Chapter 34.1 Once in a Blue Moon

You’re an idiot, me!!! I acted all high-and-mighty, but why would I say all that to Nott!? The highest and mightiest of them all!

Holding my head in consternation at the predicament I placed myself in, I couldn’t concentrate on classes today whatsoever. Lectures have ended for the day, so I rush towards the library in a frenzy.

“Hey, Aey.”

If I can’t actually do what he asked of me even after acting like that earlier…! Ugh, I wanna slap myself just thinking about it!

“Helloooo, anyone in there?”

Nonono. For now, I’ll put that behind me and just think of the present. Shaking my head, I jostle the negative thoughts loose from my brain.

I’ll show you the true determination of Aeriea Newlyn…! Hahaha, that’s right! I’ll have Nott on his knees in gratitude by the end of this!

“Hehehehehe…”

“Uh, Aey…?”

Hmn?

Looking up, I see Fenrir walking beside me. With hands casually in his pockets, he’s matching my brisk pace and giving me a strange look.

“Ah, Fen. What’s up?”

“No, I feel like I should be asking you that…”

“Huh? I’m just headed to the library to work on a… Side project. Did you need me for something?”

“…”

“?”

“A-Ah yeah, actually I needed to go there too…! Right, I haven’t even touched the homework we were assigned in Literacy the other day…!”

Fenrir going to the library? What sort of blue moon occurrence is this? I tilt my head in suspicion at his sketchy response. Regardless, if he’ll actually do some schoolwork, then I suppose it doesn’t really matter why.

Midterms are coming up, yet the library is still fairly empty so it’s easy to find a free table in a quiet and secluded location.

Seriously, what are all these nobles here even doing?

Placing my school bag down, I let Fen know I’m going to find some books first. Rushing off to the front desk, I see Este has her nose in a tomb on medicinal herbs. “Good day, Este.”

Hastily looking up, her round-rim glasses tilt off-kilter from the motion. “Ah, Aeriea! Good day to you. What can I help you with?”

“I’d like to find anything on the Hellion, and anything relating to large beasts as well - Things like Garmr, Leo, and the Yule Cat. Hmn, please also show me where you keep books on training and domesticating wild animals, such as foxes or Direwolves.”

Este blinks a few times at me before pushing her glasses back into place, “Okay, this way!”

Ohhh, she looks fired-up for some reason? Haha, I don’t really understand why, but it’s pretty cute.

*

With my arm full of books, I place them down onto the table with a thud.

“R-Ravens, Aey… Are you planning on becoming an animal tamer or something?”

“Ahaha… Don’t mind me. Ah, if you need any help with the assignment, just ask.”

“Wait, don’t tell me! Did you already finish it?”

“Yeah, of course. I usually do the assignments as soon as I get them.”

“…Of course you do.”

We sit in silence working on our respective projects for a few sun-ticks, the sun steadily setting. Surprisingly, Fen does all his work without asking for help. Even though it looks like he’s struggling on some of the questions, he just works through it himself.

How unexpected. He normally bothers us to let him copy our work. I wonder what’s gotten into him today?

Well, whatever. I need to focus back on this…

It’s not looking good to be honest.

I’ve gotten rid of the idea that Hellions can be domesticated, period. Even lions and tigers can’t be. This is due to the fact that even if they’re able to eventually show affability to people, their children will still show the same wild and unpredictable traits of their forefathers before the training. But this means that there's a possibility that a single generation can be trained.

There are several factors that influence the feasibility on whether an animal is tameable. First is the animal’s diet and how ready they are to feed upon our food sources; It being easier if they’re able to adapt to a wide variety of food. But of course, Hellions are carnivorous.

Not only does it make it difficult to procure food… But even more important is its intrinsic behavior - Hellions hunt. It’s in their nature to hunt prey for nourishment. And it isn’t just about finding enough meat and giving the beast enough nutrition, they need to run wild and free in order to keep healthy. Physically and mentally. This comes to our second point, habitat.

Large creatures obviously needs large amounts of space. And well… Laelap is huge and will no doubt, grow bigger still.

The third is the beast’s individual personality. Laelap seems friendly enough towards people, but at the same time, she’s highly independent. She doesn’t take Nott to be her ‘master’ or ‘owner’ even though it seems they’ve been together ever since Laelap was a cub. Most likely, it’ll take great pains in taming her, if that’s even possible.

Sigh.

Well… Even if all these components were to be ideal, which they’re not… There’s an even bigger problem that I can’t seem to come to terms with.

But, thinking back to Nott going so far as to lower his head… He really wants this, huh?

I pick up another book and begin reading.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“!”

Something suddenly obscures my vision on the paragraph I was reading through. My eyes whip upwards and see Fen’s hand waving in front of my face. “Aeyyy! Ah, you’re back!”

“U-Uh yeah, what’s up?”

“Man, that concentration of yours is crazy. I was calling you for ages, but it didn’t seem like you heard any sound at all!” He laughs.

“Eh!? Really!?”

“Yeeep. Anyways, aren’t you hungry yet?” Fen raises an eyebrow.

Hungry…? Looking out the window, I notice it’s nightfall. Only the dim lighting of magick orbs in the library allowing us vision.

“Twice.” I curse under my breath. Thinking on it now, my stomach is curling in on itself from the hunger. “Wait, you should’ve told me earlier! You must be starving too!”

“Hmn, not really. Kindred don’t need to eat all the time like Humans.”

Right. Somehow this slipped my mind…

It’s not like I forgot Fenrir is of Kindred blood, but it’s more along the lines of him always being… With us. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He sits down at every meal and eats alongside us.

“Actually if anything, I feel bad I didn’t tell you earlier. You just looked so caught up... ”

“H-Huh? don’t feel bad! I really should be taking care of myself!” I wave my hands in a flurry.

A-Actually, why did he just stay here all this time? Was he… Worried about me? The thought makes me even more befuddled. W-Wah, I really was acting weird earlier…!

“Honestly, I just assumed you would eventually notice yourself. But I guess not, huh?” He pauses before chuckling softly, “At this point, I guess I’ve already kind of forgotten the sensation of Human hunger.” Fen scrunches his brows up. “Isn’t it something that you notice no matter what you’re doing though?”

“…”

All I can think about is Fenrir’s expression right now.

“U-Uh, sorry if that’s a weird question. Did I make you uncomfortable? Just forget about it, haha.”

“Most…”

“Huh?”

“Most Humans would notice it, I think my focus is just a bit abnormal.” I let out a light breath of laughter.

“Hehhh. I always knew you were weird, Aey.”

“Hey, birds of a feather flock together!”

Fenrir’s warm laughter fills the empty library, but I couldn’t help but think about what sort of sadness it was covering.