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The sun came up. Elias opened his eyes. He got off the sofa. He walked to the window.
Mantle was already awake. Smoke filled the gray sky. He heard a door open. Dee walked into the living room.
She wore her usual dress.
"Good morning,"
Elias said.
"Morning,"
Dee yawned.
She sat on the sofa.
"Where is Neo?"
Elias asked.
"Still sleeping,"
Dee said.
"She was very tired."
Elias nodded. He sat in the chair across from her.
"We need to talk,"
Elias said.
"About what?"
Dee asked.
"Our future here,"
Elias said. Dee leaned back.
"We have money. The future looks great. But we aren't legal yet."
"Does it matter?"
"Yes,"
Elias said.
"It matters for Neo."
Dee looked toward the bedroom door.
"Why?"
"She is a child,"
Elias explained.
"She needs to go to school,"
Elias said.
"School?"
"Yes,"
Elias said.
"She needs to be around other children,"
Elias added.
"Okay,"
Dee agreed.
"We will send her to school."
"We can't just walk into a school,"
Elias said.
"We need legal papers. We need to be her official guardians."
"How do we get papers?"
Dee asked.
"We need a Huntsman license,"
Elias said.
"A real one. It makes us citizens. It gives us a legal job. Then we can adopt her on paper."
"So we just buy a license?"
Dee asked.
"No, we have to earn it."
The bedroom door opened. Neo walked out. She rubbed her pink and brown eyes.
She wore a large t-shirt.
"Good morning, Neo,"
Dee said. Neo waved her hand.
"We were just talking about you,"
Elias said.
Neo stopped walking. She looked worried. She made an illusion in the air.
"Did I do something wrong?"
The glass words asked.
"No,"
Elias said quickly.
"We are going to send you to school,"
Dee blurted out. Neo's eyes widened. She shook her head very fast. She backed away.
"No school,"
She wrote in the air.
"You need to go,"
Elias said.
"I hate school,"
The words changed.
"They are mean."
"Your old school was mean,"
Dee said.
"Your parents sent you to a bad place. We will find a good place."
Neo crossed her arms. She glared at them.
"I want to stay with you,"
She wrote.
"I want to fight."
"You are too young to fight,"
Elias said.
"I am strong,"
Neo's words flashed.
"We know you are,"
Dee said softly.
"But we want you to be safe."
Neo stomped her foot. She turned around and ran back into the bedroom.
She slammed the door. Elias sighed.
"That went well,"
Elias said.
"She is scared,"
Dee said.
"She thinks school is a prison."
"We will show her it isn't,"
Elias said.
"But first, we need the licenses."
"Where do we start?"
Dee asked.
"We go back to the security office,"
Elias said.
They ate a quick breakfast. Neo stayed in the bedroom. Dee left a plate of eggs by her door.
They put on their winter coats. They left the apartment. The walk to the security office was cold.
The streets were crowded again. They walked inside the metal building.
The same clerk sat behind the glass window. He looked up.
"You again,"
The clerk said.
"Did you find another giant snake?"
"No,"
Elias said.
"We have a question."
"Ask,"
The clerk said.
"We want official Huntsman licenses,"
Elias told him. The clerk laughed.
He leaned back in his chair.
"You want a license?"
The clerk asked.
"Yes,"
Dee said.
"Is it funny?"
"It is a little funny,"
The clerk said.
"You two did not go to an academy."
"How do you know?"
Elias asked.
"I can tell,"
The clerk said.
"Academy kids act differently. They stand differently. You two act like street fighters."
"We are very good street fighters,"
Dee said.
"I know,"
The clerk pointed to the board.
"You killed King Taijitu. But that doesn't make you official."
"How do we become official?"
Elias asked.
"Normally, you go to a primary combat school,"
The clerk explained.
"Then you go to a Huntsman Academy for four years. Then you graduate."
"We don't have four years,"
Elias said.
"There is another way,"
The clerk said slowly.
"Tell us,"
Dee demanded.
"There is an exam,"
The clerk said.
"It is called the Independent Licensing Program."
"Who is it for?"
Elias asked.
"It is for people like you,"
The clerk said.
"Mercenaries. Village fighters. People who learned to fight outside the schools."
"Perfect,"
Elias said.
"Where do we take it?"
"You have to register,"
The clerk said.
"The exam happens once a month. The next one is in three days."
"Where do we register?"
Dee asked.
The clerk pointed a finger at the ceiling.
"In Atlas. At the military headquarters."
"Atlas,"
Elias repeated.
"Yes,"
The clerk said.
"You have to take the main elevator. Go to the registration office."
"Thank you,"
Elias said. They walked out of the office.
"We have to go back up there,"
Dee said.
"It will be fine,"
Elias said.
"We will just register and leave."
They walked to the center of Mantle.
A massive metal tube reached up into the sky. It was the main elevator to Atlas.
They walked inside. They bought tickets. The elevator car was huge.
It had glass walls. The doors closed. The car moved up. The mantles looked small below them.
They passed through the thick clouds. The bright sun hit their faces.
Atlas was shining in the light. The elevator stopped. The doors opened.
They walked out into the clean, warm air.
"It is much nicer up here,"
Dee admitted.
"Let's find the military base,"
Elias said.
They walked down the clean streets. They saw many Atlesian Knights walking around.
They found a large white building. Blue flags hung from the walls.
Guards stood at the front doors. Elias and Dee walked up to the guards.
"We are here to register for the Independent Program,"
Elias said.
The guards looked at their plain clothes. They didn't look impressed.
"Inside,"
One guard said.
"Third door on the left."
They walked inside. The floors were polished marble. The walls were white steel. They found the third door on the left.
It had a sign: Licensing Exams.
They opened the door. The room was a large office. A man sat behind a large metal desk.
He wore a white military uniform. He had broad shoulders. He looked very strict.
He looked up from his papers.
"Can I help you?"
The man asked.
"We want to take the exam,"
Elias said.
"The independent exam,"
Dee added.
The man put his pen down.
"Names?"
He asked.
"Elias,"
Elias said.
"Dee,"
Dee said.
The man waited.
"No last names?"
The man asked.
"No,"
Elias said. The man sighed. He pulled a blank form from a drawer.
"I am Major Ironwood,"
He said.
"I run the testing program."
"Nice to meet you,"
Dee said.
"Why do you want a license?"
Ironwood asked.
"We want to be legal, We want to adopt a child. We need official papers and a legal income."
Ironwood raised an eyebrow.
"You want to hunt Grimm to raise a child?"
Ironwood asked.
"Yes,"
Elias said.
"It is a dangerous job,"
Ironwood noted.
"We are very dangerous,"
Dee smiled.
Ironwood didn't smile back.
"The program is not a joke,"
Ironwood said.
"It is very hard. We do not let just anyone take the test. People die during the exam."
"We won't die,"
"You have no formal training,"
Ironwood looked at them closely.
"I can tell just by looking at you."
"We don't need training,"
Dee said.
"Confidence is good,"
Ironwood said.
"But I need proof. I need to know you aren't wasting my time."
"What kind of proof?"
Elias asked.
"Show me your Aura,"
Ironwood demanded.
Elias closed his eyes. He pushed his energy out. A bright blue light covered his body.
It glowed strongly in the bright room. Dee closed her eyes. A bright red light covered her body. It flared like a fire.
Ironwood watched the light. He nodded slowly.
"Your Aura is strong,"
Ironwood admitted.
"Very strong."
They let the light fade.
"Is that enough?"
Elias asked.
"No,"
Ironwood said.
"Aura is just a shield. I need to see your weapons and I need to see if you know how to use them."
"Here?"
Dee asked.
"Follow me,"
Ironwood stood up.
He walked past them. They followed him down a long hallway.
They entered a large training room. The floors were padded. Metal targets stood at the far end of the room.
"Show me,"
Ironwood pointed to the targets.
Elias stepped forward. He held out his hand. His long black naginata appeared in a flash of dark magic.
Ironwood narrowed his eyes at the sudden appearance.
"Interesting,"
Ironwood murmured.
Elias gripped the weapon.
He looked at a metal target fifty feet away.
He simply swung the blade. He swung it so fast the air cracked.
A wave of sharp wind flew across the room. It hit the metal target.
The thick steel sliced cleanly in half. The top half fell to the floor with a loud clang.
Elias made the weapon vanish.
"Impressive,"
Ironwood said.
He looked at Dee.
"Your turn."
Dee reached behind her back. She had hidden the giant hammer in a pocket dimension.
She pulled the massive block of gravity dust alloy out. The hammer was bigger than her torso.
She rested it on her shoulder. Ironwood stared at the hammer.
"That is solid gravity alloy,"
Ironwood said.
"That weighs over two hundred pounds."
"I know,"
Dee smiled. She stepped forward. She looked at another metal target.
She swung the hammer with one hand. She threw it like a baseball.
The massive hammer flew across the room. It smashed into the metal target.
The target exploded into twisted pieces of scrap. The hammer hit the reinforced wall behind the target.
The wall shook violently. A large dent appeared in the steel plates.
The hammer fell to the floor with a heavy thud. Dee walked over and picked it up.
She rested it on her shoulder again. Ironwood was completely silent.
He looked at the sliced target. He looked at the crushed target. He looked back at Elias and Dee.
"You hit hard,"
Ironwood said finally.
"I try,"
Dee said cheerfully.
Ironwood walked back to the door.
"Come back to my office,"
Ironwood said. They followed him back. Ironwood sat at his desk.
He picked up his pen. He started writing on the blank forms.
"The test is in three days,"
Ironwood said.
"It will be in the Winter Forest. You will be dropped in. You must survive. You must complete the objective."
"What is the objective?"
Elias asked.
"I will tell you on the day of the test,"
Ironwood said.
He stamped the papers with a red ink pad. He handed a paper to Elias and Dee.
"These are your registration forms,"
Ironwood said.
"Do not lose them. Bring them to the airship docks on Tuesday morning at eight o'clock."
"We will be there,"
Elias said.
"One more thing,"
Ironwood looked up.
"Yes?"
"If you pass,"
Ironwood said,
"You will be licensed Huntsmen of Atlas. You will answer to the laws of this kingdom."
"We understand,"
Elias lied smoothly.
They walked out of the office. They left the military base. They stood on the bright streets of Atlas.
"That was easy,"
Dee said.
"Yes,"
Elias said.
"Now we have three days to prepare."
"Prepare for what?"
Dee asked.
"We can kill anything in that forest."
"We have to prepare Neo,"
Elias said.
"Oh,"
Dee remembered.
"Right. School."
"Let's find a school,"
Elias said.
They spent the next two hours walking around Atlas. They looked at different buildings.
They finally found a small, quiet school. It wasn't a combat academy.
It was a normal primary school. It had a large playground. Children were running around in the snow.
They were laughing.
"This looks nice,"
Dee said.
They walked into the main office. They talked to the principal. They explained their situation.
"We are taking our Huntsman exams this week,"
Elias told the principal.
*We will have our licenses soon. We want to enroll our daughter."
"Does she have previous schooling?"
The principal asked.
"No,"
Dee said.
She was kept at home.
"That is fine,"
The principal smiled.
"We can test her level. We can put her in the right class."
"She is mute,"
Elias added.
"She doesn't speak."
The principal nodded.
"We have special programs,"
She said,
"She will be fine here."
Elias felt relieved. They took the school forms. They took the elevator back down to Mantle.
They walked back to their apartment. Elias unlocked the door.
Neo was sitting on the sofa. She was watching a cartoon on the old television.
She looked at them when they walked in. Elias sat next to her.
He placed the school papers on the coffee table.
"We found a place,"
Elias said.
Neo looked at the papers. She looked away.
"It is not a bad place,"
Dee sat on her other side.
"It is in Atlas. It is bright and clean. There are other kids."
Neo made a small sign in the air.
"Will you leave me there?"
The words asked.
"Never,"
Elias said firmly.
"You go in the morning. We pick you up in the afternoon. Just like a normal family."
Neo looked at his face. She looked for a lie. She didn't find one.
"We are taking a test too,"
Dee said.
"We have to take a big test to get our jobs. So we will all be doing something new."
Neo touched the papers. She traced the lines with her finger. She made a new illusion.
"Will they laugh at my hair?"
She asked.
"If they do,"
Dee smiled fiercely.
"You tell me..I will bring my hammer."
Elias shook his head.
"No hammers at school,"
Elias said.
Neo smiled a little bit. She nodded her head. She agreed to try. Elias patted her head.
"Good,"
Elias said.
"In three days, everything will change."