Dreiki was taken aback. Savekio was offering to house, clothe, and feed him all so Dreiki could act as his apprentice. Not only that, but the same xio who had trained numerous legendary warriors was the one extending the offer.

Why? What had he done to deserve such an honor? What did Savekio see in him that was worth training?

He was just a half-breed. He didn’t even have a tail, and he wasn’t as strong as others his age. He’d nearly gotten himself killed, and even after training so hard under his mother he still couldn’t even save a bat drake by himself.

“I see the doubt on your face, young Iriik.”

“Sorry, it’s not that I don’t want to, but…why me?”

“Why not you? I’ve not seen one more worthy of my mentorship in a while.”

“Because I’m…”

“A Noxa?”

That word stung him, “Yeah…”

“Yet it was a Noxa that saved the life of this drake, a Noxa who evaded my capture, and A Noxa who tricked those three boys into running away- with a bit of help of course.”

Dreiki didn’t know what to say. He didn’t feel like he deserved any of this praise.

Savekio ruffled Dreiki’s hair, “Think on it a bit, kid. You are free to rest here until the drake is fully recovered. I want your answer by then.”

Dreiki nodded, “Thank you, sir.” He paused, “Um- Sir?”

Savekio raised a brow, “Yes?”

“You said you owed my mother some favors before.”

“That I definitely do. Your mother saved me quite a bit of trouble about two decades back now. I was a brief ally to her on the battlefield. I’ve a few long stories about that xia, but I’ll spare you the details for now.”

“I’d love to hear them sometime!” Dreiki said a bit too enthusiastically, “I never heard a lot from her about what she did as a Venator Knight. I hardly knew why I was sent here, let alone what being a Venator Knight even means.”

“Your mother always did fight to shield others from war, so that’s not surprising to me,” Savekio took an analyzing gaze at Dreiki, “Last I heard, whoever your father was, they died protecting you from poachers at an early age. Am I correct?”

“Well, yes my father protected me when I was just a baby. And sir, you mentioned it before, but what do you mean by ‘poachers’?”

“Has Zesa not told you?”

Dreiki shook his head.

Savekio grunted, “I guess Zesa always intended for me to explain it to you when the time came. She never did like to ruin someone’s day with bad news.”

“What do you mean?”

Savekio pointed to Dreiki’s shoulder, “That mark is meant to protect you. Anyone who kills you has their souls marked as a challenger to a Venator Knight’s title.”

Dreiki recounted what those three boys had said earlier, “So if I die, my mother knows where they are?”

“Where they are, who they are, and what they look like.” Savekio counted on his fingers, “It’s pretty potent magic too. More of a curse than a spell in a lot of ways, actually. Anyone marked by it can’t get rid of it until one of them is either defeated by the other or killed. For most, a mark like that is a guaranteed death. For others, it’s equivalent to throwing the gauntlet.”

“So that’s why those three were so afraid of it. But why did they know about it?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Savekio shrugged, “It’s likely they’ve been warned by their parents. If anything I’m surprised someone inquisitive like you didn’t start asking your mother tough questions after overhearing others talk about it.”

“I was raised in Lithiria when I was little, and then after a few years we moved to the Altix here in Itaro. There weren’t a lot of people around for me to overhear that sort of thing.”

“Lithiria huh? That’s the human world if memory serves. She must’ve moved to the wilds in Itaro after your father passed so she could keep you hidden from poachers.”

“I think you’re right, sir. But I still don’t understand that part. If my mark is means death to anyone who kills me, then why are there still poachers after me? And if they’re after me, why did my mom leave? Why can’t she keep protecting me?”

“Venator Knights have a duty to the military. Once they have a kid they get ten years of leave to raise them. I suppose most figure a Venator Knight will have one or more parents to help raise the kid while they serve. But obviously that’s not the case with you.”

Dreiki looked away, “Yeah…”

“As for the poachers, that’s another matter entirely.” He took a seat, letting out a sigh of relief. Standing had caused him quite a bit of discomfort, “A Venator Knight is one of the few ways someone of low birth can ascend into nobility.”

He massaged his neck, popping the stiffness out of it, “Nobles don’t really like it when new houses are formed which can threaten their power, so they often take to either assimilating Venator Knights into their house, or snuffing out their bloodline entirely. They tend to pay good money for a Venator Knight’s child. As I said, some enjoy killing them as a way to ‘throw the gauntlet’.”

“But Venator Knights are the strongest warriors aren’t they? Don’t they serve nobility? Why cause conflict within your own ranks?”

“There’s not much conflict if they submit. Although that usually means having children with them. Although those like your mother- who don’t bend the knee- become targets. Most nobles who are told they can’t have something they want can get quite obsessed.” He laughed, “She turned down quite a few heirs from prominent houses. Only to then mate with a human. She refused to have a second sire during that time too, opting instead to be monogamous like her human lover. It was the ultimate insult to those nobles.”

Dreiki felt pride swell in his gut, “Because she loved dad that much.”

Savekio nodded, “And don’t let anyone make you forget that.”

A cold thought popped into Dreiki’s head, “But what happens if mom dies while at war?”

“A Venator Knight’s status and soul mark are passed onto their next of kin along with all the power and burden that entails. But if she’s defeated or killed in a duel, her status is given to the victor. If she’s dead, then you are able to challenge whoever killed her, and they cannot refuse it.”

Dreiki swallowed, “What happens if I am granted the status of a Venator Knight? Is that even allowed for someone as young as me?”

Savekio waved his hand dismissively, “That’d be the least of your concern. Challengers will typically try to wipe out the next of kin before dueling a Venator Knight. It prevents vengeful descendants from knocking down their door a decade or two later.”

“And if that happens? If everyone is killed and they have no use for the title?”

“Then the title is bestowed to whomever the victor chooses. Nobles usually prefer someone loyal and strong. And in that order specifically.”

“So if you’re a battle master, then why are you out here?”

He let out something halfway between a grunt and a laugh, “When you live in war for so long, sometimes the only thing you want is peace. I’m getting old, and I never managed to find a foe who could best me on the battlefield. So I’m here.”

“What about your family?”

“I’ve outlived them.”

“Oh. I’m sorry-”

Savekio raised his hand to silence him, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve long since made peace with it, kid. The Venator Knights are my children now.”

Dreiki couldn’t help but laugh at a silly thought in his head, “So then I’m your grandson then?”

Savekio grinned, “In a way, I suppose you could say that.”

“What are you doing with all this medicine if you’re not an herbalist?”

“You’re pretty sharp with your questions.” He stroked his beard, “If Venator Knights are all my children I’d like it if I didn’t outlive all of them as well. Even if I tend to outlive quite a few these days.” Savekio shifted his jaw, his eyes staring coldly at the ground for a moment before looking up again.

He gestured to the medicine around him, “I wanted to do my best to make sure more of them survive. So I make any sort of potion I can and ship it off to a supplier who can sell it to them for cheap or give it away for free.”

Dreiki looked down. He felt guilty for stealing items that might’ve saved the lives of Venator Knights like his mother.

“Pretty soon though, it’s gonna be hard for me to walk, let alone harvest the materials I need every day. I’ve tried to delay The Waning with my own medicine as much as possible, but time comes for everyone in the end…” Savekio let out a hollow laugh, “By the way, I don’t believe I ever caught your name little Iriik, what was it?”

“I’m Dreiki. Dreiki Iriik.”

Savekio nodded, “Interesting name, that’s draconic for ‘Forgotten one’ I believe. Your mother must’ve had a sense of humor.”

“Forgotten one?”

“Or I suppose the name could also mean, ‘One without destiny’, ‘Breaker of three’, or ‘hidden from God’.” He stood up, “Anyways that’s enough talk for now. Lets fix you up something to eat shall we?”