Tom, Red and Alex had been talking and waiting in line for a while now. Even so, they had yet to actually step onto the academy's grounds. The two lines continued a few hundred feet out of the academy gate.
The gate it's self was quite impressive. It was made up of two massive doors. They each stood over twenty feet high, and were at least that much in length. Supposedly, the doors were made so large as to let any Spirit Animal easy entry to the grounds. In reality, no Spirit Animal in this city ever reached a level high enough that would justify such a large build.
In all likely-hood the doors were made so large just in case a monster swarm was ever large enough to threaten the city, the near by population could easily take shelter in the academy.
As Alex crossed the threshold of the academy he could not help but stare at the large doors that made up the gate. It was the first time in his life that he was ever made to feel small. He had always been a big child. For him this new feeling served as a marker for things to come. He felt as though this was the start of a new part of his life. For a moment, he felt real joy and excitement over what was to come.
This feeling was quickly washed away by a feeling of shame. It was only at this time that Alex noticed that he was now at the front of the line, and professor was watching him stare in wonder at the gates. He felt like a country bumpkin. Alex was sure that he was blushing, but no one near by would be able to tell due to his deep tan.
Red and Tom had already finished the assessment and had moved on to get their room assignments for the academy housing.
When Alex finally locked eyes with professor Keller, he nodded slightly and stepped forward to get tested.
"Well, I would say that it took you long enough but those gates have been known to stun more than their fair share of people." Keller said with a small grin and a nod back to Alex.
"Sorry." It was all Alex could must. He was getting nervous. His tong felt as though it filled the entirety of his mouth at this point. He kept feeling the need to swallow, but his mouth was as dry as a piece of old parchment.
"No need to apologize. No harm has occurred. This line moves far faster than the practical skills assessment anyway." Keller said with a slight shrug.
Alex couldn't help but have a good impression of Keller. Red had said that this person had a bad temper when his pride was wounded, but Alex really couldn't believe that from the way he acted.
"Please step forward. Excite you mana aura and then place you hand here." As he said this Keller was motioning to the small device in his hands. It was shaped like a slingshot with a thick square handle. Only, the two arms were not connected by anything. The handle also seemed to have a type of gauge on it.
Alex did as he was told and placed his hand between the two arms of the slingshot-like device. As he did so he closed his eyes and began to focus.
The action brought back fond memories. When he was six years old he had lost his patience with Eluril and had harassed her for information on how to use mana. Eventually, the silvery blue, scaled ball unrolled to reveal a very angry looking Pangolin. Her eyes seemed to pierce his soul. At that moment he honestly thought she would kill him. A cold sweat formed on his back and tension creeped up his neck. At the same time a feeling like static electricity pricked at his skin.
"Remember that feeling." A soft voice in his mind said. It's tone held no malice, but it did convey a deep and powerful sense of fatigue. It was Eluril, she was speaking to him. "It feels slightly different for everyone, but it should feel similar to when your hair stands on end."
Shocked by her stare, and then confused by her message and tone Alex hadn't even noticed that she already curled back up into a ball.
"Why? What does that have to do with mana?" Alex asked excitement edging into his voice.
Her response came quick and held a small amount of mirth at his excitement. "Mana is the energy of the world you live in. When in danger you will naturally take in that energy, in small amounts." By this point her tone had changed into one of a patient teacher, meticulously guiding her pupil.
"That feeling is the feeling of your energy. As you take the mana in from the air it changes its nature and becomes yours. You can not produce your own energy yet, but work on this for now. Eventually you will be able to produce your own." Her voice became more and more quiet in his mind. Near the end he had to strain to even hear it.
It was only then that he realized just how tired she was. Alex decided then that he may not know why she was always so tired, but he would not wake her unless he absolutely had to.
Alex had practiced taking in the mana of the world until he was eleven years old. It was just after his eleventh birthday when he finally felt a change in his daily practice.
This time rather than feeling a strange static electric feeling in the back of his neck, he felt a blossoming of warmth in the area around his ribs and chest. It was accompanied by that same old feeling of static electricity as well. Alex could tell immediately that this energy came from within. He was not sure where it came from, but he knew it was his own.
A strange side effect came with this energy. The more he activated it the more tired he became mentally. At the same time every second that he activated it was much more difficult to sustain than the last. At first it was all he could to to keep it active for more than a second or two.
Eventually, through practice, he was able to sustain it longer and longer. By the time he was twelve he was even able to move the feeling around his body. Moving the energy around became easier and easier.
There was now only one area in his body that his still had trouble keeping active for more than a moment or two. For some reason moving it into his skill would drain his reserves faster than any other. It wasn't just by a small margin either.
The inside of his skull was like a bottomless pit. No matter how much energy he threw into it, it always wanted more. Strangely, this was his favorite way to practice.
Mainly because after he was done it always made him feel as though he could see the world much more clearly. He could even swear that it was affecting his intelligence positively.
Alex realized that he had been reminiscing for at least thirty seconds with his eyes close. Still maintaining his efforts, he opened his eyes to look at professor Keller. Alex was surprised by what he saw.
"This make no sense!" Keller rasped through clenched teeth as he bit his right thumb nail. Alex watched him for a moment before Keller looked up at him. "Are you trying to mess with me?" Keller asked with a tone of aggravation.
Alex was confused. He had no idea why professor Keller would ask such a question. His mind rattled through possibilities. 'Was he offended by my lapse in attention? No way, I was in control of my energy the whole time. Maybe I am not even rank 1 yet!' These thoughts and many others were quickly flowing through Alex's mind.
Professor Keller stared at Alex waiting for an explanation, but instead all he received from this prospective student was a deep and threatening scowl. Keller was shocked, why would a new student try and mess with the examination.
Never before had Keller ever experienced such a scene. Then he remembered the gauge on his newest invention. It was still jumping between rank 0 and somewhere between rank 1 and 2.
'That's it!' He thought. 'He must be here to cause a problem with the evaluation! He wants to use this as an opportunity to get close to Elwin.' With a sneer Keller met Alex's gaze. "Take the test properly! How dare you try and take advantage of me!" Keller hissed through clenched jaws.
Alex was stunned out of his contemplation as he heard this. "Professor... I... I... don't understand." It was then that he looked down and noticed the gauge jumping back and forth, and he was hit with an idea. "I have not done anything professor Keller, honestly. Maybe the machine is acting up. I know it was just recently made. Maybe, it has a fault in it?" Alex had meant this in the best way possible. He still thought very highly of professor Keller.
'I knew it! He is messing with me!' Right as Keller was beginning to build up steam to reprimand this new student and send him away, he heard a question from over his shoulder.
"Professor Keller, is there some sort of problem?" Though the voice practically dripped with concern it brought no solace to Keller.
Keller slowly turned to eye Professor Elwin as he walked over. Keller took a deep calming breath and readied his most sanctimonious smile. "Professor Elwin, thank you for offering you assistance but there is no problem here." As he said this he turned to eye Alex, who was worriedly looking back and forth at professors Elwin and Keller. "This new student just realized that he was in the wrong line. He meant to join the practical skills line." As he said this Keller nodded to his left, toward the other line.
Alex took the hint and quickly went to the back of the practical skills line. The whole time he couldn't help wondering, 'what did I do?'