"AHH! Nice. I thought it would have failed but thankfully, it didn’t." Grey’s smile widened as both he and Thalos stepped out of the swirling portal.
Luckily, they landed in the same abandoned town where Grey had made his first few hunts, managing to gather beast cores and hone his skills. The familiar streets were still desolate, littered with cracked stones and remnants of broken walls that whispered of battles long forgotten.
"I hope the aura from the magic circle which will take us back to the cave is still lingering." Grey muttered, a faint crease appearing on his brow.
"Hopefully it hasn’t faded." Thalos replied firmly, as his vigilant gaze scanned the empty surroundings.
Without wasting a moment, the two picked up their pace, their boots echoing against the ruins as they made their way toward the giant coliseum where the teleportation circle had originally been etched.
"Hope you still have enough cores to get us back safely?" Thalos asked, his face darkened by a deep frown.
"Got two left, which should be perfectly enough." Grey replied, patting the pouch at his waist with confidence.
In only a few minutes, they stood at the designated spot. The warrior-mage crouched down immediately, placing a beast core within the carved sigils of the circle. A humming sound filled the air before the symbols glowed with intense light. With a sharp crack, a portal snapped open.
Neither of them hesitated. The duo stepped inside, and within seconds, the portal sealed shut with a final spark.
Far away, in a distant and unknown location, a cave echoed with an unnatural vibration. A white portal swirled into existence, spilling waves of light against the jagged rock walls. Out of it, Grey and Thalos emerged, their figures outlined by faint energy trails.
Grey inhaled deeply, then released a long exhale with a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. "Feels good to be back in this cave," he mumbled, his voice echoing faintly off the stone walls.
"Remind me, wasn’t it two weeks you told Gunther we would be gone? So why are we heading back after just a week and a quarter?" Thalos asked, his tone even but curious.
"Why did we go to the Noxarian faction in the first place?" Grey asked while lowering himself to the ground and carefully drawing a new circle. Each stroke of his finger against the dirt was precise, his gaze sharp and focused.
"To reawaken and relearn your magic," Thalos replied matter-of-factly.
"And haven’t we accomplished that already?" Grey continued, his attention locked on the circle. "I mean, I got your master’s skill books without much trouble."
His words carried a quiet confidence. The strokes of the circle glowed faintly as his mana seeped into it, ensuring not a single line was ruined. In less than a minute, the circle was complete.
"I suppose we did accomplish our mission," the gargoyle admitted with a shrug, his wings folding neatly behind his back.
Grey pulled out his final beast core, the last one he had managed to gather during his time in the Noxarian faction. The glowing crystal pulsed faintly in his palm. He placed it gently at the center of the circle, and with a low hum, the inscriptions came alive.
As expected, another portal tore itself open, swirling with radiant white energy. Without hesitation, the two stepped through once again.
Deep within the Aetherian faction stood the prestigious academy for young mages and warriors. Surrounding it stretched vast hunting grounds, and hidden within those wilds was a sheer cliff edge shrouded in thick mist.
Far below the cliff, buried in shadows and veiled by the heavy fog, a cave rested in silence. Suddenly, a sharp whoosh echoed, followed by a brilliant flash as a portal snapped open in the heart of the cave.
Grey and Thalos stepped out, their boots crunching softly against the damp stone floor.
"Let’s go," Thalos said coldly, wasting no time as he strode toward the cave’s exit.
Grey followed shortly after. The two navigated carefully through the fog-choked terrain, their figures barely visible even to each other, until finally they arrived at the towering cliff face.
Grey tilted his head back, his jaw dropping slightly as he took in the sight. The cliff stretched up into the clouds, its surface rugged and unwelcoming.
"ARGH! I almost forgot how ridiculously tall this damn cliff is! Just looking at it makes me feel exhausted already," Grey groaned, scratching his head lazily.
"Whatever," Thalos muttered in his usual flat tone, and without hesitation, he began climbing the cliff with surprising ease, his claws finding perfect holds along the rough rock.
Grey’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched his companion ascend without breaking a sweat. "Wonder what’s wrong with him all of a sudden," he mumbled under his breath.
Just as he prepared to climb, a thought sparked in his mind. He suddenly remembered something—something that could make climbing this mountainously tall cliff far easier.
A mischievous grin spread across his face as he rummaged through his pouch.
’That’s right,’ he thought as he quickly snapped his fingers. Instantly, the wind howled around him, wrapping his body in a spiraling current.
It lifted him higher above the ground, and in the blink of an eye, Grey began soaring smoothly toward the cliff. Thalos, who had been climbing with steady precision, froze mid-motion. His crimson eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the flying warrior-mage.
"Tch! Cheating." Thalos scoffed bitterly, tightening his grip against the rough stone. Without another word, his muscles bulged, and with explosive force, he shot forward. His claws dug into the cliffside, his body moving with such speed and rhythm that it looked as though he were running on solid ground instead of vertical rock.
In a flash, the gargoyle surged ahead, passing Grey who was gliding upward on the current of wind.
"Oh, it’s on." Grey’s grin widened mischievously. The air coiled tighter around him, and with a loud whoosh he zipped forward, closing the gap until he was flying side by side with Thalos.
The cliff edge was now visible in the distance, a faint line above the mist that signaled freedom into the hunting grounds.
"First to get there," Thalos growled with a grin plastered across his face.
"Try to keep up, slowpoke!" Grey taunted, the wind roaring around him louder than ever. Then, like a released arrow, he rocketed upward with a booming crack that echoed across the cliffside.
Thalos crouched low against the cliff face for a moment, his calves bulging like coiled springs. Then—BOOM!—he launched himself into the air with terrifying power, his body rising so high that he hovered several meters above Grey, suspended in midair for a heartbeat before gravity pulled him back down.
The duo landed almost at the same time at the top of the cliff, their combined force blasting out a gust of wind that shook the nearby trees. Leaves scattered through the air like confetti, and a group of startled hop bunnies darted frantically into the underbrush.
"I guess it’s a tie." Grey chuckled, brushing some dust off his shoulder.
But before Thalos could reply, a strange sound filled the air. CRACKLE! Bright light sparked a few meters away, expanding into a column of shimmering energy. Both Grey and Thalos spun around, instincts on edge, ready for battle—until the light dimmed.
Stepping out of it was Instructor Gunther, his heavy figure framed by the fading glow.
"That was quick. Does the academy have some kind of tool that monitors this place?" Grey asked casually, though his sharp eyes didn’t leave the instructor.
"Welcome back. But you two are early." Gunther muttered, brows furrowing in mild confusion. "Thought you wanted to be gone for two weeks."
"We returned because we were missing you." Thalos chuckled slyly, his fanged grin widening.
Gunther’s sharp glare shot toward him, and the gargoyle instantly scoffed inwardly. Sheesh. Take a joke, dude.
"We’re done with what we needed to do. So we decided to return early." Grey said seriously, his tone steady.
Gunther studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Well, I’m glad you did. I was beginning to wonder how I’d explain your disappearance if the academy needed you." He exhaled heavily, relief evident on his face.
"Huh? Why would the academy need two peasants?" Grey asked, his brow raising in genuine curiosity.
"Tch. I forgot not all of you know what the academy is truly preparing for." Gunther groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "Oh well. You’ll be briefed by your supervisor. I don’t have the patience to explain right now. Let’s just return."
Without waiting, he motioned them forward. Grey and Thalos exchanged a glance before walking up to stand beside him.
Gunther pulled out a return stone, its crystalline surface pulsing faintly. He crushed it with one hand, and immediately, white light engulfed them all.
I wonder what the academy is really for, Grey thought, squinting against the brightness. And then the trio vanished from view.