-Chapter 41- New Orders

I leave my personal training area the Director gave me and return to my dorm, when I arrive I see that Feyrith isn't there. I remember he has DC officer duties to search the school for the next hour. It was my turn after him so I should probably get prepared.

I sigh as I begin walking toward my bed, but before I can get to my bed I see someone sitting on my bed with their ever so iconic licorice in their mouth. Who else but Saya.

"What are you doing here Saya?" I ask as I drop my bag onto the ground and walk past my bed to the small kitchen area where I and Feyrith keep our food.

"I have important orders from the man in charge." She says as she takes another bite out of her stick of licorice.

I sigh as I look through the cabinets to find that there was nothing left to eat. "Oh yeah? What are the orders?" I ask calmly.

"Well, I was told that you will be brought to Epheotus soon if I were to guess a few weeks. It will be after your little field trip to that dungeon our classmates were talking about, what was it… Something like windows-" She tries to remember the name of the dungeon.

"The Widows Crypt, and good. I have plans for while I'm there." I say while filling up a cup of water.

"Oh yeah, what plans?" She asks.

"None of your business you overgrown bird," I say while I sit down on the chair for my desk. I couldn't really tell her that I was gonna go searching for the remains of a djinn civilization underneath a dungeon, could I? She would question everything and try to figure out how I even knew this information and try to inject herself into my entire investigation.

"That's rude, I should discipline you since you are my subservient bond." She says with a smug look on her face. "I have rope in my dimension ring,"

I shudder at the thought of her tying me up. "Whatever, anyways spill it," I tell her while trying to ignore her previous statement.

"What do you mean?" She asks, trying to play confused.

"You wouldn't be here if it's just normal orders like that. So tell me why you're really here." I tell her confidently.

"I can't get anything past you can I?" I shake my head in response, "Well the actual reason I'm here is that I have different orders that I can't tell you about." She says.

"Oh yeah? If you can't tell me then why are you here?" I say.

"Don't act like you hate me being around, tell the truth. You like it when I'm around don't you?" She says getting closer to me to poke my forehead. "Aw, do you like me? Do you like your dominant bond being around causing you so much trouble?" She says in a voice as if she were speaking to a pet dog.

"My life would be so much simpler without you around," I sigh as she begins to fake pout.

"You really want me to beat you up, don't you." She says clenching her fist.

I lean back on my chair knowing she wouldn't and respond by saying, "Go on, do it."

She mutters under her breath as she sighs, "masochist,"

"What was that?" I ask to make sure what I heard was correct.

She ignores me and goes on to answer my original question, "I'm here because, while I can't tell you the orders. I can tell you what to do." she says reaching into her pocket and retrieving a reddish-orange feather.

She handed me the feather, as I held the feather it shimmered in the light giving off a warm radiant feeling as if it were cleaning my skin of any irregularities or wounds.

"What's that?" I ask.

"It's the feather of a phoenix who I will not name." She hands it to me. "You will absorb the mana from within that."

"Why?" I ask. "Couldn't I just use a normal mana elixir or something?"

"You dummy, to receive a phoenix feather is a great honor. Especially when it's from the man that feather comes from."

"What will happen?" I ask.

"Something similar to your djinn assimilation thing. Except it won't have a slight chance to kill you." She says.

"Sounds too good to be true, are there side effects?" I ask.

I get nervous when she doesn't answer. She stays silent for a long time with nothing but a face of guilt. She finally answers with a simple, "Nope."

I sigh as I look at the phoenix feather. I look at her and ask, "Does it matter how long it takes for me to absorb the mana?"

"No, just don't let any other asura see it, otherwise I'll be killed." She says in a serious manner.

"So if I want to get you killed all I need to do is show this to an asura?" I chuckle.

"You bastard, would you really think of killing me?" She asks worriedly.

"No, you are my precious bond after all." I smile as I make the dumb joke.

That got a small reaction out of her, but she goes on to speak, "You do realize they would kill you as well since me doing this makes you a potential threat." She states trying to ignore my previous joke.

"I got it. Don't show the red feather to asuras. Anyways, why are they bringing me to Epheotus?" I ask.

"They plan to train you for the upcoming war." She says letting out a deep sigh.

"How come they don't do this for the other 'lessers'?" I ask.

"Don't call yourself a lesser, it's weird." She says.

I roll my eyes as she continues her sentence. "They can't because of the deal that prevents them from interfering with lessers. The only reason they are taking the risk with you is that you can be a valuable asset."

"Wow, I guess since I'm being wanted by two different sides it must make me special, what next? The Vritra asking me to join them?" I joke but seeing the serious face on Saya I stop.

"It's highly likely they will try and contact you, knowing them they will try and hold your family lives over you, probably saying they will spare them if you join them."

Upon hearing this I stop, it's like I couldn't breathe as I think about how my family could be killed because of my actions. I rest my head between my hands as I worry over my family's lives. My mom, dad, Ellie, and even the Helsteas like Lilia, Vincent, and Tabitha. What would happen to them if I can't protect them.

Saya noticed my anxiety over my family being in danger. She runs off my bed and crouches down to my side, "Hey Arthur calm down. They will be fine, the asuras won't let anything happen to them. Hell, I won't even let them be hurt." she says, trying to calm me down.

I slowly begin to calm down, getting my thoughts out of the dark places and focusing on my true goal here in this new world. To protect my loved ones and save them from any threat. Including myself.

I think back to my failures as Grey. How I couldn't save Cecilia and how I abandoned Nico, how I lost headmaster Wilbeck, how I was manipulated and used by Lady Vera. I made a lot of dumb mistakes and stupid decisions throughout my past life. I didn't want the tragedy that occurred in my past life to repeat here. I was reincarnated for a reason, I can't waste my time worrying about every little thing and protect the ones I must protect.

"Are you ok? You really make me worry about you, you dummy." Saya says as she makes sure I'm alright. "...You… don't need to absorb the mana within the feather if you don't want to. We can find a different way." Saya says while I sit there.

"No, ill absorb the feather… I won't do it right away but I'll absorb the mana eventually." I say, but seeing Sayas face after I say that makes me worry. What exactly were the side effects of absorbing this feather?

What exactly could absorbing this phoenix feather do to me to make Saya worry this much. Isn't it meant to make me stronger? If so then it shouldn't affect me physically. Then is it mentally? Would I change as a person? Become different somehow?

I couldn't figure this out on my own, so I decided to just keep the phoenix feather in my dimension ring.

I look up and see Saya standing over me still concerned, "thanks, for helping me I mean, I probably would have done something dumb if you hadn't stepped in." I told her. I probably would have absorbed the feather within an instant.

"It's what I'm here to do. Protect you and make sure you don't do something dumb, you dummy." She says before letting out a small chuckle.

Tessia Crestless P.O.V.

I walk into the secret base of operations held by Draneeve. I walk to the throne where sir Draneeve sits. I have now been working for his cause for several months now.

"Ah, Tessia good, come here." He says as he gestures for me to walk closer. He wears dark baggy clothing with a crudely drawn creepy smiling mask on his face. "Now Tessia, I have just finished speaking to Kai here about the plans. He understands his assignment, now do you understand yours?"

"Yes, I will be in charge of keeping the attention of the audience on you. As well as observe potential recruits." I say cleanly to make sure he heard me.

"Good," He looks at me for a few seconds, "You look like you have something to request, go on say it. You have done a lot for this assignment. I'll happily grant you a request." He says as he waits for my response.

"Well if that's the case," My heart begins to beat faster as I begin to smile. "I want to recruit Arthur Bladeheart as my- no I want him to just be mine," I say.

Draneeve looks at me for a few seconds before responding. "You have my permission, if you can turn Arthur over to our side he will be your little slave I guess."

"Thank you, sir Draneeve." I save my reaction until I walk outside of the base.

Outside of the base I practically collapse to my knees in anticipation. "Oh, Arthur. I can't wait to make you mine!" I breathe heavily as my heart beats faster, "I can't wait- to break you."

:)