As Tara walked in to the grand Gathering Room, she heard her footsteps echo against the huge marble walls rising up to three storeys high, at least. She was the earliest one there and she slowly wandered to a corner chair. At either side of the Gathering Room, stood huge pillars arranged parallelly, rising to the top of the vaulted glass ceiling. The sky was a colour of pale celeste transcending into cyan.
Tara closed her eyes, letting a out a long breathe, her shoulders slumping. She felt like she was not supposed to be here.
'Every person has a unique composition of their Uyir and it's a composition of decimal point upto seven digits.' Aaliyah had explained, as they walked towards the gates of the mobile test centre. 'So we need a number above thirty three percent, to get you qualified.'
Tara did agree to joining the Academe, but that didn't automatically get her into it. 'Every person's Uyir is recorded. That means that we cannot make up a number, because if it is reflected that it is reflected elsewhere, then we would get caught. So you need to take this test.'
'Alright.' Tara had replied when she had been in Aaliyah's home within the city. It was just as well built as the one at the City Hall, but the scenic view was missed.
The pavements and the roads within the valley of Barrier Hills were made for walking with its cobblestone pathways. Over their journey from Aaliyah's home to the test centre, they had gone through two different spatial portals and Tara discovered that the city was pretty, even though the building had odd shapes, sometimes impossible, with narrow floors and wider rooftops. The background drop of the green mountains added to the attractiveness of the cityscape.
After the second spatial portal, they had landed a bit more to the outskirts of the city. They had walked in a lonelier path, with more trees and lesser building. At the end of was a field, dominated by the tent in the middle of it. The canvas of it spread across with its mast holding up a flag of white, with black rings converged in a flower outline.
Tara looked towards Aaliyah, surprised. She had not been expecting a tent of all the things for a test centre.
Outside the tent, there was bored looking man, sitting and scanning through a paper. He looked up and as he saw them both walking towards him, he raised an eyebrow. 'The Open Gate Ceremony is in a week.' He said as he saw Aaliyah. 'This throws off our administration policies.'
Aaliyah had beamed back with a well-rehearsed smile. 'It is just one student. I am sure the Academe, can handle the logistics.' She stressed on the logistics, making sure the man knew the irrelevance of what he just said.
The man rolled his eyes. 'Well, since no one will be around, you may step in to take your test. The Realmtear will activate once the doors are closed.' He pushed the curtain open. 'Once you enter the realm, you have twenty minutes to get to the opposite side of testing ground where the other Realmtear is present and activate it. There might be threats in between, you will have to stabilize it.'
'Wait what?' Tara had asked, shock. 'I have to stabilize a threat?'
'Oh, those are as harmless as cows.' Aaliyah had answered back. 'Just remember what I taught you.'
Tara blinked her eyes. Aaliyah had simply told her how to fire a fire ball. 'I thought this was going to measure my Uyir.'
Aaliyah smiled and shook her head. 'If I explained the test, then you would have protested against. But don't worry, even if it sounds scary, it's a simple one.'
Tara glared at her and reluctantly stepped inside the cloth that the man was holding up. It was mostly empty, but right at the centre of it, suspended in thin air, was a Realmtear, surrounded by a ring of wood and metal. It was held up by two small stands at the bottom, as it circled around the Realm tear all the way to the top of the tent.
Within a moment, the Realmtear had started spinning around, slowly at first and then spinning picking up the pace with each spin. Soon enough it had started resembling a spinning top as rays of a million bright colours shot out reaching the borders of the ring.
Tara stepped over the ring as it brightened itself around her and disappeared into a shimmering lights. She was longer inside the tent.
Instead, She was surround by thick vegetation, with tall trees laid on either side of a narrow path, weathering path. For a moment, Tara thought she was back at Barrier Hills, but then the humidity hit her like a wave and she realised, it was somewhere else, maybe another world. She could feel the
'An Unnatural is a being that does not belong to the world it encroached into.' Aaliyah had said, when Tara asked about it. 'Unlike Earth in the present, worlds were being almost encroached all the time. '
'But the Interdimensional Committee monitored this.' Tara had replied and then asked. 'How many world are out there?'
'Thirteen.' Aaliyah had answered. 'All of them, similar in nature to the world of Rahas.'
'Similar?' Tara asked confused. 'Definitely not the laws of physics.'
Aaliyah had shook her head. 'The Laws of Causality are similar. The elemental powers do not simply exists without cause and effect. It takes energy to use the powers and it uses up energy when it is used. Think of it like building up energy to run or climb.'
'Building up energy to run or climb.' Tara had whispered under her breathe as walked through the thick vegetation. She simply needed to get to the other side, like a simple horror house tour. 'Like I have ever climbed anything in my life.'
She had then paused. 'I didn't even get to climb a man.' She whispered under her breath, almost disappointed in herself. She had to shake herself off it and walked forward, hoping that the whole test would get over soon enough.
But with the next step with Tara had taken, she unknowingly stepped on a twig. The crack of it echoed through the silence of the forest, which Tara had noticed at moment. There were no cricket sounds nor any other form of insect sound but all of a sudden, she felt a hundred different eyes on her.
The hairs behind her neck raised up. She felt it, the adrenalin pump into her as the evolutionary instinct any prey had whenever it sensed the predator near her rush into her. She felt something move in the back corner of her eyes and she turned around.
The facial features of the animal resembled a mountain lion, broad and feline. But as it stepped out into the pathway, Tara realised it had an extra pair of legs. Tara froze, all her instinct completely dying down in the face of a predator. The animal screeched at her.
Somehow, with something that was deep within her, second, Tara pushed herself and took off in a sprint, racing towards a destination unknown. She could hear the soft thud of the cat like creatures raced behind her. The air behind her stilled as she felt the creature launch itself into the air. Tara immediately bent down as the creature jumped over and fell into a roll in front of her.
The glint of sunlight hit her eyes and she saw the at a distance through the thickness, the brightness of the Realmtear. Infront of her, the cat snarled and then charged towards her. Tara felt her body freeze as the animal jumped at her.
The animal snarled at her face, as Tara tried to push it off of her, her hands against its neck and chest. The feline creature, then started biting at her face. She felt her muscles contract and strengthen against the animal as she felt the blood rush into her head.
Maybe it was the adrenaline rush or the thrill of survival, but Tara felt a surge of power flow into her arms as she could feel the heat around rise up within the next few seconds. In the next moment, she felt an energy blast through her palms as she felt a wave of anger and fear run through her. She thought she had seen a bright blue light lit up, scorching the neck of the animal in burns.
The blast threw the animal back into the air, causing it to crash onto the ground. It screeched in pain. Tara immediately jumped up from the ground. Her hands twitching with strength and strain. The animal whined softly then slowly got up and retracted into the thick vegetation, hissing.
Tara could feel the her strength dwindling down. Behind her, she felt the heat and brightness of the Realm tear increase with each passing second. Turning around, she rushed through the forest, not willing to waste another second or wait for another predator, worse than the one she fought to show up. As the Realmtear started brightening up, she ran through the thick pickets, burning anything in her way. As the rays shot to the ends of the ring structure, Tara ran with will all her speed, stepping into it and hitting her other leg against the ring structure and falling into the portal.
She felt herself hit the grassy ground. Huffing, she looked up and saw Aaliyah look down at her with a satisfactory beam.
Tara let out a light sigh and opened her eyes. The Gathering Room was now full, as she saw people shuffling through the rows, to catch a seat. The podium at the end of the big hall had several individuals in long amber robes looking like they were in serious discussions. One of them, glanced away from the discussion and looked towards the room, her face contorting into annoyance.
She then walked towards the long silver staff, with circular head that resembled a microphone. 'Welcome to the Academe, new trainees.' She announced. 'Please maintain decorum as we start the Opening Ceremony in a few minutes.'
***
'Welcome to the Academe, new trainees.' She announced. 'Please maintain decorum as we start the Opening Ceremony in a few minutes.'
Nyla breathed out in anticipation, as her legs fidgeted constantly. This was what she always wanted. No, this had not been a want. It was a need. To be part of the strongest in Rahas and then becoming the strongest in Rahas. For a young girl from a shattered corner of Jade Forest, she had to earn to belong to this part of the world.
Her family had been proud. In between the struggle of living destitute and from the repercussions of being attacked, a news like this had been very much welcomed.
Jade Forest may not be the richest country in this side of Rahas, but it was neither the poorest. The city had been in impervious to attack from above due to it's thick canopies and below, because of its dense forests.
Only a Mai, the Earth elementals who could transform there bodies into animals, would be able to navigate through the country. And yet it had been attacked, almost a decade ago and sparked a war that had led to mayhem in many countries, both in the lands of Solariasis and Illunis.
And her village had been one of the causalities. Nyla shook her head, trying to shake off memory. This was an important moment, almost an auspicious one for her.
A man wearing a white robe, embroidered with bright glowing silk on his cloak stepped towards the podium that was placed at the centre of the stage. His white robes shone a tad bit brighter than the marbled pillars in the Assemble Hall.
'Welcome to the Academe de Elementals.' It was the First Dean of the Academe, Zhen. The head of all the trainers present. An Amber elemental. This was Nyla's first time seeing an elemental that can manipulate more than one element and was not a Cadin.
'Fellow first year trainees. Your journey to becoming the strongest and most honorable have begun. In the world of the Academe, there are no failures.' He started.
Nyla almost scoffed. The Academe may let you train as long as you want, but the ones who stay here for more than two years or so, almost never move on from the place. 'Every year, we are in need of more and more Seraphs, who would actively help in protecting this world and all the other thirteen.'
The thirteen worlds. All the interconnected ones to the world of the Rahas. All always interacting, always constantly monitored. Within Rahas, the cities that were built and places of civilizations were the ones with least Interdimensional activity. Roads and navigation systems where built within these. Everywhere else, the dimensions would interact.
Nyla sighed. Becoming a Seraph was less about protecting the world of Rahas or the other worlds. To her.
'Here you learn to become a warrior. A part of the force. A part of a team.' This time Nyla scoffed. But mostly because of her own personal experience.
She remembered the looks she got when she had been selected. Her test was of a Category II of Local Threat. Some of her friends had failed the test before her. The rest, after her. For the next two months until the commencement of the Academe, they had avoided her.
Especially after Nyla's disability to transform. It was not that Nyla couldn't transform. She had mental block. But apparently, for passing the test, the only thing you needed to do was take down the Unnatural. The 'how' of the process was not relevant to the test. The beast was of the element of water and Nyla had reacted with speed and instinct. She had taken it down swiftly.
'The individuals become the warriors and the warriors become the team. And the team becomes the Inter-Dimensional Committee. This is not about moving up in your appointment.' The First Dean spoke, as he sauntered towards the other side of the stage, the head of his microphone, moving in equal tandem with him. 'This is about protecting the world.'
Nyla pursed her lips and nodded in tandem with the others. It was about protecting the world, but that was only part of her objectives.
'And to protect the world, you have to become strong. Mind, spirit and body.' He paused when he reached the centre of the stage. 'That is what, we are here to do. To make your minds sharper, your bodies stronger and your spirit, more powerful.
He then turned ahead and looked straight into the crowd. 'My dear new trainees, are you ready for what lies ahead?'
'Yes!' Everyone collectively chimed in. Zhen smiled encouragingly. 'Welcome, to the Academe de Elementals, new Seraphs!'
He then walked back to his seats as another lady, her hair as grey as the colour of the her robes, walked towards the podium, with a sheet of paper. She tapped on the long staff, as the circular head of the microphone rushed back to its position.
Then she cleared her throat and spoke. 'I will be reading the rules of the Academe.' Then she looked down towards her sheet. 'All selected trainees will be categorized into one of the five classes, which are, Student, Seeker, Scholar, Savant and Sage. This categorization has already been made during your entrance test. In order for you to graduate, the Academe, it is necessary that you become part of the Scholar class minimum.'
There was a collective sigh of relief heard throughout the assembly. In the Academe, it is a constant grading based on the near constant training in combat and knowledge. And moving between classes, would mean it would be Individual Testing. Nyla smiled lightly but it withered away as she saw the lady in complete grey, patiently waiting for the commotion to stop. Just like her, many other noticed the stern gaze that the woman gave everyone and slowly quietened down.
She then went back to her sheer and then spoke again. 'And the three tests – The Test of One, Test of Three and the Test of Six.' She looked up from the sheet and towards the crowd. 'In order to qualify for the three tests, you will have to become a Scholar and in order to qualify for the IDC, as a Seraph, you will have to pass these three tests. Often more than not, patience is most likely the reason for the failure of students in passing the test.'
Not one person spoke in the crowd. Nyla wanted to swallow badly, but she dared not.
'Once you and your team is ready, we will initiate the tests, if there are enough number of other teams participating. But once these tests are initiated, you will not be able to withdraw from them. Withdrawing will be considered forfeiting, and the members of the withdrawing team, will begin their courses again.' She sighed and pressed her lips together, grimly. 'There are no second chances in the field. If you have decided on a mission, you cannot come back from it midway and expect to start over.'
'You will begin your training tomorrow.' The woman said with a smile, but her smiled seem forced and grave. 'I hope to see everyone become a Seraph as fast as possible.'
Nyla knew what she needed to do. Become part of the Scholars and find a group of Savant, who will be more than happy to accommodate you because you are Mai. And then initiate those tests as soon as possible.