Chapter 16: Training (I).
Francisca's POV
Ding! Dong! Ding!
"?!"
An ear piercing sound of a bell filled my ears immediately waking me up.
"Arf! Arf!" I could feel Fenrir's tail wagging under the blanket of my bed, he playfully bites on my hand and that helped me stay awake, noticing that the sun has not even come up yet.
It was all pitch black, the candle burnt out and I took out my phone to look at the time. "Four in the morning-"
That's really early… It was after the devil's hour.
"So they're already waking all of us before sunrise- the monks sure have a pretty strict sleeping schedule." I turned off my phone placing it in my pockets.
My attention moves to my cousin, Kc, who was still asleep and snoring, turning over left and right on her bed.
"Zzz… moma I don't… want… that…" (Kc) was talking in her sleep, I rubbed the stars in my eyes and got off the bed, as Fenrir followed me to stare at Kc who was sleeping very comfortably.
"Should I wake her up, Fenrir?" I turn to my mom's familiar who tilts his head before we both wonder if it was alright to wake her up, she looks like she's having a good dream under that.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A knock on our door was heard, Fenrir didn't look agitated meaning it was a friend. "You can come in." I yell over, and the door opens revealing Xiao Lu in his traditional white robe.
He's our shifu- or our master in the temple.
"Xiao Lu Shifu, good morning." I bow in greeting, properly keeping my hands in the right place and he greets back noticing that my cousin was still in bed.
"Good morning to you too, I'm glad to see you're one to follow the rules- an early bird to get the first batch of worms in the morning. In this sense however, you'll be foraging for fruits and herbs." (Xiao Lu) chuckles, walking towards Kc's bed and at first shakes her gently.
"Little girl, wake up, you have a lot to do on this blessed morning." He shakes her but still nothing happens, Kc was still snoring and tossing turns not being affected by shifu's gentle way of waking someone up.
"Hmm… nǐ bì xū dé xǐng guò lái."
…
Nothing, master was running out of ideas looking guilty that he has to stop someone's nice dream but-
"Arf! Arf!"
"Fenrir?" I turned to him, seeing that his butt was shaking before taking a leap into the bed. Fenrir was apparently kind enough to jump and pounce on Kc right in the stomach.
Slam!
"Guhk!" (Kc) feeling the blow of a heavy wolf definitely woke her up. Xiao Lu shifu took notes noticing that whatever Fenrir did was effective.
"I am not able to punish children like that, it is against my morals to do so. Please, great lord Fenrir, I will leave her in your care." (Xiao Lu) bows gratefully to Fenrir where he calls him lord- hold on.
"Wait, did you just call Fenrir lord?" I ask Shifu and he nods giving me a soft smile bowing down to Fenrir who was still on top of Kc sitting on her stomach.
"Agh! I'm awake! Get off of me!" (Kc) screams but her face is stomped down by Fenrir's big paw.
"Why yes, this is the legendary familiar of the hero once a wolf covered in darkness and plague hunting a cursed forest- now he travels with your mother under a pact and it seems he's taken a liking to your family." (Xiao Lu) tells us and I look at Fenrir who didn't give off the cursed wolf vibe.
He seemed like a fun, harmless version of a husky puppy but it seems I was wrong.
"Arf!" (Fenrir) licks Kc's face before getting off and barking again, calling out to us to go out of our rooms and get ready.
"Ew…" (Kc) complains wiping the wet saliva off of her face.
"There, there Kc. I suppose it's your fault for not waking up, if you don't want anymore of Fenrir's licks you should get out of bed and get ready for the chores for today." I told her to hold her hand and while she gave me a pout not wanting to stand up.
"Hmph!" (Kc) huffs.
"Alright then." I decided I would leave her there and follow our master who had already gone out of the room.
Kc sees me walking away and immediately I could hear her panicking rolling out off the bed making a loud thump noise.
"Ah wait! Big sis! I'll get up now, hold on!" (Kc)
John was already waiting outside, yawning but his eyes lit up when he saw us both and ushered us to join the other monks walking on the corridor because they'll be doing the usual chores that go around here.
"Good morning, you two." (John) greets us and we greet back with a wave.
"They said chores but what kind of chores will they be this early in the morning? I can't even see the sun…" (Kc) holds onto my arm and I shrug.
"Knowing monks, maybe we'll clean the mountain temple first, and when the sun is out I heard from Shifu we'll be collecting fruits and herbs later." I replied and Kc's face was already filled with dread hearing my answer.
"This is called child labor…" (Kc) mutters out and I shushes her quickly before any of the other monks hear.
"Kc…"
"What? They order a child around its child labor, we're not getting paid…are we?"
"Well no but whatever we forage will probably be used in our lunch and dinner later."
…
The older monks had all of the other children that were around our age or older gathered in line. We were each given a woven basket and a list of things to get with detailed drawings.
"Now children, you'll be wandering on the safe part of the [Xiāowáng Forest]. I hope you understand, I'll be going over the rules for our newcomers today." An old bald monk gestures to us three and the other children around us put on a shocked excited face.
"Now we'll be going over the border rule, the monk mountain is protected by a barrier where no dangerous monster will be able to enter. While it keeps us safe, I would still like for you to not go near the border for your personal safety."
A magic barrier?
I never saw that on the phone- maybe that part is invincible because it was undetectable.
"We gave you all a list of herbs and fruits, including a map guide for you to not get lost." I looked inside the basket and indeed there were the things she said. "I'll also be assigning you to one of our eldest monks here in the group to accompany you."
An older girl who appeared to be the same age as John approached us, with dark black hair and sharp coal colored eyes. She eyed me before giving a displeased look. "I'll handle them, elder monk, leave it to me. I'll show them the ropes around here."