By The Hands of Ancestors - Part 4

There was a certain amount of energy one could have when completely swamped in work. Thankfully he had Vuloc whom did most of the work on their faction, something Samuel had come to question many times was the need of having a faction - but if people found something to rally around then let them do it.

Samuel wasn't too worried about any extra grades from owning a faction or any of the year ends of faction contests and tournaments.

Then there was also him working his ass off training with Alsian and all the others, combined with him trying to study, he wasn't left with any time at all to socialize, whatever spare time he managed to find would always be spent working on his own projects.

So much time was spent that Bregane grew noticably more concerned about him, but he always waived it off as being fine. Left to his almost pretend solitude, he was never truly alone of course but Samuel came to realize that might not be true in the future.

One night of particular silence he decided to sit on the roof and stare at the stars. The chill winds of the approaching winter could be felt, but it was still quite refreshing to be outside. "Night?" He gently asked after her.

Silence for a while before the small dragon sat next to him and looked at him, their eyes interlocked for a few moments. Samuel smiled at her, "I never thought it would be so difficult, to try to walk a path forward. Only to realize that the further down the path you walk the less you recognize your surroundings." His smile faded as he looked towards the stars.

"I wanted to be a hero like the ones in the stories, but the more I walk that path... the more I understand that it will never happen." He clenched his fists in pure frustration. "I will always just be Samuel, nothing special."

"Perhaps you are correct." Night spoke quietly and looked at the stars herself. "But I don't think you are right!" She spoke with a more fierce voice and looked at him after a while. "You won't be a generic hero that much is true! But you will be a hero to the people you help!"

"Just like me!"

Her voice trailed off and her shadows grew into a humanoid form that hugged Samuel much to his surprise. He quickly relaxed with a sigh and put a hand on the shadowy arm wrapped around him. "Besides, you are definitely special in some ways... what I took from Alsian's lessons were the fact that every child of mana are special and unique with their own traits... much like the rest of them mortals!" Her voice continued and she finally let go of Samuel.

Samuel nodded and slowly reached out a hand and removed a tear from the cheek of the shadow. "Some day you won't need to be by my side anymore, one day when you have recovered your memories and whatnot, that day you hopefully won't be shackled down to me anymore!" Samuel sighed but he heard Night chuckle.

"Perhaps I won't be linked to you anymore... but I made a promise remember?" She spoke and the shadow around her face disappeared, revealing her true forms face. She was smiling at him with tears in her eyes.

Samuel nodded. "I do remember something of that nature being said."

To which Night pinched his cheek with her fingers, "You stupid tease!" She laughed before taking Samuels hand in between her own. "I hope to one day be free, that is true... but I never wish to erase this bond we have, never ever!" As she spoked with her smile growing more radiant more and more of her original shape started revealing itself from the shadowy tendrils that used to cover it.

Samuel couldn't help but feel a few tears in his eyes that he tried very hard to suppress, until he saw that the shadows started unveiling Nights body, he stared for a few seconds before quickly taking out a spare coat from the pocket dimension.

He quickly veiled it around her and she accepted the coat by pulling the ends tighter around herself. "Thanks!" A small blush crept on her face, although it wasn't very easy to see it in the darkness.

The lamps from the ground gave them just enough light combined with the fact that Samuel now also could see in the dark that he could see her just faintly. "This night vision is really useful, I wonder if it is from our connection or from the wolf senses I have gained." Samuel looked at his hand and partially transformed it into its much larger lycan hand with claws.

"Phrasing!" Night exclaimed and hid her face in her hands to hide the full on blush that had raged up like a storm. Samuel looked at her with a shocked expression from her suddenly yelling before he realized what he did.

What followed was Samuel laughing for a whole minute before finally laying his back on the roof and with a happy sigh he felt exhausted. "Thank you Alyssa!" He called her by her true name and in a swift motion the half dragon half elven woman leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

It was like a blessing given to those you care about. She gave him one final smile before her form melted back into shadows and a small shadow dragon once again sat next to him.

"Time to turn in for some sleep?" Samuel questioned and the dragon silently nodded. "Alright!" He sat up and slid down to the edge and grabbed it, swinging himself back into his room and closing the window.

Surprised to see Bregane standing in the open doorway. "Whom were you talking to?" In confusion and with a raised eyebrow he stood tall. "Just a friend! Using... you know that spell for talking to people!" Samuel gave him a wide grin and Bregane shrugged.

Inwardly Samuel was happy that Bregane didn't pry further. "So what can I help you with tonight?" Samuel asked while locking the window. He turned around to see Bregane putting down a book on one of the sidetables Samuel had brought into the room.

"Here is a full book on all my theories and ideas for how I could train you further... I have reached my limit kiddo! There is nothing more that I can teach you in the arts of magic!" He looked both proud and sad while speaking.

"I will be your mentor until you graduate of course, but considering the fact that you are training with your cousin then there is little I have left to teach!" His words left Samuel feeling a bit empty because of the sudden nature of this... but perhaps it wasn't sudden after all.

"I understand!" Samuel's words seemed to break through the barrier and Bregane was visibly shaken. "You need to take care of her! Because you are one of the only people that can... Right?" Samuel couldn't help but grin.

With tears and a happy grin himself Bregane quickly walked forward and put his hands on Samuels shoulders. "I still remember that slightly scared and alone kid that came into the office that day. You looked strong in your own right that you had gone through some serious shit... but you still looked so afraid and angry at the world." Bregane exclaimed with a happy voice.

"Look at you now huh... all grown up - I believe you will go to great places and meet all kinds of amazing people. I believe in you!" Breganes words shattered the last final shackles that Samuel felt around his heart and soul.

Night's words had cracked them, but Breganes had shattered them completely. He felt empty before feeling completely filled with new emotion of gratitude. "Thank you so much master for leaving me with this final lesson!" Samuel quickly gave his mentor a big hug.

Although surprised, the shadow stalker that was always so direct and unfazed by everything, accepted the hug, but only for a few seconds. He had a cold persona to keep up with after all, and he wouldn't want Samuel to rub it in his face later.

He held Samuel at arm length for a while longer and looked at the kid-- man! With a big smile. "I will take care of Tere'he, she is too strong to be held down for long. She will be back in the saddle before you know it!"

With those words he took his leave, but not before turning around a final time at the doorstep and giving Samuel a big nod of approval. Samuel was left feeling happy, truly happy. Like something he had not been since Erica had left them.

He also felt a surge of power welling up from inside him, it filled every fiber of his being and every breath was a refreshing surge of mana. "We can do this Night!" He shouted at the top of his lungs and the shadow dragon also jumped out and started screaming in a half guttural tiny roar.

Which made Samuel unable to hold back laughter.

Because of the surge of happiness and adrenaline and mana he had a hard time falling asleep for the first half hour, annoyed he wondered why he couldn't fall asleep already and that was the last thing he remembered before waking up the next morning.

Wondering what happened he quickly gave one of those precious once in a lifetime stretches in bed and while satisfied he got out of bed and prepared himself for the day with some proper self cleaning and a proper breakfast on top of that.

He intended to take the day, come what may in his own pace and he suddenly felt like he had realized something about the training with Alsian. "Hey Night... I think I just figured out the next step of my training..." His voice trailed off as he slowly put down the pans he was cleaning.