Edrian sat and then leaned forward in the chair across from Lassim’s standing position, his gaze fixed on the sketch Lassim had brought.
He traced a finger along the lines of the creature’s sharp snout and sleek body, his expression both thoughtful and skeptical. "I’ve raised and studied Spirit Beasts for decades," he began, his tone calm but edged with curiosity. "But…. The spikes especially—they don’t align with most natural traits for wolf-like creatures."
Lassim nodded, keeping his own thoughts guarded. He wasn’t about to reveal the construct’s origin or nature, "That’s why I came to you," he said smoothly. "I hoped you might recognize something."
Edrian chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You flatter me, young man, but you don’t need to butter me up. I don’t know what you’re hiding but, let’s get to the bottom of this."
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He reached for a thick, leather-bound book he’d set down on the table. "What I’m about to suggest is purely my speculation as well… But, boy, I know you’re not telling everything. I wasn’t born yesterday. Hybrids are rare in the wild—almost unheard of, really. Most are artificially bred by wind beast tamers like myself or created through alchemical experiments. If this creature is real and natural, it’s an anomaly."
Lassim stayed silent, not giving anything away, watching as Edrian flipped through the book’s pages.
The old man stopped at a detailed illustration of a massive, bear-like creature. "This here," Edrian said, turning the book so Lassim could see, "...is the Thornclaw Bearhog. One of the closest matches to the spikes in your sketch."
The drawing depicted a hulking beast, its broad frame covered in thin, conal spikes that jutted out from its back and limbs. Its enormous claws were exaggerated in the image, each one looking sharp enough to tear through solid stone.
"It’s a metal-aligned Spirit Beast," Edrian explained. "Territorial, slow to anger, but utterly ruthless when provoked. It uses those spikes to defend itself and its territory, and its claws are designed for digging into mineral-rich caves. That’s how it strengthens its spikes and reinforces its hide."
He tapped the image lightly. "The Thornclaw Bearhog often sleeps with its back facing the entrance of its den. Those spikes make it nearly impossible to approach without injury. A practical creature, but not particularly elegant. Its bulk makes it slow compared to other Spirit Beasts."
Lassim studied the illustration carefully, taking in the details of the spikes and claws. While the Thornclaw Bearhog’s spikes were nearly identical to the ones on the construct, its overall shape didn’t match at all.
"It’s close," he admitted, "but this creature is far too heavyset. The one I saw was sleeker, faster-looking." Lassim said, trying to keep up the facade.
Edrian nodded, as though expecting that response. "I thought you might say that. Let’s move on to another possibility."
He opened the second book on the table, its cover embossed with a swirling vine pattern.
Flipping through the pages, he stopped at an image of a wolf-like creature. "This," he said, pointing to the illustration, "is the Verdant Feralwolf. It’s heavily aligned with the Nature element. Now, this one might explain the shape."
The image depicted a lean, predatory wolf with sharp, thorn-like ridges running along its back and flanks. Its elongated snout and sleek, muscular frame exuded an aura and design built for agility.
"The Verdant Feralwolf is a relentless hunter," Edrian explained. "It’s territorial like most Spirit Beasts, but it has an unusually high connection to plant life in its habitat that it dominates. It can sense its environment through nearby vegetation, using it almost like an extension of its own body like spirit sense that most beasts lack. And those thorns? They can grow and be launched at prey, making it both a long-range and close-combat threat."
Lassim leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied the image.
The wolf’s body and snout were close matches, but the thorny ridges weren’t pronounced enough to explain the conal spikes on the construct. "It’s a better match for the body shape," he said after a moment, "but those thorns aren’t quite right."
Edrian leaned back, stroking his chin as though amused by the lie he felt he’d caught Lassim in.
"So we’ve got two creatures," he mused. "One with the spikes, one with the shape. Neither’s a perfect match." His sharp eyes met Lassim’s. "If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re chasing after a hybrid of those two. You don’t need to keep up the story boy…"
Lassim hesitated, carefully keeping his expression neutral. "A hybrid?"
"Spirit Beasts don’t naturally combine traits like this," Edrian said firmly. "At least, not without outside interference. If it exists as you describe it, someone—or something—must have played a role in its creation."
Lassim didn’t let Edrian’s probing gaze linger too long. Instead, he pointed to the Verdant Feralwolf’s entry and decidedly ignored the old man’s speculative comments. "Could I make a copy of this section? And the one for the Thornclaw Bearhog?"
Edrian arched a brow but nodded. "Of course. Do you need me to fetch some materials for you?" He asked.
"No, I’ve got my own supplies," Lassim replied readily as he quickly took out his notebook half filled with ideas and thoughts from from his time with the various Sect Elders and their techniques.
"Alright then. You can sit here and copy them out," Edrian offered. "Take your time. And while you’re at it…" He paused, stepping out once more to the kitchen and returning with a small cup of water, which he placed beside Lassim. "A little something to keep you steady."
Lassim inclined his head in gratitude, setting to work immediately. He began with the Verdant Feralwolf, carefully reproducing its sharp snout, sleek lines, and thorn-covered back. The act of copying the image gave him a better appreciation of its traits, though it only affirmed his idea that the old man might be right about its exact resemblance to the construct they’d built.
When he moved on to the Thornclaw Bearhog, he paid special attention to the spikes, ensuring he captured their conal shape and placement. The Bearhog’s massive frame and heavy claws were so different from the construct’s predatory build that he couldn’t help but feel the disconnect more strongly as he worked.
Time passed quietly as Lassim copied not only the drawing sketches identically from the books, but also all of the information outlined and recorded by Edrian, only pausing occasionally to sip the water Edrian had provided. The old man had settled back into his chair, watching Lassim with careful, but quiet, curiosity that refrained from interrupting.
When Lassim finally finished, he set the quill down and carefully stacked the copied pages. "Thank you for your hospitality," he said, standing and handing the books back to Edrian. "These will be helpful for my search for the beast I came across."
Edrian accepted the returned books with a nod but couldn’t resist one final comment.
"If you find it," he said slowly, "and if it has cubs or eggs…" His lips curled into a shrewd smile. "I’d be happy to take them off your hands for a fair price."
Lassim returned the smile, "I’ll keep that in mind. I’m always up for receiving some extra funds, but I suspect this will remain more of a challenging pursuit."
"Perhaps," Edrian said, his skepticism evident. "Either way, good luck."
As Lassim made his way toward the door, Edrian’s wife appeared from the kitchen, carrying a small bundle wrapped in cloth.
"For the road," she said with a warm smile, handing it to him. "It’s just a sandwich, but it’ll keep you going. It’s as best of a bribe as I can give, but if you do find cubs or eggs of the beast, please do consider us like my husband asked. My apologies for listening in, but species like this are rare and very valuable—Their offspring even more so if they’re trained. Please do think of us if you happen across its young."
Lassim accepted the bundle with a polite bow. "Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate your kindness and I’ll keep that in mind. My apologies in advance if I have to disappoint you."
"Safe travels," she said, her tone light but sincere.
The wind chimes tinkled softly as Lassim stepped outside, the melody carrying him back toward the gate.
He cast one last glance at the peaceful farm before setting off toward Bronvald’s western edge, where his [Tempest Steps] carried him swiftly back to the workshop outpost a few hours away.
By the time Lassim arrived at the workshop, the moon hung solemnly in the sky, casting a pale glow over the three buildings that made up the outpost.
Inside, Rlyis and Eno were waiting, their attention shifting immediately to Lassim as he entered.
"You’re back," Rlyis said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she noted the stack of papers he was bringing out of his magic pouch as he approached. "What did you find?"
Lassim placed the copied notes and sketches on the table, spreading them out for the others to see. "The library didn’t have any details but I found the egg seller. His name is Edrian and he identified two Spirit Beasts that could explain some of the features. This one here is the Thornclaw Bearhog," he said, pointing to the sketch of the massive, spike-covered beast.
"And this is the Verdant Feralwolf. Neither is a perfect match, but both share traits with the construct."
Eno studied the sketches, his brow furrowed. "The Bearhog’s spikes are almost identical to what the construct was forming," he said thoughtfully.
"But the body doesn’t fit. It’s too bulky, and just not the right shape. And this wolf…" He tapped the image of the Feralwolf had also laid out. "The sleek shape is close for the rest of the beast, but those thorns aren’t enough to explain the full spikes."
Rlyis crossed her arms, her expression pensive as her thoughts turned. "You think it’s one of these? There’s just too many differences though…"
Lassim hesitated, then nodded. "Well, that’s sort of my conclusion, but not exactly. You’re right that the construct doesn’t fully align with either. But there’s something else I’ve been considering after my conversation with Edrian."
He paused, glancing between the two. "What if the Spirit Quartz has the ability to contain souls? Not only that, but we’ve somehow managed to find a century crystal that houses two souls. That could explain the conflicting features—the spikes and the sleek body trying to coexist. Edrian suspected that this beast was some sort of hybrid right off the bat just based on the sketch alone. If his instincts are that strong, I am willing to put ESS on it that he is onto something with that idea."
Rlyis frowned, her sharp mind already turning over the possibility. "Two souls," she repeated, almost to herself.
"Wait… when I observed the construct’s during activation, there was something unusual about the energy flow. It didn’t feel unified—more like two distinct forces colliding. But I dismissed it at the time as just an anomaly of trying to activate a semi-spirit mystic construct for the first time."
Eno added, leaning back in his chair. "If the Spirit Quartz was already infused with fragments of two Spirit Beasts when we got it, that could explain the conflict. The self-optimization we saw earlier could’ve been the construct trying to reconcile the two forms too."
"That would also explain why neither of Edrian’s beasts fully matches the construct," Lassim said, gesturing to the sketches. "It isn’t just one creature. It’s both—trying to blend together."
Rlyis tapped her fingers against her arm, her gaze fixed on the sketches. "If that’s the case, we’re dealing with something even more unprecedented and unheard of than just a simple semi-spirit mystic lightning construct. Two Spirit Beasts, two souls, fused into one construct that we didn’t even intend to have ended up as a spirit beast, let alone this. That would indeed explain the behavior, but all of this complicates the design by several factors."
Rlyis moved to the workshop’s central table, pulling out a blank sheet of paper.
"If we can’t fight this hybrid nature," she said decisively. "If the construct’s form is being influenced by both souls, we can try to embrace it using the sketches and information you got for us"
Eno nodded, already reaching for his tools to join her. "We’ll need to redesign the frame to account for both sets of traits. The wolf traits will give it speed and agility, while the Bearhog traits will provide defense and durability."
"Agreed," Rlyis said. She began sketching a rough outline of the construct’s new form. "For the wolf, we’ll focus on the sharp snout and sleek body. The limbs need to be flexible, optimized for rapid movement and precision."
"And for the Bearhog," Eno added, "we’ll reinforce the core and incorporate the array lines into the spikes. Now that we know the beast doesn’t launch them or make them detachable on purpose, we can try to reinforce them for their original purpose. They’ll provide protection, and I can make sure they don’t affect the speed. We’ll make the most optimized hybrid of the two forms we can think of and then let it do the rest."