Ash leaned back slightly, finishing the last bite of his meal.
"I've unlocked three abilities so far," he began, eyes scanning the street outside the window.
"My passive is Photographic Memory. Like the name suggests, it helps me remember everything I see."
"My first active ability is Corvus Vision… basically, I see the world like a crow—with greater detail and range than a human, giving me near 360-degree vision."
"And my second active… Black Wings."
He stretched his arms, and dark, feathered wings erupted from his back, catching the warm afternoon light.
Ash gave a small leap.
Air caught under the feathers and lifted him slightly, the wings flexing with surprising strength. The tips of the feathers brushed against the air with a soft, whispering sound.
Rennik nodded slowly, crossing his arms. "Interesting.
Our approaches are very different, but they could complement each other well."
Ash tilted his head. "What about you?"
"My abilities?" Rennik's expression hardened.
He inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring as if catching a scent in the air.
"First, my passive: Coyote Sense. Heightened eyesight and smell, like a coyote's."
"Second, Coyote Slash."
Rennik's fingers elongated slightly, claws sliding out with a faint metallic scrape, curved and sharp like a coyote's.
"And third… Cunning Bite. Enough force to break bones if I hit correctly."
His teeth shifted, sharpening and elongating subtly, resembling a wolf's fangs, catching the light briefly as he tested the pressure of his jaw.
Ash let out a low whistle.
Rennik gave a small, confident smile.
"Exactly. Together, we could cover a lot of ground in the trial."
Ash's gaze flicked toward the window, watching the movement of the crowded street below.
"Still curious about Vail, though. Chameleon… can disappear, blend in… who knows what else he's capable of."
Rennik's eyes narrowed slightly, tracking shadows that could hide anything.
"Then we need to be ready for anything. No assumptions. Let's plan accordingly."
"Yes." Ash answered.
"We have a week to prepare."
The trial would decide everything.
—One week later—
The day of the trial had arrived.
Ash and Rennik walked through the large stone gates of the Second Floor Trial Arena. The courtyard was crowded with climbers waiting for their matches.
Near the entrance, the three bullies were already there.
Mako, Venara and Garruk, the one that Vail fought.
Garruk noticed them first and smirked.
"Well, well…" he said.
"Looks like one of you already ran away."
Mako laughed.
"A coward, huh?"
A voice suddenly answered from behind them.
"Nobody's running from you."
The bullies froze.
Then, right beside Ash and Rennik, the air shimmered slightly—
—and Vail appeared out of thin air.
With two daggers strapped to his hips, one on each side.
Ash smirked. "Took you long enough."
Garruk cracked his neck and grinned.
"Good. Now we get to beat all three of you."
The group walked inside the arena building.
A guard stood behind a stone desk, writing down names.
He looked up.
"Are you climbers here for the trial?"
Ash nodded. "Yes."
"Are you fighting as teams?"
Ash pointed calmly.
"Our team? The three of us." Ash pointed at Vail and Rennik.
Then he pointed at the three bullies.
"We'd like to fight against them. Is that possible?"
The guard looked toward the other group.
"Do you agree to this petition?"
Garruk laughed.
"Of course. It'll be as easy as taking a toy from a child."
The guard nodded and wrote something down.
"Very well."
He looked at both teams again.
"Do you have any preference for who fights whom?"
Ash shrugged. "Not really."
Before anyone else could speak, Vail stepped forward.
"I do."
He pointed at the biggest bully.
"I want the big guy."
Garruk grinned widely.
"Oh, fine by me."
The guard closed the notebook.
"Perfect."
He looked up at them.
"All the fights will take place today at noon."
"You will be the 5th, 11th, and 14th matches of the day. You can watch the other matches from the stands."
The guard continued.
"The order in which you will fight is:
Rennik vs Venara"
Rennik smiled.
"Vail vs Garruk"
Garruk grinned.
"This will be fun." He said
"Ash vs Mako"
Ash locked eyes with Mako.
The guard gestured toward the arena doors.
"Be ready when your turn is called."
© 2025 Moku. All rights reserved. The Tower of the Animal Kingdom is an original work by Moku. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is prohibited.