Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis listened to their story with interest.

He learned a lot about how to manage a Sect from Manuel, and he had to laugh a lot when Dorian told of his exploits. Gravis could very well imagine the headache Manuel had while trying to handle someone like Dorian.

After they were done telling their story, over a day had passed.

Mortis had returned a couple of hours after Manuel started telling his story, and he simply sat at the table like everyone else.

"So? How did it go?" Gravis asked Mortis.

"It will take a while to close the gap, but she's definitely interested, even if she didn't immediately admit it," Mortis said.

Gravis nodded.

He had expected something like that. After all, Mortis was exactly the person that Joyce had been searching for. Even if Gravis wanted to chase Joyce, she would still choose Mortis over him.

After Manuel and Dorian were done retelling their story, it was Skye's turn.

Apparently, Skye had quickly become a pretty powerful beast, and she established her own Tribe.

She lorded over the Tribe for a long time, but at some point, Kingdoms became interested.

Yet, instead of simply joining a Kingdom, Skye wanted to fight a war.

It wasn't even a battle.

Skye very quickly lost, and she was forcefully enslaved as food.

She was used as a training partner for weaker beasts, but she was always stopped as soon as she tried to kill them.

Skye was attacked by beasts on her level for years without being allowed to really retaliate.

This had gone on for over 20 years, but Skye never gave up. She knew that her chance would come, eventually.

And eventually, it did.

Skye managed to comprehend the level two Law of Suppression, which she used to kill the beasts overseeing her captivity.

After that, she ran away.

Sadly, the Kingdoms were rather united in that part of the world, making it impossible for her to find refuge anywhere.

She felt like a wild animal that was hunted by a group of humans. No matter where she went, she would be quickly found and attacked.

Skye was on the run for a long time, and eventually, she managed to comprehend the level two Law of Freedom.

With the Law of Freedom and Law of Suppression combined, Skye managed to turn the tables somewhat.

The Law of Suppression increased her Battle-Strength, and the Law of Freedom allowed her to ignore the pressure of beasts above her Realm. This gave her the ability to fight with her full power against more powerful beasts.

Her story, at this point, became very similar to Dorian's story when he had just arrived in the middle world. Skye went through a lot of fights and, eventually, a lot of other beasts were willing to follow her.

her life. She was always able to carve out a place for herself in the world with quite a

other beasts, Skye didn't manage her beasts in any

felt that responsibilities restricted her freedom, and she didn't want to have any responsibilities. The beasts were free to follow her or not. It was their

her, which eventually led

any land. They would simply kill the strong beasts, occupy their land for some years to check out the

other Empires didn't attack Skye's nomadic

Why?

that the Empire would quickly move on, which would mean that the territory of an old Empire would

a lot of resources, which could very well

They paid Skye resources so that Skye would

things happened in the higher world, but Skye had to regain all her lost respect since no one in the higher world

the higher world, Skye eventually just walked around,

free as it could get. She battled whomever she wanted. She went wherever she wanted. She did whatever she

heard Skye's

truly

valued freedom highly, just like

was truly free, while Gravis had

to care for Stella, Liam,

the difference between a beast and

could be just as free as

to cut off his feelings for everyone

Stella were more important to Gravis than living this free, at least

that, eventually, he would become

simply had to grow

was time for Azure, Styr, Ferris, and Sary to tell their

met in the

similar to Manuel's story, but with more direct war and fewer

was the one that

a way, Styr and Manuel

was a mysterious, kind, and

experienced, powerful,

support of his Sect by being kind to the Sect, bringing more resources to the

his Tribe by impressing all the beasts with his bearing, experience,

had to paint a picture of the two of them, Manuel would seem like a Heaven-chosen talent, illuminating his surroundings with light. Styr would be a middle-aged king with

be associated

would be associated with a

taken up in Manuel's Sect. Azure was the most powerful fighting force in the Tribe,

busy helping beasts he liked or comprehending Laws,

and

Sary found Meadow, and she quickly led her to the

being in the Tribe for a time, but her slow growth meant that

end, Meadow basically only sat in the

not everything was smooth

a Kingdom

forces was incredible, but the Kingdom had made a

Styr wasn't stupid.