A King's Legacy Chapter 10: Limits
Before any other beast really had time to react after their uninvited guest had made his daunting depart, the tiger Oust was already moving in on Aster, wildly slashing his gauntlets down at the human without warning. Aster barely managed to awaken in time, using his shield to block the attack just before it tore through him. The tiger quickly tilted in, and hit the human from the side with a closed fist, knocking him off balance with the powerful blow and sending him to the ground. The tiger was upon the boy in seconds, his claws perched threateningly around the tender flesh of the human's throat. Stahl and Captain Rix were upon the pair shortly, attempting to pull the burly cat off of his comrade while being conscious of his mortal grip on the boy beneath himself.
"LET HIM GO OUST!" Stahl was growling at the sudden animosity towards Aster, if the tiger hadn't had such a solid and dangerous grip on him already, the wolf would've removed him by force. The tiger screamed back at his restrainers with his own ferocious snarl.
"HE IS A TRAITOR! WE'VE ALL SEEN ENOUGH EVIDENCE OF THAT! Humans cannot use magic, and yet he summons the darkest kind to our door once again! He conspires with our enemies, THIS IS DECEPTION! THIS IS BETRAYAL! HE NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY!" Stahl listened on, a cold sweat forming on his brow as other beasts chimed in around them in their agreement.
"The Candori son is right, the human needs to go." "He will get us all killed!" "HE'S PROBABLY THE REASON WE ENDED UP HERE!" "Just look what he did to Alice..." A surprisingly loud decree from the last person anyone expected to hear a word from stopped all in their tracks then, as the timid fox Rust Aschefell found his voice that night.
"ASTER IS A GOOD PERSON! YOU JUST WANT TO HATE HIM BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HIM... Because you've never tried to know him, Because it's easier to see him as a monster. You won't even try to talk to him... You won't even use his name... He has done everything he could and more to try and earn your trust, but even then, you turn on him at every trial. You pray for his failure... You... You... You don't have to be so hateful. He really is good..." The fox grew self conscious with so many eyes on him, and the end of his speech was proving to overwhelm him as his voice lowered. Still, the youngest beast there had somehow managed to start to diffuse a situation a group of adults were letting spiral. Prince Tyfin only smiled to himself, feeling foolish for making a child be the one to say it. Maybe the fox would make a good advisor someday?
"Oust, release him. Aster is not our enemy here." The tiger looked to his prince with anger, questioning the command. Prince Tyfin stepped forward, lowering his brow and commanding the tiger once more in a louder voice.
"Oust Candori, I order you to release him. We have much to discuss, and you're wasting my time with your prejudice and personal insecurity, now listen to me, or are you the one looking for insurrection here?" The tiger was in shock, floored that his prince would take the human's side, and insinuate he was the disloyal one all in the same sentence. The big cat looked back to the weak human once more, snarling as he finally released his grasp. Stahl snatched the cat off of him immediately, leading the tiger to make a swipe at the wolf now instead. Stahl moved away in time and drew his right handed sword as the tiger bared his fangs in response. It was Captain Rixator that stepped between them then, stopping both in their tracks.
"YOU TWO SHAME YOUR PRINCE, AND FORGET YOUR PLACE!" Both warriors flinched a bit at the harsh, berating tone, as order finally fell into place. A while later, after the prince had moved away from the crowd with a select few, He began to speak to his selected., starting with the human.
"I don't know what that was back there Aster, but it can't happen again right now... If that power does somehow have something to do with that monster, we don't need to be antagonizing it while we aren't prepared to deal with it. I trust you can skip the magic lessons for Aster here in the foreseeable future, right Mollis?" The hare just chuckled sheepishly and bowed, already accepting full responsibility for the whole mess a bit earlier. The prince turned back to Aster, asking him once more, just to appease the tiger. "And Aster... You swear to me you had no knowledge of any of this? About the foe before us... About those flames?" Aster swore to his prince that he hadn't, even going so far as to kneel. Tyfin had already believed him, but he had to seem impartial. He moved passed that, feeling he had addressed the issue enough for the time being.
"Stahl, I assume you still haven't made it in range for your bloodskill to hear word from any of your clan?" The wolf confirmed as much.
"No luck yet, my prince... The moon will be full soon, but that's still a few days out... If nothing else, I should be able to reach somebody then to get an update on the capitol, but without knowing how far away I really am, I sadly can't even promise that much." The lion only nodded, that was better than no timeline at all...
"I won't put stock into what that thing called me yet... I accepted that my father may have been lost in the battle the moment I woke up in that cavern, but I won't surrender all hope otherwise, not on his word alone. Not before I can confirm it myself. I'm sure most of you feel the same way about your own families... I am sorry I cannot do more at this time..." Oust interrupted the prince then.
"A prince needs not apologize to his guard." The lion closed his eyes, the tiger was a bit of a mess, not that lion could blame him considering his upbringing, but one that really did have potential for greatness... If him and the wolf didn't kill each other before then... The young prince wanted to sigh. He was tired, but it had been one thing after another for the last few days, with surely more yet to come, so he didn't have the luxury to be tired in that place.
"I need order. We need harmony among our ranks, more division now will only destroy what is left of us before we accomplish anything. Were it not for both Aster and Oust quickly working together back at the ceremony, I would surely not be here. Our strength increases folds for every fighter we have among our ranks that can work as a team. We have a mission, and that hasn't changed... However, there is one major difference..." The young lion paused in his speech, turning to the retracted mass of the most powerful mage in Alora that was balled up, sitting a ways away in silence with eyes remaining alert and on the group. Alice hadn't spoken a word, and if anyone tried to approach her after she initially released Aster, she would hiss at them like a feral while trying to claw them. Whatever had happened to her, it was far beyond what any of them dared to even imagine. For now, she was alive, and seemed to plan on staying near the group, that was enough for the prince. Still, he needed to address the situation.
"I want to give her all the space she needs. Leave her be for now, we know not what trials she faced in getting here, so let's just keep an eye on her, but allow her room to find her way back to us in her own time... Let us pray she can... For now, work on trusting each other, build that trust with those around you, for we need it to remain unified in our efforts. I will not hold you any further. Everyone get some rest, our path grows even more perilous by the hour, but we must persevere." Aster just stared at his prince in that moment, in awe at how proficient, and yet, how kind and understanding the lion could truly be, happy to serve such a prince.
A while later, and Aster had snuggled back into his warm spot against his wolf, as the beast just held him closely while the human vented his worries from the day's events before he eventually fell off into a peaceful sleep. Stahl would never admit how afraid he had been of his human that day, how afraid of such dark, raw, and out of control power he had been. A sentiment he shared with Prince Tyfin. For the second night in a row, the wolf had managed little rest, so instead, he just looked up to the waxing moon, anxiously awaiting the approaching time when she would shine in his favor, and finally bring word to ease their troubled minds. Or so he had hoped, anyways. In truth, his biggest fear was that his father, nor his brother, would ever answer his call again. The wolf held his human just a bit tighter.
The next evening, after a day full of gossip and rumors circling around from beast to beast in the traveling pack, it was once more time for the bull's training. Everything was pretty well the same as before, as Aster prepared for his "weight training," Stahl was instructing his students on sword techniques.
The human was a bit more prepared for the task, now knowing what to expect. He removed his upper armor beforehand, leaving only the greaves and the bracers on to help distribute and support the mass of the bovine. He opted to get on both knees this time, putting a bit more strain on his shoulders and back, but preventing his breath from locking up if he were to be pinned against his own knee again. He readied his shoulders and arms better, spreading them out to his sides to really brace against the brunt of the weight. With a deep breath in, the human accepted the humiliating task with a sense of focus, and raised his shield to serve as the beast's throne. His desire to rise above even this was easily readable on his expression. Pride nor shame would stand in his way. The experienced bull smiled at the determination of his student, still rising to all challenges, just as his father had told him when the small human had actually stood to face Straga Raxos in the ring.
Little to Aster's knowledge, Captain Rixator was actually one among four beasts that had personally requested that Aster be assigned to their unit after his induction and the uproar at his technical win against Stahl. Word of his stupidity and bravery in the match before had caught more than one eye and ear that day, but it appeared the gods themselves had decided that the bull would be the beast up to the job of raising the new shield bearer. The teacher took his seat, pushing his pupil to either adapt and evolve to the harsh and demeaning training, or to be crushed beneath his inability and the weight of his teachers demands. The bull gave the kid two weeks before he would earn that staff back. As it turns out, Aster wouldn't even need that long.
It was after six more days of the grueling routine that Aster found himself dazing out in his task, the weight was there, but his arms had steadied quickly from the bull's extensive physical routines. Aster had another hour of basic exercise added to his morning routine by order of the bovine, resulting in a constant state of both exhaustion, and steady improvement for the human. The shield was becoming lighter each day, but his body did need to properly rest soon. Captain Rixator knew this, but he felt he was close to a breakthrough, and with a little luck and some prodding, he may be able to force that breakthrough. He didn't like pushing a single student so far so quickly usually, but as it stood, Aster needed to be stronger. Regardless of how anyone felt about it, the shield was a big part of whatever was really going on, so that shield needed to be ready to serve it's purpose. Rix smiled to himself, knowing he was about to stir up a whole mess to force some things long overdue to come to a head. His prince called for unity, this is how the bull knew to bring it. This called for a Rixator special.
"ASH PELT! YOU NEED TO STOP HOLDING MY SEAT SO CLOSE AT NIGHT! IT'S STARTING TO EVEN STINK LIKE YOU!" Aster almost dropped his shield on the spot as Stahl's movement hitched just enough for his student to smack him directly in the face with the sheathed blade.
"SHIT. CAPTAIN RIX! WHAT-" The bull gave him no time to catch a break, and as it turned out, neither were his students. Stahl was currently fending off a crocodile that had made it through the most recent Selection, as well as a kangaroo who had served in the military prior. Their attacks seemed to grow sharper at the bull's words, as if in disgust at the subject on hand.
"I'M ONLY SAYING, THE HUMAN STINKS BAD ENOUGH! ADDING YOUR SCENT TO IT DOESN'T HELP! YOU CAN WAIT TO MARK HIM AGAIN AFTER WE CAN BATHE NEXT TIME!" Stahl felt his blood run cold, resulting in the kangaroo nearly getting another hit in. Aster hadn't realized he had stopped breathing all together in his shock. It was the crocodile that spoke next, striking furiously at the wolf as he did.
"A noble beast of Alora... Rolling in the dirt with a human of all things... You shame us all." The kangaroo chimed in his agreement, synching up his assault with the croc's, bearing down on the wolf as they spat their venom. The bull hadn't expected that much to be said, but he could work with it. Time to play dirty.
"BONDING AMONG WARRIORS IS ALWAYS WELCOMED! BEING INTIMATE WITH THOSE YOU TRUST YOUR LIFE TO ONLY STRENGTHENS YOUR ABILITY TO READ EACH OTHER IN BATTLE! I DON'T CARE IF THE DOG WANTS A BONE, BUT YOU WILL WAIT UNTIL I AM FINISHED WITH IT!" The wolf thought he was going to explode in his rage, but the two students were lashing at him faster than the bull was now, utilizing what they had learned in their own training against their very teacher. More than anything, he knew Aster was struggling with all this being so openly blasted. The wolf felt shame for what he had allowed himself to do leading to this treatment. That is, until Captain Rix really started to salt the wound.
"DO NOT WORRY ASH PELT! EVEN NOW, THE BOY GROWS EXCITED BY THE THOUGHT! MAYBE HE'D JUST LIKE TO BE YOUR SEAT NEXT? HE SEEMS TO GROW COMPLACENT WITH HIS ROLE. I DON'T KNOW IF HE EVEN WANTS TO EARN HIS STAFF BACK ANYMORE. HE STILL HAS NOT MANAGED TO THROW ME OFF. HE STILL HAS NOT EVEN TRIED TO... HOW SUBMISSIVE DID YOU MAKE HIM? PLANNING ON BREAKING HIM IN PRETTY ROUGH THEN? MAYBE THE BOY WOULD RATHER JUST STAY BENEATH ME INSTEAD? I AM SURE I COULD KEEP HIM WARM AT NIGHT IN YOUR PLACE..." Stahl's anger reached new heights, he had expected the bull to strike down on Aster some, but never would've believed the beast would ruthlessly assault such an angle. He lunged at his attackers, letting his rage propel and fuel his swift movements as he managed to win back a bit of his ground against them. The two students were snickering at the wolf with lowly disgust, truly enjoying the show their captain was putting on.
Aster was deathly silent, his face felt flushed and pale all at once as his body strained, saturated in his own sweat and heat from his exhausting position. He wasn't ready for this, he wasn't ready for any of that to be aired out like it was. Stahl had marked him? What did that even mean? His brother Cortist had told him that's a thing canines enjoyed, but when did that even happen... And what was the captain's problem? Why was he being so degrading and vulgar about it all... But more than anything... Why was he so damned HARD over everything happening... He felt humiliated, betrayed, helpless, and trapped beneath the weight of the bull, and his demeaning words... So why was he enjoying this? Why did he love the idea of the wolf laying claim to him so badly? Why did the mighty bull's offer of warmth make Aster want to give it to him? To buckle beneath his weight and take whatever the beast wanted to dish out with eagerness? The boy shuddered in shame at what he felt, his member stiffening in spite of it, as the proof of his arousal was carried by the winds to the mocking beasts around him.
Stahl was speechless then. He didn't know how to make any of this easier. He didn't know what to say to his human. He didn't know what to do with the proof that Aster was aroused as it assaulted his very nose. The crocodile swung on him in his daze, knocking the wolf down fully. Aster shifted at the sight, wanting desperately to help his wolf, but unable to act with the weight pressing down above him. The croc spoke down once more to the wolf, barely loud enough for the human to hear.
"You're now as weak as the human you wish to rut inside of so badly. You rolled in filth, and you've lost your shine because of it, Aschefell." It was the final push needed for Aster to explode, finally finding a suitable outlet for his growing anger
Something surged within the human, a new desire, stronger than any other. Refusal to ever let his love be a burden on his wolf. A desire to be stronger for the one's he was called to protect. A desire that can force you to exceed, and ascend far above all conceivable limits before you. As the newfound strength filled the human, his shield took on new life, pulsing more warmth than ever before in his moment of truly exposed vulnerability. The burden of the weight holding him down grew far lighter, allowing the boy to effortlessly support the shield and the bull easily with just one arm. Without even thinking, as if it was already something he knew to do, Aster moved his right arm down, balled his fist in resolve to reach his wolf, and punched above himself, creating for the first time, a second, simultaneous shield right before the impact landed on the bull above, dethroning the heavy beast at long last with a powerful shockwave. Aster was already moving towards the kangaroo and croc, never casting Captain Rix another glance.
The croc took a step back as the human approached him with a look of rage set deeply within his eyes. For the first time, the beast found himself actually afraid of this human. The kangaroo took a step forward to intercept the boy, but the attack was sidestepped easily by him, and the beast was brought to his knees by his own heavy, shielded punch to the gut. The crocodile braced his sword a bit tighter as the human cast his sights back to the transgressor. The croc grunted, yelling out as he finally launched his assault after gathering enough courage to attempt it.
"I WON'T BE HUMILIATED BY SOMEONE CLEARLY LESSER THAN ME!" Aster threw up a small shield, stopping the attack easily with his left hand. The croc tried to take a step back to clear enough distance for another swing, but the human threw the newly obtained second shield up behind him, blocking both his legs, and retreat. As the beast stumbled backwards, the human dropped the first shield, balled his fist, and brought it down with full force, directly on top of the crocodile's skull, sending a shockwave into the beast, forcing him to fall over the barrier behind his legs as he was driven into the ground sharply, knocked out cold from the attack. Aster just stood panting over the downed beast, his rage still flaring at everything that had transpired. He turned, and boldly shouted to the on looking beasts issuing his challenge with emotional fire that mirrored the very one he had been overcome with moments ago. As he finally reveled in the feeling of being the one to come to the wolf's rescue.
"MY NAME IS ASTER VENATUS! I CARRY THE TITLE OF A NOBLE SON OF ALORA! YOU MAY THINK OF ME AS LESS THAN YOURSELVES, BUT YOU SHOULD BE WARY TO EVER BELIEVE IT SO! None of you can stand in my way when I am fighting for the very sake of what I cherish, and strive to protect. Few of you will ever hope to match my desire, or that resolve behind it. You may hate me, but you will respect what I am capable of, what I have fought endlessly to achieve, and I will respect you in return. If you have an issue with that, we can resolve it at your discretion." The boy hadn't even realized he was trembling from such emotion. The captain was the first to break the silence that followed, as the human's staff was speared into the dirt beside of him, standing proudly beside it's master. Aster finally looked to the bull again, realizing he had just decked his commanding officer in his outburst. Captain Rix only smiled and placed a burly hand on the human's shoulder as he spoke down to the boy. For the first time, Captain Carcer Rixator did not speak to Aster in a yell, but with somber respect for the stand his pupil had finally made for himself.
"Well done, panther's son." The boy joined the rest of the warriors for the usual training from then on. As it turned out, Aster, Stahl, Oust, Captain Rix, and Mollis were quickly revealed as the most capable in the group, and began combining efforts to further elevate their allies as well. Slowly but surely, Aster was winning the respect of his comrades as the days in the desert sun faded into new nights. It was a few short days later, only two nights before the full moon, that the traveling group finally made contact with other travelers in that barren landscape.
It was late into the evening, and the party was just preparing to stop for the night when a shouting beast exclaimed they saw someone approaching in the distance. The majority of the group, including Aster and the prince, were told to fall back, hiding their identified members as Captain Rix and Mollis went ahead a ways with Stahl to intercept their company. After what felt like an eternity to the human, he saw his wolf and allies returning to the group alongside a wagon pulled by to feral oxen. From the drivers seat, Aster could make out a fluffy black and white husky commanding the reigns. There appeared to be two more beasts inside that the boy couldn't quite identify from his position near the end of the beasts, hidden from view. Captain Rixator's booming voice announced the guests.
"WE HAVE GUESTS JOINING US, I EXPECT YOUR BEST BEHAVIOR BEASTS!" The bull stomped one hoof, all the soldiers present, Aster included now, called out in unison. "SIR!"
When it was safe to reveal the more rare assets counted among their number, Aster and Prince Tyfin came forward to greet the three beasts. The husky, who seemed to be somewhere in his late thirties, stepped forward first, extending a bow to the prince before him as he made his introduction.
"Dally O'Day! Bard, Vagabond, trader, and professional teller of tales, at your service, your highness." The husky had on a large hat, with a large fluffy feather adorned in the band. As the husky motioned to the two beasts to his left and right, he made their introductions as well. "This burly mountain of fluff to my left is the vastly talented, yet incredibly reserved, musician known simply as Milky." The beast in question was a larger dog of some sort, covered entirely in a fuzzy white, thick coat of fur that stuck out in every which way, giving the canine an appearance similar to a sentient pile of snow, and perhaps just as soft natured. Dally pointed to the peacock on his right then, as he made the next introduction. "And this lovely, mysterious lady is the ever enigmatic Madame Mist, a teller of prophecy, gifted with a voice that could appease even the gods! We are pleased to be in such vast company to share the evening with." The dramatic husky finished his statement with a proper bow, extending his arm before himself in a swinging motion as he did so. The husky looked to Aster then, adding a bit just for him. "And for the rare opportunity to entertain a human in this day and age." And with that, the traveling force found quite the welcomed distraction from their tiring journey in the form of good company and entertainment.
Dally and his crew had many gifts to share with their newfound allies, in the forms of good food, good wine and mead, and wonderful performances of song. To asters delight, firewood was among those gifts. It was about an hour into the night that the husky motioned over to the fluffy white dog, Milky, who started strumming four notes on their lute. Aster found the sight of such a large beast playing such a tiny instrument a bit comical, and was surprised by how accurate the dog was able to strum the chords, considering the fur on his paws completely shrouded the strings from view. Even so, as Milky fell into the rhythm of strumming away four steady notes on repeat, Dally began to sing, telling a story that even Aster soon recognized, although in a far different medium than he had ever heard before.
Gather round, and hear the tale, As five great heroes once were hailed, To save this land from fate so sure and sound.
The five great beasts they stood against, Made the strongest kings repent, For the folly of the path they found.
For the beast who ruled the sky, with flaming wings that burned so bright, A bow was forged to tame the very wind.
For those that seek to wield this power, Must speak their truth, in darkest hour, And pledge their heart to serve those called a friend.
For the beast who claims the seas, Whose frigid chill can make them freeze, A trident fell to part the roaring waves.
And should this be the strength you search, One must break their greatest curse, And change their view to match the day and age.
For the beast who ruled the mountain, That left the very earth resounding, A sword was born to mend the craggy scar.
But should you wish to tame this blade, From your heart, all doubt must fade, And trust your sword to he who fell too far.
For the next a soul must know The loss of all, it's mournful hold. The beast of death gave birth unto the shield.
And if the jaws should seize too tight, And swallow the shield, and all it's light, The bearer will be tasked his rage to yield.
And for the last, the beast of life, A prodigy must see the light, And know the strength they had was all for naught.
For selfless cause, their time will end, Their loss of life, turns to a win, The gift of breath will find it's way was taught.
So hear me now, should beasts return, And threaten more, this world to burn, The goddess calls her sister's grace to fight.
But should you seek the gods to rest, The five must pass their final test, And give such gifts so she reclaims her light."
Aster was absolutely absorbed in the wonderful rendition of his favorite bedtime story, so much so that Stahl found himself encaptivated by the sight of his human's eyes held wide in delight. As the husky sang his tale to the beasts around the fire, the wolf pulled his boy closely to him, enjoying the peaceful moment they had so fortunately been blessed with that night. Aster gently let himself lean against his wolf, using his own hand to take a hold of the beast's larger one in a loving embrace. Stahl squeezed the boy's hand gently, as the sound of music danced across the night around them beneath the shining, bright stars above.
As the ballad came to it's conclusion, a round of applause sounded into the air with cheers of approval. The husky simply gave his exuberant bow as he thanked the audience. The canine went on to announce that Madame Mist would be performing the final song of the evening, coaxing even more cheers from the beasts who were enjoying the needed distraction. The peacock made her way to the center of the beasts, and raised her arms high, her silky dress flowed whimsically in the cool, night wind as she raised the feathers of her dazzling plumage behind her. As the somber music started, the peacock began swaying, her feathers moving in a truly mesmerizing way as she began to sing in the purest voice Aster had ever heard. A moment later, and her dance really took off, No beast present could find themselves able to look away as the avian sung on. They were entranced, so much so, that they hadn't even noticed as one by one, the beasts began to fall asleep to the hypnotizing dance. Even Alice, in her frightened state, still managed to drift off into peace that night.
By the time the peacock had stopped, there were only six still awake from the camp. Aster looked over to find even Stahl had passed out against him, snoring lightly, as he saw Prince Tyfin and Rust were also counted among those unaffected. Even with the realization that they had fallen into a trap, Aster couldn't find it in himself to be alarmed, even as the husky stood to begin speaking towards the ones that had remained awake through the song.
"You'll have to forgive my deceit, great beasts of Alora, we just needed to be sure of something..." As the husky finished his sentence, the peacock raised a feathered arm into the air and muttered something inaudible, sending up a bright green flash of sparks shooting off into the sky above where it erupted into even more sparks. As Aster struggled to make himself move against his attackers, fear returned to his heart as he noticed a large number of figures closing in around the encampment. They were completely surrounded and outnumbered by the strange, foreign creatures within seconds.
Thanks for reading as usual, hope you've enjoyed the tale so far. Ill have another chapter out soon! As always, feedback is appreciated. Thanks y'all! -Pup Bayou