Wielder Of The Dragon Flame

Chapter 20

They followed her through the thinning crowd, Asta walking beside Jabber while Mira brought up the rear. As they walked, Asta found himself studying his new guild mates from the corner of his eye.

Flora moved with confidence and purpose, her shoulders back, her stride sure.

 She was clearly someone used to taking charge, used to making decisions. That would be good for them,they needed that kind of steady leadership.

Mira was all controlled power,every movement precise, economical, the mark of someone who'd trained extensively in combat. 

Her eyes constantly scanned their surroundings, alert, watchful. She'd be their shield, their front line when things got dangerous.

And Jabber... Jabber moved quietly, his presence muted, like he was trying to fade into the background even as he walked with them. But there was something else there now, something Asta hadn't seen before. Was it hope? The tiniest flicker of something that wasn't resignation or defeat?

As for himself, Asta wasn't sure what he brought to the table. He couldn't use the dragon flame,might never be able to. But he had his sword skills, his hand-to-hand combat training. Four months of brutal, relentless training with Old Man Kael had made him faster, stronger, more skilled than he'd ever been before. Maybe that would be enough. 

Maybe, with these three people at his side, he could finally prove that he was more than just the flameless failure everyone thought he was.

They reached the processing station, where several officials sat at tables reviewing forms. Old Man Kael was among them, and his eyes lit up when he saw them approaching.

"Well now." 

Kael said, his weathered face creasing into a pleased smile.

 "Looks like you all found your groups. Let me see what you've got."

Flora handed over the form. Kael took it, his eyes scanning the information quickly. When he reached the guild name, his eyebrows rose slightly, and his smile grew.

"Ember Watch." he read aloud.

 "That's... that's quite good actually. Very appropriate." 

His eyes moved down the list of names, and his smile faltered slightly when he reached Jabber's name. He looked up, his gaze finding Jabber in the group, taking in his battered face.

"I heard there was an incident." 

Kael said carefully, his voice low enough that only their group could hear.

 "Are you alright, boy?"

Jabber nodded once, not meeting Kael's eyes.

Kael looked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he just sighed and returned his attention to the form. 

"Well, if Flora thinks you're worth having on her team, that's good enough for me." 

He picked up a stamp and pressed it firmly onto the form, the ink leaving a bold red mark across the bottom.

 "Ember Watch is officially registered as an E-rank guild. You'll receive your guild documentation and identification badges tomorrow morning. Initial missions will be available at the guild hall starting the day after. Any questions?"

"What kind of missions will we be doing?" 

Asta asked.

"At E-rank? Mostly low-risk jobs. Delivering messages to outlying settlements, escorting merchants who don't need heavy protection, investigating minor disturbances, clearing weak flame beasts from farming areas,that sort of thing.”

“As you complete missions and build your reputation, your guild rank will increase, and you'll have access to more challenging and more lucrative work."

"How do we increase our rank?" 

Mira wanted to know.

"Successful mission completion, particularly difficult jobs done well, recommendations from mission givers, and time. There's no shortcut,you have to put in the work and prove yourselves." 

Kael's expression became more serious.

 "But I want to be clear about something. Guild missions aren't training exercises. They're real jobs with real stakes. People will be depending on you. If you take a protection job and fail, someone might die. If you're hunting flame beasts and you're not prepared, you might be the ones who die. This isn't a game."

The weight of his words settled over them like a heavy blanket. This was real. They were really doing this.

"That said." 

Kael continued, his tone softening slightly. 

"I've reviewed your individual training records, and I think you four have potential. Different strengths that might complement each other well if you learn to work as a real team." 

His eyes moved to each of them in turn.

 "Flora, you've got a good tactical mind. Use it. Mira, your combat skills are excellent, but remember that raw strength isn't always the answer. Asta…" 

His gaze lingered on Asta.

 "...you've worked harder than almost anyone in the labor section these past four months. Keep that dedication, but learn when to ask for help. And Jabber..."

Kael paused, studying the quiet boy who was still staring at the floor. 

"You've got more power than you realize, but you're afraid of it. That fear is holding you back more than any lack of skill. You need to learn to trust yourself."

Jabber's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond.

Kael handed the stamped form back to Flora. 

"Congratulations, Ember Watch. Welcome to the guild system. Try not to get yourselves killed."

"We'll do our best."

 Flora said, accepting the form and carefully folding 

it.

They were turning to leave when Kael's voice stopped them one more time. 

"And Asta?"

Asta turned back. 

"Yes, sir?"

Kael's expression was unreadable.

 "What you did earlier,stepping between Jabber and that official,that took guts. Stupid guts, maybe, but guts nonetheless." 

A small smile appeared. 

"Your team is lucky to have someone willing to put himself at risk for them. That's the kind of thing that makes the difference between a good guild and a great one."

Asta felt warmth spreading through his chest, his earlier shame and doubt easing slightly. 

"Thank you, sir.”

They left the processing station and made their way out of the gathering quarters. The crowd had mostly dispersed now,most people had either formed their guilds and submitted their forms or had left to continue their search for partners.

 The sun was higher in the sky, approaching midday, and Asta's stomach chose that moment to remind him that he'd skipped breakfast in his rush to get to the gathering.

"So." 

Flora said once they were outside, the fresh air was a welcome relief after the stuffiness of the crowded quarters.

 "Tomorrow we get our official guild status. The day after that, we started taking missions. That gives us today and tomorrow to prepare, get to know each other better, maybe do some training together."

"We should practice formation drills." 

Mira suggested.

 "If we're going to work as a team, we need to understand each other's fighting styles, know how to move together without getting in each other's way."

"Good idea."

 Flora agreed. 

"There's a training yard behind the east barracks that's usually empty in the afternoons. We could meet there today, say around two hours from now? That gives everyone time to eat and take care of any personal business."

They all nodded agreement. Even Jabber, though his nod was slight, almost reluctant.

"Alright then." 

Flora said, seeming pleased. 

"East training yard, two hours. Don't be late."

 She shot a meaningful look at Jabber, but there was no malice in it, just gentle teasing.

The corners of Jabber's mouth might have twitched. Maybe.

They split up then, each heading off in different directions. Mira headed toward the dining hall, her long strides eating up the distance quickly. Flora went the opposite direction, toward what Asta thought might be the residential section where the female laborers were housed.

Asta and Jabber walked together in comfortable silence back toward their shared quarters. The confrontation from earlier felt like it had happened days ago rather than just an hour or so. So much had changed in such a short time.

As they walked, Asta glanced sideways at Jabber, taking in his profile. The swelling on his face was more pronounced now, the bruise darkening to a deep purple-black. It had to hurt, but Jabber's expression gave nothing away.

"Hey." 

Asta said quietly as they turned down the corridor toward their room. 

"Thank you. For the guild name, I mean. It's... it's really perfect."

Jabber was quiet for so long that Asta thought he might not respond at all. But then, just as they reached their door, he spoke.

"Thank you too. For..." 

He trailed off, seeming unable to find the words.

"For what?"

"For stepping in. For..."

 Jabber's hand came up to touch his swollen face gently.

 "No one's ever done that before. Stood up for me like that."

The words were said so matter-of-factly, with no self-pity, just stating a simple truth. And that somehow made them even sadder.

"Well." 

Asta said, opening the door to their room.

“We're guild mates now. That's what guild mates do, right? Watch each other's backs."

Jabb

er stepped into the room and stood there for a moment, looking at Asta with an expression that was still mostly unreadable but held a hint of something warmer. 

"Right. Guild mates."

It wasn't exactly a friendship declaration. But for Jabber, it felt like progress…