Thierry despite all the reassurance he got did not believe for a second it would be as painless as Gallagher made it out to be. Yet he felt his body losing its strength, he felt something warm drip down his back. It was blood, his eyes narrowed down to see a chunk of flesh on the floor.
Before he could even ridicule himself, the euphoric howls of the other uninitiated carolled out. If one were outside it would've sounded like an out of tune choir. He tried to look up but he felt something invade his body. Alas that was just the beginning of it. Gallagher's gaze lingered at the sorry sight that was Thierry with a unfrequent trace of concern in them. A thin layer of stone began to cover the uninitiated.
'Was I always stone... why does living hurt?'
Thierry couldn't command his body, it was like how stones defied the currents of a tide being immovable. Something he read about in a book about the Lost sea at the southern most end of Llunevia. He felt the stone hilt burrow itself even deeper reaching the pits of his soul. Cracks started to appear on the stone shell as steam exited through them. The hellish process was finally over, the newly initiated were pale and weak but their expressions did not match at all.
"What did I tell you? It wouldn't hurt that much."
Gallagher snickered as he traced his hand over the scar on his and through his dark brown mane like hair. He stood there alone, the rest of his cohort missing. He point over to a makeshift stage where Magnus stood unattended. He looked rather please with the results.
"Yeah right you bastard. It honestly felt like a pinch on the cheek."
Thierry scoffed it was apparent he was getting bothered by the teasing right after that gruesome remodelling. In response Gallagher who was amused held a bloodied rag in his hand and had a smug smile plastered all over his face. Thierry couldn't help but feel the urge to punch him at least once.
"Anyways why were you guys here?"
Thierry was bewildered since there was no need to hire groups of boundeds just for an initiation. After all they could've used their own clansmen to do it instead.
"Don't worry about it, we're just here in case of any accidents or resurgences happen."
Despite Gallagher's lax way of delivering this new to Thierry. This was like a bombshell to Thierry, who didn't know much about the specifics, but more importantly was the fact he had been deceived.
'Those conniving bastards didn't mention anything about the hidden dangers and said it was safe... Gods what would've happened to me if I had an accident.'
Gallagher had left the green house whilst all the newly initiated formed a crowd in front of the stage. Thierry stood near the periphery not wanting to socialise with the others. This was due to his hard time socialising as even in the Flounders troupe he found it hard to make bonds since he lacked a few morals and had a harsh mouth. Magnus, albeit, lazily raised his hand and soon the crowd stopped talking in an instant.
"I'm inclined to believe that I don't need to explain the changes in your body. After all you all seemed eager to test your limits a few moments ago. Rest well for the next hour but I would suggest you find a weapon to train with."
'Of course theres a damned assessment as if having my insides rearranged wasn't enough!'
Thierry cursed to himself as Magnus's speech came to an end. He wasn't the only one as the others expressions began to ashen showing panic and fear. It took a moment for Thierry to compose himself, he found himself near the back of the stage with a shortsword in hand.
'It's about the same weight as the juggling pins.'
He analysed the sword whilst turning the blade to each side looking for where it was most heaviest. He swung down with all his force the sound of the wind whistling greeted his ears. He didn't know whether to be excited at his boosted physicality or at the fact the blade was a standard ordinary blade. Unbeknownst to him, Magnus had been watching him and the others.
'Its like a stunt where I have to use my core muscles but everything right now is relying on the anchor but I don't understand how to use it.'
Thierry began to speculate that a chain was needed for the full utilisation of the anchor. After all he's never met an initiated in a cohort for people who have become bounded and received their first chain.
'Dammit I already made it this far, I might as well give it my all at this point...'
Thierry resolved himself and began to get familiar with the blade. He laid down for the last twenty minutes to rest, now fully knowing his own capabilities and how to at least defend himself with the blade.
***
Magnus who had been overseeing us finally signalled us and he led the kids back into the estate with Thierry being at the back. After a while Thierry took notice that they were going underground.
'Gods below don't tell me we're actually going to be held in the dungeon.'
Contrary to Theirry's thoughts, what greeted him was small colosseum with the separated group who were seated around the outer circle. There was only one person, who was all too familiar, in the centre of the colosseum. It was none other Veron who held a wooden spear that had a sandbag instead of a spearhead. The veteran went down against the fence in front of everyone whilst his clansmen left.
'Gods he's going to do another speech isn't he?'
Unfortunately for Thierry, he was correct. He cursed the pesky veteran in his head.
"... You'll be fighting the young master with the weapons in hand and there's no need to take off your armour either.
The veteran seemed to have faith in Veron's capabilities. It seemed to rub the other clans heirs in the wrong way as they seemed eager to prove him wrong. Thierry didn't mind since it was better to have knowledge of your opponent rather than going in blind.
However it seemed Thierry severely underestimated Veron since he took down all forty something clans heirs without breaking a sweat with just a blunted wooden spear. Thierry had hoped the group he came with would take up Veron's challenge but they had all gone meek.
Thierry stood up and brandished the shortsword in his left hand. It was now his turn to prove himself.