It was round two of eliminations, a few racks of scrolls, reproductions prepared especially for this event were laid out for the participants to choose from. Each was different, and they were allowed to keep it for making it through the first round of eliminations. It was important to foster good relationships with hopeful recruits even if they didn't pass into the Sect's Circle of Disciples.
An instructor stood at the top of an Elementium pillar, as he spoke words appeared overhead in bold characters for all to see, "Those of you who choose the easiest of techniques, located on the yellow rack will have two hours to learn the technique, each technique, depending on its difficulty, will be judged during the execution process." He pointed at the Orange rack, "Intermediate testing of the orange scrolls will start only after the yellow rack has finished."
After he explained, he had left out the Red rack. He was suppose to read them all, but he didn't see anyone near the red rack. When Hana walked up, he started to explain. "The red rack, is for advanced fighters, your tests will be last, however, failure when choosing from the red stack will result in the forfeiture of the scroll and you will be banned from further entry into the sect."
For Hana, there was nothing she wanted more than to be outside with people her own age. She wondered, 'Should I just go all in or should I just play it safe?' She fingered through the scrolls and found one that looked interesting. "Eagle's eye pierces rock?" she said, then she opened it and read the first few lines. Her eyes hurt. The print was written strangely, like it was meant to draw out the eyes potential. She closed it and went somewhere to look it over.
"ALL CHOICES MUST BE FINALIZED IN THE NEXT 5 MINUTES!" A booming voice, the announcer for the event yelled into the megaphone. There was a 'Bhiiiiii' sound afterward, the microphone gave some feedback. "That's right, in just 5 minutes our contestants will disappear for two hours to learn their technique, please do not interrupt them and fighting is forbidden between contestants during training."
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Hana found Jeannie, Jeannie had chosen an orange scroll. "What? You chose a red one? Are you nuts?" Jeannie exclaimed, she showed her scroll to Hana.
"Wild Red Heart?" Hana scanned over the pages quickly and then passed it back. "Seems pretty straight forward, I might have chosen something like that too but I don't have any fighting techniques mastered. My family wanted me to be an intellectual, most of my experience is inside books."
"So what did you get anyway? Red rack.. must be hard." Jeannie took a quick look at the scroll and passed it back with a 'your screwed' look.
The girls pulled the scrolls open and focused their minds, neither would change the scroll for another, each had their own sense of pride.
The first hour passed without any incidents, during the second hour, some people were attempting the techniques and causing problems for those around them. Distractions could cost everything, patience and focus were key components to a healthy mindset. Being swept away by someone's 'Griffin rears at the Snake' technique would definitely qualify as a distraction. No fighting broke out, but plenty of people were disenchanted with the happenings.
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"It is time for the yellow level participants to demonstrate what they've learned, participants with yellow scrolls please head toward the stage." The megaphone sounded again, two hours had passed. "We will be calling out numbers starting from the bottom, be prepared when we call you."
Hana waited to hear what number was first, it was 84, apparently some of the early arrivals had chosen intermediate or higher techniques.
A human, no older than 19 with brown hair and green eyes walked up. he was demonstrating what he learned from the 'Shark Strays out of Water' Scroll, was he stepped onto stage he lunged from side to side and cleaved at the ground with his ability, then, he flipped over and shot a sharp blast of energy behind him. A tail whip, it cracked the stage. When he was done demonstrating, he stood up. The judges nodded and gave him a passing score.
Hana saw the technique, it was a relatively easy way to manipulate your vital energy in splash attacks.
Next up was a Centuari, she was clad in wooden armor. Her upper body was mostly human looking, her antlers showed that she was part Antellis, a species of Dragon Deer.
She was demonstrating 'Ferret Tumbles through the Snow in Winter,' It was springtime. There was no snow or cool air, her movements looked awkward to the unimagined but the judges were impressed. She tumbled and fell like a cat, almost always on its feet. For such low level technique understandings, the first few participants were at least confident in their ability to understand a technique's hidden uses. The Springing action she performed was excellent, she showed a lot of understanding behind how her body worked.
A crew of workers quickly refreshed the stage and it was time for the next demonstrator.
Hana went back to studying her Eagle's eye pierces Rock scroll, she couldn't let herself be distracted.
Jeannie still had a while to go, there were a few hundred participants to go in the yellow rating. The Sect had set up four stages to makes things go faster during the yellow demonstrations, they were on number 328. Studying her scroll made her feel awkward and flighty, she wanted to find freedom. Or, at least that's what the scroll was making her feel. It talked about the drive for an affinity to nature, coming closer to the wild heart that embraces all things, about feeding the natural animalistic desires of the body and living in self-understanding, minimalism and more.
'Ughh, This is so complicated.' Jeannie was depressed for a moment, she couldn't identify with the scrolls contents. She herself already felt free, it frightened her. Her family had always been supportive and she hadn't even proven herself yet. She wanted to go out on her own, to do the things that mattered to her alone. In an epiphany, she understood that the heart is but an organ to sustain ones soul, hers was a wild soul, it needed to feed her desires to be free, to go out and be herself.
'I'm a Tigeric Warrior!' She screamed In her heart. Her ancestors were wild beastkin, she could feel her bloodline pulse along with her heart. {Thuh-Thump Thuh-Thump} It became audible, her body started to shift and a golden glow flowed out of her body. She felt stronger, her body felt longer..
"Holy Shit Jeannie, nice transformation!" Hana was standing by her side, Jeannie had transformed into something different, her body was different in several ways. 'So, it was a body tempering technique..'
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