CHAPTER 13: Training

GREY

2 months have passed since our first sparring match.

Caera is a bit frustrated with her loss and decided to train extra hard. She was doing pushups, sit-ups, squats, and running every day for 2 months straight, occasionally taking breaks for her body to rest.

Seris was watching in case she overworked her body. "She has been flustered the whole time. Perhaps-" She teased but I cut her off.

"You know that I am in my fifties?" I casually said. I shifted my gaze from Caera (who was training and unaware of us) to Seris. "I am probably older than Caera and you,"

"That isn't true,'' she answered.

My curiosity peaked at her answer. I always wondered how to slow aging was among Vritra-blooded humans. "How old are you, Seris?"

"Oh my, did your parents never ask that it is rude to ask a woman's age?"

I decided to not push the matter. "Go ahead and train. I need to go now," Seris said while giving me Sylvie in her cat form. Her cat form consisted of white fur that I wanted to rub every day and Yellow eyes.

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked.

"Yes, there is going to be a meeting between scythes," She said. A tempus warp appeared in her hand. "Why now? The tempus warp is defective."

"If the meeting is that important you should go now. I can find my way to the Denoir estate."

"Well if you want to go there on foot, I recommend you travel now because it will be night in a couple of hours." She said before flying off the ground and heading to a set location.

Caera stopped with her training at the Scythe department and walked up to me. "Where is Seris going?"

"She said that there was a meeting and left early." She thanked me for that information but before she could walk away, I stopped her. "The tempus warp is busted. We need to go now before the night set."

"Okay."

She followed me. First, we need to travel through the forest. Luckily there is a small road that will bring us to the town and we can probably rent a carriage to the Denoir estate. I left out the information about renting a carriage because she might want to train more if she knew that we could depart later.

Caera has been staring at the cat that was laid in my hands.

"Do you wanna pet her?" I said while extending both of my arms to put Sylvie in front of her face.

"Huh, what?"

"If you don't want to, then you don't have to."

I teasingly retracted my arms. "Wait, I wanna pet her."

I extended both of my arms again. She gently placed her hand on Sylvie's hand. Sylvie in response purred.

"Meow... (mama)." The artifact also made her sound like a cat.

(I thought I told you to not call me mama.)

"Meow... (no mama)."

Sylvie pointed her left paw to Caera. (papa has found mama).

Huh? It would make sense for her to view a mother figure. "She likes you," I told Caera.

"Really?"

I nodded and she became a little happy. "Why do you train so hard?"

"Huh..." She pauses before answering, "I want to become stronger."

"Why do you want to get stronger?"

"It's because I want to explore what is in the relictombs and lead my own life."

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you like the relictombs so much?"

"There is a book I liked to read once I was a child. It was my favorite and was called 'The brave ascender' and it inspired me to become an ascender myself and reveal the secrets."

I clicked on the name of that book. "Is the story about The first ascenders?"

"Yes, that's the one," she excitedly said.

"It was my favorite book too."

"Really? Not many read it, unfortunately."

"Do you think the story is real?" I asked curiously. It was quite a big debate whether this story was fiction or nonfiction.

"I hope not. Jack didn't deserve his death. He died protecting everyone by sacrificing himself. I cried for the whole night when I read it."

"But that is probably to warn everyone about the dangers of the relictombs"

"Maybe but I will be careful and let nobody die under my watch," she exclaimed boldly.

"Maybe when we get our runes, we can go ascending together," I said.

"Together? Sure, why not but it will really depend on our classification and the party. Which role do you want to be?"

"I hope I will be a striker. What do you want to be, Caera?"

"I think I want to be a striker too but I don't mind being a caster."

"Is that so? Then after we get our runes, we need to find a party. Your blood has bodyguards, don't they?"

"Yes, they do. I know some of them personally and it makes living under their roof much easier.."

"So you really dislike Denoir's." She nodded

"Yeah. What's the Adamos blood like?"

"My dad is usually not home because of his job but it really is fun to hang out with him. My mom is sweet and kind. My brother Rit is an energetic goofball but he is a great person."

"That's great to hear. Nessa and some other guard raised and nurtured me more than my parents and one day, I will make them proud by becoming the greatest ascender."

"That is a great dream."

"What is your dream, Daron?"

"Mine?" I began to think. Glimpses of my past life entered my mind. "To protect my loved ones."