Spirit Taming

Chapter 272: Lost Trust

"I just want-"

"No one cares what you wanted to do. We gave you a chance and you broke that chance multiple times. Look at me, do you think you are strong now? Do you think that you can just go and fight anyone because you see me fighting with a spear? Because you have a little guidance from Maria? Or was it that you were poisoned and were hallucinating when I gave you an order before?

I didn't do that for fun. I did that to keep you alive!"

Clark turned away from where Jerold was held in place and gave Brad one last check over before leaving Brad to rest for a short while. Clark wanted to gather the materials within the nest, the eggs, and then the bodies of the other beasts. After that, he wanted to get out of this dungeon which seemed to be full of surprises and annoyance.

Ella followed Clark's lead while allowing her beasts to return to her taming space. The spirit infant and living mist were the most tired since they had been fully focused on confusing the lizards and moles with illusions the entire time. A major reason why the most dangerous situation in this battle had been avoided.

The only one that remained out of the beasts that Ella raised was the earth prince. The soil form it had taken was focused on the pile of ores that were part of the nest. It was going to be making itself a better body from them and was waiting for approval from Ella.

"Ralph, you should help us. It's a good chance for your molten boar to find a few snacks right?" Isa backed off. She saw that Maria was furious and was going to be having a word with Jerold. It was also a good excuse for her to evaluate what was there for the value of sale if they didn't need all the materials they found.

Grace and Reese followed Ralph without any hesitation. They knew that Jerold had made a massive series of bad decisions. They couldn't even be called mistakes anymore. It also showed off his character and how a little power had managed to stress the negatives that were part of who he was.

"You didn't help anywhere. I don't know why you are so focused on me. I am not someone that you can not match and I do not have an interest in you. I have a single goal and I have a small few that I trust. Now that you have nearly gotten someone killed and yourself killed, you will not be a person I trust. But you did help me see what happens when Clark gets jealous so I won't punish you as well."

The way that Maria spoke was the same as if she was looking at a child that had just broken something. She was angrier than anything because she knew that she could have watched someone who didn't deserve it get killed. Someone that clearly had a hard time like her. But the fact that another person who had just been on hard times had turned around and become toxic shocked her.

The very possibility that someone who had been weak only a few days ago that he had grasped a new chance was so risky because of their own emotions worried her. She would have to be able to sift through people like this and learn to find those that she could truly trust. She also knew the depth of Clark's words. He had let Ralph and Isa test Grace and Reese to a degree.

He had let them see if they could be trusted with his secret. With the knowledge that Devi existed.

"Do not get in the way of my family's lives. If you do…" Maria walked away. Lit floated around for a moment in the air. A single tentacle arched towards Jerold before she floated back toward Maria.

Crim finally released Jerold and walked away as well. Shy remained a doll hiding on Crim's back. She had been sure to watch everything and was very interested in the entire situation. Since she was so young, she had no idea what to make of it, but she had learned a valuable lesson. Family comes first. Protect her family at every cost, even from those that should be an ally.

"But I was just going to win. You all beat them so easily. I can too. I can do it all. I know it!" Jerold mumbled in anger as he sat on the ground. He felt humiliated.

But he also felt that he should have been given a better chance. "I can easily impress you now that I'm stronger. Why wouldn't I want to go after the most talked about girl at the school? I should have a chance now. I'm strong too…"

The words that he said were believable if anyone was listening without seeing Jerold's face. But the broken expression made it very clear that Jerold had just been slapped until he couldn't handle it any longer. He had taken a chance one after another to be stronger and show off. But he was still weak somehow.

He wasn't even close to an elite even though he had a beast powerful enough to handle a battle.

Not many people could understand what Jerold had thought. How Jerold had let his emotions take root so quickly and so strongly. But being abused since he entered the academy had left him too vulnerable. The first sign that someone had cared for him had taken a deep and powerful effect over him. So much so that logic had been burned away.

Now he had to face the fact that his actions may have removed his chance of ever getting stronger. That his actions had stolen the trust that he had, even though it was small to start.

"Clark, can't you come and take a look at the materials in the nest with us?" Isa tried her best to bring Clark out of his own head. It was clear that this had gotten on his nerves even more than he showed.

"I will in a few minutes. Just let me have a moment." Before Isa had even moved away, Maria walked right up to Clark and looked him dead in the eyes.

"I appreciate that you want to make everyone stronger. But you are not responsible for all of our lives. We are and if we get hurt it is on us. Don't lose your life trying to save one of us or else you won't be able to accomplish what you set out to do." Maira was deadly serious. Her face didn't change or twitch at all. This was truly how she felt.

She would be crushed seeing Clark die and lose the chance to change the city. "And, I'm glad you care enough to get all worked up about me. But you shouldn't do that when everyone else is around."

That seemed to snap Clark out of it just enough to get him moving. His mind tried to focus on what Maria had left him with but he was stuck in his own little emotional turmoil. However, he recalled that he had a quest to do. He had promises to keep. He was going to make Brad more powerful and see if he could bring out the potential that others had missed.

That most people confused for Brad's failings in life so far.

"I have already begun to break through the known materials and set them aside. There are some materials and the eggs. But the eggs all appear normal. It will depend on your analysis since you often have knowledge I do not possess." Ella trusted what Clark had to say. If he said that there were eggs that were better, would trust it to the ends of time.

"We can start looking at the eggs first. I'm sure that you will want to see what differences there are in striations and patterns when it comes to a normal male hammer tailed lizard egg and a female that can grow in to a dual tailed lizard." This was exactly what Ella wanted to hear. It was also what Isa wanted to happen.

The more she knew the better she would be able to sell these eggs in the north when they got to the city.

"The materials will be interesting though. I feel like some of those might be a little more unique than others." Clark was holding himself back. He had already seen the analysis and realized that this dungeon hid many more ores than he had realized. The only tragedy was that he wouldn't be able to hunt and mine for more. He and the rest of the group needed to keep traveling.

If he didn't then he wouldn't be able to take down the other academies and establish his strength. The tournament between academies would be the first place he would show off all his strength if he had to. The place he would build his first legacy.