"Destiny lies a head, so be worried, travellers, a hunter's always waiting..."

Amidst countless battlefields engulfed in chaos, a war had been raging for years; an occurrence too common for the involved nations; leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.

When their armies engaged each other, one champion unmatched stood out from the crowd, whom had become recognized for his might and strength, and sometimes compared to warriors in old legends.

The champion, known as Zalanderi, was born into a fairly wealthy noble family, and was expected to become a diplomat; serving The Empire of Qundunu as nothing more than a pencil pusher. However, his refusal to this life had led him to the path of the sword, a decision that was never odd to him, as he was naturally gifted and preferred an action-filled life to a quiet one.

Eventually, after 23 years of service in the royal army, Zalanderi stopped fighting. Later in the same year, seeking peace after his discharge, he decided to move to a small flourishing town in the north of the empire, called Kettlesville – a peaceful place that hadn’t been touched by the flames of conflict.

Zalanderi’s arrival to the town wasn’t grandiose nor prestigious; rather, it raised the worries of the local townsmen, as they had become concerned, secretly talking to each other:

‘A great nobleman and a war hero? Why would he be here?’

‘Don’t tell me another conflict’s about to start! Greedy bastards expecting us to pay?’

‘Forget about paying, how about our livestock? Surely it can’t handle another war!’

The poignant cries of the townsmen fell upon deaf ears as their acute awareness of extortion's signs – which emerged prominently from the decades-long conflict, did not resonate with the younger generation, as they saw an opportunity to learn the ways of battle.

Shortly after his arrival, construction of a house started south of the town, a simple yet elegant one, which seemed modest when compared with Zalanderi’s status; but he preferred it over the extravagant castles, as he saw the embarrassment that comes with his peers’ ego-driven display of wealth.

A month had passed. A young man by the name of Avonso Iveres, with honey-brown hair, a fair face, white coloured skin with a hint of light brown, and dressed in the local middle-class clothes, approached the veteran’s house. Zalanderi who’d been working hard to cut off wood.

Avonso stepped forward, “Good morning, Sir Zalanderi. May I speak with you for a minute?”

The axe that Zalanderi’s holding came to a halt. With a silk towel, he wiped off the sweat dripping from his forehead, “Good morning to you too. How can I help you?”

With his attention drawn, Avonso’s posture adjusted slightly, “I, Avonso of Iveres, have a request to ask of you.”

“Alright. Tell me” Zalanderi leaned slightly forwards, his ears peaked.

“Since you’re a legendary warrior; we want you to teach us how to fight.” Avonso moved with his hands while explaining.

Zalanderi stared for a moment, “Well, To tell the truth… I’d like for that to happen, but I can’t.” he replied.

“Don’t worry about the money for we have funds to pay you; even if for little guidance.” Avonso replied; partially puffing his chest.

Zalanderi smiled, “You misunderstood,” he replied while relaxing his posture. “I don’t crave more money, neither will I need to take it from you.” He motioned with his hands towards the town. “What I meant is, even if I were willing to teach you and others, the townsfolk would criticise me for that, particularly because I’m not a local.”

Avonso took seat on a nearby log, “There might be a chance to change that.” He replies.

“Alright then, go on.” Said Zalanderi.

“Very well, Ever since I was a kid. My family and I spend a lot of time praying, specifically where the town had an ancient and sacred cave – located just outside the northern forest by the shore,” Avonso curled his fingers, and sighed. “Its importance to the community's history is immense; unless we have it, I fear the town’s religious identity will be slowly forgotten and our ancient practice will disappear over time.”

“Is it not under the town’s control?” Zalanderi’s expression contorted.

“No…” Said Avonso, his lips frowned. “It’s all because they had to close it due to a deadly beast that had migrated there. ‘Do not go near it!’ they say.”

“A monster? What kind?” Zalanderi’s eyebrows shot up.

Avonso shook his head slightly left and right, “I don’t know what kind it is, neither does the town.”

“I’m sorry… I understand losing an important monument.” Zalanderi’s voice softened. “I’m assuming the incident happened recently – when the empire was at the height of conflict. Even then, did you seek reinforcements from the empire?”

“We did, but unfortunately, not only did support come late; but only one small squad arrived.” A tiny chuckle escaped his lips. “So everyone was expecting the worst. Then, they disappeared for a while and came back saying ‘The beast has been slain’.” Avonso scuffed at the idea. “A short while after, the empire decided to commission a wall to be built south of the forest, just in case similar beasts emerge from the north.”

“They tried to divert your attention away from the cave.” Said Zalanderi, a furrow on his forehead deepened.

“Yes.” Said Avonso, his eyes narrowed.

“And people didn’t believe them?” Said Zalanderi.

Avonso deeply inhaled, “Of course not!” He said in a quiet scream. “There was no one to be witness; and they didn’t allow anyone to go with them, in turn that sparked scepticism amongst the people.”

Zalanderi cleared his throat, “Since no one visited the cave in a while, it’s possible that it left.”

“It is possible,” Avonso shrugged his shoulder. “In any case, whether you find it, or its corpse, I’ll make work of another plan.”

‘The plan looks good enough,’ Zalanderi thought, details of an ambush plan already took in his mind. ‘It might be possible to win the people over.’

A determined look shined through Zalanderi’s eyes, and a slight smile worked itself on his mouth, "Alright Avonso, next week I’ll check. Right after I finish help with the construction."

"Understood." Said Avonso with a satisfied smile. ‘Finally.’ He thought after leaving the front of Zalanderi’s house.

A week had passed. Avonso woke up early and stretched his arms, he stood up from his softly knitted bed, sill in between dream and reality. He moved his stiff leg, and hit a book that had been laying on the floor, the pain in his little toe was enough to wake him up in an instance.

As he looked at the book, he noticed his bedroom was unusually messy, while it remained nothing special, a kind of bedroom you’d find in any house in the town. What made it stand out was the huge bookcase that’s almost filled with many sorts of books and writing, most of them from the northern region, and contained strange symbols that are unreadable even to the learned men of the north.

‘Maybe on day I’ll clean this mess,’ He thought to himself, and put the one he stumbled on back on the shelf. “And maybe one day, I’ll be able to understand them.’ He silently contemplated.

Avonso left his bedroom and descended to the first floor, his usual routine began, he took a bath, then changed his clothes.

Before leaving, his mother spotted him while cleaning the living room, “Good morning Avonso my dear. Could you go to the shops?” She said with a warming smile on her face.

“Of course, I’m on my way there. Is there anything special you want or should I get the usual?” Said Avonso, returning that warming smile back.

“The usual.” She said.

Some time passed. He arrived at the town square and veered westward (westward from his neighboorhood), where the shops are. When he entered, he saw the many special signs hung everywhere, reading ‘Happy Edence Day’, ‘May The Edence Bless You’, and so on, a festivity the town had been prepared, one that is rooted in the identity of this town.

On his way, he encountered a man fully dressed in armour, Zalanderi, who’d been conversing with the shop owners.

Zalanderi turned around, noticing Avonso, “Avonso! Glad to see you!”

“Glad to see you too… You’re wearing armour” Avonso replied.

“Ah yes. I’m heading to the cave,” Said Zalanderi. “And unfortunately, I may not be able to attend the celebration.” He shook his head slightly.

“Why?” Avonso inquired with a simple tone.

“I have my reasons…” Said Zalanderi, his arms crossing tightly over his chest.

“You hate celebrations, don’t you?” Avonso replied, with a partial smug look on his face.

“I’ll say no more.” Zalanderi’s iron face broke.

"Come on. The least I can promise is that it'll be fine," Avonso reassured, his arms gesturing with confidence as he spoke.

“If you promised it, then I’ll attend.” Said Zalanderi with a horribly unconvincing smile.

Some odd minutes had passed since their interaction, as they both headed to the square. A lot of people had been gathering there, and most importantly, preparing the meals, even the older men helped the younger, Zalanderi couldn’t stand there and watch, “Let’s help them.” He said. And without much talk, Avonso agreed.

Both of them organised different dishes on the grand table – a monolithic piece of wood craftsmanship. — What had surprised them, was the view of the knight; they were not used to seeing a nobleman, whose armour’s golden and pristine, helping the locals in the arrangements. Some even talked and urged him not to work so hard, but he didn’t give in to their appeals.

When they all were ready, the whole table had been set up. Lamps were not needed for it was early morning, but they sure put a lot of effort into the decorations; wooden carvings filled the place, of swans and eagles, even some different more rare birds; every chair had soft feather pillows, and a handle of pure leather; and as to be expected, poles held signs of chants and prayers.

The cheerful people gathered around, jokes were exchanged and a joyful giggle escapes out their curved mouths. Then a proper religious celebration had to be started with a prayer, one of thankfulness over their exquisite dishes, or one of begging for a better harvest. Whatever they chose to speak about, had to be presented by the most important men in the town; Many of them, belonged to a very powerful family, that had ruled half the land, while other smaller families had a one speech each.

The oldest of the ruling family – The Malaki Family – started his declaration of allegiance to Edence, followed by the second oldest, and so on. Then it reached the smaller families, one of them being The Yabbadi Family. Then, in the spirit of this magnificent party, the town’s mayor requested Zalanderi to make a speech, something he had not prepared for.

Zalanderi – who had been sitting second to the mayor – motioned to him, trying in vain to decline as politely as possible, but to avoid further embarrassment, and partially because the crowd stared for a second at Zalanderi, he stood up and cleared his throat.

“Good morning everyone! I’d like to thank each and every one of you for your accommodations; it is much appreciated.” He raised his drink filled silver cup. “So for that, I’m calling for a prayer to the mighty Ascended Edence!”

With his call, everyone shouted, “His Majesty be praised.”

He continues, after adjusting his gaze towards them, “Not so long ago, after I arrived here, an unfortunate issue had presented itself to me, one ignored by the empire,” He pointed In the direction of the cave, drawing their attention towards the dark northern forest. “The prayer cave, that was forcibly closed and sealed away. Consequently, the north shore had become forbidden.”

The crowd’s eyes raced towards each other, as if asking a question they already know.

“The reason, has stuck in my mind for a week; a creature resides within it’s passages,” Zalanderi shakes his fists, with the index finger pointed up. “One that even the warriors of the empire couldn’t face, and they returned frightened enough to demand a wall be built, hoping that the creature’s existence would cease.”

Some folk hummed, angrily muttering, ‘Cowards!’

“But I do have a plan, and I don’t want to take credit for it; one of you had spoken to me about it”

Zalanderi’s eyes winked in the general direction of Avonso, who’d been hiding his face behind a bowel, thankful of being unspotted by people.

“The plan is simple: I go and check the cave, if there’s a beast, I slay it, if not, the cave will be re opened.”

The crowd’s expressions got colder. They began asking questions amongst themselves, 'How could this man defeat a monster that the royal army couldn't?'

“But let it be known that in exchange for this mission, I have been requested to assist in the building of a military school, which will be managed by people in this town.” Zalanderi waved his hands, his face became harder, “This is done to teach you defence, nothing more.”

The crowd jerked back slightly. An exchange that would establish a military school in the town seemed too far from what they were used to – a normally peaceful town with only farmers around.

Their faces became disagreeable, sensing the refusal of this idea, a young man stood up, “Why do you look like that? This is an opportunity!” They are astonished at who was shouting at them, a man in his early twenties, with granular red hair and a fair-looking face, clothed in the garb of a local noble; the son of the town mayor himself.

“Hamrur! Why, in the name of everything holy, are you doing this?” Quietly, the mayor scolded his son.

Hamrur sat down and replied, “This is what we need.”

“No, it’s not. Sit silently while I handle this!” The town mayor responded hastily.

He stood up and spoke, “I’m truly sorry for my son’s outburst; no matter whether he’s correct or not, it is not in the interest of the town to make such a decision without further discussion. Personally, remaining peaceful is the answer.” He assured the crowd. “And by bringing war into our culture, we’d lose our roots. I do hope you all understand.”

When the time came. Another noble stood up for his speech, an odd-looking skinny man, with a long reddish beard, “I’m sure my brother had calmed your thoughts,” He twists his head slightly. “It is my turn to offer my thoughts...”

The mayor’s own brother had a different opinion, something that lead to a chain of nobles all voting for Zalanderi’s plan, unanimously choosing to go forward with his proposal.

Though the communal breakfast had stopped, it wasn’t long after that they continued just as expected: people from all parts of town, young and old, stuffed their faces with milk and honey, some cheese, and a lot of bread, while some drank tea, and others preferred something stronger. It was an event that brought everyone closer – something that, according to the legends, gave them a closer relationship with The Ascended Edence. The celebrations had to come to an end, and each left to resume their work.

Zalanderi mounted his horse and dashed through a path, which led to the beach, beyond the thick northern forest. The horse stopped where the it ended, and Zalanderi dismounted. The left side of the shore (from the path end) had a mountain, on its side nested an opening, sealed by a heavy iron door.

He unsheathed his sword, and whispered an incantation under his breath. The blade glowed white and bright with a almost blinding haze. With Zalanderi’s eyes closed, he swung the sword towards the door, breaking it’s handle, and producing a crack, then another swing, shattering the door in half. The sealed door had been opened.

The cave he entered, was dark, with no natural light seeping through cracks, as tall as two huts and as wide as one, or at the least, the opening was. ‘Nothing but dust,’ the radiant sword illuminated the cave as he stepped forward. ‘Old chairs with a bygone design. Books on shelves filled with dust, and a well that had been dry for years.’ He remarked, speaking in his mind.

The walls of the passageways in this cave were covered with a strong brick formation, holding its own weight magnificently, a structure only a genius engineer can build.

For a while, after Zalanderi took multiple paths, turning in different directions, the cave system got bigger and longer. And it seemed that he spent a partial day searching to no avail, but he was gradually mapping the entire system in his mind; until he stumbled upon 4 diverging paths, each with a different direction.

‘I can't waste any more energy going around in loops,’ He scratched his eye lightly, ‘The best chance I'll have of catching this creature is by making it chase me first, instead of being trapped in these tight passageways.’

Zalanderi takes a glance over his sword, then chants, 'Yumino Brinus.' His hands moved urgently, swiftly bending the sword towards the first path, not a moment after, the haze on it grew even brighter, illuminating the entirety of the cave, and producing a ball of white flame at the tip of the sword, ‘Yumino Brinus.’ he chanted again, and that flame bulleted through the air, like an arrow head zooming through the sky, with no air drag to hold its feathers down.

The ball hit. Flames contort and bend with high velocity, burning the ends of what used to be a prayer room, and shaking the carefully designed walls. Soon after, he followed it with another ball, aimed at the second passageway, then another for the third, then a final one for the forth.

‘It takes time.’ Thought Zalanderi, while on guard. Yet, minutes passed, then seconds passed, and still, nothing happened. ‘Alright…’ He though, with a tired sigh alongside his breath. ‘I can't sense any presence of any creature here. This either means the creature left or the story was faked. At the least the cave will be re-opened.’

He proceeded towards the exit, moving his sleepy body away from the 4-way tunnel. At the end, a strong yawn overtook him. ‘What a waste…’ Suddenly, Zalanderi’s eyes are snatched open, his head jerking backwards, dragging his limbs backward; a strange presence is sensed once again through the caves, one that is immense, which caught him off-guard. Before he is able swing his sword, the insanely deadly force of this presence had knocked him out of the cave. In turn, flicking his whole body in the air.

With flawless reflexes, Zalanderi turned his whole body upright while soaring through the air, skilfully bracing for his fall. However, despite his agility, the fall was not pleasant, and it ended up fracturing his femur bone and scrapping his armour. The back plate was flung away, the chest plate followed suit, and his armour leggings were completely destroyed, leaving him with only the shoulder pads slightly dented.

The narrow, life-saving precision Zalanderi had executed to evade the deadly attack wasn’t as sufficient as needed; and his mind raced, 'Huh! That attack was lethal!’ His breath deepened, ‘I managed to negate most of the damage, but a lot of my mana has depleted…'

Intrusively, the amount of mana he has shows itself in the form of thoughts;

{REDUCTION IN POWER: MANA LEVEL DEPLETED:: CRITICAL LEVEL 9}

‘I’m already at critical level nine.’ His bearded face twisted. ‘One more level and I’ll pass out…’

He found himself battling for air, as his breath became seldom, but despite that, and his broken bones, he stood up; gripping his sword; planting his legs in the ground, with much anticipation for the creature's exit from the cave – Its aura remaining invisible to him. — Zalanderi's heightened senses, and acute awareness of his surroundings kept him on guard, while charging a flaming blast aimed at the cave, his twisted knee acted as a tree in soil.

Moments later, the creature emerged from its hiding, roaring heavily as it stepped towards Zalanderi, 'Grollin?' his face twists, turning slightly pale.

His knowledge of this creature is found in a book, named The Legends of The North: Grollins are exceedingly peculiar creatures. While they share many similarities with Manticores, their biology and anatomy differ significantly from an average Manticore. Mainly possessing the body of a tiger, one wing of a dragon, and another of an angel, Grollins can change size, and are said to have nine hearts and, oddly enough, no digestive system. Some could say that Grollins are a hybrid of griffins and Manticores, yet there is no concrete evidence to support such a claim.

‘Why is it here?’ Said Zalanderi. ‘Grollins are not supposed to exist within this realm, and even if they do, they must be forced to…’ His eyes widened.

The Grollin seethed with anger, the 9 and some meter tall creature moved towards Zalanderi, forming a small swirl of air with each flap of its wings. Zalanderi’s speed was adequate, and with his sword charge already prepared, a blaze of hell fire set off towards the sky; a hurricane of flames, five meters in width and as tall as a mountain, hot enough to evaporate nearby ocean water.

'I can’t kill a Grollin…’ He thought. ‘Killing it will trouble everyone, even the empire... whatever its purpose is, I can't let it attack.'

The quick Grollin swung its massive arms, clashing its claws with the sword. The speed of the attacks kept increasing, and Zalanderi struggled to hold on, but a gap appeared in between its swings. ‘I have to evade it.’ He planed, using his broken leg to kick off and the other to land, covering over 12 meters of distance between him and the Grollin.

His execution was flawless, and it took a lot of energy, tearing his already torn leg, but in the end, landing successfully. Zalanderi took a breath, and uttered some words, “Grollin! I know you speak many tongues, and I’m sure one of them is the tongue of men, the legends speak of it. So take a moment and listen!”

The Grollin did not put its guard away, still growling.

"You are on a mission, and I don't believe it's to destroy this town.” He spoke with growly tone. “You have a higher purpose than this." Its eyes still fixed on Zalanderi.

"So please understand, although I'm not here to stop that mission nor to compromise it, you stand in the way of a historical and religious monument!" Zalanderi's words were firm, meaning every word with sincerity.

‘Grollins are understanding creatures.’ He recalled, and this Grollin seemed to understand Zalanderi's thick accent. It exhaled hot air through its mouth and formed words using its immense mana, "Gottatori Ond Pyundro.”

"I don't understand." He exclaimed.

The Grollin relaxed its gaze upon him and repeats, "Gottatori Ond Pyundro."

Then, it proceeded to chant some ritual with its claws, its eyes began to glow. When it finishes, Zalanderi got enveloped in a beam of light and elevated in the air.

‘What is happening? I... I can’t move my body… I can’t feel a thing…’ Zalanderi's voice trembled, his whole body became numb to the bone. He felt an otherworldly sensation, as if his soul was being drawn into a heavenly realm. And the ritual continued for what seemed like an eternity, eventually, he was released from its grasp.

Zalanderi fell on his feet, feeling the pain in his body slowly subsiding, yet still present. However, he senses a newfound sense of strength and connection. "What did you do?" He asks.

"I bonded our souls." The Grollin suddenly begins to speak in a surprisingly soft voice.

"For what purpose?"

"For mine. So for the time being, I am bonded to you until my own purpose becomes more clear. Keep in mind you are not gifted nor are you requested by the heavens. I am here solely to serve destiny, and as long as I'm with you, I can accomplish that."

“Who’s destiny?” Said Zalanderi, shaking his head slightly.

“That I shall not speak of.”

The Book Of Legends, had a passage, detailing the soul bond: Soul bonding is an eternal connection that can neither be broken nor altered. When two souls are bound, they are forever intertwined as partners or even in a group. While the bond cannot be severed, it comes with a significant consequence. If one or more partners in the soul bond meet their demise, it will lead to the simultaneous death of all individuals connected through the soul bond.

“How could you just entrust me with your soul? Let us suppose I get in danger. What will you do then?” Said Zalanderi, his head ringing from the renewed senses.

“Destiny shall decide our fate, for if I break the bond, your time will expire.” It relaxes its gesture. “Remember, for time being, I’m bonded to your soul. Which means I can hear your thoughts and I can offer mine. But don’t worry, sometimes thoughts can be silenced if you try hard enough.” it explains.

“If it means to prevent future attacks, I shall accept my fate. You can call me Ernos Zalanderi. What about your name?”

“I had a name once; now its meaningless. I do not remember it.” A visible grief is apparent on its face.

“Then let me suggest one... How about Pyungmangi – it means strong and giant magical tiger in the southern Kamakan language.” Said Zalanderi. ‘This Grollin is unusually emotional.’ He thought.

“It is… Acceptable”

Pyungmangi shined, with light produced from its body, “Now that I’ve been bonded with a human soul, an effect had already started to transform my body…”

Moments after. Pyungmangi’s body swiftly changed to a humanoid figure.

 

Pyungmangi’s final humanoid form, a girl with a dragon wing and an angel wing, having tiger ears and three tails.

“…….” Zalanderi has no words left.