Seeing Beasts

Trevor went to bed. Kai stayed awake for a while, scared that the hooded figure might return. He searched every corner of their room, including the bathroom. It all looked to be the same as always.

There was nothing indicating that someone had entered their room, but Kai knew it very well. He had seen it with his own eyes.

Feeling down after not finding anything to help him uncover who that person was, Kai went to his bed, though it took him a long time to finally sleep.

Kai wondered if everything was just a mere dream. He daydreamed while eating his breakfast.

"What happened to him?" Nefarios asked when he sat beside Trevor in the main hall, "He looks like he barely slept."

"Don't ask me," Trevor said. "I have no idea."

They could see that Kai was a little different than usual, but none of them kept asking him the reason for it.

Kai ate and drank some coffee to wake up and went to the first class of the day, which was with Luke.

The class about beasts was the one most students disliked. For them, the beasts were either scary or disgusting.

Kai was excited because Luke was about to take them on a journey through the nearby forest.

"We will go look for some beasts and watch them in their natural habitat. Not only that, but I want to see what you learned about the beasts," Luke said to the class.

"Isn't this exciting?" Kai said.

Trevor and Nefarios were not fans of beasts. "A little, but it's also dangerous. I just hope nothing happens to us," Trevor said.

The students were in front of Luke's cabin, which was already outside the school's perimeter. But they went deeper into the forest, following Luke, who looked like he was doing a stroll in the park.

The forest around them felt closer and closer. It was suffocating, and most students didn't want to stay there.

But Luke was their teacher, and he was responsible for their class. They had to follow him and do what he wanted them to do.

Kai was among the students following Luke, but he hastened his steps, trying to catch up to Luke.

He walked beside him and whispered, "Did you find anything about the cloaked figure I saw that day?"

"Why?" Luke asked. "Did something happen?"

The situation was still a complete mystery to Kai. He felt like pulling Luke into it so early would only make his teacher's life worse. What if the hooded figures decided to attack Luke? Did Luke have what it takes to face them in combat?

It was not the right moment to drag Luke into that mess.

"Just curious," Kai said.

Luke looked at him with a weird face and said, "I found nothing, unfortunately."

Kai didn't believe him. It looked like Luke hid the information because Kai was a mere student. Of course, Kai couldn't be sure of that, but he had a strong guess.

They kept walking through the forest, stopping by a river. Luke explained, "We will find magical beasts together, and you will tell me what you know about each beast I find."

That would be their exercise for the duration of the class. Kai liked it. He had read many books about beasts and paid attention to Luke's class, so he was confident he would give Luke good answers.

The first beast Luke brought was a fish with legs and arms. It was strange. He caught it in a nearby river with a floating spell to lock the beast in the air.

"What beast is this one?" Luke asked, staring at his students.

Kai was the first to answer. "It's a Murk. There are many sub-races of it through the kingdom, and this one is a Blue Murk."

Luke smiled, "Correct. What about their strengths and weaknesses?"

"They are clever and work in groups. As for their weaknesses, well, they are way weaker outside of water, so if you can lure them out, your fight will become significantly easier."

"Correct, again," Luke said, then he stared at the other students, "I want everyone participating. Remember, everyone will have their grades."

Kai already had his grade after answering the questions about the first beast. The other quiet students had to answer some questions, or else they wouldn't have a grade.

Luke caught other types of magical beasts. Some were from the water, some were plant types, and he even got a flying one.

Kai knew the answer to Luke's questions, but Luke glanced at him as if he was saying, 'Don't answer them, and let the others do it.'

That was what Kai read about the situation, at least. The class was not only the students answering questions. There was more to it.

Luke caught some rare beasts the students didn't know and explained everything about said beasts. Kai paid close attention.

'How does he get the beasts so easily?' Kai thought.

The students stayed inside the forest for two hours, which was way longer than the 'normal' classes they had.

They walked back to the school, traversing through the dense and vivid forest, feeling the afternoon breeze hit their faces. It was a nice moment.

Kai, Trevor, and Nefarios talked to each other on the way back, sharing their thoughts about the class and whatnot.

"You know a lot about beasts, Kai," Nefarios said, "Do you want to become a beastmaster or something?"

Kai didn't know much about the magical professions in that world. He was more focused on trying to become a good Arcanist first.

"No idea," he replied, "I am just trying to learn a little about everything to see where life gets me."

Nefarios liked the answer and asked nothing more about it.

The students got some free time after returning due to the duration of Luke's class. It would allow them to eat and to nap if they wanted. Kai departed from his friends during his free time.

He wanted to go back to his room and look everywhere. The cloaked figure saw his room as crucial, and there was something there he was missing.