Re: Elf Prince—A Degenerate's Second Chance-Chapter 57. The Roomate

57. The Roomate

The eyes of the beast was indeed on him but they were calm and peaceful, Eryndor did not know if it was trying to draw his pity or trying to confuse him. His curiosity forced him to wait a moment but the beast did nothing but stare at him, he felt himself fume further.

"Don’t look down at me you damn beast, I’ve been through hell and back!" He screamed at the top of his voice, letting out all of his rage and anguish as he raised his foot and brought it down in the beasts head repeatedly.

Soon the once quiet cave was filled with the sounds of thumping as Eryndor continued to bash in the head of the strange beast but it did nothing to retaliate, it only gave light pained hoots from time to time. The more it remained neutral the harder Eryndor stomped on it. This persisted for minutes before Eryndor pulled back and raised his sword.

"What’s wrong with you, attack me already! Isn’t that what you damned beasts always do? Making my life a living hell, just because I’m weak— just attack me!" He brought his face closer and screamed into the face of the strange owl beast, instead of bitting off his head at close proximity it shrunk out of fear.

"Stop this, I know you’re not afraid of me." He brought the blade closer to its neck and watched it flinch. It’s eyes widened as tears started to form and roll out of it, Eryndor gasped in shock as his hand holding the blade started to tremble. "You’re— crying? What so scary that it makes a beast like you cry? That’s fucking pathetic if you think it’ll work on me."

His actions betrayed his intention as his body felt pulled back by a string, stopping him from slaying the beast at the last second. Something about this put him off, and he could not kill the beast. He wondered if it was because this was the first beast not after his life, the first beast that wanted him— alive.

The beast raised its head slowly, Eryndor’s guard went up as he tightened his grip on the handle of his blade. The owl beast opened up it’s wings it had been using to cover up it’s body open to reveal a bed of dried leaves and twigs well crafted like a basket. The workmanship of it was not top tier but it was considerably impressive.

But the workmanship was not what drew his attention, it was the small oval rock that sat in the center, what the owl beast had been protecting thus entire time. It became clear what prompted the strange beasts behaviour, it was afraid of losing its egg. This made Eryndor feel oddly confused.

Did the beast leave him alive because it had to tend to its egg? No, the best option would be to chase him off or kill him so he would not pose a threat to its egg. Another better option would be to feed on him since it would not be having a meal anytime soon.

No matter any way Eryndor looked at it from it really was showing him pity, did that mean that not all beasts were mindless and bloodthirsty? Either way he had returned the beasts hospitality for hostility.

Eryndor lowered his weapon praying that this was not a ploy the beast would use to consume him. He crouched down next to the beast and looked up at it, "I am so going to hate myself for this." He thought to himself.

"Hey, birdie. Sorry for being a jerk, I’m not used to being pitied so to make up for it I’ll warm up your egg for you." Eryndor finished and summons a ball of flame in the middle of his palm.

The owl beast reacts by raising its wing and smacking him across the cave with a loud screech. Eryndor rolls on the ground and grunts in pain. "Ow, not my best idea yet. But I guess we’re even now."

Eryndor spent the next fews days recuperating and hunting small game and in his free time observing the strange bird. The snow storm persisted for a few days so they had to spend some time sharing the cave. He noticed that as long as he stayed out of its personal space he was free to roam around the cave, after their last encounter the beast still seemed comfortable with his company. In a way it seemed as lonely as he was, it also never left it’s egg.

As soon as Eryndor made a considerable recovery he set out hunting and would come back victorious at time, since his game was at times more than enough for him he would roast some and give to his roommate to eat. For the first two weeks it would reject whatever he brought it’s way but afterwards it would begin to eat it, Eryndor would also bring back water from the stream for the beast while also familiarizing himself with the area and the characteristics of the beasts in the area. He dreaded coming across the mountain wolf king till he was confident he could beat it in a fight. Eryndor soon resumed his training, perfecting his sword arts and flame magic training to greater heights.

Having a place where he could grow and train in peace proved to yield better results than he had expected. In his short time in the wild of the icy mountain he had learnt more than when he was with his uncle, he suspected this was why his uncle sent him outside without any regard to his life or safety.

There were times he would need to protect the cave from the various beasts that sought to use it as their home.

Over time Eryndor came to love this complex relationship he shared with his strange roommate, he would spend his night talking to the beast near a small fire he would keep at a distance. This helped it to keep it’s egg warm without overworking it. Some would see talking to a beast as a sign of madness but Eryndor found comfort in it. For the first time in a long while he was truly comfortable. That was until disaster struck again.