Master Of None

The night had ended when everyone decided to head to sleep early to prepare for their day ahead. Onyx had taken his spot next to Midnight near the fire place and found that she was worried about him going off on his own as well. He did his best to convince her that he would be fine but was happy to hear that she was worried too. They were the closest out of everyone since they were together the most. 

Normally Remey would be the first awake in the mansion other than Walkers' mother and father who had to get to their work. But this time, Onyx was the first awake. He had made sure that he would wake up earlier than the sun would rise so that he could head out on his own. He wanted to practice his skills but also show that he was able to act alone as an individual member of the party. 

He had been feeling weak compared to everyone else since he did not have the hero title. By no means did he want to go out and throw himself in to a situation to get the title but he wanted to find a way to strengthen himself so he would not be left behind. Of course, Onyx was not so foolish to believe that the party would leave him behind. But that was the problem. 

If the party kept Onyx around while they became more and more powerful he would become a burden. He would be the weak one that could not help in battle and would just cause everyone to risk their lives even more. With the recent activities of the demons' attack, Onyx knew that there would be more danger in the future. All of them would be fools to think that the corrupted demon lord would peacefully step down and raise his people up. 

With his thoughts organized Onyx checked to make sure the plaque he had tied around his neck was held in place. He had been set up with one that had all the badges and other identifications attached but he wished he could somehow store it within his shadows with the rest of his larger body. Unfortunately, this was something he had not managed to understand when it came to shadows. The positive was that there was magic in the plaque so that it would expand and fit him even at his largest size. 

"I will need to eat well today." Onyx was looking forward to a sunny day to absorb a lot of light elemental mana and grow. But he was also going hunting for some light elemental monsters. To be more specific if he was leaving to hunt wisps. These were normally ghost like monsters born in the swamps more than others. They would normally have light and fire attributes because they were created from gasses that caught fire. They would be one of the few sources of light in the dim swamp lands. 

The library had many records on these due to their relationships with souls. It was thought that a wisp was a trapped soul that learned to return to the physical world. Unfortunately, this was just an old wife's tail. They were instead mindless monsters that came to be after proper elemental mana and gasses combined. They were not as adept as an elemental spirit and could never grow. Normally they would be ignored by monsters and sentient races alike. 

What Onyx managed to find out was that during the harvest season, many of the wisps would be caught in the winds that blew through the swamplands and end up in the plains around the kingdom. This fact alone allowed Onyx to hunt them. The light elemental mana he could reap from these wisps would be a major boost for his growth and experience. 

Onyx slithered out of the mansion as silently as possible so that he would not disturb anyone sleeping. The streets were wide open and he did not hesitate to allow himself to grow to his larger size. This was also a way to show off his relation to the party and not be stopped by the guards. Many had heard of the abyssal serpent that was always curled around Walkers' shoulders or on Midnight's back. 

"Halt, state your business. It is rare to see a tamed monster alone." The young guard that stopped Onyx was new to the night shift and had diligently been stopping everyone coming or going. They knew most tamed monsters would not be alone. 

"I am leaving to hunt wisps and strengthen myself. Please check my plaque." There was surprise on the guards' face since he did not expect Onyx to speak. Instead, he imagined a master would show up to explain the monster's business. 

"Oh! Sir Onyx. I have been spoken to you. I am glad to see one of the heroes party healthy and well. But if I may ask, why hunt wisps?" The young guard had been told about many of the higher end passersby to show proper respect. But he had been further told to be more friendly with the heroes party. Most of the older guards had seen some of them grow up. 

"Wisps have a lot of light elemental mana. I eat light elemental mana and want to strengthen myself. It is also good experience for me to fight on my own." The young guard looked to understand. 

"I had my own solo training as a test to prove I was strong enough to be a night guard. I wish you luck." The young guard saw Onyx in a new light as the serpent slither away. 

"He was nice. If I find anything interesting maybe I will give it as a gift." Onyx knew he may run in to other monsters and if that happened he would leave them as a gift for the guards. It was a polite thing to do to thank them all for their hard work. 

…..

….