What if, at 14, you and every teen your age, are called to enter the Warden Academy to learn the basics of warriorhood, wizardry, and watchery? Would you go for it?
Tierra, who finally decides to enroll, soon finds out it won't be a walk in the p...
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"Run, Klowil!!" Tierra shouted, as she looked at the chrysolite in her hand.
"I c-can't. I sprained my ankle!"
Braaawrg!!
Tierra sprinted to her and placed her arm on her shoulder as three frenzied monsters appeared on the far corner. Their pseudopods bumping into each other making squishy disgusting sounds.
"Throw it! Throw it!" Klowil ordered.
"Hold on-"
"Let me have it!" And Klowil tossed the chrysolite to the monsters missing only by an inch. "Nooo!"
Braawrg!! The creatures pushed past each other along the narrow hallway. Tierra could feel her ears ringing from the screams.
"They're stuck! Hurry, Tierra!" Klowil shouted as they tried to run together to a corner. Fortunately, they found another untouched cluster of gems. Klowil pushed free from Tierra, making the Tierra tumble to the side.
Braawrgg! roared one as it came into view. Klowil jumped towards the cluster grabbing the five enchanted gems. She slipped one to the floor, but managed to hit the incoming blob. It shrieked in pain before evaporating. But another one popped up, murder in its eyes. Braawrg!! She hurled a stone to it, but the creature managed to avoid the gem. "What? It avoided! Ugh, I can't do this, Tierra!" and Klowil flung the two remaining gems to the princess as she ran to another hallway, leaving Tierra behind to catch the stones.
Two monsters were now running towards Tierra as she tried to stand up. One, two- she positioned a pitch, but Keelip appeared from a corner and crashed into her. The gems fell to the floor and dispersed into thin air.
"S-sorry, I just heard my sister-"
Braaawrg!!
"Aaagghh!"
--
The academics were frozen in their seats. Some of the boys were scratching their heads.
--
"It's okay, it won't come near us-" Tierra managed but Keelip was screaming her lungs out as two ravenous monsters plunged towards her. BraaaBraaawrg!! One sprung from the ground ready to devour the sephyrian.
Psssss.
And in a blink of an eye, the maze walls melted in the air, along with the demented creatures just a few feet away from Keelip. She fainted in shock.
Tierra breathed out as if for the first time in minutes. She rolled to her side, exhausted.
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Miss Fiaughn appeared from the meet up center as she walked towards Tierra and a fallen Keelip, the sand walls dissipating. To her back were Maizy whose hands were in her mouth, Salovin gasping for air, Jerille pompously squatting on the floor, and Klowil whose eyes evaded hers. The three of them, except the latter twin had 25s on their head. Keelip on the ground had 21. Klowil with 13. And Tierra, 5.
But it was towards Tierra that Miss Fiaughn was approaching, clapping her hands. The preceptor held out a hand to pull Tierra up. Maizy ran towards her friend.
"T-tierra, are you ok-kay?" Maizy asked, worry in her voice, as Tierra let herself be hauled up.
As she stood up, Miss Fiaughn patted the princess' back. The caster preceptor flicked her fingers and tiny water droplets fell onto Keelip's face. The sephyrian teen awoke groggily. Klowil ran to aide her sister.
Miss Fiaughn smiled, clasped her hands together and abruptly announced, "Class dismissed!"
--
"I failed. I failed miserably," Tierra blurted, tears welling in her eyes, as Karys drew her closer to an embrace. Her friends disagreed in unison. The girls were walking back to their quarters.
"You did because you helped them, Tierra," Karys reasoned, "Even if they were a bunch of incompetent self-centered brats!"
Tierra exhaled. She looked around but all the other academics were busy discussing what just happened.
"Klowil was mad after the test," Serin mentioned.
Karys gestured in irritation, "Yes I can't believe Klowil had the nerve to demand Miss Fiaughn for first aid for her and Keelip. I mean, they should even be imprisoned or something."
"Hush now, Karys. It's okay," Tierra appeased them, wiping her tears, worried some Sephyrians might overhear and cause some conflict. "Besides, Maizy here did a good job after all. Congrats, Maiz!" Tierra tried to smile.
Maizy who was walking silently at the sides, hunched her shoulders, "I'm sorry, Tier. I didn't know you were having a hard time. I didn't hear anything on my side and-"
"No worries, Maiz. It was an individual test," Tierra assured her with a pat on the back. "Although, I did get into some trouble back there because of those two."
"But I think Miss Fiaughn was pleased with what you did, Tierra," Serin responded.
Karys was nodding, "Yes. But that was quite an exit for her leaving us all terrified, if not confused."
Tierra touched her cheek as they entered their quarters. All in all, I'm glad I survived that nightmare.
