It took another few days, my resolve wearing down a bit as the days went on and on. The only things that brought me joy, were my continued raise in strength.

I practiced constantly. The growth was addictive. The constant addition to my menagerie was a great motivator. All these new pets brought me great joy. The only company in a sea of loneliness.

That was a bit of happiness every day. Until I grew tired to continue and fell into restless sleep. Eating, sleep and a little bit of happiness was all I had.

That changed rapidly, the opening of the door to my prison was a shock to me. I was still eating my breakfast when one of the soldiers of the horde barged into my room. With my surprise and first encounter with an actual person in weeks, I dropped my breakfast on my lap, the stains that it left were not particularly pleasant, but I had little chance to change anything, as before I knew it the Tier 3 guard had pulled me up and was forcing me out the door.

Trying to fight back was pointless, his strength dwarfed mine significantly. Pulling me through the corridors I could see a few others getting the same treatment. The grin on their collective faces showed they enjoyed the treatment they were dishing out.

It took a few minutes of pained travel before I was thrown out into the same courtyard I first arrived in. Landing on the ground, mixed with my stained, ragged and very smelly clothes made me quite a sight, for the five youths standing tall on the other side of the area.

I heard a few others being thrown alongside me. Getting to my feet slowly I looked around at the people on my side, with very similar apparel and looks. They ranged in skin-tone and height quite a lot, but the aura of a Tier 1 shone around us all.

The same could not be said for the group opposite us, even the weakest was Tier 3 the strongest being a startling Tier 5 Red. It was quite a difference.

A lone man stood in the middle of us both. Glaring at us, as if we were to blame for our arrival.

"Now that the lessers are here, we can begin"

What the hell was he saying, begin what.

"As usual the mismatch of powers between the legacies and the outcasts are stark. so it is up to me to equal those differences as much as can be done for barbarians."

That I did take offense to, I was a native of the largest power in the world, if I was a barbarian what were they.

Any chance of talking was stopped, I couldn't tell why, but whenever I tried to speak, I just couldn't.

Similar to the spell that blocked me using magic in the cell. I don't know how they did it, but we couldn't speak.

"Who will we be assigned to?"

As if to further strike home the inequality, these fellows could speak perfectly well, with great ease. Nothing stopping them.

This was a heavily unfair situation, but what should I expect, nothing about the Horde particularly screamed equality for all.

"You may choose your partner for the next year, it will be based on your own judgement whether you will succeed or fail at the trials"

I'm sorry what the hell were the trials and why were getting partners, I thought It was going to be a team situation.

Instead we seemed to becoming the servants for the elite of the Horde.

The five seemed pretty unhappy with the choice that was on offer. All five of them, boys all, towered over each of us. We seemed to be the same age but the difference was stark.

The tallest picked first, It was weird their height seemed to go up with their tiers, the strongest towering over us all. The weakest only being a little taller than us.

He picked the strongest of us, he had great muscles that even his dirty appearance couldn't hide. He had been a blacksmith or loggers son or apprentice no doubt, the rest of us were very scrawny in comparison. His Aura outshone all of us as well, it was clear he had been diligently training.

They seemed to follow a similar pattern, but they chose from aura from that point on really, I had been slacking a little with my aura practice, enjoying more the relaxing time in my astral body with my fawning pets cuddled around me.

So I was picked last by the weakest of the bunch, The tier 3 seemed disgusted that I was all he had to show from the grouping.

"Very good, now that you have all picked your squire, you may now take a few minutes to get to know your squire and their skills before we start the drills."

My new master apparently didn't seem best pleased with the situation, as for the second time today I found myself being pulled around by a Tier 3 I had never met before.

"My name to you is Master lirin, nothing else. My aim is to become a prime, you will either assist me in that task, or I will kill you off and request a new squire."

That was a lot to take in, of course his aim was prime as they seemed to be the head honchos around here at least, according to the books they were just two rungs under warlord. It seemed a shame he didn't aim for warlord, but still that must be due to some cultural reason. I would never think of becoming Emperor I suppose.

"My name is Micael, I am planning on killing a high family in the Empire at some point in the future."

That did take him aback, it took him a few seconds to get his bearings once again. His smile was a lot more sincere now.

"Okay maybe you will be a useful squire."