Watching the group of demigods training around the campus, Aries could not stay focused. Not that he was busy doing something important, but needed to keep appearances not raise any suspicion on Cale.
But it was hard when the memories of what he saw in that sand came back to haunt him.
His chest was clenching in remembering the sand displaying perfectly the expression of pain that his master had passed into Nuria's hands. The impotence of having watched himself be knocked out and taken away from Cale. For five hundred years he struggled to reach the places where portals would open, where he could find a way back into the World of Chaos. And it was always frustrated either by holy knights or by Guyel.
Not even the gods would be able to know how much Aries suffered for five hundred years.
"The night is the best time to go to the tower. Some demigods may appear, so I will stand guard to ensure that you and Aries can train in peace."
"Wouldn't it be better to throw an abracadabra to mess with my appearance?"
"I thought you didn't want to hide in such a way."
Cale opened a singing smile.
"You're right. Seeing the disbelief of others before my return would be much more fun."
When he heard him talk like that, Aries felt relieved. It was as it used to be five hundred years ago. A demigod boy who loves to tease others while hiding in his own mystery.
That was his greatest charm which Aries was unable to ignore.
Yvaine gave instructions to Cale about the tower, but Aries barely recorded them. His eyes were fixed on the top of the structure, the black basalt a constant reminder of his own refuges and the countless hours he had spent there trying to strengthen himself. He sighed, drowning in the lamentation that assailed him from Norril's chamber.
He did not want to forget what he saw. Aries would not. Cale was his master, and his pain was also yours. Would help him to take revenge, and do it with the pride that a warrior has.
The sun had barely set when Aries dragged Cale to the Training Tower, ignoring his protests.
"Wait! I can walk, don't carry me like a bag of potatoes!"
"You don't even get to be so heavy, boy. And stop moving, my shoulder hurts with your skinny bones."
"Ha! You damn dragon—"
Cale's words died as he approached the tower. It was a monolith of black basalt, rising ominously above the perfectly cultivated landscape of the Academy. It contrasted with the white marble of the other buildings, like a scar on the face of divinity. Its walls were smooth and windowless, and the only entrance was a carved arch that seemed to suck in the daylight.
The inside of the tower was vast, with training tools scattered along the walls and a large central hall. In the left corner, a spiral staircase went up to the upper floors. The ceiling seemed to have no end, disappearing into darkness.
"Wow" Cale let it slip, his eyes widening.
"The tower has five floors altogether, each designed to test specific aspects of a divine warrior" Aries explained, observing Cale's reaction. "Yes, boy, it's only five, although they seem more. This is illusory magic."
"Why would they create something like that?" Cale asked, looking up again.
"Few demigods can reach the fifth floor" Yvaine explained. "The illusion of infinity makes many give up before even trying. It is a test of determination as much as strength."
"We will start with the first floor." Aries led the way to the staircase, climbing with firm steps.
The stairs were long and seemed to extend for an eternity. When they finally reached the first floor, Cale came across a large wooden door. Aries did not hesitate; he pushed the doors and entered.
The space of the first floor was a starry vastness, as if they had been transported to the night sky. Cale blinked, amazed as stars shone around and constellations moved slowly.
Aries put him on the floor calmly, but his stoic expression did not give gaps for jokes. The seriousness... the focus, his determination to make his master victorious in accomplishing his goal was a burning flame.
"Don't think that I will take it easy on you just because you almost died or because you carry a lot of curses. On this floor the enemy is not something you can cut with your sword. We will do everything to test your curse."
Cale took a step forward.
"It sounds fun. I can't wait to fail miserably" he muttered, his eyes half-blinking with sarcasm.
"It's not a joke" Aries growled "The only way out is to stay here until you face your weakness. And this can take hours, days. Or never."
"Haa, you don't have to make that face. I don't mean to run away from it." Cale walked around the hall and looked around before clenching his fists. "Let's start the humiliation."
Yvaine agreed and withdrew from the room to keep guard outside. Alone, Aries took a deep breath and moved away from the central part of the room.
The surrounding space turned into a misty and silent void. The moisture was thick as mud, and the air entered the lungs as if filtered by stone. From the top of the staircase where he watched, Aries saw Cale wobble in the center of the room, shoulders bent under an invisible weight. The rune under his feet pulsed in opaque red.
In the thick fog, a figure took shape before him: Krynt. Not the real one, but a projection built by the tower — precise, cruel and enveloped by a suffocating divine aura.
"This is frightening" Aries muttered to himself "The tower managed to faithfully build the figure of a superior god."
So, the curses of Cale must act instantly.
The training perfectly recreated the moment when Krynt used his sword to trap Cale in the ground, and prevent him from crossing the portal. The way your master reacted was identical to what he experienced, which shows his immersion in training. Still, Aries was annoyed.
Would need to intervene if there is any chance of Cale's mind breaking.
"Get up, boy!" cried Aries, watching Cale struggling to take the sword from his own shoulder "This is an illusion, you are not hurt! Stand up and try to fight!"
"I know that, damn it!"
The growl of Cale brought some relief, although it did not completely erase Aries' concern. Being considered a failure, the scenario restarted and Cale revived that moment again. Even tried to move away from the sword, knowing the path, but Krynt purposely hit him in the other arm.
"This is cheating!!!" cried Cale gasping "It may not be real, but this pain..."
"You can not rely only on your memory, boy. On the battlefield you must be aware of any unforeseen situation. The enemy will be paying attention to you in the same way that you pay attention to him."
"It's hard to move when the body weighs like this! I can barely move!"
Aries clenched his teeth. The curse was not visible, it was not like the vision he had in the trial of the Herald, when strange inscriptions appeared on his skin. Aries was desperately trying to find some visible spot of the curses, but he saw nothing. Absolutely nothing!
Cale could barely move when the illusion of Krynt made use of his divine presence. This was the first point that Aries watched with extreme attention. Cale always trembled, bowed, seemed to want to run away at the same time that he felt pain and embraced his stomach. It was sharp visceral pain.
"Restart! Try again!!!" Ordered Aries for the tenth time.
The illusion faded and reappeared, recreating the scene. Cale was already panting and exhausted. The tremor in his limbs revealed that the demigod could not withstand the effects of the curse itself.
"What he needs to do..." whispered Aries, gnawing the tip of his thumb "Strengthening his body will be useless if one of the curses stops him. Shit... that way he won't be able to do noth—"
It was then that something surprised Aries.
Instinctively he felt something. He could not say exactly what it was, while understanding what it was about. The green eyes fell on the figure of Cale who was trying to get rid of the grip on the neck of the illusion. The divine presence of that Krynt was greater than the other scenarios, and this caused a strange effect on Cale.
The edges of the rune began to tremble. The mist swung as if a contrary wind had come out of nowhere. The glimmering of the inscriptions murmured in low noise. Aries narrowed his eyes — it was not the environment calming down. It was the environment being repelled.
Cale did not get strong. He remained trembling, sweating, struggling to stand. But everything around him, the air, the magic pressure, even the oppressive presence of Krynt's illusion, seemed to be... giving way. Weakening.
"STOP!" cried Aries.
Quickly he jumped from the top of the staircase, invading the runes and reaching out to reach the master. Aries arrived just in time to hug him and push him across the room before the runes suddenly exploded. Aries protected him with his body, holding him firmly still incredulous of what had happened.
Leaning on his elbows, Aries looked over his shoulder noticing that some runes were broken. All the mysterious aura of that room had disappeared like a large and empty space.
Returning to look down, he noticed Cale too close to him.
"Are you okay?"
"Feeling a crumpled potato, could you get off?"
Arching his eyebrow, Aries moved away from Cale, despite holding his arm and helping him to stand up. Checking it from top to bottom, he didn't see any serious physical wounds other than small scratches.
The problem of looking too much was he noticed too much. As the fact that Cale's skin shine because of sweat, and his smell become more intense. Aries could feel something in his chest turn making him anxious, as if he feared that some beast would come out of himself and attack his frail master.
"That was dangerous." he muttered turning his face, trying to find some point of tranquility.
"What was "that" for the beginning? By chance the runes are defective?"
Looking at him from the corner of his eyes, Aries realized that his master was more alien than he imagined. Sighing defeated, he just whispered back.
"A defect to the gods, but for you it may be your greatest weapon." Aries stopped speaking when he noticed something shining on Cale's chest. Without much thought he reached out and pulled the rope, realizing a pendant that made him paralyze "This... what is this?"
Cale looked down, noticing the pendant.
"I don't know, it was already there when I realized and —" he stopped when saw Aries' eyes completely widened and the vein of his neck jumping "What?"
"Why the hell do you have... another dragon's scale with you?" Aries' voice faltered, but it soon hardened. "Who is he?"