Learning they all were awakened, he now feared they would see through his little speed trick he had prepared if it came to showing them his falseability. He really wanted to tell them everything, but he couldn't, not yet anyway. Before the topic could come up about his ability, he decided to roll up in his cloak and pretend to fall asleep which turned real after the first 10 minutes. "
Damon took first watch as the rest of them got some sleep. He meditated and practiced expanding the range of his rain pushing it with his mind away from the camp to not get everyone soaked.
"Tsk, thats another thing, im always drenched after using my ability. Its absurd! Wait, maybe if I focus hard enough, I won't be affected. " he thought while minimizing the cloud radius turning it as small as a disc which decreased the amount of rain tremendously as he had done before, basically turning the cloud no bigger than a shower head.
He focused, picturing himself dry as the rain fell. More than an hour had passed then two, but he remained consistent with his thoughts. Even though it was his turn to switch with someone for rest, he continued while only breaking his concentration to survey the area with a few glances and back into his mind he explored.
He became so intune he couldn't feel the rain hitting his body anymore. He didn't know how much time passed, but was interrupted by Jasper who had waken up to drain the lizard.
"Isn't it time for you to get some sleep?" He whispered.
"Im fine, ill go when im tired."
Jasper's yawned and shrugged his shoulders as he walked a few meters into the high flowers. A steady high pressured stream hitting the ground entered Damon's ears for a second before he tuned it out as well.
Daybreak was already surfacing when he realized the night had passed. Raya and Knox had waken up during the night as well, but Damon insisted he was fine. It was his turn to lead and he was in a great mood to do so.
In one full night of cultivating his ability, a glimer of hope became real. He managed to create a new skill. His rain now only affected what he wanted it to. This meant he or anything in his rain's radius would stay dry as long as he will it. He wasn't going to tell the others, not yet anyway.
He also was able to increase the radius of his rain to a hundred meters. Slow progression was better than any, he just wondered why all of a sudden he had some success while in the past hardly none. Although it was success, it felt bitter. His rain still did nothing besides the slight increase in stats he would receive by being inside it.
What he had learned was to not focus on the rain, but the clouds itself. For three straight years he focused on manipulating the rain before the clouds, but only now did he even think about the clouds which created the rain. He felt like a complete idiot and didn't understand why he did not think about putting more effort into the clouds instead.
Four hours into their travel and they hadn't seen many none matured beast besides small birds and a few raccoon like beasts who scurried away at the sight of them.
"If my memory serves me correct, we should reach the destination right on time." Knox thought to himself looking at the placement of the sun.
A smile formed on his face, but then turned sour.
"I really hope they dont hold a grudge and can understand everything is not what it seems."
"Why the long face? " Jasper asked putting an arm over Knox's shoulder.
Knox smiled returned as Jasper was holding a silver dagger with a gold trim in his palm positioning it in front of Knox.
"Take it, we all trust you now. Its rightfully yours."
Knox turned to Raya and Damon who insisted he take the dagger.
"Thanks." He responded with a light smile.
Some time later Knox was unsure of his actions. He was feeling guilty and as they got closer his guilt grew. It was Knox first time having people who considered him a friend, as far as he could remember anyway. As he walked, the word (trust) bounced around in his head nearly making him sick to his stomach knowing what was really going on.
"No, the mission comes first, forget how I feel. This is for the future of humanity, its for planet Syair. Its for, for my friends." He said to himself looking at them casually joke around as they moved through the forest.
His eyes darkened with determination for a moment before catching up with them and getting in on the simple horseplay.
"Yea, its for my friends. Eventhough they don't know it yet" he thought with a smile as they laughed at Jasper who was still trying to come up with a name for the group.
"No."
"The Slave birds.... are you nuts. You're practically empowering that sick bastard game and what he has done to us." Damon shouted out.
Raya just shook her head in disbelief while Knox laughed lightly.
"That's the thing, we take something that's meant to be bad or oppressive and flip it to something positive. " Jasper responded swiftly.
Damon opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. A look of realization formed on his face and the same with Raya.
Silence fell as they stopped and thought about it.
"That's actually very good thinking. " Damon said.
"Yea, oppressive, didn't know that word was in that muscle head brain of yours. " Raya said agreeing.
Jasper eyes lit up and his chest flexed out with pride.
"Ha, so the slave birds is a good name."
Raya burst out with laughter and so did Damon and Knox.
"Hell no, are you kidding. Your intention of the name is excellent, however we can do better than that." Damon said.
"Wayyyyy better. " Raya added while laughing.
Jasper eyes darkened, his cutting gaze and pouty face showed he was clearly annoyed and upset.
"We all have the same brand, a bird with skeleton wings, although different sizes they are the same. Maybe we can choose a name of a bird." Raya suggested.
"Not bad, but how many bird names do you know?"
"regular birds, I actually know many, but they're names aren't impressive to say the least. Beast birds on the other hand are, like a phoenix or griffin."
"Those are just legends, its never been one sighted or anything, just like dragons. " Jasper interrupted.
"A dragon name sounds cool, dragons are always cool even if they're myths." Knox said.
"Oh come on, you know how many people uses the term dragon and crap for a group name, its even guilds that uses it. Ours need to be different, original, the first of its kind. " Jasper said strongly.
"I love the thought of dragons, but Jasper is right." Damon said.
"Wait, isnt it a bird beast that resembles a dragon a little? I can't remember the name, but im sure of it." Jasper responded with his eyes cutting upwards as he tried to think.
"The great eared nightjar." Responded Knox.
"That's too long, and nightjar doesn't sound threatening. " Raya said.
"The nightjars." Jasper said outloud.
"Nahhhhhh." They all said in unison making eachother laugh.
They spoke on the subject more as they continued and agreed everyone should come up with an individual name in reference of a type of bird or flying beast that was close to a bird. The thought came from Jasper which was a little surprising.
"Night Hawk, or owl, easy." Said Knox.
"Harpy eagle, or just Harpy. Its strong elegant and fearless. Also a mythical folklore, no a phoenix. My fountain of flames match that well." Raya said with a casual smile.
Jasper and Damon looked at eachother for a moment and then pondered.
"Im strong, handsome and powerful, should i also pick a type of eagle. No, I got it, a Griffin, I dont know many mythical bird beasts, that was the only one i knew besides a phoenix.
"Well if we're trying to be all mystical and crap, I choose the Owl, its nocturnal and swift while moving in the darkness. It also has a little mythical lore as well.
They all turned to Damon with raised brows waiting for his bird beast of choice.
"The Minokawa, or perhaps a bird that dwells in the clouds. "
"Mino- what?" Asked Jasper.
"Minokawa, a giant dragon like bird that is said to have swallowed the sun and moon."
"Never heard of it, me either, yea me too. You sure you didn't make that up." Asked Raya.
"Hell as far as we know all of them are made up, but I do remember a book about it, well more like a page or two " Damon responded shrugging his shoulders.
They laughed about it and stopped to take a break. Only a few minutes passed before Knox presented them with a interesting idea.
"Marks, above our brands?"
"Yes, to signify our friendship and bond. Marks of the beast we chose."
Whipping out his dagger with a smile, Raya looked at him weirdly while Jasper pushed out his chest showing he was down with the program.
Taking off his cloak showing his strong arms, he flexed as Knox carefully cut a capital G into his flesh right above his brand on his chest, his eyes twitched and his arm slightly jumped, but Jasper acted as if it was nothing.
Next was Damon, his brand was much bigger, located on his upper back. The cut was quick, precise and he didn't flinch at all making them look him up and down. A capital M was now above his branded scar.
"What, I can take a little pain." He said seeing their looks.
Raya looked at him the hardest as she clearly remembered him crying and thrashing around while getting branded.
"He's stronger now, you may think you're weak, but you're stronger than you believe. " she thought admiring his change.
Next was Raya, her brand was located on her shoulder around the size of golf ball. The letter P for Phoenix.
The final cut was done by Damon as Knox positioned his leg out. After completing the O above the branded scar Damon's heart felt like it dropped to his stomach. The same nagging feeling came back strong as ever while paying attention to Knox's branding.