By the time morning came, it was already the next day. I would have packed more; however, Stark said I only needed one extra set of clothes and Nox. I still didn't know why Nox was coming. Stark just said he'd explain everything on the way.
It was finally the day of departure.
'I doubt I'll miss this place much. I'll still be out in the wild, just not alone this time. But where exactly is Stark even taking me?'
I was patiently waiting outside in the front yard with Nox standing next to me, nudging me like an impatient child. Stark was still preparing, and I still had to say my goodbyes to everyone. First, Mother and Father showed up.
They both smiled, but Father spoke first.
"Listen, Damien. The world is cruel and unforgiving. Get stronger and push through every obstacle. I'm also quite excited to see how strong you'll become."
Mother cut in.
"Make sure to be respectful to Stark. Although you might not get along with him at first, he will protect you from the dangers of this journey. If he tells you to do something, do it, especially in dire situations."
'Huh, but I'm pretty sure he's strong. I hope the guy knows what he's doing. I mean, he does, right?'
Mother turned her head and patted Nox.
"Make sure to protect Damien, Nox. He can get lost sometimes."
Mother and father chuckled.
"Not funny," I muttered, crossing my arms.
Stark suddenly started to laugh behind me.
I flinched and turned to Stark, who had somehow appeared behind me.
'What the hell? When did he even get here?'
"Holy crap, you scared me, Mr. Stark!"
"You finished with everything. It's time."
He looked down at Nox.
"Whoa. I don't think I've ever seen one completely covered in jet-black feathers."
'So he's seen one of them before. Maybe he can tell me something later that I need to know about Nox.'
"Yeah, his name is Nox. Just give me a moment—there's one more thing I need to do before we leave."
Stark let out a sigh.
"Just make it quick. We need all the time we can get."
I ran inside, passing both my parents, and went upstairs into Noelle's chambers. I saw her. She held something. She gave me a faint smile, her mismatched blue and red eyes locked with mine. Sunlight streamed through the window, catching her bright white hair and making it glow.
'Jeez, her hair is so damn bright.'
"Damien, I need you to take this and keep the promise you made back in the forest. I will miss you. We both need to grow and won't see each other for a while, so don't forget me!"
She held her hand out and opened it. Inside was a leather bracelet. The dark leather was tightly braided, clearly handmade. As I put it on, I felt the snug grip every time I flexed my forearm. The ends were slightly frayed where the strands met. It wasn't anything flashy, but it felt personal, like a reminder that someone was waiting for me to return.
She held up her wrist. She was wearing one, too.
"I'll always come back. Listen, I need you to focus on your studies and keep training hard. I know you'll be a strong person one day. Plus, when I come back, you'll be twelve and will have gotten your spirit. You're also an elf, which means you're loved by spirits and have a higher chance of getting more than one."
I smiled and wiped a tear off her face.
"I made it from leather since I know you hate wearing anything metallic. So please don't lose it. All you have to do is show me that you didn't lose it when you come back. I promise I'll get strong, Damien."
The door creaked slowly. Nox ran up to her and sat down, waiting for a pet.
"You take care of Damien, Nox."
'You too? It should be the other way around.'
"Alrighty, I'll see you then, Noelle."
As I was turning, she tugged the ends of black sleeves.
"Damien, I overheard Father talking to Grandpa. Ken and Ben heard what happened and are both training even harder now. Make sure not to let them keep you in the dust!"
"Thanks for telling me. Now I'm even more fired up!
I left her chamber with Nox, forcing myself not to look back. My chest ached, but I couldn't let it show.
As I opened the door to the front yard, a wooden carriage stood there. On top, there was a broad, curved top of the wagon cover. Below it were large wooden wheels with iron-rimmed edges. Two giant green reptillians stood on all fours, with razor-sharp teeth, webbed feet, and enlarged snouts.
"What is that?"
Stark gazed at the two reptilians.
"Don't worry, that's my ride, and those are my swamp puppies."
'Puppies? They look like they could easily rip me to pieces.'
Even Nox shrank back a little.
Stark jogged to the front, jumped onto the driver's seat, and took the reins.
"Put Nox at the back and come sit at the front. We have a lot of things to discuss."
As the reptillions started to move, everyone waved at me, their figures shrinking in the distance.
The carriage surprisingly got quicker on the dirt road. The sun shone across the land of Mulsivar.
Stark tugged me by the sleeve.
"You put your extra pair of clothes in the back, right?"
A pale expression grew on my face.
'Damn it.'
"Do not worry, boy, I brought it with us."
I gritted my teeth
"You could've led with that."
He smirked.
"Firstly, we're going to a temporary camp. It's just preparation."
"Preparation for what?"
"The real destination is far away, in dangerous territory. Only high-ranking apprentices survive there."
'Hell no, not the damn sea.'
In just a few short weeks, I'll get you up to the third level. One of my specialties is sensing someone's rank by the size of their soul. You're in the second rank, RamKise. Secondly, you are training to enter the YGT, Youth Grand Tournament. This is where you'll compete with thousands of competitors. The higher you rank, the more freedom you'll have to choose your path after the tournament.
Those who aren't noticed by professors or don't stand out often end up becoming adventurers.
If you get to the top 500, you have a chance of getting scouted out and becoming one of the elf, human, reptilian, plantian, or Oceanian kings'
knights.
'I have never heard of those last three races. Kinda makes me think what they look like.'
'Images of fish, plant, and lizard people came across my mind.'
If you get to the top 150, you will be asked to join the U.A.N., United Academy Nation. Wherever you are, no matter what race you are, you can go there as long as you have strength and power. My goal is to get you two to reach the top 10.
"Wait. Me and Nox?"
"No, there's someone else you will be training with, and don't ask me about them, we'll meet them as soon as we get there.
'A training partner. Nice, I hope he's a chill guy. But he just said the top 10 out of thousands of participants. I might as well get ready to become an adventurer. I could barely kill a bear even with luck.'
"And finally, during these three weeks, before we go, I will teach you how to: control Ki, help you find your technique, and increase your power and stamina of Ki. "Any questions?"
I started to fidget with my thumbs and had a confused expression on my face.
"I mean, that's a lot to take in. How am I even gonna win one fight?"
He inhaled, then put his hand on my shoulder.
"Leave that part to the training."
"Another question. What are all the ranks?"
"First rank is Primitive, then RamKise, Apprentice, Journeyman, Exceptional, Ebon Saint, Ascended Saint, Divine Saint, Eclipse Monarch, and finally, Spirtha King. I'm not going to go into detail about each rank. The higher the rank, the larger the gap is between each rank. You're RamKise because you awakened your Ki. For the different races, they have different ranks in their lands.
'Interesting.'
"No, I don't have any more questions."
"Good, because we're here."
Ahead lay a murky swamp, twisted mangroves clawing at the fog that curled along the ground.