Burned

Chapter 31

Black smoke wraps around my wrist like a snake as I try to silence my emotions. Although I try to direct it towards my opponent, it disappears as quickly as it appeared. I sigh in frustration at my umpteenth failure.

"Again!" Asher says to me in his authoritative voice.

I glare at him before trying again. Since training with Asher, I don't have time to think about everything that's going on in my life. I'm too exhausted for that. Asher keeps pushing me to do it again and again.

He's unwavering in his idea of training his troops well. The Clan of Light takes a completely different approach. As I look in his direction, I can see that he's standing next to me. His arms are crossed over his chest and his face is impassive.

I turn around and concentrate on my task which consists, among other things, of releasing this black smoke to neutralize my opponent by asphyxiating him. I remove all my thoughts and feelings from my head and try to completely empty it.

The smoke reappears, disperses towards my hands then my arms like a toxic mist. I concentrate more and it stretches to the ground, crawling towards the demon in front of me. As he advances towards me in attack position, the smoke disappears again. The demon, who was chosen to serve as my rat lab smiled fiercely at my failure.

"Again!" Asher shouts abruptly, impatient that I still haven't mastered this simple skill.

"Asher, I need a break" I tell him as I go next to him to quench my thirst.

His unyielding gaze falls on me. He doesn't seem to be in a good mood today and he's doing everything he can to let me know.

"Your progress is lamentable" He told me.

"It's nice of you to encourage me like that, I said to him in turn. A little more pressure and everything will be fine" I added ironically.

It has been almost two weeks since I moved into Asher's secluded mountain mansion. I don't know where it is, because he blocked my view the whole way. He didn't want me to know his whereabouts in case I traced it back to the Light Clan.

All I know is that it's a secluded place in the mountains, because I can see the view down the cliffs that surround the mansion. This one looks a lot like the opposing clan's mansion. It's a gathering place for members, where Asher commands his army of demons during the war between the two clans.

I had difficulty at first coming face to face with these demons. They looked at me menacingly as I walked past them. At first, the general discontent seemed to have contaminated the horde of demons. Asher had even sanctioned several recalcitrants. Today, they seem to have become accustomed to my presence and barely tolerate me.

"Using condescension won't make you evolve" He told me, looking at me with his amber eyes.

"I'm just exhausted. Since dawn I've been trying to get this smoke out, but it doesn't seem to be working. Can't you see how frustrating it's for me not to be able to master the basics?" I told him honestly as I fell to the ground.

He leans towards me, hiding me from the Sun in the process. He sets his stern gaze on me.

"I don't think I allowed you to rest" He said to me although what I just told him didn't seem to have affected him.

"Arrrg! Asher, you're the worst bully, I told him honestly. Come on! Let me breathe for five minutes" I begged him, pouting.

"I'll give you two minutes and we'll start again."He straightens and tries to hold back a smile.

Since we arrived, Asher and I have gotten to know each other a little better every day. I even begged him to be less formal with me, and he asked me to do the same. So, the distance that I tried to put between us, although he's a client of the company, has transformed into something whose nature I cannot yet identify.