"You've got to kidding me old man."
I complained with frustration, I stood in the middle of the washed up Inn with a mop in my right hand. I couldn't believe Xerxes was making me clean up the Inn when it's literally his fault it got messed up.
He's the one who gave out free drinks which created the chaos and he's also the one who hired a teenage psychopath as a waitress.
"Just think of it as part of your training, by the time you get to cleaning the roof."
Xerxes chuckled a little as he sat behind the counter with a glass of water in his left hand.
"You'll truly be one with the wind."
He laughed as I stared at him a bit annoyed, my eyes twitched before I began mopping the floor, Rachel came out from the kitchen with two mops in her hands. No way she wasn't going to do half of the job after wrecking the Inn.
"You guy's are crazy, I can't believe you actually wrecked the Inn, I mean look around you."
Water still dripped from each corner of the Inn, even the highest places. The bedrooms was a whole other story, Rachel will take care of it.
"Oh that reminds me. Master Xerxes, I've only managed to secure half our stock. The other half was shattered in the commotion."
Xerxes dropped the glass cup on the counter and crossed his arms, for once he actually acted serious in this dire situation.
"Well that's bad, we'll run out of beer in no time. Alright! new task, Rachel and Xavier go pick up the new batch I ordered. I was supposed to get it tomorrow but seeing the circumstances, it's all the way in Terre lane."
"You tryna kill me old man? First you got the Inn wrecked and your making me clean up, now you want to send me on a 10km errand? By the way, why Terre lane?"
Xerxes chuckled standing to his feet, he walked towards the staircase with his hands at the back of his neck.
"You wouldn't want Rachel to do all the heavy lifting now would you Xavier?"
Rachel nodded in response to his question before walking towards me.
"It'll be fun Xavier, isn't this your first time in Terre lane? I could show you around."
Now when they both put it like that, what other choice do I have but to follow through. I dropped the mop sighing softly and raised my head towards the staircase.
"Fine, you win old man. I'll fetch your beer."
Xerxes walked up the staircase while me and Rachel set out to Terre lane leaving the Inn closed and in a terrible state.
We left the Inn which looked even more terrible from the outside, the roofs were blown open and some of it had been blown away by the breeze after it was torn apart. The forest behind the Inn was what we used to head towards Terre Lane.
"Uh."
Rachel attempted to speak but couldn't find the right words to say, She already knew what to say but didn't know how to say it. She wasn't shy or anything but after what just happened, I don't think she can speak to me without having these thoughts of herself as a merciless being.
"What is it?"
I questioned her as we walked sideways heading towards our destination which was Terra Lane. My face was devoid of any emotions like aways. I forget what it means to smile or laugh, after all that I've been through I can speak for everyone when I say happiness is short-lived.
"I know we got off to a bad start, you know from the part when I tried to kill you to the part where you blew me away. There's also the part where I tried to drown you."
I looked down towards Rachel with my eye emitting a chilling aura, I remembered what happened but had no cause to hold grudges, it was just a training exercise.
"Do not worry, I hold no grudges, even training but I suppose your right."
I responded in a cold tune, Rachel understood why however. Even before my father died I have been like this.
"It's fine I guess, as long as you don't splash water on me anymore."
Rachel laughed softly placing the tips of her right fingers on her mouth.
"How was it like? I mean how was it like the first time you became Xerxes apprentice?"
Rachel faced forward and crossed her arms, she looked serious for a moment there before smiling, she closed her eyes slowly and responded to my question.
"It wasn't any different than yours in a way, I lost my parents to a band of thieves who used magic to steal. I was the only child so I instantly became an orphan, none of my uncle's and aunt wanted to take me in."
I kind of understood what she felt in a way, my uncle wanted to help me but my aunt could care less.
My dad resented me and blamed me for his misery, for better or worse I had an understanding of what she felt.
"Then Xerxes found me, saw I needed help and he didn't hesitate to take me in, he might be a bit wild sometimes but since that day I considered him family."
I scoffed a bit, what she said was a reassuring, I always assumed the universe wanted me to suffer a fate far worse than death.
"Well, I think that's something we both have in common."
I mumbled softly as Rachel looked me in the eye before speaking.
"A word of advice Xavier, one cannot master the magical arts if they do not believe in it, it's like trying to draw out your potential when you don't believe you have any."
In a way I think she is right, even after I've seen myself do it I still couldn't belief wind magic resided in me. I still assumed it was not possible.
"Understood."
[Terre Lane]
[30 minutes later]
We arrived finally at our destination, Terre Lane. It's a huge town which one could say is a bit more primitive than the rest of the kingdom, however they were mass producers of liquor. The populace main occupation was hunting which gave them the name "Terre" from the word terrestrial.
"Okay so where to next?"
I asked Rachel as it was clear she knew Xerxes more than me, she's been around for a good couple of years so she should know where exactly in Terre lane he gets his beer.
"I don't know."
I froze for some seconds, my head turned slowly to face Rachel as I was rather confused. My facial expression displayed utter shock with a mix of confusion.
"What do you mean you don't know? Are you telling me, we walked through that thick and foggy forest for over thirty minutes and you had no idea where we had to go exactly?"
I take everything back, these people really are crazy. I guess it's my fault for actually expecting things to turn out alright.