16. Drinking Buddy

Abby was wearing a light gray and silver gown with her hair brushed to one side. Seraph thought in his mind that Abby was probably one of the "queens" of the Institute with her talent and beauty.

Seraph still didn't have a shirt on so if anyone saw them together at night it would be a little inappropriate. He took a shirt from his necklace and pulled it over his head as she approached.

When she finally approached she sat down with her back against the tree beside Seraph and took the wineskin from his hand. She took a few gulps and handed it back. Seraph was shocked to say the least.

[I like this one, we should definitely go to that Institute if the women there are like this hehehe.]

"Mm, strawberry. A little sweet for my taste."

"Well it's not your wine." Seraph was a little uncomfortable in this situation since they barely knew one another and she was so unreserved.

Abby laughed and nodded her head. She paused for a bit before continuing.

"You should take Elder Bratus's offer."

"Why is that?" Seraph finally learned that Elders name.

"Elder Bratus has a unique position at Sky Summit. Being his apprentice would actually have more benefits than being a normal student."

Seraph paused before asking, "I'd be working as a gardener, how is that the same or or even remotely better than being a recognized student."

"Not many know this but Elder Bratus is actually a close friend of the headmaster and a middle stage soul emperor. And remember, he mentioned you becoming his apprentice, not just gardening."

Seraph took a few swigs of his wine and mulled over it. He was already leaning to the Elders side before Abby came by but now it seemed not that bad. Soul Emperors were the peak existences across the world with their only opponents being other Soul Emperor level beings. Seraph guessed Elder Bratus allowed her to come talk to him since there had to be a reason that it wasn't well known.

"I was already thinking of accepting his offer. He is aware of the rumors though right? I'm not exactly suited for crowded places." That was the only part that left Seraph teetering on his decision.

"I'm sure he has. About that though, you don't seem that bad. I've been on guard for a while but you haven't acted like how the rumors we hear are."

"Oh, I heard you had all physical type spirits so I was going to wait till you fell asleep."

Abby happened to be in the middle of drinking the wine when he said that and she choked and spit it out in laughter.

Seraph laughed too and laughed even harder when he saw her pinch her nose and tilt her head back because the wine went up her nose.

Seraph got a slap on the head for his comment after they calmed down.

"Thanks for that. Ah, my nose still burns."

"How weak are your totems if you can't handle a little burning" Seraph snickered.

Abby smirked at him and stood up. She closed her eyes for a second and a totem appeared behind her. A maroon light burst out and dragon appeared behind Abby. It's scales flashed between black and maroon like her hair. It was an eastern style dragon with a long body but resembled a fish kind of as well. It was mid flight in the process of swallowing the moon. It was a beautiful totem.

"This one is my favorite. All of mine are dragon totems so do you think they're weak?"

"Haha no, I take it back." The dragon races physical might was well renowned and are considered to be one of the toughest beasts to fight while on the same level. Usually a fight with the dragon race was done in expeditions. The wyverns that his father raised could only be considered second class dragon kin but even they were still above average in a ability.

Abby gave a proud hmph sound and sat back down.

"What did you mean by favorite?"

"It's the one I like the best. What else would I mean? Do you not have a favorite?"

"Uh, no. I always saw my spirits as a part of myself so I didn't have a favorite, like how I don't have favorite toe or leg."

Abby laughed and said, "You sound just like Elder Bratus! He said something along those same lines when he took me to the Institute. He said not to force a connection with a totem and to just let it happen naturally."

"Is that not how everyone does it?" Seraph only had bits and pieces of knowledge about this world at the moment. He was only thirteen in this world. Though he creeped people out with how mature he acted since he was actually 51 this year if you counted his time on Earth.

"No, most people are focused on what is strong versus what is right for that person. The Mighty Peak was furious when I didn't heed their advice to follow their spirit maps. The Maroon Bakunawa is my favorite because it was the one I formed with my parents before they passed away."

Spirit maps were like blueprints for setting up totems, ether points, and techniques that all worked together to increase the effect. It was what made a large power have an advantage over other powers. Sky Summit Institute's focus was on a little bit of everything but there were other powers that focused only on very specific styles of totems, kind of like the Holy Empire and their "Holy" totems.

"Oh, sorry to hear about your parents."

"It's fine. That's all in the past."

They both went quiet and just passed the skin back and forth for a few minutes.

"What are your totems?"

"Didn't you get on to Ari for asking that." Seraph laughed as he said that with flushed cheeks. The alcohol was finally kicking in.

"Oh come on, you were a stranger then!" Abby still looked the same as before, those dragon totems seemed to increase her alcohol tolerance too.

Seraph debated a little on which one to show and jumped up. He saw Abby leaning against against the tree and smirked.

A tiki like mask appeared behind Seraph and he pulled the peacefully sleeping Artax and the steady Wisdom Tree into their markings. Abby fell back when the Wisdom Tree disappeared but jumped up quickly and searched for the tree and horse with shock on her face.

"Where did the tree and your familiar go?!"

"They're both my familiars. The Soul Tribe totem lets me host my familiars with my soul. They appear as tattoos on my body."

Abby made a strange face before continuing, "That's a strange totem and you really took a tree as a familiar? That's unheard of since most plants don't possess a ability to move or really have any combat capability!"

"Yes, yes praise me more."

"Haha, you twerp don't get cocky!" She jumped to her feet and pinched his cheek.

"Ow, ow, ow."

She let go and stretched her body. "I'll head back to my room, I'll see you tomorrow crazy."

"Good night."

Seraph summoned his familiars back and leaned his back against the tree. Artax gave him an annoyed stare before laying back down. For as long as he knew Artax, the horse would sleep in a very strange position. Artax laid down on his side and if someone didn't see his chest rising and falling, they would think he was dead. As for Wisdom Tree, he wasn't worried about Abby noticing that the tree was the one from that lake since it looked so different and had a different aura.

It was only now he noticed Abby took the wine with her. He smiled to himself and took out another. Seraph had no feelings for Abby, in his mind he was old enough to be her father. He was just starved for connection with others and was happy to have made a friend.

[Women aren't friends. Why don't you do what you said earlier and jump her while she's asleep.]

"Because I don't wanna."

[Well when you wanna have fun, just let me take control for a little while.]

"Not gonna happen."

Seraph drained half of the wine skin in one go and prepared for his nightly torment. Would he fight in a bloody war, have his skin slowly peeled away, or just have to navigate a level of hell? It was a lottery and no matter what you lost.

He drifted off shortly after.

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Screams and the clashing of metal created a melody unique of its own. This war had turned from an organized war to both sides madly trying to kill each other to the last man as cruelly as possible. Some soldiers ripped apart their enemies with their teeth. Some ripped their enemies apart with their bare hands. Unless blood flew and painted the sky no one was satisfied.

The blood had saturated the ground to the point that it became a blood bog. Bodies covered the ground for miles.

Seraph had no semblance of self and just had the word blood screaming in his mind. Blood! Blood!! Blood!!! More! He needed more, he wanted more, the world itself yearned for more. Seraph tore though the people, ignoring friend or foe. Blood was his friend and those that hid it in their bodies selfishly were the enemies. Open wounds covered his whole self but he never stopped and just killed and killed and killed until he was the last one left.

Then he fell, and wept.

Seraph awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the morning sun rising over a pasture of flowing grass. A few tears fell from his eyes. It was a welcome sight.