Of Ashes and Wind

Ryosuke

Phoenix left her room in a hurry, she had the headmaster for class that morning and knew how cross Olena Angedras gets when students were late. The air was growing cold and Phoenix started wearing the uniform jacket to class, she did take the liberty to not both with zipping it up all the way.

She caught Kieara and Galen who were on their way to a magic history lecture together. She passed by a class that her mother was getting ready to teach. Arthur and Natasha exchanged greetings with Phoenix.

Her dark blue gaze locked on to a lilac one.

Eiriell managed a small wave and smile when Phoenix walked by, she slowed down enough to return one to the Elven Princess. Phoenix caught the gaze of Prince Rollin, who was engrossed in having a conversation about something with Eiriell.

"Nix!" Ryosuke bellowed in the hallway, his topaz gaze lit up at the sight of one of his favorite classmates. Phoenix would learn that the two are of the same age.

Ryosuke also bore a beast mark on his chest, something he sensed in Phoenix on the first day of meeting her. In the past three months since, Ryosuke had grown closer and closer to the human, to the point where he offered recently to introduce his dragon mount to her.

That was the plan that weekend, Phoenix planned on taking along her friends too which Ryosuke said was alright.

"Ryo." Phoenix nodded, the two entered the class together.

Olena eyed her two rowdy students, "Since the two of are here now, that means today's lecture is about to start." She moved to the board, "Ryosuke, I know that this is an interesting topic for you. We're going to discuss beasts and the magical bond between a beast and a tamer."

Phoenix lit up at the topic and so did Ryosuke.

"Headmaster Angedras, you always talk about the most interesting things." His topaz eyes lit up at that.

Phoenix nodded, her hand absently rubbing at the mark on her chest.

For beastmen, it was easier for them to develop a bond strong enough to turn into a mark. Ryosuke would often joke that it was because they were half-beasts too which made it easier for them to tame one.

He wasn't wrong.

Ryosuke referred to those who assimilated a beast core as 'The Marked'. For those in Jishora, it was considered one of the highest honors to be Marked. Phoenix asked how he knew that she was Marked, Ryosuke could only explain that it was because beastmen could naturally sense it.

Ryosuke had a lot to add in the lecture that day, Phoenix sat intently and listened to what the beastman Prince had to say. Olena and Ryosuke discussed openly the different schools of thought when it came to taming a beast. Olena pointed out how in Brilux there was an emphasis on discipline and leadership in order to get a beast to obey.

Ryosuke went on a slight tangent about how a beast only bends to those of noble character.

Phoenix brought up the idea of what would happen if you treated a beast as an equal to try and gain their trust. There was a sparkle in Ryosuke's eyes at the proposal.

The rest of the students were vocal against the notion, citing how dangerous it was to approach a beast without some kind of hold over them. One student brought up famous cases from the past about a tamer that did not discipline his mount and wounded up dead because his mount refused his orders and bucked him off mid-flight.

This led to Ryosuke bringing up the man's character and what truly defines a noble character.

Which devolved into a complaint and argument from noble children, saying how your blood is what defines nobles at the end of the day. That's why it was only the nobles within Brilux that comprised the Brilux Gryphon Squadron.

Phoenix silently mused that the gryphons in Brilux were considered the smallest mounts from the gryphons in Eostrun and Jishora.

Olena took hold of the class and talked about beast core assimilation.

Another student mentioned how it was nearly unheard of in Brilux for a human to accomplish such a thing. The elves were in tune with nature and their relatively peaceful state is what allows beasts to freely give their cores to them. That Jishora were made of beastmen, that in itself was self-explanatory for why and how it happens. Ryosuke spoke up there, mentioning that it was difficult for beastmen too if they wanted to assimilate with a longtime companion.

"It doesn't matter who or what you are." Ryosuke looked around the class, the students were rapt with attention at the beastman Prince who proved to be an unexpected scholar throughout his time at the Institution, "In order to assimilate the one thing that matter the most is that the beast has complete and utter trust in you." Ryosuke looked down Phoenix, "And that you also have complete trust in the beast."

"Isn't that the same as taming though?"

"I don't think so." Olena chimed in from the podium, "To tame something also means to exert your dominance, to have trust that goes both ways – that's a special type of relationship and commitment right there." She looked out across the class, "I think that in order to assimilate, you need to have a relationship that's more like a partnership. A give and take between the beast and the rider."

"Impossible." One student grunted out.

Ryosuke looked over at Phoenix, "And that is why humans are so rarely Marked." His topaz eyes studying Phoenix, "But you, I'd venture to say you've trusted your very life in the hands of a beast once."

Phoenix just gave a telling smile towards Ryosuke, "I mean, I do that with you every time we sit next to each other." She teased.

Ryosuke let out a small snort and lightly shoved Phoenix's shoulder.