Aaron sat on a boulder, beside the labyrinth exit, and grumbled. ‘This thing is nowhere near as comfortable as my Rock!’

‘It’s beautiful, mossy surface.’ He sighed. Trying to take his rock from the Nest had proven difficult, and Bently assured him it was impossible.

He was flipping through one of the books that contained fables of Hero's, told in a fanciful way. He could barely understand it, but he still found it mesmerizing, as the stories had something Verona called 'Body Language' and the idea captivated him. A language not of words but of the Body! It reminded him of the subtleties of communicating through the Bond and seemed important.

In front of him, his siblings were lounging and chatting excitedly with the widest smiles possible. They all went through the same difficulty he went through the first time he was exposed to the surface. The world was big, and that feeling of openness could crumble your senses.

They had adapted remarkably well, but he could still see a hint of fright in their eyes and in their steps. Huddling together, they chatted while also sitting closely as if to protect themselves from that empty expanse called the wide world. He wasn’t too concerned and knew they would come in line soon enough.

The Rangers carried Bently out of the labyrinth and placed him on a pallet. For some reason, the big man still hadn’t woken. They asked Aaron what happened, but he didn’t have much for them, as he wasn’t sure himself. He reassured them, as best he could, that the man would be fine.

Aaron could see his soul and core were both stable—maybe too stable. It seemed to be pulsing with a faint aura, and he felt it pulling from his core, slightly draining him. He didn’t know what it meant, but he could sense that Bently was somehow changing.

Becoming something greater.

He could see with his Sight that the aura contained faint golden sparks and was imbedding into the man’s cells as if to empower them. But it was drawing from his core, and it didn’t feel great to be bogged down continuously. It wasn’t as bad as the bracers, but it felt like he was carrying weight on his shoulders.

The Rangers had scouted the perimeter and told Aaron that, with their numbers, most predators would stay away. They could get harassed, but it wouldn’t be anything that a few sentries couldn’t solve. Many of his siblings were interested in the Ranger's tracking skills and gave special attention to their bows.

Some of his siblings still carried weapons of various kinds that they had received as gifts from Mother, so defending their small camp wouldn’t be too difficult. He breathed deeply, staring at the night sky through the forest canopy. He could see the moon’s silver glow, illuminating the night, as a slight breeze chilled his body. The moon wasn’t shining the first time he saw the night sky, so this was a first for him too.

Looking over at Cornelius, he couldn’t help but be intrigued. His brother had entered a trance, his eyes glazing over, when he peered up at the large moon and twinkling stars. Aaron knew that he had received an Insight. With his Sight, he could see the fluctuations in his brother’s body.

Cornelius was sitting off to the side of the large group with a few of his other siblings. He was sitting cross-legged in meditation, attempting to digest his newfound information. They had all been seeing their Gifts since birth, but now they could understand the meaning of the Runes.

Aaron opened his Gift and looked at his new skill.

[Domination] “Nothing shall leave your grasp.”

What the hell does that even mean?’ He thought rather gloomily. It was like getting his own bouncy rock and not being able to use it! Holding his hand up and looking at it closely, he flexed his fingers, feeling the golden sparks flowing around them. He could feel a tingling sensation, as if it were waiting for him to let it out, but he shrugged it off.

He would try it some other time, he thought, laying back atop the boulder. The Rangers said it was best to wait until morning as it was far safer to travel during the day. His heart racing, he tried to get to sleep as he thought of all the possibilities.

At the wonders of the world.

He drifted to sleep with a wide smile plastered on his face.

THUMP

His eyes shot open.

Bently!

He stood up, shaking off his drowsiness, and walked over to Bently’s side. The Sun was rising, colors of orange and pink painting the sky, as he stood over the big man, eyes almost falling from their socket.

‘What the hell was this?’

Bently was... handsome?

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He stared, mouth open, as he went over the changes the man had undergone. His blond hair now had streaks of silver, his features were fairer, and his skin was smoother, as if it glowed faintly. He was slightly smaller, as if his body had become more lithe, but Aaron could sense the strength in those powerful limbs.

Bently’s eyes opened with a flutter.

Aaron's golden eyes locked on to the man's green eyes, which looked even deeper, with a hint of golden sparks dancing in their depths.

“My… Lord...,” Bently spoke, his words carrying an ethereal tone.

The Rangers woke to Bently’s words, staring in shock and wonder as the camp began to stir, waking one by one.

Aaron stood planted to the ground, dumbfounded, watching Bently rise to stand tall as everyone gathered around. He couldn’t believe the Runes that were floating above the big man’s head, and after trying to understand why, he came to the only conclusion possible. He could see Bently’s Gift due to their souls being bonded as Lord and Vassal.

Name: Bently Evergreen Race: (High) Human Class: Protector Core: Superior Blessings: Lord’s Favor Titles: Knight of the Evergreen

He couldn’t see all the information, but what he could see had him extremely puzzled. ‘What was a High Human?’.

The man had clearly received a Race upgrade and looked to be a perfect version of himself, as if his flaws had been erased.

“Everyone, get ready to move out.” Bently ordered, nodding to Aaron as he smiled wide.

“So, what is this?” Aaron asked, still unsure of what all this actually was. The man was completely whole again and was radiating pure joy and it was weird.

“I’ll deal with everything; don’t worry. We’ll head back to the City and meat up with Foster, the Head of the Hunter’s Guild.” Bently replied, positively beaming.

“That’s not what I meant.” Aaron said, frowning, as the man was clearly deflecting.

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out when we get back. When we return, I must see the Council, and then I’ll meet back with you at the camp Foster arranged, near the training grounds.” Bently reassured him.

“Sure.” Aaron shrugged, temporarily letting go of his curiosity.

The details could be worked out later, but for now, they still have over two hundred people to relocate. Their journey started at a rather slow pace; his siblings were unsure of the world and didn’t all contain the excitement that Aaron had. Their fear of the unknown made their steps unsteady and their progress slow.

As they marched, he thought of something else that was bothering him. His siblings had gathered, but the Bond was still pointing into the Labyrinth. It could only be one thing: his rotten brother. He was unsure of what to do, as Cornelius had told him what the foul one did, but he found it hard to want him dead.

Aaron knew, deep down, that his brother wasn’t up to anything good, but sighing in frustration, he gave it up for another day. He caught a faint whiff of something unusual as they moved towards the City, and as they continued, it got stronger until he finally placed the scent.

Fire!

He gave a heads-up to Bently as they quickened their pace. Getting closer, they started noticing smoke rising in the air, and Bently became even more worried. The scene that came into view as they neared the City made them all pause in stunned silence.

The Stronghold was on fire.

The sounds of shouts and screams filled the air as a massive number of people stormed throughout the inner circle of the compound. The people were rioting in great numbers, setting the city ablaze, and attacking anyone they could find available.

“Take the Firstling to the training grounds at the edge of the forest!” Bently ordered the Rangers, who were even more obedient than before, as he turned to Aaron.

“Go with the Rangers, and I will return—"

“Not happening,” Aaron said, shutting him down. “I’m not being left out of all the fun! Don’t worry, I can protect myself.”

“As you wish… my Lo—"

“Stop with the Lord crap and let’s go!” Aaron growled.

“I’m coming!” Ciel shouted as she came to stand beside Bently, causing the man to look away with a weird face.

‘Why the hell was his face getting red?’ Aaron thought as he looked at his Sister.

“Ciel, it’ll be dangerous.” Aaron tried to refute.

“I can help,” she replied with certainty. “My voice can work wonders with controlling the crowds.”

“Suit yourself,” Aaron shrugged as he gave Cornelius orders to follow the Rangers.

They split from the group, heading towards the outskirts of the city, witnessing random homes that had been set on fire. As they moved through the outskirts, he noticed most of the homes were empty, their inhabitants either hiding or in the crowds attacking the city.

Seeing a group of guards rushing through the slums, Bently called out to them. Noticing their captain and rushing over, they began to fill them in on what was happening and how bad the situation was. Through it all, Aaron found it difficult to pay attention, noticing a small open window high up the castle’s main structure.

Excitement caused his heart to race as an idea struck him.

“I’m going to check on something.” Aaron shouted to Bently as he raced away, hearing Ceil's curses behind him.

He leaped atop one of the smaller shacks and began to make his way to the stronghold, hopping from one rooftop to another. He ran swiftly and silently, barely a whisper in the wind. Slowly winding his way closer, he climbed the inner walls like a spider, closing in on the compound.

As he climbed the last wall before reaching the castle, an arrow whizzed past his head, and he dove low, scurrying to the side to find cover. He hid behind some kind of wooden armament, poking his head out to see an archer further down the wall, an arrow notched and pointed in his direction.

Thinking about his options, he was pleasantly surprised when a rock flew from one of the rioters and struck the archer, knocking him from the wall. He chuckled at his good luck and jumped from the wall, dashing the last bit of distance.

Reaching the Stronghold, he easily found purchase with his nimble fingers and started to scale the structure effortlessly. Making his way to the open window, he dropped into the room, peering through the smoke filling the small space.

As he crept forward, blending in with his surroundings, he saw a large man standing over a kneeling form. Moving forward slowly and taking out his dagger, he came behind the man and heard faint sobs from the female kneeling on the floor.

Aaron stabbed the dagger straight through the man’s throat, watching as he fell to the side, blood pouring from his wound, dead before he hit the floor. Seeing the woman’s soot-stained face, tears running in streaks, he thought of something the Rangers had taught him. Standing tall, he smiled his most fiendish smile.

And winked at Karla, kneeling on the floor.

“Miss me?” He growled.