Chapter 2: The Second Level Placement Exams

From the day that you were born, I brought you up in the manner befitting of the Lurranna heir. Power and discipline became your bread and butter. Some would call it cruel what I did, some might call it inhumane, but I called it a necessary investment for your future. After all, it’s not every day that a father raises a son who is destined to rule the universe.

Éclair tried again in vain to stay the rapid beating of her heart, but it was no use, she was just too nervous.

And shouldn’t I be? This is my future, after all. If I don’t do well on these tests, I won’t be able to join the others on the more dangerous missions. Worse, I could even be kicked out of Squad 99 for lack of talent. Some Firsts have even been demoted back to Grunts after the Second Level Exams. These tests will be on a whole different level than the last ones. I cannot afford to fail here! Everyone is counting on me.

Éclair paused briefly as the words left the recesses of her mind. They sent a familiar chill down her spine. Someone once told her that she must live for the sake of everyone who counted on her ... those were his last words to her. Even now, Éclair felt herself unprepared to take up the responsibilities of those words ... she felt unworthy of the mantle that had been passed on to her. How was she supposed to be expected to lead when she felt such turmoil in her heart? It was not like she had been prepared for this – not like she was ready.

Before the changing of the governments, Éclair had been expected to partake in a critical role within the Empire. She never wanted such responsibility, but at least she had Starbeard by her side during those years. He had a way of making everything better.

Though such things hardly mattered anymore. That life was behind her now. She was Éclair Hamashe no more. For now, she was Éclair Kaves, an upcoming Elemental out to make her own mark in the universe. And instead of being grateful for the opportunity she’d been granted, here she was worrying over some trivial tests like a frightened schoolgirl.

Still, she almost dreaded the future ... of being dragged away from her life of adventure and dumped back into the monotony of politics. That had been the deal after all. After she awakened her powers, Zanderius always intended for her to be the bridge between the bureaucracy and the Ministries. When she finished her training and became as powerful as possible, he would come back and reintroduce her to the public as the fully realized heir to the Tarrus throne. She still didn’t know if she looked forward to that day or not. True, she wanted to see her godfather again, but also feared it. Feared not living up to his expectations of her.

Keep it together girl! One challenge at a time. Zand said that you must finish your Elemental training before worrying over politics. That was the promise you made to each other. That when you finished your training, he will come back for you, and together, the two of you will set things right within the Empire. So focus! Overcoming this obstacle will bring me one step closer to seeing my godfather again! I simply cannot afford distractions right now.

“Hi, Éclair!” shouted out the infuriating voice of Ryan Uruks very close to her ear.

The sudden intrusion startled Éclair so much that she instinctually spun around and gave the half-breed an open palm to the nose, just like Grafael had taught her to do if an enemy surprised her.

Ryan doubled over, clutching his nose before looking up at Éclair in pain, and saying, “Well, isn’t that a fine how-do-you-do?”

He wore a simple white T-shirt, black pants, and brown hiking shoes, his usual attire when not in red training armor. Even though the occasion permitted casual clothes, Ryan still had to wear shoes, though she knew he would’ve preferred to just go barefoot. He also sported a medallion depicting the Fire Ministry’s symbol with the lion and the four-legged Dragon, both figures moving slightly in the golden metalwork. Ryan’s hair was bright red, and so were his eyes. He had smooth, golden skin, and was ruggedly handsome with his square jaw, but Éclair would never tell him that as his ego was already big enough as things stood. She did note that Ryan was steadily growing taller and more muscular, filling out his uniform quite nicely. It was striking considering that when he first came to the Ministry, he was much shorter and skinnier due to malnourishment while living homeless for five years.

Ryan’s strange appearance always intrigued Éclair, partially because she also looked strange according to some. Eclair Hamashe had long, shiny silver-gray hair that had been passed down her family, though no one would make the connection because of a powerful telepathic suggestion placed on her that prevented anyone from discovering her identity as a formal royal. They’d look at her, note the hair, but would be unable to distinguish its significance in regards to her true heritage. Éclair also had violet eyes, a rare color for eyes. She had been told she was pretty with her almost pale skin, athletic build, and well-endowed features. Many boys at the Ministry would often stare at her, but she only had eyes for Leon. And though Éclair never said it out loud, she sometimes wished her breasts weren’t quite so big as she considered them a bit of a liability in combat. The Fire Minister had announced that candidates could dress casually, so Éclair opted for something in between, a comfortable white silk skirt attached to a neat long-sleeved blue shirt, the medallion of the Fire Ministry also hanging from her neck. Her skirt was parted at the middle, giving plenty of room for running with her white pants and long, brown leather boots. She didn’t think there would be much physical activity at the opening ceremony, but it never hurt to be prepared.

“I’m sorry, Ryan,” said Éclair as she blew out a breath, trying to contain her annoyance and pent-up frustrations. She knew that Ryan was just trying to be nice ... in his own obnoxious sort of way. “But you know you shouldn’t sneak up on me like that, especially this close to the tests. I’m on pins and needles as is without you giving me a heart attack all the time.”

“And here I thought I was just being a good friend,” said Ryan, still clutching his nose, giving his voice a nasal sound that was quite humorous.

Éclair would never tell him this as it would only encourage his use of dumb jokes, but she found Ryan hilarious at times - especially when he pretended to be more hurt than he actually was. Other times, he was just plain annoying, making her relationship with the Uruks child complicated, to say the least. He was like the annoying little brother that she never asked for. Overall, her feelings for Ryan ranged somewhere between endearment and loathing.

But then, I guess that’s how most family relationships are, thought Éclair to herself.

“Oh, come on, Ryan. I said I was sorry,” said Éclair, sensing that his feelings might have been hurt.

“Oh, really? Is that what you call it?” huffed Ryan, trying to sound indignant with his nasal voice.

For those who don’t know Ryan that well, these were one of the times that he pretended to have his feelings hurt in an attempt to be funny and charismatic. To an onlooker, it looked as if the boy thought himself an actor on a stage that only he could see in his twisted little mind. With a twist and a crack, Ryan put his nose back into place. He grimaced and yelped a little too loudly with a slight high-pitched squeal. Slapstick was, unfortunately, one of his preferred methods of humor.

“Because it felt more like a punch in the nose to me,” he finished with an overexaggerated frown.

He always did have a flair for the dramatic.

Éclair rolled her eyes and scolded herself for buying into his act. “Ryan, please don’t start, not today,” she said with a slight smile of amusement threatening to surface. Ryan always did have a way of making her laugh even when she didn’t want to.

“Punch us, do we not bleed?” said Ryan with an accent that he mistook for British while waving his hand dramatically, but still holding his nose with the other. “Prick us, do we not ... umm ... bleed more? Mock us, do we not mourn with tears of blood whilst bleeding? Scorn us, do we not still mourn, yet somehow find a way to bleed through our tears since our proud visage having just been struck by a maiden most foul? Poison us, do we not ... uh ... find a way to bleed all the more?” Having butchered a famous and historical work of literature, Ryan thought it appropriate to kneel and give a bow whilst holding one arm outstretched and the other still clutching his wounded nose.

Éclair tried to suppress it, she really did, but just looking at him was too much to bear, and thus the slightest snort of laughter escaped. Trying to compose herself, Éclair quickly said, “There seems to be an awful lot of bleeding involved with you.”

“Well, only when you’re around,” said Ryan with a smirk, actually managing to sound semi-witty.

“This is no joking matter, Grunt,” said the voice of a man steeped in mystery.

For a moment, Éclair forgot how to bleed - I mean breathe - as the illustrious form of Leon Lurranna strode forward. The young Elemental protégé, with his polished glasses, tastefully combed dark hair, and pale skin. But the most alluring thing about him was his eyes; those beautiful, black eyes that carried so much weight and so much fury. One reason that Éclair found Leon so captivating was that she wanted to learn the secret behind those dark eyes, to earn their trust, and perhaps one day, to heal the pain that they carried.

Everything about Leon bespoke of mystery and intrigue, from his dark dress robes, which almost looked like they were of noble-born origins, to his long, black leather boots. Leon Lurranna was by far one of the strongest young Elementals within the Ministry of Fire, and just as well given his family’s reputation. Nothing but greatness seemed appropriate for a man of his upbringing.

As far as Éclair knew, Leon was one of the few Lurrannas left in the universe. Most of his relatives had been picked off over the years through wars and skirmishes with other Elementals and Mystics, or so Éclair had heard. The Lurranna family had been more than just a family, it was an Empire, with thousands of family members across dozens of worlds. And Leon had been raised by none other than the head of the Lurranna bloodline, making him the heir to a considerable family legacy, perhaps even as formidable as Éclair’s own Hamashe line. Although, with the exception of a few close confidants, most knew her as Kaves, a ward of the Fire Minister.

Éclair was still frustrated by the fact that she couldn’t find out any more details on the Lurranna family other than their fierce reputations as powerful Mystics that operated outside the jurisdiction of the Ministries. She was, perhaps, even more frustrated by the fact that Leon had refused to tell her any more than that no matter how much she pried. At any rate, Leon Lurranna was one mystery in Éclair’s life that she was not sure she could ever solve.

“Ding, ding, ding,” chimed in Ryan, giving a mocking slow clap. “And the prize for buzzkill of the day goes to Leon Lurranna!”

“Honestly,” said Leon, rolling his eyes. “Just being around you is degrading my intelligence.”

“Leon,” cried out Éclair before Ryan could spout off another retort. “You really came. That’s sweet.”

“And just like that, I’m yesterday’s news,” mumbled Ryan dejectedly, sticking his hands in his pockets and meandering away.

Leon ignored Ryan’s quips, keeping his fierce gaze directly on Éclair. “Of course I came,” said Leon with a warm smile as he took a step closer, so close in fact that Éclair felt her heart flutter. “I wouldn’t miss this for the universe.”

“None of us would,” interjected the voice of a newcomer.

Éclair turned in delight to see her best friend, and self-proclaimed guardian, Grafael T’Macor, as well as the rest of the Grim Team, the designated moniker of Squad 99. Grafael T’Macor was a Raptor Warrior from Sauria, sometimes called Wingless Dragons on account of sharing ancestry with the Space Dragons. At over eight feet tall, and with his powerful build, he towered over all the other members of the team. His dauntless glare of azure eyes seemed imposing enough to frighten even a Gargoyle away. Grafael’s scaly head could almost be called human-like with his strong jaw and intelligent eyes, but the short broad snout and razor sharp fangs did make him seem quite fearsome. His ears were small and slightly pointed, and he had three large, curving spikes on top of his head. Behind him, his long, powerful tail tapped the ground idly, a technique Éclair heard that Wingless Dragons could use for detecting enemies by feeling their vibrations in the earth.

Grafael wore ceremonial battle armor from his homeworld painted red and silver, depicting titanic battles on his breastplate. Grafael’s arms remained uncovered by the armor, displaying his powerful biceps as large as her waist and covered in shimmering blue scales. Saurian armor and weapons were made from a special metal found only on Sauria called chromovite. The alloy was said to be formed from the bones of the ancient ancestors of the Saurians after being fermented and strengthened over countless eons. Only the Saurians knew the secrets of crafting chromovite, a material so durable that it could stand against Psionic Weaponry, though wasn’t quite as dangerous in battle. Grafael’s armor combined with his already tough, blue scales made him a most formidable adversary indeed, especially in close-quarter combat. Éclair knew from experience.

Fortunately, Grafael did not wear his customary war hammer to the gathering, otherwise he would have seemed all the more terrifying, especially in front of the younger Elementals gathered. Éclair thought it sad that most children found Grafael so frightening, especially since he was such a kind-hearted being at his core ... except, of course, when it came to poetry.

Also present was the young Space Dragon, Tork of Sora. Tork wore nothing save for a silver metal loincloth and a black leather cross strapped over his chest. Éclair always considered it strange that Tork chose such a fierce-looking wardrobe since he was actually quite mannerly and proper. However, that being said, Tork was in no way weak, at least not when it came to combat. In fact, he was almost Grafael’s equal as far as fighting skills went. The young Dragon had a black mane of hair similar to a horse on his head, and two tall white horns along with long floppy ears. His tail was long and wiry, though not as thick as Grafael’s. Tork stood slightly shorter than Grafael, possessing golden scales instead of light blue scales and glowing golden eyes to match. On his back sprouted two magnificent bat-like wings with leathery golden skin and armed with sharp claws. Tork’s large wings combined with his slightly longer, more wolf-like snout actually made him seem somewhat even more intimidating than his earth-bound cousin. However, in reality, the matter was quite the opposite. Grafael was more the warrior and Tork was more of the philosopher, yet despite their differences, the two were almost inseparable.

And last, but certainly not least, was Rachel Kaves, Éclair’s stepsister. Rachel had long, curly brown hair and brown eyes that she inherited from her grandmother, the Grand Minister of Fire. She was a little taller than Éclair, with skin a little less pale. Instead of opting for casual clothes, she wore the simple red uniform of the Fire Ministry, with gold embroidered along the trimmings. Rachel was a Charger, which meant she possessed power over electricity. She was also a Spiritual-Type with invisibility skills, and was ranked at Second Level of Mastery, just like Leon. Grafael and Tork were also technically ranked as Seconds, but being nonhumans raised outside the Ministries, they were dubbed ‘honorary’ Elementals of the Ministry of Fire.