The Heroes Academy had a sprawling campus. Dozens of buildings, from dormitories and greenhouses to armories and libraries, dotted the hundred acres it occupied, all surrounding the massive central building. It had fifteen distinct floors covering ten acres by itself. And, if she squinted, Rachel could just make it out from the Creature Compendium.

The Compendium was a collection of seventeen stone and wood buildings –more sheds really- one for each creature taxa. Though they looked small from the outside, they contained multiple underground levels, each one designed for the needs of each type. Rachel headed for the nearest building, the Beast Pen.

Inside, the main floor was bare. A single wooden table and four plain chairs were the only furniture. The stone walls were similarly empty; the only break in them coming from a staircase leading downwards and the lone picture that hung from the wall was faded with age.

Throughout the Academy’s long history, its graduates had slain thousands of monsters, rescued scores of royalty, and saved the world countless times, resulting in more graduates earning the rank of “World Protector”- the highest rank a hero could attain- than any other training school. The pictures of the other World Protector graduates hung proudly along the main corridors of the central building. The Heroes of Light, who saved the world from a dooms day cult bent on destroying the sun; The Storm Lords-of whom Professor Saroc had been a part-who restored order to the seasons; and all of the others. Except for one. Xana Dar, the only Beast Tamer to ever be named World Protector. Her picture hung apart from the rest, alone in the Creature Compendium.

Using her skill as a Beast Tamer, Xana united the creatures of the world to stave off the advances of an undead army. After her victory, the Academy had an unprecedented number of apprentice Beast Tamers. Over the years, that number fell, until it reached the low of the present.

Rachel sighed, thinking of lack of respect her class received. It did not have the shiny weapons and armor of the fighting classes. Nor did it have the exciting powers of the magic based ones. Instead, the life of a Beast Tamer was filled with animal care, feeding, and grooming. It was not, by any stretch of the imagination, an exciting class. But Rachel would never have chosen anything else.

She stared up at the fading portrait, and wonder how Xana had done it. All her life, Rachel had dreamed of becoming a hero, of following Xana’s path, but after her time at the Academy, she realized just how hard such a task was. With the Trials only a few hours away, Rachel would finally know is she had the skills to save the world. Stars though, she would be happy if she could save just one person.

With a backward glance at Xana’s portrait, Rachel headed towards the stairs. The advantage of being one of the only Beast Tamers in residence was that each of Rachel’s creatures nearly had the place to themselves. Each level of the Creature Compendium was designed to hold multiple of each type, but with such few creatures, most floors were empty.

When Rachel descended the stairs, she didn’t emerge into a stone dungeon as she thought would happen on her first visit here. Instead, she found herself in a beautifully reconstructed forest glen. Tall pine and sugar gum trees spread out before her over a rolling landscape. Light filtered down through the branches. Not sunlight of course. Rachel was too far underground for the sun to reach her. Instead, glo-bulbs filled with magelight gave the air a pleasant warm glow. Birds chirped and even the air had a fresh spring smell to it. The architects of the Creature Compendium had spared no expense in re-creating the environment. As she walked towards the center of the glen, Rachel whistled and Al’tun bounded over, nearly tackling her in his excitement.

“Look at you!” Rachel said as she knelt down to stroke the beast. “That time with the drake did wonder’s to your coat. You’re positively glowing!”

Al’tun rumbled in reply. Whenever Rachel was with Al’tun, her troubles just washed away. Her worries about the Trials, about her future, faded as she stroked the chimera’s golden feathers. She lost herself as she worked with Al’tun, practicing attacks and defenses. She jumped on the small chimera, letting him carry her around the glen as he flew through an agility course Rachel had designed. All her worries and fears melted away as the pair soared around the glen.

“Why do you use that chimera so often?”

Rachel started at the voice. With everyone awaiting news of the Trial partners, Rachel thought she would be the only one down here. So when she saw Alexia standing in the stairwell, Rachel nearly fell off her chimera. The future savior of the world was standing at the base of the stairs, partially tucked in the shadows. Rachel ordered Al’tun to land, hoping off from the chimera a few yards from the other apprentice.

“What do you mean?”

“Why do you use a chimera?” Alexia replied, striding forward, eliciting a low growl from Al’tun. “I know you have other creatures. I’ve seen you work. You have quite a collection. Elkin, wyverns, kobolds. I had even heard that you managed to tame a hydra. And yet you still spend most of your time with this, thing.”

“This ‘thing,’ as you call him, has a name.” Rachel said. “Al’tun is my friend. He may not be the strongest of the creatures I’ve tamed, but there is nothing that can out match him. Try it. Try one of your spells on him.”

“I… I don’t think…”

“Try it! I’ll not have you insulting Al’tun.”

Alexia stood, staring at Rachel. “Alright,” said the Elemantist, “if you insist.”

She walked away from Rachel, and then turned, thrusting out her hands.

“Flame Spark!”

A ball of fire erupted from Alexia’s hands and shot towards Al’tun. It hit the chimera and exploded in a shower of sparks. When the smoke cleared, Al’tun stood whole and unsinged.

“Shocking Blast!” Alexia called out.

Dark clouds formed above them as huge shafts of lightning struck the earth around Al’tun. Rachel had to cover her eyes from the light as each new blast hit the ground. Al’tun was phased b the attack. He calmly surveyed the strikes without so much as flinching. Eventually, Alexia let her spell die.

“Is he not hurt? How is that possible?” Alexia asked, her normally haughty manner forgotten as she walked over to Al’tun. “Those spells should have done something to him.”

“That’s what’s so great about Al’tun, and all chimeras. They may not be the fastest or the most powerful creatures, but they have resistances to all types of magic and weapons. No matter what challenge we find, Al’tun is always prepared for it.

“Good,” Alexia said, as she turned and walked towards the stairs. “You better bring him with you on for the Trials.”

“What does it matter to you?” Rachel asked, confused by the sudden interest Alexia was showing her. In the three years that she had known her, Alexia had said maybe ten words together to Rachel. This unexpected conversation was disconcerting.

 “Because that’s why I’m down here in this pit,” Alexia said, not turning as she made her way back to the stairs. “I came to tell you that we’re Trials partners.”