Divine Beast Ascension

Marsel shrugged but smiled. “I was hoping to get a perennial, but I guess a Shadow Drake is still a Shadow Drake. As long as Vero doesn’t slow us down, that’s fine.”

“I agree,” Lambier quickly added.

“If Mars is okay with it, then so am I!” Opal gave a big thumbs up to Oli.

Ceela chuckled, “I think he’ll make a great addition. Paired with all of us, we make quite a force. And he rounds out some weak points we would’ve otherwise had.”

“Thank you.” Bowing to the perennials, Oli asked, “Does that mean you four make up the task force?”

“Part of it. You’ll meet the other two at the send-off feast,” Herman remarked. He nudged Oli forward and shouted, “In that case, Vero, you’re hired! Cool down and relax while we finish preparing your feast and bring out the other two.”

Following his previously given orders, Mertin bowed to Oli and everyone. “Congratulations. I wasn’t expecting you to actually get accepted. Considering everything, you deserve a proper meal before we ship you off. I look forward to working together against Prodson.”

After his bow, Mertin left the training hall to finish organizing the feast.

.....

“Hey, you should hit me with that attack, the one that made Old Herman bleed,” Opal insisted, ecstatically staring at the Shadow Drake.

“Opal, I don’t know if–”

“Aren’t we all curious what will happen? Come on, let’s try it!”

With a light chuckle, Oli asked, “Do you have any sort of soul art?”

“Nope!”

“Then I refuse.”

“Oh, come on–”

“I don’t want to send my teammate into a coma before a territory invasion,” Oli stated. “And that’s the best case scenario, that you pass out for a week or two. Worst case, I kill you on the spot.”

Hearing a mid-elder say that so confidently to a perennial was jarring for everyone in the room, at least at first.

Herman quickly swooped in, saying, “Vero’s right. I’m sure you’ll get to see Vero’s talents in action soon. So wait patiently. If anything, we’ll probably see him in action before the rest of you. Considering his stealth, speed, and soul arts, he makes the perfect person to infiltrate the border and open a gap in their forces.”

“But I won’t be part of that infiltration. I won’t be able to see him fight first hand…” Opal dejectedly replied.

“I will be. And I’ll tell you all about it,” Lambier smiled and approached Oli, extending his hand. “We’ll be doing a lot of work together, you and I. Infiltrating enemy lines, stealing intel, and killing important figures. If you’re an assassin and that monster Vloz is recommending you, then I have no reason not to trust you, especially after seeing you injure a mid-perennial. Welcome to our task force, Vero!”

Oli gladly shook Lambier’s hand. “Thank you! I’ll be in your care, and you in mine. I look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Everyone laughed hearing that, and Opal slapped Oli’s shoulders in an attempt to “accidentally” knock him over. Oli passed the test and stayed standing, but he immediately felt the soreness that would linger there for a few hours.

“Follow me,” Herman spoke up again. “It’s time we left for the dining hall. Even if the food’s not done yet, we should get comfortable while we wait, with some good booze.”

“I can’t say no to that!” Marsel shouted, echoing the same feelings as his wife’s wordless cheer for joy.

The Practor Patriarch led the way as the group strolled through the Practor Estate.

During the walk, Oli realized that the layout was similar to the Practor Residence back in the family’s hometown. Only, the Practor Estate was nearly double its size and newly constructed with a mixture of cement, stone, and wood, not just wood with a touch of stone. Also, there were now servants living in the estate and pledged to the family. The Practor Family didn’t need to rely solely on themselves anymore.

It was about midday when they reached the dining hall. And everyone was surprised to see the first course already being laid out across the tables at the head of the room.

“We’ll have to wait for the rest, we hired some chefs to lead our kitchen staff today. So enjoy the appetizer,” Herman boomed, assuming his lead seat.

Everyone else sat according to their status within the Practor Family. Those from the family gathered around their patriarch. Those not from the family sat next to Practor Family but grouped together as the obvious guests.

The tables were lined with cushions and easily movable in case a guest needed extra space, such as Oli in his drake form.

Bottles of jrabda wine were already on the table, catching Marsel’s and Opal’s eyes immediately. They managed to every guest a glass before Oli could finish adjusting his seat.

“Oh, jrabda wine? I haven’t had that in years,” Oli jested, lifting the glass and bringing it closer to get a good sniff.

“You know your shit!” Opal shouted, already filling her glass a second time.

Lambier downed half his glass in one go, relishing in the flavor and feel. “Ah… Well, I’m glad you’re not a stuck-up cultivator that doesn’t partake in the finer things, eh Vero?”

Laughing, Oli raised his glass, “I’ll cheer to that!”

He and the four perennials all drank in unison, drinking either their whole glass or most of it.

But from there, some in the group slowed down, like Ceela, Lambier, and Oli. Marsel and Opal, however, moved on to their third glass without batting an eye.

“Oh, getting started without me? I suppose none of you like sharing a glass with a stickler, huh?” someone jeered while entering the dining hall.

Looking over, Oli had to stay his tongue after recognizing the man.

“Hurdo! Get over here and drink a couple glasses already!” Marsel shouted at the broad-shouldered gorilla. “Don’t call yourself a stickler if you just use us as an excuse to get drunk!”

“In that case, I won’t apologize for being obnoxious and a bad guest,” Hurdo bellowed, plopping down on the seat beside Oli. “Oh, a Shadow Drake! You must be the one I heard was following Vloz through town. Nice to meet you! The name’s Hurdo.”

“Vero. It’s an honor to meet an esteemed beast such as yourself,” Oli replied, accepting the firm handshake.

“Me? Esteemed?” Hurdo chuckled and chugged a glass of wine in one gulp. “I’m just an old fart enjoying life at someone else’s expense whenever I get the chance.”

“Yo, Hurdo, Vero here is the new member,” Lambier stated, making sure Hurdo was informed.

“Oh! A mid-elder like you passed Herman’s test?” Hurdo blurted in surprise.

Shrugging, Oli smiled back. “Got a little lucky, I guess. That or my skills are enough to get me by.”

“He even has those soul arts like you and the other gorillas!” Opal shouted between bites of food. “Herman called him a soul assassin.”

A wide grin rapidly stretched across Hurdo’s face. “Seriously?! Welcome to the team! I’m the earth essence specialist, and I dabble in minor soul arts when I get the chance. If we have the time, I might ask for some guidance.”

Breaking out in laughter, Oli nearly spat his wine all over the three-krin-tall gorilla. “Oh, whoa… I don’t mind if we test that out later, but let’s relax for now. When’s the next time we’ll get a chance to feast and laugh with the Prodson invasion around the corner?”

“I second that! I like the way you think, drake,” a new voice cried out while entering the dining hall. This time, though, Oli had no clue who the man was.

It was a Thunder Jaguar, a species that Oli could recognize thanks to hearing about the alliance between the Thunder Jaguars and the Iron-body Gorillas. But it was Oli’s first time meeting and speaking with one in the perennial realm.

“The name’s Sarpo, what’s yours?” the huge cat asked, sitting across from Oli at the table. He used his tail to fill and drink a glass of wine.

“I’m Vero. Nice to meet you. You’re a… Thunder Jaguar?” Oli asked.

“Hey! I like you!” Sarpo laughed, giving himself a refill. “Are you our last member? An elder?”

Oli nodded. “That I am. Sorry my cultivation is so low, but my skills are valuable enough to get me the position. At least, that’s what Master Herman thought.”

“Yeah, he left the old man bloody!”

“Enough of that, Opal!” Marsel scolded but with a jovial, joking tone.

Curious, Sarpo asked, “What’s she talking about? Is that for real?”

“The boy’s a soul assassin,” Hurdo stated. “That’s how he did it. Since Herman is still new to soul arts, he must’ve struggled against the attack. But it still says a lot about you, Vero, to injure a mid-perennial at your realm. We’ll definitely need to exchange some blows and secrets later.”