Chapter 29: Terms and Conditions
I stayed in bed for a couple more days after waking up and then slowly moved my body little by little everyday, today is the second week since I woke up and Nine had been helping me regain my physical health as well as train my body to get back in shape so I can start my training with the sword.
After my basic body exercise which by the way is not as basic as you think! I have to ran around the mountain which is rocky and full of slopes so its more like a mountain climbing than a simple jog, and that's not just one lap but 20 laps per day. That's just the beginning! after the jog, I would then have to finish 3 sets of 50 push ups, 50 sit ups, and 50 squats! I asked Nine why I have to those things but he said that I just have to think of a bow and arrow.
In order to launch an arrow more effectively and powerfully, the bow must be sturdy and flexible at the same time. He said that our bodies are the bow and our attacks, no matter what it is, may it be weapons or magic, are the arrow. So despite the harsh basic training, I still did it.
I mean its way way more basic than what Zain, Eli and Tafi are doing!
They have to jog, the same path I do, but they must do it 100 times, and then do the same other stuff but double its number! and take note that, that is just their warm up before training. After doing the hell warm up they would start sparring, 3 vs 1 and it would always end the same way, the three young men would be defeated and Nine would win without even breaking a sweat.
I was in awe when I first saw their training but then after seeing it everyday, It becomes something normal.
Just like me the staff also fell in hibernation, I used dragon eyes to see what is happening inside the staff and saw the consciousness inside sleep, The consciousness does not have form so it is difficult to explain what I actually saw, anyway I'm just relieved that the Staff consciousness is still intact.
We had also established the conditions of the fight, since I won, I will be the one deciding what the conditions are just like what we vowed.
First of all, I made Nine vow to never betray me just like Eli and the others. Nine do not have emotions and is too rational for his own good so there might come a time if ever the turning point of when he turns his emotional switch back on never happens, that he chose to just abandon us or even betray us to keep himself safe.
There are too much changes in the story already and I can never be too sure of the future anymore so I have to take at least this much precaution.
Second would be that he will train us as much as he can, the basics and the advanced skills of the weapons we chose. I don't actually have to include this since even before I woke up he and the others had been training already, I just added it to make things clearer.
Third would be about trivial matters like cooking and other house chores and lastly, the fourth is something I can't actually call a condition but an offer.
In the book, Nine is one of the important key characters and not just someone fleeting. I do not recall much of the story but I am sure that Nine accompanied Zain in his journey. Anyway, I invited Nine to travel with us, It's actually funny how I invited him when I was the one who spent the least amount of time with him. It was also funny how the other encouraged him to to follow me when they do not even know who I am and what exactly I plan to do.
"I will give you time to think, until we finish our training" I said
Nine became silent and thought hard.
Just as I was about to stand up and go to the kitchen, since I was assigned to cook for today, Nine suddenly spoke
"I have a lot of questions that I have been keeping to myself since the first time I met you." He said while looking at me intently
so I sat back up again and faced him
"Who exactly are you?" He asked, The other young men also looked at me, anticipating the answer. I guess Nine is not the only one curious about me.
"I am Princess Anya Ruth Theodoreford, The only Princess of the empire 1 401 years ago, and I was sealed inside a space where time stopped together with a Dragon who taught me magic, I successfully broke he seal a year ago and discovered that that much time had passed. I'm on my way to the empire to know and learn things that I missed during my time in the seal." I said the summarize version of the truth and looked at their reactions.
Tafi's jaw dropped after hearing my words, Eli and Zain's eyebrows were furrowed while Nine looked at me blankly without any emotions in his eyes.
"Do you want me to believe that obvious lie?"Nine said coldly so I laughed.
"I'm Anya and I'm not a bastard from the Royal family neither am I a legal child, I'm just a commoner, I awoken my powers when I was 6 years old and it changed my appearance into what you are seeing right now. I was called a cursed child back then, not knowing that I awakened my powers, I went berserk and killed the children that made fun of me. I was locked in the city Jail because of my actions but then someone took me out. A mysterious magician, I do not know his origins but he took me out, saying that I he will train me. Just like he said, he trained me as we traveled around the Empire's territory. He lost his life a year ago so I decided to go back to the empire and fulfill his last wish before he died. It was to end the slavery in the empire" I said as I look at Zain, and the others who were caught by human traffickers just a year ago and saw them clench their fist at my words
"That does not explain why you came to me a year ago" Nine said
"I heard your name quite a lot of times, as I said, me and my master traveled the empire together so we met a lot of people as well as soldiers and not just one but quite a lot of them told master about a man who secluded himself in the eastern mountain. My master was looking for people to help him achieve his goal and you are one of the candidates that caught his attention. Hence, I came in my masters steed, Just like how I inherited his goal, I also plan on following the path he saw when he was still alive" I said without even feeling an ounce of guilt. I guess being an author makes me a good liar too.
Nine was thinking hard again while looking at the floor with his hand on his chin.
"I will follow Lady Anya and save the slaved people!" Tafi suddenly said loudly which broke the heavy atmosphere
"That would be difficult, given that Human trafficking is still legal to a lot of kingdoms as well as the empire, but I guess I can somehow help, As long as the goal is set, Planning wont be impossible" Elliot said while smiling
"I would also like to be part of this" Zain said
So all four of us looked at Nine who had yet decided
"You told me to think about it, so I will. Human slavery is truly inhumane and immoral but no matter how much I think about it, there is nothing that can help me or benefit me if I come with you" Nine said seriously which turned the atmosphere in the room heavy once again.
I can't help but sigh at his words, and I was about to bring up something that would probably hit some sore spot in him when we heard rustling from the forest.
It was quite peculiar to hear such things since even after a year, The monsters and animals never came back to the forest and still kept on attacking the Frasha village, It is more amazing that the village is still intact. Anyway, we all postponed our talk and stealthily walk toward the wall of the house.
[The
As soon as I activated the Dragon eyes, I saw at least 50 people surrounding the house, hiding on top of the trees of behind the bush.
"There are people outside, and they all have weapons" I whispered
Nine took out his sword
[The
As soon as I activated the weapon forge, a whip sword suddenly appeared on my hand, I gave it to Zain who doesn't have a weapon.
Eli used the bow and arrow, he is also a mage so he never actually trained himself with a sword, Tafi is a combat fighter, despite being young, he is a beast folk so fight adut men is not that difficult to him, plus his weapon is his claws so he never trained using other weapons.
"I had it in my spatial pocket and I am lending it to you" I said to Zain before he could even ask where I got the sword. Despite being made from my skill, The sword that Zain is holding is an exact replica of Valentina and Valentina was one of the best swords in terms of quality so I can understand how Zain felt.
"There are at least 50 of them, oh wait let e correct that, there are at least 100 of them, and it seems like a lot more are coming" I whispered
I guess being outnumbered in my novel was an understatement.
Who would have thought that the day when Nine is destined to turn the emotional switch back on is today?