Ancestral Dragon

Chapter 25

A dull light came through the single window of Jak's small cabin the next morning. He looked around at the space he now called home. A small table and single chair placed against the wall opposite his cot. The book of spells given to him laid atop the table with a small, used candle. His clothes laid across the back of the chair.

The sun's rays eventually poured into the room causing Jak to pull the blanket over his face as today's big event came to the front of his mind. No other training sessions were scheduled to make time for the team tournament. Jak crawled out of bed to dress in his thick clothing and strapped the sword onto his back. It was the commitment Jak had made to Zachario that motivated him to even get moving. After his embarrassing lesson with Rory yesterday, Jak would have preferred to stay curled up in the cot.

Before leaving the cabin, Jak grabbed the Dagon Stone from the desk.

When Jak arrived at the almost empty communal kitchen, he found Zachario fidgeting in his seat alone at a table. Jak quickly walked over and asked, "Where is everyone?"

"I think they came early and ate already," Zachario said. "They're probably already out at the field."

"Looks like you ate already too. Let me get something and then we can go?"

"Alright. I'll be here."

Jak rushed in to grab some food and saw Hilt. He regretted making eye contact because now he had to go over and have a conversation with the head cook, even though Zachario was eager to get going.

"Morning Jak!" Hilt said cordially.

"Good morning."

"You must be anxious to get out there to the field. Most of the others have already been through, as you probably noticed. That Zachario though is mighty loyal to wait around for you."

"Yea. We're partners today."

"Do you mind if I give you some unsolicited advice?"

"Please!"

"It's only a training exercise," Hilt said raising his eyebrows. "Don't forget that at the end of the day we're all on the same side."

Jak smiled awkwardly as he walked away with his food and gave a nod of thanks. He had hoped for some secret technique that somehow only the cook would know. Instead, Jak was reminded everyone in the village had one common enemy in the king. Even if there were rivalries within the village, at the end of the day, those conflicts were inconsequential to the bigger picture. Even though Tyrell had set his eyes on Jak for some reason, Jak was not his true enemy.

Once at the table, Jak convinced Zachario to walk while he ate. His stomach felt fluttery and empty no matter how much he consumed. He tried the deep breathing exercises Rory had taught him but found it very difficult to do on the move. The fear of this competition between people of extraordinary powers and skill with real weapons kept inching its way around Jak's attempts to calm himself.

Jak and Zachario finally arrived where magic training usually took place but no longer found an empty field. A wooden fence, which stood up to Jak's waist, enclosed a third of it. It was off to the side while wooden bleachers full of villagers reached the length of the entire clearing along one side of the fence. It had to be magic that set everything up so quickly since it was empty the day before.

Zachario pointed out some of the other participants and explained all the gear that they wore. Most of the other Aunsi were draped in full body armor, helms in hand and swords at their waist. Some of them wore as little as a hauberk draped over their shoulders. There was a wide variety of weapons as well; swords, axes, and maces. Jak's eyes fell on a pair of Aunsi without any armor and no weapons, one girl and one boy. Both had the same angular faces and straight dark brown hair, except the boy kept his neatly cut short.