Great Journey: Whims of Fate

Throughout his new training regimen, Elyra had proven an excellent replacement for Sibelle. She carried out her duties with practiced ease and quiet dedication.

Each day, she woke him, bathed him, dressed him, brought his meals, escorted him to the training grounds, partnered with him in dance lessons, waited on him during meals, fetched books, and talked with him before bed.

From the moment he opened his eyes to the moment he closed them, Elyra was always there.

One evening, after a long day of grueling training and endless lessons, Bastion asked, "When do you sleep, Elyra?"

"I sleep when you sleep, Master," she replied softly.

"Be honest."

"I take naps during your lessons to catch up."

"That sounds rough. When does Sibelle sleep?"

"She uses shadow avatars, so she can rest whenever she wants."

"Do you know how that works?"

"Not the specifics, no. But we can tell when it's an avatar. She appears as a mass of talking dark magic."

"Fascinating. Is that a Class Skill or Shadow Wolf Dark Magic?"

"Shadow Wolf Dark Magic."

"Rank 1 or Rank 2?"

"Rank 2."

"Incredible. I'm a little jealous. Being able to make avatars sounds so convenient."

"I'll make it my goal to learn it as soon as possible, Master."

"Don't push yourself. Rank 2 is still a long way off for us."

After a long silence, Elyra suddenly spoke.

"Do you remember the night you saved me?"

"I remember you saving me, while Sibelle watched from the shadows."

"No. You saved me," she said, her voice firm. 

"I lost that fight. She was stronger than me. I should have died. But you stepped in. You saved me. Then you comforted me. I had never taken a life before. I was scared," she said, her eyes distant as she recalled it.

"I… I wanted to thank you for what you did."

"So, you became my shadow?"

"Yes."

"A simple thank you would have sufficed."

"It wouldn't have been enough. That night, when I took in your scent, I also marked you. I decided you would be my husband, and no one else would ever be enough. We shadow wolfkin are known for our loyalty. When we mark someone, we owe them our lives. Nothing short of death can remove that bond."

"Like I said, Sibelle—"

"She could have saved us, but she didn't. You did," Elyra interrupted.

"So, you chose to become my eternal lover… only to be cast aside for other women? You know I'll have to take a proper wife one day."

"Polygamy is fairly common," she said, a hint of confusion in her voice. "Most strong individuals have multiple wives, husbands, or both depending on their preferences. Honestly, I consider myself lucky to have marked you."

With that, Bastion gave up on trying to push her away. She had made up her mind, and he no longer had the will to change it. Instead, he chose to reward her unwavering devotion.

"Come," Bastion said, patting the space beside him on the couch.

Elyra moved without hesitation and sat next to him.

"Lay on my lap," he added, patting his thigh.

She obeyed and gently rested her head on his lap.

Bastion began stroking her ears and tail, slow and deliberate. They were soft and silky smooth.

"Tell me if it gets uncomfortable."

"It feels nice," she murmured, her face soft with bliss.

"Tell me about your village."

Elyra began speaking about her homeland, the shadow wolfkin village nestled at the edge of the great forest. Surrounded by dense, monster-filled woods, the village had stood resilient for generations. Thousands of wolfkin lived there, bound together by blood, tradition, and a constant vigilance born of necessity.

Despite their strength, death was a frequent visitor. The forest was unpredictable, and even the cautious could not stop every threat. Most casualties were among Apprentice Rank and Rank 1 individuals, too weak or untrained to fend off sudden attacks.

Surprisingly, the village was quite modern. Every brick house had its own bathroom, a convenience even rare in many human settlements. Clean water was standard, ensuring the people lived in comfort despite the ever-present danger beyond the walls.

Elyra grew up under a strict upbringing, even as an infant. From a young age, she was taught that their tribe's oath was everything, that it defined their lives. Fulfilling that oath, no matter the cost, was the highest calling, and becoming a shadow was considered the greatest honor among her people.

Personally, she didn't care much for the tradition and would have preferred the freedom of an adventurer's life. But she was gifted, and when Bastion was born, her father chose her for the role. She decided to give it a try and trained for five years before finally getting the chance to see the child she was meant to serve.

"I remember thinking you were so adorable back then," she commented with a fond smile.

"Now, I'm as tall as you," Bastion replied with a smirk.

After marking him, she pushed herself harder than ever, determined to be the best candidate. She surpassed every other contender by a wide margin, only to be chosen immediately because of the mark she'd already given him. Her devotion was stronger than her ties to even her father, the village chief.

"Do you mind if I see your status?" Bastion asked after hearing her story.

He wanted to know what to expect once he started at the academy, as well as the results of her training.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked sooner," she said as a blue screen materialized before Bastion.

[Name]: Elyra

[Age]: 20

[Class]: Maid Assassin (Rank 1)

[Ability]: Inconspicuous Presence

[Rank]: Apprentice

[Level]: 1

[Health]: 50/50

[Mana]: 60/60

[Strength]: 55

[Dexterity]: 75

[Vitality]: 50

[Intelligence]: 60

[Wisdom]: 45

[Charm]: 50

[Status Points]: 0

[Arts]: Dark Magic 3, Sword 3, Dagger 3, Unarmed 2, Light Armor 2, Cooking 2, Cleaning 2, Stealth 2

[Skills:]: Slash 3, Stab 3, Throw 2, Parry 2, Dodge 2, Dash 2, Jump 2, Reinforce 2, Clean 0, Cook 0, Conceal 0, Backstab 0, Garrote 0 

[Skill Points]: 1

She never leveled up after getting her class at 18 years of age because she had to continue training her stats. Now, she had attained the maximum her stats could reach at her current Rank. She would henceforth need to use up status points to increase them. She had already used a point to increase Dexterity.

Her class, Maid Assassin, allowed her to remain hidden in plain sight. It removed her scent, muffled the sound of her movements, made people who weren't actively searching for her overlook her presence, and increased her stamina regeneration.

It wasn't a powerful class, but it was a necessary one for any self respecting shadow, at least according to Sibelle, their trainer.

Personally, she loved the class. It would significantly shorten the time it took to cook and clean for herself and her Master. Both skills functioned based on the user's standards, meaning a single use could prepare meals or tidy messes as if she had done them by hand.

It was far more convenient than standard cleaning or cooking spells, which could only handle one task at a time. She certainly didn't want to learn hundreds of spells just to clean and cook things to her standards.

Conceal simply made her invisible. Her shadow magic was only truly effective in darkness or where shadows were abundant. There wasn't much cover in a wide open field under direct sunlight which Conceal could work with.

Backstab was a powerful skill that paralyzed targets with shock, giving her an opening to finish them off. Garrote ensured her targets couldn't cast spells or activate skills while she strangled them from behind.

It was a great, comprehensive class that gave her stealth, time, and the skills to kill. What more could she ask for?

"Do you know what your next Class will be?" Bastion asked after glancing at her status.

"Shadow Slave was supposedly the only option forward. It'll help me support you better, Master," she replied without hesitation.

"Shouldn't you be trying to level up now?"

"I will do so with Master."

"I see. Thank you for your trust, Elyra."

"My pleasure, Master."

Bastion continued to pamper her in silence, enjoying her warmth, the softness of her ears, her tail, and the silkiness of her hair. She was a stunning woman, someone he knew he could never have hoped to be with back on Earth.

In truth, she felt too good for him. So he made a decision: to become worthy of her. To be a Master who used her well, who rewarded her devotion twofold, and who never took her loyalty for granted. He would ensure she never regretted the moment she chose to mark him.

He would make her proud to be his shadow.

Since the night Bastion and Elyra had their talk, they had become more open with each other. Their bond had clearly strengthened, something Sibelle observed with quiet pride. She had, in fact, been watching the night Bastion was attacked.

She had chosen to let events unfold naturally, and now felt vindicated in that choice. Elyra was undoubtedly the best candidate for Bastion. The others were tied to greater responsibilities and simply weren't suited for the role.

She could not interfere; the rules were clear, the child had to make the choice. All she could do was watch and hope. In the end, she was simply grateful it had turned out well.

As for those responsible for nearly killing Bastion with poisoned food, Sibelle had double-checked at his request and confirmed the dish had been laced with a deadly curse. Acting swiftly, she destroyed every base linked to the perpetrators within the dukedom, at least, those she could find. If she ever caught their scent again, she would not hesitate to kill them all.

And so, three years passed. Bastion's grueling path to becoming a Diamond Knight had finally reached its end. Unfortunately, it came with a torturous crescendo.

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