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FeralHeart 40 Chapter 5
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FeralHeart 40 Chapter 5

Watching the rings of smoke float up into the sky, I leaned back against the guard-rail which was warm from the summer sun. Following the diminishing circles to their base, I laid my eyes on my father's glowing pipe as he puffed on it leisurely while leaning back on the railing beside me, his empty sleeve fluttering in the morning breeze.

Both of us were on the roof of the Felidae apartments, watching the capital's populace bustle about their day to day lives, our feet dangling over the edge of the roof.

I picked out the form of a news-painter revising the daily bulletin board.

Paper was an expensive commodity and as such, newspapers and fliers weren't cost effective as media for information dissemination. Thus, in every village, town or city centre, there was a large shale board that was known as the bulletin board.

Every morning, the board's contents would be revised with the current news, and any official announcements would be put up there. Due to the work of revising the board being undertaken by hired artists who often added illustrations beside the articles they wrote, they were known as news-painters.

The particular one I was watching, flipped open his box of coloured chalks and began to draw as he referred to a piece of parchment by his side. Very soon, with deft strokes, Steven's face had been added to the bounty list. We were paying quite a handsome amount for information on him.

Father opened his mouth, "Old Ben will be quite morose."

The Old Ben in his words was Steven's father. I nodded. "Steven should have at least tried to talk to someone."

Father blew out a stream of smoke. "Give the boy some time away from the luxuries of an aristocratic life, he'll be back sooner rather than later. Old Ben always was too hard on his child. Although, I'm really not one to talk."

I turned to him. He was rather strange today. I had never seen him smoke before, or be this verbose.

Extinguishing his pipe with a burst of mana, he continued, "Ursa told you of how I saved him in the battlefield. He doesn't know the weight of the life I carry on my shoulders since he joined after the incident. Robert was the Commander before me and much like I did for Ursa, when I lost my mind in the heat of battle, he saved me."

Pouring the ashes out of the bowl of his pipe into his palm, he blew on them, scattering them to the winds. "But, he wasn't as lucky as I, dying of his wounds. These tobacco leaves are his last relic."

He leaned back against the railing, "I was never really cut out to be a leader. My actions were dictated by my heart much too often for that. I remember you once telling me of your theory that Bestia behave much like the beasts their bloodlines originate from. I think you have it right.

"Even in the army, rather than profound tactics, all I really understood was that I should kill as many of the enemy as possible while protecting my allies. The tiger in my blood only knows violence and to uphold its pride. It is a solitary hunter, not the leader of a pack. The incident with the Sun Wolf made it abundantly clear. I am not a good leader."


He sighed in self-depreciation. "Actually, if not for the privileges you and your mother would get, I wouldn't have wanted the position in the first place. Struggling over the accursed thing drove a wedge between me and your uncle. The little brother who preferred my arms to mother or father's as a baby, grew up into a sour man watching for any failure on my part like a hawk. I am not a good brother."

When I made to speak, he waved at me to keep silent as he continued.

"I've always lived by the creed: 'It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.' It has served me better than I could ever hope, establishing me as a strong, silent man who is worthy of respect."

He chuckled wryly, "At least it earned me your respect."

He sighed, "No matter how hard the training, you always did your best. After you were done, exhausted, battered and bruised you would always look at me with those shining eyes, seeking praise. And I? I would continue to pretend at being tough. Standing there silently so you'd work harder next time. But what was all of it for?"

He grasped my shoulder with his single hand and looked into my eyes.

"When I look back at how I've raised you, I blush with shame. You've grown into a splendid young man, yet you have no friends your age and your childhood was devoid of the amusement that is the right of every child. I put so much pressure on you to push you down the path of the clan heir that my criticism of Old Ben is just like the pot calling the kettle black. I am not a good father.

"But I am a good husband and I am a splendid warrior. They are the cornerstones of my pride.

"I am sad about our parting but the battlefield is actually where I've always belonged. The thrill of the battle, a life on the knife's edge; it is what I seek. If deskwork was duty, war is what I'd call my true calling. The ability to sate my bloodlust and to paint it in a gilded coat of honour and glory at the same time, I couldn't be happier.

"To fall at the hands of a powerful foe is my dream."

Letting go of my shoulder and reaching within his coat, he pulled out a sealed scroll, flicked the wax seal off with his thumb and handed it to me.

Unfurling it, I read the contents, my eyes widening with surprise. It was a contract with the Crimson Coyotes a rival mercenary clan of the Heavenly Wolf Mercenaries. They had been steadily suppressed by them back in their homeland of Huaxia, specially after the Sun Wolf had come to power.

They had to cede a lot of their territory to the Wolves and had accumulated a lot of resentment. Father had used this fact to wrangle an agreement with them to take over the vacancy left by the Wolves' departure if he managed to win the Duel.

He had even managed to undercut the prices.

Not only would the Regiis empire not lose any military strength, they would also gain financially. Additionally, back in Huaxia, the Coyotes would begin their retaliatory attack on the Wolves, leaving them too busy to think of revenge on our clan, specially while the deterrent of Father's presence existed.

"In my early days as the head, I'd lash out against whatever displeased me, spending months on damage control afterwards. Thankfully, I had a good head for numbers and managed the clan finances well enough to keep us quite a bit above the red line. It kept the elders from kicking me out.

"Over the years, I've gotten quite adept at damage control. I never leave my business unfinished. Give that to the Duchess. She'll know what to do."

I suddenly realized the oddity of his words. "Why do I have to give it to the Duchess? Why not you?"

He didn't answer as he shaded his eyes and looked upwards towards the horizon.

"It's time."

I followed his line of sight and a tiny dot mapped into my view, which steadily grew larger as it approached. Soon, the entire capital was in a tumult as the people began to point at the rapidly approaching flying object in the sky.

"Is it a bird?"

"Is it Marquis Felidae?"

"No! It's an Army Dirigible!"

It was a large flying ship held up by a pair of oblong blimps. The jets of flame that heated the air within the blimps were clearly visible even during the day while the sails were taut from the artificially generated wind from aeolian stones and wind mages.

Mother stepped out from behind the parapet from where she had been listening in to our speech, with a large travel bag in one hand. Wiping away her tears, she set down the bag and embraced me tightly, snapping me out of my stunned state.

"Y-you're leaving now?" My voice cracked as I spoke as I struggled with my upwelling emotions.

She held me at an arm's length with both her hands on my shoulders, looking me up and down as if to burn my image into her memory. Her eyes were slightly red as she spoke, "Your father called up the nearest command post with the news of his advancement to Tier 5 and they sent their airship as fast as they could.

"You can live your own life now. Make your own choices. Do what you want to do, meet the people you want to meet. You don't need us anymore."

My heart trembled. It would be the first time in my life apart from my parents. I almost opened my mouth to stop them from leaving when Mother let go of my shoulder. But, I stopped myself in time. I didn't want to make it any harder on them.

Father stepped up and wrapped his arm around her waist and she buried her face into his shoulder. Giving me one last look, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

The air around him stilled and slowly, the both of them rose slowly, a current of wind curling their luggage up along with them.

When they were on the same level as the airship, a hatch at its side opened, and they entered.

I watched as the dirigible grew smaller in my line of sight until I couldn't see it anymore.

Turning around, I walked back to the door of the roof with the scroll of contract clenched in one hand.

I rubbed my eyes with my forearm.

Damn the dust. Always getting into my eyes.

Chapter end

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Catalogue
256 Chapter 4
255 Chapter 3
253 Chapter 2
252 Chapter 1
251 Chapter 14
250 Chapter 13
249 Chapter 12
248 Chapter 11
247 Chapter 10
246 Chapter 9
245 Chapter 8
244 Chapter 7
243 Chapter 6
242 Chapter 5
241 Chapter 4
240 Chapter 3
239 Chapter 2
238 Chapter 1
237 Interlude 2 - Epione Felidae pov
236 Chapter 14
235 Chapter 13
234 Chapter 12
233 Chapter 11
232 Chapter 10
231 Chapter 9
230 Chapter 8
229 Chapter 7
Chapter 228
Chapter 227
Chapter 226
Chapter 225
Chapter 224
Chapter 223
Chapter 222
Chapter 221
Chapter 220
Chapter 219
Chapter 218
Chapter 217
Chapter 216
215 Chapter 13
214 Chapter 12
213 Chapter 11
212 Chapter 10
211 Chapter 9
210 Chapter 8
209 Chapter 7
208 Chapter 6
207 Chapter 5
206 Chapter 4
205 Chapter 3
204 Chapter 2
203 Chapter 1
202 Chapter 17
201 Chapter 16
200 Chapter 15
199 Chapter 14
198 Chapter 13
197 Chapter 12
196 Chapter 11
195 Chapter 9 & 10
194 Chapter 8
193 Chapter 7
192 Chapter 6
191 Chapter 5
190 Chapter 4
189 Chapter 3
188 Chapter 2
187 Chapter 1
186 Chapter 15
185 Chapter 14
184 Chapter 13
183 Chapter 12
182 Chapter 11
181 Chapter 10
180 Chapter 9
179 Chapter 8
178 Chapter 7
177 Chapter 6
176 Chapter 5
175 Chapter 4
174 Chapter 3
173 Chapter 2
172 Chapter 1
171 Chapter 15
170 Chapter 14
169 Chapter 13
168 Chapter 12
167 Chapter 11
166 Chapter 10
165 Chapter 9
164 Chapter 8
163 Chapter 7
162 Chapter 6
161 Chapter 5
160 Chapter 4
159 Chapter 3
158 Chapter 2
157 Chapter 1
156 Chapter 16
155 Chapter 15
154 Chapter 14
153 Chapter 13
152 Chapter 12
151 Chapter 11
150 Chapter 10
149 Chapter 9
148 Chapter 8
147 Chapter 7
146 Chapter 6
145 Chapter 5
144 Chapter 4
143 Chapters 1, 2 and 3
142 Chapter 16
141 Chapter 15
140 Chapter 14
139 Chapter 13
138 Chapter 12
137 Chapter 11
136 Chapter 10
135 Chapter 9
134 Chapter 8
133 Chapter 7
132 Chapter 6
131 Chapter 5
130 Chapter 4
129 Chapter 3
128 Chapter 2
127 Chapter 1
126 Chapter 15
125 Chapter 14
124 Chapter 13
123 Chapter 12
122 Chapter 11
121 Chapter 10
120 Chapter 9
119 Chapter 8
118 Chapter 7
117 Chapter 6
116 Chapter 5
115 Chapter 4
114 Chapter 3
113 Chapter 2
112 Chapter 1
111 Chapter 15
110 Chapter 14
109 Chapter 13
108 Chapter 12
107 Chapter 11
106 Chapter 10
105 Chapter 9
104 Chapter 8
103 Chapter 7
102 Chapter 6
101 Chapter 5
100 Chapter 4
99 Chapter 3
98 Chapter 2
97 Chapter 1
96 Chapter 15
95 Chapter 14
94 Chapter 13
93 Chapter 12
92 Chapter 11
91 Chapter 10
90 Chapter 9
89 Chapter 8
88 Chapter 7
87 Chapter 6
86 Chapter 5
85 Chapter 4
84 Chapter 3
83 Chapter 2
82 Chapter 1
81 Chapter 14
80 Chapter 13
79 Chapter 12
78 Chapter 11
77 Chapter 10
76 Chapter 9
75 Chapter 8
74 Chapter 7
73 Chapter 6
72 Chapter 5
71 Chapter 4
70 Chapter 3
69 Chapter 2
68 Chapter 1
67 Prologue
66 Chapter 17
65 Chapter 16
64 Chapter 15
63 Chapter 14
62 Chapter 13
61 Chapter 12
60 Chapter 11
59 Chapter 10
58 Chapter 9
57 Chapter 8
56 Chapter 7
55 Chapter 6
54 Chapter 5
53 Chapter 4
52 Chapter 3
51 Chapter 2
50 Chapter 1
49 Chapter 14
48 Chapter 13
47 Chapter 12
46 Chapter 11
45 Chapter 10
44 Chapter 9
43 Chapter 8
42 Chapter 7
41 Chapter 6
40 Chapter 5
39 Chapter 4
38 Chapter 3
37 Chapter 2
36 Chapter 1
35 Chapter 12
34 Chapter 11
33 Chapter 10
32 Chapter 9
31 Chapter 8
30 Chapter 7
29 Chapter 6
28 Chapter 5
27 Chapter 4
26 Chapter 3
25 Chapter 2
24 Chapter 1
23 Chapter 11
22 Chapter 10
21 Chapter 9
20 Chapter 8
19 Chapter 7
18 Chapter 6
17 Chapter 5
16 Chapter 4
15 Chapter 3
14 Chapter 2
13 Chapter 1
12 Prologue
11 Chapter 11
10 Chapter 10
9 Chapter 9
8 Chapter 8
7 Chapter 7
6 Chapter 6
5 Chapter 5
4 Chapter 4
3 Chapter 3
2 Chapter 2
1 Chapter 1
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