“Ahhh. Luna am I really that scary?” The figure at the foot of Ethel's bed spoke out wistfully. As if the shadows were dancing, a pitch black wolf stepped out of the room's darkest corner. Shadows lingering on her black coat like tendrils of some horror from the darkness. The wolf stood tall at 5’2”. Its body lean and meant for stalking and silent assassination, the only tell her body wasn't completely darkness was the patch of golden fur between it's brows and the wolf's golden lupine eyes.

“Not scary at all. You're still a pup brother, on your second decade you will be really scary to other two-legs. But I don't get why didn't just kill this lizard-bitch and walk proudly through this two-leg city.” Came Luna's reply via their mental connection. Lucifer being the figure at in Ethel's room and the only one capable of talking to the dark wolf. He had finally awoken after Eric had drugged him. Waking up to his teacher's disappearance and choosing to come to the city, Ethel and Lukas just being unlucky to have come at the time he was still present.

Lucifer had awoke in a inebriated state. Delirious and confused at the lack of his only parental figures, Lucifer entered into a mental regression, where he only protected the cabin and the semblance of peace it brought him. Brutally tearing Beasts apart with his bare hands, Lucifer finally created enough of a disturbance to cause the Flash Lynx to appear. The Beast that didn't even come to the scent of the Blood Hound’s sweet scent had somehow come after Lucifer ‘defended’ the cabin for an entire day. The Beast seemed to know that Eric and the others had left and came to this part of its territory to see what had happened. Imagine it's rage when it sensed the utterly soul stirring slaughter happen in the area the two-legs once lived. Did some new Beast rise under the two-legs watch?

Enraged the Flash Lynx came running into the cabin's clearing to see the scene of strewn body parts and mutilated corpses surrounding the wooden building and painting it red with blood splatter. The lynx also spotted what it knew was the possible Apex that the two-legs raised. A lizard like two-leg with large wings and a nasty looking tail. Roaring and challenging the lizard two-leg, the Flash Lynx disappeared as soon as its roar ended. Leaving only a dust cloud the Lynx took off with it's incredible speed towards the beast challenging its authority as Apex. A split second later the lynx appeared in front of the lizard beast with it's claws outstretched and maw wide open to tear the challenger's neck to shreds. The lizard beast did nothing until the lynx was almost upon it. Then as if time stopped, the beast moved.

Wings fanning out and tail swishing with a deadly and eerie soundtrack, the beast leapt backwards using its large wings to carry it farther back. Landing the strange beast only roared in response to the Flash Lynx’s attack. Pushed even farther into it's rage at this strange lizard beast’s actions, the Flash Lynx summoned all of its Mana. Completely enhancing its entire body the lynx launched into a lightning fast attack, one that far outclassed the two creatures initial engagement. This attack did a far better job at eliciting a response from the strange lizard. The beast’s eyes glowed black and gold as it brought forth its own Mana. Mana that far outclassed the Flash Lynx’s and seemed to grow to no end. With a seemingly slow clawed lunge, the beast made its move.

All the Flash Lynx could see were two glowing eyes of black and gold staring deep into its soul. It was plucked from its full powered assault like a mother picking up her infantile child. Immediately a deep sense of dread welled up in the lynx. A dread that it only felt from its father, the same father that sent it out to Talk Forest to learn how to be an Apex like him. At the height of its terror the lizard beast that held it by its neck spoke in the old Dragon Tongue

“Little cat, I will end you if this place is damaged. Protect it with your life!”

Snarled the beast in the archaic language that all walks of life could understand. With fear coursing down it’s entire spine the Flash Lynx let out a pitiful whimper of acknowledgement. With confirmation given, the beast dismissively tossed the formerly mighty 3rd Rank Mid Order Apex aside without second thought. Following the Flash Lynx’s dismissal the lizard like beast slowly stalked towards the bloodred cabin. With a slow gait that seemed like world itself had stopped the beast moved into the wooden building, finally allowing the Flash Lynx to swallow its fear and scamper away in shame and humiliation.

“Queen Wolf.” The beast commanded after entering the cabin. It’s tone solemn and respectful as if it was speaking to a well respected subordinate. Shortly after the command a large black shadow entered the room the beast stood in. As the shadow approached the beast it began to grow, becoming a long 7’8” shape of a wolf, before the shadow seemed to become ‘real’. Tendrils of darkness spiralling up into the open air and filling out the the long outline of the wolf. Soon a black wolf; with a gold mark upon its crown, came into existence. Standing respectfully before the beast, the wolf’s features became apparent: lush and gorgeous hair as dark as the night sky covered the lupine Beast, golden eyes matched the golden mark between its brows and powerful lithe muscles denoted the Beast's powerful body. A beauty of natural power and prestige.

“Yes, spirit. For what reason have you taken over my brother?” Came a disembodied voice from the enchantingly beautiful black wolf.

“I am your brother as well Queen Wolf.”

“I will have none of your quibble spirit. State your business.”

“The boy and I are merging. I do not want this.”

“How can I stop what happens between you two, you are a spirit and he is your host. One and the same only differing by the varying subsequent factors that state you are separate. Spirits and the two-legs have always been such, struggling to control one or the other but missing the truth.”

“Queen Wolf, you mean to say that this boy is seeking Enlightenment?”

“I will raise him properly.”

“...”

“Fine. I see your plan Queen. But will others not if he finds Enlightenment?”

“That is not your concern. You will accept regardless.”

As the two beasts spoke their bodies had walked over to the place where Lucifer initially collapsed from Eric's drugging. Slowly the two beasts recreated the last scene of Lucifer's most recent unconsciousness.

“Queen Wolf, he will not be the same as he was before. He will be what he is meant to be. A true Apex. An evolution of life, not even Gods can stop his rise and the tide he will bring. Even your own royal bloodline could not dominate his. I nor him appreciate those who call him abomination, so the wrath and pride I have suppressed will finally be brought forth. Heed my warning well, he is still weak right now so do take care of his locale when he let's his wrath run wild.” With those words the spirit left. The body it possessed fell to the floor with no consciousness to keep it moving.

“An evolution? It matters not. Brother will rule all and no one or thing can stop that. Hmph. He has a Shadow Queen Wolf at his side how can he not rule?” The wolf spoke out annoyed at the spirit's words but marking them down in her memory nonetheless.

“Sigh.”

“Brother you always end up unconscious. Control your emotions better, hopefully the enlightenment will fix your rampant heart.”

With a slow bow, the Queen Wolf knelt next to the body that was her claimed ‘brother’. Allowing their foreheads to meet she charged her brother's body full of Mana, a sort of makeshift defibrillator for the unconscious body. With a steady pulse of Dark Mana spreading out from her body and rapidly being sucked into her brother. She spent a few minutes of this before her brother's eyes started moving beneath their eyelids.

Lucifer awoke with a start. The sudden movement of his body jerking upright disoriented his already groggy body. With dazed glances to check his surroundings, Lucifer quickly made out the familiar walls of the cabin. The hide cushions. The fireplace. The kitchen table that had his claw marks at his seat. The vaguely familiar wrapped bundle at the foot of the fireplace truly caught his attention. As he reached for the strange package a hurricane of memories assaulted his battered mind. Eric’s last words. The swirling emotions he felt as he heard them. Everything came back to him.

“You're gone aren't you?” Lucifer whispered to the empty room.

“Where would I go without brother?” Questioned a voice in his mind as Lucifer sank into depression. Joy and a wry smile instantly took over his previously distraught face. Though his eyes still had their tears, Lucifer smiled warmly and called for Luna.

“Come here you naughty pup! Who said you are gone? I am talking about those two-legs you hate hahaha.”

“Brother is silly.” Replied Luna as she walked out of Lucifer’s shadow and proceeded to snuggle up to the weary boy. Laying down and accepting Luna’s affection, Lucifer layer beneath the fireplace with Luna in his arms and he let himself go. Crying softly he held Luna tightly, much like a child holding their mother when sad. Tears were something still foreign to Lucifer. He knew what they were but not why they always accompanied his sadness. Slowly he began to hate tears. The sting they brought his eyes, the way they flowed as if there was an unlimited supply of them, but what he hated the most about tears was the rage and anger that followed them. He knew his Sins were Wrath and Pride. Fear and apprehension riddled him, as he remembered Luc and his warning. So Lucifer tried not to get sad. Because the anger that followed sadness was not something he could deal with rationally.

“Brother. Luna will never leave your side.” Luna whispered as she felt through their mental connection Lucifer's sorrow. She did not know why the two-legs made her brother sad, but she guessed it was their departure that hurt Lucifer.

“Luna must always be by my side or else I'll destroy everything till you return.” Came Lucifer's dark reply through and between his laboured sobs. He needed companionship and Luna was going to be his best and only companion. She would never leave him. She would stay no matter what.

After an hour of pain and sadness filled tears, Lucifer finally stopped his crying. He sat up right with Luna’s head lying in his lap. Heaving a deep breath, Lucifer had come to terms with Eric’s departure. He thought of everything the man taught him. The martial skills that were slowly hammered into his body from the age of 6 till now had made him stronger than any other his level and age. The lessons on language had made him on par with any child of noble birth even the way he walked had traces of a noble, courtesy of Jasmine and Yue. And now Eric had gotten him a powerful armour and even more powerful weapon if that's what the bundle really was. Swallowing his saliva Lucifer reached toward the leather strap that held the bundle together.

Snick

Lucifer's razor sharp claw cut the leather like a knife. With careful movements Lucifer slowly unwrapped the cloth while trying to not disturb the sleeping wolf on his lap. After an agonizingly long minute of surgeon like movement, Lucifer finally could not take the tension. Lifting Luna off of his lap much to her disappointment, he flexed his claws and tore through the thick cloth like a child opening a present. Soon a dark gleam shone through the shredded cloths. Lucifer became truly excited at the colour of the gleaming weapon under the cloth and began tearing into it with new found vigor.

After seconds of aggressive tearing and shredding of the considered ‘strong cloth’ the gift with the bundle lay open to the world.

Two weapons of amazingly simple yet savage designs lay before Lucifer. Amazement and lust for the weapons took hold of Lucifer. Reaching forward his hands slid around the handle of a long meter length executioner style blade. The blade's hilt was lengthy, a long two and a half hand length. Effectively making the blade at least 120cm with the hilt included. As the hilt met with the metal of the blade it made a basilisk skull with its jaw open; and the thick 4 and a half inch blade spouting from it, as if the basilisk skull was trying to devour the obscenely thick blade. Only a single side of the blade was sharpened but it was not overly keen, making the weapon seem like a sharpened bat instead of a weapon of execution. As his fingertips gently trailed the edge of the blade, Lucifer finally reached the top of the blade and he noticed its peculiarity. The top was not brought to a point like most swords but followed a very unusual style. It curved towards on side of the blade making the blade seem like a massive butcher's cleaver. A savage grin came to Lucifer's face as he hefted the blade into the air and began twirling and executing amazingly fast slashes, cuts even thrusts with the massive sword. The air around Lucifer was wrought asunder as his sword cleaved the air with savage delight. Against its seemingly dull looking edge, the blade in Lucifer's grasp could match any razor sharp weapon. Even Luna who stood 3 meters away from Lucifer as he danced with the blade felt the pressure of his strikes through the air. The damage such a blade could cause to man and beast alike made the Shadow Queen shiver in delightful expectation.

But if she knew the weight of the sword would she still be as delighted? The blade weighed a monstrous amount. If measured the sheer mass of the blade was over 34 kilos, approximately 75 pounds. A weight that only Knight Spellblades and above could wield freely.

But Lucifer's last recorded strength was around the Squire level. If you added his amazing body and large wealth of life or death combat experience, Lucifer could easily hold his own against any Knight-Errant with lower Mana Purity then himself. In actuality Lucifer's Mana Core was currently in the Initiate stage but his Mana Purity lay in the astounding realm of Yellow Purity. Lucifer also did not know how to increase his Mana Core level as whenever Jasmine tried to teach him Luna would launch herself at the elf. Thus the lessons on how to increase his Mana Core were left neglected by the three teachers as they chose to leave it up to fate. Little did they know Luna planned to teach Lucifer the Beast way to increase his Mana Core. This would enable him to utilize both the ranged abilities of a Magus while also the body protection of Spellblades.

But that is for later during Lucifer and Luna's journey and Luna was keen to let the boy enjoy his new weapons that the two-legs had given him.

After an entire hour of blade work, Lucifer finally ended his dance. He felt like the sword had become an extension of his body, the feeling Eric had told him to have before he used any weapon in battle. With the cleaver in his grasp Lucifer held the flat of the blade close to his face as he panted hard from exhaustion. Gazing deeply at the dark, dark blue cleaver Lucifer felt something inside the blade. He tried peering into the blade with his Nephilim eye to see if there was some sort of intent in the weapon. Only as he did, Luna let out a bark followed by an answer to what he was feeling.

“You have yet to mark the blade and become it's owner so how could the Beast spirit inside accept you?” Luna asked as if this simple statement could answer all the questions Lucifer had for the weapon.

“I have no clue what you mean by marking the blade and owning it. Even more so about the Beast spirit in the blade, this is totally new to me.”

“Ugh. When your two-leg Alchemists forge and create your weapons, they draw out the soul of the Beast inside the materials used in the weapon creation. They mash all the various souls together and form a new one that will live within the blade and give it the power it has. This hateful process is still useful for you two-legs. But brother only use weapons that are formed from one Beast. So that way no extra souls are ripped into oblivion for these weapons to be made. While the orcs are the only exception to this, human and other two-leg Alchemists all use the “soul fusion” method when creating their weapons.”

“What! How can they use the souls of Beasts like that!” Lucifer yelled in fury as he imagined the countless souls that warriors used in the making of their weapons. He could not accept such a foul process!

“It isn't all that bad actually.” Luna said with vague disinterest at Lucifer's outburst.

“Explain. Now Luna.” Lucifer glared at the wolf in front of him with fury growing behind his mismatched eyes.

“Well the soul is a useless thing unless you reach the level of Saint in your two-leg terms. For Beasts it is the same. Only high ranked Beasts use their souls for anything besides being. The whole process of “ soul fusion” takes the fragmented and dispersed souls of dead beings and creates an entirely new soul. Just this soul can only live in the weapon it was created for. That's all.”

“Then why did you say it is a hateful process?”

“Because, the soul they create is a foul thing. Completely disgusting to the souls of the living it is like the living dead. It cannot die. It needs nothing to live. It can not create or do anything besides reside and power that weapon.”

“So it is an immortal soul?” Lucifer couldn't help question in confusion at the statements Luna made.

“No. It is a horrible existence that has no free will and only lives for the sole purpose of giving a weapon power. This conversation is better for an orc chieftain, they know much of the process. We will seek them out after your stay at the Academy. But for now please brother, trust me that these created souls are not good. Use the weapon but do not try and communicate with that thing.” Luna pleaded as she walked up to Lucifer and looked him straight in his heterochromatic eyes, showing her seriousness.

With a brief pause Lucifer reasoned that Luna had never lied to him nor did she do anything to harm him in all their time together. She was also never this serious about anything. So he figured that this subject was better left in her care and dealt with later, not communicating with the weird intent in his sword was fine. Whenever he used weapons bloodlust and battle flooded his mind anyway. So Lucifer did as Luna had asked and marked the weapon with his Mana. He infused the weapon with as much of his black gold Mana as the weapon could take before the blade vibrated as if it were truly alive. Only then did Luna tell him that the process was done and he had succeeded in marking the blade as his own.

Suddenly Lucifer remembered he had gotten two weapons! The other one he had left lying on the ground as he played with the blade. Placing the blade in a sheath; that had been brought by Luna from behind a cushion that was placed against the cabin wall, Lucifer tied the sheathed blade to his hip where the weapon could be easily accessible. Then with an ingenious idea, Lucifer wrapped his tail along the sheath creating an ornate and deadly looking disguise for the sheath as well as a way to hide his long tail from others. With his first weapon put away Lucifer knelt before the second that lay before him. A polearm. But a different polearm then he had ever seen before. Unlike the spear and naginata of Eric, this weapon had a huge sharpened mass attached to the shaft of the polearm. The shaft measured 6’6” in length before even adding in the weapon part of the polearm. A single sided axe head was the closest name for the metal end but he knew he was wrong. An axe curves outwards so that there is more surface area for the weapon to hit with. This weapon however began with a slight inward curve before it bowed outwards creating the same kind of tip as the sword before it. The polearm looked even more deadly with this oddly shaped weapon head. Like it would claim the heads of all who opposed it. Lucifer began to fantasize about using the long weapon and cleaving through ranks of enemies with a single swipe. Suddenly a memory flashed in Lucifer's mind. A memory of years ago when he had killed the Aqua Fang and Yue had named a weapon that even Eric did not know how to use. The glaive. Was this monster polearm the glaive she spoke of? Lucifer could only assume so. The trio had never led him wrong when it came to fighting, even Luna attested to that fact. With the proper name for the weapon, Lucifer picked up the 8’0” long glaive with both hands. To his surprise the glaive was extremely heavy! Weighing, from what he could tell a whopping 66 kilos! The same weight as your average person, the glaive was like wielding a person with a sharpened head. But this, instead of making Lucifer apprehensive; like the glaive makes most warriors, made him ecstatic. This was the only weapon that could truly fit his love for battle and blood. While also destroying his opponents no matter if they blocked or tried to parry his strikes, just the weight transfer alone made the glaive a weapon for monsters like Lucifer. The added fact that it made a bloody mess when fighting just ignited the passion to slaughter that burned constantly in Lucifer.

Grasping the glaive Lucifer hefted the monstrous weapon and began to test it. With a single thrust to start. Lucifer felt that the glaive seemed to drag his body behind after he completed the movement.

“Wrong. I control the weapon. It is part of me and I control me.” Lucifer scolded as he repositioned himself to begin using the weapon anew.

Thrusting again, this time with his hands at the middle and but of the shaft Lucifer felt the same pulling sensation as before.

“Wrong again. My body does not follow the weapon, the weapon follows my body.”

Again and again Lucifer practiced thrusting with the massive glaive, truly understanding its unwieldiness. But Lucifer also understood something through the repeated failed thrusts. The glaive was truly not meant to thrust, it was meant to smash, cleave, rend, destroy. Thrusting was just too weak for the glaive. Only powerful swings that used the entire body were acceptable for the glaive. At this revelation, Lucifer could only grin bitterly at the length of time it took him to realise this fact. Deciding that he would gradually get used to the glaive, Lucifer walked out of the cabin with his new weapon in hand.

“Oh uhm I uh killed a bunch of Beasts that came while you were knocked out.” Luna called out to Lucifer as she entered into his shadow. Something she had been doing for awhile now. Lucifer raised an eyebrow as he looked at the so called handiwork of Luna while choosing to really grill her later for some answers. But now? He could only sigh in his heart as he gazed at the carnage outside of the cabin and the wolf that could live in his shadow. Though as he was about to leave the cabin he saw two new figures standing at the edge of the clearing directly in front of him talking.

“Lukas.” The shorter and thiner of the two new comers spoke out with a high pitch female voice.

“Yeah?” Answered the other one who was apparently Lukas with a single word.

It was then Lucifer remembered what Eric had said about warriors in the forests, they were there to hunt and kill. Lucifer felt anger for some unknown reason upon seeing the two talking while they completely ignored his existence. He did not however think they were too shocked by the amount of dead Beasts on the ground to even notice him. So Lucifer acted upon his anger with a dark smile upon his face. He subtly enhanced his legs with Mana as he took off towards the unsuspecting strangers.

“How much did you pay for this info?” Continued the short female still not knowing of the incoming danger.

“300 gold coins.” It was the moment he said those words that Lukas saw Lucifer standing next to him with a blade swinging towards his neck. With no time to react despite his strength and reflexes as a Brown Squire, Lukas could do nothing as Lucifer's swing took his head.

Lucifer on the other hand was completely flabbergasted. He was only fighting with half his strength as an attempt to probe the stranger named Lukas. He did not expect that he would instantly kill the young man even in his wildest dreams.

“...”

Lucifer stood there dull as Lukas’ head fell into his hand, after it had fallen from the man’s corpse.

“...”

“How much would you say is it really worth?”

“...”

“Lukas?”

“...”

Finally Lucifer couldn't bear the tension and tossed the man's head in the air in the hopes the movement would catch the girl's vision. The response he did get was much greater than just noticing, she jumped backwards trying to draw her sword miserably slow. Lucifer noted that her reactions would have led her to death many times if she grew up around Beasts like he did. Sighing to himself Lucifer decided to try something with this girl. He wanted to do what Eric had spoken of about cladding himself in his Element. Lucifer knew he possessed both Light and Dark Elements, but the Dark Element truly made him feel more at ease. So following this feeling he drew his Dark Element up to the surface of his skin. His Mana though seemed to understand what his intention was and it began aiding the process. In a split second, almost faster than the eye could catch Dark Element covered Lucifer's entire form. Making him seem like a terror from the depths of the abyss. Shadows covered his face making him disappear into the shade of the trees he stood under. All that the girl before him could see though, was a winged demon from the depths of Hell that had come for her brother and her souls.

Seeing the girl's fear, Lucifer placed her in the nonthreatening list of beings. And her decided to speak with her.

“Who?” He spoke out softly but the Dark Element around him, made his voice sound like it came from everywhere there were shadows. A very unusual and terrifying thing for the already scared girl before him.

“Wh, wh, what are you?” Stammered the girl as she clutched her sword with both hands and kept it pointed at the strange demon looking Beast.

“I asked first.” Answered Lucifer slightly annoyed by the helpless female.

“I-I, I am Ethel. Ethel Draxil.” She stuttered. Fear coming over her completely and compelling her to answer the voice in hopes that by answering she would live.

“Ethel…” The Lucifer took the name down before he replied. “Why are you here?”

“Following my brother. He said there was a place with dead Beasts ripe for scavenging. We came here. The Trade sold the info.” Ethel stammered and tripped over every syllable as she spoke to the demon or voice or whatever the fuck the thing in front of her was.

“Dwarfs. The Trade. I know of these. You will go immediately to your home and go straight to your bedroom. Lock the door and sit on your bed. Speak to anyone and disobey these orders and you will die.” Lucifer snapped coldly as he realised that his ‘hunters’ as Yue had called them might have found him if the Trade was selling the information about this location. The fact that the Trade only found out about the massive amounts of corpses totally eluded him.

The girl Ethel, immediately complied with his command. Taking off with like a bat out of Hell, she ran towards her home in the East District of Lark City. Lucifer smirked at the pace she ran at, it was so slow he need not even use Mana to follow. So he bent his knees and trained his draconic eye on her and blended into the shadows. Albeit not nearly at the level of Luna, who could enter shadows. But with his Dark Element covering his body and the setting sun creating longer and darker shadows, it was perfect for silently following Ethel.

Lucifer had seen maps of Lark City and even looked at it from afar with Jasmine before when they finished lessons early. So he was not totally amazed by the fortress of stone and the testament it made of man’s technological fortitude. All Lucifer thought when he came under the tall stone walls was: how useless. He had wings so why would walls impress him?

The thing that truly amazed him was the sheer number of people. The various draconians and dwarves even the amount of humans made him shocked. He saw no orcs nor elves but he assumed they were there. He was stunned as he gazed at the magnitude of people as he stood cloaked in shadows by the city's gate following Ethel. Finally he shook himself as he saw Ethel run into a back alleyway. Lucifer doubted the girl had the courage to defy him, so he boosted his body with Mana and entered into his hunting mode. Weaving in and out of the shadows he followed Ethel's heat signature that beat with intandem with her pounding heart. He even stalked her into her house and eventually her room without anyone noticing him. No city guard, no person on the street, not even Ethel's mother saw his huge form quietly stalking her daughter. This truly made Lucifer realise that he had vastly overestimated society and why Eric had told him he was born to be great. No one Lucifer had met or seen could track or hunt like him. No one else had his purely physical strength. No one else had two spirits. No one else had two Elements. And no one had his weapons. Thinking of the last thought Lucifer allowed a content smile to flutter across his lips as he stood watching Ethel's scrambled attempts to block her door and her subsequent hiding under her covers.