CHAPTER SEVEN

The next morning carried on as usual. I woke up and took a bath. Laying there in the still water caused my mind to organize itself - to settle on what had happened yesterday. I was going to the sect, I’m going to be a cultivator, and I’ll never get the opportunity to kill Denom. This is the direction my life is heading to. At least I have the opportunity to surpass being a mortal.

I get out of the tub, drying myself off before I get my clothes on. I step out the wooden door to find the main room of the house empty - Denom left to the marketplace. That brings another question in my head: How is he going to get the money? It doesn’t take me long to realize - he’s going to steal it. I mean, who in this tiny Sun Village is going to stop him? Actually, if he wanted..he could kill everyone in the village. At this thought I find myself running through the door and heading to the boy’s meeting area.

I jog into the clearing area, relieved to see Hawod and the other boys there. Unfortunately, I can see Hawod and Radul talking to each other. I jog over, sitting down to join the two of them.

“Hey, who invited you here? Get out!” Radul makes an arrogant smirk, trying to send me off. I'm tempted to slap it off.

“Shut up Radul! Anmos, I’ve got some bad news for you.” Hawod flashes a glare at Radul, looking at me with a hint of sympathy.

“Hmph. I won’t stay here any longer - you’ve heard my offer Hawod. Take it or leave it, but you know what’s best for you.” Radul, slightly annoyed, gets up and walks off to join his butt-kissing friends.

“Sorry about his behavior Anmos.” Hawod turns toward me, his black eyes looking at me carefully. He looks different - his messy black hair cut and stylized. He looks more professional then I’ve ever seen.

“It’s fine, so what’s up?” The pretty hairstyle has to be for something, right?

“Well, you see. Tomorrow, I’m heading to Sunrise City. My Dad got me an apprenticeship under an Alchemist in the Alchemist Foundation.” My eyes widen in shock. The Alchemist Foundation is a behemoth organization of weaponsmiths and alchemists. They have branches in every province and nearly every major city - their combined is unmeasurable.

“W-woah. That’s amazing Hawod.” I was a little shocked; an Alchemist's value to a cultivator is uncomparable! Who would imagine Hawod’s father had such a future in front of Hawod.

“Yeah, I actually have been preparing myself - Alchemy’s pretty amazing. But that’s not as important, Radul is heading to the Azure Melody Sect this week. He wants me to prepare special pills for him.” This blew me even further. This means Radul and I will be heading in the same carriage to the sect. What are the chances? And knowing him, if my talent is worse than his he’d never let it go.

I understand Radul wanting Hawod to make him pills. I mean, even though Hawod’s just starting, the more pills the better! A cultivator can never have too many pills.

“Well, I got my own piece of news. I’m heading for the Azure Melody Sect this week too.” I grin at Hawod; I’m a cultivator and he’s an alchemist. Our friendship will continue even after Sun Village.

“Really? That’s great! This causes for celebration! Listen here, rather than me giving Radul pills I’ll give you my first trial ones to you?” Hawod grins and laughs. The relief is obvious on his face, he clearly didn’t want to give Radul extra pills. I’m happy too, the more resources the better.

“Wait. YOU’re heading to the sect?” Radul must have overheard of us, he walked over to us with a frown on his face.

“Yeah, think you’re still so spectacular Radul?” I step up from the ground, looking him directly in the eyes. I see a flash of doubt on his face.

“Woah there. Don’t get excited, just because you’re the son of a cultivator doesn’t mean you inherited his talent.” Radul responds precisely, assuring himself. He does have a point there, after all, Denom said that previously I had terrible talent. But Radul doesn’t know about the “meeting” with my parents.

“We’ll see Radul, we’ll see.” I flash him a confident smirk and then sat back down. I begin some small talk with Hawod.

That was until a man, parent to be exact, ran into the clearing.

“All of you! Go to your homes! Don’t go to the marketplace! Hide and try and reunite with your parents!” He shouted at all of us, urging us to go home.

His eyes lock onto mine, and at that moment I see fear - real fear. It stays there, and he begins to take steps back, screaming at the kids to avoid me. I think back to my thought earlier. Is Denom really killing everyone in the village!?

I ignore all the other boys, nodding at Hawod. Hawod runs off to his own house, I run to the marketplace. Just what is Denom doing?

I eventually come up to the dirt road, taking a turn to the marketplace. Strangely, the road is completely empty, but when I take the turn to the stone shops, I see two men in the middle and a crowd in front of them. I recognize people in the crowd - all of them are merchants and/or fathers of some of the boys. I also quickly realize that Denom and Hawod’s father aren’t in the crowd.

“Well, it was nice seeing you. I’m not here to cause you any trouble, just to collect some money from these merchants.” Denom’s voice became clearer as I walk over, some in the crowd recognizing me. They all have the same shock and fear to me as the screaming man from earlier.

“Ah, it’s not an issue Denom. My carriage should arrive in the morning, I’m leaving to do some packing.” A voice extremely similar to Hawod’s rang out. I look at the man standing beside Denom - Hawod’s father. Wearing clothes unlike anyone else in Sun Village, his chubby body turns around and looks at me.

“Ah, Young Anmos. I see your father is collecting money for your trip to the sect? Once you get there, remember, you can always visit your old Uncle.” Hawod’s father walked past me in a timely manner, smiling the entire way. Hawod’s father left for the biggest house in Sun Village.

I shake my head and jog over to Denom’s side. He looks down at me, a caring smile appearing on his face, “You came to watch the show? It’ll be awfully quick.”

I simply nod; I don’t know what to say.

“All of you, hand over ten bronze coins each.” Denom shouts out to the crowd in front of him with his signature grin.

“With all due respect, that’s too much! We only make a hundred bronze coins every year!” A man in the crowd shouts out.

Denom frowns, killing intent surrounding that man alone. The man finds himself struggling to breathe, his hands reaching for his neck as choking noises ran throughout the empty square. Denom releases his killing intent, causing the man to fall on his knees - vomiting all over the floor. After letting his breakfast and lunch out, he finally manages to recover. The look he gave both me and Denom was one of complete fear.

“Anyways, for that little blunder, make it twenty bronze coins. Pay up.” Nobody dared to speak up, money bags falling onto the ground in unison. Some had their children run and get the money for them.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wasn’t that easy? All I request is that none of you guys come near my house again - understandable?” Denom had a casual grin, full of satisfaction, as he walked and grabbed each money bag. He finally dumps all the money in one bag, carrying it on his back.

He begins to walk toward our house.

“Well, there’s your trip paid.” He said with a cheery smile when he walked past me.