Isvelt's eyes widened like dinner plates when a pressure that could bend metal plates grasped his arms in a friendly embrace the same way a Saint Bernard would consider itself a lapdog and crush the poor owner's lap. The royal's entire weight was lifted off of the ground and was shaken around like he was laundry to be aired out. "You're welcome, you're welcome! Just please let go of my arms!" He cried out in desperation as he felt the air around him crack like a whip. As soon as he was placed back down, his arms felt like they were as crinkled as accordion folds.
Ludo looked quite amused with that cheeky grin of his. This, now this puts a smile on my face He thought to himself with glee. Nothing felt better than doing good while actively screwing someone else over at the same time. Then again, it also felt good to just make someone's day just a bit better anyway, a thought that softened his smile.
However, this was what left him distracted while he was walking, and he bumped into someone by accident. "Oh sorry, my bad. You okay?" He asked apologetically and what he got in return was this crazy blonde that reached for her book and in that moment his hand instinctively went down to his, but he halted. There were too many people, citizens, that could get hurt just from two mages fighting. Not only that, but there were also guards that would stop them from fighting and could possibly revoke his chance from participating the Magic Knights' Entrance Exam. The only thing he could do was wait to see how it played out.
That's when he made the very obvious connection; either this girl was completely delusional, or she was an actual noble. Then again, from his experience those two things went hand in hand. It was bad enough that he had to deal with the ball and chain cowering behind him, but now he had to deal with little miss sparkles. Ludo offered her no words, just a cold, defying glare.
His eyes followed her as she flew high into the air and landed on the building across from him, looking down on him on both literal and metaphorical level before she continued on her way, his gaze unwavering.
And then the tension was broken by Maverick's comment. Ludo looked at him with a smirk and said, "What would it matter to you? You wouldn't be able to see them without glasses."
Isvelt stepped forward confidently as if he was not hiding behind his manservant's back when conflict arose. "I'm surprised you let it slide. I thought you'd try something," he said with great suspicion.
Ludo's lips curled into a smirk at the young royal and lifted his hand up, holding a piece of cloth. The same piece of cloth from that girl's beaten up, filthy cloak. "I wonder how long it will take for her to notice," he said with a snicker. It would have never occurred to her that a commoner could ever react to her, let alone counterattack, but if she wanted to try and talk mad shit then she should be ready to be receive it.
Ludo tossed the piece of cloth lazily onto the cobbled streets. "What a moron. Hopefully that'll be the last I'll ever need to interact with her. I don't want to keep up with this pissing contest." He glanced towards his master. "How about you go ahead and fraternize with your noble peers. I won't be far behind." At this point he just wanted an excuse for his boss to extend his ball and chain for a few minutes.
There was no way Albie was going to give his name, not if there was a chance it would allow the old man to use magic against him. So instead he tried to think of a Noble that was likely to join the exam but ended up just saying a random name he made up from the top of his head "How about David Abelona?"
The offer of credit was way more tempting and unless the man screwed him over Albie had every intention of honoring it, and not just an information broker would make for an useful connection if he did manage to become a magic knight. The way he looked for eavesdroppers was a bit suspicious since just offering information wasn't illegal or even cheating but Albie figured that letting someone get any knowledge the man had to offer for free was bad business. "Maybe we should talk somewhere more private. Do you know any good places?" He still didn't fully trust the situation but he could use any edge he could get so he might as risk it. If the old guy did lead him to a more private spot he would prepare a Magic Bullet, since even if it was weak it didn't need his grimoire and would hopefully catch any would be attacker off guard.
@Zeroth Camilla never did visit the bathrooms, which - as we all already knew - meant that her words to Pompadouce about going to freshen up was nothing more than a polite way of getting the heck away from his sorry loser-ass. But leaving that sad sakc and his cronies far behind, Camilla proceed towards where the applicants and spectators were moving. When she reached the area where the groups of were being seperated, she gave a once-over to the crowd, before pmoving on past the gate and the large, imposing doors that were - for the time being - swung open, inviting the brave into the proverbial lion's den. Not that lions actually live in dens, that's a horrible misconception and doesn't actually make any sense. But enough about animal facts!
Moving along the arena floor, the young lady didn't seem at all interested in sharing in the activity of most others. Which is to say, scoping out or eyeing out the competition. Camilla's gaze and head remained largely still, as she gracefully kept on walking, until she found a suitable spot among the gathered where there was still room and folks were packed too tightly like sardines. It was at that point she noticed the handsome fellow with the long blue hair and the slight scar. This Alwin-fellow seemed to be drawing a lot of eyes.
However, to anyone paying close enough attention, Camilla didn't seem at all interested in checking out this young, objectively attractive and dignified young man, but rather... Her gaze seemed to fall on the gaggle of floozies who were sueeing and trying to cozy up to the stoic, unflinching fellow. A slight smile was on her face.
Then, out of nowhere, a voice spoke up, seemingly directed at her.
"Makes ya sick, don't it?"
A short, but brawny, dwarf person had appeared! Red doublet, bead darky eyes, had the beginnings of a beard, spurred boots - how unfashionable.... - and now he was lighting a smoking implement - next to me...? Ugh... - and then proceeded to speak some more.
"Gunnar Einsley." he introduced himself, holding out a rough palm to Camilla. "And if ya don't mind me sayin' so, you are the definition of high class."
"Bet you say that to all the girls." Camilla half-smiled, half-smirked, before extending her own, white-gloved hand and giving the pint-sized chimney a brief but gentle shake of the hand. "Camilla Azurios, by the way." Compared to her speech and mannerisms when interacting with Pompadour a few minutes ago, the young lady's demeanor seemed almost entirely different. She wasn't anywhere near as eloquent or refined in her speech, seeming instead much more laid-back and casual. "As for that --" She let her eyes wander over to Alwin (the chipmunk?) and his entourage again. "-- I think it's kinda cute." She gave a slight, quick and bright laugh.
Camilla then spared a moment to follow where this Alwin was gazing. A ... Balcony? Ah, yes. That must be where the esteemed judges of this spectacle were going to be watching from. The illustrious Captains of the Clover Kingdom's finest, most noble protectors and guardians. The same renowned and admirable heroes who, for five years, had made no meaningful progress in bringin the monsters who ruined her life to justice. No, she shouldn't think that way. That wasn't why she was here today... Luckily, these bitter, dark thoughts and feelings were kept inside, and didn't mange to bubble up or show on her impeccable surface. Her gaze quickly left the currently vacant balcony and returned to the guy called Gunner. Or was it Gumball? Bah, who cares! She just needed to entertain any further comments until this whole thing got started.
She could do that.
... Wait, was that...?
Oh, isn't that the cute red-head boy from before? She spotted a familiar ... Face? No, it wans't his face that was familiar. Just his hair. It seemed he was here to participate as well. It wasn't until that moment that Camilla realized somehting very important though!
She looked down into her left hand, spotting the little wooden badge with her number on it. With an amused giggle at her own scatterbrained self, she moved the little piece to one of the buttons on her dress, and with some quick fingers, attached it. After all, the thing wouldn't do much good if nobody could see it once things got started.
Actions & Interactions: - Camilla entered into the coloseum proper and joined the other Magic Knight applicants in waiting for the exam to start. - She spotted a dude flocked by followers, and spent a litle time oggling his female followers. - She spoke a little with a fellow named Gunnar, who had initiated conversation with her. - She took a look at the balcony where the Captains would be watching from, and had some dark, spiteful thoughts. - She spotted Tristan's hair in the crowd. - She ralized she hadn't properly attached her wooden badge to herself yet, and proceeded to fix that.
Parin didn't know what she expected from this whole "Magic Knight" ordeal. Honestly, nothing -- she expected to get kicked out in a week if she didn't quit all by herself.
...Is the mindset she wished she could look at this whole thing with, but unfortunately that wasn't much of an option for her. Even though she didn't want to do it, Hari wanted her to, so it was different. Parin at least tried to look at her current situation as an opportunity and decided to move with some effort in order to respect her adoptive mother's wishes. That effort was minimal seeing as she still didn't want to be there.
Minimal, but still respectful to Hari. She found herself waking up bright and early for the event somehow. She had even arrived there early too, having received her badge number of #84 before she began stalling. Perhaps that was why she was bored. She had decided that getting the badge was enough initiative and got to dillydallying, aimlessly walking around the outside of the coliseum. Parin played with her necklace underneath the covers of her brown cloak, which she held shut around her body. She carried no bag with her. Instead, she had a myriad of (hand-knit) pockets spread out on the inside and outside of her clothing. She held nothing valuable to her besides a dagger clipped onto her waist, her ring of keys, and a compass, so she hadn't much to carry.
One might've thought Parin was a noble with how much disgust and disdain was written on her face. She wrinkled her nose at damn near every sensation she came across.
The kids that were way too excited to be here, bumping up past everyone, cutting in line? Scoff. The peddlers? Her heart went out to them, but her head turned the opposite way every time. The little shy girl, who she had cut infront of not when she first arrived, still getting pushed out of her spot in line? Okay, Parin might have kept tabs on her, but only for a quick laugh. The smell of some delicious, delicious foodstuffs? She cared not. The sound of-
The sound of coins jingling?
Parin's head jerked eastwards as if she had a sixth sense. Immediately, she began her way through the crowd. She had a knack for finding the path of least resistance through the highest amount of people. It was like she flowed against the flow of traffic, towards the scent of money. Through the hustle and bustle, she heard the words "5,000 Yule" bright and clear, shifting towards the sound.
"C'mon, it's easy money! Isn't that supposed to be what your kind's all about...?"
Just as Parin was about to chime in with a 'why yes it IS,' she was so rudely interrupted by -- by God, it looked like. In truth it was just a girl who was prettier than most, but those were like dieties to Parin anyhow. She found herself stuck in the crowd as a result of the interruption but managed to keep herself floating in the vicinity of the kerfuffle.
It seemed like a noble and two other scrubs were harassing a poor boy, and the young woman swooped in to save the day. Lucky guy, Parin thought idly, not knowing if she meant the bully or the victim.
"Now, now, is this really how you should be spending your time, young sir? Surely there must be something more productive you could be doing with your time, hm~? Do you really want to be spending time on this poor boy when the exams are about ready to begin?"
Parin giggled like a little fan. She saw the black-haired noble immediately draw back into his shell after the girl appeared and decided she was definitely jealous of him.
“Don’t tell me the combat round started already?”
Eugh, she thought. Expected of a boy to bump himself into the spotlight, but she couldn't help but feel disappointed. Although she did feel satisfied watching him show the lackies where they belonged. He seemed a bit of a hothead, but Parin couldn't judge - her first instinct was to rob the pompous bastard. He was spicing things up, to be sure. And Parin really, really liked his piercings. She took note of him.
These two, the pretty-god-girl and the hothead, seemed interesting enough. Parin thought it a good idea to keep herself around for the rest of the exam.
“So unless you are interested in starting this round early, how about we take the lead this gorgeous lady has set out for us, and stop this before the exams begin huh?”
Not very lucky, the guy definitely was, cause damn he was getting jumped. The foolish noble was smart enough to slip his bag of coins back into his pocket when he gave the redhead some pets. Unfortunate for him that Parin witnessed such an event. Within the petticoat, on his right side, and Parin also noted the motion he used to put the bag back into safety.
Anyone with eyes could tell how oblivious he was, so she didn't have any faith in his cronies either. You have to be some sort of weak to follow a guy like him.
He's a walking party trick, Parin thought. Nothing more, nothing less.
Parin locked back into the situation as she began her second circle of the group. Again, Mr. Moneybags was playing with fire, throwing out names (Parin let out a small gasp at the 'ox' comment), getting people bumped all about, just generally being a mess. Such an easy target.
Parin thought again. The guy seemed like an easy target for anything, you know. Not just theft. She thought about her commitment to Hari aswell. There was no way the woman would accept any dirty money, especially after Parin was supposed to have been hard at work doing Magic Knight duties.
"Shall we, then?"
This, however, was her breaking point. She had to do something to him.
She didn't even sigh of relief when the young woman cleanly rejected him because it was so obviously going to happen. This man needed to pay for his audacity more than he needed to pay for his attitude towards the poor-
"...You hear that, boys?"
"She's gonna go freshen up for me! I do believe I have her, as they say, in the bag!"
"Yeah, big bro! She was eyeing you up, I saw it!"
"Did ya see the way she was shaking her hips!? She wants him bad!"
"Dohohohoho!"
"Well, don't fret too much, boys! I'm sure we can find a few more nice wenches-"
No, no. No, no, no. Come back down to Earth.
Parin broke from the crowd she'd been camouflaged in, putting a pep in her step once she had the clearing. She walked a few feet behind the three stooges, her grimoire flying open. Once she was square with the back of that ugly hairdo, she stretched both of her palms out towards the center of his back and braced herself. A fierce, but unconcentrated burst of water was unleashed, aimed for max coverage of the pompadouche. The recoil from the blast caused Parin's arm to jerk back, her body rotating with the sudden movement, ending up in her walking backwards with full view of her victim(s).
Parin shook her hand out. She caught a short glance of the troupe and it was enough to put a smile on her face. They can soak that in themselves. For now, she made her leave as quickly as she came.
As she shuffled her way back into and through the crowd, she wondered if there would be a target on her head (that wasn't a bunch of buffoons). That could surely spell doom for- Somebody is flying. Huh.
Parin let herself breathe.
She felt no inherent rush to get anywhere after having let her anger out. Her patience was rewarded with a noticeably clearer path than she'd been walking so far. Looking further down she'd gotten a glance of the ox-boy from earlier and someone... familiar, yes, she'd been bumped over by that noble not too long ago. More importantly than those responsible for the path was the fact that it was about to start closing up soon.
Parin made her way through what was left of the opening and ended up entering the holy grail; the Coliseum.
A holy grail right now was any point Parin could dillydally at. She decided that this was it, considering all the people and hubbub going on around her. She stretched her arms out towards the sky and yawned as she walked. She went with the applicants, of course, so she already had a couple people in mind to look for. She'd already passed the ox from before; while he was sure to be interesting, she had felt a weird sort of tension when she sized him and his duo up. Parin wasn't planning to be a part of that unless she was a part of it.
"Bored, again..." Parin mumbled to herself. There was nothing... spicy to her. There were a few crowds about, but none too interesting to observe, and most of them involving boys, which she didn't really care much for after that bad taste the noble had put in her mouth. She seriously wondered what could've been so great about that Alwin-sama she'd seen getting worshipped. It was only the entrance exam, no? How did those people know him well enough to ride him like that already?
Parin thought she wasn't interested, but found herself floating around the vicinity of this Alwin anywho. He raised questions, and they needed answ-
"Camilla Azurios, by the way."
-eeeeeeeerrrrrrrs. Scratch whatever Alwin raised, the elephant in the room just got addressed and Parin's here for it. She thanked the lords for their timing, as she managed to catch up just when Camilla had started talking to another man. They didn't even have time to become company before Parin was able to make it a crowd. Not as if that would motivate her, anyways.
Regardless of her intentions, she made her way towards the two as if drawn by a magnet.
"As for that -- I think it's kinda cute."
Parin followed Camilla's gaze and found the crowd of worshippers yet again. She saw Alwin and immediately hmph-pouted. She couldn't help her senses from escaping her.
"What's so cute about him?" She asked from directly behind the two, arms crossed.
- parin arrives early but loiters around like a stalker - ends up witnessing the pompadour incident and hovers near it - gets fed up with him and decides to take her turn - follows the path made by hikari and kohra into the coliseum - overhears the conversation between gunnar and camilla, buts herself in on impulse
“I think she’s smarter than she lets on. At the very least, selective. Or I could be completely wrong and she missed a perfectly good opportunity.”
Kohra shrugged at the comment, acknowledging the chances of either possibility. Kohra herself had known a few women who used their beauty to their advantage, but had never really fancied herself for that kind of work. She preferred work that involved movement. Quick hands and quick feet. In and out before anyone noticed. That was how Kohra had survived. Upon reflection, Kohra realized how lucky she was that she had been able to choose her own work for so long.
Suddenly, a feeling of anger at the busty noble began bubbling up inside of her. Kohra was sure that this woman's life had been filled with choices, more choices than she probably even realized. What food to eat what day. What clothes to wear to a specific place. Which people to flatter and which people to dismiss. At the same time, she had probably never had to make many choices at all. Kohra found it hard to believe that this woman's path hadn't been laid before her with care for her to walk with that swaying of the hips.
Kohra's anger was interrupted as the tall boy grasped her hand and gave his name, Hikari, and suddenly realized she had a chance to analyze his appearance. Between his height, the piercings, the shaggy hair and unkempt appearance, he might have seemed intimidating. Yet, he had maintained a jovial nature in dealing with the troublesome nobles. What was truly behind those dark brown eyes? Those dark brown eyes that remained locked on hers. Locked for what suddenly seemed like a very...long...moment.
And, suddenly, as quickly as it had started, it ended. Kohra felt herself flush as Hikari's hand remained clasped on hers as he gently pulled her towards the center of the colosseum. It was nice, being led through a crowd instead of having to duck and weave through one. It reminded her of many years ago, when Teylas had done the same for her, when the city still felt like a different and unsettling world.
She shook her head as though to clear the cobwebs of memories away as Hikari brought her to a spot in the arena floor with a good view of the judges. She mumbled a "thank you" and dropped his hand.
She couldn't let herself get distracted. Not today, not now. She was here so that she didn't end up like Teylas. He had gone to great lengths to shelter her during her childhood, and she refused to let those efforts go to waste. Every time a job had started to go bad, Teylas made sure Kohra was the first one out, that she was the first one to safety. There had never been any arguing with him that she would be protected first, and now she wasn't sure if she would ever see him again. She needed to honor him somehow, and this seemed the best way. She gazed up at the judge's box, willing a fire into her eyes that would communicate that she was ready, that she was enough, that she could go toe to toe with anyone of noble blood. Even if her mana was weaker, she knew she had her own strengths, and they would have be to be enough to get her through these tests.
She was shaken from her thoughts as she heard a sputtering noise from behind her. She turned to see Pompadour with his hair and clothes drenched in water. Laughter bubbled up from inside her at the sight of the noble finally getting his comeuppance, and she was able to face forward with renewed confidence.
The sky was clearer here, and the air was too. The chattering of the masses turned into background noise, and she could hear more clearly the cooing of pigeons who shared this space with her. Snapping her grimoire shut, Kreszenz strode onwards unimpeded, a spring in her step out of necessity as she leapt and skidded from tile to tile, roof to roof, until finally, the road ended with the Coliseum before her.
There was a brief moment, looking down at the drop below, where she wondered if it was worth considering her childhood fantasies again, of leaping off cliffs and floating down to safety with nothing more than a bedsheet as her wings.
A ragged cloak such as this, weighed down by damp and dirt would certainly be too heavy though. And she was in the presence of another as well, an individual even more wildly-dressed than she was, one that practically embodied the outlands of Clover Kingdom. If the woman kept her mouth closed, if she had ran a comb through her hair, if she had washed up and was dressed in finery, she may have made quite a fetching lady on a social occasion. But people had their place, and it was no sin to be comfortable in it.
“Kikka was impressive at a distance,” Kreszenz responded, her eyes narrowing at the sight of how the congestion of humanity only grew worse as crowds were forced through entrances too small to accommodate them cleanly. She fingered her own wooden plaque briefly, gauging the distance between the last building and Coliseum itself.
“I have no competition though, huntress. And I reckon that until you open your book in service of the nation, it would be best not to treat fellow aspirants as opposition either.”
Perhaps that was simply a sign though, that the lightning-eyed lady did not consider any others worthy of consideration to begin with. More blatant of a sign, however, was that she did not see her conversation partner as someone worth delaying her journey for. Without any more acknowledgement towards the woman beside her, Kreszenz took in a deep breath, perhaps to enjoy the last bit of fresh air she’d have before the din of the Coliseum’s spectators and participants no doubt washed over her, and she pointed towards the statue at the top of the stadium.
The Leichenberg heiress grasped her cloak tightly, gauging her path down. The main problem was that even if the three-story drop was entirely manageable, she’d be hard-pressed to land her feet on something that wasn’t a fellow human being. The Coliseum, on the other hand, was simply too far to reasonably lightning-leash herself there in a single leap, not unless she wanted to charge up the spell so much that she turned herself into a stain against the walls. Where could she…oh.
There was a gap.
No point in hesitating then.
One step off and she dropped to the second floor. A quick dash to build momentum, and she leapt off to connect with the wrought-iron hanger of a tavern’s sign, which flexed (or perhaps broke) just enough for her to get the angle right and perform a second jump that covered enough distance for her feet to touch solid ground.
Strange that a simple difference in temperature would cause others to be so dissuaded by it, but then again, the smell of burning pines dissuaded insects in the same way. Without particularly caring for the dress-chewing peasant (maybe she was hungry, maybe it was cultural) that also shared this pleasant cool place, Kreszenz finished the final stretch of her journey to the Coliseum in this manner.
The Abelfraws had taken to the road early in order to arrive in Kikka as soon as possible. As she had never been before Lanner couldn't just use her magic to get them there instantly, but the ride had been pleasant enough. Once they'd entered town, Lann slipped her metaphorical leash and ran off to get the lay of the land. By the time she'd made her way back to the registration area she found it already underway, and wasted no time getting in line. Once she had her shiny number she'd been ushered towards the coliseum, where she was immediately ambushed by two people laying in wait.
"What~is~this~?!" A woman asked, catching Lanner's arm and tugging her deeper inside the massive building. In the shade, she rubbed the collar of the knight hopeful's over shirt. "Did you eat something and spill it? Oh..."
She was taller than Lanner, and a little bigger in other places. Her hair was long and hung loose, dusky purple in color. She sported the same bright teal eyes though, as did the man next to her.
"The humanity..." he said, feigning like he was going to dramatically faint. He was taller still than his companion, clean shaven with a dark pink head of hair. The both of them were well dressed, and while they would usually conduct themselves with the utmost dignity the trio of siblings could be a little casual here, away from home and most of the eyes of the public.
"Don't tease me Taita," the woman said. She sighed, pulling a handkerchief out of her handbag. Before she could offer it to Lann, she saw her little sister licking the pad of her thumb and trying to rub out the stain.
"No worries Laggie, I've got it."
"No, not with your saliva...!"
In daily life (taking lessons, skipping lessons, even during dinner), Lann didn't see her siblings much, and certainly not both of them at the same time. Her brother was already preparing to take over as head of the family, and her sister was away on business more often than not. Today was a special day, not only because the youngest Abelfraw was about to become a Magic Knight, but also because all of her family had come together in their support of her. Lann could hardly be upset at the doting, and she played her role as little sister for a few more minutes while her siblings patted her head and fixed her clothes.
"Okay, okay! Enough already," she laughed, swatting their hands away. "I'm sixteen already, you know?"
"And yet you still act half your age," Taita said fondly, crossing his arms in front of himself.
"You'll always be our baby sister," Laggar chimed in with. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and smiled softly. "You'll be doing your best, yes? I just want to make sure you look your best too."
"Of course I'll be doing my best! I've even been practicing, a lot!" And today, she could show them the results of that practice. Just thinking about it, about the trials and the knights she was about to face, made her feel giddy. "So don't worry about me. I'm going to pass no matter what."
"We know. But still..." Laggar pursed her lips, looking like she wanted to continue making little changes to Lanner's outfit, but the latter skipped back away from her.
"Seriously, I'm fine! If you keep fretting, you're going to make me nervous!"
That was a lie; her nerves already felt electric, but with anticipation not nervousness. The statement worked to make her siblings back off a little though, as intended. Laggar sighed again and Taita nodded.
"Alright then. We'll be in the stands, there," her brother said, pointing towards a section of the coliseum's seating marked off for "VIPs." It was cordoned off from the commoners. If she squinted, Lann could just make out her mother sitting with her legs crossed and her father waving. She smiled and waved back.
She was the very picture of a pampered noble daughter. She knew it, and everyone around her knew it too. As the trio stood there, more and more people filtered inside. Lann could feel the eyes of some of the lowborn participants on her as they passed, jealous and spiteful. If they thought she had some leg up on the competition, she really couldn't blame them. But the feeling pressured to get moving, so she hurried through the last of Laggar and Taita's well wishing and weaved herself through the crowd in the opposite direction.
Her whole family had been saying this will be good for you, for the last few weeks, and though her siblings hadn't outright said it now she felt the sentiment in their voices. Everyone really wanted this for her. She wanted this for herself too. A wide, toothy grin broke out on her face as Lanner moved towards the participant area, from shade to sunlight.
Location: Kikka, by the Coliseum Interactions: / Mentions: COLLAB WITH @Zeroth
The coliseum was crowded. Packed, even. Yet, the sight of a clearly suspicous individual walking in the opposite direction of the rest of the crowd drew Solveig's attention. Now, she didn't think acting weirdly was necessarily an indicator of a misdeed but she had time to investigate.
So, Solveig pursued. Sure enough, the guy did something that he might want to keep hidden. She saw him chug down one of those 'miracle potions' - at least she assumed it was one of those. If the officials of Kikka and the overseers of the exam truly felt these potions were a problem, she figured they'd crack down on the sellers.
That said, she'd already followed the guy, and she was curious what mentality led one to consume such a dubious item.
"Hey, there, you're going the wrong way! Are you lost?" she called out first to lower his guard. However, it seemed she'd had the exact opposite effect as what she intended...
"Gyah!" the guy whirled, almost jumping out of the black, fur-hooded jacket he wore. A belt made of chains jingled on his slender waist above pants that looked like they'd seen quite a lot of wear and tear--the hems came a good inch over his ankles and looked like they'd been chewed by dogs. "What--who the hell're--!?"
She then pretended as if she'd only noticed the empty flask he was holding. "Hey...is that one of those supposedly mana-increasing potions?" she questioned, keeping her tone nonjudgemental. "I heard they give you the runs." That was a lie, but she was certain negative affects would be part and parcel of such a concoction. "How do you feel?" she frowned at the youth in concern. It might be a deserved consequence for a gullible fool, but...His actions should be met with a punishment but aside from revealing him to a guard or official if need be, she didn't want anything too bad to happen to him.
The young man grumbled something that sounded like a few choice curse words under his breath.
"None of your business, Miss Priss! Some of us weren't born with silver spoons up our asses!" He threw the now-empty bottle up with a long, looping arm, casting it out of sight over the edge of a roof above the alley. Still glaring at Solveig, his creepy smile now replaced with a long, sullen frown, he shoved his hands in his pockets. "What, you gonna report me or somethin'? You can't prove nothin', so lemme alone!" Though his shoulders were hunched, a slight uptick in magical aura moved in slow circles around his feet--it had a green, translucent color, and moved like a thick liquid.
Despite this posture, however, as he shifted his weight his feet were pointing away from Solveig. He took one very small, calculated step backwards, though he was still craning his neck like an animal that wanted to make himself look bigger.
"It's true I can't prove anything," she said even as she stared at the obvious affect of the potion. Even if it dissipated or whatever, wouldn't the examiners notice something odd? "Besides, I don't even know if it's the kind of thing that'd get you disqualified." Still, that didn't mean she approved. "I won't stop you from leaving," she told him, noticing his movements. Solveig did make sure to take note of the number on his badge just in case.
"I ain't runnin' from you!" the man snapped, a look of shame flickering across his face before being replaced by anger. His deep set eyes glared at her from behind the shadows of his hair. "But, you--you're wastin' my time! I gotta get to the exam! So just--you go your way and I go mine, yeah!? Get outta my face!"
"I can do that, but if you don't mind answering...If you don't think you can win without a potion like that, what makes you think you can win with it? And what would you do if by some chance you did pass? Keep doping for the rest of your career? What kind of a life would it be?" She wasn't chastising as much as she was expressing her regret. It was unfortunate that he thought he needed a 'miracle' potion.
"Who says I couldn't win either way?!" He snarled again, this time clenching his fists. "All I want is a little extra security--you wanna lecture me on hard work or somethin', too!? Like I didn't try hard enough?" He pointed an accusing finger at her. "You got no idea! Casting a single spell doesn't leave people like you outta breath! How many years did you have to train before your grimoire unlocked your second spell? It took me three! I'm 18, already a man--but all that means is that it takes me a little longer!"
He looked down at the ground, running one hand through his frizzy locks and giving them an even more untamed appearance. His expression faltered for a moment. His voice was shaky.
"Once I'm an actual Magic Knight, I'll be able to live and work somewhere better--somewhere with resources, the kind people like you take for granted! Then my training will pay off more, I'll get stronger faster! I'll catch up--and then surpass ALL of you! All I need, right now, is a little nudge over this hump!"
With one last, hateful look at Solveig, he turned and headed out of the other end of the alley. But she could see, as he rounded the corner, that he broke into a run towards the coliseum down the other road.
Solveig watched the stranger leave, then departed for the coliseum herself. She was kind of curious to see how this guy would do now. But because she did want to find out if the adverse affects of an artificial mana enhancer were too severe to ignore, she approached the neareast free official. "Say, I thought I saw someone using one of those shady mana increasing potions. Any chance those could have a life-threatening, maiming, or other permanent negative effect?"
The official looked at her with a raised eyebrow, then craned his head down the street. The vendor yelling about his "miracle potions" was still at it, though even fewer than before were paying him any attention.
"What, that guy? He's done this before--last year it was some watered down hooch with a little food dye or something, they tell me. The worst it'll do is make someone puke, I guess...but, what're ya gonna do?" He sighed and went back to his clipboard and paperwork. It looked like the line in front of his tent had all received their badges and moved on, so it must be close to starting time. "Fools and their money are easily parted..."
The man's words placated her. "If you're sure. Maybe give the guards and the infirmary a headsup in case something weird happens." Really, though, this little detour had taken more time than she'd thought. Seeing how almost all the contestants had proceeded onwards, an eager glint entered Solveig's eyes.
"Thank you! I have to go now!" she exclaimed, and took off at a run. She didn't need to hurry to be in time; the excitement mounting within her was simply uncontainable, and didn't lend itself to moving at a steady, sedate pace. Her focus was now entirely on the challenges she'd soon meet with, any and all thoughts of potions, cheating, and even her most recent acquaintance were all summarily shoved into the back of her mind.
@Expllo@Databug@imia@Xaltwind As Hikari and Kohra continued on their way, they would witness the aftermath of Parin's little prank on the pompadour'd noble and his pals. The spray of water drew a few gasps, and plenty of laughter afterwards as the nobles were shocked out of their wits--but, the little magical outburst hadn't been harmful, and aside from a few shouts of "Watch it over there!" and the like, it didn't seem like any officials would interfere.
Pompadour and his lackeys squealed in surprise and tumbled over each other as the water pushed them to the ground. They spluttered and pushed each other in a scramble to get back on their feet, and by the time they'd finally done so the perpetrator was nowhere to be seen. Several others in the crowd--both noble and commoner--were enjoying the spectacle and being none-too-subtle about it. Pompadour's face, now partially covered by his drooping (yet amazingly, still stylistically intact) hair turned a swollen shade of red as he glared all around them.
"Whoever did that, you'd better pray I don't find you!" he angrily howled, shaking his fist at the sky. After a few fruitless moments of searching the crowd, the three--still wringing water from their clothes--made their way inside with the rest of the applicants...
Hikari and Kohra would enter the same way Camilla had earlier, finding themselves among the now quite thick crowd. They could see Tristan standing further towards the front, arms crossed as he waited patiently. On the other side of the room, Camilla stood out unmistakably, though she seemed to be in conversation with another fellow and the girl who had sprayed the nobles.
"That would be my question, too, hah!" Gunnar laughed as Parin questioned Camilla's definition of cute. However, the red-clad man wiggled his cigarette between his lips as he winked at the busty bluette. "But, I think the lady means 'cute' like, say...a little dog. Not the same kinda 'cute' I'd use for, say, a pretty face. Am I right...cutie?"
From their position, Camilla and Parin would be able to see Hikari and Kohra enter...as well as a girl who seemed to be trailing behind them unnoticed, yet was watching the pair the way a snake watches a rat before striking out... @Th3King0fChaos As Illios told Bryant his name, and where he was from, and excitedly explained some of the perks of his magic, the other boy nodded along enthusiastically as he crunched through his onion rings, then finished off his kebab. Brushing crumbs on his pants, he looked up at the portcullis as the two of them neared the coliseum.
"Oh, my magic?" the boy repeated after Illios's question...with a suddenly coy smirk. He rolled his shoulders, looking out of the corner of his eye as he began to increase his walking pace. "Well, it's really nothing special, ya know, not compared with something as rare as Sun Magic--!" The two of them had entered the arena now, and suddenly Bryant's long legs loped forward. He gave Illios one last grin--though this one wasn't quite so welcoming.
"Maybe you'll see it if we get matched up, though! No worries, I'll keep everything you said about yours in mind!"
Then he shouldered in between some other people and ducked down--aside from a ripple in between bodies, he was gone into the crowd. @ERode "...You didn't have many playmates as a kid, didja?" the huntress replied before Kreszenz dropped down to the streets. Shrugging, the muscular girl performed her own impressive parkour maneuver to get down from the rooftop and quickly followed, though not so much out of pursuit for the lightning-clad young lady as out of a similar desire to get into the coliseum. While Kreszenz stopped for nothing, the huntress did pause for a moment to laugh at the three nobles who had been soaked with water by another contestant. When the three came angrily stomping towards the portcullis, however, she increased her pace until she was shoulder to shoulder with the ozone-scented heiress.
"Welp, good luck to ya, if ya want it! Name's Jayde Wakeley, by the by!" With another gap-toothed grin and a wave of her hand, she separated from Kreszenz and was soon lost among the throng. @Remram "As much as I would like to do that," Isvelt sniffed as he folded his arms, "Look at the crowd--we'd better get inside." True, it seemed like the streets had thinned considerably. Maverick fidgeted impatiently again.
"Oh geez, oh geez! C'mon, guys!" Gesturing to Ludo and the royal with one broad arm, he once again sped up his pace just like when he'd crashed into them. But by following behind the giant, they found their own paths quite clear. Soon they were passing under the iron bars, just behind a gaggle of lesser nobles at whom Isvelt wrinkled his nose.
"Why do they look like they've taken a dip in the river? You'd almost think they'd been raised...well, like you." he muttered to Ludo.
Once inside the coliseum, however, the disadvantage of hanging out with Maverick was revealed--it was really hard to see over him. @Duthguy "David Abelona? Haven't heard of him. He a Commoner pal of yours?" The man scribbled in his notepad, then looked at Albie expectantly--but when no other information followed, and the boy suggested they move somewhere more private, the old man rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Hey, if you don't trust me, kid, that's your problem. Things are gonna start soon and I gotta get a good seat in the audience..." He looked towards the portcullis, and seemed about to leave...but then, he sighed again and looked back at Albie.
"Look, you seem like you're outta your depth here, farm-boy. I'll give ya a freebie." The old man adjusted the collar of his hood. "Watch out for a noble named Snyder Glassard. He's arrogant, but with good reason--an academic genius, but no slouch with combat magic. His element is Glass, fittingly enough, and supposedly he's a bit of a sadist." The man pocketed his notebook, and began shuffling away from Albie.
"If ya come up against him in sparring, might be better to forfeit!"
With the streets now almost empty, Albie would no doubt be quick to make his way inside the coliseum. Again, he spotted that blue-haired girl, talking to another girl and a man who seemed like he might be a noble, but it was hard to tell. @Agunimon As Lanner's siblings made their way up into the audience chambers, the pink-haired girl would work her way through the crowd of other participants to find herself standing closer to the front, where the open skies beamed down on her with a welcoming warmth. Next to her was a quiet young man with red hair, who didn't seem to know what to do with one of his hands. His fingers kept fiddling with the tall collar of his cloak. While it hid the expression of his lips, and his eyes were fixed on the far wall of the circular arena, his breathing was clearly nervous.
Of course, he and she were only two of hundreds now cramming into the room, all in different stages of excitement, anxiety, and determination... @SilverPaw Solveig would find herself entering at the back of the crowd, though not the last to enter. She stood next to a tall, brown-haired-and-brown-eyed young man who seemed to be quite intently watching a blue-haired young woman--was it, perhaps, a crush? Love at first sight, even?
As the crowd shifted, however, she would catch a glimpse--just that--of the man she'd encountered in the alleyway. He seemed to be hugging himself, and his hunch was more pronounced than before. Was he sick as the official had employed, due to that scammer selling potions? Or was it just because he was an unsociable sort, thrust into this claustrophobia inducing crowd? Then he was gone again. Another rolling drumline and trumpet blare marked the beginning of the Magic Knight Selection Exam. All within the arena heard and felt the rumbling as the huge doors behind them slowly closed. This was it. They could only hope they had prepared themselves for this moment...
Especially those who had been given their orders.
Sometime before the Exam...
"...but what if any of us are caught?"
"Caught doing what? You have as much right to take the Exam as anyone else, don't you?" A handful of hooded figures, of different heights and builds, met in a secluded place. One spoke to the others with the authority of an adult speaking to children. The others listened with the obedience of worshipers following a priest's sermon.
"There is no crime here. The reason you must keep your involvement secret, is merely so that others may judge your words for their own merit, and not make presuppositions." The leader walked down the line of individuals, patting one on the shoulder here, giving another one a respectful nod there. "And once you are within the Magic Knights, do not blurt out everything at the first opportunity. Feed them little by little...like leading a chicken to the coop, one kernel of corn at a time."
"What about the nobles? Or what if someone starts an argument with us--?"
"Don't make the mistake of thinking we have no friends at all among the nobility. Were some of you not such, before you joined our cause?" The leader chuckled as if they themselves didn't believe their words. "There are some who will listen. As for those who argue--keep it in good faith. Let them win here or there, if it assuages their mood. Especially if your refusal to engage them makes them angry--it will only make you look better in the eyes of the other knights, and them look the fool."
The leader turned their back and paced away, before addressing their agents once more.
"All you must do, is remind the Magic Knights of who they truly serve. Then, when the time is right...they, too, will join our revolution!" He pumped one fist high, and those behind him did the same. "For the People!"
"For the People!" repeated several voices as one.
The hooded figures would soon disperse. Come the day of the Exam, there would be no cloaks or hidden faces. They would be out in the open, like all the other applicants...
Inside the Coliseum
"Attention, all applicants!" An older gentleman, dressed in green robes with a white stole, held a Magic Tool shaped like a large, conical horn to address everyone in the chamber. "Please stand in orderly fashion and remain silent! Momentarily, we shall explain this year's trials for the Magic Knights Selection Exam!" In the seats above the arena floor, the audience clapped for a short while, then they too fell silent. From somewhere, a magical spotlight swept across the coliseum before falling on the nine, high backed seats in the balcony!
"We will now introduce our beloved Captains!" Another dramatic bit of music played, as nine figures walked out from a hidden alcove somewhere, and made their way to their seats...
"Captain of the Golden Dawn--Argos Everhart!" The first man bowed gracefully, his long blond hair billowing.
"Of the Silver Eagles--Helve Silva!" Next to the taller men she stood between, the woman looked almost like a doll.
"Crimson Lions--Azarleon Vermillion!" This man smiled so charmingly several young women in the crowd swooned, while waving his hand in perfect parade manner.
"Blue Rose! Jennifer Greenvalley!" The cheery-faced blonde woman spun in place before putting two gauntlet-covered fingers to her cheeks with a big, shiny smile.
"Green Mantis, Giles Lavaretz! Coral Peacock, Owen Walder! Aqua Deer, Bisera Melanthius!" A pirate, a priest, and a witch walked up to their seats. The sea-dog actually leaped up onto the balcony, prompting a cheer from those watching and generally hyping up the crowd. The priest, a huge beast of a man, smiled but nonetheless pulled the showboat back down with a gentle hand. The beautiful woman wearing the wide-brimmed hat, however, worked the crowd in a different way--blowing a kiss that many of the male applicants would swear was directed at them in particular.
"The Purple Orca, Grant Eisenfaust!" Compared to the three before him, the next captain merely approached his seat and sat down with no excitement whatsoever. He didn't even acknowledge the crowd or the applicants, merely folding his arms and sitting with ramrod straight posture. It was a wonder he could even do so comfortably, considering he was covered head to toe in black armor that hid every feature...
"And our newest captain, please welcome the leader of the Black Bulls--" Many of the applicants began to mutter as the next figure approached, causing the announcer to speak up louder, "--Captain Birusk of Elysia, to his first Selection!" Now the mutters became outright gasps as a ripple of gossip spread among the applicants.
"That's an Elf?!" "I heard about him, he's only been a Magic Knight for a year and he's already a Captain!" "What about that one in the armor, ain't he new too?" "Yeah, but he was here last year! They both went up through the ranks super fast!" "Ain't no way he's stronger than Argos!"
Of course, there were other exclamations regarding the other Captains as well.
"Princess Helve is as beautiful as--!" "Hey, be quiet! People aren't supposed to call her that, it's not official!" "Oi, don't shove me! She's definitely gonna get picked as the Royal Heir, and you know it!"
"They call that guy the Two Headed Flame Demon? He doesn't look that scary to me..." "Don't let him hear you say that! They say his training is brutal!" "But he's so handsome~!" "He's already married, though..." "W-what!?! NO! </3"
"Hell yeah, Captain Jenny! I hope she'll pick me!" "The Blue Rose only picks guys as errand boys, stupid!" "What?! But she's so strong, she'll definitely like strong dudes like me!" "I heard she once pulverized a whole mountain with one punch, man..."
"Captain Giles looks so cool!" "Surely he's not actually a pirate, right? Would they let a criminal be a Magic Knight?" "He's a real sailor, though! They say he's had all kinds of badass adventures--sunken treasure, sea monsters, the works!"
"Is that guy a priest?" "Yeah, that's Father Owen! I've seen him a lot, going around the different orphanages and doing charity and stuff!" "He's so huge! The guy must be like, six and a half feet tall!"
"Captain Bisera is crazy hot!" "I dunno, man, she's from the Witches' Forest--aren't they all psycho man-haters?" "Dude, if she let me hit it, I wouldn't care if she killed me afterward--like one of those widow spiders, ya know? Just bite my head off." "...Bro, you got problems..."
"Applicants! Applicants, quiet please!" the elderly announcer called once more as all the Captains were seated. When order was restored, he cleared his throat and made a gesture. Officials, who entered the arena from side-alcoves, raised their hands and began to cast different magical spells. A transparent shielding aura formed a dome between those on the floor and those in the audience. Then, from the stone floor, some tiles lifted of the own accord as magical lights traced a bulls-eye shape on their surfaces. All of these floating tiles moved towards one side of the floor, while on the other side, large rectangular columns rose from the floor in ordered lines. The columns were made of solid brick, but glowed with a layer of magical reinforcement as well.
"We shall begin the first two tests! When your name and number is called, please approach the testing station! For the floating targets, you are only allowed to use ranged magic--if your magic is not well suited for projectiles, Magic Bullets will suffice! The targets will move randomly--do your best to hit as many as you can in one minute!"
"At the second station, the targets will remain stationary! You may use any spell or technique you wish--your performance will be graded on how thoroughly the target is destroyed! However, you may only attack ONE column, and you may only use ONE spell!"
A few of the officials demonstrated. One of them used bolts of lightning to blast several flying tiles, which were then replaced. Another summoned a great cloud of fire, which he then condensed into the shape of a jousting lance. Upon striking the stone pillar, he burned a large hole, with a spiral ridge pattern, all the way through the column. This, too, was quickly replaced.
"Keep in mind that this Exam is your chance to show the Captains your capabilities--it is not solely determined by each individual test, but by the strengths and abilities you are able to show off! Endure until the end, and good luck to you all!" Then, the old man took one more breath.
"BEGIN!"
Everyone makes their way into the coliseum somehow or another. Many characters are in proximity to others and their conversations, though all are cut short.
A FLASHBACK REVEALS THERE ARE INFILTRATORS AMONG THE APPLICANTS!
The Magic Knight Captains are revealed! Left to Right, they are Golden Dawn, Silver Eagles, Crimson Lions, Blue Rose, Green Mantis, Coral Peacock, Aqua Deer, Purple Orca, and Black Bull.
Purple Orca and Black Bull have new captains, with the Black Bull's being completely unknown to the applicants before this moment.
Black Bull's captain is an ELF!?
The first two tests are laid out: Shoot down as many flying targets as you can within ONE minute using ONLY ranged magic or Magic Bullets, AND try your best to destroy one reinforced stone column with a SINGLE spell of any type!
An unfamiliar voice came from behind the pair who were talking. Camilla turned her head slightly and gave the eavesdropper a quick look. She smiled at the sight of this pouting girl and let out a short and quick bubbly laugh.
"That would be my question, too, hah! But, I think the lady means 'cute' like, say...a little dog. Not the same kinda 'cute' I'd use for, say, a pretty face. Am I right...cutie?"
Again, Camilla let out another quick laugh at the short, smoking, casanova-of-a-dwarf's words.
"Listen to this one, such a smooth operator." She said, a warm and friendly smile on her face, cheeks slightly tinged pink and eyes half-closed in a relaxed fashion. "But I think you both might be mistaken. It's not him, but the little chicks flitting about and chirping around him who're cute." The busty bluette explained, giving another glance over at where the fan-girls were still squeeing for their Alwin-sama. "Oh, to be young again..." She said this as if she was some kind of middle-aged, world-weary woman or something... Even though she was still plenty young, fresh and still firm herself.
"You shouldn't listen in on when others're talking though, sweetie." Young Baroness Azurios turned to the girl - who was Parin - again. "It's a bad habit that could land you in all sorts of trouble if you get caught by the wrong person." Although it was a warning or perhaps a scolding, there was no hint or sound of animosity or irritation, no signs of indignation or being upset, in either Camilla's tone of voice, choice of words or body-language. Rather, it was more like she was just giving the girl some generic advise, just like how to look both ways before crossing a street, or how not try and drink sea water when thirsty.
Then, things and stuff started to happen, and much noise began to sweep through the coliseum... So, it was finally starting...
-- Post-Captain Introductions --
so.... Those're the captains of the Magic Knights, huh? Hm... Hmm.... Hmhm... I see, I see...
There was a cacaphony of noise and turmoil during this time. Shouts and cheers and applause and fanfare. Nine of the Clover Kingdom's most important people were now standing on a balcony above, looking down upon the masses who had gathered to earn their favor, their approval and their acknowledgement as potentially beneficial underlings to their respective squad of knights. Camilla's face was... Hard to read... Though, unlike many of the others who had respect, admiration, hopefulness or reverence in their eyes, Camilla's seemed so... Blank. She was looking at them, but at the same time she wasn't? But this only lasted for a mere moment, before her eyes and head then turned back to both Gunnar and Parin.
"Well then, it looks like we're finally about to get started. Good luck to both of you." She gave them a friendly and warm smile, as well as a light wave of the hand, before turning around and facing the direction in which all the action was taking place.
Soon enough, official exam staff started to arrive on the arena floor as well, and quickly after that, things were both set up and explained. This was the first leg of the exam. The part where all the try-hards would do everything in their powerless hands to show off and make an impression, trying to wow their prospective future masters with whatever limited and meagre skill and magic they possessed.
... How foolish...
Then, it began. One by one, names and numbers were called, and individuals approached the various stations which had been set up. To be honest, Camilla didn't even seem interested in the other applicants or what they could do. Her eyes were constatnly fixed on the balcony where the captains were sitting. Although she wasn't necessarily facing that way, she seemed to be eyeing them for some reason, though it wasn't exactly like she was glaring or showing signs of ... Well, anything to be frank. Her face was casual and relaxed, showing no trace of any particular or subtle emotion. Whatever was going on inside that blue head of hers, the girl was real good at keeping it herself.
"Number 184, Camilla Azurios!
An official called her name. Her body began to move and her eyes relinquished the captains. She strode towards the one who had called her name, her walk the usual effortless hip-swaying, thighrubbing stride as always. A few voices called out from the audience above.
"WOAH! CHECK HER OUT!" "HOLY CRAP, ARE THOSE REAL!?""PLEASE MARRY ME!!!" "HOO-WEE, THEM CITY GIRLS SURE ARE SOMETHIN' ELSE, HUH?"
The bluette smiled prettily, raising an arm and waving in a leisurely fashion... After all, when people called out to you, you shouldn't just ignore and keep on walking... Yes... Even if the voices that called out didn't belong to someone you knew, or someone you cared for... So many voices... Hundreds, maybe thousands of them... Yet... Not a single one were the voices she wanted to hear. A sea of noise, a storm of hollow, empty, meaningless sound.
She arrived. Stopping next to the man who'd called her over. A middle-aged kermudgen, with thin glasses and a bald head, clean clothes and straight posture. The very epitomy of beaurocracy. If you looked up 'stick-in-the-mud', this guy's face would surely be on the adjacent picture. His voice began to drone, explaining the exam once agian, even though the elderly announcer had already done so earlier. But perhaps it was necessary for those too awe-struck by their idols to have heard the rules prior. The young Azurios girl merely nodded and took up the position as instructed.
She looked forward as the target tiles began to swivel and move, floating up and into the air, beginning their purpose as things who only existed to be destroyed. She took a quick but deep breath in preparation... How long, how many years had been since she'd done this...? "Milla, listen up." "Yes, mother. "When you use your magic, you need to focus your mind, calm your breathing and feel the magic circulate through your body." "I-I know! But... I'm not sure how to feel it..." "Don't worry, there's no need to rush. Look, like this, see?" "Wow, that's... That's amazing, mother. How did you--" "Like I told you, close your eyes, focus your mind, take a deep breath and relax. Then, try to feel the magic." "O-Okay... Hmngh... Mmn... Mnnnh..." "Relax, Milla." "... ..." "Just breathe and focus your mind, and just stay calm." "... ... ..." "Oh~? Well, my oh my, would you look at that." "Wh- Ah! I... I did it! Mother look, I did it! I made magic come out, just like you!" "YOu sure did, mhmhm~ That's my clever girl." "Mother, I did it! I really did it! Ahaha~! I want to learn more, show me more, please?" "Mhmhm~ Patience sweetie, patience. There's no need to rush. Mother's gonna teach you everything in good time. So don't fret, I'll always be here for you, sweetie." ... Liar...
The targets were floating around up ahead now. The official had already givven the signal to start. Yet, Camilla wasn't moving. At least not for a little while. Then she slowly raised an arm, made a finger-gun, and took aim. To anyone versed in magic or who could see and sense such forces, their view of Camilla's performance here wouldn't exactly be... Impressive. The girl's mana control was, rough, to say the least. It was like watching a child who had learned to ride a bicycle once, but then never do so for a decade, try to suddenly get back on the saddle and take a ride. It was... Crude, and not entirely efficient.
Nontheless, soon a magic bullet took shape infront of her outstretched fingers. Without a noise or a motion, the projectile then suddenly took off, fired at the mental command of its caster. Her magic wasn't really suited for this sort of thing. The Jet Bomb didn't have enough range, and while the Bowling Bomb certainly could work, the girl doubted she ahd the pitcher's arm or the accuracy to actually hit anything if she atempted to throw one of those. Thus, she had to rely on this magic. This old, old magic she'd been taught back when she was still a child.
The first bullet hit one of the tiles. Although, it wasn't a bullseye. The bluette continued to fire off bullets, of which the majority hit, but there was never a ring-a-ding-ding shot that hit the center. What was noticeable, to anyone with a careful and observant eye though, was that while Camilla's shots weren't carfully aimed or particularly accurate, there was a certain pace, or rhytmn to her shots. She could likely have been firing off attacks far more frequently, at a much higher speed to try and hit many more of these targets to rack up points... And yet, she wasn't. It was almost like she was holding back or being conservative.
Eventually, her minute was up and the official called her turn at the firing range to a close. He then directed her to the next part of the exam. The pillars. There were no big cheers, no wild hooting or thundering applause at her performance. In fact, most of those who had been keeping an eye on her had probably gotten bored of her rather mundane performance and opted to look at more showy, flashy or impressive candidates. Those who aimed to score the highest and do their absolute best to be the cream of the crop.
Once at the pillar station, the official there once again gave the run-down on how this test would work. She merely nodded and smiled politely. She then urged him to perhaps keep others at a bit of a distance, as the spell she wanted to demonstrate wasn't exactly good for crowds... The official nodded and set about warning others to stay clear of the area in which the blue haired baroness was now occupying.
She closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Focused on her mind... The mana began to pump and flow through her veins. She could feel it. Sense it. Taste it. That nostalgic tingling. Ah, ho wlong has it been...?
Her eyes opened, magenta gems glittering slightly from the light above. her face still a warm smile. She leanned slightly forward, and reached her right arm up towards the sky.
"Bowling Bomb."
Her voice rung out clear and confident. Evne if it wasn't loud, or boisterous or anything else remarkable, it was at least that. Clear and focused. Almost instantly, a round black sphere appeared in her right hand, grasped inbetween delicate fingers clad in purest white. She stepped forward, tehn again, and again, and again... Until she made a fluid, well-practiced motion, sending her right arm in a circular motion, and gently unleashing the black ball when her arm reached just infront of her body.
The small sable orb leapt gracefully out of her hands, and gently landed on the coliseum floor. It rolled. And rolled. And rolled... On and on towards the great big pillar before it...
"WAIT?! IS THAT THING GETTING BIGGER!?!"
Somebody from the stands called out. And indeed they were right. As the little ball of black rolled along its path, it kept growing in size. Growing and growing, first becoming as big as pumpkin, then a wagon's wheel, and finally, as big as awhole god-damned wheelbarrow!
... ANd then it struck the pillar.
KABOOM!
With a loud and satisfying explosion, the tiny black orb that had grown into a full-sized sphere blew up, in rather spectacular fashion. When the smoke of the blast eventually cleared, a not insignificant portion of the pillar it had hit was now gone. It hadn't been enough to cause the thing to collapse or anything, nor enough to send cracks and veins through the entire thing either. But, it was enough to seriously call into question the structural stability of the construct now. Camilla rose up, her skirt having been dangerously tight on her buttocks and in even more dangerous terriotries of showing off just what she was wearing underneath said skirt.
This time however, there was a bit of cheers and calls from the audience, along with a bit of applause. Nothing major, nothing impressive, but it was there. Camilla just kept smiling, and gave them another friendly wave.
Now, there was nothing left to but to wait and let the rest finish...
Actions & Interactions: - Camilla talked a bit with Parin and Gunnar, then wished them both luck. - She observed the Captains and had secretive thoughts and opinions which weren't shared or shown. - Camilla had a brief flashback to her childhood, when doing basic magic training with her mother. - She performed unimpressively, but methodically, for the target-tile test. - She used Bowling Bomb to blow up a decent chunk of her pillar during the second part of her test.
Illios watched Bryant leave while deflecting his question, yet he didn't mind, maybe he was nervous about hearing about his magic. Illios heard it quite a bit when he first got his Grimoire, many cried about it being rare. Illios tried not to have it go to his head, it might have a little. It was hard not to think that one could be an awesome Magic Knight with a strong magic. Illios just waved to Bryant while saying, "Well I hope to see you after the exam! I hope you pass!"
Illios began to follow the crowd when the announcer called them to stand in an orderly fashion where they waited for the Knight Captains to be introduced. Illios watched them slowly fill their seats, some were larger personalities than others. Even Illios blushed slightly when he thought he saw Captain Bisera Melanthius blow a kiss at him. He looked slightly down in some embarrassment as he began to take a few breaths and calm himself. He waited for a few moments longer to pass before he looked back up to listen to the announcer begin to explain the first 2 tests of exam.
Illios was nervous when he found out about the 2 tests. The first test was to shoot and destroy as many targets within a minute with only ranged spells. One of the instructors even demonstrated what was expected as they blew up countless tiles in one go, using a spell that could split into multiple projectiles and hit many of them with ease. Illios didn't even have a ranged spell, all he could rely on was his magic bullet. Illios looked to his hand while opening and closing it. He wasn't sure how good he would be, but he knew he had to try.
Yet the 2nd test was the real challenge. With a single spell, attack a magically reinforced stone pillar and be judged by the destruction caused to it. Illios knew his spells weren't the best, he had no fireballs, lightning strikes, or...a BOMB!?
Illios watched the incredible display of the countless young Magic Knight applicants. He watched in wonder of all the amazing spells and the spectacle of it all. It was incredible to Illios, he watched the many wonderful magics. He was so lost that it took a proctor 3 different times yelling at Illios to finally make him realize that it was his turn. Illios nodded his head as he yelled out, "Yes sir! I'm here!" Illios quickly went up with a bit of red behind the ear as he was first slated to do the target practice. He was then ordered by the proctor, "You have 1 minute to destroy as many tiles as possible, ready?"
Illios nodded as he looked out to the many tiles floating in the air in front of him. He could see them moving as he began to bring up both of his hands. His off-hand taking hold of the wrist of his dominant as he aimed out, he began to focus energy into his hand as a golden glow began to flow from him. A few gasps began to fill the air as whispers began to be spread from a few people who knew what this magic looked like. Yet without seeing his grimoire, it was only speculation as the proctor then called out, "Begin!"
Illios fired off his first magic bullet and it flew with blinding speed. A beam of light shot out and punched into the fire tile he aimed at. Illios needed to pace himself, he knew he couldn't fire often. He remembered how often he would feel exhausted from using his magic for a little while when playing. He may have gotten a little better, since when he first got his magic and was so excited he used all of his energy in only a few minutes. Yet he knew he needed to constantly keep a watch on his energy. He began to fire, he made sure he was precise, he couldn't hit the most, so he needed to make a show of how much control he had.
The speed of his magic bullet was very fast, making the actual hitting of the target a breeze as his magic affinity made his bullets hit with such speed that he did not need to lead his shots. All he needed to do was count them. After firing 10 times, he was able to destroy 10 tiles. They were not perfect, his first few he barely was able to hit them, yet he still did. It was not until the end that he was able to consistently hit the tiles more or less dead center. His show of skill was less than impressive, he knew that, yet he was confident in what he did. He could feel that he was still not out of mana, he could still work with this amount as the next test was going to be tough.
Illios was called over to the pillars where he saw multiple people attacking them with either large magics, very small precise magics, or even magic weapons that seemed to cleave and break through the pillars with ease. As here Illios was standing, he looked to the pillar as he only had one attack. He took a breath in as he began to stretch. He looked a little weird, many others seemed already prepared to attack the pillar with all their might, yet here Illios was trying to make sure he didn't pull a hamstring. It took another minute until Illios was ready, during this time people quietly whispered and talked as they thought he was joking.
Yet they all stopped when Illios took a breath in and out came his grimoire. A tome of gold and silver, upon its cover was the depictions of the sun and it glowed with such intensity that people thought he was using magic, yet that was just his grimoire in the sun, its natural element. The whispers and gasps began to erupt as Illios began to walk up to the pillar, taking up a stance as he began to take deep breaths. He was focusing himself as he began to glow as well, energy began to fill his body as he glowed brighter and brighter. Illios only had 1 attack spell, and that was to punch, really, really hard.
Illios twisted his body as he threw his punch with as much power he was willing to muster, he knew he would use more mana later, so he needed to make sure he was prepared for it. Yet he knew he could put more and more energy into his spell to make him stronger for this one hit. The moment his fist made contact, where his fist landed the pillar began to crack, the stone breaking and falling off. Many expected some great display of magic, a large explosion, a beam of light falling down upon the pillar, or even a ball of light to be sent out pass through the pillar with ease. Yet Illios punched it.
The pillar was left with multiple large cracks, yet wasn't fully destroyed. Even as pieces fall off, some whispers fill the air, "That doesn't look like Sun Magic".
"Sush, he will hear you!"
"He'd know if this was the real thing. The kid's magic looks like a knockoff".
Illios didn't listen, he thought he did well as he looked up at the pillar and saw pieces falling. Backing away, he saw his hand was bloody after that punch and stung, he opened and closed his hand a few times as he lightly shook his hand. Just trying to get used to the feeling as he went back to get ready for the next parts of the exams.
- Illios said bye and wished the best of luck to Bryant even though Bryant very much showed with his deflection and his not-so-welcoming smile he was maybe not a nice guy.
- Illios blushed at Bisera Melanthius thinking she blew a kiss at him,
- Illios was worried about how he would do in the exams but was then captivated by the awesome spells he saw.
- Illios went up to shoot the tiles, he hit 10 and showed off the speed and precision he has while trying not to tax himself with his magic too much.
- Illios went up to the Pillar and punched it really fucking hard and made it crack.
- People are talking about if Illios really does has Sun Magic as he has not shown any of the cool stuff Sun magic can do, other than being a really awesome night light and look really bright while using his magic.
- Illios notices his hand was bleeding, but doesn't heal it as he wants to conserve his mana more.
The more people filtered into the stadium, the closer things were to kicking off. Lann didn't stop herself from bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited, feeling the sun on her face and the crowd growing around her. Today she had forgone the cape she sometimes wore, because she would soon be exchanging it for one from a Magic Knight squad. Her sister had so kindly wiped her outer layer free of any stains or smudges, leaving her with a near pristine high collared vest above a cozy crop top. Her bottom half sported dark brown pants and well loved boots. She adjusted the gloves she wore, taking in everything she could with her eyes in excitement. There were so many different kinds of people gathered together here—younger, older, taller, shorter, nobles and commoners, those being harassed by anti-birds and those basking in the anticipation, the confident and the nervous.
One of the latter was standing right next to her. Despite the boy's unassuming look, it was hard not to notice since he was practically exuding a whole nervous aura. Her eyes flickered over his form. Lann thought that being able to tell a noble from a commoner from just their appearance wasn't really fair, and definitely not a reliable way to do it, but sometimes one could just tell... Though it wasn't like the circumstances of someone's birth had ever mattered to her.
"Hey," she said to him, leaning forward so that her face was in his line of sight. Her long braid fell over her shoulder and hung in front of her. "Are you feeling nervous? That's alright! If it helps... just remember that you don't have to beat out anyone else here! There isn't a limit on how many of us can become knights."
At least she was pretty sure there wasn't. Realistically they should take anyone that was a good fit; there were enough squads to handle a ton of newcomers after all. Lann leaned back into her own space, giving the red headed boy a smile. She was about to say something else when the loud tantara of trumpets sounded. "Oh!"
This was it! The exam was starting. Lanner's eyes snapped to the master of ceremonies, then followed the spotlights as she awaited the appearance of the Magic Knight captains. One by one they revealed themselves and took their seats. As the brief introductions went on, Lann's eyes twinkled. Soon... soon she would be beside one of those illustrious captains and making a real difference in the kingdom. She allowed her thoughts to roam, imagining the prospects of joining each one. She was sure just about everyone wanted to aim for the Golden Dawn, and she was no exception. Everything she'd heard about their captain Argos was so amazing. She'd be honored to be accepted into either of the royal led squads too. Lann had looked up to Captain Jennifer for a long time now, and she'd also heard that the priest captain of the Peacocks was a dedicated philanthropist. Either of their squads would probably be great. The others she didn't have as much information on; so it was a good thing that gossip flew through the participants at rapid speed.
'Elf? Hm...?' Lanner tilted her head slightly, trying to recall her history lessons. Specifics escaped her, but she at least knew they were a separate race from humans, and there were a lot less of them. She could tell that some people were bewildered by the fact he was an elf, but whether because they thought it was a good thing or a bad thing she couldn't quite tell. It did intrigue her though, she had never met an elf before! And the Black Bulls definitely had a reputation that appealed to her.
The smile on Lann's face spread wider. This was all so exciting. She listened as the first trial was explained, ready to move as soon as her number was called. "FIFTY-FIVE, LANNER ABELFRAW!"
"That's me!" Lann stepped forward. Before getting too far she turned to give the nervous boy a thumbs up, mouthing 'good luck!' to him. Then she faced forward, striding confidently over to the proctor that had called her.
Test one: hit the targets. With only one minute to strike as many as possible, Lanner considered her options. Would her portals be faster than simple Magic Bullets? She really wanted to put her best foot forward, so although trying this with her spells (which would include having to concentrate on keeping one open near her, while continuously opening and closing others near the targets. Which moved randomly.) sounded like a pretty fun exercise for the future... for the present, she gathered mana into both of her hands. When the examiner gave her the go ahead and her timer started, Lann let loose two at a time.
Precision was not her forte, but she made up for that with her "double bullet" strategy. Magic Bullets were simple enough to form and fire, and small ones hardly ate up any of her mana. As long as she was in the general area of the targets, if one bullet missed the target the other was still likely to hit. It was a simple method, but an effective one, since her accuracy wasn't completely horrible either. As she'd told her siblings, she had been practicing. Once upon a time it might have been laughable for a noble to go out of their way to practice, instead relying on their innate strengths, but that wasn't the case now. At least not for Lanner. She came out of the first trial with a decently good showing and was ushered over to the next one.
Test two: break the pillar. Normally one might think that Lann's magic, Spatial Magic, was even more ill-suited for this test than the previous one. However after watching those that had gone before her and how the pillars were replaced, she had already come up with an idea. She would need her grimoire for it, so she flicked open the book's holster and took it in hand. Her grimoire had a thick leather cover featuring a debossed three leafed clover in the center, outlined by a slightly shimmery blue swirl. It hovered in front of her, glowing slightly as she jumped right into the second part of the exam.
"Door!" She said, punching a fist up toward the highest part of the magic barrier. Her fingers snapped open, and a break in space began to form high above the pillar. It opened like the air itself was untwisting, growing larger at a steady pace. "To..." With her other hand, she pointed her fist at the pillar's base with her knuckles pointed at the ground and her thumb facing up. If she was right, then even though the pillars came out of the ground they weren't directly connected to it. They could be toppled, or... they could be moved. While keeping her first hand focused on the portal above, her other hand opened up and spread a portal directly beneath her chosen obstacle. "Door!"
When her doorways were large enough for the pillar to pass through them, Lanner watched with wide unblinking eyes. Then, validation! It sunk into the portal beneath it, then started to come out from the one in the sky. She couldn't help the pleased smile on her face. It fell, back through the lower portal, repeating its trip twice more to gain more momentum. Finally, Lann closed her fists and the two doorways collapsed by twisting themselves back into nothingness while the pillar was on its final fall. The force, combined with the pillar's own weight, completely shattered the bricks at its base. The next layer crumbled, and so on, with increasingly less damage towards the top of the pillar. If it wasn't reinforced by magic, maybe Lann's strategy would have been even more effective. As it stood, the pillar was on its side with the bottom third of it in pieces.
Lanner stood back with one hand on her hip. The other she brought up to her face, blowing on her knuckles as though she'd physically struck the thing. She turned and waved to her family, then the rest of the stadium's audience, before joining the section of knight hopefuls who had already finished this part of the exam. 'That went well!' she thought to herself. She glanced at the Magic Knight captains, trying to judge their expression from a distance. Then she looked back to where her peers were continuing the exam. Some were more impressive than others, not that that came as a surprise. There were over two hundred applicants; naturally some would shine brighter. So far, the stand outs seemed to be... a blue haired girl with an explosive magic ("Whoa, talk about a bombshell..."), and a boy who was shining brighter in a literal way ("With a punch...! How cool!" 'Though someone said Sun Magic. Maybe 'cool' isn't exactly right, heh...'). So many different types of magic on display was really interesting to see—and Lann was looking forward to what everyone else had in store.
Albie was actually somewhat surprised that they old man didn't try to come up with fake info about David Abelona and just admitted he never hear the name before. It did make him seem a bit more trustworthy but Albie remained on guard either way. When the offer for a more private location was outright refused because the old man wanted to see the tryouts Albie didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected the old man to just leave. Luckily while Albie got rid of the magic bullet he had been preparing the old man turned around and warned him about some noble named Snyder Glassard, not only telling him the type of magic Glassard used but also that he was a sadist. "Thanks."
Having gotten at least some info Albie made his own way to the coliseum, seeing the blue-haired girl again on the way. He wondered if she was also going to try out for the Magic Knights and if he should use the chance to talk to her. Unfortunately it seemed she already was in a conversation with another noble and Albie didn't want to interrupt or wait until they were done and risk missing the selection.
Albie hurried into the coliseum and arrived just in for the opening speech, relieved he hadn't missed the explanation of the trails. He was less interested in the introduction of the higher rated squads' captains since he was pretty sure he wouldn't end up joining them. That said he did pay attention, especially as the captains of the Black Bulls, Birusk of Elysia, and Green Mantis, Giles Lavaretz, were mentioned. While he didn't say anything he did agree with the fact that Bisera was hot, but that applied to all the female captains and he had illusions of having a chance with them.
When the first tests were introduced Albie couldn't believe his luck. The first was all about ranged magic and the second one was practically made for his Spinning Mana Arrow, even though he had never tested it on stone. As Albie waited for his turn he paid attention to several of the other try-outs, like the blue haired girl who used some kind of bomb magic judging by how she destroyed the pillar. Another contestant who had first seemed unremarkable used magic to break the column with his own first, something Albie would never be able to do himself. "Okay, that is impressive." What really blew him away was the pinkhaired girl who fired two magic bullets at once during the same test. He had never tried something like that before himself but figured she should be able to copy her pretty well.
Number 212 Albie Finch
Albie walked towards the official who called out his name and while the rules of the test were explained to him again he studied the movement of the targets trying to find a pattern he could make use off before his time started. Just as he had gotten a good idea of how the target moved his test started. Like most other contestants he used magic bullets, both to hide his actual skill and to save mana. While he didn't use rapidfire like Lanner did Albie did fire magic bullets from both hands, the entire time trying to predict where the targets would be instead of aiming where they were. He didn't count how many he hit but he was sure he had done at least decently well, even with him missing a few on purpose.
The next test wasn't something could pull of with Magic bullets so Albie took out his grimoire. "Arrow Magic: Spinning Mana Arrow" He spent a good bit longer charging it than normal before sending the blue arrow shaped mana towards the column.
Location: Kikka, in the Coliseum Interactions: / Mentions: /
Solveig was, due to her detour, unfortunately at the tail end of the crowd. However, they all had to crane their heads up, front row or back row, because the captains were all up above on the balconies. The nine magic knight captains, in the flesh! Sol cheered, caught up in the fervor of the crowd, her own excitement expressed in each shout, clap, whistle, and foot stomp.
Each of the captains had their own charm, and they all oozed power. While she respected them all, her heart was set on two squads. The Golden Dawn, because it had been they who had come to the rescue when her home city’s defenses had faltered. The Crimson Lions because it was somewhat of a family tradition, and she knew her father greatly respected the captain (though he also saw him as a rival), while she in turn admired her father.
That last captain was the truest surprise, however. An elf! Solveig’s intrigue was piqued, and the Black Bulls suddenly became one of the tops squads to look out for.
This was all for later, however! First, she had to do her very best. Only at the end of the exam would she see whose interest she had aroused.
The captains’ introductions over with, the exam began. Officials came in to cast protective spells, set up their first test, and explain the rules.
During the first round of participants called forth, Solveig intensely watched the competition, observing how they approached the tasks, what spells they used, and how well they did.
However, there were altogether so many people, she could only really memorize those who stood out.
Besides, just standing there and watching wasn’t only making her antsy, it was inefficient too. It occurred to the young noble that no one had said that they couldn’t prepare themselves before being called upon.
“Flammea Fluenta,” she intoned. The spell started off as just a few strands of flame flickering into existence, attached to her at one end, freely floating at the other. It made it seem as if searing red ribbons had been tied to her, gently swaying in the breeze.
With this great mass of people casting spells, freely expending their mana, the atmosphere was soon over-charged with magical excess. It stoked her flames much like a rainfall of oil would to a wildfire.
As time progressed, the flames grew and multiplied. Soon, it was as if blazing crimson feathers had sprouted from her, cascading down her back, and enveloping her in a searing shroud. Some of the more easily spooked participants had edged away from her. While the molten mantle might give the illusion that she and all those in her vicinity were at risk of being consumed by an igneous eruption, that was the farthest thing from the truth. She had the magic completely under control.
Granted, she sported a manic grin, and might have cackled once or twice. She was riding the most powerful high of highs ever, adrenaline coursing through her veins, mana flowing all around her.
There was
so much
mana!
Was this how those immensely blessed by mana felt all the time?
No wonder some of them went bonkers.
Despite there being several testing stations, it still took long minutes before Solveig was called upon. By the time she was, she was a walking inferno, and even one of the officials gave her a strange look.
She paid it no mind, however, and approached the testing station. During the countdown to the starting time, she took a deep breath, and focused.
On the mark of, “Start!” she immediately unleashed the fire gathered around her in one great torrent. It twisted, it turned, it roared as it veritably ate through the tiles. The first few floating targets were destroyed completely.
But then, as more and more tiles appeared, or when they floated into positions out of reach of the first stream of fire, Solveig split it off. First one, then two, then three long, violent, serpentine streaks of flame were dancing around the testing station. She directed each stream in a complex winding pattern, covering as much of the area as possible while also actively redirecting them when necessary to hit the tiles. While she did aim for the bulls-eyes, she prioritized swift destruction of as many tiles as possible, so her accuracy was lesser. As soon as one tile was summoned, she’d nudge the closest current, the flames whipping into the tile to crash it to the ground.
One could easily imagine her flame as a multi-headed dragon; a flaming hydra lashing out and biting at its foes.
Well, the spell wasn’t quite at that level, but nevertheless, Solveig destroyed all the tiles created for her during the 1 minute. She had no idea how many tiles she had scored because she’d lost count. The crowd was raucous in its cheering, though, so she figured she must have done pretty damn well!
She merely smiled in the audience’s general direction, still busy keeping the remaining flames under her control.
For the floating platforms, she’d used up about half of the reserve of fire she’d built up during the waiting time. Now, she recalled the currents to her, and they followed her movements to the reinforced column.
Solveig rejoined her multitude of currents into one. Then, without much ado, she sent it charging at the column. The large infernal snake assaulted the base of the column, then immediately wrapped around it. She kept it spinning around and around the lower portion before she directed it to start climbing up and up and up. When it reached the top, the stream of fire was at the end of its life; about as thick as an arm and shorter than its target. Even so, Solveig gathered it, and attacked the ‘head’ of the column with a final gust of flames, giving the target one last push.
A moment passed. A second stretched into infinity. The section of the audience who had been drawn to watching her held their breaths.
Then slowly, creakingly, the column tilted, the thicker upper three-quarters broke off…and toppled to the ground with a resounding thud!
A loud applause followed, and Solveig broke into a grin. She walked up to the felled column, stood onto it with her left leg, and withdrew her sword with her right hand, raising it high into the air. Another round of cheering followed.
Chuckling, Solveig sheathed her blade, and walked off the testing area with one last look at the column. Honestly, it was still mostly intact. The bottom quarter had been thinned significantly, which is why the pillar hadn’t been able to support the remainder of its own weight. Then, there was one narrower winding groove from when her flame had twisted around the column going upwards. At the top, there was about a head-sized chunk missing.
It wouldn’t have killed a demon, but it was what she could do right now.
“Whew,” Solveig exhaled, and began stretching. Several officials were going around, offering glasses of water to those who were done. She gladly accepted one with a heartfelt, “Thank you!”
Perhaps to some, it would look as if she’d ‘wasted’ most of her power on the very first test. In truth, she hadn’t expended all that much mana; most of the magic for that spell had been gathered from her surroundings. Controlling all of that had taken an effort, however, so the short reprieve before the next task was just what she needed.
She relaxed, hanging back, and observed those remaining participants who were called after her. Solveig was smiling softly to herself, feeling accomplished after the first challenge, yet eager for more.
Ludo glanced towards the crowd at the coliseum and shrugged nonchalantly at the motion to hurry it up by the friendly giant. "Alright, alright. No more fucking around, got it." He followed him with his ball and chain in tow. Funnily enough, it was actually quite faster to follow Maverick; people gave way to him like some guy parting the sea. Eventually they crossed the gates and to his surprise were standing behind group of soaking wet nobles.
He arched his brow at the slight directed to him by Isvelt. "Ah, that explains why I smell better than you," he whispered back. It took a second for the royal to process what the insult meant and then stared at him as if he besmirched his honor. Ludo smirked back at his shock. "Easy there. What is gentle ribbing between friends?" He asked, throwing Isvelt's words back at him. Before the royal could say anything, they were met by another obstacle though they really should've seen it coming. The only thing that they could see was Maverick's big fucking back.
"... I really should've thought this through." He said to himself. Well, there was only one thing to do. To Maverick's surprise, he felt a weight pull at his clothes until he realized that Ludo was climbing on top of him and soon was sitting on his shoulders like a child riding a parent's. "Just ignore me big fella, just need a better view." Of course, they were getting strange looks by anyone else with some sense though it was either that or not see jack shit.
However, the attention of other applicants was soon diverted away from him by the fanfare of horns and the beating of drums and the sound of the doors closing behind them.
Ludo's gaze focused upon an older man distinguished man in green robes and a white stole using some sort of magical device to converse with the crowd. He waited with bated breath as his eyes followed the spotlight to the alcove. There they were the captains of the Magic Knights. Throughout the din and glitz, not for one moment had Ludo let his eyes off of them. He looked upon with them with honest, childlike reverence for it truly was a dream of his to one day be in this very coliseum and earn a spot among their ranks just like so many children before him and certainly after him. Even under his circumstances, he could not help, but to feel a little giddy.
But it did not last long. Officials came down to the coliseum's field and prepared the first half of their test. It could've just been summed as 'break shit' and Ludo was definitely good at doing just that.
"It's showtime. I assume that neither of you are going to need luck?" He chimed cheerfully, as if he had no care in the world.
However, there was something more important; it was time to study his competition. There was not a chance in hell that Ludo was going to let a chance to see what his competition could do, and he was sure that the smart ones were going to do the same. The thing was that a lot of them were really not that impressive save for only a handful. Well, that bluenette was impressive for other reasons as many of his peers verbally acknowledged for him, but she wasn't his type.
"Number 209, Ludo Liszt!"
And there he was. His name was called up and it was time for some action. "Thanks for the lift, Mav. Remember, we're getting you glasses later." He gave the giant and pat on the shoulder before hopped off of him, landing on his feet with a slight bend to his knees.
Ludo walked with cool, nonchalant confidence and grin of determination that many would find to be arrogant for an unknown commoner such as himself. It also really did not help his case that he used Maverick as a booster seat.
"Is guy taking this seriously or not?" "A commoner has no right to hold his head high like that." "What a smug looking prick." "He's kinda cute though."
Of course, he ignored the comments. They were all just noise that melded together and fell deaf to his ears. He strode over to the official that called him over that he could only describe as unremarkable. They were dressed in fine clothes, but other than that everything else was forgettable. A plain face, a plain voice, plain everything. By the end of this day, Ludo will have forgotten about this man's existence
He was all smiles, but his eyes told a different story; there was an aching loneliness that gnawed at his heart. A stadium full of people, a sea of a thousand faces, and yet the one person that mattered the most wasn't there.
"Dad, I made it." The words hung bittersweetly in the air.
The official cleared his throat to get his attention. "Ludo, are you ready?" He asked impatiently. They were on a tight schedule after all.
Right, he was there to get into the Magic Knights, not feel sorry for himself. However, he looked up at the crowd with a glare. They held zero expectations for him, heck, there were some that would root for his downfall. Ludo looked at the forgettable official and nodded. "I'm ready," he said with determination burning in his eyes.
It was time to make a statement.
From his holster Ludo pulled out his grimoire. A three-leaf clover sat dead center on what could only be described as a bouquet of vulture skulls surrounded by strange naturalistic elements that resembled the body of slithering snakes with flower petals for heads. The background was a lighter shade of purple while the markings where a shade of purple that was teetering on being black. The grimoire hovered in front of him, the pages fluttered open with a great flourish.
He smiled assuredly, feeling a pulse of power course through his body and yet, there was something different about him. There was something oppressive, suffocating about the air surrounding him. If anyone paid attention, one would see a faint purple glint in his eyes.
"Begin!" The official declared.
With no warning, torrents of strange purple liquid began to swirl around Ludo. As they danced around the raven-haired boy, they took shape of several large serpents with thick, heavy bodies with dorsal thins bearing their hideously long fangs that could break through low-grade reinforcement magic. Rather than snakes, they appeared more draconic in nature.
"Lernaean Serpents."
Ludo held his right hand out, fingers outstretched and at breakneck speeds the serpents homed in on the targets with their maws and crushed then at the same exact time. Ludo would keep shooting these serpents off at the hovering tiles, using his hands to manipulate each individual creation to maneuver them through the air to chomp each tile into dust.
It a demonstration of mana control. Precision, speed, and power were the name of the game and in Ludo's case he was displaying that he could keep track of multiple targets at the same time and yet, to the trained eye he had a grasp of how much magic he needed to use instead of burning himself out on the first test. It was odd to say, but this ruffian somehow actually made this test look somehow graceful. His movements were filled with confidence and there was clear focus and intent with every action. He left no room for hesitation.
How many was he destroying? Ludo certainly wasn't keeping count. All of his focus was on destroying as many tiles as he could within the one-minute time frame. He was destroying them as quickly as they would bring them out by the handful.
"One minute has passed! Please proceed to the next station!" The plain official said.
Ludo dropped the spell and sauntered over to the next station. In the periphery of his hearing, he could hear some cheers and shouts of encouragement from who were probably commoner's just like him though he could also feel the disapproving stares from those higher up on the social ladder. He walked backwards to give the audience a cheeky wave of his before he spun back on his heels to focus on the target ahead of him.
"Hey, I'm gonna put my back into this. Mind giving me some space?" Ludo asked the official while he was cracking a kink from his neck. He received a skeptical look, but his request was honored as he and others gave him as much of a wide berth as possible. There were skeptical murmurs among the crowd, wondering what this kid was going to or even could do.
The young commoner focused his piercing gaze on the stone pillar and a coy smile stretched along his lips. His raven hair began to flutter upwards while he stretched his arm out forward once again, his body began to glow with a deep purple hue of mana. A deluge of that same purple liquid erupted and swirled like a maelstrom around the mage, far more than what he had summoned for the previous test. Just like the prior test though, the liquid began to form into a serpentine, borderline draconic creature though this time it was just a singular creation of very substantial size.
He was drawing from his deep reserves of mana, perhaps going a bit overboard, but it was to make one thing perfectly clear: there was no difference between him and the nobles. He was someone deeply beloved by mana, someone that could rival the hundreds of years' worth of noble pedigree to get the same results as him. In short, he was strong.
"Go." He pointed his index finger at the column. The serpent lunged forward with its maw stretched wide and head tilted on an angle and bit down on the column and almost ripped it straight out of the ground except it broke off at the base. The serpent went up in the air with a steep arc and with a squeeze of Ludo's hand, its jaw clenched down and shattered the pillar into chunks of debris that would rain down to the ground.
There was a stunned silence from the audience before it exploded with an uproar of excitement and outrage. There were cries claiming that he had to be doping, some were baffled because to them this came out of the left field, and of course there were some that cheered and understood why he was confident.
Ludo exhaled and began to stretch. Yup, he definitely went a bit overboard, but he made his point. The audience got it though his attention wasn't on them, but on the captains. His eyes would not break contact with them, a look of determination that told them that he was not going to settle for anything other than the best. His lips curled into a smile, and mouthed to them, I'm just getting started.
He was directed to go back to the crowd and await further instruction. So, that's what he did. Ludo went back to the crowd of hopefuls and relaxed as he watched his competition, eager to continue to the next tests.
Hikari kept his eyes fixated on the Captains as they emerged. He would try not to judge them based on their appearance, as he knew they were ten times as powerful as him, but he would still try to capture as much of their personalities as possible. He wanted to see what they reacted to, or who, if given any reactions at all. The pirate and his theatrics stood out, however. The priest caught his attention as well. He met a few priests, and attended a few sermons alongside Vander and Triss. He wondered what kind of power he obtained and what achievements led him to becoming a Captain. The Witch stood out, for obvious reasons. Hikari used to hear bedtime stories about witches, but he didn’t know the facts from fiction. He would be interested in learning more. It wasn’t, however, until the person clad head to toe in armor appeared that Hikari felt an instant surge of inspiration. He looked down at his hands, imagining himself clad head to toe in armor made of steam. ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I need.’
The elderly announcer snapped him out of his train of thought and he paid attention as the event was explained, and demonstrated. This first test wasn’t best suited for him. His magic was suited for utility and close-range attacks, and as such focused more on that than his magic bullets. That didn’t demoralize him, tests were meant to see what you were capable of so he knew his time would come. “Good luck, little one. I’ll see ya’ when we become magic knights.” Hikari directed the statement to Kohra, while his eyes scanned the room and laid eyes upon the red haired boy from earlier. His eyes then shifted to the woman from earlier, and the girl who pulled the prank that got a chuckle out of him.
The test would begin, and Hikari would thoroughly watch each contestant, while trying to survey the captains to gauge any reactions. His name would be called and he would step up to the platform. His hand reached down and pulled the grimoire from off his hip, a rather dingy looking black book with what resembled a cloud or puff of steam at the center, it was hard to tell from a distance. This was irritating, both the ranged test and the examiner re-explaining as if he wasn’t listening the first time. Since he had already adopted the role of brute, he was inclined to speak his mind.
“Yeah, yeah! I fuckin get it! Let’s just get this shit over with already!” Without hesitation, his grimoire flew open with a light silver glow. Magic bullets began flying wildly before the targets even popped up. That’s when the surrounding chatter flooded his ears from both the crowd and his peers, mainly comments on if he had a brain at all and asking what was wrong with him.
Hikari only had one minute and halfway through, his wild shots were missing or hitting targets with not enough power. He began receiving boos from the crowd, probably the first booing of the day. It didn’t matter. Finally, Hikari decided to begin trying, only to give the captains a glimpse of something and to not totally fail. He stopped flinging his bullets wildly and began one at a time. He didn’t care how the crowd or his peers received him, maybe if it were a tournament for the people but it wasn’t. A magic bullet slammed into the left side of a target, destroying it and leaving wisps of steam in the air. He missed his next one before narrowing his eyes and focusing. Three magic bullets were sent out one after the other, hitting the dead center of their targets, before the next two hit the sides of the targets. Six targets in one minute, he shrugged. Maybe he could have done better had he tried from the beginning, or perhaps not. It didn’t concern him as he had nothing to show range-wise anyway.
He began walking towards the next event. His eyes were locked on the pillar, anger boiling up inside of him. It was anger that only showed in his eyes. The page of his grimoire flipped as he muttered a spell under his breath, steam arising from his hands that rose more and more into the air. The heat was building up and intense as it was charging before he even reached the pillar.
-
“But… I’m scared of getting hurt.”
Vander stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Hikari, a young boy already of a grown man height and weight. They were in the backyard of the hideout, open grassland leading to a forest. There were two other mages in the background, to help create structures to train. Vander pulled back his arm then shot forward, his fist colliding with a boulder and sending it shattering into a thousand pieces. Hikari stood there amazed.
“Pain comes with life. You’re going to be hurt physically and emotionally,” Vander rubbed his knuckles, “but the only way to fight is to not fear it, but to embrace it. It can only make you stronger.”
Hikari smiled.
“Unless it fuckin’ kills you, like ima do if you don’t hit the damn boulder Hikari!” Vander pointed forward as the other member in the distance summoned a boulder.
Hikari in a similar, albeit more sloppy, fashion as Vander cocked his fists back and let it fly. His fist instantly bounced off the rock with a crunching sound accompanying it. “MOTHERFU-”
“WATCH YOUR FUCKIN’ MOUTH BRAT!”
“BE A BETTER FUCKIN INFLUENCE!” Hikari shook his hand with a frown.
Vander shrugged. “Fair enough. Let’s go get ya’ hand healed, kid, then you’re punching it twice as hard for complaining.”
-
“FUCK THAT RANGE SHIT! I’M TEARING THIS BITCH APART!” Hikari shouted at the top of his lungs before he shot forward, leaving two trails of steam in his wake. His speed was by no means super-sonic, but definitely faster than someone his size would normally move. It was enough to garner a few gasps from the crowd. “Well, we know what happens when a bull gets upset so are we really surprised?”
The heat surrounding his hands was intense, burning his own flesh from the overcharge of the ability. Closing in on the pillar, Hikari struck downwards with a strong right. His fist slammed into the pillar, making a minor indent sending steam and dust flying through the air. He felt the blood begin trickling down his knuckles before it would evaporate away. In no means was this punch impressive by itself, if it weren’t for his left arm swinging into an uppercut with the same momentum. Hikari pumped all the steam he had built up into the rock, with his initial right hit. The steam spread throughout the inside of the pillar. The second pump of steam, from his left hand, is what caused the explosion as it was impossible for the pillar to hold it all. Steam erupted from the back and top of the pillar like a geyser. The crowd gasps as the arena filled with steam and smoke for a brief second. Once the scene cleared, it revealed a pillar still standing, although riddled with cracks. Hikari was still sliding backwards from the explosion, planting his hand firmly in the ground as he skidded to a halt. “FUCK THAT! I'M NOT DONE!” The crowd cheered, a mixture of people telling him to smash it to pieces, calling him ox-boy and bull-boy. ‘This heat is getting really fuckin’ intense…like really fuckin’ intense.’
Hikari let out a scream that was more resembling a monster roaring, he resembled a wild beast as his shaggy hair fell forward and began covering his eyes. His hands began burning to the point he would have a couple permanent scars to remind him of this day. Regardless, he wore a smile that just wasn’t quite right. He was foregoing showing off his skills, at this point wanting to burn off a year’s worth of anger. He could finally lash out like he wanted, without risk of drawing attention or causing unnecessary collateral. He charged forward once more, his hands out in front of him in an ‘x’ formation. He slammed right into the left side of the superheated pillar, and although he was able to slam a chunk off, the pillar was still insanely durable. Hikari was in a daze, his head ringing and vision blurry. He blinked to regain focus, smelling the crimson that ran down his forehead before he felt it. The magic in his hands flickered away, the same crimson that was getting evaporated away began running down his knuckles in between his fingers. His body stung all throughout, but he didn’t fear it.
Hikari looked back at the pillar as the steam and dust settled, smiling at the chunk he was actually able to knock off. That’s when the crowd cheering settled back into his ears. Presumably at his willingness to sacrifice his body, instead of his display of magical skill. Hikari looked up at the crowd, grabbed the hem of his tattered shirt before ripping it off and throwing his hands in the air. His muscular body was riddled in scars and burns from training. He screamed to the crowd; “MY NAME IS OX-BOY AND DON’T YOU FUCKIN’ FORGET IT!” He began laughing wildly, mainly to suppress his tears and hide the pain in his face. ‘Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Where’s a healing mage when you need one?'
Hikari wishes Kohra good luck before the exam begins. He lazily rushes through the ranged test, while going crazy on the pillar and fully embraces the ox comparisons. Rips his shirt off and covered in blood he shouts at the crowd;
"That would be my question, too, hah! But, I think the lady means 'cute' like, say...a little dog. Not the same kinda 'cute' I'd use for, say, a pretty face. Am I right...cutie?"
Parin jumped in shock when she'd heard the man's voice. She only now realized she'd been thinking out loud - an unfortunate habit of hers, to be sure - and she would have winced in embarrassment had she not been face-to-face with her target. And gosh, she was pretty! Whatever frown would have raised itself was instantly erased by her disarming smile--
"It's not him, but the little chicks flitting about and chirping around him who're cute. Oh, to be young again..."
But that didn't matter because she was damn-near jumping in shock again. She likes girls, straight like that? Where Parin came from, you'd have to pine for months to get that info, even when it was the most obvious thing in the world. Alas, that was a rant for another time.
"You shouldn't listen in on when others're talking though, sweetie," Meow? Parin felt herself shrink lightly when Camila started to address her. "It's a bad habit that could land you in all sorts of trouble if you get caught by the wrong person."
That much was true. Parin had been acting uncharacteristically carefree. She'd never act this way on a normal day out. Perhaps this was a result of her not taking the exam seriously? Or maybe she felt safe due to the amount of people who'd came? Parin profits off of people making that sort of mistake all the time - she shouldn't fall victim to it so easily. A welcome warning, to be sure. She met the other girl's eyes with vindication, ready to show off her humorous, quippy nature. And...
"Mhm," Parin replied, quieter than she'd intended. She'd become a Bashful Billy in a matter of milliseconds, but there was a girl with pretty purple eyes that Parin was looking into, so it didn't truly matter. It double didn't matter when the exam finally started to start. Parin let out a disappointed whimper as her attention was brought to the captains.
They all looked cool, as captains do, but the rumors floating about made a few stick out to her. The pirate, the witch, and the... knight? Well, they were all knights, but... the blonde one who was strong. Each captain seemed an interesting character. The more Parin goes along with the Magic Knight thing, the more it starts to stick. The idea of training under any of these people sounded fun. So did meeting new people. Hmm...
It might do her good to put some more stock into this after all. She returned Camila's wishes before she shifted her focus to the officials laying out the laws. She hummed a song to herself as she waited.
Parin's name was called and she rose to the occasion. She heard no voices directed towards her, but a rogue cheer that sounded once she'd walked up to the proctor almost broke her focus. She carried on, bouncing and swaying as the proctor explained both tests to her. She felt prepared for this first test especially.
You see, the use of magic was no doubt discouraged in Parin's orphanage. But rules might as well be schmules when it comes to a group of children, so of course they still harassed each other to no end. The youngest ones would splash water on the others or blow wind in their ears, small things like that. The older kids, however, would often have other interests -- many of them held this pipe dream of becoming a Magic Knight that Parin was planning to fulfill. As a result, rather than just simple pranks, they would practice their magic in and around the orphanage.
Many of Parin's earliest memories involve her and a group of friends going down several blocks until finding the abandoned mansion with an equally abandoned backyard. They would climb the gates and find themselves an open arena to play with. This was where Parin learned to use magic; in the trenches.
The game consisted of a Magic Bullet fight, where two parties... fight using magic bullets. The first rule: you can't hurt someone. Some people were babies and flopped after getting tapped with a single pebble, so they quickly amended the new rule: no bruise, no foul. This made it so that you had to make sure the magic bullets were harmless, either by way of density/quality or speed. The second rule: you can only get hit three times before you're out. The third rule: you can't go out of bounds.
It was fun, and cliques quickly developed based on things like playstyle or what type of magic bullet they used. But most importantly it was an invaluable foundation for Parin to learn from. How to concentrate mana, how to use it and the feeling of it within your body were all lessons that stuck with the girl. A small fascination with magic grew within her from a young age, the sort which naturally comes with having something so powerful at your disposal.
Old memories flashed back in front of her eyes as the tiles began to float. Balls of water formed and floated around her in response. The targets were large to her, and the bullseye made identifying her target easier. She worked each shot out in her brain before she let it ring, following the motions of the target and calculating her shot accordingly. It was as it was, target practice. There was nobody putting any pressure on her.
Her body would sway and step lightly with the motions of her target as she shot. Instead of stone tiles, she would start to see familiar faces, running and diving and smiling all around her. She kept her pace throughout the challenge, comfortable and focused.
The first challenge was no problem; she'd seen it completed with maybe one or two close misses and a couple bulls-eyes.
It was this second one she'd seen an issue with...
Parin's magic hadn't the most destructive power to it, so using it to break that whole column seemed daunting to say the least. But seeing as this was one step to becoming a magic knight, this was also for Hari. For Hari, there was nothing she couldn't do. So she made a plan.
She placed a hand on her chin once infront of the stone pillar, as if thoroughly examining it. Parin looked around behind her and took several paces back as she saw it was clear. She then inhaled deep, held it and exhaled, repeating it while trying to relax her body as much as possible. She felt the mana running through her body as she went about her routine, circulating in tandem with her blood. She began stretching while focused on her breathing and fell into a trance, the concentration of energy within her building more and more.
Parin was finished with her stretches after attending to her right shoulder. She crouched down and set her hands on the ground, her front leg leaning forwards as she took one last deep, conscious breath.
She bursted out violently into a sprint. When she neared, Parin planted her feet firmly and launched herself into the air, throwing her arms up behind her head. She extended her legs forward, aiming her soles towards an edge of the pillar. The mana which coursed through her all flowed directly into her feet.
It was released at the same time as Parin's kick made impact. A mini-torrent raged out from her soles, with enough force to bounce Parin back far away from the pillar into the air. Her body swung through the air with knees tucked until she began to descend, feet facing the ground. She released a burst of water from beneath her feet which countered the pull of gravity, slowing her descent. Her grimoire flipped through pages on its' own as she conjured an oval-shaped bubble below for her to softly land on.
Parin was hardly more than six feet off the ground. She sat down on her platform and hung her legs off it as she squinted towards the pillar. Leaning in more, she'd discovered that she had broken a chunk off the left side of the pillar. It couldn't have been bigger than her own head, if that.
"Yes!" She exclaimed, pumping her fist and smiling brightly. Her legs swung back and forth as she happily hummed a song of victory. It may not have been much, but it was honest work. She heard an official call her name and tell her where to stand, so she hoisted herself down and followed. The legs were a tad jellylike, but truly only a tad - nothing that couldn't get walked off. She thanked the orphanage delinquents for her timing.
There was much to learn from her new vantage point. Everyone's magic was just so cool. Parin felt genuine awe at all the different techniques and skills she'd been able to see just from the first test. Every spell was beautiful, skillful, personal. She wondered what it was about the person that made them able to use their magic. Some of them fit the vibe, like, oh... The girl with big, bright flames looked sort of brave. The guy with the snake! The magic snake! Looked pretty, um, hm... Parin didn't want to say shifty, but somewhere in that ballpark. And there was the ox from earlier, who Parin had overheard being just as loud as his spells were hot. But then there were some that didn't quite fit who's magic was impressive all the same. Like when Parin almost had a heart attack after feeling a gigantic explosion go off, and then right after she saw Camila walk over to join the group (Parin gave her a personal round of applause). Or the kid who'd used sun magic, who didn't look like the wielder of something so bright. But the saying does go not to judge a book by its cover - if she were to play this same game with herself, she'd be stumped. Nothing about her really screams water. Parin figured there must be a deeper reason why these people can do what they do.
Regardless, she waited for further instruction, with newfound enthusiasm and perhaps a bit of drive.
parin has a "chat" with camila and gunnar she takes a trip down memory lane while taking the first test she kicks her pillar with the power of water! and takes a chip off the old block admires the others, entertains herself with her thoughts while she waits
“Kreszenz Leichenberg. May you earn your place, Wakeley.”
The name hung in the air, its recipient lost to the crowd already. But it didn’t matter, did it? By the end of this day, her name would be known to all who attended this year’s Magic Knights Selection Exam.
…
The brass band set the atmosphere within the arena, a bold clarion call that accompanied the sealing of the gates. At the proclamation of the master of ceremonies, the Captains of the Magic Knights rose up. Even at the westernmost point of Clover Kingdom, the heiress could recognize them. Who was ignorant of Everhart’s acts of valor, the gallantry of Vermillion? The fist of Greenvalley, or the sanctity of Walder? Eisenfaust and Birusk were unknown, but that only spoke of their meteoric talents, while one could not claim themselves as a noble if they knew not of Helve Silva, the most favoured for the throne.
The audience roared, a bubbling cauldron of zealotry and lust, admiration mixed with envy. Each Captain had years on her, and their talent and drive would not pale in comparison to her own. They were established individuals, beloved not only by mana but by the populace surrounding the central provinces of the kingdom.
Kreszenz looked towards them upon their lofty seats.
It would be better if she surpassed them before time eroded their capabilities. It would be proper. But for the time being? She would settle for a performance adequate to grant invitations to every squad present.
Though it appeared that there were plenty of others who were just as enthused and motivated as she was.
While some drew attention due to their provocative appearance and others drew attention due to a rare element, true exemplars of magic capability emerged as well. An inferno washed over the arena, a cowl of phoenix feathers donned by a blonde noble. The crimson tides consumed with wild abandon, destruction that could only be defined as a wildfire. It was the first display of real power that day, and the crowds took notice too, especially when the girl, a Solveig von Brandt, stepped out of the trial without any real signs of exhaustion. And if the brilliance of flame failed to rouse the attention of the audience, then the serpentine mass certainly would. Kreszenz had a vague recollection of someone with that countenance amongst the crowd, but his name was certainly that of a commoner’s. Snakes to consume tiles, snakes to shatter the pillar. Power, speed, and precision, endcapped with an exhalation and a stretch that was a mirror of the one that came before him.
A couple others came and went. It was hard to care for someone who hurt himself more than he hurt the pillar. Harder to care for someone who just performed as well as the rest of the detritus before the phoenix and the snake.
“Number 243. Kreszenz…Leichenberg.”
Whether phoenix or snake, however, both dwelt beneath the heavens. She would certainly remind them of that.
The heiress stepped forth, her cloak drawn over her shoulders. It was a ratty, worn-out thing, at odds with her noble name, but the wand that she drew out was anything but mismatched. It was of gold, with the allusion of a lance in the way it flared out past the rounded handle and then tapered off into a thin point. The pommel was inset with a sapphire, while a guard designed like a crown was more an adornment than anything with practical use. Indeed, there was a ceremonial air to it, an elegance ill-suited for brutality. A polish, that made it appear as if it had never been used outside a concert hall.
Her grimoire left its holster, levitating beside her. Her hands raised up, one daintily pinching her wand, the other grasping the charged air.
Snap.
Static discharge, strands of hair rising as the tiles rose off the ground, increased in numbers.
“Canon.”
It was not so fast as the Light displayed by another, but what difference was there to the human eye? The air exploded as a tree of lightning erupted from the tip of Kreszenz’s wand, each branch shattering the tiles in their entirety. They crumbled to bits, falling upon the ground, and then reconstituted themselves, gradually filling up the air again.
Thunder echoed, then faded, giving space in the air for onlookers to commentate and wonder. From their vantage point, perhaps they could make out her suntanned hands, the strands of blonde hair that spilled out from the hood of her cloak, the blue eyes that glowed as mana gathered. Centuries had passed since the Leichenberg name was heard of, but it certainly sounded noble, didn’t it?
Kreszenz didn’t mind. There was timing for everything, and she waited for the tiles to reach capacity before releasing another branching bolt that cleared open the space before her. Lightning, leaving afterimages in the eyes. Thunder, shaking the walls as surely as the heart. Rinse and repeat. A flick of the wrist, an inaudible incantation, and what meager forces that stood up after the storm was reduced to shards once more. A minute was far too long, and this arena was far too small.
She turned dismissively, five seconds left on the clock, for in what time remained, what remnants could gather may as well be ‘gifted’ to the one who’d inherit her task.
And as for that pillar of stone, ensorcelled as it was?
The heiress raised her wand. Closed her eyes. Only recent memories surfaced, for there was no competition left in her past. She was born exceptional, raised exceptional, and expected to be exceptional.
A fiery snake. A draconic snake.
All that power, and yet they still crawled on the ground.
“Heaven’s Strike.”
Her eyes opened, and she swung her wand down.
Lightning answered the instructions of the conductor, a brilliant flash crashing down upon the top of the pillar. It was a radiance that dimmed the day, tall shadows stretching outwards as if to sear the silhouettes of all nearby upon the arena walls. The sky burned, the stench of ozone permeating the dome-shaped barrier raised to protect the audience. There was a moment of resistance, perhaps, a moment where the barriers held strong. But what could withstand that which inspired commoners to beg forgiveness from divine wrath?
When that moment elapsed, the pillar split in half, crashing onto either side of the arena, but Kreszenz didn’t linger to watch the aftereffects. She turned on her heel as peals of thunder blanketed the audience’s reaction, a wave of rising dust obscuring her exit from the second trial.
There was no need for sighs or stretches, no need for reflection or bravado.
There was only a fulfilled expectation, and a silent declaration.
Here and now, Kreszenz Leichenberg will be the sole star of this generation of Magic Knights.
Short talk to @Agunimon Should I have paid more attention to the others? No one was really using their magic in public, though, so maybe that wouldn't have helped... Tristan's thoughts were racing from the moment the doors closed. He'd tried to hold his calm until now, and looking over his shoulder for those nobles--and maybe another glimpse of that blue-haired girl--had been a short distraction, but... Maybe we won't have to spar each other? No, that'd be stupid, Magic Knights are all about fighting...
Then, a pair of bright green eyes framed by shocking pink hair filled his vision. He leaned back with a muffled "Nnn!" sound as the girl asked him if he was okay.
"Ahh...umm...N-no more th-than anyone else, I, I guess..." He said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand as his eyes drifted to the upward corner. She continued to encourage him, pointing out that there wasn't a numerical limit on how many of them could become knights. As he glanced back at her, a blush growing on his cheeks, Tristan nodded. Was it just him, or had all the girls he'd seen today been easy on the eyes? There were a lot more of them here, too, compared to kids his age back home...
"R-right. Um, thanks...That actually does--" Then the trumpets blew, and the whole crowd began rippling with anticipation. The captains were introduced. Tristan's eyes were drawn to them much the same as everyone else--including, of course, the bewitching Bisera, though he also found the other two female captains quite pretty--but his own gaze lingered on the Purple Orca's leader.
Oh wow, check out that articulation. Did they get the colors with heat patination, or is that a lacquer? It's too far away to see the maker's mark--I wonder if he'd tell me if I asked...
Then the testing began, and it was back to waiting. He was 176--even with multiple other applicants going before him, including the pretty pink-haired girl, it was easily another twenty or thirty minutes before he'd be called. But, now that he actually had a chance to see the different magics on display, he was less nervous and more...awed.
It's all so cool. Nobody back home was this strong except maybe some of the militia guys... The villagers only used their magic to help out with daily tasks--water spells for laundry, earth magic to till fields, and so forth. No one had the strength or skill to put on grand displays like this. But then, of course, Tristan realized he had to match what he was seeing. And he was only allowed to use one spell.
Crap.
He looked towards the stone columns. Magic Bullets weren't something he was great at, but he had bird-hunted with them and played games with other kids in the village. He had no idea, however, how he would cut into such a sturdy object. The best swords he could create were still only of the kind of quality any average smith might turn out--not a masterpiece for an expert fencer, just the kind of every day use gear a soldier might use. And without Azure Edge, a separate spell that couldn't be used without a focus in hand, there was no way they could cut into stone...
Even if it was a block of wood, though. It's thick, reinforced with magic, and its shape isn't smooth or round. I'd have to chop into it, instead of slashing, so even a razor sharp blade would probably just chip or break--
An idea came to him. And just in time, for they called his name.
On the tile test, his shots were slow. His Magic Bullets looked more like magical spikes of some kind: plain, glowing orange-yellow projectiles with tapered, pointed shapes. They didn't usually break the tiles either, though they pierced through several times. However, he actually ended up with zero complete misses of the shots he took, and while only a handful were bullseyes, the vast majority were extremely consistent--once he'd figured out a couple of tricks, he'd been able to repeat himself over and over again. Rather than leading a shot, it was more like he figured out a certain area in front of him that the tiles would always pass through at some point, even with random movements. Like a strike of the hammer hitting the same place, he held each shot steady.
Then he stood in front of the column. He looked around at some of the others, and the powers of destruction they brought to bear. He took a deep breath. Right. There wasn't a limit on how many of them could be made knights today.
Tristan raised both hands, and magical power came to life between his palms. Like watching molten bronze pour upward, the thickened aura began to take a shape. He needed a sword with a design that could cleave, not just slash, something that would stand up to a hard impact on a solid target. Like flakes of hot metal breaking away with the final blow, his magic dispersed and left behind the final creation!
That thing was too big to be called a sword. Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too rough, it was more like a large hunk of iron. Solid black save for its edge, a foot wide, taller than most men--the sword didn't even have a cross guard.
Tristan's grip tightened around the hilt. His cloak billowed back over his shoulders, revealing solid arms that bulged beneath his sleeves. His forearm muscles stood out, a vein like a steel cable drawing taut across each one. How many times had he swung the great wood splitting maul, to fuel his father's forge? How long had he worked the bellows, pushing and pulling levers longer than his own body? How heavy were the great sledgehammers they used to pound red-hot steel into shape?
Another vein pulsed in his neck as his whole body leaned forward. His broad back pulled with enough power to move a great anvil. He brought the monstrous blade down with a loud warcry!
CLANG!
Three hundred pounds of magically wrought iron, levered from a handle over six feet away from its tip, chopped into the column. It bit down, driven by gravity and Tristan's not inconsiderable strength. Though watching it come down felt like ages to Tristan, in reality it was a mere instant before the blow stopped cold. The shock reverberated through his entire skeleton, rattling his teeth.
But, there it was--a giant sword wedged over a foot, at the deepest, into a magically reinforced column of stone. Sure, he hadn't broken the thing in half like some or ripped it out of the ground--but if that were a human being, or most other flesh and blood creatures, Tristan didn't see any possible way to survive such a blow. And that's what swords were supposed to do, right?
His blade burst into orange-yellow sparks as he turned away from it, and, with heavy breaths and a bead of sweat rolling down his face, he returned to his place in the crowd... Captain's Commentary @Xaltwind
"...The Azurios family, did he say?" Helve looked down the row of seats towards her fellow captains. "I thought they had been wiped out. What ever came of that investigation?"
"...Unfortunately, it was inconclusive." answered Walden with a frown. As the group watched the young noblewoman's somewhat lackluster performance, he sighed. "We ran into a dead end. Some few we caught were charged, but..."
"If I remember correctly," spoke Argos, his tone measured as he narrowed his eyes, "the perpetrators were revolutionaries, were they not?"
"The attackers themselves claimed so, but the movement denounced them." Walder shook his head. "And we had to admit the modus operandi didn't match--the CRP hasn't been involved in violence on that level before or since that event."
"Openly." Azarleon all but spat.
When Camilla blew up her chosen stone column, they all showed varying signs of notice...
"Yarr, what I'd like t'know is, what they been feedin' th' lass?" Giles stuffed a wooden pipe with some manner of herb as he leaned forward in his seat, grin plastered on his face.
"She's a child, Giles." Helve said pointedly, while Bisera giggled. The Blue Rose captain, on the other hand, coughed into her fist and looked away from the uncouth sailor.
When Illios let loose his first Magic Bullet, several of the captains raised an eyebrow at the speed. Argos immediately gestured to the elderly official.
"Mr. Gerald, who is that applicant?"
"Ah, th-that's..." The man adjusted his spectacles as he looked down, then consulted his clipboard. "H-his name is Illios Avalona, sir. It says he uses...S-Sun Magic?!"
"Avalona?" Azarleon spoke up with a sharp look. "There was a magic knight by that surname in my squadron...I want to say almost ten years ago?" He crossed his arms and glared back down at the arena floor. "I only recognize the name because the man went AWOL. I...I think he left a wife behind? I didn't know they had a child."
"Sun Magic, huh?" Bisera placed her delicate chin on her gloved hand as she looked coyly at Argos. "I don't suppose he would be a relative of yours? My, imagine the scandal...did our perfect knight have a passionate night, some long years ago?"
"Of course not." Argos's lip curled for a moment as he too turned his attention back to the floor. "...Clearly, the boy has no idea what he's doing with it." There was a loud crack when Illios punched the pillar. The level of reinforcement was impressive, but...
"Oh, she's good!" piped up the cheery-eyed captain of the Blue Rose. Lanner's double-Magic Bullets garnered several looks of approval, as did her clever use of her portals.
"Spatial Magic, that's always a good find." Walden nodded with a smile.
"You mean 'convenient,' right?" quipped the childlike elf a few chairs down. Giles laughed, while Bisera shot the pointy-eared captain a glare.
"...That one's accuracy is impressive." spoke up Azarleon as Albie repeated Lanner's feat of using Magic Bullet with both hands, but in addition led nearly every shot to predict the tiles' movements. "...I think he missed that target on purpose?"
"A simple boy with a simple magic. Just like the one with the sword." Helve said dismissively.
"Snipin' from afar ain't me style," Giles took a puff from his pipe, "but th' lad's doin well fer 'imself, methinks." Below them, Albie's Spinning Arrow drilled right through the stone column just like the demonstrating official's fire lance had, leaving an even cleaner hole.
Long before Solveig's name was ever called, the captains took note of the flaming streamers around her.
"How interesting!" Birusk the elf's eyes lit up with a literal glow, small static sparks playing among his eyelashes. "The spell uses the Fire element's nature to "burn" ambient mana for fuel, as well as her own! Compared to something like the Heart's method it's woefully inefficient, but in a setting like this where there's so much energy already being wasted..."
"She'd better hope she can control it all." Helve said, raising one hand slightly as if preparing to swat a bug. Her sigh fogged in the air as the temperature on the balcony began to drop, sharply.
The rest of Solveig's performance brought nods from several of the group. Azarleon, Argos, Walden, and the otherwise silent Grant even joined politely in the applause of the crowd. Giles, on the other hand, stuck two fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle, which earned him another glare from the Silver Eagle's leader.
"...Well now." Argos noted as the captains watched the purple serpents tear through their targets. "These particular tests aren't well suited for Poison Magic--you can't paralyze or atrophy stone. And yet..."
"Having enough raw magic to create such strong manifestations out of the element is one thing," Walder added, "but his control over them is notable, too. Commoners born with that level of power can't always manipulate it well without a great deal of training."
"If he slips, the infection could kill a dozen of them." Azarleon pointed out with a wrinkled nose. "Bisera, you could treat something like that, yes?"
"No need for our handsome lion to worry!" the witch winked with a dip of her hat. "I already used Mana Sense to analyze it. It's only a paralytic!"
"In high enough dosage to "paralyze" a heart." came the growled reply.
"...How vulgar." Helve shook her head and leaned back in her chair with both arms crossed. Argos made a sound of agreement. Azarleon, however, cracked a hint of a smile before immediately coughing into his hand. When he removed it, his face was once again pleasantly unreadable.
"'E's a mighty big feller fer a magic like that." Giles used his pipe to point at the steam erupting from the top of Hikari's pillar. "Don't seem t'be a great combination."
"And his attitude? Does that remind you of another young fellow, Captain Lavaretz?" Walder elbowed the sailor with a grin.
They watched as one of the officials helped heal the boisterous boy's burns, and then the next applicant was up...
"...Why are so many using reinforcement attacks?" Argos questioned, tapping the arm of his chair with one rhythmic finger. "Have the commoners all forsaken spellcraft for brawling, now?"
"The column test is partial to elements with a lot of raw power." Jennifer spoke up, in the tone of a kindergarten teacher. "They may not have big flashy attacks, but I bet many of them have lots of other skills outside of combat!"
"Jenny, dear, even you have to admit that's hollow praise." Bisera shrugged with one exaggerated movement of a limp hand. "Your pinky packs more punch than most of these children."
"...Combat...is a Magic Knight's...primary function." spoke Grant for the first time since they'd sat down. "An inability to fight...is a significant...design flaw."
"See! Gran-chan agrees with me!" Bisera seemed especially pleased by that, looking towards the Purple Orca captain with a glittering smile...which was completely ignored. After several long seconds, the sparkles faded, as did Bisera's smile. A few seconds later, it became awkward, and she turned away with a sigh. The armored head never even looked her way.
"Leichenberg. That's another name I haven't heard in a while." Helve sniffed. Then, as ozone stench filled the air, her icy facade cracked via the tiniest, cutest, most small-animal-esque a-chu! sound of her sneeze.
"The Clover's border guard, once." Azarleon noted as the princess next to him sniffled, her eyes screwed shut as she struggled to resist another sneeze. A-chu! It didn't work. "I suppose she's out to prove herself, then." A-chu!
"She's off to a fine start, in that case." said Walden. A-chu! He tilted his head to one side with a smile that tried to show more understanding than amusement. "Bless you, Captain Silva."
"A-chu!" Behind the chairs, Jennifer reached past Azarleon's seat to pass Helve a white handkerchief. "D-dank yu Jinnefuh..."
The Third Test
OOC: No worries if you haven't finished an intro/first set of trials! Please continue at your pace, and let me know if you need some kind of collab!
As the last few tiles were destroyed without regenerating, and the remains of the columns were absorbed back into the floor, another official raised their hands and opened a portal quite similar to that used by Lanner, though much larger. As if he'd turned a large bag upside down, an enormous quantity of brooms tumbled out onto the floor. Two more officials used their magic to telekinetically pass the brooms out to the applicants as fast as they could.
"For many years, you may have heard that being able to fly was a must-have ability for a magic knight." said the old man in the green robe and white stole. "But, as you can see by looking at your companions, in recent years the number of applicants have only continued to grow! Now, we ask for a little more than just the ability to fly by itself..."
The next official to appear carried a treasure chest like one might find in a dungeon, and set it down in the center of the floor. He then gestured, and a simple glowing line of magical energy was drawn on the floor in a large circle that covered most of the open arena's space.
"Everyone, you must move behind the line before we begin! Take your broom in hand, and mount up!" As everyone did so, the official opened the chest and quickly removed something before shutting it again. He held it up as the announcer continued.
"Within the chest are 100 objects just like this one!" In the other official's palm was a small, glowing, golden sphere with a tiny halo, and two pairs of tiny angel-like wings. As soon as it was exposed to the open air, the object began to rapidly flap both sets of feathers like a hummingbird, though the official was careful not to let it break free from his grip. "When released, they will randomly fly at high speed around the arena! When all of them have been caught, the third trial will end immediately!" He paused to let that sink in for a moment. "In addition to your flight skills, you may use any other spells that will help you catch, restrain, or defend your quarry--so long as you do not use lethal force!"
Again, he paused. But he seemed to be looking among the crowd, gauging the reactions on various faces. A few of the applicants suddenly began looking around at their fellows with suspicion...some even started edging away from larger groups, or carefully pulling things like wands out of their pockets...
"Are there any questions?" The man would wait, and if asked any, answer them politely. "Alright! Riders, on your marks...get set...ready..."
The officials had moved well out of harm's way, save for the one with the chest. The light on the ground blinked red, then yellow...
To say he was running late would be an understatement for anyone else that actually cared about such things such as being on time. It was a miracle in and of itself that the young lad was able to get up on time. That combined with the multitude of questions he berated the person who was simply trying to get his information before giving him a number, did not help his timing. He almost didn’t even make it through the door. Quickly given a number and pushed along into the coliseum. Number 329 wasn’t that bad of a number, right?
What took the longest for the registration was him trying to remember the name of the town he was from. An orphanage in Nean and convincing the man that even though he looked and acted like he was 12 he very much was 15. Having to go as far as producing his grimoire just to get through. The near sea of people in the space didn’t help him either. Not because of any feelings of claustrophobia or anxiety but awe. The people, the colors, the sounds, the smells, the sheer volume of mana that was abundant in the area had the young lad starstruck. He was even able to snatch an apple away from someone who was balancing it in the air. What was he supposed to do when someone just left some food in the air?
Dipping and dodging through the crowd apple in hand and someone shouting about something behind him. Passing by many more participants giggling as he went occasionally giving someone a compliment on their looks or something unique about them. Then came a wonderous sound of trumpeting horns signaling the beginning of the event. The captains all looked magnificent he really liked all of them and couldn’t pick a favorite. Finding the black bulls captain to be very interesting, as Rio wasn’t sure if he has ever seen an elf before.
Then the rounds started, names and numbers being called. Rio’s expressions looked as if the displays of magic were the most amazing thing he’s ever seen. Not even the strange looks or side eye he received from some of the others was enough to stop him shouting and cheering for the other participants. It did not stop some murmurs like “what’s with this lost child?”. From the smallest breeze to the hardest hit, he cheered for them all with his boundless energetic movement’s.
There were still a few that stood out to him that he could remember. There was a lady that a lot of the other participants starred at, she was using some kind of explosion magic that nearly blew his socks off. Then there was this other guy that had some really cool bright magic and he punched the pillar, it looked like it hurt. The next one that stood out was a pink haired girl about his size, she had an interesting technique for the magic bullets, two at a time, but that wasn’t the best part. The best part was she teleported the stone just so it would crush itself.
The next guy was pretty cool too he shot a bunch at the disks and almost hit all of them then threw some arrow spells at the column. A fiery person caught his attention next. She was bright and her magic was hot like the sun guy but more intense. There was also a snake guy that looked like he was doing something with them but he couldn’t quite tell what kind of magic the boy was using in order to cast his spells. A mystery. Followed by a pot head? Or maybe that wasn’t the right saying? Anyway, the guy was really angry at something. He was doing really good with the ranged stuff then went all out against the pillar with some hot water magic thing. The next one that came to mind was interesting, she was really good with the magic bullets and then when it came to the pillar she struck it with both her feet at the same time. It took a good chunk out of it too.
“329 Rio Vega”
And then there was also this flashy lady, it almost blinded him by the intensity but he wasn’t sure if it was from the magic or the person. Either way, it was a good show. The last one that really stood out to him was this other guy, his magic bullets had a cool shape but what was really awesome was that he summoned a sword. It had a strange shape, but it was still amazing. It even made a funny sound when it hit the big pillar.
“329 Rio Vega”
The young lad almost missed his name being called for the first two tests. Getting caught up with his own cheers and laughter at the amazing displays of the others around him. Sure, he had been around plenty of magic before but nothing as varied as this. “Hey my name is also Rio.” Pausing for a moment to think, “oh, right that’s me!” He blurted out to no one in particular.
Rio quickly skipped out to where the proctor was at just as so many did before him. He was wearing loose fitting clothes with a heavy kind of green cloak that trailed behind him. The boy looked a little dirty but still had a smile plastered on his face. Giggling he waved to the captains and called out to the elf regardless as to if they could hear him, “I like your ears, they are really cool!” He stated with a childlike wonder and genuine enthusiasm.
The proctor got his attention again as they began to form the stone squares. Rio in turn hopped back and forth on his legs and began to sway slightly. He knew that the hand cannon was far too cumbersome for this task, so magic bullets would have to suffice. Rolling his shoulders and bringing up his fists his stance was caught somewhere between dancing and getting ready to fist fight someone.
“Begin.”
The proctor started and the disks began moving but Rio was slow to respond. His slight hesitation being a change in the way he was going to use his attack. Instead of the powerful strikes that would be quick he opted for a weaker strike. His fist struck out toward the first target gathering a small ball of purple that flew off towards the target then another and another.
It seemed he was focusing on volume over power as many purple balls shot off toward the disks with each swing. Most missed and each square took at least two hits to break. Leading the targets seemed to be an issue for him, one that he still tried to make up for by being relentless. Still, he never stopped until the time ran out and he could take a breather. He made a bit of an over exaggeration on how tired this made him, bent over with his hands on his knees and breathing hard. All to push the image that he had used a significant amount of his mana when in truth he hadn’t.
The boy quickly shook off his weariness with a smile and a laugh without a care in the world for how many of the targets he took down. This was the most fun he has had all week and now he could have even more fun with the pillar. Taking out his grimoire, the thick book floated in front of him a three-leaf clover on a purple background with what looks to be broken glass covering it in thin white lines. It folded itself open and turned through many pages to a sudden stop.
Changing his stance so his left shoulder and leg were pointed at the pillar, his left hand looked as if it was supporting some kind of tube while his right hand was aligned with it in a fist. The semi-transparent form of a purple tube began to wrap itself around his right fore arm extending about a foot past his body. At the knuckles of his fist an oversized magic bullet formed in a bright purple oval. The shapes of the barrier began to contort and twist putting pressure on the bullet while a slow whining sound grew louder and louder with the accelerating spin of the bullet in its chamber. “Hand! Cannon!” pronouncing each word on its own like it took effort to say it.
BANG!!
Two simultaneous dust cloud formed as the sound went off. One at the pillar and one that was quite obviously Rio being sent tumbling in the opposite direction. Recovering quickly, the boy stood back up on shaky legs brushing himself off, “Did I hit it?” he asked cheerfully. The dust clearing to reveal that he had indeed hit the side of the column carving out a half circle chunk out of its side and cracking a good portion of it.
Rio gave another smile and wave then skipped back into the area with the rest of the participants. Waiting for the next test and taking a moment to rest while he watched and cheered for the few remaining applicants taking their test.
-----------------------------------------
Then the time came for the next test. It was time to fly and Rio couldn’t be happier. With his broom in hand he quickly mounted it and began to float up a couple feet without given any instruction on if he should or not. He was already behind the line and took the small amount of time to roll over on the thing a couple times with a giggle. The ability to fly was one of the many things he always wanted, now it would be very difficult for others to catch him that might still be looking for him.
He did stop after a few times when he got a little dizzy from his antics and resumed listening to the proctor. They were talking about something being caught and the trial ending. At least he knew he couldn’t do much for offense on something like this, well not lethal anyways. The thought of being a trouble maker for some of his peers did intrigue him and he knew just how to do it. It would also be good practice.
As the signal to begin was sounded Rio flew up as fast as he could to get a better view of the chaos in front of him. Swiftly pulling out his grimoire, he began to focus on two of the golden orbs. They were fast little things but he could still concentrate enough to pick out two from the melee. “Sentinel” he spoke forming two small barriers around two random golden orbs. He wasn’t going to do this forever but he wanted to throw in his own kind of tricks into the midst as well. And to further test his ability to fly and concentrate, a skill he was sure he would have to learn eventually. Rio dived into the scuffle but not with the intention of grabbing one just yet, this was just training.
1x Laugh
