109 Leveling up
The next morning Jayde was woken up by three little dragons who had decided to play their pounce on Jayde game.
After cuddling on the bed for half an hour, Jayde climbed out of bed. Walking into the bathroom Jayde washed her face and brushed her teeth. Changing into a new set of leathers, she carried the wyrmlings downstairs where she prepared some meat for the little ones for breakfast.
Yinxin arrived just after the wyrmlings had finished breakfast to collect her children. After a bit of fussing Yinxin left with the wyrmlings. Jinxin and Jayde agreed that while Jayde focused on promoting to Bishop, Yinxin would practice the spell Doha had given her. Green had agreed to help Yinxin.
Jayde had one last task she wanted to finish, before going into closed-door cultivation. Taking the stairs down to the basement, Jayde entered the storeroom. After removing most of the items in her spatial ring, she teleported to the cave and collected everything in the cave, as well as the old man's skeleton.
Teleporting directly to her home, Jayde stored everything away in the storeroom, then walking to a secluded spot she buried the old man's remains, since she didn't know anything about the old man, Jayde debated about what to write on his tombstone. Finally, she decided to leave it simple.
{Here lies the savior and master of Jayde Centauri}
Jayde had thought long and hard about her clan name on Doha. Since she had arrived on Doha she had never once considered herself part of the Freehold clan, and she would need a clan name at Damonia Institute of Magics.
Jayde had decided to tell everyone that her clan name was Centauri, while it was an unusual clan name on Doha, she had already come up with a story that her clan was one of the hidden families on Doha.
Besides the Freehold clan would not be around for much longer, Jayde had sworn that she would destroy the clan for all the harm they had done to the previous host.
Jayde only had eight days (Eighty days in the artifact) left before she had to leave for Aeris, entering a small room that she had created just for cultivation, Jayde placed all the magical stones that she had around the room to enhance the Qi.
The sitting in the middle of all the magical stones, Jayde began to absorb the abundance of Qi around her.
***
3 days later, Dark Forest.
Takara was in a state of panic, for five days [1] he hadn't seen a sign of Jayde and Yinxin. It was like they had disappeared into thin air.
He had no idea what he was going to tell his lord, this was the first time he had ever failed in a mission. Pacing around the small glade, he was debating whether to contact Fahmjir and inform him that he had lost Jayde when his lord made contact with him.
[Takara, why have you not contacted me in six days?] Fahmjir asked, his deep baritone voice echoing through Takara's mind.
[Ah, my liege] Takara said his voice trembled slightly, squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to think of some excuse that he could give for his failure.
[Well there has been a slight problem getting close to those females.]
[What problem?] Fahmjir growled.
[My lord, it's those females, I did exactly what you told me to do and shapeshifted into a cute form, but they nearly killed me — not once but three times,] Takara wailed.
[Impossible. No female can resist a cute animal,] Fahmjir declared
[I swear my liege, they are simply not normal!]
[What creatures did you change into?] Fahmjir asked suspiciously.
[Well first it was a Hell Bat, and that crazy human nearly took my head off, then it was a Death Squirrel, the human nearly put an arrow through my head, and finally it was a beautiful Centipede Cat and the dragon swatted me with her tail.] Takara complained.
Thinking of the abuse he had suffered, Takara wanted to cry.
[Did you say that you changed into a Hell Bat, a Death Squirrel, and a Centipede Cat?] Fahmjir growled slowly.
[Yes my Leige] confirmed enthusiastically, nodding his head, even though Fahmjir couldn't see him.
Now can you understand just how much I have suffered my liege? He thought.
[Are you a f*cking IDIOT?] Fahmjir roared.
[...]
Takara's head jerked back, shocked and confused, after hearing his lord roar.
[m..m-y lord?] he asked tentatively.
[How in all the gods' name did you ever come up with the idea that those creatures were cute?] Fahmjir yelled.
Takara couldn't understand why his lord was so upset, just as he was about to explain why his choices were cute Fahmjir interrupted him.
[No don't tell me, you a f*cking idiot, it no bloody wonder those females nearly killed you.]
Fahmjir was shaking his massive head, thinking about his stupid subordinate. His left eye was twitching, which was a dangerous sign. If Takara had been in the same room at the moment, he would have immediately rolled over and shown his stomach seeing his lord in such a dangerous mood.
[This is what human consider cute.]
With that statement, Fahmjir sent Takara a mental image of a cute creature. When Takara saw the creature that Fahmjir wanted him to change into, his heart dropped into his stomach. His mouth dropped open, as his upper lip curled in disgust.
His lord couldn't be serious, he was supposed to walk around and let people see him in this form?
Shaking his head in denial, no his lord couldn't be so cruel.
[My liege, you can't be serious?] he asked hopefully.
Please, please, oh gods, please don't be serious, Takara prayed fervently.
[Takara you WILL change into this form, and you will accompany those females until such time as I summon you back,] Fahmjir order sternly.
[Do NOT let me down!]
And with that last statement, Fahmjir cut his mental link with Takara.
When his lord cut off communication, Takara collapsed onto the ground. His lord really was that cruel, bringing up the image again that his lord wanted him to shapeshift into, Takara shuddered.
No! He couldn't walk around in that form. If any of his subordinates saw him in that form he wouldn't be able to lift up his head ever again, he thought in despair.
Desperate for a solution he contacted his master.
[Master, please you have to save me,] he howled.
Master Kioshi jumped in shock when he heard his student howl of grief.
[Takara what is wrong?] he asked full of concern for this bright student of his.
Takara quickly told his master everything that happened, and his lord last orders.
[Takara, calm down, it can't be as serious as you are making it out to be.] Master Kioshi said reassuringly.
Upset that his master was not taking him seriously, Takara sent him the image that his liege had given him.
[This is the form that he wants me to use,] Takara said bitterly.
Once Master Kioshi saw the form, he shuddered. Oh gods, his poor student, no wonder he was in such a state.
[Takara you are the head of the elite guards for Fahmjir, it is your honor to carry out your lord's requests,] Master Kioshi said firmly.
Although he was trying to calm his student down, privately Kioshi felt very sorry for his student. He was also damn happy that he had left Fahmjir service, and that this horrific task hadn't fallen to him to complete.
[But..but master that form...] Takara stammered.
Right now he wasn't feeling honored, he was bitterly regretting fighting his way to being head of Fahmjir guards.
[Master can't you talk—]
[Takara you are my top student, you must complete this mission,] Master Kioshi interrupted Takara.
Sorry Takara, your master cannot intervene on your behalf, Master Kioshi thought. He was petrified that if he did, that crazy beast lord might make him take over this mission.
[But Master look at it, that creature is so soft and furry, it has no sharp teeth or look at those claws,] Takara moaned.
[I know Takara, but look on the bright side it is still a feline,] Master Kioshi said trying to console the heartbroken Takara.
[Do us proud Takara,] Master Kioshi said, ending the conversation.
After ending the conversation, Master Kioshi stood up and shook his fur, trying to shake off the horror he had felt looking that the defenseless cub that Takara was going to have to shapeshift into.
Worried that he might get dragged into this mess somehow, and end up having to take on this disaster of a mission, Master Kioshi decided to enter closed-door mediation, he would stay behind closed doors until Takara had finished up this task, he thought.
***
While Takara was cursing his fate, Jayde was breaking through to Bishop of the 1st class.
--
Notes
[1] 3 days Jayde been cultivating plus the 2 days she was cultivating in the herb garden.
Quote of the day
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. -- Arnold Schwarzenegger
