CHAPTER 8

"Here. Hold this thing for me for a second."

Gunn didnt know exactly why this officer was making him hold an Isidril's branch and for what purpose, but he decided to just roll with the punches and not question their methodology.

"Now focus your thoughts on the branch and imagine all of your lucis reserves converging into one tiny spot. Channel it from your diaphragm, build it up from there, then guide the flow through your arms. Do you picture that?"

Gunn was new to all of this so all he could do was trust the Guide and follow her instructions to the tee without any question.

"Alright. I see you doing it. Okay. Goodjob. Now stay right where you are, suppress all of that wild energy right up there and form a bottleneck at the end of your fingertips... There... That's perfect. Now on my mark, I'd like for you to release all of that and let it flow through the branch like the way you squeeze the trigger to fire a musket, do you follow me? Okay? You copy? Alright then... are you ready Mister Valentine? Right. So... On my mark... release everything in 3... 2... 1! Release!"

Valentine did as he was told. In one swift motion, he allowed all of the trapped energy to explode from his fingertips and made it rip through the handles of the branch in one go. Split second after that, fragments of lights covered the branch entirely, and in a blink of an eye, the concentrated light vanished.

Gunn felt the branch twitch for a second. And then something extraordinary happened. The branch felt alive.

"Ah. The branch grew leaves. Alright. So, you're a Builder then, huh?!... that's your discipline?! Keh! How anti-climactic. I got excited over nothing." Officer Pria had a long disappointed face after seeing Gunn's personal discipline. She expected to see at least a dual discipline to come out of the kid but boy was she wrong about him. Pria now wondered why the people from the Citadel ordered them to keep tabs on the kid who was just a lowly builder. What has got into them? This kid isnt even worth anything. "Anyway, we are done here, you may join the others on the other side Mr. Valentine. The exit is to your left. Just follow the long hallway. You may leave." Officer Pria didnt even gave him a second look. Gunn felt like a nuisance. "Private Keskei, call the next one in here, please. Thank you."

Gunn didnt know whether he should be pissed or not, but somehow, he felt like he just got discriminated there by a high ranking officer. It actually got him thinking, 'So what if I'm a builder? It's not like being a builder is bad, right?' Gunn then paused suddenly to reflect on his own question. A split second later, he already started doubting himself '... Or is it?'

Uobe must have eyes akin to a hawk because the moment he saw Gunn exit the building, the pudgy youngman found his lord immediately. The young Yaegan repeatedly waved at his Lord as if to say " notice me please, Sire!"

To be honest, there was no need for Uobe to wave. It was kindof hard not to notice Uobe amongst the crowd because the kid was the only Yaegan representation there. With his red complexion, Uobe was built to stick out like a sore thumb, both figuratively and literally.

A few short strides later, Gunn joined Uobe at the fountain steps.

"The branch... I transformed mine into a steel." confessed Uobe. "They say Im a Stacker but I dont get Ladder Guide jargon yet. So, I actually didnt understand anything." which was true because the Officer with the Glasses didnt explain the three branches of discipline to anyone. The only thing that was clear to them during the opening speech was that all Weavers-In-Training (WIT) will be housed according to their individual discipline. They could either be a Stacker, a Linker or a Builder and that was it. They didnt expand on the topic.

"Mine grew into a bonzai and I'm supposed to be a Builder." Gunn confessed back.

"Oh!" Uobe suddenly gave him the same surprised look the way Officer Pria did during Gunn's discipline test.

"That face... what was that all about?" Gunn pried. He was starting to get pissed to be honest.

"Huh? Nothing, my lord." replied Uobe sheepishly.

Mini-Red just couldnt say it out loud but he has heard the others talk about the Builders discipline. And what Uobe heard from them about the discipline was not pleasant. And by not pleasant meaning trash.