Walking into the courtyard where my examination is supposed to take place, I was underwhelmed at the sight of numerous street vendors. I looked to Avery in puzzlement. Surely he was just lost and refused to ask directions.

“We are headed to the building at the end of the street. All these stalls are recruiters from various sects, magocracies, noble houses, and basically anyone with a talent testing crystal,” Avery said with a tone of ridicule towards the end.

“So I’m going to have my talent tested?” I asked.

“No, you will be evaluated based on your current fighting ability and decision making. Not potential.”

“What's so bad about the talent tests?” His tone made it obvious he thought ill about such things, but I had only heard praises sung towards those of exceptional talent. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was just jealous of those heaven defying geniuses.

“For starters, they all misrepresent what they actually attempt to measure. Others are purposefully tampered with to give others an advantage.”

“If they don’t measure talent, then what do they measure?”

“The ones without ulterior motive could more accurately be said to measure compatibility with the specific system of magic that the organization teaches. If you don’t share the same frame of reference, you would require more brainwa–tutoring to use their abilities.”

“And the ones with ulterior motives?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“They typically aren’t used as often in this city, simply because of the sheer amount of competition for recruitment. When one sect is the only choice, the sect will inflate the scores of sect relatives. Belief has a power of its own, similar to how faith empowers most deities. If hundreds of people believe someone is a generational genius, this power alone will accelerate their growth. Additional resources simply compound the matter.”

As we walked past the stalls, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the scheme. Everyone knows that sects have a strict class system of menial, outer, inner, and core disciples with strict customs for interacting with a senior. I couldn’t help but wonder how much of their practices were created to solidify the flow of power.

It reminded me of the younger children in the orphanage; specifically, the bullies that would constantly push the smaller kids down to feel better about their own abandonment issues.

As I considered the parallels, I felt relief for being as stubborn as I was in refusing to join any such organization. My bloodline afforded me a lot of interest and better offers than most, but I always had the sense that I was being eyed as prey thus, refused to join. I was glad things turned out how they did, otherwise they would have put me into the position of both hunter and prey without me even realizing it.

Hellen brought me out of my musings with a sharp poke to the side.

“I said sit down in the circle so the test can begin.” An elderly man said, frustration clear in his voice.

With a face flushed scarlet, I hopped into the formation and sat down cross-legged. I immediately felt drowsy, as if I had stayed up for two nights and could finally sleep. Instinctively, I tried to resist, to keep my eyes open, but eventually my slumber overtook me.

------

The loud crackle of thunder and a bright flash of lightning startled me awake. I sprang to all fours on instinct and quickly turned in a circle, taking in my surroundings.

I was in a forest. It was dark. The grass was still dry, but for some reason I was soaked. It was cold, and my head throbbed. I must have gotten a fever.

As I completed my survey, I started trying to put together the pieces. There was a small pond behind me with an obvious trail leading to where I had laid. I didn’t know what I was doing here though, did I have amnesia?

A strong gust of wind pushed the nearby trees; one snapped as a bolt of lightning landed. Answers could wait, I decided. I needed shelter and warmth. I darted away from the river to make my way uphill, but I stumbled as my vision swam. I didn’t realize I was so exhausted, so weak.

I could only walk, stumble really, as I practically dragged myself away to find shelter. The minutes felt like hours. The pounding of my heart continued to increase as I panted for breath. I had been hoping for a cave, but settled for a hole dug on the side of a dirt cliff.

Rain poured down as I desperately clawed at the entrance to the hole, scrambling to get in. The hole was larger on the inside, enough for me to stretch out if I were alone. But I wasn’t alone, with me were a family of small and terrified furry critters. Fortunately for me, they were harmless, because I fell asleep almost instantly.

------

My eyes snapped open as I heard hushed whispers. Peaking over to the orphanage window, I saw three masked figures sneaking in. I saw a few others woke as well, some trembling under their covers. I tried to shout for help, but the air refused to leave my lungs.

I watched as they held something to a young boy's face. He struggled with all his might before slowly growing still once more. One man held a large canvas bag open while another lifted the boy inside.

Slowly, I rolled off my bed before quietly approaching the window as I had done so many times before. While the other two were distracted with the boy, I pounced on the third. I may not have been able to scream, but this man could. I landed on his back and tried to bite his neck, but I missed, and latched my jaw onto his shoulder. My hind claws were constantly digging furrows into his back as I wrapped my front claws around him to rip open his chest.

I heard a commotion from downstairs as others heard the scream and came rushing to investigate. Just as a grin was forming on my lips, I looked up to see a boot quickly approaching my head before my vision turned dark.

------

I woke up, trapped in a wooden cage carried by a wagon in the middle of a caravan. I chipped away at the wood with my claws and escaped, only to be mercilessly tracked down by their hounds.

------

I woke up, lost in a goblin infested cave. The darkness didn’t pose an issue to me, nor to them. I stumbled for days before thirst and hunger overtook me.

------

I woke up, surrounded on three sides by a pack of demonic beasts, with only a cliff face to my back. I fought. I died.

------

And then I woke up.

Avery and Hellen were there, and for once so were my memories.

“D3, Next,” Grumbled the elderly man.

I stood up slowly and stumbled away. Everything felt surreal. I could tell that only minutes passed, as if I had just taken a brief nap. I mostly felt drained, not physically but emotionally. The stress and struggle to survive and escape were still fresh in my mind. I wanted to sleep, but a part of me was afraid that I would wake up and once again be confused and in danger.

“Here, drink this,” Hellen said, offering me a mug of brown liquid.

I was unfamiliar with the beverage, but the scent alone helped clear my mind. I breathed the scent in deeply before taking my first sip; and promptly spat it out.

“Blah, so bitter,” I complained, face scrunched up.

Avery smirked and added some white liquid, “Here, try now.”

I cautiously took another sip and was delighted to find he had transformed it into a heavenly elixir! But my mood lowered as I remembered the result of my evaluation. I had been hoping to have amazing skill and talent. Or at least be a hidden chosen one of some powerful deity. Instead, I was average. Slightly below average actually, and the weakest in our group.

Hellen pinched my cheek, “Don’t worry, you have the knight lacking armour to protect you.”

“Oh yes, and I feel faint. Carry me!” I called with false cheer, before collapsing into his arms.

My mood improved slightly when he swept me off my feet in a princess carry. I’m pretty sure most noble families would have called everything off with such a lackluster showing. At the very least, I would only be valued for any advantage my heritage would bring to future offspring.

“You should rest while you can,” Avery commented, “We’ll be heading out with the others in a few hours.”

“Today? I thought we would leave in the morning.”

“It's tradition to make camp two hours walk from the gate when leaving the city with someone for the first time. It’s hard to predict how people will act the first time they leave the city. Some get scared, others adventurous. I know you would never wander off in the middle of the night, but others do.”

“I would never!” I replied, looking up at him with a sheepish smile.