REVIVAL by Nick Venom (great book club books .TXT) 📕

“I noticed that something was off earlier. He said something to you that has distracted you for the last few hours. Your mind isn’t focused on the training but on what he said. Here’s a tip that I learn whenever he believes he knows what’s best for us. Absorb and discard. Okay?”

Enix nodded, cracking a smile. “Thanks,”

North smiled. “Of course, now go before she decides to relax.”

Enix nodded, walking away from North and towards Jessica. He approached her, finding her sitting on the grass. She looked up at Enix, breathing out a sigh of relief. She was expecting North, which would’ve stopped her heart. 

“What now?” She asked.

“I need you to get up. We got a lot of training to do.” He told her.

Jessica rolled her eyes before rising to her feet. She pointed her palms at the nearest tree and closed her eyes. She channeled her mana into her palms, a process that took a long time for her to master, and created a forcefield that absorbed her and some of her surroundings. She then turned to face Enix, smirking. “I already way past the others.”

“I need you to keep training. This progress is good, but I’m sure you can do better. Continue to train until you can make the forcefield larger. Oh, and work on your Ark Light as well.” He insisted.

Jessica scoffed before turning away from him, continuing to train without looking at him for several minutes. Enix, meanwhile, continued to watch over her training in case a situation arose that needed his attention. Fortunately, there was nothing that needed him as she had gotten better at controlling her forcefield and her mana supply. Over the last few months, she was able to control her forcefield effectively but at the cost of her Ark Light, which she didn’t dare to use as it was a weak light skill in her mind.

I wish I had similar abilities to her, so I could help. I can only watch from afar. He thought to himself, irritated by that thought. It was supporting Merlin’s words, which he didn’t appreciate.

“Uh… Hey, Jessica. How are you feeling? You don’t feel like fainting or something?” He asked her. She shot him an annoyed look before concentrating on her training, muttering something under her breath.

“Excuse me, what was that look for?” North asked, appearing out of nowhere. “And what did you just say? Repeat it!” She demanded.

Jessica looked away sheepishly. “... I-I-It was n-nothing,” She blurted out.

“Better be.” She said before beckoning Enix to follow her. They went some distance away, out of earshot. “Sorry about that, Enix. Even though you are her legal master, she continues to treat you like this.”

Enix shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, North. I’m sure she’s just acting out because she feels like she can’t any other way. Plus, it isn’t like she’s physically hurting me.” 

North shook her head disappointingly. “You need to put your foot down. Otherwise, she’ll walk right over you. She is your slave and you are her master. Sorry to say, but that’s how it goes legally.”

“Legally yes, but I won’t treat her like that. From where I came from, slavery has been legally outlawed for, at least, a hundred years. Maybe more.” Enix said.

“So?” 

“So I can’t convince myself to treat her like a slave since slavery didn’t exist where I was. I’m sure it did in other parts of the world, but not mine. The idea of buying and selling people is barbaric. And I only accepted them as slaves since I couldn’t free them. If I didn’t, then they would’ve been sent to new owners and who knows what they would’ve done to them. I’ve already yelled at her and said something I shouldn’t have already, so… I can’t treat them worse than I already have.”

“So you have the moral high ground here?” North asked. “Sorry, excuse me. I still can’t understand your world’s values, but I should respect it.”

“Thanks,” Enix said. North nodded her head before walking away, off to scold Jessica for her behavior and to continue her training. Enix watched them for a few moments, his stare lingering on North before he walked away. He approached Arson, seeing him training his Creation: Darkness ability. He sprouted chains out of his back that attacked the lone tree in front of him, grabbing ahold of the bark and ripping it out, and creating puncture holds. If a human was attacked by the ability, they would have several holes littering their torso with their heart most likely damaged. 

Enix reached Arson, careful to not stand in front of the attacks. He waited for Arson, who was concentrating on controlling every chain, to finish up. 

After a few moments of watching Arson struggle to control the chains, sometimes seeing them attack wildly or at the grass and not the tree, the training was put on hold for a small while. Arson turned to face Enix, surprised at his presence. “Master?”

“Hello, Arson. How’s your training?” He asked.

“Getting better, but… I feel like I’m getting stuck.” Arson said. 

Enix furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong?”

“I feel like my mana is being channeled through right, but it’s like there’s a block in my system. Do you know how to fix it?”

“Well… you tried meditating? Or have you been connecting your mana lines at night as I told you?”

Arson nodded. “Everything I could do. None of it is working. The block is still there.”

“Well… Uh… I’ll ask North about it.” He said defeatedly. Arson nodded, turning away from Enix and restarting his training. Enix stared at him for a few seconds before turning away and walking towards North.

As he headed towards North, he replayed Merlin’s question. It echoed through his head, irritating him. No, I’m fit as their mentor… I just need to learn about their abilities a little more. He thought to himself as an excuse for his inexperience. I’m sure I’m fit to be their mentor. I just need a way to show Merlin that.

He discarded any other thoughts as he reached North. He opened his mouth to say something, but a woman from Citrate interrupted him.

“Wyvern! A wyvern was sighted!” The woman shouted.

North turned to face the woman. “Where?”

“The White Forest! Some of the hunters saw the wyvern from afar! It’s going to make its nest near us!” The woman declared.

North nodded. “I’ll take care of it. Call everybody back and don’t let anybody leave until I say so.” She ordered. The woman nodded, turning around and rushing back to inform the others. 

With the woman gone, North turned to face Enix. “I’ll be leaving everybody in your possession while I’m gone. I won’t be long, but-”

“What if we sent Arson and the others?” He blurted, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

North raised an eyebrow. “You want to send them? Why?”

“Because I’m sure that they can kill the wyvern.” 

North shook her head. “Even so, it’s still a dangerous mission.”

“Come on, it shouldn’t be that hard for them. Plus, it isn’t a dragon, right?” He said.

“Well… Fine, I’ll let them. However, you take full responsibility if something goes wrong.” She told him.

Enix nodded violently, about to turn around when North suddenly stopped him. “If you’re doing this because of Merlin, then stop it. Trying to please him is harder than killing the strongest dragon.” She said.

Enix shook his head. “I’m sure of their abilities. Believe in me.”

North bit the inner part of her cheek before answering. “I… I will let them go in my stead. Get them prepared and briefed. They're going on an adventure to slay a wyvern. Make sure they understand the risks.”

“They will. It won’t be difficult for them. I’m sure of it… as their mentor.”

TBC…

“As the oldest and the only with a functional close-combat skill, you’ll be the leader.” Enix declared.

Arson nodded his head before bowing. “As you say,” He said. 

“Good, then depart instantly. Wyverns aren’t that dangerous, but they can prove to become pains in our side.” North said. “I need the wyvern taken care of as soon as you can. However, never underestimate it. In the end, it’s still a monster.”

Arson nodded. “I’ll make we don’t.” 

North nodded. “Then leave.”

Arson glanced at Enix who nodded his head. “I am sure that’ll you return victorious. North and I trained you after all.” He said. Arson smiled before turning away, leading the group away from Citrate and into the forest where the wyvern was sighted.

Arson was given directions by the people who saw the wyvern, now headed towards the designated area. Arson didn’t want to disappoint Enix or North, keeping the group moving at a decent pace. However, Jessica wasn’t fond of the walking pace. 

“Why can’t we hurry this thing up or draw it out?” She complained.

“What now, Jessica?” Arson asked, not looking at her. He kept his eyes on whatever was in front of him. 

“I’m just saying that there’s no point in taking this wyvern as anything serious. If it truly was dangerous, why would they send us? We only have almost four months of training and none of us can control our abilities.”

“Jessica?” Arson softly said. “Do not criticize our masters?”

“Do not criticize them?” Jessica exclaimed. “I criticize them because they feed into the systems that enslave us. And here they are, putting us to work. For what? So we can take over a job in the stupid town?”

“Jessica!” Natalia shouted, grabbing her attention. “Do not speak ill of them. They had no reasons to take us in, yet they did.”

“Yeah, and they saved us!” Milena chimed in.

“I agree,” Rex added.

“As you can see, Miss Noble, this is more than perfect treatment for us. Not all slaves get to enjoy freedom as luxuriously as we. Have you noticed that our master hasn’t put collars over our necks and whipped us for disobedience? A normal master would’ve whipped you several times for your arrogant and, honestly, spoiled behavior.” Natalie remarked, looking away from her. 

Arson glanced at Jessica who looked away from them, now pouting. 

“Well, let’s focus on the mission.” Arson said, directing the attention off Jessica and onto their situation. “We’re facing a wyvern with abilities that we’re unsure of. It could have fire skills or other elemental and null skills, who knows? Make sure you have your guard up.” He reminded them. 

“Are… Are we prepared to defeat it?” Milena asked.

Arson glanced at her but turned away before giving her a response. He was unsure himself. 

“We’ll be fine. If something happens, we’ll contact our master and North.” Natalie reassured her. Milena nodded, hugging a stick she had found on the floor. She hugged it tightly, cracking it. 

“Aw…” She muttered to herself, getting a few stares from the others. 

“Well… is it me or did our master look spook?” Rex muttered. 

Natalie glanced at him, frowning her eyebrows. “He didn’t seem like his usual side, but he could be tired. We train every day, so it could be stress getting to him.”

“I agree with Rex. All of us have dealt with stress and we even see our master suffering from it… but this didn’t look like it.” Arson interjected. “It seems like his mind has drifted away, but I’m sure it’s nothing devastating.”

The others, excluding Jessica, nodded in agreement. They continued