章 22: CHPT 22: Warm Welcome
"Finally!" Claude said as he exited the gates of SkyHaven with the poorly written newspaper clamped under his arm.
It was a beautiful day in every sense, the sky was almost completely cloudless and the temperature would have been considered hot but the calm steady breeze made his walk towards the cabin pleasant as he passed other common folk and more fortunate workers on horseback.
He entered the forest that circled the cabin, immediately feeling at home in the familiar forest. He started hearing Frosty's low playful growls and something else....
"Awe come onnn! Your faster than that Frosty!"
Claude made it out of the forest and saw a man with skin a few shades lighter than himself. The only thing combating his youthful but strong features were the two gray streaks on the sides of his thick short black hair and the light wrinkles around his eyes from smiling or squinting for many years. He wore a purple long sleeve and black pants that made him look even taller than he already was at 6'4.
Claude crept closer causing Frosty turn his attention to him, the pit-wolf somehow looked at him with the same expression everyone else did in SkyHaven. Frosty's staring caught the attention of the man causing him to look in Claudes direction as well. His playful and energetic manner seemed to fade as he took in Claudes appearance.
"ALRIGHT! What's on my face huh? A booger? Did someone write something on my forehead?.... if you both don't stop looking at me like that I swear to god!" Claude said to the man and Frosty— who was now sitting patiently with his tail wagging.
"I think that as your father it's part of my job to worry kid, have you not seen your face?" Claudes father, Gil asked as he walked over to Claude with Frosty following behind.
"No, I haven't but you're making me think I've lost my nose." Claude said sarcastically with a hint of irritation.
Gil started to smile as he looked over his son who he swore was more mature in some ways than him. He noticed his newspaper and a look of wonder covered his face.
"It was you, wasnt it?....it would explain your...well." Gil said pointing at Claudes newspaper and then his face.
"Uhm...yea, but I had help and it was NOT easy." He replied.
Gil studied Claude, seeing past the tough facade he put on. He could see how scared and angry his son felt. This made Gil feel like a terrible father for not being able to do anything in the moment or visit him at the hospital since he was in a Tangent for quite some time.
"Well, I'm glad you're alright and I'm proud of you kid, that's an impressive feat you pulled off." Gil said as he pulled Claude into a hug that Frosty joined in on as well.
Claude and his father went inside to eat after Claude played with Frosty for a few hours. After Claudes second bowl of food he began to notice his father wasn't really eating, more like he was just playing with his food while his face was twisted into a dark expression.
"Hey dad, everything alright?"
"Huh? Y-yes I'm fine, Claude."
"You do know that wasn't even a little believable right?" Claude said in between mouthfuls of chicken and rice.
Gil let out a contagious high pitched laugh that shouldn't come out of a man his size, Claude couldn't help but smile and laugh a little as well before asking.
"So, what's the matter dad?"
"Well, the newest guild in SkyHaven was assigned to assist me in my most recent Tangent run."
Claude remembered hearing about a new guild a while ago from Bergrin. "Yea I heard a new guild moved in but the person who told me didn't know much else."
Gil took a swig of water before responding. "They're called the Midnight Wardens.....and even I don't know much."
After saying the guilds name Claude watched his father shiver slightly before continuing.
"Something happen in the Tangent? You look a little shaken." Claude asked his father.
"No, it was a safe run...a fast one at that. It's just..." Gil seemed to struggle finishing what he wanted to say and paused for a while before starting again.
"All the sickos I've worked with...none of them seemed to enjoy being inside the Tangents as much as them."
Claude thought over what his father said before answering.
"What do you mean "enjoy", dad?"
Gil seemed to be getting sick as he tried to think of a way to describe the guild without scarring his son.
"They were smiling... not blatantly of course, but I caught glimpses...w-where they looked incredibly happy to be brutally massacring everything that wasn't human."
"EW...they sound like a bunch of psychos." Claude responded.
"Heh..yea, just stay away from them alright? Gil said while staring intensely at Claude.
"Dad, you do know who I am right? Even if I find myself talking with them, I'm sure my less than impressive social skills will keep me out of trouble." Claude said attempting to reassure his shaken father.
After Claude finished his third bowl of chicken and rice he told his father he was off to bed.
"Oh! Hold on. Aren't you excited about your rebirth?!? Don't you know what this means?" Gil asked looking at Claude like he was an idiot.
"Of course I'm excited about my rebirth, why do you think I'm going to bed early? I'm trying to get back to the academy and train...maybe I'll see Samuel finally."
"Hehe. Let me guess Samuel was recently reborn as well." Gil asked while smiling at Claude like he knew something his son didn't.
"Well..yea." Claude answered sourly.
"I'm sure it has something to do with this." Gil said as handed Claude a jet black letter with an orange Phoenix seal on it that seemed to glow faintly.
"Are you telling me you never wondered why there were no reborn students at the academy? Nobody told you what happens after your reborn?"
Claude felt like an idiot since he never even thought to ask. He decided to stay silent and took the letter.
"Woah!"
Once Claude touched the letter, the seal burst into flames. Despite the flames being quite small he could feel the intensity of the heat, it felt like he just opened a furnace. Once the flames cleared the Phoenix seal was gone. He glanced at his father who was grinning ear to ear before he proceeded to open the letter.
"What the?" He said as he began to read the stylish clean white letters that started to show up on the black paper.
"Claude Grey, you've been given a gift that isn't granted to everyone. With this gift comes a duty that you now have, a duty to keep the world safe by combating the monsters of the Tangents and stopping them from further terraforming the earth. Your journey starts at the University of the Phoenix, here you'll hone your skills in combat, increase your knowledge of your system and the various species from the Tangents. Now that you've been reborn, your real training begins. Give it your everything...you could be the one that saves us all."
"Well, that's intense...I like it." Claude said to his father after reading the letter.
"Good, I'm pretty sure once a student receives the Letter of the Phoenix a carriage comes for them the next day." Gil responded.
"Nice, do you know where this new academy is located, I want to know how early I have to wake up and how long I have to walk."
Gil shook his head and smiled saying, "Oh Claude, this is a three year commitment. You only return on weekends."
Claude almost choked on his saliva, "WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?!"
"They want you to spend as much time training as possible, that's right up your alley isn't it?" Gil asked with a knowing smirk.
"Your right, I do need to get strong." Claude responded confidently.
***
After his father broke the big news to him he immediately headed to bed but he couldn't sleep, he kept thinking back to the Letter of the Phoenix.
"Now that you've been reborn, your real training begins."
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_Avatar0FFury_
_Avatar0FFury_ Thanks for reading!!! If you can plz leave a review. Also thanks for the powerstones NomiBarom and frenandoi, I really appreciate it!!
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