When your choices and actions affect the lives of hundreds of thousands, you appreciate the choices, no matter how trivial, that only affect yourself, like choosing what to have for breakfast.

-Dragon’s Blood Drinker Emperor KrsytFallen

An untitled book

(Single known copy- Fahllyr Great Horn Stronghold Vault)

“Can we change the design of your armor? I still think it’s creepy.”

“I’m afraid that is not possible, my princess.”

“An enormous, black, headless armor.” The princess folded her arms across her chest. “You could be a monster lurking around some scary ancient dungeon.” An all too familiar conversation. A favorite pastime of the princess was to bug Elverius about his armor. Unfortunately, what she said was true. The Devastator Armor was truly frightening; it took some time for the princess before she got used to Elverius’ armor.

“Your highness, this is the original design of the golems of the Devastator Legion. It is imperative that we preserve the Dragon’s Chosen Gaomant’s legacy.”

“What if I make a painting of your face then stick it on your armor? A princess…with a handsome knight by her side, like some tale of old. Compared to… a princess with a headless dread stomping around?” The princess wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue.

Elverius does not seem to ever get tired of the complaints of the princess. His laugh echoed inside her head. “A love story between a monster and a princess? It could be a literary masterpiece.”

“I didn’t say anything about it being a love story,” the princess said, her face breaking into a wide grin.

“I assumed that your highness was talking about love stories because you were comparing a conventional pairing in fairy tales and an unconventional one,” Elverius hastily replied.

“If you say so,” the princess replied in a singsong voice. Even though she couldn’t see the face of Elverius, she was sure that he was blushing. A Devastator Knight blushing? She giggled at the mental image of a Devastator Armor turning pink. She walked towards a pair of tall glass doors leading to the balcony. The rays of the sun filtered through the glass, accenting her flawless complexion, the light seemingly weaved itself through her azure hair. “How about you get out of that armor for awhile?” the princess said. She opened the glass doors and walked out onto the balcony. “It’s healthy to expose your skin to some sunlight once in a while. You’re getting cooped inside your armor.”

Elveriuss said, “I am in good health, your highness.” A slight shimmer of air told the princess that he cast an illusion spell over the balcony. The balcony would appear to be empty to anyone observing the palace. “And I need to be prepared for all eventualities. Using this armor increases by combat ability several-fold,” he added, repeating the usual answer he gave the princess when the princess would ask him to leave his armor.

Princess Adelind Melusine pouted at Devastator Knight Elverius. She hugged his arm, or more specifically, the arm of the Devastator Armor which was wider than the princess’ body.

“Princess, your dress might get snagged in my armor,” Elverius’ voice counseled the princess.

“You just don’t want me to hug you.” The metal strangely felt warm and comforting. Maybe Elverius made it that way? It’s been awhile since she last saw, much less hugged his real body. How could she make him get out of his armor?

A knock on the door made the princess let go of Elverius.

“Your head maid is outside,” Elverius said.

“Come in,” Adelind said. She rushed back into the room, pausing in front of the mirror to check her dress.

The head maid entered with a tray of refreshments and a data orb. “Princess, I have brought pastries and fresh juice from the fruits of the palace orchard.” She set down the tray and took the orb. After touching several runes on top of the orb, it lit up and floated in the air. “The beast-taming competition with the Halkor will begin shortly. I still think that the princess should not watch such a brutish sport,” the head maid said sternly.

“Andaera, I’m just watching one game. Everyone watches the one with the Halkor…almost everyone.” The princess did a small twirl, her dress opening like a blossoming flower. “And during my ceremony, I’ll be transforming into a dragon. Quite brutish, if I say so myself.”

“If Her Imperial Majesty will learn of this she’ll have a fit.” The head maid named Andaera pressed her lips and shook her head.

The princess swayed her head from side to side, her hair rippling over her shoulders as if a stone was dropped over a calm pond. “That’s why you shouldn’t tell my mother about this.” She didn’t add that if her mother didn’t want brutish things then she shouldn’t have married a man that turns into a dragon.

Andaera shook her head again but didn’t pursue the matter further. She placed two glasses on the table and filled them with juice. “Perhaps Master Elverius would like a sip?”

“That won’t work, Andaera. I’ve been trying to get him out of his armor for the whole day.” Princess Adelind drank from her glass. “Elverius, that’s cheating,” she said after she noticed that the contents of the other glass have been half drained. “Don’t warp the juice or whatever it is that you are doing. Get out here.”

“I hope the princess is not too much for Master Elverius to handle.”

“Of course not, Andaera. Guarding the princess is a delight.”

The princess knocked on the armor of Elverius. “That’s what you think of your job? ‘Is a delight’? Are you being sarcastic?” She placed her hands on her hips. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not when you’re speaking directly to my mind.”

A burst of light made the princess squint her eyes. She drew in her breath as a twister of fireflies danced around the Devastator Knight. The intricate frolicking sparklers slowly faded, leaving a man standing in front of the gigantic black armor. The princess couldn’t help but smile as she recognized the braided long red hair sported by the man. Two scars running from below his left eye across his long nose contrasted with his otherwise gentle face. The scars were from the time he hunted for his first beaststone, if she remembered correctly, which was why he did not have it removed by healers.

The man bowed, his right arm across his chest, to greet the princess, every motion of his body graced by fluidity. “Guarding the princess is a delight,” he said with a straight face; his steady gaze made the heart of the princess skip a beat.

“I think there’s a hint of sarcasm there somewhere,” the princess said, her voice a pitch higher. She walked towards the man; she wanted to hug him around his neck but he was too tall so she settled for hugging his waist. Nestling her head on his chest, she said, “Sometimes I think you’re purposely staying inside your armor just to annoy me.” Elverius raised his arms as if to hug her but he put it back down and simply stood still like a tree.

Andaera coughed and made some noise arranging the glasses.

Princess Adelind almost jumped and quickly released Elverius. She faced away from both of them because she could feel that she was reddening. She cleared her throat and said, “I was just surprised that Elverius appeared. It was so long since I last saw him.” Wait. She should make sure he was real. Her eyes narrowed, she marched back to Elverius and pinched him. “Oh, I can’t pinch you. You’re real.” She tried pinching him again. “Probably.” How was she supposed to know if this was an illusion or not?

“This is my true body,” Elverius said. He picked up his glass and drank the remaining juice. “I have promised your highness that I will not use an illusion of my body.”

The princess folded her arms. “If you really wanted to fool me I know that you could. You’re the best illusionist in the whole Empire. Everything around me could be an illusion.” When she first met Elverius she demanded that he should not use his armor because she was terrified of it. She was such a difficult girl back then. Her father told her several months later, when her relationship with Elverius became better, that the ‘person’ guarding her all that time was a mere illusion and that Elverius never left his armor. As time passed, it became a game for her to pester Elverius and force him to show his real self to her. She wasn’t sure, but she thought that perhaps Elverius had grown fond of her as well.

“Your highness could hug Master Elverius again,” Andaera said. She gave Princess Adelind a wink. “I’m sure the princess could tell with a hug whether Master Elverius is an illusion or not.

“Princess, do you think that someone will be able to tame the Halkor this year?” Elverius said as the princess stuttered in answering Andaera.

Princess Adelind hid a smile behind her hand. Changing the topic? Hoping that Elverius could read her mind, she thanked him mentally. She decided to go along with Elverius. “I don’t think so. Armored Halkor Tuskers don’t submit to anyone, even if it means their death,” she said. “Andaera, I think the match is already starting.”

The head maid frowned but still turned on the display of the data orb. A bird’s eye view of the arena opened up in front of them.

“It is said that even if the Progenitor of the Van Harken Mountain Range would descend and order an Armored Halkor Tusker to submit, it would fight although it would be pulverized in the blink of an eye.” He stood by the side of the princess as she sat down. The Devastator Armor stood at the other side.

“There was a time when an Armored Tusker was successfully tamed, right? But it was before I was born. Mother told me about it one time she was lecturing me because she caught me watching a beast taming competition.”

“It was a controversial win, your highness. There were rumors that the winner cheated by using some clandestine form of mind control magic. Of course, usage of such magic was not proven.”

“I remember that time—around when I started working here in the palace. There was a lot of uproar regarding that one,” Andaera said. She arranged the pastries in front of the princess and refilled their glasses. “Plenty of people lost their money in gambling. Including the gamblers with very deep pockets. Their pockets weren’t so deep after that. Who would have thought that someone would succeed with it?”

Princess Adelind said, “The thrill of gambling. Add the excitement of the fights, people idolizing the fighters…I suppose it was a good idea to legalize gambling during the festival.” People would still gamble even if it was prohibited it, especially taking bets on who will win the yearly tournament. It was also a common practice for noble houses to send their own participants. The manaforger houses always sponsored someone to showcase their new inventions. There was a smattering of brown among the crowds. She touched the air in front of her, the display zoomed in on the spectators. “What are these people doing?”

“They seem to be waving baskets, your highness.”

“Such a ridiculous way to cheer, Andaera.” The princess chuckled as she looked closely at the crowd. “Indeed, they are waving baskets. Is this a new fad?”

Elverius said, “It is possible that they are supporting one of the contestants for the tournament. ‘BasketSlayer’ is the name he’s using.”

“BasketSlayer?” The princess tried to stop herself from laughing out loud. The names these people come up with. Perhaps she should also watch the tournament. Of course, she’s going to risk the ire of her mother. “I suppose he carries a basket around?”

“Yes, your highness,” Elverius said. “I have seen a recording of one of his fights. He carries a basket while he fights.”

“He is very popular, your highness,” Andaera chipped in. “There are merchants selling baskets outside the arena advertising them as BasketSlayer merchandise. Many people actually buy these baskets even though they are just normal baskets, as far as I can tell.”

“That sounds like a scam.” Princess Adelind turned to Elverius. “The basket he is using, is it a magical item?”

“I don’t think so. I suppose it’s merely a normal basket. Perhaps it’s more of a prop to add a comical effect to his fights? I can’t say with certainty unless I have examined it. It might be magic that I am unfamiliar with. The continent is vast.”

“He’s not Krsyperian?”

“He hails from Roghinia your highness.”

“Roghinia? Such a faraway place. I don’t think I have seen a Roghinian before.” Cheering filled the room. The contest has begun. The people with the baskets successively stood up, waved their baskets, and sat down. A cheery bunch of supporters. This BasketSlayer has quite the following. “Andaera,” Princess Adelind said, “you may leave. I know you don’t like watching this.”

“Your highness, I am here to serve…” Andaera started to say, then she noticed the glare Princess Adenlind was giving her. The princess then gave a slight nudge of her head towards Elverius and then narrowed her eyes. Elverius kept on looking at the display. Andaera smiled and bowed. “As you wish your highness. I will prepare for your lunch.”

After the door closed, Adelind turned her attention to the display. The Armored Halkor Tusker strutted in the middle of the arena, beating its chest with fists twice as large as the fists of a Devastator Armor, the spiked armor on its knuckles clanging loudly with the plating on its upper body. It howled at the first contestant matching the screams of the audience.

The princess racked her brain for something to talk with Elverius. “Is this the Roghinian you mentioned earlier?”

“No, your highness. This person is most likely Krysperian. Roghinians have black hair and almond-shaped eyes.”

“Black hair? That’s a rare hair color in this part of the continent.” The princess twirled her hair. “Although blue hair is rarer.” She held a few strands of her hair up, examining it against the light.

“Only descendants of the Dragon Emperor Krystfallen have blue hair. Unless one dye their hair blue. However, coloring ones’ hair blue is illegal in Krysperia.”

Princess Adelind curled her hair with her finger. “Oh, he’s out. That was fast,” the princess said as her eyes followed the body of the first contestant flying through the air and instantly teleported after it touched the shield dome over the stage. “El…um. Elverius…what do you think of blue hair? I know it’s not normal.”

“I think your hair is lovely. It matches your sapphire eyes.”

Adelind snorted and turned away. “I was just talking about blue hair in general. I didn’t ask you whether you liked my hair or not.”

“Princess, the next contestant is up.”

They watched the Halkor gouge the ground with its scythe-like tusks, raking the poor mage along with the rocks. The high magic resistance of the Halkor made it a very bad match for mages, dispersing spells back to its elemental essence components as it came in contact with its armor. People who challenged the Halkor in a match of strength soon found out that it was a bad idea.

“I didn’t expect anyone to actually win, but isn’t there anyone among the contestants that can hold down the Halkor?”

Elverius said, “This next contestant might be able to pin down the Halkor. I reckon he’s a sealcrafter of certain capabilities from a lesser sealcrafter house. A battle sealcrafter perhaps? Chain sealing can work against the Halkor. It’s not like the Halkor will quietly sit still while he crafts an appropriate seal on the stage.”

As Elverius has predicted, the contestant continuously laid down seal upon seal of steadily rising strength and complexity. The Halkor would break one down just in time for another seal to activate. The sealcrafter eventually overwhelmed the Halkor by sheer amount of seals, paralyzing it in place.

“The first one to neutralize the Halkor.” The princess daintily clapped her hands. The crowds cheered with her as well.

Elverius said, “He already had a number of pre-programmed seals ready for deployment. The execution was good; he was able to chain quite smoothly. Not a very mana efficient chain, though.”

“Oh, so what he did was worthy of some modest praise from you? Can you explain to me what he’s doing? I don’t know how to read seals. Father keeps telling me to learn about them but I can’t just get them inside my head.” Princess Adelind spread out her hands, making the screen zoom so that she can examine closely the runes.

“He’s laying down lightning brands, most probably he will try to electrocute the Halkor.”

The princess covered her eyes as the display flashed a bright light. “Too close.” Elverius controlled the display to zoom out. “Thank you, Elverius,” Princess Adelind said. “This sealcrafter, his lightning wouldn’t work.”

“Of course, he’s not really expecting to win this. He’s showing off his skills. The way he chains his seals and using lightning brands in quick succession…he probably has some sort of backup power supply. Items for mana regeneration and the sort, since he’s not even drinking mana potions.”

“Maybe he has a very large mana pool? Just like your sister?”

“I highly doubt that, your highness. My sister is a special case. We don’t tell her this but she has potentially the largest mana pool recorded in history.”

The princess sat straight up. “Really? Even compared to Rebecca Ravenstone?”

“Yes, your highness,” Elverius said. “Even compared to the Dragon’s Chosen, Elemental Archmagus, Rebecca Ravenstone. We keep it a secret from my sister because it might get to her head. Father felt that she isn’t mature enough.”

“You should introduce me to her, one of these days. She sounds like the complete opposite of you.”

“In time, I believe that she will become a great warrior and defender of Krysperia.”

The sealcrafter ran out of mana and was teleported out of the stage. Healing magic soothed the injuries of the Halkor, readying it for the next match. Adelind rested her head on hand and frowned. It wasn’t hard to see why her mother would see this as barbaric. The beast-taming tradition honored the memory of the Emperor Krystfallen triumphing over the dragon swarm that lived where Krysperium now stood. Her father said something about humanity being on top, celebrating humanity’s superiority over all beasts. But if humans were supposed to be superior then why do they turn into dragons?

Elverius noticed Adelind frowning. He stooped down and looked at her face. “Anything wrong, your highness?”

“Nothing. Just thought about something,” Adelind said. “Let’s go back to watching.” The next contestant was also able to hold the Halkor by increasing its body weight severalfold. The eyes of the Halkor never-yielding as its body was pressed on the ground with ever increasing weight.

“If you observe the crowds close enough, the crowds are cheering for the Halkor. In contrast to other beast-taming match ups where people will cheer for the human who’s doing the taming,” Elverius said. “Interesting, don’t you think?”

“Yes, it is interesting,” Adelind said, although, she doesn’t see what was interesting about it. She finally made Elverius leave his armor and they’re going to discuss philosophical points of beast-taming? “Elverius, is there anything interesting new with your family?” It would be nice if she got to know more about his family. Elverius was very familiar with hers since he’s present in the palace most of the time.

Elverius looked at her with a brow raised.

“Just making conversation. The waiting part of beast-taming is kind of boring.”

Elverius looked up, thinking. “I think it’s fine for you to know about this.”

“About what?”

“The right eye of Delphine was activated.”

“Grandpa Matteo?”

“What? No. Adept sealcrafter Mattero Fahllyr has the left eye.” Elverius paused then blinked a couple of times. “You call him Grandpa?”

“He lets me call him Grandpa Matteo.” Elverius kept on staring at her. "What's wrong with that? Anyway, continue your story with the right eye of Delphine."

"The current holder of the eye was supposed to be a dormant carrier. But the eye activated. My sister excitedly messaged me yesterday."

"So the holder of the right eye is in the temple as well?"

"Yes, although I haven't met her before. One of the trainees."

Adelind playfully punched Elverius. "A girl? You should get to know your relatives. You don't even know her name even if she's the one who carries the right eye, a treasure from a Dragon's Chosen? "

"She's a few years younger than my sister. I haven't met with most of the younger Fahllyrs because of my duties," Elverius said. "And she's a dormant carrier, until now that is. I'm not required to know her name."

"A dormant carrier?"

"The eyes of Delphine need to be carried by living humans."

"Carried... meaning you replace your eye with Delphine's eye?" The princess rubbed her eye and winced. She wasn't so sure if she's agreeable to having her eye replaced, even if it was with a priceless treasure.

"Essentially, yes. Both of the eyes are entrusted to our family . We carry the burden of providing it carriers. One of the tests that a Fahllyr child undergoes is that whether he or she can carry the eye. However, being able to carry the eye does not mean that one can use it."

"So, Grandpa Matteo is a special case?"

"Yes, Adept Sealcrafter Matteo Fahllyr is indeed, special. He can even use all of the seals embedded in the eye. Throughout the history of my family, it is often the case that both eyes lie dormant. We're lucky if one eye activates."

"So why don't you put both eyes in one person? That's how its supposed to be, right?"

Elverius looked at her as if she's crazy. He closed both of his eyes. "If both of the eyes become dormant, which is the likely scenario, then that person will lose both his eyes." He opened his eyes and smiled at her as if he explained something basic to a child.

"Oh. So all dormant carriers lose one eye?"

"It's their duty. An honorable duty," Elverius said simply.

Adelind said, "So that's sort of your family tradition? My family has the tradition of transforming into dragons." Both of them laughed awkwardly. Adelind beat herself up inside her head. What kind of joke was that? What does Elverius think of her now? Stupid joke. Now, how should she continue the conversation?

"Princess, this one's a Roghinian. He's carrying a basket."

"It's weird to see black hair," the princess said. "What's a contestant for the tournament doing in a beast-taming match?"

"Maybe he wants to entertain the spectators?"

"He's waving his basket and the people are following him. This is so cute."

The black haired man dressed in black robes with gold linings gestured for the people to stand up and cheer. He was probably a good person based on his face, Adelind thought.

The Halkor answered the cheers with a roar and then charged. The BasketSlayer also charged. He jumped and tucked his body to avoid the fists of the Halkor that came crashing down. The Halkor turned around, looking for its target, turning directly into a headbutt from the BasketSlayer. Their two head connected with a bang. Even the princess cringed at the sound the crash made. That looked as if it awfully hurt. Both of them bounced away. The Halkor picked itself up and shook its head, appearing to be completely fine.

The BasketSlayer was already standing at the other side of the stage. He had his back to the Halkor and faced the crowds. Waving his basket with one hand and a silver cup with the other. A silver cup? "Is he collecting items? I don't understand why he is carrying around these things?" Princess Adelind asked.

"I have no idea, your highness. But you must admit, he is entertaining."

In earlier matches, as Elverius observed, the people cheered for the Halkor not to lose. This time, the basket waving people cheered for the BasketSlayer. The rest of the audience looked at them as if they were insane. The Halkor was not happy with what was happening. Its challenger was not even facing it. Roaring louder than it has roared before, the Halkor proceeded to slam its fists on the stage, jumping and punching in anger and irritation.

Oblivious to the angry beast behind him, the BasketSlayer placed his basket and cup on the floor. He then made exaggerated motions of cracking his knuckles and neck. Rolling his shoulders forward then backward, the Roghinian made it look like he was having a warm up exercise. The princess laughed because the Halkor calmed down and scratched his head. Its anger quickly came back when the BasketSlayer faced it.

The BasketSlayer crouched on the floor, digging his fingers deep into the ground. Taking it as cue, the Halkor charged, its mouth frothing, its eyes blood red in rage. It roared with every fiber of its raging body.

Another roar drowned out the bellows of the Armored Halkor Tusker. The roar made the princess shiver, the hair on her arms stood on end. She covered her ears and let out a yelp. There was an urge to just curl up and make herself small. A hand touched her shoulder, soothing warmth enveloped her.

"What was that?" Elverius said. He let go of her and stepped forward to adjust the display to zoom in on the Roghinian. "An Aspect of a beast? Did he use a beaststone to use a skill of a beast?"

"Elverius, what...was that sound? Such a scary sound." Princess Adelind grabbed the sleeve of Elverius and tugged it.

"I do not know, princess. But rest assured you are safe here." Elverius smiled at her. Turning back to the display, he said, "The Roghnian does not show any signs of the beast whose Aspect he is using." The BasketSlayer stood up and patted his robes. He picked up his basket and cup, walked to the side of the shield of the stage and waved. "I didn't see a Forge Spirit but I'm certain that he used an Aspect. Did he come on stage with a Forge Spirit activated?"

"Elverius," the princess said, tugging his sleeve again, "you're talking to yourself." She waved her hand at the display, grabbed the air and pulled back. The display zoomed out and showed the entire stage. "I don't understand what's happening."

"The Halkor."

"The Halkor's still there. What? Paximillon's grace!"

The Halkor prostrated itself on the stage, its head meeting the ground. Its four arms stretched in front of it, palms down. A buzzing filled the vacuum of silence that followed the roar; the crowds murmured among themselves. It hasn't yet dawned on the spectators. They were still recovering from the shock of the roar.

"The Halkor submitted!" Princess Adelind immediately turned off the data orb. She gathered her dress and ran out of the room. "Elverius we're going to the arena." Elverius did not answer immediately. "Don't try to stop me. We're going there."

"Of course, your highness."

"And contact Captain Gregory. There's bound to be commotions given what happened."

"I must say, you're acting very mature and level-headed."

"Thank you, Elverius." The princess stopped running.

"Princess?"

She hugged Elverius then let go. "You'll be returning back inside your armor. Who knows when I'll see you again."

“Fascinating creature. Very, very fascinating,” said an old man dressed in flowing purple robes. He molded the air into a cushion and caught a large metallic ball heading straight for him. “I’ve never dreamed that I could see such a specimen during my lifetime.” He shot the ball at the creature. It easily evaded, its eyes twinkling with glee.

A woman, whose graying hair was tied back in a tight bun, grabbed the ball with tendrils of water swimming through the air around her. “Based on its actions, it would seem that a contract was not established? Or perhaps there is one and we are yet to understand its intricacies.” The water tendrils released the metallic ball to her hand. She smirked as she said, “It has been awhile since I used strength enhancing spells on myself.” Her body gave off a blue light as she swung back her arm. She threw the heavy metal ball at the creature. The creature waited at the last moment before the ball was about to touch it then zipped out of the way.

Orvin nearly screamed as the metal ball flew towards him. It stopped inches from his face, caught by a ghostly hand.

“Sorry ‘bout that youngster.” A man with several ghostly hands sprouting from his back waved at Orvin; the ghostly hands waved as well. “Hey, why did you throw it at our young guest?”

“The ball was going to your side. You should pay more attention.”

“What would you do if that ball hit him, huh?”

“Hey, we have healers. Right? Right? Relax, people.” The man grunted and mumbled incoherently. He then turned to Orvin and gave him several thumbs up, most of them with ghostly thumbs. “You fine, boy? Looks fine to me.”

“He wouldn’t be fine if his head was smashed in by the ball. No healer can fix that.”

“Why don’t we have a ball, like, you know, the ones children play with. Right, Right. A kid’s ball or something.”

“Why would we have a kid’s ball lying around here? Fortunately, we have this heavy metal ball from the weights room. This ball is also befitting the status of the guest we are entertaining.”

Orvin didn’t know what to say, or if he should say something. Some professors of Milla Lyceum playing dodgeball using a metal ball with Vrak, the named cindertoad. He snapped back to attention once he heard someone calling him.

“Orvin, Orvin. Are you alright?” Keir said, patting his shoulder. He smiled at Orvin. “You’re surprised at how people here are acting? Well, we do get colorful people around here.” Keir earlier introduced himself simply as “the guy from admissions.” He appeared to be a few years older than Orvin, about the same age as his sister, but Orvin knew that one should not trust appearances in estimating age.

“I-I’m fine.”

“Yeah, he should be fine,” the man with the ghostly hands said. “He’s enrolling here right? He should have been able to stop that ball. Reflexes, youngster.”

“You’re talking about reflexes when you didn’t catch that ball,” said the woman with water snakes. “But he does seem a bit slow,” she said, peering from above her glasses with narrowed eyes.

A loud croak reverberated inside the room. Vrak, the cindertoad hopped around in a tight circle then looked at the metal ball.

“Our apologies,” said the purple robed old man. “Shall we speed things up a bit?” he said with a smile. He waved his hands around him in an intricate flowing motion, picking up air, forming torrents of air around him.

“We must have been boring Sir Vrak.” The man with the ghostly hands summoned more hands. They sprouted from his back, like smoke coming out of a chimney. The hands passed the metal ball to each other at blinding speeds, it became a grey blur, the sound of the wind as it soared through the air became a steady hum.

Orvin gathered mana in eyes, trying to improve his eyesight. Unfortunately, he had little experience with using enhancing essences. He could barely make out the ball as the three professors tried to hit the cindertoad in their midst. Vrak, the ever-slippery molten frog, stood upside down propped by his tongue, wiggling to and fro to evade the metal ball, like a slim tree dancing in the wind. Orvin’s eyesight suddenly blurred. He got down on his knees and rubbed his chest.

“The kid’s out of juice.”

“Orvin, here’s a mana potion,” Keir said. He pulled Orvin up by his arm and gave him the bottle. “Drink up.”

Vrak jumped in front of Orvin and croaked.

“You’re leaving? Thanks for everything.” Orvin waved at the cindertoad. Vrak mimicked him using its tongue and then faded away. “Vrak told me to tell you that he had a fun time playing,” Orvin said to the professors.

“Incredible aptitude. I’ve never seen such a connection with summoned elemental spirits.” The purple robed man came up to Orvin and examined him. “The named cindertoad was tied to your mana, however, your mana pool is pathetically small.”

Orvin hung his head down. “Um, yes…”

“Yet you were able to maintain a named cindertoad. While cindertoads are the weakest among all fire spirits, it does not mean that a named cindertoad will be the weakest named fire spirit. On the contrary, having acquired a name, knowledge, sentience actually, such an elemental spirit’s strength would vary depending on how long it has existed.”

“If there is such a concept as time in their world,” the woman said.

“This again. Cladeus, Yngrid, this is not the time to argue about your models of the world of elemental spirits.” The man with the ghostly hands also walked towards Orvin. He had a full beard and a perpetual grin on his face. The ghostly hands floating behind him.

Something was off with the hands, Orvin thought. What kind of magic was this? At first he thought that they were attached to the back of the man but upon closer inspection, they were attached to something…something very faint. It was a creature of tentacles that wrapped itself around the body of the man. Orvin could barely make out what it was. Then an eyeball of the creature turned to him. He gasped and jumped back.

The professors and Keir stared at Orvin.

“I, uh, there’s something,” Orvin said, pointing at the eyeball.

“He’s the real deal. The first time I saw him I thought he’s a pitiful mage, but he actually has the potential to be a great spirit summoner,” the old man said.

“Youngster, you can see my spirit?”

“I’m not sure,” Orvin said, “It’s a bit hazy, sir. I can see an eyeball staring a me.”

“This is a partial summon,” the man said. He extended his hand to Orvin. “I’m Professor Bubin, I’m the guy that’s in charge of field trips of you fresh ones.”

Orvin shook his hand. “I’m Orvin Nephtali, sir. I came from Dolsworth Academy.”

“Dolsworth,” Bubin said. He snorted. The other professors glared at him. “What?”

“So your name is Orvin, I’m Professor Cladeus. I apologize that I wasn’t able to introduce myself earlier. I was excited in meeting a named cindertoad that I forgot about you since you are weak.”

“No need to be so blunt Cladeus,” Yngrid said. “Forgive Cladeus, child. He’s easily excitable. These past few days, he kept on talking about this named cindertoad that was summoned. Apparently, he kept watching a record of your match against the Stonewark. Anyway, I am Professor Yngrid..”

Bubin laughed. “Imagine our surprise when Keir told us that Cladeus needed us to play dodgeball with a named cindertoad.”

“I’m sorry,” Orvin said. “Vrak said that he does not want to come out unless its playtime.”

“A cindertoad with an attitude, huh? Makes you wonder how strong it really is. Spirits have more individuality the more powerful they become.”

“Too bad it won’t let us examine its body.”

“I think that would be too much, Cladeus,” Yngrid said. “At least we have confirmed it wasn’t a partial summoning. A full summon that does not fully require mana. A new kind of payment?”

“Let’s bring in a scryer next time. We can work out the terms of the contract depending on the information a scryer gets,” Bubin suggested. “If only this youngster here could maintain the summon for a longer period of time.” He slapped the back of Orvin and laughed. “I’m going back to my room. Lots of paperwork to give the principal.”

“Keir, be a dear and take this child for a drink or perhaps a meal. Maintaining the named cindertoad took a toll on his weak body.”

“Emphasis on the weak,” muttered Bubin.

“Till we meet again, Orvin,” Cladeus said. “Perhaps you can show me other spirits that you can summon.”

Orvin bowed and the professors left.

“Let us go back to my office. I need you to fill up some forms. I only brought you to see professor Cladeus because he was really excited to see you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Actually, all of us were curious to see your named cindertoad. The last verified summon of a named cindertoad was about two hundred years ago. A very long time ago. You can understand why people here want to see the cindertoad.”

“Yes, sir,” Orvin said, not really knowing what was expected of him. “I’ll do my best here, sir.”

Orvin followed Keir down a long hall with ivory columns and marbled floor. Large arches, twice as tall as Orvin lined one side, letting in the sunlight and giving a breathtaking view of the slope of the city. “Orvin, you should understand that being here is a privilege granted to a handful,” Keir said, purposely making his steps loud as if to emphasize his point.

“I understand that, sir.”

“The ranks of the Krysparacion Mages come from the graduates of our school,” Keir said with pride, striking his chest. “The elite mage division of the Imperial Legion of Krysperia have walked down this very path. Exceptional men and women, the top of their fields of magic.” He stopped in front of a carving on the wall, two dragon claws grasping an orb. Pointing at it, he said to Orvin, “Your status might be a mere student but you will be considered part of the army. Remember that. We carry the seal of Krystfallen. ”

“I will, sir,” Orvin said. He couldn’t believe that he was walking inside Milla Lyceum. It wasn’t so long ago when he left Dolsworth Academy along with his sister and other schoolmates. His sister was already assured of acceptance into Milla Lyceum but as for him and the others that came with him, Milla Lyceum was but a distant dream. It drove him to do something as reckless as joining the tournament. Incredible bad luck that he was paired up with one of the strongest contestants. Incredibly good luck that that person agreed to teach him. Orvin grinned as he followed Keir. Maybe Paximillon was smiling upon him, guiding him to Milla Lyceum.

Curious machines filled Keir’s office, whirring, clicking, clanking. Orvin peered through a cluster of canisters containing liquid that was constantly changing color. There was something swimming in the liquid, transferring from canister to canister through a tube.

“That’s something I am growing. I’ll show it to you if you’re able to stay here in this school,” Keir said. He offered Orvin a cake and a hot drink. “Sweets help perk up your body after having your mana depleted. Here’s another mana potion. Drink it.”

Orvin wiped his mouth after drinking the potion then stared at the cake. He hesitantly picked up the fork and ate the cake. The dizziness that came from his mana running dry started to fade.

“You really have a low mana pool, don’t you? It’s normal for an average mage, but we’re not talking about being average here. Especially since we’re in Milla Lyceum,” Keir said. He sat on the opposite side of the table and leaned forward. “Orvin. Normally, you wouldn’t even be considered for admission. Do you know why you’re here?”

“I…um…” Orvin gulped and set down his fork. He sat still. “Because I summoned a named cindertoad?”

“And?”

“Uh.”

“It’s not just because you summoned a named cindertoad. Of course, a named cindertoad is extremely rare. The man who summoned one two hundred years ago was eventually ordained a Devastator Knight.” Keir smiled as Orvin’s eyes went wide. He continued, “That means that he was admitted into Milla Lyceum because of his other skills. Not the fact that he was able to summon a named cindertoad. In fact, he was able to achieve summoning one after he was admitted.”

“So, I was admitted because I was able to summon one even though I shouldn’t have the capacity to do it?”

“Exactly. Talent. Natural talent, Orvin. You have a connection to the elemental spirits that even the most prominent summoners would sacrifice their limbs to have. Another proof of that is that you can see Professor Bubin’s, let’s say, “friend”.”

“What is kind of spirit was that anyway? I could barely see its outline.”

Keir shook his head. “I have no idea. I can’t see it. I can only see the hands.” He pulled out several parchments from inside his drawer and flattened them out in the table. “A question. Did you have a training in summoning the named cindertoad?”

“Yes, I have. The main goal of my training was to strengthen my fireball. Summoning the named cindertoad was sort of the last step in my training.” Keir raised a brow but did not interrupt him, so Orvin went on. “I started out summoning cindertoads, normal ones. My teacher told me to use the cindertoads to extract fire essences and then I’ll use those for my fireballs.”

“That, that’s…Well, it’s not like it’s some secret but no one would normally go that route,” Keir said.

“Then my teacher told me to summon more and more cindertoads. He mentioned that I have a talent for summoning elemental spirits because when we first fought I was able to summon an husk of named fire serpent.”

“A partial summoning of a named fire serpent? And you fought your teacher?”

“I actually met him in a match in the tournament. I sort of joined and got eliminated immediately,” Orvin said sheepishly. “But because my first match, my teacher, was strong. He’s the BasketSlayer.”

“Is that so? But that man is not a summoner, not even a mage. I don’t know what magic he uses.” Keir rummaged through a cabinet beneath his table. He pulled out a basket with a golden B.S. emblazoned on it. “Go BasketSlayer,” he said, waving the basket in the air. Both of them laughed. “Very entertaining guy, that BasketSlayer. And you say he taught you about casting a spell with the essences gathered by your summon? Impressive. That is not a common method but I suppose it works well with your circumstances.”

“He also did something to me so that I would be able to have a better connection with the spirits. I don’t know what it was though, he told me to close my eyes and meditate when he cast some spell on me. Maybe.”

“Some spell? It would be great if you ask him what that was. But he was probably just casting some random spell and told you that it will help you summon better. To boost your confidence and such. I believe that you have talent, and you simply need to cultivate it.” Keir pushed the papers to Orvin. “Talent. Not all people have that. Be grateful to Paximillon.”

“I am ever grateful to Paximillon,” Orvin replied. He took the papers and read it.

“Just sign at the end. I doubt that any of the terms can make you change your mind about entering here. A summary of all of the terms would be that you follow orders and we won’t have any responsibility if you die.”

Orvin laughed nervously. “How many casualties in a year?” he asked as a joke.

Keir shrugged. “Read through that if you want. We’ll need to meet the principal after this.”

“I need to meet the principal?”

“Yes. Hurry up. We can talk about the BasketSlayer afterward."