Galaxy’s First Ruler - Chapter 281

-“If we can’t see the sky, why not just fly among the clouds”-

Aldrich approached the flying bests and stroked through the feathers on the bump of its breast. They were soft to touch, almost like moist paper and dark as the moonless night.

Meuric finally overcame the shock, and seeing Aldrich touching the beast, straightened his bent posture.

“Master, you… you have two Summons. But how could this be? No, when did you? This, no, how did you…”

Meuric stuttered and slowly made his way to the Rare Ranked magical beast with hushed steps. With his eyes planted on the see-through skin on its head, and the brown-yellow touch of its eyes, Meuric failed to notice the burnt feathers of its tails. He also missed all signs of frost on its claws and the absolute fear in the magical beast’s eyes.

Meuric, even if wanted to, couldn’t notice the two hidden red gleaming dots in the wilderness’ darkness which were making the beast shiver in terror.

‘Hmm, around Level 12. Enough for now.’

Aldrich nodded to himself inwardly, as he observed the Mana fluctuations of the beast.

Aldrich had commanded El Cid to bring a flying beast, for them to bypass the wilderness, and reach their objective earlier than others.

-“This beast is not my Summon. Let’s just say I have friends among N.I.K.E.”-

No other thing could make Meuric believe what he was seeing, anyway. Magical Beasts just didn’t serve Dreamers lower in strength. Even if Aldrich had a mystery about him, he wasn’t a member of Ancient House who had such privilege.

“Wow! Amazing!! Master, you are awesome. Haha! I was taken aback just then. I wasn’t scared, believe me. Hey, Master, I have this potion that can make a person see further, like a telescope. Can I feed it to the beast? I think…”

-“Let’s go. Help me up there.”-

Aldrich cut off Meuric’s mutterings and ordered him. Shu had already left the little branch he was being lazy on, and was sitting tall at the end of the vulture’s neck. His two snake tails were slithering in and out of the beast’s feathers, making the humongous bird let out shivering cries.

Meuric gently carried Aldrich and jumped on the beast’s back. But unfortunately, his landing wasn’t so gentle.

Scre-krrrrr!!!

The vulture turned his beak to let out an annoying cry, but it found Shu’s six eyes glaring back at it. The annoyed cry got buried before it could come out. Behind Shu, Meuric placed Aldrich in between him and the tiny figure of Shu.

Aldrich tapped the back of the vulture two times using the cane. As the beast got the nod from the unseen owner of those red eyes, following those taps, it spread out his even larger wings.

Wind again howled, sending new leaves and low branches to hell with a single gust. In just a few flaps, Aldrich and others found themselves out of the thick of the jungle and going up towards the sky.

There was just a tiny amount of foggy clouds in the sky, but not enough to prevent the stars from twinkling into their eyes. Aldrich took in the entire view of the planet as the beast kept gaining height. In the distance, he saw a thin line of raised land, almost as if someone had painted them over the horizon. Those were the Soundless Mountains, beyond which lay Aldrich’s and others’ destinations.

As Meuric’s astonished hums kept ringing in Aldrich’s ears, he saw Shu clinging onto the vulture’s back like a baby clinging to the mother’s tit.

‘…?’

The two snake tails must have noticed by the way Aldrich was looking at Shu, but it was too late. The Rumok on Aldrich’s right hand gave out a flash, and Shu’s entire body jerked sideways.

Roar-Hissssss!!!

“SHU!”

-“Sit down”-

Shu let out a mad roar, less in rage and more in fear. Meuric, seeing this, shouted Shu’s name and had almost jumped off the vulture, if it were not for Aldrich making him sit back down.

“But, Master…”

-“What?! Can’t you see the two wings on its back? Are they just for show?”-

Meuric’s eyes were squinted, his toes throbbed, and even after Aldrich had reminded him of Shu’s wings, he didn’t relax his about-to-jump posture.

With the Vulture still going up, not caring for anything around it, Shu’s falling figure seemed to go unimaginably fast towards the ground. His tiny bat-like wings were flapping non-stop, like that of a chicken, trying hard to make himself at least hover if not fly.

Aldrich and Meuric couldn’t hear it, but they knew Shu was growling and roaring his lungs out. His two tails were like that of a cat, trying to stabilize him. But nothing seemed to work, as Shu’s figure blurred before ultimately disappearing under Meuric’s watchful gaze.

“Master. I can’t stand it. Shu is just a child. If you didn’t want a Common Ranked Summon, why did you make a contract with him? I… I am going after him.”

-“Oh! Will you, now?”-

“I…” Gulp! “I will, I will have to. It’s clear; Shu can’t fly.”

-“A flying beast that can’t fly. Isn’t it enough of a reason for him to die?”-

“No, it can never be enough. Dragons don’t have wings. Don’t they soar through the heavens, too?”

Aldrich’s eyes were looking at the sky, not at the strange light of conviction in Meuric’s eyes. But with his initial understanding of the Law of Devil, he didn’t need to look.

One thought, One emotion.

This was not a Skill, not they were flashy words. Aldrich thought of knowing Meuric’s emotion, and they would come to him by themselves. Aldrich wasn’t trying to test Meuric’s reaction. He was just nudging the hidden conviction that the boy had shown, facing the death.

A teacher must know how to make the student grow. So what if the student wouldn’t like the way?

Aldrich also wanted Shu to fly as soon as possible. He couldn’t wait for Shu to do it by himself. A hint of a smile came upon his face, but the words that rang in Meuric’s ears lacked any sarcastic or pleasant tone.

-“Do as you please then, boy…”-

Meuric closed his eyes and stood tall on the tilted beast’s back. He didn’t take long to remember whoever he was recalling, and just as his feet were about to leave the furry softness under them, Aldrich called out.

-“… But why don’t you use that potion to see Shu first.”-

Aldrich’s advice was just and sound. With Shu flapping his wings, his trajectory would have changed even if Meuric could reach him before him being impacting on the ground.

“Master, thank you…”

Meuric took out a pink potion and gulped it down. Fine thread-like rings appeared over the pupils of his right eye, and his left eye became dull gray.

As Meuric narrowed his right eye, the pink rings came closer and closer until they overlapped to form a bigger ring. A pink flash burst out of his right eye, and the distant objects he couldn’t see before appeared just in front of him.

“Master, I found him. I am going…”

Meuric shouted, but before he could jump, he again spoke out.

“Shu is getting bigger. Oh! He has Gigantification Skills, too?!”

-“Idiot! He is not getting bigger. He is coming towards you.”-

“Huh?!”

Meuric rubbed his right eye, hearing Aldrich’s remark. One of the pink rings separated from the group and the area Meuric was looking at zoomed out. His entire body suddenly relaxed, making him fall back on his butt, and a rueful smile came over his face.

“Haha! Ha… Master, you are right again. Shu is flying.”

-“Did the potion work as intended?”-

“That… No. I have lost vision in my left eye.”

Sigh!

Aldrich let out a sigh. But he was content with Meuric’s actions so far.

The beast had crossed the layer of thin silky clouds and was now almost gliding over the wind currents. The sky seemed like a roof which they could just reach out to touch, and maybe pluck out a star or two.

After a few minutes, a tired figure of Shu had also caught up to them. He was like a straw amid a storm as he tried to outpace the vulture. But when it became apparent that he wouldn’t be doing it soon, Shu approached the vulture and landed on its back.

The tails, along with his mouth, throw daggers of wrath at Aldrich. But the calm in Aldrich’s eyes seemed more terrifying than a fall to death. Two angry puffs of breath and hisses came out of Shu, and he turned around to lie down with his limbs outstretched.

-“Are you ready?”-

Aldrich asked, but for a moment, none answered him. In front of him, Shu’s entire body shivered as the traces of cold gust kept hitting him face on.

Behind Aldrich, Meuric gazed at the sky as all pinkish hues vanished from his right eye. The color in his left eye had yet to return, but the boy didn’t wait for it and sat up.

“Yes, master.”

The young boy answered and gritted his teeth.. And before the Pain could enter him, his face had already distorted enough for even his mother to not recognize him.