Chapter 167: The beginning of a bond.

Zyra and Bianca were resting under the cool shade of a large tree after a fierce round of reflex sparring.

Bianca sat on a smooth stone, groaning as she gently massaged her stomach. "Ow__ you really didn’t hold back, did you?" she mumbled, wincing with every breath.

Zyra had landed one solid punch right at her belly, nearly breaking her in half. What terrified Bianca even more was how Zyra had easily matched her legendary speed! Bianca had trained dozens of young women back at the Black Flower Guild, but Zyra was a completely different breed of fighter. She had a bit of Hunter’s ruthlessness and learned easily. You could not beat her with the same move more than twice.

It was almost as if Zyra only needed to see a combat move once or twice and then copy it perfectly! Bianca didn’t know how she was doing it, but one thing was absolute crystal clear: Zyra was definitely no beginner. She knew how to fight, and she would make a deadly opponent once her body became comfortable with constant fighting.

In her opinion, Zyra needed to spend a month fighting in the Pits. Hiding out here in a safe shelter and training like this was not enough to turn her into a seasoned fighter. Bianca planned to propose the idea to Hunter when he returned.

Zyra wiped a thin bead of sweat from her forehead and called out toward a nearby bush, "Hey, Squirrel! Bring us two bottles of cold water!"

A furry little head popped out of the leaves. The squirrel chirped obediently, turned its tail around, and scurried off toward the main house.

Bianca chuckled softly, watching the creature disappear. She turned her head back to Zyra, her eyes full of curiosity. "So__ is it really true? Can you actually talk to beasts?"

Zyra tilted her head casually. "It’s complicated, but I understand some things." She didn’t want to stand out too much, but she also couldn’t be too ordinary, she had to pass for a Soul maiden whose bloodline had awakened. "Oh, by the way__ your Inferno lynx told me to give you a message."

Bianca blinked. "A message? From my beast?"

"Yeah," Zyra said with a straight face. "It said that if you mess up your life here and get kicked out, it’s severing its bond with you. Because it’s staying right here in the valley."

Bianca burst into a loud, booming laugh, slapping her knee. "Unbelievable! That ungrateful cat! I feed it premium meat every day. Even on days when I get by on nothing but coffee! You are telling me it has defected to your side after one night!"

"Have you been to the beast pavilion?" Zyra asked, "You would defect too."

Just then, the little squirrel returned, panting heavily as it carried two small bottles of clear water in its hands.

"Thanks, little guy," Zyra said, taking a bottle and twisting open the cap. She took a sip, then looked down at the tired squirrel. "Do me a favor m, run over to the pavilion and check on pregnant Snowy for me, will you? I haven’t seen her since morning."

The little squirrel instantly squeaked in utter protest! It threw its tiny paws into the air, squeaking frantically. "I just ran ten miles for your water! Am I a servant or a treasured beast?!"

Zyra raised an eyebrow, looking down at the complaining rodent. "Even treasured beasts help their master’s here and there. I didn’t complain yesterday when you made me roast chestnuts for you. It took me an hour and half! Did I ask who a servant or treasured master was then?"

[Host, tread carefully and don’t threaten the beast, whatever you do.]

The squirrel let out a dramatic, pathetic sigh, hung its head in defeat, and zipped off toward the pavilion as fast as its legs could carry it.

Bianca tilted her head, watching the scene with deep confusion. "Wait, hold on. I thought that snake and snow ant are your contracted beasts? You have another one!"

Zyra answered smoothly. "I have four."

"You have__ WHAT?!" Bianca’s voice cracked so loud it almost scared the birds off the trees. She stood up so fast her knees nearly buckled, staring at Zyra as if she had just turned into a dragon right in front of her eyes!

Suddenly, everything clicked in Bianca’s head! It was no wonder the residents in this valley called Zyra the ’Divine Soul Maiden’! She was different from all other soul maidens. Even the legendary, original Soul Maidens could only bond with two beasts.

Connecting with four half-life beasts without getting your soul ripped to shreds by their violent energy was impossible, unless you were someone divine. Zyra’s bloodline had to be the strongest they had ever seen. She would do what the seven had failed to do: save mankind from this war and other evils.

Without a second thought, Bianca dropped down on one knee right in front of Zyra, cupping her hands respectfully. "Divine Soul Maiden! Forgive my previous rudeness! I will pledge my loyalty to you, if you will have me. I just hope that you will return fairness to the world and help me eradicate class systems."

Zyra let out a long, exhausted sigh, rubbing her temples. "Oh, please, not you too! I am not a Divine Soul maiden."

"I’m serious, Zyra!" Bianca said earnestly, looking up with wide eyes. "No Soul maiden on the entire continent can bond with more than two beasts! You’re a walking miracle!"

Zyra sighed again, leaning back against the tree trunk. "Sit up, Bianca. Stop kneeling. If you have so much energy, let us spar some more or tell me more about yourself instead."

Bianca chuckled softly, standing up and dusting off her pants. She sat back down on her stone, wondering where to even begin.

"Well, my life isn’t that complicated," she said, smiling faintly. "I grew up in a small, tight-knit family. Just my mother, father, Achilles, and me. My mom and Hunter’s mom are sisters, so Hunter and I grew up playing in the same circle."

She leaned back, looking up at the sky. "When I got older, my family wanted me to go to the prestigious high-born girls’ school in The Zenith republic. But I hated snob schools! They are all the same and the girls they raise are way too soft! Everyone was just talking about tea parties and pretty dresses and what son of a privileged clan they would marry. So, I ran away at fifteen and joined a military academy. From there, I enrolled in the Aurora Dominion army at seventeen."

Zyra let out a soft laugh. Looking at Bianca’s tough, stubborn personality, she wasn’t surprised at all that the woman was a rebel.

"I served five years in the army," Bianca continued, "then, I was scouted by the Black Flower Guild, and I have been with them to date."

Zyra nodded slowly, taking another sip of water. She looked at Bianca with a dead pan expression. "That’s it? That’s your grand backstory? Because on my end, my parents went missing, my evil foster-sister and my trash ex-fiancés’ almost assaulted me and watched me fall off a cliff into the Wildlands. Compared to that, you’ve lived a pretty boring life."

Bianca opened her mouth, her pride instantly stung! She puffed out her chest and blurted out defensively, "Hey! My life wasn’t boring at all! I am Mother Christmas." Her eyes gleamed vividly. "Have you heard of me?"