[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

Carefully, I point one arm behind me and send a blast of wind backwards while flinging myself upwards with the other. It’s like I’ve got a mini jet turbine coming out of my hand. Latching onto a rocky crack in the cliff, I alternate hands and repeat the process to keep going-

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

One more throw, a few more meters.

If a rock climber from Earth saw this, he would lose his mind. As it is, I just hope that people think I’ve just stopped holding back.

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

My hand leaves the rocky face and I fly upwards boosted by magic. Wind rushes in my face but I keep my eyes wide open. As I vault over one of the faster candidates, he abruptly twists around and lashes out. His axe whistles towards my neck but he makes the mistake of attacking me in the future. By the time I reach him in the present, I simply take a small detour around him. Since I don’t carry any ranged weapons, I leave him be but make another note. Small boy. Beady eyes. Blonde hair. One-handed axe. To my surprise, I notice that he tenses when I pass him by, as if considering chasing me. However, at the last second, he thinks better of it and lets me go. Yep…this one’s hiding something. I bet he’ll be one of the last kids to summit.

*Whoosh*

Then I’m past. The rest of the way to the top is a clear path. I join the line of waiting faces at the summit somewhere past the 70th place mark, a few spots after the girl with the throwing dagger. Mingling with the crowd of waiting children, we watch the last few spots fill up. As it becomes clear who is close enough to have a shot and who isn’t, the fighting becomes even more brutal. Any two candidates who are close enough to knock each other off either go for it, or split apart and race for the top. Those confident in their strength try to block those trying to eek by with speed. It’s interesting. This entire time, I haven’t seen anyone try to use magic. Mephis did say that the ability was exceedingly rare. I suppose short of geniuses like me, who would normally be recruited to magic schools if they had the talent, most children at this age can’t do much anyways. Certainly, I doubt anyone else can cast spells silently. Which means either no one else here can cast spells, or if they can, they’re saving it for a surprise. If that were the case, then they’d have to be a real monster. Physically strong enough to complete the climb, but also gifted enough to practice as a mage. Well…then again…I’m describing myself, aren’t I?

Putting my worries to rest, I keep an eye on the last ones to finish. As expected, the blonde boy with the hand axes finishes almost dead last in 99th place. Immediately, I’m suspicious of him. If you finish that late, you’re either incompetent and lucky, or you’re extremely confident in your skills to the point where you know you won’t be knocked out. Several other ones I’ve marked also come up to the top, and I’m actually quite happy that they made it. It means that I’ve managed to pick out the dangerous ones. A few children I didn’t notice also make it, but I don’t pay them too much mind. With so many people, even my well-trained eyes can’t watch them all. As the last girl summits, gasping for air, Jarshan raises his hand.

“Done.” He says and though he does not seem to raise his voice, everyone on the Cliffs of Sisyphus hears him clearly. “The rest of you…leave. Our Sect does not need trash.” Within seconds, anyone still left climbing is punted off. A few belligerent kids, so tired that they cannot heed Jarshan’s command, are quickly swarmed by flickering Rainstopper Assassins in their white kabuki masks. Soon the cliffs are empty except those of us at the top. We look around nervously, glancing from place to place, taking in the rocky structures and the stony peak which Jarshan stands on, watching us from. As for myself, I’ve already been here when I visited Elina so I’m not as interested. Rather, I prefer to watch the overseer of the trials. Jarshan’s demeanor reminds me a little of Perideen. Aloof, but observant, though if anything, he seems even more implacable. However, while Perideen gives the impression that he would simply walk away from a threat, Jarshan has a quiet ferocity to him. It makes him seem more dangerous, someone not to be provoked. His face remains blank, yet I can’t help but wonder if his gaze lingers on me for just a bit longer than it should as he examines the children who passed the first trial.

“Line up.” Jarshan barks from up above on his little rocky peak. Below him, a wave runs through the children at his words, until he holds up a hand. “In the order that you came up. Obviously, I don’t need to mention that you should be honest about your position…right?” At this, everyone shivers. Small chills run through even my spine as his gaze grows cold. Immediately, the hundred candidates left form a wobbly line. There’s a bit of jostling but no one dares to lie. Once the line is formed, Jarshan snaps his fingers and two masked Rainstopper Assassins, one a white-faced swan, another a dark-haired goose, appear at either end of the line and push the first and last candidiates to summit, forwards. “Follow your peers.”

Soon, the two ends of the line are guided together, and even though some of the top ten candidates make faces at being herded like sheep, none make a sound. Eventually the two assassins stop as the candidate who came in last place, a sweaty boy who is either the best actor I’ve ever seen, or a “lucky” kid who has no place being here, and the candidate who came in first, a raven-haired boy with short swords that I saw sweep aside all the competition on his section of the cliffs, meet. Like that, we are formed into a circle. Then the swan and goose assassins begin to hand out badges. When I receive mine, the smooth edges of the teardrop shaped piece are sharp. Like a blade. There’s a number on it.

76.

“There are two more trials left. These badges represent your current standing amongst your generation. A lower number is better, first is naturally best. You will need a badge to finish the last trial so don’t lose yours or you’ll have to find another.” Jarshan yawns as he explains the significance of our tokens. “Now then, I suggest you all get some rest. Seeing as the dormitories are below us, I suppose you’ll be sleeping on the plateau.” He motions to the wide, flat stone expanse. “There are thirty days between now and the next trial. Use them how you will. Rian and Sujos will be supervising the plateau. They will not tolerate any rule-breaking under their watch.” Suddenly Jarshan’s eyes glint and he laughs before disappearing. His lingering words find our ears anyways, “Of course, if a nonlethal crime were to occur…and no one saw it happen…then I guess an investigation wouldn’t be worth the effort…”

Aligned in a circle, the hundred candidates make faces as they try to understand the implications of this. It’s the boy who came in first place, Mr. Number One, with his short-swords sheathed on his back in the style of a Rainstopper Assassin, who leaves. He walks off disdainfully down the plateau. The top of the Sisyphean Cliffs is wide enough to easily support all the children who showed up for the first trial, let alone the hundred remaining. Gradually, the kids begin to disperse. However, the effect of Jarshan’s mind games has already made everyone jittery. By assigning us a ranking and forcing us to stare at each other in a circle, he divided the children. Now all anyone can think of is holding onto their badge and who has a higher ranking. But what was the point of that last comment? Crimes without evidence won’t be punished? Obviously, everyone’s just going to stay within sight of the two supervisors…

As I try to see through Jarshan’s schemes, the sun begins to set on the plateau. It seems nightfall will not be long. Several of the children have formed a small group, maybe thirty large under the watchful gaze of the swan-masked assassin with dark hair, Rian. Her black robes stand out little from the other Rainstopper Assassins, but her weapon is a different matter. I cannot ascertain exactly what is on her back. Doesn’t look like a blade. Maybe some sort of staff? A little bit away, the other assassin, Sujos sits cross-legged with his own group of kids. Unlike Rian, his weapon is impossible to miss. A silver, two-handed claymore thrust through the loops on his coat-back. Are you sure you’re an assassin? How the hell are you supposed to sneak that around anywhere?!

I go over and sit near the group surrounding Rian. Just close enough that I could be considered a part of them, but far enough that no one will bother me. Most of the other candidates have scattered over the plateau, but don’t want to wander out of sight of the two supervisors. Those who reached the summit first, the top ten and their like, stay the farthest from the group. However, even they have the sense to avoid going past the plateau into the rock formations beyond. A maze of white stone, with hollow canyons and various ravines awaits those who wish to go further, and anything could happen out of sight in the shadows. I catch sight of Mr. Number One from time to time studying a large white pillar at the edge of the plateau. Gradually, it becomes harder to see him as nightfall sweeps over us all.

Really?

Is this it?

We’re all just going to sit here and “rest” under supervision?

No way…there’s absolutely no way it’s this simple!

I’m not the only one who has doubts. As the moon begins to rise overhead, it becomes apparent that no one is planning on getting any sleep at the moment. We all warily watch each other. Some of the candidates seem to know each other from beforehand. That, or they made friends real fast. It appears they’re arguing over who will watch over the others as they sleep. I’m not sure if they should be arguing over who gets to sleep or who gets to keep watch in this scenario…

“You…Number 76.” Someone approaches me and since I stopped using Foresight once the first trial ended, I’m forced to react in real time. Number 76? Ah…that’s me. Glancing over, I find the girl who threw a knife at me earlier. She still has a cocky smile on her lips. In the moonlight, I get a better look at her. Dark, messy hair, various leather sheathes holding daggers on her arms, calves, hip, one of them empty. She seems older than me in this life, a bit taller. One of her canines is chipped, and her tongue curls over the break defensively as she stares me down. She calls out to me once she sees I’m looking, “Want to team up?”

Oh…?

“Team up?” I pretend to be slow as I get up. By the time I’m on my feet, she’s already closer than I’d like.

“Don’t play dumb.” She walks in even closer, leaving behind the circle of children hiding in front of Rian. I go on my guard, placing my hand on Mephis’s dagger, though that’s just a distraction. The real threat is the spell I’m starting to chant in my mind. However, she stops just out of reach, her smile trembling ever so slightly so I know it’s probably fake. I remember her badge number from earlier. Number 68. Before I can say anything else she leans forwards and whispers quietly so no one else can hear, “I know what you’re hiding.”

Damn…did she see me cast magic?!