Nend Ardhon Chronicles - Complete

Chapter 30.1

Drezara gulped and slowly shook her head:

- “Not much, actually. I am starting to think more and more about that, because of Paullu. He already knows what he wants to do, so I am trying to figure out what I am good at. My mother says I could be a very good seller, if… I wasn’t so shy… but I am doing everything I can to change myself!”

Drezara quickly corrected herself when she saw Isi Holl biting her lower lip. Isi slowly nodded and seated properly.

- “I see. It’s good that you know your flaws, it’s halfway to correct them. I know a particular female that is much older than you that still doesn’t know how flawless she is. Right, Teera? Damn, she didn’t hear me… Pity, such a good opportunity to annoy her! What about you, Paullu? I know you are studying to be a Healer and your mother told me that your grades are of the chart. How good are you, as a Healer?”

Paullu shrugged and took a sip from his cup.

- “I guess I am ok. Mother is always taking me with her to the clinic, to help out and to learn a few practical things. She always says that theory is good, but nothing beats good old practice.”

Drezara spoke so quickly, that she almost bit her tongue:

- “His grades are the best of our entire School! I know that sometimes he even substitutes his Teachers when they have a personal matter to attend and they can’t give the class!”

Paullu choked with his drink and asked:

- “Who told you that? I never said anything about that!”

- “And you think I only know stuff that you tell me? I know other people besides you! Do you mind stop thinking that my life revolves solely around you? I know that lately, I am always near you, but come on!”

Paullu quickly apologized when he noticed the way Drezara was rolling up her eyes:

- “No, I didn’t mean that, I was just surprised!”

Drezara made a gentle smile and poked his nose:

- “You really need to learn when I am joking. Maybe I can poke your nose when I tell a joke, for you to understand I am not being serious. How that sounds to you?”

- “Yeah, that would be much appreciated! I can never figure out when people are joking or not, and with you, it’s even worse because you are always joking, and I keep on trying to find out when you are being serious!”

Isi Holl winked at Byia and asked, making the couple to turn bright red:

- “They look good together, don’t they? How about you, Byia, any male under your radar? Someone that makes your heart pump like crazy, almost jumping out your chest?”

Byia made an awkward smile but she was saved by the arrival of her mother, carrying a bowl of appetizers:

- “Something to entertain us, while the oven is finishing. So, what is that I heard about heart pumping? Some kind of secret?”

Byia remained in silence, eating a few appetizers made of mushed algae and crispy vegetables, while Isi Holl was frowning at Teera:

- “You always have such great timing, don’t you, Teera? I was pushing Byia to a corner, trying to figure out who is the male that she likes, and you came with that bunch of calories. You want to make us all fat like you, or what? Some of us need to be slender to avoid a sword s***h, you know? I bet that if you were being targeted by an assassin, that huge butt of yours would get in your way and you would be easy prey!”

Teera Calla felt her left eye twitching even faster, and she made a huge effort to answer without shouting:

- “I was never fat, and I will never be! I barely have time to eat, how can I gain any weight? Being a single mother with bills to pay does not allow me to remain on the couch all day, or at a desk, eating! But that makes me notice one thing, you used to have fewer wrinkles and your scales used to shine way more. Are you already considering leaving this World behind, or what? Not that I am wishing your death, but you are way past your time, aren’t you? Do we need to prepare ourselves for that certain eventuality, or you intend on living forever?”

Isi Holl made a slight wave with her left paw while smiling at Byia:

- “Shush, you! I want to hear Byia’s answer! I don’t intend on hearing any of your nonsenses! Go check the oven, will you? Byia was about to confess something! Come on, spit it out already, I am curious!”

Byia remained in silent and Paullu winked one eye:

- “I used to think that she liked our neighbour, Guyi Mohryi, but then I saw her reaction every time I was talking with an online friend of mine. The first time she saw him, she couldn’t control her Magic and she blew up my entire room. She has a thing for the Nayga Race, especially for my friend Sare Andri.”

Isi Holl quickly turned to face Byia, just in time to see her glowing and with her eyes bright yellow:

- “Oh, like she is right now? It is safe for us, to be so near her? Shouldn’t we push her to the back garden so that she could blow up in peace? Not that an explosion in here wouldn’t do wonders to this weird decoration, so full of colourful plants! Why does your mother like so much to turn this house into a garden? It’s so weird! Wait a minute… Byia! Take a deep breath, everything is shaking! Concentrate, girl, I don’t want an explosion so near me!”

Byia closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. After the third exhale, she felt her paws warm and looked at them, watching the rune that was forming:

- “Oh, cool… ‘Embarrassment Control Level 3 evolved to Calm Heart’. Nice, I need to check what is this Skill!”

Drezara quickly answered:

- “I know that one, I unlocked it recently! It grants the ability to face any danger or surprising situation, without becoming too nervous to react. At Level 3 evolves to ‘Infinite Courage’, it gives Courage in front of any sudden situation, even dead ones. I found a book at our School’s Library explaining that Skill!”

- “Nice! Does this mean I need to get myself into more and more embarrassing situations to evolve this “Calm Heart’ Skill? If that’s the case, go ahead, grandmother, annoy me as much as you want! Heheheh!”

Isi Holl made a weird smile and asked:

- “Really? So, what if I ask what you intend to do in the future? Do you really want a peaceful and calm job as a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’, or you want something more thrilling, like, I don’t know, being a Healer like your mother and Paullu? Or better yet, what about becoming an Explorer like me? That would be a blast, right? We could go on missions together, travel everywhere, even to one Nayga World or one of their colonies, for you to visit that Sare Andri male. What do you say?”

Byia turned bright red again, unable to say a thing. She felt a warmth on her paws, and she could pretty much guess what the rune would be saying, with a Level Up for sure. Then, Teera Calla came from the kitchen, and asked with a trembling voice, making Byia’s embarrassment to skyrocket, and another rune to appear:

- “What are you implying, mother-in-law? Do you want to take Byia with you? For what? So that I might lose another member of my family? Byia, say something, tell her that she is crazy, at least!”

Byia slowly looked up after checking the newly formed rune on her paws and spoke:

- “I can’t, grandmother. My mother would be very sad if I followed your line of work. Besides, being a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’ is very cool. I can teach all sort of things to those guys, and they can help a lot of Water-Dragons. As an Explorer, you can what, help you and the one that makes the Quest? As a Trainer, I can help a bunch of people at the same time!”

Isi Holl disguised a smile and shrugged:

- “I suppose, but your father was also an Explorer and a damn good one. What he did over the years forever changed the way we see our oceans. Even the Surface-Dragons and the Nayga Race still benefits from your father’s work. I seriously doubt that as a Healer or as a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’ your name goes down in History like him. Unless you become as amazing as your great-great-grandmother, Senpyia Calla. Now that was an outstanding female! It’s just a pity that her Magic skipped your mother’s generation, but the way your eyes keep on changing colours like the great Senpyia, I expect some great things, from you. I am not so sure if a mere ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’ would be a good use for all that Magic you have. You could be more ambitious, aim higher!”

Byia gulped and glanced at her mother that was looking pretty worried with all that talk. Byia took another deep breath and spoke with a slight smile:

- “Don’t worry, I intend on being an amazing Trainer, my Magic won’t go to waste. I wouldn’t say no to a trip with you to another World or a colony, to learn more about this type of work. I bet there are some outstanding ‘Rodhocetus Trainers’ in another Worlds or another City in Nend Ardhon. I know that in this City there aren’t many, and the ones there are, are just normal Trainers. I intend to be an amazing ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’, and with that, go down in History as another famous member of the Calla bloodline!”

Isi Holl slowly nodded and glanced at Teera, noticing her watery eyes. Maybe it would be better to drop that subject. She always liked to annoy her daughter-in-law but making her sad was never an objective.

- “I guess you have a point. Maybe when you have a few days off School you can go with me to my City, to Obar Àrdair. I have a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’ at my Guild that not only trains those guys to help in missions but also trains them to be Service Aids. A Rodhocetus trained by him its always chose to help a disabled or a seriously hill Water-Dragon. He is now training one that will be sent to a Retirement Home, for really old Water-Dragons that don’t have a family to take care of them. Or are too stubborn to accept any help from their family! Unless your mother is afraid that I attract you to my job, that is.”

Isi made a slight smile to a very nervous Teera Calla and continued:

- “Not that I am not tempted to turn you into an Explorer, but if you have to be something else, might as well be a Trainer. That is indeed a very prestigious job. I bet your father would be very proud of you. Do you know that before becoming an Explorer, he was almost a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’? He was once able to make a Mental Link with two Rodhocetus and order them around at the same time! I think he was ten or twelve Tides old, it was long before he met your mother, that I am sure. He trained them so well, that one was chosen by a Party of Adventurers and the other one was sent to a Hospital, to help injured Water-Dragons.”

Byia was looking at Paullu, completely mesmerized, and he was looking back at her, with his eyes wide open. Byia regained her composure and spoke with a very serious tone:

- “That’s a novelty. I wonder why he never told us that. I always thought he was just an Explorer and Cartographer, but if he also had a talent for dealing with Rodhocetus, that explains why I have one out there, that used to be a wild animal, impossible to be tamed. And I became his friend in seconds!”

The way Byia spoke so calmly about something that would normally make her jump in happiness, made Paullu wonder why she looked so peaceful. Then, he noticed another rune appearing over her paws.

- “This evening is becoming very interesting… You just unlocked the ‘Infinite Courage’ Skill! Is this conversation making you so nervous because of what, Byia? It’s very suspicious for you to unlock a Skill just by a conversation, evolve that same Skill, reach Level 3 and evolve to the next stage! Any other Water-Dragon would take Tides to be able to do it, and many would never achieve that!”

Byia shrugged while looking at the rune above her hands that was slowly fading away:

- “Yeah… It could be because of my absurd amount of Magic, or maybe hearing grandma teasing me because of Sare, and finding out that our father was almost a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’ can explain it…  Imagine, Sergge, the Trainer, instead of Sergge, the Explorer… maybe if he followed that occupation, he could be at this table, teasing me and laughing his heart out…”

Teera noticed the faded yellow colour on Byia’s eyes, and she did her best to lighten the mood:

- “Knowing your father, that wouldn’t change. He would still go after his friend, no matter if he were a Trainer or not. He once told me about his talent with animals, and that’s why he always made sure that you learned everything he could teach you about Farm animals. We always had the dream of buying a small Farm when you two were big enough and with a partner and a life of your own. It was our retirement plan, to live a peaceful and pleasant life in a Farm. But if you become a ‘Rodhocetus Trainer’ and Paullu a Healer, I bet he would be very proud of the both of you. As I am.”

Teera quickly got up, saved by the sound of the oven, announcing that the meat was ready and giving her an excuse to clean her tears in the kitchen. Isi Holl stared at her back, with a slight smile. She always liked Teera, and the way her son was so in love with her, always melted Isi’s heart. But she would never admit that!

The rest of the evening was peaceful, with Isi stopping the teasing with Teera and making it a peaceful dinner in family, with Drezara loving every single bit.

…