Interrupting her examinations, one of the Imperial Soldiers who stood watch at the door called out to her and directed her towards a small outcropping. Each of the Soldiers, watching and giving commands to ensure everyone went into the holding area to wait until all of the prospects had arrived. The guard stated that once all of the candidates arrived, they would receive their additional orders.
Abby, not one to waste time and opportunity, used the window to dust herself off and try to smooth out the wrinkles from her Academy Cadet uniform. By most indicators, there would few prospects testing during the Solstice. Without a large group, to compete against, it would be more challenging to stand out on merits. In the absence of rigorous competition, Abby planned to use every chance afford to stand out and every opportunity to make a better impression. She had to, if she appeared exceptional, maybe the Proctors would believe it.
Once all the rest of the candidates arrived, one of the soldiers came over and directed each of them into individual holding cells. Every prospect was instructed to wait in place until one of the guards came to fetch them. The intent was to keep candidates from observing or hearing aspects of the testing. In this way, the Academy had long sought to prevent candidates from gaining any sort of advantage.
Outside of the holding area, the two guards watched. Making sure decorum and standards were obeyed by all of the prospects. None of the candidates were allowed to try to talk to each other from between the cells. The expectations and rules had been clearly set. All of the candidates were expected to sit in silence and wait in a pensive reflection of the upcoming test.
Abby watched through the doorway as time passed. One by one, each of her peers was removed from the holding area by one of the guards until finally, it was her turn. Whether any of the others passed or failed, Abby had no idea. Each of the candidates had been told beforehand they would be held over until everyone had completed testing. Then they would be released through the faculty entrance and corridor.
When it was finally Abby’s turn to be tested, hours had gone by. The previous confidence she had tried to exude had managed to wane as she grew tired with the passing of the day. Her turn coming after she was positive that she couldn’t wait any longer. One of the guards approached the holding cell she was being kept in. The guard instructed her to leave the holding area and wait outside the stone doorway of the Elemental Dungeon for further instruction. Without delay, Abby did as she had been told, her arms and hands cold from having been kept in one spot for so long.
A short time later, Abby was surprised to see a smaller door open near the dungeon entrance. She tried not to smile as she saw who was the stand-in for her grandfather, the Master Mage Hedrick. Her grandfather Porthos, as Headmaster of the Academy, was forced by law to recuse himself from testing.
Unlike during the many day time lectures she had attended with Master Hedrick, the man now adopted a stoic mask of unbiased judgment. That stoicism he showed was a responsibility inherent in the role. Abby, knowing that even now she was under inspection, straightened up, aiming to appear both polished and posed.
She dipped low in a professional curtsy to the Master Mage. "Master Hedrick, good evening," as was Imperial custom. Having been acknowledged, Master Hedrick returned the curtsy with a bow of his own, completing the chain of authority.
Clearing his throat, the Master Mage spoke up. "Listen closely, Miss Ruthiare; the rest of the Proctors are almost ready for you to begin. When I go back through the door, count to 30 and knock on the double door. Wait to be acknowledged and then enter. Be bold. Be brave. This is not a time to be timid. Good luck, and remember what we have strived to teach you, and you will do well on this day."
Abby nodded her head in appreciation and thought she saw a faint smile of pride on Master Hedrick's face before he turned and walked away. His shuffling robes were making a dragging sound behind him. Quickly he disappeared back through the door from whence he had come. With a click, the door locked behind him. In her mind, Abby began counting to 30, taking even measured breathes as she did what she could to dismiss her nerves and banish them to the back of her mind.
After the 30 seconds had passed, Abby walked up to the door, knocking as hard as she felt was right, a knock that was almost a pound but not entirely. It hurt, leaving her hand aching and an angry red color. When she had done this three times to announce her presence, she heard a command come from the other side of the door, instructing her to enter.
With both hands, Abby grabbed on to the oversized door knocker of the dungeon door. Though no matter how much she pulled, the door refused to move. Abby groaned in frustrated realization as the door began to glow a goldish color.
She saw the metal door knocker had connecting grooves that fed into channels carved throughout the stone door. The goldish glow Abby observed denoted an enchantment affiliated with the magical school of the Earth. An elemental magic of which she had neither the aptitude or ability to manipulate. Had she been affiliated, she could have simply flooded the door with Earth mana to fuel the enchantment, and the door would move aside with ease. But that was not an option for her. When it came to elemental magic, Abby had none to access. She knew she would need to take a different path out of necessity.
Though Abby had been described as both a fighter and scraper by those who loved her, neither of those qualifiers helped her to move the massive weight. Flustered, she put both of her hands on the knocker, spreading her legs in a weight lifting stance, ensuring she centered her hips and pulled again, this time straining as the muscles tired and bones creaked. This time the door moved slightly, but Abby could not pass through it.
Abby refused to quit. Angry and furious with the stupidity of the door. She refused to lose and fail this early into the test. She just needed to think smarter and amplify the power she was already exerting. This was not a genius solution but a common sense one.
With one option remaining to her, Abby accessed the innate power that all Engineers and prospects possessed. One of a handful of abilities that separated them from every other magic-user. The ability to create by breaking down things to find the usable parts to reform and manipulate them as needed. An ability independent of any school of magic an Engineer may become affiliated with.
Abby raised her hand over the earth beneath her, magically shifting through it at an incredible pace. Looking through her mind’s eye at the layers of rock and matter, dissembling it with mana into raw material. From the material she had disassembled, she began to craft as an idea took hold in her mind. With no further prompting, she began to create. Elongating and molding the raw material into the form of a digging bar, a tool she had seen some of the peasants around the Academy using.
The iron bar dropped to the ground, new to the existence, and perfectly unblemished as Abby finished her work. Summoning braces on her arms made of root components she had found. Created so she could save yourself from the strain and work without worry of self-harm. With a grunt, Abby picked up the digging bar and shoved the tip of the bar through the small opening in the door and pushed.
Even then, with the braces and the digging bar, Abby strained her body and tired her muscles, but overall she was encouraged by her efforts as the door slowly began to grind against the ground, moving forward. She had found a solution. She would not fail here. When the door was opened far enough for her to pass through it safely, she did
so. Jumping through the opening as fast as she could muster, fearing that it would close on in, rather than just close behind her.
The door slammed shut immediately after Abby passed through it, leaving her in perfect darkness on the other side. The darkness completely obscuring her vision, except for a white glowing circle on the ground a few feet in front of her. Understanding the prompt for what it is, Abby approached the circle. Stepping into it, and when she did, Abby could see a group of cloaked and covered figures ringed around her, observing from elevated posts.
"You have passed the first test prospect." Shouted the cloaked figure in front of her, a voice she did not recognize that carried a unique aura of authority, a voice she believed to belong to the head Proctors. "Announce yourself."
Chapter 4: The Trial of the Wind
At the command of the Head Proctor, Abby stood up straight. Standing as tall as she could before the assembly before responding to introducing herself. Her voice was loud, with pride in her heritage and pride in her roots. Many of the proctors that could be seen by the sparse illumination of the white circle nodded in approval as she began to speak.
"Honored Proctors, my name is Abigail Ruthiare, a 4th-year cadet of the Mason’s Academy, daughter of Marie Ruthiare and the Silver-blood Micah of the Silverhand. Granddaughter of the Silver-blood Porthos, the current Headmaster of the Masons Academy. I come before you today seeking to become an Engineer so that I may serve the Empire faithfully, just as my family before me has. Their legacy is mine to fulfill" With a crisp snap, Abby stopped speaking and looked straight ahead, keeping her upturned and level with the ground.
"Well said and well-met daughter of Micah." Responded the head of the Proctors in encouragement, a smile could be seen from beneath the man’s hood. His voice was comforting and encouraging, even as the remaining Proctors within the shadows whispered among themselves. Some with murmurs of approving admiration, others, barely a minority, muttered with hostile undertones. Abby knew better than to bristle at the apparent antagonism.
"Take a moment, daughter of Micah," Said the Head Proctor as he stared directly at the girl, his voice tinged with some concern. Turning towards his peers throughout the room after to glare for breaking decorum. "Take a moment to collect yourself before proceeding through the door on your left. The second test you will face will be in the room of the Wind. Upon completion, the next testing room will open. You will continue on the testing circuit until finishing back in this room were you will be directly administered by us your final test. It is based solely on our judgment if you pass or fail a test. If we believe you are to take critical damage, you will be transported directly back here to this room. Likewise, if you quit, simply say so, and you will be transported directly back here and fail. I trust you will not fail."
"Now, my fellows." Commanded the Head of the Proctors. "Prepare the Dungeon offering so that this girl may proceed." With the quick motion of an unseen blade, Abby watched as the man in front of her split his hand open at the palm. A few drops of blood falling to the ground before being absorbed by the Dungeon. Though she couldn’t see many of the other Proctors, Abby heard all of them following the example of the Head Proctor.
A deep contented growling sound reverberated throughout the chamber. Abby couldn’t help but flinch. Is that the dungeon? The Head Proctor then announced, "You are now free to enter."
Abby nodded in appreciation, doing a curtsey before the Head Proctor with respect and gratitude. She turned to her left and then to her right, repeating the same bow, making sure that every Proctor was respectfully acknowledged. Decorum did not discriminate based on grudges. Regardless of whom was her friend or enemy within the Proctors, an easy way to make future trouble was through real or perceived slights. Concerns just as easily avoided with a show of respect.
When Abby had finished paying her respects, a stone door slid open to her left. The sound of the stone grinding against stone making her wince. A rare break of decorum, one of which she hoped no one noticed and that those who did would forgive her for it. The door in front of her lit up in gold, an enchantment born of the school of the Earth.
Without looking back, Abby did an abrupt 90 degree left turn and walked out of the room with carefully measured steps. Knowing as she did that, every single step she took and every move she made was being examined. Abby had to be careful in her precision, needing to ensure that none of the proctors could find any blatant way to criticize her professionalism. This test might be judged remotely by the Proctors, but the consequences of how she performed would be long-reaching and would decide the life-course of her career with the Empire.
When Abby stepped through the stone door, she found herself at the end of a long, though narrow hallway. The door shutting behind her shortly after she stepped through it. The floor of the room was dusty. The source seemed to be from the recently chipped and pulverized rocks Abby could see. The floor's surface had been marred from the previous testers who had gone before her. In places, she could see puddles of water and black soot from fire with large segments of roughly carved channels on the floor.
Even as she looked, Abby was surprised as the room began to change before her eyes. Evening out the floor and resetting itself. Within seconds any sign of damage was gone. The room returned to pristine condition. This must be the dungeons doing.
Inwardly, Abby felt trepidation and worry. The root of her concern was based on her seeing that those who had come before her had all likely all had to use their elemental abilities. Abby couldn’t help but wonder how she would respond to the current task. Just like with the school of the Earth, Abby had no affiliation or aptitude with the school of the Wind. So far, much to her chagrin and the sorrow of her grandfather, she had been unsuccessful in binding any of the elemental schools to her to supplement her powers.
After she had taken a moment to look around, the theme of the room appeared obvious and predictable enough to her. Abby figured that with a long tunnel-shaped room such as this and in a room affiliated with the school of the Wind, it would likely feature a wind or air-based problem to solve. Either the wind would blow, preventing her passage, or the air would be vented out of the room. So long as it was the former, Abby believed she would ultimately be successful. So long as fully embraced, the mantra of never quit, a mantra that the Empire tried to instill in all of those who serve.
Abby waited just a moment to see if she could find any distinct sort of trigger mechanism or trap to start the trial before venturing away from the doorway. Eventually, she gave up, considering the matter out of her hands before walking forward in a low crouch, trying to keep her profile low and centered, worried about losing her balance.
The response was quick in coming. Abby knew she had guessed right about the nature of the room when she felt a warm breeze upon her face. The pressure against her face was increasing rapidly as her hair began to flair in the wind, gradually and exponentially growing in its force. Within mere seconds going from something pleasant to something that made Abby second guess her ability to endure and succeed in this test. As the wind began to bow her over, Abby fell on her hands and knees, trying to brace herself against the ground by keeping her center of gravity low. She failed.
With violent energy, the sheer power of the wind began to force her backward, sliding on her belly against the ground. Even as she dug into the dirt with her fingers, screaming in defiance as she tried to resist. If the gale heard, it didn’t care as she was lifted her up onto her feet, and Abby was blown backward, flying through the air with a scream muffled by the wind before crashing into the wall next to the doorway by the entrance with an unpleasant thud.
Abby’s mind filled with red-hot anger as the stone wall slapped against the flat of her back, sending waves of pain throughout her body. Whatever thought she had of giving up a minute ago vanished. So long as she was breathing and conscious, she would never quit. Her journey would not end here.
Abby grimaced as her hands slapped on the ground, grinding her teeth as
she pushed the pain down into herself and pulled herself up. She would not give anyone any extra reason to say she didn’t belong, to say she didn’t deserve to be an Engineer. Pushing the negative thoughts to the back of her mind. Choking back a scream of expletives that she desperately wanted to voice but would not.
As the wind beat down on her, Abby counted the number of seconds she was pinned against the wall. For thirty miserable and horrible seconds, she was stuck where she was at. The cold of the wind stripping warmth from her bones until, finally, the wind dissipated, allowing her to drop on the ground exhausted.
"Is it on a timer?" She muttered to herself. Reasoning and wondering if the wind was trigger-based or timer activated. There would be only one way for her to find out as she sprinted forward, seeing the marks on the ground where she had fallen on her hands and knees. Uncomfortably cringing as she saw the nail marks in the dust, telling the story of how she had struggled and been dragged by the wind despite her efforts and protest.
Abby pushed forward, not hesitating, moving as fast as she could. The wind would kick back up soon, and she was sure of that. It was an undeniable fact. But first, she wanted, needed to know how far she could get before the wind began to blow again. So she ran forward toward the exit. By focusing on moving quickly, rather than creeping along, Abby was about to get almost two-thirds of the way down the hallway before the wind kicked back up. "Yep, timer-based." She told herself.
However, just because it was expected didn’t mean she had to accept what was coming. Abby was no fan of pain and no glutton for punishment. Rather than let the wind pick her up and toss her aside around, rather than ultimately slamming against the wall, she turned. Abby turned and ran with the wind rather than against the strength of the Wind.
Arcane Engineer Page 2
