tends to be quieter on issues like this. You do realize how much trust Selena has put in you, correct?”
Corin sighed. “Oh Zephyr… she’ll hate me when she finds out I’ve been training with Aless.”
Kateline shrugged. “You already knew that and you chose to train with him. I won’t come to your defense when she explodes,” Kateline warned, “but yes, you’ve heard the restraints we use have been breaking.”
“Yes,” Corin replied.
“Well, this alone is nothing new. They’ve been breaking for around twenty years,” Kateline explained, “but ten years ago, a week before Aless’s exile began, his restraints broke completely.”
“Completely?” Corin asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Every piece shattered to dust,” Kateline replied. “They were one of the full sets, too, which made it all the worse.”
“How can that happen?” Corin asked.
Kateline shrugged. “Out of all of us, Aless has the least mana. Don’t misunderstand, he is still immensely powerful, but he isn’t quite… how can I put this tactfully, at guardian level.”
Corin’s eyes widened. “How did he get his spot? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“The old guardian was ill, making Aless the best man for the job, as terrifying as that is,” Kateline replied, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. “With his training I can sense that his natural mana has increased, but at that time he was not prepared to accept a spirit. It only took him a moment of anger to allow Serac to gain enough strength to shatter the restraints.”
“So he went feral?” He asked.
Kateline smiled. “Exactly. In his rage he managed to kill three of the older guardians… as well as many scribes, apprentices, servants….”
“That many? How can you smile at this?”
“I was never supposed to become a guardian. Petra’s old vessel hadn’t even selected an apprentice, but he was never exactly fond of me. When Petra broke free, I found the old man’s body and took the restraints. I sealed Petra inside me while he was wandering the temple,” Kateline replied. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not heartless. Aless’s rampage was a terrible thing, but it did lead to me receiving my position. I am grateful for that.”
“I don’t really understand. Why wouldn’t Petra’s old vessel have chosen you?” Corin asked.
Kateline shrugged. “Because guardians have a terrible habit of using their position to get things from young, attractive students, and I wouldn’t give the old monster the pleasure.”
“You can’t be serious,” Corin stated.
“Hmm, and yet, I definitely am,” Kateline replied. “It’s not as if it’s unheard of now. Look at Piers and myself.It’s not as if we’re not guilty of doing the same—Selena’s really the only one who doesn’t do it… well, unless you count Cyril, but he couldn’t even begin to train one of Alvah’s students if he wanted to. Now, there were other students with large amounts of mana before I became Petra’s vessel, so it wasn’t as if I was really the only option. In fact, they’ve only recently become as scarce as they are in most sectors. It’s mainly due to Aless’s destruction, but I digress….”
Aless had killed a good portion of the clan. He had lost control and gone on a wild slaughter. “So what’s happening now?”
Kateline shrugged, climbing back on to her old spot. “We’re trying to figure out why the restraints have been shattering. Aless is under extreme watch from all ends to ensure this doesn’t happen again. If it’s going to happen to anyone it’s probably going to be him first.”
“But he took me out of the monastery to train me!” Corin pointed out.
Kateline snorted. “Did you really think you were alone?” Kateline asked, laughing a bit. “No, we’ve been sending Piers to keep an eye on you. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to have Aless lose it and try to slaughter you in the woods. Piers just happens to be the only guardian who
Corin sighed. “Oh Zephyr… she’ll hate me when she finds out I’ve been training with Aless.”
Kateline shrugged. “You already knew that and you chose to train with him. I won’t come to your defense when she explodes,” Kateline warned, “but yes, you’ve heard the restraints we use have been breaking.”
“Yes,” Corin replied.
“Well, this alone is nothing new. They’ve been breaking for around twenty years,” Kateline explained, “but ten years ago, a week before Aless’s exile began, his restraints broke completely.”
“Completely?” Corin asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Every piece shattered to dust,” Kateline replied. “They were one of the full sets, too, which made it all the worse.”
“How can that happen?” Corin asked.
Kateline shrugged. “Out of all of us, Aless has the least mana. Don’t misunderstand, he is still immensely powerful, but he isn’t quite… how can I put this tactfully, at guardian level.”
Corin’s eyes widened. “How did he get his spot? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“The old guardian was ill, making Aless the best man for the job, as terrifying as that is,” Kateline replied, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. “With his training I can sense that his natural mana has increased, but at that time he was not prepared to accept a spirit. It only took him a moment of anger to allow Serac to gain enough strength to shatter the restraints.”
“So he went feral?” He asked.
Kateline smiled. “Exactly. In his rage he managed to kill three of the older guardians… as well as many scribes, apprentices, servants….”
“That many? How can you smile at this?”
“I was never supposed to become a guardian. Petra’s old vessel hadn’t even selected an apprentice, but he was never exactly fond of me. When Petra broke free, I found the old man’s body and took the restraints. I sealed Petra inside me while he was wandering the temple,” Kateline replied. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not heartless. Aless’s rampage was a terrible thing, but it did lead to me receiving my position. I am grateful for that.”
“I don’t really understand. Why wouldn’t Petra’s old vessel have chosen you?” Corin asked.
Kateline shrugged. “Because guardians have a terrible habit of using their position to get things from young, attractive students, and I wouldn’t give the old monster the pleasure.”
“You can’t be serious,” Corin stated.
“Hmm, and yet, I definitely am,” Kateline replied. “It’s not as if it’s unheard of now. Look at Piers and myself.It’s not as if we’re not guilty of doing the same—Selena’s really the only one who doesn’t do it… well, unless you count Cyril, but he couldn’t even begin to train one of Alvah’s students if he wanted to. Now, there were other students with large amounts of mana before I became Petra’s vessel, so it wasn’t as if I was really the only option. In fact, they’ve only recently become as scarce as they are in most sectors. It’s mainly due to Aless’s destruction, but I digress….”
Aless had killed a good portion of the clan. He had lost control and gone on a wild slaughter. “So what’s happening now?”
Kateline shrugged, climbing back on to her old spot. “We’re trying to figure out why the restraints have been shattering. Aless is under extreme watch from all ends to ensure this doesn’t happen again. If it’s going to happen to anyone it’s probably going to be him first.”
“But he took me out of the monastery to train me!” Corin pointed out.
Kateline snorted. “Did you really think you were alone?” Kateline asked, laughing a bit. “No, we’ve been sending Piers to keep an eye on you. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to have Aless lose it and try to slaughter you in the woods. Piers just happens to be the only guardian who
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