Chapter 13

Jaiden came while wiping his wet hands with a cloth, "What do you want him to teach me?"

He sat down beside his son on the stone bench.

Zack began telling him about the plants and trees he learned today enthusiastically.

Jaiden smiled as he listened to him, he knew from working for the chief that studying in the school was beneficial.

His captain repeatedly told him and his fellow guards to send their children to school.

Soon the food was ready. The food included simply soup with vegetables and few pieces of meat, a piece of bread. It was a common food menu.

Because both of them worked in the mansion they did not have to worry about the midday dinner and only made something lighter for the evening supper.

Their son ate with the elder Grey next door, according to their son he made food himself and even had a small vegetable garden behind his backyard. He even said that elder Grey would purchase some meat from the butcher for their son as well as the chief's grandson.

They tried paying for the meat and vegetables but he simple declined saying the chief was paying for it.

...

The next morning Zack went out with his parents. On other days he would go much later but because elder Grey told him to come earlier he went out early today.

After saying goodbye to his parents he ran towards the house next door.

Renee and Jaiden shook their heads as they smiled and began walking towards the chief's mansion.

Zack pushed open the gate and went inside. He knocked on the door and waited quietly outside.

He did not have to wait long as the door opened revealing the old man Grey inside.

Zack had an eager expression on his face as he went inside.

Time passed...

An 18 or 19yrs old young man was running inside a forest with a bow around his shoulder along with a small quiver with some arrows. Alongside his quiver, his back also had a bag stuffed with some plants and herbs.

The young man had short light brown hair and brown eyes which flickered with blue light from time to time.

The young man was not much handsome but average in looks, but he had a small frown on his forehead as if he was thinking about something.

After a few moments, he stopped running and quietly hid behind a tree. He walked slowly making almost no sound.

After going past some more trees and bushes he peeked from the side of the tree trunk. In front of him, a small hare was biting on a small branch while looking around for danger.

The young man hid behind the tree again and made some distance between them. He readied his bow and arrows and closed the distance again.

He left the bag on his back on the ground and walked slowly with his bow and arrow.

After coming to the previous tree he peeked out and aimed his arrow.

He waited patiently and just as the hare was about to move he released the arrow. The arrow swiftly moved and before the small hare could do anything it pierced its neck.

The young man walked out and approached the hare who was twitching on the ground. He swiftly took out a knife from the sheath around his waist and sliced it across the hare's neck.

After praying to the dead body he picked it up and turned around.

The young man quickly found a small stream going through the forest. He sliced open the hare and took out all his innards while washing it in the water.

He did not skin the hare and kept it as it was.

He picked up his bow and quiver and the bag filled with plants.

He walked slowly as he sighed from time to time, "That green-eyed fool succeded ages ago and I'm still running around hunting with the bow."

"When will master teach me some of those glowing things?"

It has been around15yrs since his master Grey told him that he would start his training. But in this period, the only thing the old man taught him was body exercise, writing unnecessary long and complex symbols and different languages.

At first, he showed him something like magic by walking in the air. Impressed by the old man he earnestly started doing everything the old man asked him to do.

But each time he asked him when he could learn the walking in the air magic, the old man would wave his hand saying that he was not ready.

At first, he thought so too and studied under him as well as in the school with even more effort. Even the school teachers praised his hard work.

But then his fellow student also learning under his master started showing him different magics. He could make a small fire by waving his arms around, make a wind blow on his face and even gather some amount of water from the air but only enough to moisten his hands.

But even then it was more than what the young man could do. He complained again to his master only to be reprimanded again and receiving a lecture about how he was still not ready.

He could not even talk about the special magics with others including his parents. According to his master, if ordinary people get to know about them, they would panic and even fear you as if you were some kind of devil.

Remembering how his parents were happy seeing him become the smartest in the school he sighed.

His mother even started arranging for marriage as soon as he turned 18. Even his master congratulated him every time his mother found a new girl.

As for his fellow student, he would laugh whenever he got the chance. But that all changed when he found out about his engagement arranged by his grandfather and mother.

he was almost 2 yrs older than him so it was not a surprise. But people with high standing in society did not marry early in life. Commoners on the other hand would start to settle down as soon as possible.

Because his fellow student was the chief's grandson he got him a job in the school along with how he was known to be smart he was approved shortly after. So he did not have to look for a job.

His master instructed him to hunt for his food in the forest and look for the herds and plants which grew in the forest. The animal hunted would go to his house, but the plants and herbs were sold for money as well as to his master.

He neared his small town while sighing the whole way. He first went to his master's house to leave the plants and herbs his master told him to bring. He opened the door himself without knocking as he was used to it by now.

After putting the bag on the table in the leaving room he was just about to leave when he heard an old voice from another room.

"Stop sighing now, tomorrow we can start your training. Come prepared." The voice sounded a bit weak but also powerful. His master has been showing signs of ageing recently.

When he heard him the young man sighed even harder, "Master I will come prepared. Check this bag and if I'm missing something I will look for it tomorrow."

As soon as he sighed and finished speaking a silence followed and suddenly an object flew out of the room whose door opened on its own.

The object flew quickly and before the young man could do anything it flew towards the ceiling and dropped on his head.

The young man reached his head in pain. His hand touched the object that hit him and it turned out to be a small copper coin.

The coin flew back as soon as he touched it in the room again and the door closed itself.

"Stop sighing." The old voice sounded again this time a bit irritated.

The young man held his head and nodded while running out of the house.

After the young man went out the house the voice sounded again, "Sigh, why does he sounds older than me everytime he comes here?"