At the end of spring I turned officially 5.

Albeit too slowly to my liking, time was moving on. Tupu was generous with me and granted me growth. With the strict morning routine I've kept going on during my early years I was now quite the fit kid. What's even more enjoyable was the flexibility I have with this body. Never in my previous life was I able to make a front split à la Van Damme.

There are no mirrors around, be it at the temple or at home but from what I can tell when looking at my reflection in the water (quite the narcissist) I like to think I look a bit older. Maybe it's just because I'm more serious looking than the other kids my age?

I also inherited my father's sunken eyes: I always look like a student before his exams, sleep deprived and exhausted. Sadly, I haven't found any coffee substitute in this world.

When I'm comparing myself to the other kids I can meet it's still hard to gauge the passing of time in this world. My friends also look older than their civil age but it might be due to my influence on them or the fact that they undergone the same training I did. Buffing up makes you look more grown up. The younger acolytes at the temple do look their age until puberty kicks up. I noticed that it may be starting earlier in this world. Mekas isn't 16 but he already has a light shadow of a beard and some of the acolytes start showing the premises of a moustache starting 12 springs old.

I haven't seen enough girls in their teenage years to compare. Girls should start their puberty earlier so it would be more informative.

Gelcaria, Melodi and Balout also grew up in the past year. Melodi is the tallest of us by a head, not including her cat ears, while Balout is the smallest but makes up for it with sheer weight.

Now that they took the opportunity to work for Peterell both girls have more to eat: their ribs are showing less and they are putting some meat around those bony wrists. Maybe the malnutrition was holding their growth back?

Balout was already sturdy I guess bakers earn more than seamstresses or smelters.

To get more information on the matter of growth I've started keeping track of my youngest sister's growth and drawn her growth curve. I have no tools so I had to make up a measuring board by myself. I doubt my “meter” is right but at least it will stay the same. Weight is a bit more complicated to gauge. We have no scales at home, nor standardized counterweight. So I use an array of small sandbags that I've labelled myself and a makeshift scale. Again this is not scientific but it allows me to get a rough idea of what her growth curve looks like.

This world units are even more of a mess than writing or counting. There are feet, thumbs, hands, fingers everywhere, with no one being sure they use the same length for the same body part. The feet of a tall man isn't the same as the feet of a small girl. Yet both will use their feet to count....

Weight is even worse. Every shop use their own counterweight. Some shops are know to be more generous or clients friendly than other in their deals.

Bringing the metric system could be the work of a lifetime but I have no idea where to start. This will have to wait.

* * * * *

With Spring settling in for good and the warming of the air Sansho required less help with the groceries, she can now shoulder the outside temperature long enough to manage on her own.

This left me with more free time on my hands which also means that the other acolytes tried to dump more of their chores on me.

They got caught by Sansho and she shooed them away, her scales took a nice carmine tint before lecturing me: “You ssssmall and weak. Need to be careful.” she grabbed my wrist and dragged me to her with the strength only Beastkins can possess “Sssmall beassst with no clawsss nor fangsss are weak. You need fight. Learn use what you have.” During her lecture she turned back to her usual deep green colour.

Her hand went to fondle under my shirt to fetch my dagger out. “Good metal, bad user. You train with Orsssov or clean all latrinesss for ever.” With this last threat I was dragged to the temple's courtyard where the priests and acolytes of the more martial gods have their training ground.

The court is wider than my house, there are a few trees growing on the border wall maintaining the temperature all year long. In winter they stop the cold northern winds and in the summer they provide shade to cool the yard and right now they just provide a beautiful blooming array of colours.

In the middle of the court there is a simple sanded area for the wrestlers and fighters with a few wooden poles to the side.

Currently there are only three people here. The senior priest of Dard: Gupta, training with a young man. And a priest of Tupu tending to the flowerbeds.

Despite not being older than 30 springs Gupta got honourably discharged after a grave wound, he was an officer in the Shield lord's army before becoming a priest.

Sansho told me he lost his left foot to the jaws of some monster. He got a wooden prosthetic replacement but nothing fancy or really functional.

Despite having left the army he keeps his martial looks: his clothes always without wrinkles, dark hair with a buzz cut and neatly shaved expect for a moustache that looks minutely trimmed, not a single hair going astray.

Despite his crippling injury he only shows a light limping, barely noticeable under his long martial robe. One must know it is there to notice it.

He is currently training Orzhov using his weapon of choice: a long pole arm that reminds of a halberd but is in fact more like an axe with a longer shaft. The reach helps to make up for his lost nimbleness.

Orzhov is one of the acolytes that is on his confirmation path. He chose to worship Husnd, god of family and protectors but also the god of war.

The young man is of foreign origins: his pale blonde hair almost white in bright light labelling him as a northerner of the far away tribal kingdoms of Stamm.

They do not have a good reputation around here. They are now under the jurisdiction of the Empire just like we are but for years they fought against it, pillaging and plundering the Empire.

Our Shieldom's troop was levied many time to fight them back in the previous century thus the bad blood between us. Even if there's been no fights between us for decades, bad reputation sticks for a long time.

I don't think Orzhov was born or grew up in the Stamm tribes though: he has no accent. My best guess would be that he is the kid of a prisoner of war or an exile and got raised in the temple.

To face Gupta he's using the iconic weapons of Husnd: the dual shields. A small buckler shield in his right, used to punch at the enemy and a massive teardrop shield with sharpened edges in the left.

His movements are nimble and his footwork is dazzling, he keeps changing footing like a boxer despite the weight of his weapons.

And indeed boxing is his fighting style, he has to get close to punch at the enemy and here the long reach of Gupta's axe is problematic. Even when he manages to deflect a hit of the dulled training axe with his buckler, Gupta uses the shaft of his weapon as a fighting rod whenever the teenager tries to get closer.

There are few clashes of blunted wooden weapons between them, they spend most of their time turning around each other, waiting for an opening. A sign that both are trained fighters and not amateurs.

They aren't wearing any armour on but the weapons are still heavy and they aren't showing any panting of tiredness, this can only mean that they are using some Chi or other enhancement and not just pure strength.

Sansho's scales turn to a deep blue as she interrupt the both of them. “Now kidsss, take a break. You Orsssov, come here. I have a favour to asssk.” Much to my surprise both of them stops and even if Gupta raised an eyebrow at being called a kid he didn't dare correct her.

Sansho shoves me in front of Orzhov “Thisss isss young acolyte, Teleriosss. Weak and feeble, much hazing. You train him. Make not weak.” Her tone isn't domineering enough to be an order but still leave little room for refusal.

The young man looks dejectedly at me, unhappy with the chore. “He is too young, I can't be bothered with him. Can't you ask for Voldig to do it?”

Voldig is another young acolyte in his 11th spring and he intends to follow Nasibor to become one of her wandering blades, priest-soldiers that roams the land to free them of monsters. They do not have that good a reputation despite their noble mission, often resorting to banditry and extortion to feed themselves on the road. They are often accused of senseless murder.

And Vol fits the description: he is brutal and impulsive. I don't want him to wield a weapon anywhere near me, even a blunted one.

My lizard matriarch takes a nice orange tint “No. Little Voldig hasss lesss brain than even Sansho.” She points at herself with inopportune pride, “You tasssked with protection. You teach or no more meat for you!” She uses her trump card: she is in charge of our meals. That is where her true power resides.

Despite the obvious displeasure the threat of reduced meals is enough for Orzhov to yield. “Fine. But only twice a week, I can't be bothered with little kids too often, I have a strict training to follow as my ceremony is soon to come.” He excuses himself.

He is referring at his 16th spring where he'll get tested to check if he is worthy of becoming a priest of Husnd. This is a weak excuse, he still got two more years in front of him.

Sansho turns back to her usual green “Good. You nicsse kid. Teach well, fed well.” She tosses me at him like I'm a sack of potatoes. “Now I go back to kitchen. Here not warm.” she leaves us just like she came.

Orzhov sighs and helps me to get back on my feet. Gupta joins us mumbling in a deep voice “How did you earn yourself the protection of our chef, kiddo? I've never heard of her favouring some acolytes. I should ask Patiyar about it.” His moustache is quivering in an interrogative dance.

I do not have an answer for him. I've only been here for a couple months and just helped her with the groceries, so I can only shrug at him. “Sorry sir, I have no idea either.”

The crippled veteran looks pensively at the trees surrounding the courtyard. There are some peaches like budding with early bright pink flowers. “Anyway, enjoy your luck and be sure to thank her later on. I'm taking a rest and a shower, take care of him Orzhov. You better not let the lizard down, our meals are at stack here.” He leaves on this last warning that was also a light joke. His meals shouln't be at risk here.

The pale blond teen makes a martial salute before turning towards me with a grumpy look: “What are you good at?” he inquires.

I show him my knife “I only have this weapon. I'm not that strong but I think I'm quite fleet footed.”

I'm being humble here but I think I've never been this deft in my previous life. I should manage whatever low expectations he has for me.

He puts his teardrop shield down on the ground to take a better look at me. His grey eyes are calm and serene, unlike most boys his age. His nose is a bit crooked but it gives him an aquiline look that adds to his charisma despite not making him good looking. “How did you become an acolyte so young? If you have that much money you should have hired a sword master to train you or just bribed the other acolytes.”

I can't really explain my circumstances so I have no snarly comeback for him. I just make a small lie and shrugs. “I'm not rich. I was just hired by the head priest because I've showed some talent in reading.”

He sighs again both annoyed and tired. “Fine, let's see what you can do but you better put a good word for me at Sansho, I want the best meat there is.” he warns me.

For the next hour he taught me the right posture to use with a short blade then we spar. I've switched my dagger for one of the training wooden swords.

I tried running around him but with the help of Chi and since he's only using his buckler, his stamina lasted longer than mine. Only once was I able to hit him with a light kick since he got dizzy from me turning around him and lost his footing for an instant.

“Not bad, kid. You won't be able to use that in a real fight thought. Running around me isn't a viable tactic, now come at me for real!” he taunts.

I get punched by his buckler a few times, earning some big bruises and a nosebleed in the process. On his last parry I got the full brunt of his buckler in my face as he blocked me when I was diving towards him.

A bloody nose ends up today's lesson.

“Sansho's right. You are too weak. You lack endurance and peak strength. Mostly because you are too young and have no Chi yet.” he diagnoses as I pinch my nostril to quench the red stream. “Your footing is fine though, could use some more training in fast direction switch but you have some foundation. My best advice is for you to keep training.” Great advice, couldn't have thought of this one on my own...

I am now to train with him twice a week, mostly to run laps around the courtyard while carrying a bag of sand. Then he would humiliate me with a quick sparring that always ends when I get knocked off by a buckler punch.

My progresses are slow but steady. The boy knows his martial training and gives good advices on my posture and how to best use my blade. He also took it on him to protect me from the hazing, making it clear that each acolyte should take care of his own chores.

I made sure to thank Sansho and have her put extra rations for Orzhov. With the time freed from doing the chores of others I could spend a bit more time helping her in the kitchen.

I still don't get why she sided with me and what her real deal is but she seems happy, her scales turning a light green, like young leaves when I help her around the kitchen. “Young hatchlingsss mussst be protected. Good kidsss help in return. Godsss and Sansho are happy.” was the best explanation I could get from her.

On the scholar field I started making some progress with Mekas. He took a bit of interest in geometry. Oddly enough this is considered a complex subject only studied by architects and the astronomers association. Even a scholar like him didn't got taught much about it.

He is quite fascinated by the rules I can show him and the regularity with which he can find unknown factors. But to him it is more a puzzle solving game than something with practical use. He has the mindset of a scribe not of a mathematician.

More than often I leave the temple late at dusk. We are still in spring and although days are growing longer the sun still sets down quite early, before second evening bell.

Now that she works for Peterell Gelcaria ends her day far earlier than I do. She sometimes waits for me at the temple's entry or I will find her already in the attic when I come back home.

During the afternoons she spends with Melodi they wander around or just play. There is some sort of light rivalry growing between the both of them. A good kind of rivalry where they push one another to better themselves.

She tries to pass on some of the things I taught her or they have some mock fights, both striving to become stronger than the other.

When Gel stays for the night, which still happens almost half of the time, I teach her as much as I can. Ideograms I recently learned of course but also more about history, geography and even some biology. Some of this world, some of mine, slowly bringing in more understanding of our surroundings. Now that she has to admit my strange knowledge got me the benediction of a god, she is far more ready to believe anything I say no matter how unlikely it might sounds on the first approach.

She must now be the smartest fisherwoman ever.