Chapter 3: Ellen

I walk toward the town square with my parents, many other families could be seen with their children as the graduating class will bond with their monsters today.

There are many monsters there with people from Tri colored butterflies to Gem Claw Cats all kind of them could be seen hanging around.

Some people could be seen riding on top of their monster. Monsters are a part of everyday life, most of the monsters in Class 3 towns are Strain 2 like Grey Spark Sparrows.

"Micheal!" I heard someone is calling me, I turned to see my friend Ron with his parents who were trailing behind him. He was holding a light green wolf cub in his arms, whose fur looked like it was waving in the air but there was no wind.

That monster is Wind Wolf, it has a class 6 strain and as its name suggests it is a wind elemental monster.

As Ron came closer, the wind wolf in his arm tried to hide further into it.

"Nothing to fear Johnny, I will protect you from her." He said as he pacified his wind wolf, I smiled seeing this.

A month ago when Ron brought his Wind Wolf named Johnny to show off to me, johnny was acting quite mischievously and started to tease Ashlyn.

At first, as Ashlyn didn't even react to his teasing but when Johnny started to annoy her with his wind blades, getting incensed by it, she shot her silver fire at him from which Johnny started to yelp in pain, poor guy got burned for his playfulness.

From that moment onwards Johnny developed a little fear from Ashlyn, whenever he saw her, he will hides behind Ron.

"Johnny, have you been a good boy?" I said as patted the mischievous Wolf, he cried happily as he received a pat from.

"chew chew.." Ashlyn got jealous seeing me pat Johnny, she liked to act arrogant and indifferent but she gets jealous quite easily, especially when I get close to the other monsters.

"Ashlyn good to see you too," Ron said but he didn't try to pat Ashlyn as he knows she will avoid it.

''How are you feeling?" I asked Ron

''Both excited and Nervous." He replied briskly.

I understood how he felt as I felt the same emotions.

''You are leaving tomorrow right?" I asked

"Yes, in the morning," he replied

Every year top twenty students of the batch got an invitation from various organizations and government. They will provide everything to you from your monster partner to a suitable mana Refinement Engine, you just have to sign a term of the service contract with them.

The minimum period is 7 years and the maximum is 15 years, during that time period they can't force you to do any very dangerous missions if you don't want to.

I was second in my batch, they offered me a Class 7 strain monster but I rejected them, there are two reasons for me rejecting them. First, I only wanted Ashlyn to be my Monster and second, a seven-year contract was too long for me.

Ron accepted the contract from one organization for Eight years of service and he even got Johnny from them.

We walked towards the town square, where the ceremony is held every year and there was already a big crowd waiting for it to start.

There is a big stage with a big black stone tile in the center of it. It is called the Enlightenment stone, it reduces the chances of failure of bonding to nearly zero.

In front of the stage, two hundred chairs are placed. It is for the students who were undergoing the ceremony today with the strict sitting arrangement, everyone's seats arranged according to their score.

My seat is in the center of the first row, Ron is also in the front row as he is ranked 8th,

My left side is empty and on my right side is Ellen, topper of this batch also my very good friend.

"I didn't believe it when I heard that you rejected all the offers but seeing this Mutated Grey Spark Sparrow on your shoulder, it is true I guess," she said. I just smiled at her knowing her blunt nature.

Ellen is my very good friend and also my competitor for the top place. For three years, we both were competing for first place but in the final exam, she beat me in the race for first place.

On her shoulder was a palm-sized spider which looked like it was made of glass. This monster is known as Glass spider and is one of the best Monsters in Class 7 strain.

''Looking at Glass Spider you have, you must have accepted the Crystal Knight's offer?" I asked as man organizations have their own signature monsters, they give these monsters to their low level members.

Ron's Gale Wolf is mainly used by the Hermes Merchants and Ellen's Glass Spider is especially used by the Crystal Knights. It is not that these organizations have a monopoly over their signature monsters, other people also have them but those are very rare cases.

"Yes, they offered some good conditions and I accepted it." She said with a small smile on her face. She has the right to be proud as Crystal Knights are one of the best organizations in the republic.

"It's a good choice, they gave you a top-class lv. 7 strain monster," I said, for a moment even I felt jealous of her but when l thought of the little sparrow on my shoulder, I remember why I declined all those offers.

''Strain isn't everything Michael and you must have heard that rumor right?" Ellen said, yes strain just shows the map, the actual walking on it have to be done by is us and there are many roadblocks one has to cross.

The rumor she mentioned is that those students who get selected from small towns only get Monsters who have low talents making it difficult for them to walk half the way.

The youths from the small towns are only used to fill the numbers and are mostly given the positions of the lowest dregs.

'Sip...'

''Stella!" Ellen shouted, her Glass Spider attacked Ashlyn suddenly with her glass strings and bounded her with it.

Anger could be seen in Ashlyn's eyes and as her whole body started to burn with silver fire that melted away those glass string, still, the rage hadn't subsided as she is about to attack Ellens monster.

''Ashlyn calm down! If you don't attack, I will ask mom to give you some special treats" I said, hearing the words 'special treat' she forcefully calmed down and flew away to sit on my other shoulder.

"Micheal, I am sorry! Stella really acts unruly sometimes." Ellen apologized, "It's okay, it happening everywhere." I said as I glanced towards Ron's wind wolf who is fighting a Dark centipede on the ground, with both Ron and the youth beside him trying to separate their Monsters from the fight.

"Yes, it happening everywhere," she repeated as she saw the small monster's fighting everywhere.

''Which training facility are you going?" I asked as the Crystal Knights had their branches in all of the important cities in the Republic and usually, they first send their recruits to the training facilities to measure their potential and off course for training.

''Mayfield, I will spend one year there." She said as a tinge of expectation could be seen on her face when she said the city's name.

Mayfield is class 6 city of the republic which very close to the Republic's capital, she is basically halfway into the capital, where most powerful people in the republic reside.

''What are you going to do." She asked as she knew that I had not joined any organization or government, and with that monster of his future was looking bleak still he wouldn't be staying in this small town.

''I am going to the Carrol City," I lied, she nodded as if understanding my intentions, Carrol city is biggest Class 5 city in the Republic and one of the most popular citi amongst the lower level adventurers.

I lied to my friends and parents about my destination because the city I've picked is one of the most dangerous cities in the republic, it is the...