I can feel my body stiffen as I enter the room Elais went into.
He's setting up some sort of board and there's a deck of cards and small marble figures scattered about.
He turns towards me when he hears the door.
"There you are Kelric, gods I thought you got lost."
His laugh is easy and makes me forget about his status for a moment as I walk over to him.
"What are you doing?"
"Setting up a game of Glory War obviously? Let's play before we sleep."
"I don't know how to play."
Elias turns towards me with a face of shock.
"Well then you're going to learn! Sit quickly while I explain some beginner friendly rules."
Elias's words enter and exit my ears in a torrent of information.
"Did you get all that?"
"Uhh.. sure."
He begins the game then, but we soon run into a problem.
I can't read.
The command cards that are supposed to dictate the entire game are useless in front of me.
"Kelric! If you can't read, how do you expect to pass the exam tomorrow!?"
"Only three of the tests require knowing how to read and write. I can pass by doing the other two."
He looks at me in horror.
"Kelric.. you're not thinking of doing.."
I nod to his unasked question.
"I'm taking the 'Battle Tactics' and 'Subjugation' test."
"B-but! Kelric, do you know how strict the battle 'Battle Tactics' test is? And don't get me started on the 'Subjugation' test, you have to defeated an EVOVLED beast! A beast that's mastered it's gods damn affinity!"
"I know. I'm fairly confident I can pass each easily."
Elias just stared at me until he deflated.
"You're insane.."
I feel a slight smile come to again.
"Never been told otherwise."
He lets out a laugh and stands up then.
"Well, let's head to bed then. Not much we can do about you being illiterate right now."
"Sounds good to me."
He takes me up to the second floor and shows me to a room of my own. It's large.
Elias tells me that I shouldn't worry about sleeping in because the butler will wake us in the morning.
When he leaves and I'm alone in the room, I strip and collapse into the bed and think about the days events.
My thoughts wander and my hand raises so I can stare at the bandage Marinah put on me.
My eyes grow heavy as I lay on the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on and soon fall asleep.
———————————————————
(1 year 5 months ago- Month of Fury, Year of the Crane)
I scramble backwards as the black beast swipes a paw towards me. My rage hasn't fully burst forth and my strength is lacking.
Blood pours out of my chest from where it had struck me earlier and the pain is terrible.
"Kelric! Kelric! Kelric!"
The crowd is swept up in a frenzy and I let it wash over me, fueling my anger to flare hotter.
I sense the other one behind me and duck as it flies over my head.
The madness of my wicked anger takes control and my sword whips out and takes a hind leg off the abyss panther.
I'm screaming now and blind to the pain as the other panther dashes at me, both paws reaching towards me with claws extended.
Rolling to the side, a rush of growling air passes by.
Looking down, the maimed beast who was missing a leg was biting into my own.
I hack my sword down and sever its neck and fountain of blood sprays onto me.
"KELRIC! KELRIC! KELRIC!"
I'm rocked forward as the alive one pounces on my back and knocks me into the ground.
Pinned beneath it's weight now, teeth sink into my neck. My rage burns with a terrible wrath now and I flip over on to my back, claws ripping skin where they had punctured me.
I reach my hand up and shove it down the beasts mouth. Plunging into it shoulder deep, my hands to grab its insides, pulling them out it's mouth.
There are new and deep wounds where the beast had been trying to bite down on my arm.
I'm yelling in madness again and the crowd screams my name as I step on the dead beasts.
———————————————————
"Master Kelric, it's time to wake up. I've set out some clothes for you on the dresser over there. You have about twenty minutes to get dressed and eat before you have to leave."
My dream and the bed I was currently lying in, made my response unintelligible.
"Uuugggrrgg"
"Very good master Kelric, young master Elias waiting for you downstairs."
I hear the door close and begrudgingly get up.
The clothes I'm given are pretty comfortable and easy to move in. It's all black and long sleeved like the ones I left at the tailors shop.
When I make my way downstairs, I see Elias already digging into breakfast. He turns towards me with a smile wat too big for how early it is.
"Hey there Kelric, get enough beauty sleep?"
I ignore him as I sit down and eat. I feel very awake after tasting the food, it's as wonderful as what I had last night.
"This is so good." I say with my mouth full.
The butler responds to compliment.
"Thank you master Kelric, but I believe you should leave soon or you might be late."
I nod and scoop everything into my mouth at once.
Elias makes a disgusted face at me.
"You're so uncouth.."
I feel a smile coming to me and a little egg falls out of my mouth between my patted lips.
"I know."
The city streets are still lit by the soft light of the lamps and we soon make our way to the academy entrance.
There's a huge crowd of people already and we join the ever expanding group.
To my surprise, I estimate there to be about three hundred people. I don't see Marinah in the mass of bodies and I'm schocked by how disappointed I am at this fact.
Eventually a man I've never seen before exits from the academy and heads towards us.
He waits for the murmur to die down before he speaks.
"Before the written tests begin, is there anyone who is illiterate? If so, step forward to take the alternate tests."
I turn and give a look to Elias before I make my way through the crowd.
When I do, I feel stares burn into my back. After I reach the front I notice no one else came forward with me.
The man from the academy watches me quizzically before speaking again.
"Head inside and find instructor Zyre. He'll guide you to your test areas."
I nod and walk forward to finish the last step to being accepted into Elomburg.