Dren finished his morning training with a satisfied stretch. The hidden courtyard was a mess now, shredded vines was scattered everywhere, stone walls pocked with clean holes from his Shadow Bolts. He wiped the hot sweat streaming down his face and grinned at the damage.
"Not bad for a week, huh?" he thought towards Vion. "I'm getting pretty good at this shadow stuff."
Vion's voice was as flat as ever as he spoke with an hint of arrogance. "I don't think this is the best time to grow complacent, you've only reached level 6."
Dren chuckled. "It doesn't matter, I believe I'm capable of going far in this. You just watch and see, but you must admit it, I'm fun to teach, right?"
Silence.
"Fine, Mr. Ice Block. I'll just keep entertaining myself." He happily said as he slipped out of the courtyard and headed toward the outer kitchen yard for breakfast. The air smelled of fresh rice and spiced meat. He grabbed a steaming bowl and sat at his usual spot.
Lena was already there, she sat a few benches away. She nodded slightly when he sat, it was a small gesture but it was noticeable.
Zev and Garr arrived late and immediately went to seat in their usual spot. They continued talking as loud as usual about something. Zev's face still looked sour from yesterday's fall.
"...telling you, the elders are calling a big meeting tonight," Zev said. "All elders of the direct bloodlines are to be present. My father too will attend the meeting. I think it's something about the Beast Valley."
Garr shoveled a lump of food into his mouth. "Yeah? What happened?"
"Some outer scout came back yesterday. They reported some weird qi fluctuations deep in the valley. The fluctuations are extremely strong. The kind that hasn't been felt since... well, years ago."
Dren kept his face blank, his spoon moving slow, but his ears perked up. Beast Valley? That's where everything changed for him.
Zev leaned in towards Garr, lowered his voice, but still spoke in a voice audible enough for Dren to hear. "They think it's tied to an old ruin waking up. Elders are sending a proper team in three days. I mean real warlocks, not rite kids."
Garr whistled. "Lucky them. If there are treasures or a high-grade beast, they'll get the first pick."
Dren's mind instantly started racing. The valley again? that was so soon. Whatever broke his seal might still be active.
After breakfast, he quickly moved to the outer training yard. Instructor Kael had a notice posted on the board:
Attention Lower Disciples and Branch Members
Volunteer Opportunity: Beast Valley Escort Team
Interested assist senior warlocks should assemble in three days. Your duties are carring supplies and guarding the assigned perimeters.
The spots are limited, so, ensure you apply with Instructor Kael latest by tonight.
A small crowd gathered around it. Lena stood at the side, reading, her arms crossed.
Zev pushed through. "Escort team? Perfect. I'll sign up. This is a good chance for me to impress the elders."
Garr nodded. "Me too. This is a free access to easy merit points."
Lena turned away without a word, but her expression was thoughtful.
Dren quietly swept nearby, listening.
Kael arrived not long after. "Anyone interested? It should be noted that it's not the coming of age rite, this is real work. There are dangerous edges and spots in the valley. But the good news is that it's a nice opportunity to gain more experience and rewards if the mission succeeds."
A few hands went up, including Zev's and Garr's.
Lena hesitated, then raised hers. "I'll go."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Branch girl? Are you sure? It's not training."
"I'm sure," she said firmly.
Kael shrugged. "Fine. The list is open till evening."
Dren kept sweeping, but his grin grew insanely wide inside as he thought excitedly to himself. 'The beast valley again. This is a really great chance for me to know what really happened to me in the valley and maybe find out more.'
He waited until the yard cleared, then approached Kael slowly, his head tilted like usual.
"Me... go?" he mumbled, pointing at the notice.
Kael stared at Dren, then at the notice and then shifted his gave back to Dren before erupting in laughter. "You? Dren, you barely survived the rite alone. You'll definitely slow everyone down."
Zev, still nearby, overheard and laughed even harder. "The idiot wants to go? He'll get eaten by the very first shadow wolf."
Dren gave a big, dumb smile and said with a silly look. "Carry... things. Strong." He flexed his thin arms comically.
Kael waved him off, still chuckling. "No chance, boy. Stay here and sweep."
Dren nodded slowly and shuffled away, his face still blank.
But inside, he was already planning on the way forward.
That afternoon, he trained harder than he had ever done. His shadow veil was now longer and tighter and his shadow bolt became sharper and faster. He even tried combining them, moving while veiled and throwing bolts without anyone detecting it.
Vion spoke with a calm voice with a hint of caution. "The valley is stirring up, you have to be very cautious. There's a limit to how far I can help you because the extent to which I use my abilities depends solely on your development in duo qi"
Dren paused, breathing hard. "Do you know something about the valley? Come on, spill it. What's in there?"
"Old things," Vion said calmly. "Things that should stay buried."
Dren rolled his eyes. "Helpful as always. Fine, you can as well keep your secrets. I'll find out myself."
Evening came as the compound buzzed with quiet talk about the mission.
Dren swiftly slipped through the back paths to the mission preparation yard. Crates of supplies containing potions, formation flags and spirit stones were arranged in an orderly manner. A senior warlock oversaw the loading of the crates though the guards were quite light.
Dren waited in the shadows and veiled perfectly.
When no one was watching, he quietly and swiftly slipped a small mark on one of the crates. The mark was a tiny shadow thread that only he could sense.
Then he hid nearby and waited.
Late at night, the team gathered six senior warlocks in dark robes. Zev, Garr, Lena, and three other volunteers also joined as escorts. Horses and carts were ready as well.
Kael thoroughly checked the list. "Everything is ready. You can now move out quietly."
They immediately started moving towards the main gate.
Dren, fully veiled in shadow, slipped into the last cart. He quickly curled as he settled among the crates and steadied his breath.
He was so thorough that no one noticed.
The gate opened and the team started their journey into the dark, towards the Beast Valley.
Dren's heart was beating fast, not from fear, but excitement. He was going back, but this time, he wasn't the dull boy who stumbled in the dark.
Whatever awaited him in the valley... he was ready to face it… or so he thought.
As the carts rumbled into the forest, a cold wind blew from the depths of the valley and deep inside his mind, Vion spoke, his voice quieter… almost wary. "Something is watching us."
And immediately, the wind started howling louder. Dren's grin instantly faded almost immediately.