The weeks rushed by way too fast, and before anyone realized it, it was time for the exams at the end of the term of their school year. The 4th-year students were in a kind of panic, unable to sleep or properly eat, which was also true for all freshmen. Their anxiety was boosted by the fact they did not know what to expect yet. For example, Keily was surprisingly jumpy and irritable in the past weeks. He dragged Lia along, going to the Library of Rejects so she could help him buy some books that are related to fire magic and was pestering her to go and train daily.
Koadriana, once again, made the decision to make a last-minute effort only, cramming as much knowledge into her brain in the last two days as possible. Raufon did something brilliant, looking at Lia with a flat gaze when she was surprised that he was taking lessons from Ceiline, having her help him understand stuff he was struggling with.
"I'm not THAT stupid, you know." He grumbled, walking up the tower and heading towards Celine's room with a stack of books in his hands.
Sion was not as stressed out as all the 2nd and 3rd-year students had experienced it already, and it was not their last year either… they were surprisingly calm about it. Just like Aurora, who was keeping to her routine, exercising and training her subordinates, getting them ready to form their own sub-groups as if nothing had happened at all.
"Haaaah…" Lia sighed, sitting on the stairs of their tower, wearing her school uniform loosely as it was already really hot, yet they had just stepped into the first month of the summer.
"What is the long face for, girl?" Opparu asked who was just visiting, getting himself familiar with the tower as he is going to be the group's official artificer starting next year.
"Nobody wants to play…." She moaned softly, playing with her twin tails, flapping them with a bored expression. "They are afraid of tomorrow's exams and say they need to rest or revise for the last time! All my classmates are having a huddle in the Library, doing some kind of study group or what! Uuuu… It is so boooooooring!"
"Ahaha! Life is not always fun, girl!" He laughed, watching her. Since the official pardon came through, he was much more friendly and much more open-minded, at least towards the Misfits. "The first and last years are like this! By next time, you will take it much more easily! Or… they will, in this case! After graduating you are going to realize something else too!"
"Like what?" She asked, looking up at him with a curious glance.
"That exams are nothing compared to what life puts you through. I'm not saying that passing or failing them won't have an impact on your life. But no matter what type of impact we are talking about, it can be worked with! Ironed out! The 'tests' life gives you are way harder and their effects are most of the time permanent. When you get as old as me, you will look at school and its tests with fondness. You would give anything to take exams again instead of facing the consequences of your life's choices."
"That was… dark." She answered, standing up and fixing her clothes.
"A bit. But I am old. That does it to you sometimes."
"Want to play?"
"Girl!" Opparu laughed, "You are too young for that!"
"Old pervert!" Lia pouted, pursing her lips, "I wanted to go to town and have some ice cream! Browse some shops!"
"Haaah… okay, okay! Let's go. I also need to buy some stuff for next year. I'll indulge you!"
"Yey! Thanks, Grandpa!" She laughed, grabbing his thin, wrinkled, boney hand and snuggling up to him, freezing Opparu for a moment. He suddenly blushed, sighed, patted her head, and spent the remaining day accompanying Lia everywhere she wished.
…
….
……
For Lia, the following day was just like every other. She woke up, dressed calmly, and after a good breakfast, she went ahead towards where the 1st-year students' test was being held. She was absolutely the last to arrive, before the appointed time of 9 in the morning.
"What?" She yawned softly, holding a cold can of coffee, sipping it, and looking at her friends' weird faces.
"You are awfully calm." Raufon commented, "I envy you."
"I pass if I pass, I fail if I fail. I know what I know, and I know what I don't." She answered, looking around at the rest of her classmates.
"Where did you read it?" Koa asked, knocking on her head.
"Owie! I don't remember! It was in one of the books I browsed in Cici's shop!" She moaned, rubbing her head. "You are all so mean…." Lia pouted, "I'm not talking to you anymore!"
And she really did not. To their surprise, she ignored them even as the exams started. All of them were gathering before a great hall in the left wing of the Academy. They were called by name and led into the hall, one by one. After finishing, usually between 15 minutes and half an hour, they were led out to a different door so those still waiting wouldn't know what happened inside. Not that it mattered, as every test was tailored to the individual, and no two tests were the same.
Inside the hall, all of the Masters of the towers were present, alongside their homeroom teacher, Dayen, and of course, their Headmaster, Lucian. When it was Keily's turn, he had to cast three of his own spells that he created, and Zorgan, the Master of the Tower of Fire, gave him some feedback and tips, evaluating his proficiency. There was no actual grading, but they nodded, acknowledging Keily's advancements in the year compared to how he was when he started.
"Good job." Lucian said in the end, looking into his eyes with a soft smile, "Keep up the good work in your next year!" He waved his hand, and a door opened, signaling to him to leave. Keily respectfully bowed and hurried out with a happy smile, finding himself in a garden at the back of the Academy.
"That wasn't so bad!" He said, taking a deep breath and enjoying the warm sunlight.
"See?" Sion's voice came to him as he was waiting there, clapping him on the shoulders.
"Sion! What about you?" He asked, being the first from the Misfits to be called in.
"Tomorrow is the 2nd-year students, then comes my class. So I've got time."
"Will next year be harder?" Keily asked curiously.
"Yes." He nodded in answer, "They will give you a test related to your weakest trait or study. At least, that happened to me. They will measure if you improved from last year or not."
"Oh…"
"Oh, indeed!" Sion grinned, giving him a carrot juice that he happily opened, sipping on without questions. "Let's wait for the rest!"
It did not take long for others to come out, looking relieved, excited, and surprised. It indeed wasn't so bad that they feared it would be. Soon, almost everybody was there from the Misfits, except Lia. She was now genuinely sulking, being left waiting with the rest of her class, wanting to get over it already. When it was finally her turn, she walked in hurriedly and expectantly, looking at the teachers, forming an unmistakable grin when locking eyes with her elder brother. Yet that grin was wiped off her face as soon as he spoke up.
"You can go." He pointed at the other door. "We won't test you."
"What?!" She gawked, watching Dayen first, then the rest of the Masters, and finally, locking her mismatched eyes onto Lucian, who just sat there, smiling.
"As I said," Lauron leaned forward with a kind smile. "You can go. No exams for you."
"Eh? But-!" She blinked her eyes so fast she started to feel dizzy. "No!" Her shout came suddenly as she pouted, crossed her arms, sitting down in front of them. "I'm not going!"
"Lia… Don't make a scene." Lauron warned, his voice becoming stricter as he stood up.
"No!" She protested against him forcefully, spitting fire from her glowing eyes. "I want to be tested like everyone else! Hmph! I won't leave! No!"
"Lia!"
"NO!" She doubled and tripled down, becoming stubborn like a mule, huffing and puffing.
"You are an Amarin." Lucian opened his mouth, leaning forward, his white ears twitching slightly, "You don't have to take tests here."
"Hmph! No! I am TAKING exams! Ask me anything! I'm ready! Hmph, hmph!"
"What's your name?" Lucian asked.
"Lia Amarin." She answered by reflex, confused, looking at him weirdly.
"Done! You passed; now go!" Lucian laughed, waving his hand.
At this, Lia suddenly turned bright red, flames flaring up from the top of her head, literally.
"NO! That was stupid! You are stupid! I'm not going!" She threw a tantrum, shocking some of the teachers that she dared to call Lucian stupid, but then everyone chuckled and looked at each other. Now Lia became even more confused. All of them were laughing, and even her brother leaned back with a proud 'I told you so' look on his face.
"You have passed," Lucian said after calming their laughter.
"Eh?" Lia flinched, tilting her head. Now she was so confused she felt lost, pinching herself if she was still asleep and dreaming or not.
"We were testing your will. Your integrity!" Lauron said, watching her sister kindly, "If you accepted the offer that you don't need tests, you would have failed."
"So you passed. This time, truly." Lucian snapped his fingers as the door opened, letting in the music of chirping birds.
"But… spells and… stuff." Lia stuttered, standing up with shaky legs.
"Spells and stuff are good." Lucian replied, playing with his long, fluffy tail, "But people's characters are more important. Lady Reyra raised a good daughter. Now, go! Next year you will have a chance to display your… stuff."
"Hey…" Lauron murmured, sending a glare at Lucian, who just raised an eyebrow.
"Only bad people take it the wrong way." He answered in a hushed voice.
"Huh…" Lia looked at them with a twitching mouth, "This exam was weird! You are all weird!" She silently shrugged but left the room, feeling confused even when she was with all of the other Misfits, having a big party back at the tower, celebrating the end of their first year.
…
….
……
A week later, the school year was officially over, and Aurora, Koa, and Lia were heading home on a flying ship steered by subordinates of the Amarin family. They were not alone, as Lorin, Sion, Keily, and Ceiline were also coming with them, alongside Koa's subordinates and the three brothers from Lia's group.
"I'm sad the others didn't come…." Lia moaned, leaning against the ship's guardrails at the front, watching it part the clouds as they flew forward at an incredible speed, surrounded by an energy field blocking the wild winds.
"It is still a big group." Ceiline answered, leaning next to her, "And they look excited and nervous at the same time."
"You too." She replied, looking at her.
"I am. But for a different reason. My family wasn't really… maintaining contact with me. I am finding it weird that they now reach out to me and tell me to bring something to your mother!"
"What is it?" Lia asked, and it wasn't her first time doing so, but Ceiline's answer remained the same.
"I don't know. I still can't open the box; it is protected by magic. A powerful one. I think only your mother will be able to look into it! So you have to ask her!"
"Eh… If it is something important, she won't tell me!" She slumped back, watching the clouds.
"Ahaha… why are you so down? It is summer! Enjoy it!" Ceiline laughed, rubbing her back gently, trying not to tear her clothes with her sharp claws.
"Um, you are right! After you talk with my mom, you will stay, yes?"
"I…"
"Good!" Lia grinned, not letting her say anything else. "I want to show you all a lot of fun things!" Lia laughed, looking forward to spending time with her new friends.
The weeks rushed by way too fast, and before anyone realized it, it was time for the exams at the end of the term of their school year. The 4th-year students were in a kind of panic, unable to sleep or properly eat, which was also true for all freshmen. Their anxiety was boosted by the fact they did not know what to expect yet. For example, Keily was surprisingly jumpy and irritable in the past weeks. He dragged Lia along, going to the Library of Rejects so she could help him buy some books that are related to fire magic and was pestering her to go and train daily.
Koadriana, once again, made the decision to make a last-minute effort only, cramming as much knowledge into her brain in the last two days as possible. Raufon did something brilliant, looking at Lia with a flat gaze when she was surprised that he was taking lessons from Ceiline, having her help him understand stuff he was struggling with.
"I'm not THAT stupid, you know." He grumbled, walking up the tower and heading towards Celine's room with a stack of books in his hands.
Sion was not as stressed out as all the 2nd and 3rd-year students had experienced it already, and it was not their last year either… they were surprisingly calm about it. Just like Aurora, who was keeping to her routine, exercising and training her subordinates, getting them ready to form their own sub-groups as if nothing had happened at all.
"Haaaah…" Lia sighed, sitting on the stairs of their tower, wearing her school uniform loosely as it was already really hot, yet they had just stepped into the first month of the summer.
"What is the long face for, girl?" Opparu asked who was just visiting, getting himself familiar with the tower as he is going to be the group's official artificer starting next year.
"Nobody wants to play…." She moaned softly, playing with her twin tails, flapping them with a bored expression. "They are afraid of tomorrow's exams and say they need to rest or revise for the last time! All my classmates are having a huddle in the Library, doing some kind of study group or what! Uuuu… It is so boooooooring!"
"Ahaha! Life is not always fun, girl!" He laughed, watching her. Since the official pardon came through, he was much more friendly and much more open-minded, at least towards the Misfits. "The first and last years are like this! By next time, you will take it much more easily! Or… they will, in this case! After graduating you are going to realize something else too!"
"Like what?" She asked, looking up at him with a curious glance.
"That exams are nothing compared to what life puts you through. I'm not saying that passing or failing them won't have an impact on your life. But no matter what type of impact we are talking about, it can be worked with! Ironed out! The 'tests' life gives you are way harder and their effects are most of the time permanent. When you get as old as me, you will look at school and its tests with fondness. You would give anything to take exams again instead of facing the consequences of your life's choices."
"That was… dark." She answered, standing up and fixing her clothes.
"A bit. But I am old. That does it to you sometimes."
"Want to play?"
"Girl!" Opparu laughed, "You are too young for that!"
"Old pervert!" Lia pouted, pursing her lips, "I wanted to go to town and have some ice cream! Browse some shops!"
"Haaah… okay, okay! Let's go. I also need to buy some stuff for next year. I'll indulge you!"
"Yey! Thanks, Grandpa!" She laughed, grabbing his thin, wrinkled, boney hand and snuggling up to him, freezing Opparu for a moment. He suddenly blushed, sighed, patted her head, and spent the remaining day accompanying Lia everywhere she wished.
…
….
……
For Lia, the following day was just like every other. She woke up, dressed calmly, and after a good breakfast, she went ahead towards where the 1st-year students' test was being held. She was absolutely the last to arrive, before the appointed time of 9 in the morning.
"What?" She yawned softly, holding a cold can of coffee, sipping it, and looking at her friends' weird faces.
"You are awfully calm." Raufon commented, "I envy you."
"I pass if I pass, I fail if I fail. I know what I know, and I know what I don't." She answered, looking around at the rest of her classmates.
"Where did you read it?" Koa asked, knocking on her head.
"Owie! I don't remember! It was in one of the books I browsed in Cici's shop!" She moaned, rubbing her head. "You are all so mean…." Lia pouted, "I'm not talking to you anymore!"
And she really did not. To their surprise, she ignored them even as the exams started. All of them were gathering before a great hall in the left wing of the Academy. They were called by name and led into the hall, one by one. After finishing, usually between 15 minutes and half an hour, they were led out to a different door so those still waiting wouldn't know what happened inside. Not that it mattered, as every test was tailored to the individual, and no two tests were the same.
Inside the hall, all of the Masters of the towers were present, alongside their homeroom teacher, Dayen, and of course, their Headmaster, Lucian. When it was Keily's turn, he had to cast three of his own spells that he created, and Zorgan, the Master of the Tower of Fire, gave him some feedback and tips, evaluating his proficiency. There was no actual grading, but they nodded, acknowledging Keily's advancements in the year compared to how he was when he started.
"Good job." Lucian said in the end, looking into his eyes with a soft smile, "Keep up the good work in your next year!" He waved his hand, and a door opened, signaling to him to leave. Keily respectfully bowed and hurried out with a happy smile, finding himself in a garden at the back of the Academy.
"That wasn't so bad!" He said, taking a deep breath and enjoying the warm sunlight.
"See?" Sion's voice came to him as he was waiting there, clapping him on the shoulders.
"Sion! What about you?" He asked, being the first from the Misfits to be called in.
"Tomorrow is the 2nd-year students, then comes my class. So I've got time."
"Will next year be harder?" Keily asked curiously.
"Yes." He nodded in answer, "They will give you a test related to your weakest trait or study. At least, that happened to me. They will measure if you improved from last year or not."
"Oh…"
"Oh, indeed!" Sion grinned, giving him a carrot juice that he happily opened, sipping on without questions. "Let's wait for the rest!"
It did not take long for others to come out, looking relieved, excited, and surprised. It indeed wasn't so bad that they feared it would be. Soon, almost everybody was there from the Misfits, except Lia. She was now genuinely sulking, being left waiting with the rest of her class, wanting to get over it already. When it was finally her turn, she walked in hurriedly and expectantly, looking at the teachers, forming an unmistakable grin when locking eyes with her elder brother. Yet that grin was wiped off her face as soon as he spoke up.
"You can go." He pointed at the other door. "We won't test you."
"What?!" She gawked, watching Dayen first, then the rest of the Masters, and finally, locking her mismatched eyes onto Lucian, who just sat there, smiling.
"As I said," Lauron leaned forward with a kind smile. "You can go. No exams for you."
"Eh? But-!" She blinked her eyes so fast she started to feel dizzy. "No!" Her shout came suddenly as she pouted, crossed her arms, sitting down in front of them. "I'm not going!"
"Lia… Don't make a scene." Lauron warned, his voice becoming stricter as he stood up.
"No!" She protested against him forcefully, spitting fire from her glowing eyes. "I want to be tested like everyone else! Hmph! I won't leave! No!"
"Lia!"
"NO!" She doubled and tripled down, becoming stubborn like a mule, huffing and puffing.
"You are an Amarin." Lucian opened his mouth, leaning forward, his white ears twitching slightly, "You don't have to take tests here."
"Hmph! No! I am TAKING exams! Ask me anything! I'm ready! Hmph, hmph!"
"What's your name?" Lucian asked.
"Lia Amarin." She answered by reflex, confused, looking at him weirdly.
"Done! You passed; now go!" Lucian laughed, waving his hand.
At this, Lia suddenly turned bright red, flames flaring up from the top of her head, literally.
"NO! That was stupid! You are stupid! I'm not going!" She threw a tantrum, shocking some of the teachers that she dared to call Lucian stupid, but then everyone chuckled and looked at each other. Now Lia became even more confused. All of them were laughing, and even her brother leaned back with a proud 'I told you so' look on his face.
"You have passed," Lucian said after calming their laughter.
"Eh?" Lia flinched, tilting her head. Now she was so confused she felt lost, pinching herself if she was still asleep and dreaming or not.
"We were testing your will. Your integrity!" Lauron said, watching her sister kindly, "If you accepted the offer that you don't need tests, you would have failed."
"So you passed. This time, truly." Lucian snapped his fingers as the door opened, letting in the music of chirping birds.
"But… spells and… stuff." Lia stuttered, standing up with shaky legs.
"Spells and stuff are good." Lucian replied, playing with his long, fluffy tail, "But people's characters are more important. Lady Reyra raised a good daughter. Now, go! Next year you will have a chance to display your… stuff."
"Hey…" Lauron murmured, sending a glare at Lucian, who just raised an eyebrow.
"Only bad people take it the wrong way." He answered in a hushed voice.
"Huh…" Lia looked at them with a twitching mouth, "This exam was weird! You are all weird!" She silently shrugged but left the room, feeling confused even when she was with all of the other Misfits, having a big party back at the tower, celebrating the end of their first year.
…
….
……
A week later, the school year was officially over, and Aurora, Koa, and Lia were heading home on a flying ship steered by subordinates of the Amarin family. They were not alone, as Lorin, Sion, Keily, and Ceiline were also coming with them, alongside Koa's subordinates and the three brothers from Lia's group.
"I'm sad the others didn't come…." Lia moaned, leaning against the ship's guardrails at the front, watching it part the clouds as they flew forward at an incredible speed, surrounded by an energy field blocking the wild winds.
"It is still a big group." Ceiline answered, leaning next to her, "And they look excited and nervous at the same time."
"You too." She replied, looking at her.
"I am. But for a different reason. My family wasn't really… maintaining contact with me. I am finding it weird that they now reach out to me and tell me to bring something to your mother!"
"What is it?" Lia asked, and it wasn't her first time doing so, but Ceiline's answer remained the same.
"I don't know. I still can't open the box; it is protected by magic. A powerful one. I think only your mother will be able to look into it! So you have to ask her!"
"Eh… If it is something important, she won't tell me!" She slumped back, watching the clouds.
"Ahaha… why are you so down? It is summer! Enjoy it!" Ceiline laughed, rubbing her back gently, trying not to tear her clothes with her sharp claws.
"Um, you are right! After you talk with my mom, you will stay, yes?"
"I…"
"Good!" Lia grinned, not letting her say anything else. "I want to show you all a lot of fun things!" Lia laughed, looking forward to spending time with her new friends.
