"Ding… Ding… Ding…"
Drummen woke in his bed with a large smile as the morning bell rung. "Another day, no monster and no torture." He whistled to himself and got dressed ready for his day ahead. "Last night was great. I don't feel worried about my life and I can have lots of fun."
He walked to the stalls and yawned lazily. "Who cares if I feel tired or miss training. I can do what I want, when I want without the demon watching my every move." He smiled as he opened the pen doors.
"Empty of people as usual. Great."
He took out the old hay and replacing it with fresh hay and straw. "Time for food and exercise you lazy animals." He whistled as he opened the gates letting the animals exercise out in the yard while feeding and cleaning their pens.
He looked up at the noon sun and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "All done. Now I can rest…" He smiled as he climbed up the rafters and dug out a spot in the hay and stared at the roof of the pens.
"It may be boring and expensive here without her. But it's peaceful." He closed his eyes feeling a gentle breeze blowing through the pens.
He cursed and opened his eyes angrily sitting up. "Why does she get to go on some secret mission by the Supreme? Why didn't I go with her? I just get stuck wiping and feeding these stupid animals." He cursed and punched a nearby pillar causing it to crack and splinter.
He cursed as he looked at his bleeding fist. He jumped down from the rafters and grabbed a clean cloth to wash and clean his bleeding hand. He looked up at the rafters. "I must be getting stronger if I can do that to the pillar." He cursed and threw the cloth. "But not strong enough to go with the monster!"
"Ahh… Drummen… I have a message for you…"
Drummen looked up at the student priest who had entered the pens and stared at him angrily. "What is it?"
"Hhhigh priests are calling for you. Yyou need to clean up and go to the hall." Drummen cursed. "What have I done now?"
He looked at the student priest and watched them make the sign of the creator. "What? You've never heard of someone cursing before?" He smiled at them and cursed several more times.
He laughed at the pale faced student priest. "If you don't want to hear me then get lost. Hahahaha. Weak." He watched as the student priest ran away from the pens.
He cursed, picked up his shirt and walked slowly to the bathing pools cursing and mumbling under his breath.
"Since the monster hasn't been here, I haven't done anything too bad. It's been quite boring. Is she the one who makes my life interesting?"
He splashed the water in the pools and cursed again. "Why am I thinking that? She is a monster, a demon in disguise who gets excited over punishing people."
"AAAAAArrrrgh!"
He stood up ignoring those around him staring at his naked body and shouted.
"This is annoying. She's the one who makes my life hell. Why do I miss her?"
He got dressed while cursing and scaring the other student priests and made his way towards the hall of the high priests.
He stood outside the hall and shuddered."The only time I enter this room is to be disciplined. I guess someone ratted me out for not going to practice."
"Knock… Knock…"
He stood staring at the door to the hall. "Stupid high priests. Bunch of boring old people."
The door opened and an attendant stood at the entrance to the hall. "Apprentice Drummen. You're late, please enter they've been waiting for you."
He entered the hall and stood in the middle looking around at the high priests sitting around in the alcoves. He stared at the empty seat and cursed under his breath. "Why do I keep thinking about her?"
He bowed. "Apprentice Drummen greets the high priests of the Creator. How may I serve?"
"Apprentice Drummen, how long have you been a student here under the eyes of Lord Daikish?" He looked confused. "Roughly five years under the apprenticeship of Lord Daikish high priest." He heard another voice speak out. "Yes, that's what we thought. Also, during this time, it seems you have stood in front of us and been disciplined many times over the course of your time since you came to us."
He nodded. "That is correct high priest." He looked up at a high priest that pointed at him. "Apprentice.You only speak when you are spoken too." He lowered his head and muttered under his breath. "Yes, you old bag of fat rocks."
"Drummen, the high priests have discussed, and we agree with the report that your master has requested in sending you on your trials." His mouth fell open in surprise. He smiled about to open his mouth but was cut short.
"Usually we let the apprentices select the trials, due to their studies and how they are planning to serve the Creator and the dome. However, Lord Daikish has requested you complete the Defender of Faith."
His face turned dark and cursed under his breath. "Even when she isn't here, she still tortures me. Not only is she in my thoughts and dreams, but she also wants me to die."
He watched in silence as a high priest approached him handing him a scroll. He bowed his head. "Apprentice Drummen. From sun rise you are to leave the dome and carry out your trial. On the scroll contains the location where your trial is to take place. You must return as a Defender, if not, then we shall not forget your effort in the dome."
Drummen bowed. "I serve and obey the Creator." He put the scroll in his robe pocket and left the hall quickly cursing under his breath. He stood at the door as it closed in silence with his hands tightening around the scroll. He looked at the other student priests staring at him.
"He has gotten the scroll of trial. He looks angry. He must've been punished as always and been given a hard trial."
He stared at the student priest in anger and pushed past them as he walked away cursing and shouting. "Get out of my way! Stupid demon and her stupid words."
He pushed his dorm room open breaking the door in the process, cursed and screamed.
"ARRRRRGGHH! Stupid woman. Stupid trial. You all can go and rot for all I care. He grabbed his travelling bag. "She sends me to my death. She's still pulling my strings. Why is she still torturing me? She can rot with all of those old rocks." He looked at his staff. "Maybe beating some people up in the training yard will help me vent."
He dropped his bag and picked up his staff walking towards the practice yard with a dark face. He walked up to the instructor. "I remember you for standing on my staff. It's time for me to return the favor. Let's spar."
He stared at the instructor who looked at him and laughed. "Your too young to bring me down, but if you wish to be defeated let's start." He turned and jumped in Flowing Mountain form and waited for the instructor. "Drummen, I can see your angry and will not have any control in this state I'll win easily. It's best you stand down." He watched the instructor pick up a thin staff which whistled when the instructor spun it.
Drummen smiled. "The difference between me and the other apprentices here is that my master taught me to use my emotions in my fighting. It makes my way of fighting stronger. So, less preaching and more dueling." Drummen ran at him and spun his staff attacking with the butt of his staff. He smiled as the instructor used his thin staff to block it and watched as it bent until the butt of his staff hit the instructor's chest pushing them back and coughing up blood.
"Strong strike Drummen. It's my loss."
"AAARRRGH!"
"BANG!"
Drummen threw his staff into the stone wall which shattered and broke with his staff hanging halfway out of the wall. Drummen stared at the staff, as the instructor looked at him. "You have become very strong thanks to Lord Daikish, but this is not the place to vent your anger. You don't want the death of somebody here since no one in this training hall can stand your strike."
He cursed and stormed out of the practice hall cursing and punching any solid object he could find as he walked. "Weak…"
He looked up. "Why did I walk to this place?" He stood in front of the pens and sighed. "Might as well stay in here, if I go out tonight, I might cause too much trouble for the guard." He climbed to the rafters and sat in the hay cursing.
"Maybe he's ready to be a defender…"
He looked down from his spot. "Who said that?
"I doubt it. He's way too headstrong, beating things up, too angry, too stubborn, too lazy, there is no way he's ready to be a defender."
He stood up searching for the speakers. "Come out weaklings. I've had a bad day.If you don't appear, I'll start throwing the pitchfork.
"Hahahahaha. See… He's proven my point. He seems to be a weak attacker and doesn't have any defender qualities at all."
"AAAAARRGGH! Take that!" He threw the pitchfork in the direction of the voices. He jumped down.
"I'm going to find you and you'll be black and blue by the time I'm finished with you. You'll be in so much pain after I'm finished with you, you'll beg for me to use Daikish's toys on you." He smiled. "There was one time when I couldn't sit for an entire moon. I'll make sure you won't be able to sit for at least three moons!"
He picked up the pitchfork from the haystack and threw it against the wall.
"Bang!"
He looked at his hands and the shattered pitchfork and the hole in the wall.
"Stop moving!" He stopped moving and stood still.
"Sit and listen. use your brain for once, especially if you're going to start your trial tomorrow."
He sat under the hole he had made in the wall. "Whoever you are, you do know that is a trial of death, she's sending me to die."
"Don't move and be quiet."
He cursed and sat in silence. "What's that?" He watched as part of the haystack he was sitting on was moving. A mouse climbed out of the hay and sniffed the air. A shadow came flying into the pen and caught the mouse carrying it up to the rafter and started pulling the mouse apart.
"What just happened?" He stared at the bird of prey with his mouth open. The bird of prey stopped eating and looked back at him.
"Don't you know Drummen that it's rude to stare when one is eating?"
Drummen cursed and stood up. "I'm going insane. She has finally made me insane." He watched the bird of prey hop off the rafter and perch itself on the wall of one of the open animal pens. "No, you're not insane. Well not yet. For now, let's say you've been given a blessing from the Creator."
He fell back into the hay in shock and watched as a tan horse walked over to the bird of prey. "Daikish was ready when we taught her, and this is her apprentice. What a joke."
Drummen slapped his face."Maybe I've been drinking for far too long. I should stop drinking the wine that she gave me."
"Hahaha. She chose him for his ability and talent. I can see he has the ability, but he has no desire to do his task at all."
He looked at the horse. "You're right. You're the smart one."
He watched the bird of prey jump and land in front of him. "You have no choice. You were put on this path and it is yours to walk."
He cursed loudly at them both. "A horse and a fluffy bird telling me what to do. You sound like her. I decide on what I want to do when I want to do."
"Hahahahahaha. I like him. Calling you a fluffy bird." Drummen smiled and watched as the bird of prey cocked its head at him. "You think a stupid horse is funny? And you… If you weren't her chick I would rip that smile of your face."
"Hahahaha. A bird is angry at me. So then tell me oh bird of prey what must I do?"
He sat down and leaned against the wall. "Drummen, tonight you're to leave and begin your trial. When you leave the gates, you are to meet your guide. His name is Cliffhopper. He'll be waiting."
He sighed and shook his head. "Today is officially the worst day of my life. Even when she's not around she's still pulling the strings." He looked at the bird and horse. "What or who is Cliffhopper. How will I recognize them?"
"Let's leave that for a surprise. Don't worry you won't miss him…"
Drummen sighed and stood up. "Then tonight it is…"