Chapter 5: The Trial
Hearing Leo, Lily face dropped. And he could tell something was wrong.
Huh? Whats...
"Leo... I am sorry but I used last of our firewood to warm the water for your wounds and the food..."
S-shittt. I don’t like where this is going.
Then suddenly, as if an idea sparked in Lily’s mind, she spoke.
"You first come and sleep on my bed. I have an idea to keep you warm." She said this before practically pulling him inside the room and making him lie down.
Leo, having no defensive arguments left to revolt, could just follow her actions.
"So? whats the plan to keep me warm— Ahhh!" He suddenly cried out.
Before Leo could even finish his sentence, Lily had climbed over the bed and sticked her body close to him inside the blanket.
"What are you shouting for? we used to sleep like this all the time when we were kid. And don’t your injuries require warmth for healing? I will sleep with you so your body remains warm. You even have your trail tomorrow, you need to be in good shape." Lily said as she shifted closer.
Where as Leo was having a breakdown.
Ahhhhhhhhh. Fuckkkk. How will I able to rest properly like this? Does this girl not want me to sleep the whole night. Eh? What this soft sensation over my shoulde—
AaaaAAAaaaa. No wait. These things are actually this soft?!
AaaaAAAaaaa. What am I even thinking rightnow?!
"Lily, that was when we were kid! Now we are grown-ups. And your body... body—" His eyes swept to the two soft heavenly mounds that were dangerously close to his face and stopped mid track.
Lily noticed where his gaze landed and stiffened.
"S-shut up you idiot and just sleep! I don’t mind sleeping with you!"
That sounded very wrong. Leo thought.
In her fit she suddenly pulled Leo face closer to her chest, practically burying him there.
Lily face reddened at the sudden sensation but quickly calmed herself down.
"Just sleep like this, it will keep you warm." She muttered and closed her eyes.
Leo having his face buried, lost his reasoning. And was suddenly very calm.
Well there is nothing I can do now... rather it really feels nice. I wonder if this was the reason that Max kept blabbering about his wife all the time.
He looked up slightly and saw Lily sleeping face. She sure is very precious...
His sight then again landed on the pillows that were practically touching his cheeks.
Ahhh! Fuck it. If this is the way, then I will take everything I can!
He stirred a bit and then slid his one hand behind her waist from below then pulled her more closer.
Lily yelped at the sudden locked position she found herself in, but ultimately relaxed as it was a more comfortable position.
As Leo was thinking that he surely might not be able to sleep properly tonight. He found a strange relaxation. And with his mental and physical fatique both catching up, he finally drifted off to sleep.
---
Next day, the morning light illuminated the room in which Leo was sleeping. He sat up straight and looked around. Lily had already woken up and only he was there alone.
"Probably went to the restaurant to work, it opens up early."
He found a leather pouch lying beside him. There were coins totalling to 3 Bronze coins in there.
"Looks like she felt it here for me, but 3 Bronze coins? She practically left her all savings here." Leo smiled and took the pouch.
He saw his food left on the table, a simple bread and a soup. He ate it happily and took the trail pass that was kept on a shelf.
He clenched his fist and muttered.
"This is the only way, for me, for Lily... I have to be strong." His eyes were practically burning with determination.
---
He stepped out of the house and headed towards the trail area. Along the way he spotted a man heading to the trail, it was obvious as he held the pass out as if in a show. But Leo made sure to look like he was just strolling. Stoping near few shops as if checking something out. It was to make him look like he had to do nothing with trail, as people are always ready to snatch opportunities.
And sure enough, he found the man getting beaten in a alley way for his trail pass. There were many who just snatched the pass from others instead of buying it for themselves.
Eventually he reached a large door with engraved designs on it. Without hesitation, he got his pass checked, and after registering he entered inside.
After walking a long open sky empty space for a while, he found himself amongst nearly thousand people. And all were present here for awakening trail. Even when this city of Kendru wasn’t that big, more than thousand people had made the money to participate in this trail qhich is only held once per year. He could see various guards surrounding the place with all sorts of beasts standing beside them in vigilance. He could see two area at the center of the crowd which remained empty. Leo recognized them immediately as he had already heard of them.
One was a crystal that checked your Soul Rank. And the other was a array that awakened the Beast taming talent if you had one. It had to be known that the minimum Soul Rank had to be common which is shown by the white colour when a person places his hand over it. If anyone failed to even have common rank soul, which was the case for most of the population, there was no need to check for the availability of talent, as even if you had it, it would be waste because the moment they will try to contract a beast, they die.
"So this is it, here my fate will be decided..."
Leo said with a grim face as he started anticipating what would happen to him and Lily if he didn’t awaken the talent.
"NO. I will awaken the Beast taming talent. Yes, I have to."