Chapter 36: Trouble in the City

The cultivation training continued throughout the week. Nearly every night, Alex's courtyard would fill with people and spirit animals.

Alex really didn't mind. He enjoyed the company. Not to mention the fact that it was nice to be able to talk about cultivation.

Alex had Eluril, but she could only guess at what he should do. The inability to talk with someone in his position, and the uncertain future, had been unknowingly crushing down on him like a boulder.

Having the others made a whole world of difference.

Over the week, Alex was able to slowly put down the bolder he had been carrying since he was younger.

Their group had gotten closer over the past month and a half. Just the amount of time they spent together talking about enchanting, in and out of class, was enough to close most gaps between them. But this last week was different.

This week they had truly come together. Between Alex's revelation, their training, and their shared experience in the forest everyone had truly opened up.

During that week, they also finalized their designs for their armor. Alex was chosen to be the one to do the enchanting.

Alex spent a night or two at the forge, using the tools there to enchant their new gear. It was a slow and tedious process.

Alex had spent hours in the forge over the course of two days. Even so, he never saw the smith.

Not even once.

This was not normal. It wasn't enough to worry Alex normally. But that fact coupled with the fact that, the forge did not seem to have been heated recently, did weigh on his mind slightly.

In the end, Alex decided to concentrate on his work. What help could Alex really offer anyway.

Friday night, no one showed up at Alex's house. They had decided to get a full nights rest. After all, the tournament would start in the morning.

Alex was awoken before dawn the next morning, by a tapping on his window. He rolled out of bed, jostling an irritated Eluril as he went.

Walking to the window Alex could see the vague outline of three people. Shaking his head, he opened the window.

"Took you long enough! Just how long do you plan to sleep?" Tom's attitude was so surprising for Alex, that he had to look at the sky once again to make sure he was not mistaken.

Seeing the it was definitely still before dawn, Alex began to get irritated.

"What the hell are you talking about, Tom. The sun isn't even up yet!" Looking at the other two, who had strange expressions, some kind of mix between anxious and irritable, Alex could only laugh. "Look, you all should have been sleeping. Worrying about things wont help at all."

Eveline rolled her eyes in response. "Yeah, like that works. Tell an anxious person not to be anxious, that always helps." The lack of sleep didn't seem to blunt her tongue at all.

"What are you all doing here...?" There was a slight whine to his voice. He had really been enjoying his sleep.

"Well, I mean, since we started cultivating we don't really need to sleep as much as before." Alex simply nodded along. This was obvious to him.

"And since you all were not sleeping you figured, why not ruin Alex's sleep. Thanks for that." Alex said as he walked away from the window, and towards the bathroom.

The others haphazardly took turns climbing through the open window. By the time Alex came out of the bathroom, the others were sitting in the middle of his house meditating.

Alex simply closed the window and then joined them.

After the sun came up, an hour and a half later, they left the house with their armor on.

They wore their new gear to breakfast, then quickly made for the testing field.

As they arrived at the field, they noticed four new large chalk circles.

The circles were placed near the center of the field where the tests for admittance was normally held. Each one was nearly thirty feet in diameter.

At one end of the field was a table, there was a line of first year students coming from it. This seemed to be the registration table. So, they got in line and waited their turn.

While they waited in line they listened to the students gossip.

At first it was just a few comments here and there. As more students came to either compete in, or watch the fights, more and more people began to talk about what had happened this week.

Alex and the others pretty much stuck to their group this week. Even Red, the man with connections, had not talked to anyone else all this week. They simply didn't have time.

Between class, cultivating, and studying enchanting, they simply had no time. As such they were surprised by the news.

From what they could piece together from the surrounding students, it seemed a large event had indeed happened.

This event not only involved the Pheonix family, but also the Sunter family. While the Pheonix family was powerful within the city, they were also powerful in the capital city. They were not on the same level as the noble families, but they still held influence. Comparatively, the Sunter family was only powerful here in Fire Bird City, and Velos, the stronghold city to the south.

The city of Velos protected the kingdom from the monster tides and barbarian tribes of the wastes.

It seems a giant man, carrying an enormous hammer, wreathed in golden flames. He rode a giant salamander, that dripped lava to the front door of both the Pheonix and Sunter families. After which he left the city and headed south.

"What do you think happened?" Eveline asked the group.

"Not sure. He must be someone important, whoever he is. Otherwise, how could he stand to irritate both of those families in one day." Red was wracking his brain, trying to place this person's description. But he had no luck. After all, each retelling had different details.

Some said the man was part giant and had no hair. Others said he was only a tall man with red hair. Still, some others said the man was not even human. They claimed it was a divine messenger, that came to warn the families of their wrong doing. This last group was ignored by nearly everyone.

"Wait, didn't you say the smith has been missing lately?" Tom's question caught the others off guard.

"Yeah, so?" Alex responded with a tone of slight amusement. "Do you think it was the smith?" A look of contemplation crossed Alex's face. "Come on. What reason would he have to do such a thing? Not to mention. In all of the time I have been in that forge, I have never once seen such a large salamander, or a hammer wreathed in flames, gold or otherwise."

"Yeah, you are right." Tom was honestly disappointed by this realization.

The group continued to talk amongst themselves as they waited in line.

They were able to complete the sign up procedures with out a problem. They were only required to show proof that they were a contractor. This was easily accomplished by showing their companions.

After putting their names on a list, they were each given a numbers slip of paper. This was their lot. It would tell them what position in the brackets they would have.

In the end there were sixty four individuals who signed up for the tournament. There were many more older students who signed up for their tournaments. Luckily, they would be held in different locations. Otherwise, these four arenas would not be enough.

Between the two groups of lackeys and Alex's group a total of twenty four spots had been taken up. The rest were simply regular students from the first year. The vast majority of which were only hoping to get lucky and make it past the first round or two.

A basic spiritual herb would be given to every competitor who made it past the first round. Each successive round after that would even gain even larger rewards.

It was no surprise that some students were willing to risk their health.