[Skell]
Enchanted lights flared to life along the dorm ceiling like glinting stars, ripping away the darkness. Morning was here. And with its light, brought Templars.
"Arise, applicants!" Valérie's firm voice took ahold of the room as she entered, almost taking the doorframe with her.
From behind her hunched Merriline - a mouse alongside a mammoth. "Yeahhh," she yawned, "up and at 'em…"
I shot up quicker than the rest of the crusty-eyed applicants. It's just these two?
The Warden's gaze flicked to her partner's for a half-second. "At least appear attentive," she whispered.
The Paladin rubbed half-shut eyes, replying with none of her partner's quiet. "But I didn't get any sleep last night…"
Valérie stifled a sigh. "As with yesterday, presence within the commons is mandatory for briefing on today's Sacred Ordeal. You have five minutes. And one more thing."
Her eyes narrowed. "Leave your weapons behind."
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"Now that everyone is gathered," the Warden stood rigid in the center of the commons, "there is one matter to note before we discuss the Second Ordeal."
Bodies bristled ahead of me at the Second Ordeal's mere mention. Not that I was unconcerned with what was in store, myself, but something else sank its teeth into my mind ever since yesterday: Karthwyn. Unlife had a way of piling problems on top of problems.
Though, just this once, it had the mercy to lighten the load.
Valérie went on. "As you may have noticed, Commandant Karthwyn - overseer of this year's Sacred Ordeals - is not present today."
I uncrossed my fingers. Yes! Get gone, old man! The further you are from the Ordeals, the less you can stick your metal arms in my way!
"He's like, super busy right now," Merriline added, the two of them flanked by several other Paladins and Wardens. "Commandant business is demanding business, he always tells me."
"Not even we are aware of when he shall return," admitted the Warden, "but that is of no concern. Whilst he manages the Sacred Ordeals as a whole, the First and Second are supervised by I and Merriline respectively. Meaning today's events will not only occur unhindered, but-"
"I'm in charge~" Merriline smiled, even drowsiness failing to dampen her spirits.
Never thought the day would come where I'm the only one in the room as giddy as Merriline…
"To start with," the Paladin presented a metallic finger, "the Second Ordeal's bad! I felt sick contributing to its making."
"Truly?" questioned a male applicant with about ten bags under each eye. "Worse than the first!?"
"Worst of them all," Merriline corrected with a serious nod. "Even I'd have trouble with this one."
Abyss, if what's she's saying is true, now isn't the time to celebrate. Even if Karthwyn's missing, the First Ordeal nearly killed me more than once. Whatever fresh torment they have planned, I can't underestimate it.
"Even a Paladin?" some applicants murmured.
"But they didn't allow us to bring weapons?" asked others. "How shall we compete?"
Merriline continued. "As much as I'd like to answer more of your questions, the faster we wrap this up, the faster I can get back to bed. So. The Second Ordeal is… a test."
A… huh?
Cirian arched a white brow. "I fear… that doesn't quite tell us much,"
"Abyss," Ra'Kol scratched at his neck-fur, "an ordeal and a test are pretty much the same thing, ain't they?"
A vein bulged on Valérie's otherwise stoic face. "A written test. Suffice to say, my hand in the design was far more prominent than my partner's."
Reactions to this varied greatly.
Disappointment flipped Soleil's eager grin. Nothing was more fun to her or encouraged here than bombing undead. Bombing tests didn't quite tick those boxes.
Hyland was as cocky as ever - if noticeably still bitter from yesterday. Figures he'd be confident, though. Who'd have an easier time passing a test to join the Order than someone with "Templar" on their résumé?
Determination crossed Niles' face. But something else haunted its shadow. Unsureness? Did he ever even get an education?
Yamui couldn't even be bothered to look the Templars' direction. His eyes gazed into the distance, as if listening instead to the noise of a far-off world.
As for me? Well, I needed more information before I could gauge how screwed I was. An illusory sigh of relief left me when I heard the Second Ordeal wasn't another life-or-death melee. But that didn't mean my odds were any higher. After all…
"We haven't been given a chance to study," I objected. "Aren't tests usually meant to be prepared for?"
All eyes spun back to mine - a sensation I was quickly adjusting to.
"You have prepared for this," Valérie corrected. "Your entire life. What you shall be faced with is not the specialized knowledge Templars are taught, but the baseline understanding required to become one."
"That's right, dark mage," Ra'Kol sneered, fully convinced I'd fail on principle.
Gotta be real thick-headed to talk big after last night. I glared.
"But, um, Paladin Merriline?" stammered the spectacled applicant, her hair tied neatly into a black bun. "If it's just a test… why make it sound so fearsome?"
"Because it is!" chills seized the Paladin. "I can bop a monster with my hammer any way I like, but a test? So many questions. So many ways to answer, but there's only one right answer…" she shook away her jitters, seemingly remembering the test-takers were us and not her. "Anyway, the rules and what exactly you'll be tested on will be explained by moi after we get everyone seated in the Second Ordeal's chamber. Follow along."
Her, Valérie, and the other Templars then turned to cross the commons, heading to the doors beside the First Ordeal's. Both entrances were identical, including the intricate glyphs that locked them tight. Our group followed behind. In the shuffling of bodies, I sidled my way to Soleil. Turns out she had the same idea.
"Morning," I faked a yawn. "How's the arm?"
Soleil met me behind the crowd. "Still on about that little ol' scratch?" she raised the arm Ra'Kol wounded. "See? It's ancient history."
Scabbed slits ran across her otherwise healthy skin. Further along than natural healing would've done overnight, but any skilled healer would've cleared it by now.
"…More like current events," I grumbled. "I knew you should've let Merriline heal you. That's gonna take days to clear up."
"Callin' me a second-rate healer?" she pretended to be offended. "That's 'cause I am. Point's to skip the part where I bleed out and die - not look all pretty and dainty."
"Fair enough. Honestly, I'm shocked you're not a third-rate healer - or that you can heal at all. Light magic's all about structure and order. You, ah… don't strike me as the type."
"Neither do you," she snickered, "but that's what you'll be learnin' as a Templar."
That's what you think. After I nab my title, I'm learning how to reverse undeath and bolting from the Citadel like a thief in the night. No time for light magic lessons.
"But ya got a point," she continued. "Fire's always been my perfect match, not light. Hard for a gal like me to run out of passion to fuel my flames."
"Passion?"
Now that I think on it, I know what powers light and dark magic: emotionlessness and negative emotion. Amara and personal experience taught me that much. The other six, though? Mysteries. But if Soleil isn't just blowing hot air-
A cyan glow drew my sight: the reaction between Merriline's trigger crystal and the glyphs upon the Second Ordeal's doors.
"Dunno if there's anymore time for chattin'" noted Soleil. "The stage's callin' our names."
"Right," I agreed. "We've got an Ordeal to ace."
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"Next up, Skell Valzo!" called Merriline from ahead.
I left the stares and glares of the half-sized group of applicants at the door, delving further into the Second Ordeal's overlong chamber. Though I wouldn't so much call it a chamber, as a lecture hall.
Broad table after broad wooden table stretched from one reflective glass wall to the next, ink pots and quills placed evenly between chairs unmistakably of the Order's lavish design, while stiff and angular enough to keep any applicants from getting too comfortable.
Under countless too-bright magical lights I found my assigned row and dropped into the second-to-last chair. To my left was the woman whose name was called before mine: Ryzza, the raven-haired woman from earlier with the roundish glasses.
I potentially owed her my unlife. Because if she weren't there, I'd be sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Ra'Kol. Based on the dirty looks he shot at me - and that I returned twofold - I wouldn't put it past the man to reach over and rip out my spine mid-test. Though I'd imagine he'd be a lot more livid with-
"Soleil LaDeux," Merriline yawned at a sheet of paper.
As expected, the minstrel strolled up to her seat like her literal future wasn't at stake, leaning back into the final chair at my right and teetering its legs onto the verge of falling.
More names blew by in alphabetical order. Eventually the Paladin ironically breached the "Z's", and as the last woman tucked a skirt and seated herself, all our eyes looked expectantly to the retinue of Templars assembled at the front of the chamber.
"Now, to get into the meat of things." Merriline tweaked her tone, as if slipping into a speech pre-written by someone else. "You will be presented with a written test involving several subjects highly relevant to our Order and its endeavors. These include: combat and strategy, geography, Lumeritan history, mathematics, language, deductive reasoning, aaaand anatomy."
Shade, I palmed my forehead, knew I should've studied anatomy.
The Paladin continued. "This test is graded on a scale of two hundred questions. You'll have four hours to finish. And a score of one hundred and sixty or higher counts as a passing grade."
"Two-hundred!?" Ra'Kol's outburst made Ryzza jump and her glasses sink. "You're tellin' me it takes that much to tell if someone's built to be a Templar?"
Niles flicked an impatient quill between gloved fingers. "Fur's got a point. Can't we just run laps or something?"
Valérie's gaze made the whole room shrink. "Mind your tongues. Merriline is kindly explaining the rules, not imploring debate. You may take umbrage outside the Citadel if you so desire."
That shut them, and any other complainers, right up.
"Val's right!" Merriline slapped gauntlets onto her armored hips. "Silence is rule one of this Ordeal. Just like when casting, it's hard to focus if all you hear is blabbing."
I frowned. Guess I was naive to hope Soleil and I might be able to trade answers.
"Rule two:" she explained, "No cheating. Glance at other papers, pass signals, or use arts of any kind, and I'm sorry, but you'll be blown out of the Sacred Ordeals faster than you can blink. But that's all for the rules. Be quiet and be honest. Sounds sorta like you, Val."
"I suppose." The Warden watched as Merriline gave the other Templars a spunky nod - themselves holding several stacks of paper in their gauntlets - then turned back to us. "As you undertake testing, be aware that you will be watched closely for signs of cheating."
My eyes flicked from one approaching Templar to the next as they handed out papers along the rows ahead of me. So that's why they brought these guys. Four eyes is better than two - but bring twenty, and there's nothing you won't miss.
"However, I would like to assuage any fears over undue suspicion," Valérie added. "To ensure maximum fairness, we have chosen some of our most trusted Templars to employ impartiality. Nationality, sex, age, social class - nothing barring a clear example of cheating will trigger ejection from this Sacred Ordeal."
I peered at the Paladin marching down my row, neatly sliding tests under each of our tense eyes. Grey-haired and shorter than most, the man's wrinkles and austere gaze gave the impression of a dutiful veteran willing to put his duty over any personal views.
Here's hoping he'll do the same for a dark mage.
Merriline stepped forward. "Looks like everyone's received their test. You'll have a minute to ready up - but no writing until then. When you finish, raise a hand and we'll scoop up your tests. Best of luck, guys!"
Only a minute?
I looked down at my test: a tidy bundle of papers with questions of all types crammed between the four corners. The beginning of the first page read:
Second Sacred Ordeal Examination
Applicant: Skell Valzo
Section 1: Geography
Question 1: You are sent on an assignment to the city of Grand Lumina. List at least seven cities, towns, or settlements that you would have to reside in to reach the city in under five days without the aid of a steed. Assume the weather is clear. Factor in the terrain of each area. Show your work.
This…
This is terrible…
Fingers clutched my hair tight; sweat formed at my forehead in record-time.
What kind of questions are these!?
—————————————————————————————————
"Okay everyone!" Merriline announced, "We're starting in three!"
I…
"Two!"
Am…
"One!"
Screwed…
"Go! Begin! Commence!"
Instant scribbling and the shuffling of papers surrounded me. I didn't dare peer anywhere but down - I couldn't even risk looking like I was cheating. Nope, instead I was numb, wide eyes glued to the first paper.
But more than one question stared back at me from the page. After checking what came next, I realized that most geography questions came with less bite. Not that simpler questions would save me.
Memories and common knowledge were two separate things. I had basically none of the first, but a solid amount of the second. Yet anytime I tried to think up the layout of Lumerit, I'd come up with nada. Any half-educated Lumeritan would have an easy time with most of what the test asked. But not me. And even with the little I did know… I was never all that great with navigation. If not for Oliver, I'd probably have accidentally walked off the side of the world by now.
So I was faced with a hard choice: sweat over questions I wasn't equipped to answer… or skip ahead. Moving on felt like giving up - but I'd come back to them. I just needed a few easy victories to get the ball rolling. And after switching papers, that's just what I found.
Section 2: Language
Now, I was no bibliomaniac of high literature; neither had I a penchant for bouts of grandiloquence - but I damn well knew what "obey" and "superior" meant. And really, the section didn't ask much more than that.
Question 16: Which of these words is nearest in meaning to the word assignment?
A: Pastime
B: Hike
C: Task
D: Message
Teeth peeked under my smile. That's all you've got? I can do this blindfolded.
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"Three hours left!" Merriline called.
Moments later, my pencil circled the last answer of the section. Syntax, vocabulary, grammar, nomenclature, and more - all pieces of metaphorical cake. Maybe I was good at more than cooking and decaying things after all?
My pride was quickly crippled when I flipped to the next section.
Math.
Whatever I was in my past life, it couldn't have been further from a mathematician. I flit from question to question, searching for a foothold, something easy, approachable. But it wasn't that the questions were impossible. It was me.
Abyss. About halfway through, and I only feel confident about one section of three? I flipped to the next: anatomy. …Scratch that. One of four. If I keep getting tripped up, keep struggling… I'll fail. What should I do? What can I do?
As I wracked my skull trying to produce a miracle, another, rogue thought made an appearance.
What if I cheated?
I almost shook my head in disagreement. Cheating would be the quickest ticket out of the Ordeals, but even so… the thought made itself at home. And during it's stay, it made some pretty solid arguments.
Morality-wise, I couldn't care less. The secrets to resurrection were on the line; I wouldn't turn my nose up at, let's say, borrowing a few scraps of everyday knowledge. No, it was the Templars. From every angle they watched us with gazes that only stopped to blink. Under these bright lights and between reflective walls, there wasn't the smallest shadow, not the slightest room for plausible deniability. Even if I could sneak some answers from another applicant's test, whatever I'd get would never offset the risk. And that's assuming their answer was correct.
Nope. Won't work. I'll… I'll just have to brave my way through this test with my knowledge alone.
Even with amnesia working against me.
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A potshot here. A potshot there. That's how I stumbled through the math and anatomy sections.
Simple multiplication and questions like "where on the body is the femur?" were all I could answer comfortably. Better than nothing, and helped by the deductive reasoning section being relatively easy, but as I journeyed to the final section, unanswered questions started to build like a pile of unpaid debts.
Section 7: Combat and Strategy
Apprehensively, I read the first question: Name three vulnerable sections on a typical suit of plate armor.
I mean really, how am I ever gonna… wait, I know this. Amara taught me this.
And not just that. Questions about footwork, power and mind arts, the pros and cons of various weapons, how to approach certain combat situations - anywhere the section took me, I tread confidently, steps guided by my teacher's hand, silent appreciation left in my wake. But I couldn't be left feeling up for too long.
"One more hour, everybody!" called Merriline. "Chop chop!"
Only an hour left! Already?
I balled a fist, nearly balling up my paper in the process. I'd spent too long agonizing over questions I couldn't answer; time crept up on me. The bulk of three more sections waited for me.
A frown pinched my face and I closed my eyes, hands slipping the very first page back on top. When they opened, I hoped a sudden spur of knowledge would strike me and I'd blaze through every question like they'd been simple the whole time.
But there was no vital missing piece. No greater understanding. The impossible became no more surmountable when I stared at that same complicated geography question.
Seven sections. If I bungle these three, I fail. But how can I come up with the answers?
My eyes wandered, frustrated. Just for a moment.
"You!" roared a female Warden at my right. "Do not think your cheating has gone unnoticed!"
Wh-what!? I-
Corner of my eye, the woman closed in, passing multiple rows to barge down mine. Explanations and justifications near-blurted from my mouth in preparation, but I knew how unwavering a Templar's ire could be. I could only strap my eyes to my test and hope.
Her wide frame shadowed mine. Paused a moment.
Then continued past me and Ryzza. If I had lungs, they would've been blue with breathlessness.
From outside my eye's focus, I caught the indistinct form of the Warden slamming a gauntlet on an applicant's test - jolting them from a still position.
"Quint, eh?" she asked the trembling yellow-haired applicant. "Thieving knowledge from hard-working men and women is not befitting of one who carries the mantle of Templar. You are disqualified!" She snatched his arm and yanked the man up from his chair like a toy.
"Wait, no!" Quint begged. "I wasn't cheating, I promise! Ah, I know what happened - something was stuck in my eye, and-"
"Silence! Pleading and whimpering only buys you more shame. Save yourself any further decline in dignity and come silently."
They left the edges of my sight, footsteps and desperate, muffled sniveling growing quieter until a door slammed behind us all, reverberating throughout the room.
That… that was insane. For a second there… I threw away the thought. No. No, I can't let what happened to that Quint guy scare me off. It's either cheat or fail. Which means… I've only got one option. But I need some way to avoid getting caught like him. I can't let some papers stop me when a horde of undead couldn't!
But solving an impossible conundrum was even harder under the stares of the Order, within the confined corners of my sight, and in front of the same questions I couldn't crack. I needed time - space - to think. To step away from the test and brainstorm. That brought me to a certain, admittedly crappy idea.
My hand shot into the air. "Can I use the bathroom?"
"Certainly not."
"Sure!"
Valérie and Merriline shot to each other.
The Warden spoke first. "The lavatory will be available after the Sacred Ordeals end, Merriline."
"But what if he really has to go?" replied the Paladin. "The test takes forever. Making someone hold their pee for that long would be a fate I wouldn't wish upon our worst enemy! Plus, it's not like it's against any rules."
"…I cannot believe I am entertaining this conversation. Hear me," Valérie lowered her voice to a whisper only Merriline - and I - could catch," we allow every applicant to run to the lavatory whenever they wish, and what prevents them from cheating?
"Hmm. Good point… Oh, what if we just let them go one at a time!?"
"Truly, Merriline? Such a simple-minded… hold a moment, perhaps that idea is of better make than your typical standard."
"Excuse me?"
"Very well," continued Valérie. "Skell, you may use the lavatory. Albeit with limitations. We expect your return in five minutes."
Internally I jumped for joy. Externally I slowly rose from my seat. "Thank-"
"Keep your eyes up and away from the tests of the other applicants," her gaze sharpened. "And do not leave us another mess to clean in the lavatory. We still have not found the time to repair the last."
…you.
I gave her a nod, and turned around, squeezing between Soleil and the row behind us, eyes hanging carefully where the Templars could see them. But as I stopped before the door outside the Second Ordeal, I wondered to myself…
What am I gonna do once I get there?