Chương 132: Chapter 23: Storm Within - Part II

I keep my hand against Gale's mane for another moment before finally pulling it away. The fur is considerably thicker beneath my fingers than it was before, and the difference in his size still feels strange whenever I stand this close to him. He watches me quietly, his head tilted slightly as though he is waiting to see what I intend to do next. I already know the answer.

After what we have just witnessed, there is no point in guessing how much the beaststone has changed him when the appraisal stone can simply tell us.

"We should have him appraised again," I say. Darran nods from beside the desk.

"I was thinking the same thing." Gale's ears twitch at the sound of my voice, and he follows when I motion for him to come closer to the appraisal stone. His movements are still somewhat unfamiliar, his longer legs and heavier frame forcing him to make small adjustments with every step, but there is already more confidence in the way he carries himself. The awkwardness from earlier has not disappeared completely, yet it is becoming easier for him to compensate for the changes in his body.

I guide him toward the pedestal and gesture for him to climb onto it.

"Go ahead." Gale places his forepaws against the edge before pulling himself onto the stone. He settles there without protest, looking toward me while Darran moves around the other side of the pedestal. I place my hand against the appraisal stone and let a small amount of mana flow through it. The familiar response comes almost immediately as pale light spreads beneath its surface, tracing the channels within the crystal before gathering around Gale's body. The first result appears.

Growth Stage: Adolescent I stare at it for a moment longer than I intend to. Darran notices my expression but says nothing. We had known the beaststone could accelerate Gale's natural growth, but seeing the result written so plainly makes the change feel more substantial than it did when I watched his body transform. The last time we used the appraisal stone, Gale had still been a juvenile Hollowmane. Now the stone has placed him firmly into the next stage of his development.

More results begin appearing beneath it. Mana Capacity: Iron Mana Control: Iron Health: Iron Strength: Iron Agility: Silver Endurance: Iron Willpower: Iron I remain silent as I read through them. The difference is considerable. When Darran and I first appraised Gale, most of his physical measurements had been Copper. His agility had been the exception, reaching Iron even then, while his other attributes remained lower. Now almost every measurement has climbed to Iron, and his agility has reached Silver.

The beaststone has not simply made him larger. It has strengthened nearly every part of him. Darran leans closer to the stone, studying the results carefully.

"That's a substantial increase."

"It is." Neither of us says anything more for a moment. I find myself looking at Gale rather than the appraisal. He remains perfectly calm on the stone, his attention occasionally drifting toward his forepaw where a faint trace of lightning moves beneath his fur before disappearing again. He does not seem to understand the significance of what we are seeing, but perhaps he does not need to. Another line forms. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Primary Affinity: Wind - High My eyes move to the next. Secondary Affinity: Lightning - Moderate I look toward Darran.

"Moderate," he says quietly. I nod.

"It was Low before." Darran's gaze returns to Gale.

"So, the beaststone strengthened an affinity he already possessed."

"That seems to be the case." It explains what we witnessed earlier. The lightning had initially struggled through Gale's body, but once he stopped resisting it, the energy began following his existing mana pathways. It had not been foreign to him. The affinity had been there from the beginning, only weaker than his Wind affinity. The beaststone appears to have given that second affinity enough mana to become more pronounced. The appraisal stone continues displaying the remaining results.

Special Affinity: - Then the final line appears. Potential: Silver I study the word for several seconds.

"Still Silver," I say. Darran nods.

"Potential hasn't changed." I look back at Gale.

"I suppose that makes sense."

"It does," Darran says.

"Potential isn't a measurement of current strength. It tells us what he may eventually become. Growing stronger doesn't necessarily mean his potential has to increase with it." I nod slowly, though I cannot stop thinking about what Silver potential might mean for a creature like Gale. The first appraisal had already shown us that he possessed considerably more potential than his physical condition suggested.

At the time, he had been little more than a young Hollowmane with Copper measurements and a single Iron attribute. Now the difference between what he was and what he is has become impossible to ignore. The light within the appraisal stone fades, leaving the room quiet again. Gale steps down from the pedestal. His paw, lands slightly farther forward than he expects, and he pauses to correct himself before continuing.

The movement is almost ordinary now, but I can still see the small adjustments he makes as his instincts catch up with his new body. Darran looks at the appraisal stone again before turning toward me.

"His agility reaching Silver is probably the most interesting physical change."

"Because of his affinity?"

"Partly," he replies.

"Although I wouldn't assume the affinity alone caused it. His entire body has developed. His muscles, bones, balance and mana pathways have all changed together." I glance at Gale. He is standing near the center of the room, looking down at his forepaw again.

"And the Lightning?" Darran's expression becomes thoughtful.

"That will take more time to understand." Gale raises his paw. A small spark forms between two claws. He watches it with obvious interest before lowering the paw again. The lightning disappears beneath his fur. Darran seems satisfied with the it for now. He takes the appraisal sheet and begins writing down the results while I remain beside Gale, watching the occasional flicker of lightning disappear beneath his thicker mane.

The numbers give us a clearer picture of what the beaststone has done, but they also leave us with something more practical to consider. Gale is stronger now, his Lightning affinity has improved, and his body has changed enough that even his natural movements are still adjusting to the difference. Whatever training comes next will have to account for all of it, because simply having greater strength will mean little if he cannot control what comes with it.

The Hollowmane immediately lowers his head toward me, and I place my hand against his mane again. He leans into the touch without hesitation, the weight of his head considerably greater than it used to be.

"You're going to be difficult now," I tell him. Gale gives a quiet snort. Darran laughs softly from behind the desk.

"I think he already was."

"That is true." Gale looks between us as though he has decided that neither of our opinions matter. I cannot help smiling as I run my hand along the thicker fur around his neck. The appraisal has given us numbers, but the numbers are only part of what matters. He is stronger now. He is faster. His mana has grown, his Lightning affinity has strengthened, and he has crossed into a new stage of his natural development. Yet none of that changes who he is. He is still Gale.

The same Hollowmane I carried away from the Rask nest. The same creature that learned to follow me through the forest, that became attached to Eammon, and that eventually found a place beneath the trees of the Grove. I look down at him as another faint spark moves beneath his mane and disappears. The thought comes quietly this time, without the fear that accompanied it earlier. He is growing and for the first time, I find myself wondering not whether I can keep him safe, but how strong he might eventually become.

I have no answer. The appraisal stone has given me everything it can. For now, that is enough. I rise slowly and look toward the door. Beyond it, I can hear the familiar sounds of the Adventurer's Guild continuing its ordinary business, completely unaware that a Hollowmane has just crossed another threshold inside one of its rooms. I glance back at Gale one last time before opening the door. He follows me without being called.

And as we step back into the noise of the Guild, I cannot shake the feeling that whatever Gale becomes from this point onward, the creature I once carried in my arms is already gone.