I try to update weekly... Yes – I'm telling you just now, ten weeks after I began the story...
P.S. Watch Boruto: The Next Generation
Chapter 11: The Testing
The carriage was pulled along the dirt road by a jet black horse. The sun glared down on the life-filled land, as the horse's hooves trampled small rocks; they crumbled beneath the horse's hooves, creating a very fine dust that settled to the floor within seconds.
Natsu looked out of the side of the carriage, watching as the vast trees and houses sped past him, all of the greens from the trees and the browns from the houses, merging together to make a very dirt-green colour. Occasionally, when there was a turn in the road, the horse would slow down, allowing him to see busy workers in small townships and villages, and rarely the horse stopped for Natsu and Gildarts to drink and eat.
Time was a thief. Natsu wanted to gaze upon the places they passed even more; he wanted to look at the villages in even more detail, but he couldn't because they needed to get to the capital quickly. When they had left the manor it had been morning, and Gildarts informed Natsu they were only half way to the capital – there would be no more breaks.
It was now noon, and the carriage sped on like lightning striking metal. The horse was ushered to move quicker, and as night began to set in Natsu found it hard to see outside the carriage window anymore. Instead, he patted his blue-furred friend, who purred back in delight, and tried to communicate mentally with the cat-like. All he had gotten so far was 'Aye!' every time he had spoken to the creature.
"It is no use, you may as well talk to a wall than the beast," Dezeus' deep voice made Natsu shudder a little – he still wasn't used to the random talking that came from the alive sword, "I, on the other hand, am far more capable of talking to you mentally – it comes with years of practice. If I may, but this test will be testing what your father and I did already. I suggest going all out with your spiritual energy, do not let them take you lightly. I increased the pressure of the spiritual field every ten seconds, and you lasted more than an hour – better than you father."
Natsu hummed in response, but he didn't take much interest. He wanted to know why he hadn't progressed as a warrior. He decided to ask Dezeus if he knew the answer; he spoke mentally to him, "Why can I not break through as a warrior of the third rank? I continue my daily exercise, but nothing seems to be happening."
"Hm," Dezeus hummed, seemingly in a thoughtful manner, "Do you know of the basic battle qi stance? It allows warriors to become one with nature, taking in the natural energies and turning it into qi, also known as Chi, to make one's body stronger. The natural energies are brought into your body, and then you train it with the basic warrior training, which then allows you to break through."
Natsu was rather at awe of Dezeus knowledge, he seemed to know the answer to all of Natsu's questions, but could not show him how to do certain things due to him not having a physical form. Sometimes he wondered how Dezeus had been captured in the sword, being an OverGod, it should have been near impossible.
"Why do I need battle qi for being strong physically?" Natsu inquired to the sword, which he held in both hands in the sheath now, "Surely I just need to train my body every day."
"Imagine battle qi as your stamina, after awhile you run out of your given stamina – it depletes. There is only a certain point you can train to before you need battle qi to help you progress and break through, like your stamina when you are running," Dezeus explained simply, hoping the boy would grasp the concept that he gave Natsu, "You then train that energy that you gained, and thus break through to the next rank."
The carriage came to an abrupt stop, sending Natsu flying forwards. He flew straight into the thick, wooden wall in front of him, smacking his face and shoulder off of the golden, brown wall. He heard some muffled speaking outside and looked to Gildarts, wondering if he knew what was happening. Apparently, he did know, he just didn't expect the carriage to jerk to a stop because he was almost on the floor of the carriage too.
"They are just checking the carriage driver so that we can enter the city," straightening himself out, Gildarts assured Natsu, then sat back in his seat, "Then he will take us to the hotel and we will sleep, the next day we go to your testing."
"How famous are you in the capital?" Natsu asked, knowing that Gildarts came here to see the King, and to see the head of the Hearfillia Conglomerate, "You must be well-known and a hero to this city."
Gildarts chortled, "Yes, now settle down we will arrive shortly. And, we will see the city tomorrow whilst we are at the training."
Natsu nodded slightly, pushing himself backwards into the leather seat. The sound of the horse's hooves on the floor changed and sounded like they were clicking on stones. The curtain had fallen during Natsu fall and had closed the red curtain over the window.
He moved it back, allowing himself to see the mass of lights that came from small holes in brick buildings. In tall poles, that were equally spaced from each other, and reached up past the first floor of the buildings, that had bright, flickering flames inside of them. This was endless in Natsu eyes and the sound of drunken laughter slowly faded as they came closer to the hotel.
When reaching the hotel, Natsu saw that it was grand. It was painted white, with gold trimmings on the windows and doors, and the glass was without scratches or finger marks. And upon getting inside, he was greeted by light woods, that were rich in a golden colour, and seeing a place where chairs and priceless jewels adorned the room.
Gildarts went up to a front desk, which was made from a dark wood that stood out, and talked to the man behind the desk. Then with a key in hand, ushered Natsu up a flight of stairs, and into a white door with a number on it. Inside it was simple, yet elegant. Two beds that were placed on either side of the room, and different desks and ornaments.
They both dived onto a bed, Natsu took the one in the right, and Gildarts took the one on the left, then they both fell asleep almost instantly.
The next morning...
Natsu yawned, feeling slightly refreshed from being in a new place. In a separate bed, Gildarts seemed to be stirring awake, slightly leaning upwards and rubbing his bloodshot eyes.
Natsu was already getting dressed and preparing himself for his training, slipping on his black, long-sleeved shirt, rolling up the sleeves; putting on his pants and boots too. He left the stupid jacket off because it annoyed him, but he'd put it on when they left for the school. He walked out onto the balcony, seeing people walking to and from places.
He found it all new and exciting, and placing himself on a table began to meditate, not noticing a group of people gathering bellow him to watch. He watched at the brown and blue particles danced and watched the red particles mingle in with the blue, occasionally causing some to vanish of either colour. He wouldn't be able to train his body today, but he could find out that stance to start collecting battle qi.
After half an hour of meditating it was eating away at him too much – he needed to know. He opened his eyes, and walked to the edge of the balcony to see a few girls staring up and giggling at him; he noticed a familiar person among the crowd of girls. He slightly crumpled his eyebrows but decided against what he had planned to say.
"Lisanna!" He yelled down towards her, causing her to look up in shock, which made her cheeks become a bright red, "Your father is a warrior right? I will be coming tonight with Gildarts to ask him something – let him know we are coming, thanks!"
Lisanna stammered a little and choked on her own words before saying "Okay!" and leaving with her childish friends.
He grimaced, slightly happy that he wouldn't be alone going to this school, but the fact that Lisanna was probably going to tell her friends all about him; he didn't want that, he just wanted to train and become stronger. He turned on his heels, slightly cursing himself for wanting to improve so much that he would ask Lisanna for her aid.
"There is a saying that boys will act like they do not like women when they truly love them," Gildarts wiggled his eyebrows a little, loving the look of disgust and shock that painted Natsu's features, "Maybe this is why you treat her this way."
Natsu scoffed, not even looking at Gildarts for a minute before picking up his bag, and sheathing his sword on his back, and saying, "Let us go, I do not have time to waste."
"Maybe you need a girl that will stop you from being so lonely, maybe she will even stop you from looking stoic all the time and bring out that childish side you have," He laughed, whilst ruffling the boy's hair, "I remember when I had just met Cornelia, I treated her how you are treating Lisanna, now I'm married to her and we have a daughter... and a son."
Natsu looked at Gildarts, almost tripping down the stairs as he did so, but was caught by Gildarts.
Natsu and Gildarts walked down the street, growing nearer and nearer to the grand building Natsu had seen from the carriage. That was the academy he'd soon be attending – if he managed to pass their tests and get in – and he'd never felt more excited in his life, than how he did right now.
They reached the entranced, which was a gate that was large and black, and at the top had a large piece of metal that had multiple protection scrolls and magical circles on it. But they could not enter the gates because it was for students only, instead, the testing was done just outside the school's gate, on a massive stage that students could practice their fighting on.
There was a crowd of students, many looked poor, but many also looked wealthy. Gildarts pushed through the crowd, holding Natsu hand as they walked through.
"That is Gildarts the Ninja Saint, is it not?" One woman whispered to another, which caused many around her to look, soon many of the wealthy and the poor were stealing glances at Natsu and Gildarts.
"Could that be his son? I would have thought that he would become a Ninja, not a wizard." Another whispered – soon the whole group of people were whispering, and there were around five hundred.
They reached a booth, where a man wearing a blue robe stood, and looked with wide eyes at Gildarts and Natsu, "I'd like to write my son's name down for the testing," The man nodded, listening to Gildarts commands, and the asked kindly for Natsu's name, "Natsu Clive-Dragneel."
"Your son will be tenth in the testing, master. This is the earliest slot I can give to him." The man said kindly, before ushering the boy into a line that was now forming.
The first person was called forwards, "John Smith!" A grand old man said, bellowing the child's name.
A small boy, maybe a year younger than Natsu, moved forward in the line, climbing up the steps with his tiny legs. The man asked the boy to place his hands on a ball, that stood on a white podium, and to keep his hands there for at least ten seconds. The boy did as he was told, and the man stared at the ball which began to glow and change colours, before yelling:
"Fire element, average affinity!" And the asking the boy to move into a square, that was painted grey on the floor.
Natsu knew that the pressure in the square was pulling the boy down, but he did not collapse. Actually, the boy stood for a good three minutes before he fell to one knee, the man looked at him, and Natsu watched eagerly.
"Spiritual energy is 12 times higher than the average human! Fail, next!" The old man shouted, causing the boy to splutter and slightly hyperventilate, before charging down the steps.
The next three went up, each one having a different element than the other before, but none having two or three like Natsu did, one of them failed, but the two others past each having the bare minimum to pass. It was Lisanna's turn next, she placed her hands on the ball and the man called out that she had a high air element affinity, which was the first to be given out. She then stood in the square and lasted four minutes, which gave her a spiritual energy 17 times higher than the average human – she passed.
One after another the hopeful candidates went up, but none had an extremely good score, only three had scored an exceptional affinity in one of the four main elements. Lisanna had stayed next to Natsu in line, trying to have a conversation with him, but he replied bluntly to her.
It was now the eighth person's turn, and when he looked at her, he swore he had never seen anyone that looked quite like her. She had slightly long, blonde hair, and her body was pleasing to the eye. When she placed her hands on the ball he could see her deep, brown eyes.
"Light element, with an exceptional affinity! Air element, exceptional affinity! A rare dual Mage!" The man yelled in shock, but with slight glee, "Please step into the square."
Almost all the parents and candidates had started whispering, and Dezeus joined in, "A light element, what an exceptional girl."
He blanked out on the rest, but when she walked past him after she had passed her exams with flying colours, he couldn't help but stare at her, she was strong and that made him respect her. How had this girl become someone with such a pure soul? All these questions swarmed in his head, but he didn;t have a long time to think – it was his turn.
He walked up onto the stage, noticing how quite everyone was and how they watched him. Natsu hadn't ever had this many eyes on him, and he felt nervous. He looked around to see the blonde-haired girl was still here, and Lisanna had gone to her father's side. He eyes locked on Gildarts, who stood next to the blonde-haired girl, and someone who seemed to be her mother and father.
He placed his hands on the ball and watched as the man looked at the ball, his eyes widening and his face holding a look of pure shock, before saying, "Fire element, exceptional affinity..." He trailed off, many seemed to begin to whisper, thinking that the son of Gildarts would be more powerful, but the man cough a little and they all stared at him, "Earth element, exceptional affinity. Air element, exceptional affinity. Destruction Magic, high affinity."
The room became silent, and the man ushered Natsu into the grey square, not once taking his eyes off of the boy.
Gildarts watched, whilst he congratulated Jude and his daughter on passing the tests that she had taken. The man smiled in return, and placed a hand on his daughter's head, telling her she did a very good job.
"But," Jude began, "Your son is even better than anyone could imagine, there is only one who was like him before, maybe they are related in some sort of way. Because, I know for sure, that you have never had a son and that you and Cornelia are still trying for a son."
The two men and small child watched Natsu. He had been stood for at least three minutes now and he wasn't breaking a sweat, the small girl broke the silence between the men, "He is handsome, though."
The two men laughed, wondering where this had come from, Jude turned to his daughter and said, "Maybe one day you will marry him and merge our two families together..."
"I would not be too sure," Another voice chimed in. A tall, white-haired man, who was ripped with muscles, interrupted the conversation, "My daughter likes the boy too."
"A shame my boy does not like your daughter."
It had been a good five minutes when Natsu began to sweat a little, and almost three minutes later he collapse to one knee, the man yelled out, "Spiritual energy 64 times higher than the average human!"
Gildarts looked at the white-haired male again, whose daughter was glaring at him coldly, "I think my son will go with someone he can fight with and not protect," Natsu bound over to Gildarts, who ruffled his hair, "Jude here is a warrior, a Battle Saint, I heard you shout about Battle Qi this morning and asked if he would help you."
Yes, even Gildarts could be quite evil when he wanted to be...