CHAPTER 80: A TINY AFFINITY FOR MAGIC

The next morning, the training yard was unusually quiet.

Caius sat in the center of the stone courtyard cross-legged, his breathing slow and controlled. Several paces away, the Arachne warrior rested against the damp cavern wall. The creature no longer thrashed against iron bars or hissed at every shifting shadow. It simply watched Caius with dark, gleaming eyes, occasionally adjusting its heavy limbs before settling down again.

The previous day's experiment had fundamentally altered the space between them, though Caius was under no illusions about how permanent that shift might be.

The heavy doors of the training hall swung open, echoing off the stone walls. The Patriarch entered, Old Bones trailing closely beside him.

Old Bones had already reported the previous night’s surreal event: the Arachne had been brought into the yard as an untamed, bloodthirsty apex predator, yet Caius had somehow brought it to heel without spilling a drop of blood.

The Patriarch's eyes drifted toward the beast. The Arachne met his gaze briefly before lowering its head back onto the stone.

"That is the beast?" the Patriarch asked, his voice low.

Caius opened his eyes. "Yes."

The Patriarch studied the creature for a long, silent moment. "You tamed it."

"I don't trust it yet," Caius replied plainly.

Old Bones raised a graying eyebrow.

Caius glanced toward the resting Arachne. "It follows my commands, but I don't know how long that will hold. Its instincts are still intact. If something triggers them, it could revert in an instant."

The Patriarch gave a slow nod. "A reasonable concern."

Old Bones stepped closer to Caius, his expression tight with growing curiosity. "How did you do it?"

Caius looked up at him. "I studied it."

Old Bones frowned, the deep scars on his face tightening. "Studied it?"

"I observed its behavior. I learned how it responds to specific signals."

The old assassin stared at him, unblinking. "That's all?"

Caius offered a small, dismissive shrug. "That's all."

Old Bones clearly didn't buy a single word. For hundreds of years, Nyx'ari beast tamers had struggled against the Arachne. The creatures were intelligent, hyper-aggressive, and driven by instincts that defied suppression. Worse, their natural resistance to mental arts made conventional taming methods almost entirely useless.

Yet Caius sat there, calmly conversing next to a monster that should have been trying to gnaw his head off.

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Old Bones folded his arms over his chest. "For centuries, our best beast tamers have tried to bring Arachne under control. None of them succeeded for long. Their cognitive structure is far too alien. They are intelligent, but their predatory drive is deeply rooted. And, as a rule, they naturally repel mental magic."

Caius's gaze sharpened slightly. "Mind magic?"

"Yes," Old Bones said. "There are those among our kind who possess the gift."

"Among the Nyx'ari?"

"Among us," Old Bones confirmed. "Though they are exceptionally rare. The clans that host such individuals guard their lineages fiercely. Their abilities are regarded as state secrets."

Caius looked back toward the Arachne, connecting the dots in silence. "So that's why the tamers failed."

"Among other reasons." Old Bones scrutinized the boy's impassive face. "And yet, here you sit."

Caius offered no reply.

He had no intention of exposing what he had actually done. The connection forged through the Crown Point was his secret alone. The method relied on an ability no one in this world knew he possessed, and he intended to keep it that way.

Old Bones waited for an answer that never came. Finally, he let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Keep your secrets."

The Patriarch stepped toward the beast. "It obeys you now."

"For now," Caius agreed.

"And you intend to keep training with it?"

"Yes."

Old Bones shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Of course you do."

Caius ignored the elder. "I need to determine the limits of its obedience. I won't make the mistake of assuming its instincts are dead."

"Then proceed with caution," the Patriarch said, before turning to leave.

"Patriarch," Caius called out.

The older elf paused, looking back over his shoulder. "Speak."

"Can you arrange for someone to teach me basic magic?"

Old Bones's eyes snapped back to Caius instantly.

"I believe I have a tiny magic affinity," Caius continued smoothly. "It might prove useful during the Trial of Fate."

The Patriarch considered him carefully, assessing the young warrior's tone. "A tiny affinity?"

"Yes."

The Patriarch pondered the request for a moment before nodding. "It can be arranged. I will have someone from the Mage Society instruct you in the fundamentals."

"Thank you, Patriarch."

"But mark my words," the Patriarch warned, his voice taking on a strict edge. "Your martial arts remain your primary discipline. Magic is secondary."

"I understand."

"If your affinity is indeed small, treat it merely as another tool in your arsenal. Do not allow it to distract you from the martial path you have already mastered."

"I won't."

"Good." The Patriarch turned toward the heavy doors. "I will dispatch an instructor."

Caius bowed his head. "Thank you, Patriarch."

The Patriarch stepped out of the training yard. Old Bones followed, though he paused at the threshold to cast one last look over his shoulder.

Caius had already closed his eyes, slipping seamlessly back into deep meditation. The Arachne remained perfectly still in the corner, resting peacefully.

Old Bones stared at the pair for a long second before stepping through and letting the heavy iron doors swing shut.

They walked several paces down the stone corridor in silence before Old Bones finally spoke up. "Patriarch."

"Hm?"

"Why do I have the sinking feeling that when the boy said he has a 'tiny affinity' for magic, he was being modest?"

The Patriarch stopped in his tracks. For a moment, neither man said a word.

Then, the Patriarch resumed walking down the dimly lit hallway. "I suppose we will soon find out."

Old Bones remained where he was for a second longer, his expression darkening.

He had watched Caius absorb martial arts that should have taken decades to refine. He had seen him analyze combat techniques at an unnatural speed and cut down warriors who should have easily outmatched him.

And now, Caius wanted to learn magic.

Old Bones slowly exhaled a long, heavy breath. "Wonderful."

He caught up with the Patriarch, a cold, creeping chill settling deep within his old bones. He had started this assignment believing his greatest challenge would be keeping Caius alive. Now, he was beginning to dread what the boy would become if he survived.