Phantom Hunters | Saphir Casters Academy

24 | Too Many Choices

XXIV | TOO MANY CHOICES

    It was the last class of the week, and Kael was seated in the large lecture hall for Darron to start their lesson. He caught a glimpse of Garun's red scarf, but didn't attempt to contact him. He played Garun's threat over and over again in his head, wondering what else the boy was hiding away from the world. He shrugged. It was none of his business, and frankly, he cared too much about his neck to push any further than he already had.

    "I wonder what we're going to do today," Rita said, her voice muffled by her flat cap resting on her face. Her braided pigtails hung like vines as she rested her head on the desk behind her, her chair teetering on its back legs.

    "The test is in four weeks," Wynt said. "Maybe he'll talk about that since we know nothing about it yet."

    Just as Wynt finished his sentence, Darron slammed down a large book on the podium, gaining everyone's attention. Rita let her chair fall forward, her hat dropping to her lap in the process.

    "The Weapons Choosin' Test is in four weeks," he said.

    Wynt grinned and mouthed 'I told you so' to his friends. Kael smiled.

    "Now, I'm gonna tell you kids what to expect. More than a hundred of you are going to be eliminated. Those of you who just pass will be allowed to stay in class. But, there'll be a special class created for the top players of the test that guarantees your success after graduation, an' only thirty of you, max, will be gettin' in."

    This information spurred murmurs among the students.

    "Now, you all got four weeks to prepare. In your next fitness-combat class, you'll be choosing a weapon to practice with. Wooden ones that have the weight an' balance of the ones you'll be usin' in the test. With that, you'll start thinkin' of your sigil core in your weapons and sigils class. I'm sure Maya will be quite happy with that."

    Kael perked up. He'd been dreaming of his own sigil core for years. It was a special thing because students could design it in their own special way and power it with their uthra so their sigil could only respond to them — a sort of signature. Like himself, the other students all seemed to be excited.

    "Quiet down, quiet down," Darron said over the chatter that erupted amongst the students. "Don't get too excited. Only those of you who pass will be able to use your sigil. The rest of you will have to take on an apprenticeship and get a casting license through the guild if you want to use yours. That's why this test is so important, do you understand?"

    The classroom went quiet at the prospect of elimination. No one wanted to go home after working so hard to get into the academy. Their hard determination to do their best electrified the air.

    "Before you start, I want all of you to write — in this form that I will hand out — what element you will choose to cast and what weapon will be your vessel. You have two days to figure it out."

    Darron gathered a pile of papers in his hand and handed it to a student sitting at the front, who jolted from the sudden attention.

    "You, pass this around to the others," Darron said, slamming the pieces on the boy's desk.

    "M-me?" the boy stuttered.

    "No," Darron grumbled. "The big ol' horse sittin' next to you."

    The boy swiveled his neck side to side as if looking for the horse.

    "Of course it's you, you buffoon! Go on! Get on with it."