Spirit Taming

Isa took the liberty of collecting the materials from the forest trap spiders while Ella took various notes with Maria. The diagrams were perfect because they depicted the differences between the younger and the older forest trap spiders. It would be very good research information if Clark were to publish a growth plan for the forest trap spiders.

"I just think that it doesn’t make sense. How did the forest bears stay on this trail and not get in to the other threads from the forest trap spiders?" Ralph had realized that the forest bears had kept on the trail before they had veered off in to the bushes. They would have to have passed through the dangling spider thread.

"That mother forest bear was pretty smart. If it couldn’t gather energy for the majority of its life, I assume it had a higher intellect. That was also the reason that it learned to gather energy and that its body was capable of doing so." Ella had this down to a fair theory. She could make up whatever but at the end of the day, these were the most likely scenarios.

"So they were able to see and doge the threads. Seems about right but they are hard to see." Ralph felt outdone by the beasts they had seen. It wasn’t fair that they could so easily catch on to it.

"Ralph, if you really want to catch up that badly, you should just live in the woods for a while. It will make you respect wild beasts much more." Clark saw the look that Ralph gave him and knew that his mocking had hit home.

"Hey, is that the dungeon that you want me to go in to?" There were various spots that seemed to be abandoned campsites. The reason that Brad had caught on to it was that he was looking at the still smoldering embers that a prior group must have left.

"Hmm, it is but I wonder where the teams are? There should be a decent few tamer teams here based on how popular the dungeon looks. It’s even a good material dungeon with plenty of ores. Even if they aren’t after the beasts, the ores are valuable." Clark was a little lost. He saw no reason why there would be so few people here. Let alone nobody.

"Look a little harder. Professor Wright said we need to focus on details and other blogger pictures. There are scrolls left at the dungeon entrance." On the rocky cave opening that was the entrance to the dungeon, there were multiple scrolls with the same writing on them. They were all identical and Grace was the first to take a solid look.

"Do not waste your time inside. A Dungeon collapse occurred and it will take powerful earth elemental beasts to break through the blockage." The look that Brad had on his face after he had Grace read what was one of crushing and breaking hearts. It was the look any child that dropped their ice cream cone would have. But Isa was just sitting there with a small smirk.

"It would be good training for my perfect crystal golem. I bet there will even be some natural crystals in the collapse that it can eat."

"Then I will have my earth prince take a step toward forming its pure earth body. It is weaker than it should be because the materials I used were just enough to build the most basic of structures for it." Ella had been wondering when she could fully focus on the high earth wisp’s growth plan because it was still lagging behind the other elemental wisps she had guided.

"So you did follow the earth prince suggestion. That’s perfect because you will be able to have a beast that can make you earth walls and even create earthquakes. It will be different from Isa’s crystal golem because it will be fully focused on mobile defense. But your earth prince will be based on area affect defense." Clark’s sudden excitement caused a few of them to look at him as if he were crazy.

"That is a very good direction for your beast to grow. If the two work together your earth prince can work on underground traps while the crystal golem stops and stuns opponents. Your team is looking very powerful. I understand why you all work together and created a business." Professor Wright had nothing but praise. She was overjoyed that her students were thinking of such in depth tactics when making their decisions at such a young age.

Hearing the constant talk about planning for battle tactics made Jerold, Brad, Reese, and Grace realize the true difference between the normal students and those regarded as elite. These elite students were already thinking about the growth they could make in the far future. They were also focusing on things that fully grown professional tamers were working on. Overall, it was a very big eye opening event for them. They would need to be much more serious to compete in this tournament than they had expected.

"Well, let’s make camp here for the night. I will not be going inside the dungeon. Clark will be taking Brad in and everyone else will pair up. I expect that Isa and Ella will be taking either Grace or Reese with them. That should be the clearest decision here."

The suggestions that professor Wright had was based on what they could do. Reese needed the defense to act as a shield. Therefore defensive earth type beasts like the golem and the earth prince would be perfect.

"But, my wind whistler isn’t grown yet in to anything. I don’t even have the benefit of-"

"You will go down and fight with what you have with you. Are you totally reliant on your beast? Are you using it as a tool? Or is it your partner that you would defend to your very last breath?" The intensity that Professor Wright challenged Grace with was enough to drive this home. She had more than heard what the lesson she had to learn was. She had to know that she was only going to hold her beast back.

"I will bring the short sword that I have and try to-"

"Show me all the weapons you have. After I decide what you should use you will be able to go inside." Clark and Ella spoke nearly in unison. They had ideas of how well Grace could fight with a short sword and decided that her body type did not fit the strength needed to wield a sword in general.

Grace was fairly frail but that was perfect. She had a wind type beast that would be wind and ice type soon. She would be better off with a quick attack style that revolved around dodging. But she was not one that would do well with daggers. She was able to move lightly as most tamers of wind type beasts did. Therefore, they were both looking at Isa as if it was a perfect chance.

"Grace will come with me then. I have a second, Oh, Grace has an older rapier. Perfect. You will be learning from me. My mother taught me to fight with a rapier so it will be better for you to follow the lead I give you." Isa’s mother was rarely brought up but from what Clark knew, she was talented in her own right when it came to battle and forging. That was similar to Ella’s mother as well. Dual talented.

"Umm, alright is that alright? I just got this from a merchant trying to sell it for cheap. I don’t even know if it is good to use..." Grace felt like she was going to let everyone down. However, the demonic grin that blossomed on Isa’s face proved that she was not going to be letting anyone down. She would be trained to live up to high standards!

"That means I will bring Brad with me. You will be my defense while my beast moves some earth. I expect you to also follow my instructions and gather whatever materials I recover. Clark and I will be analyzing what your beast will need and what your taming space will need. Be prepared." Ella was short and sweet but Brad was a little lost looking. However, it seemed to just be part of what Brad was all about when it came to things. He was always a little lost.

"Wait, but I was...Heard, I understand. I will take someone else other than Brad." Clark saw that Ella was dead set on taking Brad with her. It was most likely to analyze the possessed helm and see what she could before Clark developed an entire growth plan before her very eyes. She wanted a chance to compete.

"In that case, Reese should go with Ralph. Learn a little about ignoring details and head right on in to battle." Clark’s suggestion earned a nod from Professor Wright. He felt that he was beginning to see why everyone was being paired up.

"So that means that I get to go with Clark and Maria?" Jerold felt like he had won the lottery. He got two elite students to help train him in a dungeon. He was doubly safe.

"Sure thing. You can come with Clark and I but you will be copying my dagger style and learning to walk softly. If you fail...well, you will train until you can’t walk tonight." Maria’s sweetness didn’t help anything. It was a terror in Jerold’s eyes.