt mortified at the assessment. More so because he suspected he might be right. Runiek and now his new teacher both knew what he was.

“You might not be surprised to know that when I was in training, I was not a good fighter, either,” Rohchec told him. “I used to be at the back of my pack when I was young.”

Cebrice watched him with interest. He was wrong - Cebrice was surprised. This strong man, with battle-scars, beautiful hair, and a massive bat was like him once? The sensation of building a hero began in his mind, a seed finding soil.

“Do you know what happened that changed everything for me?” Rohchec asked, and Cebrice shook his head, his eyes filling with stars. Rohchec’s next words brought the mood right down. “My pack died in action.”

Cebrice froze. “I’m sorry-“ he started, fumbling with his hands.

“No,” Rohchec cut across him. He wasn’t angry, but his voice was solemn. “I’m trying to give you a warning. You think that if you stay out of the fight, you won’t get hurt. I’m telling you that is a lie. You think you don’t belong with them now, but you’ll realize how wrong you were once they’re gone. You have a chance now, Cebrice. Now, why haven’t the ox turned?”

The final words were like whiplash and Cebrice tried to focus again on the animals. His new teacher was wise, and he felt he should listen to him. He knew that this was the best chance he’d ever have, and he was so lucky to be given this opportunity. He stared at the ox.

They were tired of moving. Cebrice tried to remember what it was like in the tunnels with the insect. That sensation of being the only chance to hold the beast back. The panic he felt when he saw Mofrim get hit. Now? It felt different. These were just regular animals. No one was going to get hurt if he failed. Maybe he was spoiled. His pack was still alive, and he hadn’t suffered enough to understand. Maybe he never would.

“Please ox, turn around,” he desperately called to one through his mind. It looked over to him and flicked its tail, pausing as if considering the proposal but nonplussed.

Rohchec gave a warm smile at the scene. “Let’s end for now. I think I’ve given you enough to chew on.”

Cebrice found himself relieved that it was over but surprised. He tensed up, “But the ox didn’t move,” he began. What would be the punishment for such failure?

“No. But I am patient. We will discover what drives you. That, Cebrice, is the most important thing to learn about any beast. Understand what drives them, and you have everything you need." The Era bat descended again and lowered itself for him to climb onto its back. He gave Cebrice one last appraising look. "I will see you here again tomorrow.”