The selection day went relatively well except for some nobles who had to lower their ambitions, and some had not learned their lesson.

The examiners gave them a tool to measure virtues and their lack of humility and overinflated ego were mostly the reason for their failure.

But the tool also showed those who were involved with the lords of corruption.They were stung, and the academy and the dragoonry tried to remain neutral, not wanting to get involved with reason.

Sylon especially hated me, and I could feel his murderous aura growing day by day.

My parents had made the trip as well as my friends' parents, but you could tell that the nobles were laughing and giggling.

They had a plan. They were planning something bad, you could feel it, but I couldn't know. I was still a child. Well, almost a 14 year old adult.

That was the legal age to get married. But at 12, you still think like a kid.

As planned, we were assigned dormitories according to our orientation and I found myself in the dragonnerie, right next to the barracks for future knights.

I had Milo staying with me, and the nobles would make fun of me and tell me to go to the stables.

Basically, they were jealous of the closeness I had with my horse friend.

Milo was used to the smell of dragons and was not, well it was relative... as for the knights... not afraid of them.

At least he didn't panic and run away.

The others were in the dorms at the academy but nothing was set in stone at least until the day of the call

.My scholarship was financed by Lex, who was a guarantor, and my father, who had saved a considerable amount of money during his heroic adventures.

But I had a bad feeling... And my intuitions never betrayed me.

Our things were already brought to our rooms and I only had to climb a few stairs to go from the stable to our dormitories, passing by the wash house where a source of volcanic water provided the necessary comfort for a good bath.

The water, often loaded with soap, was recharged with soda to be drained to the washhouse. Everything was planned, even the recycling of resources.

As I approached my room, there was someone in it. 2 beds on either side of the room and 2 tables with 2 chairs.

And 2 chests with our stuff. There were canopies. I walked in and saw the guy doing pull-ups on the beam of his bed, showing his big pecs.

He paid no attention to me. Focused on his workout.

So I took off my shirt and stood in front of him and did pull-ups. His eyes popped out of his sockets when he saw my "Muscleman" or "He-man" stature.

Quickly, he picked up the pace but had to stop and when I was done, I was doing push-ups.

Quickly, he moved to my side and we each passed 100 pushups and, taking a sheet, he squeezed my hand around my wrist and I did the same.

"JIM" "I'll be your workout buddy!"

"Torin..Hi Jim..By the way, you're muscular too.."

"Yeah, selection is hard..."

Then, naturally, we did our sit-ups and took turns holding our feet. It was great...At least I had a new friend... All muscle... and I liked it better so....

Jim was honest and without ulterior motives. Training was going to be a joy and not a hassle...In bodybuilding, there was no place for gold or status.

We were partners, point, nothing else. He introduced me to his few friends and slowly a spirit of camaraderie was formed. But the nobles grouped themselves together, especially around Amon Goeth.

A Goth colossus, all muscle. As strong and built as Jim. Everyone revolved around him. He had the bad reputation of his family who ran mines full of slaves and "criminals" - hungry people who became brigands to eat - and his pleasure was to watch over the smooth running of his father's business, a relative of Lord Blackthorne.

In the morning, he would have his coffee, take a warm-up tour around the slave dormitories, signifying that it was time to get up. On the next lap, he would go in and slaughter the latecomers with his bare hands.

Then he would wash up and, still drying off, or with some unfortunate woman tending to her morning "wood", he would take his crossbow and... at the moment of pleasure, aim and kill those who had the misfortune to pause or talk instead of working

.He was feared, even in his milieu. He always had "hostages" and always got what he wanted in exchange for a "liberation" or "improvement" of the daily life which was summarized in one more day to live...

The mountain of corpses he accumulated was used to feed monsters that he released to hunt...peasants and...he enjoyed hunting monsters too.

A potential future Mondain...Of course, Sylon was a skilled bootlicker. One would think he was Amon's lover...But in the days that followed, my whole world was turned upside down because of those bastards.

In the evening, after washing up with Jim, I went to the arch-clerk's office. The title below archbishop but above bishop.

He was waiting for me.

"Come, Torin...I've been waiting for you."

There was a finely chiseled desk with crimped and polished mother-of-pearl, making the object beautiful. Within easy reach was a whole series of books worn down by daily use.

A cage with a parrot and doves.

A huge feather next to a solid ivory inkwell and a cupboard containing dozens and dozens of rolled up parchments.

He had a small belly, long curly gray hair and a beard reaching down to his knees., a purple hat and a pair of glasses to relieve his old eyes.

"Where are my manners Torin...Take a seat!"

I complied.

"I have been researching the magical traces I detect in you. There is a kind of lock placed on your soul. It looks and feels like a spiritual arrow that has been embedded in you since birth. It gives you the freedom of a very strong human but prevents your nature from expressing itself... How to say... You are like an empty wineskin, torn..and that will never swell...This is the consequence of a powerful spell of demonic domination, not possession...but with devastating side effects.

This kind of spell is very rare and is only used by demons or lords of corruption. They were created by Mondain and Minox and it is what corrupted Exodus.

But I see that you are strong and have overcome this unjust ordeal. I cannot say how or when this spell was cast. It is a mystery that I can unravel."

Me: "And this spell can prevent me from speaking or communicating?"

Arch-cleric Gamblin: "Indeed, it causes confusion, and isolates the victim in his thoughts and words.."

"And... is there any way to lift this curse?"

"Unfortunately, according to our information. Only a divine knife is capable of extracting the mystical arrow and cutting the bonds of the curse. It is the blade of brilliance."

Me: "And where is this blade?"

"Torin... it is lost forever... no one knows where it is... the only one who knew and possessed it, was Exodus. But no one knows where his lair was and it also takes a bishop or an arch-cleric to activate it. "

My eyes sparkled. Gamblin expected me to break down in tears but I smiled

"You... you know more than you look..."

"Master Gamblin, what does this blade of brilliance look like?"

"Come behind the desk"

And I saw in his book a drawing... BUT! but it was the dagger that Voltrax kept showing me...! Oh... my god... the brave dragoness... she was crying for me... she felt my wound, my condition...She knew. !!!!

It was indeed the companion of Exodus...If she is sweet, Exodus must have been a good dragon too... The wounded dragoness...the spectres and the blood....Yes...it all fits...

They tried to subjugate the dragoness and they failed... I was the one who took the arrow instead of her... And she cries about it... She blames herself...

Poor Altrax...What if...No...it's not possible....Everything was spinning in my head and it was getting complicated...but I knew where the dagger was...

"Master Gamblin...What if I could find the blade?"

"It would be a miracle and a blessing for you, but for Britannia, it would be the end... It would open a passage for Thor to come here. With the powers of Exodus and the spectres it would be the end. The monsters would flood in and the humans would be fair game.No... it is better that she stays where she is.

It is better. And you, apart from that, I see a huge future for you as a dragon rider...You have everything to succeed. A loving family, friends, and incredible strength."

"And there is no other way?"

"If Selene judged you to be a hero, at the summons you would appear in a red portal, blessed by the gods and cured of all curses. And you would also be immune to the corruption of the three Lords."