Age of Beast Tamers and Exorcists
Chapter 71: First Morning....

Chapter 71: First Morning....

Luca rode his horse down the terrain. "I do not think so yet."

Everyone followed suit. Zmey’s eyes never left the dragon statue in the distance. He told himself he had to be careful not to reveal his identity by mistake. Also, he only knew that he had to reach a particular Mage Body to awaken his Draconic form again. And reign over the Infernosphere.

Yet, he was pretty much unsure which particular Mage Body he should reach.

Before they got off the slope, everyone heard the guy with glasses say,

"Here’s the Eagle Covenant in Solvardia. A kingdom of druids and skilled merchants..."

A smile broke on Skyler’s face right away. Zmey looked around; he also found this exciting in his thoughts. A kingdom of druids?

But deep down, one question gnawed at him. Neutralising ritual through druids?

When Asmodeus was just within reach...

***

Time, as they say, is a non-trustworthy companion. You could think it would follow you till the end, or be the available friend you always saw it as. But this is a wrong notion. One of the most dangerous ones a man could ever have.

It won’t follow you to the end. It has no end until the world becomes an empty void itself. Humans go and come: everyone has their own time. So, you live and die when your own ’time’ is up. And it would shift the balance, further prolonging the lives of those who still have enough left to live.

How long has it been since the newbies joined the Eagle Vanguard? Perhaps not up to a month.

Yet, now, they had almost blended so well that one couldn’t tell they had arrived not long ago.

Every moment the newbies had here, they never forgot the tasks Luca gave to each one of them.

At least, for the others, the tasks weren’t that tough. But Zmey’s own was.

....

It happened right after daybreak. Well, it wasn’t like the members woke up by then. They must have been up long before the travellers from Eldengrove arrived. They met them already littering around the compound of the castle.

Zmey had expected that Luca would introduce the three of them at a gathering to the rest of the team. Instead, right at daybreak, he summoned each one of them.

He had said, arms crossed behind him, "We have a set routine here for every fighter on this team. This is to prevent anyone from slacking off before notice. Our existence here is very important as long as we keep Solvardia safe.

Skyler Kingsley..."

Surprising Zmey, Skyler had responded with immense respect: "Yes, Captain."

This shouldn’t be someone from an influential home. Even if she would adapt to the new system, it shouldn’t be this soon.

But.... Right away, he restricted himself from dwelling on it any more. Why would the business of someone else interest him?

"... Your work lies nowhere other than the kitchen. Callister Gallingwater, sweep the castle compound as best as you can. Show me you’re not only a Rune crafter. But one with discipline.

And for you.... Zmey Ashbane.... Join the men in the stables."

Skyler felt her saliva dry up in her lungs, the last bit of motivation in her sapping away.

’How did he know I am far worse in the kitchen than anything else? Why there, of all places?!’ She felt a deep sense of sorrow within herself.

Men and women in the same jackets as everyone else here entered the stone-walled room Luca had summoned them to. They did not allow anyone to dwell on the issue.

.....

How to adapt to this hellish kitchen task was something for Skyler. But she questioned if this shouldn’t be a small sacrifice to reach her dreams. The captain was testing everyone. He must be worried that they were merely people of speech. But not action.

Up until now, she had been grazing the sides of her fingers with a knife they had given her to chop the cabbage. But now, she thought that she shouldn’t rush things. Besides, this was her first time in something of this sort. So, she should be careful and also learn from her own moves.

She made the first, second, and third chops. She still sucked at it, unable to cut into small portions as the others were. But at least her fingers weren’t getting grazed by the knife any more.

....

Sweeping? This wasn’t something new for Callister. Her eyes were hollow as she held the long broom, driving it across the ground with ease. She could see it as her only companion in this lonely moment of service.

She was familiar with this, having done it very well. She only had to clean the rectangular stone path around a fountain. So it made things easier and faster for her.

Yes, she used to study a lot. The piles of books always sitting in the small cabinet in her room and on her table were still vivid in her eyes. Somehow, as she recalled this, the air smelled just like the new books she had got back in the day. They had a scent that was almost fragrant.

The Sanctuary had been dull to her until the assessment came. She was able to use magic for the first time and put her years of study into practice too. But one could see her knowledge as her greatest strength.

As a matter of fact, lifting the broom around right now drew sighs from her mouth.

Only a broom?

....

Zmey, the grunting of horses melodic in his ears, approached the wooden stables. He contemplated how to behave where his number one enemy was.

Luca Xero.

If he shows a lot of potential, who knows if this smart and strategic man will look into his past? And.... that could end in him knowing his true identity then.

Luca must have suspected Zmey’s involvement with Necrots since the Eldengrove incident. Yet, he came back home safe.

So, he likely would have people watching over him.

Whatsoever, Zmey knew he must remain a man. One with the required strength. But he shouldn’t go overboard. Last time, he grounded his willpower and showed great potential.

With that, he got into the stables. He joined those packing the dung and cleaning the vicinity. He got done in no time, only for someone to relay Luca’s order to have him join those felling trees.

Zmey, though getting the pressure hidden beneath, did as he said. He did it with the greatest effectiveness. He carried logs from the nearby forest to the kitchen. One moment, he saw some ladies around Skyler, smiling at her with bright expressions. And the cabbages she was chopping were of reasonable sizes, though some were smaller.

He left. His movements were straightforward. Heading into the woods, he felled trees with an axe and delivered them to the kitchen backyard.

Sweat fell down his chins. And oozed across his chest, smearing his skin with his black v-necked shirt. Yet, he persisted until he reached the number of logs that Luca asked him to fell.

260 logs.

He fell to his butt right in the backyard, his back against the wall. Zmey panted hard, one leg stretched forward and the other...

Right at that moment, a shadow loomed before him. He glanced up to see a slim lady wearing her hair in a ponytail standing straight. She had a cute smile. Or a dangerous one, if Zmey could call it that.

"I see you’re exhausted," she teased, her wide smile remaining. She then crouched, looking straight into Zmey’s eyes. "Oh, dear. What has this poor soul done to deserve the captain’s wrath? I actually came to relay his order to you..."

Zmey clenched his fist.

The lady continued, "The Captain wants you to join the men at the stream. They are washing the armour and weapons. Oh, my.... Can you still do that? You look like a terrified child exhausted from running away from a spirit..."

Zmey didn’t have any words for anyone right now. But it was very clear Xero was playing games with him.

Zmey thought, ’I have got to know how to play these games too well!’

Hurriedly, he rose his butts from the ground...

’I will!’

Crash!

He had no idea how it

happened. If it was on his own or the lady did.... But he figured out he had fallen back into his seat.

’I’m so exhausted!’