Chapter 6

“....... ….. ……. ……..! ” The elven soldier said in a loud voice.

Looks like we have a serious problem. My siblings are trying to communicate to the elve soldier but they’re not getting anywhere. I draw a symbol on the ground that depicts, we wish to enter, we mean no harm.

The elven soldier check out the symbols but he moves his head sideways. He signals his hands that we should stay here and he runs near the front gate of the city.

After a few moments, the elven soldier came back, he is holding a necklace and put it around his neck. “Cough, Do you understand me now?” The elven soldier asked, my siblings and I look to each other and nodded our head. “Your appearances look from hawk tribe? This is open city, you can enter but you need to fill out your names on that desk over there,” He explained then pointed out a group of tables inside the green gate. “Don’t do anything rash and don’t fly! the man over there will explain you the rules in this city and wear this,” He explained and handed over his necklace to my brother.

…

My brother give me the necklace and after two hours of waiting in the long line, finally, our turn. “What is your name? And is that your parents?” The robust elven asked, fortunately, my siblings didn’t understand.

“Sir, I think you misunderstand, the two here are my brother and sister, we are siblings.” I said in a modular tone, I put my hands in front of my siblings while my siblings just nodded their head with a questionable look.

“You look like a kid but your voice is old, just how old are you? what is your name and the two over there, I will explain to you the rules in this city and you must explain it to them.” He said in a loud voice.

The robust elven man told me that we can’t fly inside the city unless I become a high rank official or my flying is legitimate. I don’t have the right to kill anyone unless I’m just protecting myself and I need to prove that I’m protecting myself. All outsiders have to pay tax to their kingdom in every half a year. The other rules are no robbing, no trespassing and we must bow our heads if we see a high ranking officials from their kingdom, especially their queen.

“Thank you, Sir, can I have more of this?” I said and hold the translation language necklace.

“Of course, here, it’s not free it will be added to your semi annual tax,” He said, the two other translation necklace just popped out of nowhere in his right hand and give out some kind of certificate to me.

When I was about to asked him, “Next!” He shouted and waving his hand sideways.

Upon seeing the city, the structures here looks inspired from the ancient Greece period in the earth. Most of them are colored white also, there're some houses that made from wood. All their structures have different huge trees and plants that surrounding it. Suddenly, I feel a gush of wind, my brother open his wings and he's about to lift off.

“Stop! Arsenio!” I shouted then jump on his back while he folded his wings back immediately, Sigh, that was close. “Before we explore this city, I will tell you the rules in this city of Oria or else we might get killed from violating this city rules before we get our revenge...” I said and explained to them the city rules.

“I’m sorry, big brother, I got too excited,” Arsenio said as his face looking downwards.

“It’s all right, I got excited too, I forgot to tell you both the rules first, we can’t read their symbols and we can’t fly, we must stick together for now or else we might be lost in this city,” I said to them and both of them nodded their head.

I see a different kind of races, there are elves, land beastman that looks like a humanoid lion and some group of wing beastman that most of their feathers are black, if I’m not mistaken, they’re from the garuda tribe. They look at us for a moment and approaches us.

“Hehe, this is rare, a survivor from the hawk tribe? And you small one! your feather colors is quite unique,” One of the garuda tribe said in a loud voice as he looks at my body up close.

“Yes, Yes, we are just younglings from the hawk tribe that survived, please excuse us, Sirs, we have some important things to do,” I said in a well mannered tone and walk out.

“Halt! The way you talk small one is quite respectful but your behavior is opposite, you shall give me some things, maybe some gold, I might ignore this,” he said while his eyes slanting at me.

My eyes roll to the side, there are some elves that watching us, “We don’t have any gold coin sir, we don’t even have a copper coin look at our clothes, do I need to explain things to your bird brain? ” I said in a sarcastic tone.

“What do you mean bird brain!” He shouted and accelerate fast towards me. I see his black right claw hand approaching my head.

I duck as fast as I can and glide my small stature body to his right side. I see his left hand is going to my stomach, as soon as I saw it, I flap my wings and jump fast to his back. Using all my weight and momentum while in the air, I shifted it to my right closed claw and targeted his neck. He moves his body a bit and my claw landed on the back of his head. There’s a cracking sound that I heard and his body fall to the ground.

I see the other garuda tribe members that preparing themselves and going to attack but suddenly stop for a moment. They see one of them on the ground and white things coming out from his mouth while his nose is bleeding.

“What did you do kid! This is a heinous crime!” One of the garudas shouted, all them summon their soul weapons at the same time.

“My fellow gentleman, how come that this is a crime? I’m just protecting myself, I almost died back there.” I said and tilt my head a bit downward while looking at them, “Come If you want to die too,” I said in a slow and creepy voice as I tried to imitate the voice of the dragon. I see them going to attack me simultaneously while I still standing up confident as I look at them.

“Stop! Stop!” Some elve guard shouted, they all halted their actions while I’m panting heavily and kneeling on the ground. “You again from garuda tribe, this will be the last time!” He shouted at the garuda beastmans while the garuda beastmans lifted one of their injured fellows, it looks lifeless and there’s still blood that coming out from his nose. Maybe he is still alive and maybe he will.

“Sorry for that, it’s quite hard to stop them because they have some.. anyway, why the two of you don’t help this young man?” He said while I'm still laying on the ground.

“Thank you for helping us, Arsenio! get our brother.” My sister said in a loud voice, my brother lift me up and put me on his back.

While walking, “Big brother, stop that acting! the elve man is far,” Minerva said while sneering at me.

“I’m not pretending! I’m really having a hard time earlier that garuda tribe fellow is quite strong.” I said and jump off to my brother’s back. “Why the two of you just watching me earlier?” I asked,

“Big brother, I don’t think we need help you, you can kill them, you killed one,” Arsenio said while looking around the area or I think he’s checking out the woman elves. Maybe this is just my imagination, probably.

“Arsenio, I’m not that heartless, I think that garuda beastman is alive but he will have some sort of body problems,” I said, when I see some women elves, most of them have long hair that has a shade of mahogany while their eyes pupil are light blue.

“Big brother, you told us that we must be very careful here but you are not.” Minerva said then look at me closely, “And big brother, don’t copy the voice of the dragon again.” She said while her face twitched in annoyance.

“I’m very careful, that garuda attack me first and I think, I’m just protecting myself back there, what about my dragon voice? I think all of them got scared from my dragon voice,” I said while scratching the back of my head.

“Big brother, you probe that garuda beastman and I know you did it intentionally, your voice.. Sigh, you must hear yourself personally, your voice is like a dragon but it’s very old and very very weak dragon,” She said while looking disgusted at me. I see my brother lift his heads up and his eyes crinkle while his beak is opening and closing.

“Arsenio! Are you laughing at your big brother?” I asked in a loud voice.

“No, big brother!” He said and stand up straight then saluted at me.

While walking through the city of Oria, the air is fresh or more abundant than the outside. The streets are clean, the breeze of wind is calm while glimpses of sunlight from the trees are illuminating the shadow of streets and the perfect environment is giving soothing effects. As my eyes wander, the elves women are quite a beauty and now I’m certain, some of these beauty elves are man. Fortunately, I don’t feel any attraction from them. The small road is quite rough and some caravans are passing us. I think, this isn’t like any other city that I saw, this is more like a forest city.

After a few moments of strolling around, my plan finally paid off. I see elve that wearing white robe that has black lining from his left neck that slanted through the right side of his hips approaching us, “Excuse me, I see you earlier fighting the other wing beastman, and see how you act, I mean how you react, I think your group just arrive here and you must be searching for work, I have some proposition, If you have some time please hear me out,” he said in a respectful tone.

“We indeed need some work,” I said to him in modular tone.

The elve told us that they’re recruiting new members, he’s part of the independent group that called Order of the Glaives. They’re not part of any kingdom army nor a mercenary group but an independent group that has branches on all over the different kingdoms in this world. Their international group is doing some sort of odd missions, helping the people out, monster subjugation and other mission that will reward their members generously if their members finished their missions.

“That’s quite interesting group you have there, we are interested,?” I said,

“Please, follow me, and you can call me Hulio,” he said and started walking.

After a few moments, I see a huge house that made of stone, I think, this looks like a castle. As we enter, a bustling bunch of different races welcomes us, I see a huge wolf beastmans, some garuda tribe wing beastmans, green brawny bodied beastmans that have a long tusk between their mouth and the rest are elves. Most of them are drinking something in different group tables while the others are looking at the massive board that full of papers.

Sigh, I think, these humanoids here have similarities from a movie that I watched with my family, if I'm not mistaken the movie title is Lord of the Rings.

“Big brother! Why did you stop there!” Minerva shouted and I run to them.

These strange humanoids didn't even notice us or maybe they don’t care. We follow our guide elves to some long table that have elves attendants in it. He talks to one of the attendants and the elves attendant walk toward us.

“Nice to meet you, I am Kara, a receptionist from the Order of the Glaives. I will guide you, personally witness the assessment of your rank and record some personal details to each one of you. And of course, I will gladly answer your questions about our organization, if you pass, please follow me.” She said in a well mannered tone.

After a few moments, Inside of some private room in the second floor, “I will ask some personal question to each one of you but first please introduce yourself,” she said and sit on the chair. “Sorry, please have a seat first,” She said,

“My name is Norman Hawk, I’m eight years old and my soul weapon is some kind of long range type. I just want to clear to you that these are my siblings.” I said, her eyes widen for a moment and nodded her head

“I’m Minerva Hawk, eight years old, my soul weapon is a spear,” Minerva said,

“Arsenio Hawk, Also eight years old, soul weapon axe!” Arsenio said in a loud voice.

We informed her that we’re survivor from the hawk tribe, we just want to earn some gold to survive and live peacefully. At first, she’s hesitant to accept us because of our age but I told her that if we fail the rank assessment test we will not force ourselves to join. Also, I told her that our bodies are different from them, our body matures more early but I have some problems in my height. While she responded to me that she knows it and they have a youngest member, 10 years old from the wing beastman.

After a few moments, she finally agree but she will register us as a 9 years old, before we leave, she informed us that each of their members is rank by Regus, Rook, Centurion, Knight, Nemesis, Legend, Mythical and Phantasmal. The Regus is the weakest while the Phantasmal is the strongest. We could only do missions that the difficulty are the same or below our rank. We go out in their private room and walk towards their backyard to do the rank assessment test.

When we arrived, “Oh! Finally the newcomers! I’m tired of waiting here,” The old man elve said, he’s wearing a sleeveless green robe and his arms have well toned muscles. He has a long silver hair and green eyes, he’s doing some sort of warm up exercises.

“He is Leron, our branch master, he will spar to each one of you. Please prepare yourself and your soul weapon. You don’t need to hold back,” Kara said and moves her face near at us, “Please kill that old man, if you can,” she whispered.

Why this girl elve here called that old man, he looks middle aged man to me.

“Hey, I heard that! If those newcomers are strong, I might die,” the old elve man shouted.

“Sorry branch master, I’m just kidding, all them are 9 years old and they are siblings. Please go easy on them old man,” she said while forcing herself to smile. She walks away in quite far from us and sits on the chair.

“Big Brother, I’m first!” Arsenio said while jumping.

They move in the middle area and the old elve still looking at my brother while my brother summons his soul weapon axe and accelerate fast to the old man. With the additional help of his wings, he slashes fast diagonally and kicks the front of the old man. After slashing and hacking for a few moments, my brother didn’t even touch the clothes of the old man while my brother grasping his breath.

“Not bad, you’re quite strong for your age, your rank is, rook,” He said while my brother still panting heavily and walk at a slow pace toward us.

“Sorry, big brother, that old man is fast.” He said while looking downwards.

“It’s ok, you fought well and that old man is quite your weakness because he’s too fast for you,” I said as I tap his shoulder.

“Big brother, I want to test my limit,” Minerva said as her eyes sparkle, looks like she will give it with all she got.

“I know, it’s ok, you can go first,” I said and wave my hand.

In the middle, Minerva summons her soul weapon, the long black thin spear. She lifts her weapon using her right hand and moving it behind her back. Her right arms veins are bulging, after a few moments, she throws it fast to the old man. I hear some whistling sound as she throws her weapon.The old man eyes widen and block the weapon using his left hand. The old man left hand has some small tornado in it as he blocks my sister’s spear. My sister immediately propels herself fast to the old man, when she’s quite close, she unsummon her weapon and her weapon appear again to his right hand and hack the old man in different angles. The old man body becomes blur then appears behind my sister and tap my sister back.

“You’re quite dangerous, you even forced me to used two techniques, but you became confident and you forgot to guard yourself, you can make it to Knight rank but because I caught you off guard, I can only give you centurion rank for now.” He said behind my sister then my sister slowly fly downwards and approach me.

“Sorry big brother, I got full of myself,” She said while still looking dejected.

“It’s ok, the centurion rank is quite a feat, the important is you know what area you need to improve, you’re too reckless, It’s my turn now,” I said to them and fly to the middle area.

After a few minutes while facing the old man, “What are you waiting for kid? Summon your soul weapon!” the old man said in a loud voice.

“Senior Leron, I’m sorry but I think, We have some problems, my soul weapon is not suited in one on one battle,” I said and summon my soul weapon.