Once at egghead, I directly started my tasks. The orphans were training, but I couldn't.
I looked at the draw Baruba gave me. Different lines intertwined. They were more or less thick. The final result was quite charming. It was a draw with mild difficulty for me. The problem is the brush he gave me. I'm not used to using one. And so I started to draw.
The first one was bad, but it was expected. The following ones were better, but at some point, I couldn't improve. They were even getting worse ! I decided to take a break. That's when I understood I had been drawing all day long. 'I was surprisingly focused ! Being an orc has its perks. I wouldn't have missed my exhausted state if it was before. What an impressive attention span ! I have to be careful next time. I don't want to die because I was too focused."
I decided to stop since it would do me more harm than good. After dinner and explaining to the others why I had a tattoo instead of a mask, I started to meditate like I used to, but this time I knew what I had to do. I needed to gather enough energy to make my mask appear again.
I focused on my beating heart. Like last time, I tried to feel the energy in it.
Boom, Boom.
My heart started beating hard. It was feeling warm, and the next moment I felt a wisp of energy coming out. I didn't stop as I knew it wouldn't be enough. Soon a second wisp came, and then a third. However, when the fourth came, I lost control of them. They all moved toward my wound, and I couldn't stop them. One second later, I lost them, and they completely disappeared.
A bit frustrated, I opened my eyes. 'What were you expected if it were this easy, Baruba wouldn't have given me a week to do it.'
Uzu and Noa were next to me, looking curious.
"Your chest brightened for a second," told me, Noa tilting his head.
"Really"
I frowned. My wound wasn't bugging me as much as before, 'Maybe the energy has healing properties?'
"Did you have light coming out thanks to the tattoo ?" asked curiously Noa.
" No, it wasn't. It seems I used some kind of energy to heal myself a little bit."
"Yaaaal, why are you the only one to get a super cool mask from teacher Baruba ?"
" Well, Did you ask him to make one ?"
" I did, every time, but he always tells me to wait to be older. But I don't want to wait."
I sighed.
"In that case, I can make a mask for you if you want," I said resolutely.
" Really! You promise me ?" She showed me her brimming smile
" I promise, but I don't know how to do one yet. However, baruba is teaching me, so it shouldn't be too before I can make you one."
"Alright, but you'll have to give me your first one."
"Deal !"
" Can I have one as well"
"Ok, you'll get the second one."
"it's time to go to bed now"
"Noooo !"
...
The next day.
I woke up early. If I wanted to finish all the tasks, I had to start the most difficult one as soon as possible. Fortunately, I knew the right person who could teach me.
" Hi, Saura, how are you?"
"Hi, Yal, I feel great !"
" I was wondering if you could teach me how to make clothes." Saura was the one who would generously make mine and Zala's clothes. As for the others, Ushha and Yurim would make them. However, Ushha is training, and Yurim is working. I didn't want to bother them.
"Oh, you want to make your own clothes now, it's great, but I'm surprised. What decided you ?"
" It's because I became Baruba's student. And one of the tasks he gave me is to make a T-shirt and a short from this snow-white tiger fur."
" Ahaha, This old crazy bastard got himself a student. Look like you followed my advice a bit too much. I think you'll match pretty well, tough. I don't mind teaching you. But you'll have to listen to me, alright ?"
"Of course, yes ?"
" How much time do you have to finish it ?"
" He gave me one week."
"what, really, you'll have to work really hard to finish on time. If you're a genius, you may be able to do it. I suppose it's not the only task he gave you ?"
'I swear this bastard must have something against me to give me a task this hard.'
" No, it's not."
" I don't mind helping you. But I'll just give you the direction you should take and some advice here and there. The rest only depend on you."
And so I started sewing. I followed Saura's instructions, but it was pretty hard as I had never done it before. I pierced my finger a dozen times with the needle. Fortunately, Saura gave me the fur of other animals to train me on, or I would have wasted the snow-white tiger fur. It took me the whole day to make the part of clothes that looked like something. But honestly, it was terrible. Some parts were disproportionate others were sewn the wrong way. I was despairing. Vae was laughing her head off when she saw what I had done.
When I got out of Saura's hut, it was nighttime. I was exhausted. I only wanted to sleep but before I decided to meditate and try to get my mask to transform. I failed, but I succeeded in controlling more wisps of energy. It cheered me up. I didn't draw, however, as I was really too tired.
My wound totally healed the next day. I passed all the following days at Saura's place, apart from the day when Baruba came to teach us. I progressed, but not as much as I would have liked to. On the other hand, my two other tasks were progressing significantly. I took some time in the morning to draw. It took four days to copy it perfectly. As for getting the mask back to its true form, it took me five days. Retrieving more energy from my heart became easier. I could control it better as well. Still, I was really curious as to why my heart could produce this energy, but I suppose it's one of the things Baruba will explain to me at the end of the week. I didn't stop meditating as it was quite relaxing, and I thought the energy must be really important if it could make the mask change forms.
By the end of the week, I finished everything. And quite honestly, the clothes were a hard challenge. In the end, I made it, but I wasn't proud of the result. The shorts had one side longer than the other. And the T-shirt sleeves weren't large enough to let pass the arm of an adult orc. Saura was telling everyone it was a miracle I succeeded in making something that looked like actual clothes.