It was nearing the end of the orange phase of testing, many of the people who had tried the orange scrolls failed miserably. Among the most notable was woman who performed "Yang Crusher" a move that for all intents and purposes should have been seen as a joke move, satire in every way. When she performed it, she turned into a charming gyration, her body shifted and swayed. The hearts of the males in the audience were entranced, she could have killed them all if she wanted and they would have had smiles on their faces. Except for the ridiculous name, the move was pretty special to watch.
The announcer picked his mouth off the ground when she completed the performance and started to speak into the megaphone. "Up next are our red rack participants, unfortunately there are only two among the crowd this year. Up first, Number 2774, Hana Maker."
None of the other participants had their name called out, Hana felt small for a moment and then walked up to the stage. "I am Hana Maker, I am here to perform Eagles Eyes Pierces Rock." She turned and looked at the Elementium pillar.
The Announcer was sitting, perched on top.
A crack started to appear, visible and then a fourteen foot section of it fell from the sky. Crashing against the ground, everyone was in shock.
She hadn't moved at all.
Noticing that the crowd was not understanding that her move was completed, she extended her wings, flew up and looked at the stage below. She focused on the floor and turned it to bits of rubble in strikes that followed her eyeline. Finished, the word 'PASS' was written on the stage in rubble.
The Crowd cheered.
"WHAT A DISPLAY! I JUST GOT WORD FROM THE JUDGES, YUP, THAT'S A PASSING PERFORMANCE!" The announcer couldn't help but feel invested, she'd been part of the show just then.
"NEXT UP, Zet. Demon-Ying Esper Tribe's Crown Prince"
A white figure, pale and frail walked up to the stairs. His emaciated body looked like a corpse but he radiated a calming aura. It was cold, natural and took the breath from everyone while he walked on to the stage.
"I AM ZET. PRINCE OF THE YING CLAN!" He powered up, his body grew full and he rose another two feet. "I will be performing, Deaths Chant Marches Foal."
As he began to chant, Zet threw out bones, they scattered like bits of metal across the stage. Coming to a stop, a formation started to light up on the floor. Zet's chanting intensified and his eyes went black. A Nightmare horse started to pull its head from the stone and portal beneath him.
Then, another, and another.
Eventually, a driving team of Nightmare Steeds, fresh and obedient only to him appeared. Their bodies were thin, he pulled a pile of hearts from a storage ring and dumped them onto the stage. there were many different species of heart on the stage floor. It was like watching a murderer dropping hunting trophies, the Nightmare's started to devour the hearts.
With each bite they started to become stronger, larger and then grew wings.
"Nightmare Pegasus." The Announcer said, it repeated in the megaphone and people looked at her with a silencing stare.
They followed Zet around the stage briefly. "You're free. Go."
Zet released them and the Undead Pegasus' flew away. They seemed reluctant to leave the area but his stare sent them off entirely.
"PASS!" "PASS!" "PASS!" A chant came from the crowd. Zet raised his hands in celebration and walked off the stage without looking back, the blood on the stage marked a gruesome act but an intense one.
'Who wouldn't thought that a Demon Summoning ritual was in the stacks' A figure vanished from the sidelines.
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
Hana was watching from the side, she couldn't quite understand the formation that went down but she had memorized it. She threw out a bunch of wildflower seeds. A portal opened.
A small green drake appeared. Hana was confused. She was looking for the Nightmare mount. The drake flew up and landed on her shoulder, it looked like it was made from grass baskets, its body was woven except for the wings. they were the color of the wildflower seeds, primrose and white.
Hana couldn't think of any food to give it, she fumbled through her storage ring and found a bottle of light elemental essence her mother had given her. She fed a drop to the basket drake, flickers of white started to flow from the ends of its wings and it gave off a creeping cry.
The people surrounding Hana had grown in number when they started to notice the burning wings on the basket drake. Hana wondered if the drake was alive, she wanted to ask before trying to store it away. 'I guess I should name it?' Hana didn't have pets, it was a family rule for the longest time she had been lectured about what having a pet meant. She would have to devote time to it and nurture it.
Pets had lives and feelings too. "Caoimhe, how does that name sound? Mom says it means pretty." The Basket Drake was somewhat unresponsive but didn't seem bothered at all. "Caoimhe it is then." Hana pet the drake and watched it fly up, she joined it for a moment in the sky an then the announcer came over the megaphone.
"ATTENTION, ATTENTION. THERE WILL BE REFRESHMENTS FOR PARTICIPANTS IN THE BLUE TENT, COMPETITION WILL CONTINUE TOMORROW WITH THE THIRD ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS. BE PREPARED, GET REST, AND DO NOT GET YOURSELF DISQUALIFIED BY FIGHTING" The announcer finished his message and sat down drinking her beer. 'Every year its the same, eh, at least I'm not doing radio anymore.' She smiled and looked at the recruits.
Jeannie met up with Hana after she came down with Caoimhe. "Where, what.. were did you get that?" she pointed at the basket drake with flowery wings.
"Oh, I summoned it, I think. I just copied the formation that Zet used a minute ago but with something else and Bam.. " Hana made an exploding gesture with her hands and smiled with teeth. "I'm hungry, we should go get something to eat and then go work on our techniques. I know they are the entry gifts but I love reading. My parents only ever let me read non-magical texts. Jeannie, do you have any more scrolls?"
Jeannie shook her head to say no. "I mostly use the skills of the Nyan tribes. We have always been good hunters but magic was forbidden for a long time, our kind can get viciously competitive. But that was generations ago!" Jeannie put her hand on her own head and laughed, fearing her soul would escape from keeping secrets or giving them away.
"You're funny. Lets go. I saw a nice meat on a stick place, it looked like Takoyaki." Hana's mouth was drooling as they walked through the streets. There were stalls everywhere, the entrance exams were a lively time in Zao City.
"So, we're not gonna talk about the Drake? Okay, but you've gotta let me try the summons out one day." She felt awkward asking, Hana was already leagues ahead of her and Jeannie was seeing her differently after the elimination rounds earlier. Hana was goofball and she would be fun to be around long after the competition ended.