Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!

The lead guard watched in barely concealed astonishment as the beast – Alex's so called mount – let out a cavernous yawn, toppled over, and vanished without a trace.

His jaw tightened as he resisted the urge to laugh out loud. The stranger and his mysterious mount had been peculiar enough, and now they just had to cause this comedic scene right after entering the city?

He stepped back, motioning for the other guards to stay alert. Then, ensuring no one was paying him undue attention, he walked over to an out of the way alley, raised his wrist mounted device, and spoke into it in a low tone.

"Subject of interest is confirmed to be a Tamer. How would you like me to proceed?"

The device crackled softly, as if picking up a signal, with static fizzing for a moment before a calm, authoritative voice answered.

"Hold off for now. Monitor him discreetly. No direct engagement unless provoked. This could be an opportunity. Keep him unaware of our surveillance."

The guard frowned but nodded. "Understood."

Though he didn't really know why he just nodded, considering there was no camera on the device… It was just a force of habit, considering who he was talking to.

The line went silent, leaving the guard standing still for a few moments. He cast a wary glance over his shoulder at Alex, who was now brushing himself off with a mix of exasperation and confusion.

With a look, he signalled to his team to return back to their posts atop the walls while he remained below, scanning the crowds that flowed through the gate.

There was no need for him to overtly arrange for guards to secretly follow him, the surveillance had already started from the moment he entered the city gates.

***

In the heart of the city, a man reclined in a lavishly furnished office.

The walls were lined with shelves of ancient looking tomes and books were strewn about vicariously throughout the study, with a huge map of the city being the centre piece, occupying most of the only unobstructed wall in the room.

A large window in front of him offered a beautiful sight of the sprawling streets of the city below.

"A tamer…" he muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair.

His sharp, dark eyes gleamed with intrigue after just learning of this information a few moments ago.

"And not just any tamer… to maintain control over a beast that harbours its own talent… his skills are clearly well refined."

He clasped his fingers together, gazing over the sprawling cityscape. But his mind was elsewhere. Tamers were rare enough, but one bold enough to waltz into his city with a beast so valuable? That was just too good to be true.

'Looks like my next tame has just delivered itself to my doorstep… how convenient!'

He smirked, unclasping his fingers and leaning back in his chair, before drumming his fingers against his desk.

"Let's see how long it takes to convince him to sell it to me, and if not… well, there won't be any such situation occurring."

He rose from his seat, pulling a stack of papers from his desk. His smirk widened. He was nothing if not a patient man, so he was in no rush for whatever plans he had in mind to spring to action.

After all, every piece on the board served its purpose in due time.

***

Alex stared at the empty space where Brontes had been just moments ago, with a wave of exasperation sweeping over him.

'Unbelieveable…' he thought.

Brontes could have saved them the hassle of all the stares, questions, and tension by simply retreating to this taming space from the start!

The guards at the gate were equally as stunned, with their rigid stances faltering as they exchanged a few glances between each other.

One of them muttered to another.

"Did it just… vanish?"

His question didn't remain unanswered for long, as one of the less shocked guards from nearby, answered him.

"I've heard that Tamers get access to a special dimension for their Beasts to rest, so that's probably what we just witnessed."

Alex heard this from nearby, and was relieved that at least someone seemed to be aware of this. It allowed him to avoid having to explain it himself, after all.

"Yeah, something like that. He's got his quirks, but he's harmless."

The guards didn't look entirely convinced, but with no beast in sight and no immediate threat, they seemed content enough with their comrade's answer to ignore any more of Alex's antics.

Alex turned his attention to the layout of this city soon after.
Continue reading stories on empire

The city was as sprawling with people as it was imposing from the outside – the towering stone walls protecting the inner streets could be seen circling until they stretched off into the horizon, until they were out of sight completely simply due to the sheer distance they spanned.

Cobblestone roads bustled with activity, and vendors lined the thoroughfares, hawking their wares to the passerby from their wooden stalls. The air carried the mingled scents of baked break, smoked meats, and the faint pang of a nearby smithy could be heard as well.

Alex made a mental note of the more crowded areas and the quieter alleys as he moved farther into the city. He'd need some information about this area he found himself in.

The further Alex ventured into the city, the more its charm revealed itself to him.

Stone buildings loomed on either side of the streets, and their timbered upper levels leaned out more slightly, casting the cobbled paths below in their shadows.

Alex kept his posture relaxed as his eyes scanned the crowd for anything out of the ordinary.

In fact that was just a cover, as he'd already noticed the two guards tailing him from a distance. They were clearly sent by the city guards to keep an eye on him, which wasn't too unexpected.

In fact, the lead guard was even bold enough to tell him directly that he would be watched…