4 Chapter 3: The Training Test
"Adventurers! I'll give you a few minutes to warm up and prepare for your test when I return, I just needed to do some errands", Cadros said, noticing the presence of the seeress nearby.
He immediately left the training grounds and headed to her location in the woods.
Fumiya, is the divine seeress of the palace that was believed to have an everlasting life. She had served the kingdom from its founding days. Many were mystified about her, but no one dared to investigate further due to her clairvoyant abilities.
Her life was a mystery as well as the way she looks. Fumiya resembles a noble Japanese lady wearing a colorful fifteen-layer robe. She had a very long ebony hair that almost reached the ground, pale skin, cherry lips and cunning slanted eyes. She was like a living deity and is one of the precious treasures of the kingdom. Gossips outside the palace says that she had a lover before that died long ago for an unknown reason.
"What brings you here?", Cadros asked.
"Oh, are you still mad of Princess Nevelea's suicide ten years ago?", Fumiya blurted.
"You don't have the right to say her name! You and you stupid rituals had caused it", Cadros replied.
Fumiya did not respond and just stared at him with her usual neutral face.
"I will never let you find Kiyomi", Cadros uttered.
"You're late, I already knew that she's one of the adventurers", Fumiya replied, unfolding her fan to cast the skill 'Revelation'. A purple aura appear and turned her eyes completely dark. Her mind shifted to a dimensional state to look for Kiyomi in the training grounds. Cadros counterattacked by positioning his palms to face each other and cast the skill 'Mental Block'. Fumiya was interrupted and immediately returned to her normal state.
"Do you really think that you can hide her from me using that skill?", Fumiya said.
"It won't, but it shall delay you", Cadros replied.
"Delay me or both of us?", Fumiya rebutted.
The tension between them greatly intensifies.
"If you end me now, it will be your victory but if you let me go, I'll definitely destroy you", Cadros said.
"Cadros, you know very well that killing is against my principle", Fumiya responded, grinning. "Did you know that I always knew what you want? Bring Kiyomi to me then you'll be able to see Her again", she added.
After hearing her words, Cadros' mind was jagged with confusion. His thoughts were filled with hopes to see her lover again, also with fears if it would be the right thing.
Back to the training grounds, the adventurers were still warming up themselves for the upcoming test except Sachi and Ven that took a nap on the grassfield.
Not long after, Ven was awakened by the sudden cool breeze that touched her cheeks while Sachi seemed to be undisturbed. Ven stretched her arms and noticed that the sun has already set but their instructor has not returned yet. She quickly stood up and joined the other adventurers to practice in carrying the sackbags. She left Sachi and decided not to wake her as she was sleeping soundly.
During the training sessions, one adventurer decided to return to his backpack's location to get some white berries. He was a tall guy with a huge body plan which made others think he's already older. As he walked over the grassfield, he suddenly paused upon hearing a soft snore. He followed the sound and discovered Sachi sleeping peacefully on the grass. She was laying over a backpack as her pillow while the short strands of her hair and skirt swayed with the sudden gust of a wind. In that particular moment, he knew he was bewitched, he can't take his eyes off of her, his heart began throbbing faster and faster until an incredible pain stinged on his right shoulder.
"Jeremiah, my cousin!", Ven yelled, hitting his shoulder.
"Aww, you really hit like a man, that is why the arrows doesn't like you", he said.
Just then, Sachi was awakened by their noise. She cautiously opened her eyes and saw Ven arguing to a tall guy. The guy immediately retreat back to his training spot when he saw her waking. Ven sat beside Sachi and told her about her cousin Jeremiah.
"Don't mind him, he just came here to tease me, he said that I have a heavy hands, humph!", Ven said, frowning.
"Do you know any consumables with buff that will make me feel lighter?", she added.
"Actually—", Sachi was interrupted as she noticed the adventurers run to the center of the field. That is because Cadros Aiba already returned to the training grounds. Eventually, Sachi and Ven swiftly run towards the group.
"Let's begin the test, find a partner and form a line", Cadros instructed.
However, only few adventurers have their partners while most of them don't have, so Cadros came up with a decision. He hit the ground with his palms and pieces of stones appeared.
"Characters symbolizing the different creatures found in our land were written in these stones, all of you will pick one and those which got the same will be paired for the test", Cadros directed.
The adventurers picked up their stones and find their partners. Chattering noise filled the air as they looked for their pair.
"Sachi, what was carved in your stone?", Ven asked.
"Shikigami", Sachi replied instantly.
"Oh no! I got Cygnus", Ven responded sadly.
"Cygnus? I got it too—", Jeremiah said, appearing out of nowhere. He suddenly paused upon seeing Sachi. His chest was throbbing again. 'Lub-dub-lub-dub' was the sound of his beating heart, and the only sound that filled his head while standing in front of them.
"JEREMIAH!", Ven yelled extremely.
He came back to his senses and said,
"Oh—Ah! Let's form a line now, move faster", grabbing Ven's left arm.
"Hey! Wait—", Ven said, trying to pull herself away from the tight grab of Jeremiah.
Sachi was giggling while looking at them, her sadness about not being paired with Ven fade away after knowing that she will be accompanied by her cousin. Meanwhile, everyone seemed to have their own partners except Sachi. She still can't find her pair thus, she continued sneaking behind the adventurers in hope to find the one who got the same stone as hers.
"Adventurers! Listen carefully, this test will measure your endurance, survival capability and everything you learned throughout a week of training, this task will either let you pass or fail, carry your partners from here to the palace before the sun rises, you can rest if you're tired on the way but do not dare to cheat", Cadros said.
Afterwards, Cadros left the training grounds, he faded out and left traces of soil particles in the air. Just then, the adventurers started carrying their pair on their back and begin the test.
"Let me see your stone!", Bridget said, suddenly grabbing Sachi's hand. At that very moment, Sachi accidentally loosen her grip to her stone and lost it on the grassfield. She immediately ran to the ground to look for it. Meanwhile, Bridget was dumbfounded to what had happened and instantly left her as she was afraid of the fault she had committed.
"Bridget! Wait—", Sachi exclaimed. However, Bridget played deaf and joined her partner for the test.
"Oh no, what will I do?", Sachi uttered to herself.
She continued searching the field for her stone while there are still adventurers around. She knelt on the ground and carefully look over the rocks and grass.
"Ouch!", Sachi exclaimed, sipping the droplets of blood coming from her finger.
"Be careful of Mimosa grass your wound will be itchy! Give me your hand", a stranger said, putting bandage on Sachi's little wound. "By the way, is this what you're looking for?", the stranger asked while handing over a stone.
Sachi slowly lifted up her head, upon seeing her stone on the palm of someone she doesn't know. The moonlight that night revealed that the stranger was a guy and was one of the adventurers who was also seeking for his partner. He was tall, fit and handsome, his hair has a neat combination of black and white strands and perfectly matches his cold green eyes.
"It's been so long and now I'm seeing you—", the guy uttered in a serious tone.
"Huh?", Sachi replied confusedly.
"I mean to say that, I was the one who also had a Shikigami character!", the stranger said, sounding oppositely from his previous tone.
