We exchange quiet barbs until the time runs out. Miss Talia stops by each initiate to collect their test and speaks with them briefly, informing them of the time for their interview, the second part of the qualifiers. From the sounds of it, they’ll doing them for several days.

“Alana James. Your interview is scheduled in one hour, room 107.”

“Lou. Your interview will be conducted once this test concludes, here. Do not leave.”

That’s interesting. “Hey, when will these tests be scored?”

“All results will be announced upon the conclusion of the qualifiers.” She waits a beat, I guess for any more questions, before moving on to the next initiate.

“You get a lot of special treatment,” Alana said, no longer bothering to lower her voice.

“That’s because I’m a very special girl.”

“Hmm.” I purposely don’t turn, knowing my weakness for her steely gaze. “One of these days, I’m going to learn your secrets.”

“You can learn them today.”

“If I join your harem.”

“You understand perfectly.” Sorry, my best friend. I trust you, I do. With my life but not with my secrets. Not because I don’t think you would keep them. You’re one of those rare heroes willing to put her life on the line for others. Unfortunately, you don’t have the strength to back up that conviction, not yet. So, no dangerous information in your head, where anyone with the power can snatch it. No making me and yourself a target. The day I give you my secrets is they day you make a commitment to me. Then, I’ll give you everything…

“That’s never going to happen, pervert.”

“Just how you’re so sure you’re not going to lose?” I chuckle. “We’ll see.”

-

As the initiates filter out of the room, I alone remain seated on the bench, thoughts wandering aimlessly as I await my interview. I tried to engage Marie in conversation but she rejects the invitation with a look of disdain before walking away.

Guess she still doesn’t like me for hogging Miss Talia’s attention. I really hate to step in the way of a burgeoning comrade but I am also a greedy woman. Miss Talia is a rare treasure, a beautiful mystery that I’ve just begun to unravel.

I crane my neck as the door opens behind me. Miss Talia re-enters the room. Following her is a teacher I don’t recognize. He’s older than any instructor I’ve seen to date, with deep wrinkles across his sickly pale face and a head of thinning silver hair.

Dark eyes with heavy bags dart over the room in an unsettling manner before settling on me. They pause for a moment before continuing their rapid movements, fingers tapping a rhythm on his thigh. A large brown robe swaddles his thin body, something I guess at from the hint of his skinny arms I can see. His steps are slow and uneven. Rather than a smooth gait, it’d be more accurate to say that he lurches forward, catching his balance before taking another unstable lunge forward. It’s strange; the poor elder looks a few years from his grave, an emaciated skeleton of a man, but he’s got the energy of a boy, so much energy it’s as if he can’t quite control himself.

Sitting on his shoulders is the root of the dichotomy. It’s hard to see its transparent form that blurs as the light strikes it but that in itself is a clue to its origin. The most solid part of the creature is its tail, a smoky trail of blue and silver that reminds me of starlight. It’s enough to identify it.

That’s a Blue Moon Reaper from Singing Sky Realm. A desolate realm, but not in the way most people would think of it. Wasteland brings to mind visions of cracked, dry earth where no green thing can survive. Of dried-up riverbeds and unrelenting weather, whether it be the oppressive heat of the sun or storms of swirling dust.

In Singing Sky, there is no ground. Down, there is nothing, a gaping void that not even the realm’s residents have seen the bottom of. They can’t. Something repels anything that attempts to go into the void. All creatures live in the sky, swimming amongst the stars like fish in a vast sea.

Which is not so surprising as the residents are creatures made purely of mana. They eat and breathe it, a delicate balance of give and take. One of its inhabitants may devour another as sustenance, only to burst apart into tinier motes of mana in their version of birth. A simplified explanation, but we beings of flesh need a context for the intricate workings of creatures of mana.

What we do know, is that creatures from Singing Sky don’t mix well with creatures on this plane. Despite our fleshy shells, they have no problem feasting on our mana. Unfortunately, we need mana to survive. Double unfortunately, it’s extremely hard to kill something with no physical form.

The worst part is that they feed on mana naturally, meaning their natural instinct is to attack all sources of mana. A single one can devastate an area, killing everything down to the grass and the insects crawling on their stalks. They are one of the most dangerous elementals ever contracted by a summoner, the residents of the realm collectively known as reapers due to their lethality.

This old guy is walking around with a killing machine perched on his shoulders, a very docile one seeing as its not tearing into us. This is the guy they brought to interview me? Why him? With that thing, he’d be better off serving as an assassin. Maybe…no. Best to not make assumptions.

The instructor following behind him surprises me even more.

Aurelius strides into the room, bald as ever, feet still refusing to touch the ground. His gaze finds mine and he gives me a small smile. I reflexively snarl at him.

Well, this interview just got a whole lot more complicated.

The three instructors settle on the seats in front of me, the men seated on either side of Miss Talia. I try my best to stay focused on her to calm my irritable mood but my eyes keep flicking over to the silver-robed menace. And occasionally to the reaper that makes me a little nervous. I don’t imagine many things can hurt me now but that little thing might be one of them.

“Lourianne Tome, this is a standard interview conducted for all potential initiates for the purpose of providing insight for your future at the Hall and to give your instructors an idea as to a potential student. All questions are voluntary. Refusing to answer a question will not impact the score on your other tests or your qualifiers as a whole. Do you understand?” Miss Talia asks.

Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better. “Thank you for the opportunity,” I say respectfully, indulging the solemn atmosphere.

“Good. Per tradition, we will start with introductions. I am Umphrieltalia, a higher adept mental caster. I represent the administration of the Hall.”

Miss Talia turns to Aurelius, who inclines his head. “An introduction is a little redundant but tradition compels us. I am Aurelius, a master wind caster. I am here to represent the spellcrafting instructors and researchers.”

He smiles softly, but I don’t believe an inch of it. “My presence here might alarm you so let me put your mind at ease. I was sent here by the Grandmaster himself. He wishes to make sure that we have put our past unpleasantness behind us firmly and that is also my wish. I owe you an apology, Lady Tome. I hope from here on, we can work together as fellow casters of the Hall.”

“…likewise, Master Aurelius.” I bet my smile looks as fake as his. There are many interesting little tidbits of information in his speech. Most important is that he was scolded by Dunwayne. I can understand the Hall not wanting to come down too harshly on one of its master casters but it appears he is being watched by the Harvest Hero himself. I doubt he’ll be trying anything against me for a good while, perhaps even for the rest of my duration at the Hall.

“Excellent. I know firsthand of your abilities. Any instructor would be happy to have you. Perhaps I shall even see you in my own classes.”

Not on your life. “It would be an honor but I have other goals.”

“Ah, yes. I’m being rather rude. Please, Lord Renterra.”

He inclined his head toward the fossil who lets out an annoyed ‘hmph’. The light changes and I can make out a few more details of the reaper on his shoulder; the vague shape of a long head with no features, a plump torso, and four fin-like appendages, two on either side.

Lord Renterra gives me a calculating glare. “Reveron Renterra, summoner, and that is the only title I need, Tome brat,” he says in a voice made higher in his old age.

“A pleasure to meet you. You know of me?”

“Hmph. I knew your father, that brat Luke. Arrogant bastard. Always prancing around with his damn theories. Good theories, mind you, and he had a steady hand with his circles. Deserved to be proud. The Tomes are a distinguished line of summoners.”

I just hold myself back from preening under his words. It’s just so rare that anyone acknowledges my family that I can’t help being tickled by the praise.

“Let his pride get in his way a little though. Contracts a bargain, most of the time uneven ones. Luke always wanted more, wanted the best the realms have to offer, but wasn’t willing to sacrifice in return. Why he never contracted anything but those little mites of his. Should have made something of themselves by now.”

“Father’s elementals have grown very much, yes.”

“Mm. Men are such fragile things compared to the creatures we seek to contract. If your father had the lifespan of a dragon, he could have an army of powerful elementals for barely anything.”

A dragon summoner. Now there’s a scary thought.

“But all he has now is theory, hmph.”

“If we have finished the introductions,” Miss Talia interrupts. “Then we will continue with the questions. Traditionally, spellcrafting is given the first chance to speak. Master Aurelius.”