Axelle and Ambrose sit together, enjoying their slightly early dinner.
"This steak is delicious."
"Yes, it is a staple here at "The Tavern."
"I used to come here when I was a young boy when I visited."
"You're from the Amoria region, correct?"
"Yes, I am. I was supposed to arrive here sooner, but a pack of dire wolves was blocking the tracks."
Axelle stops picking at his food and places down his fork. "That's strange. I've also encountered something similar my way here."Why have these creatures been so active lately?"
Ambrose stops eating his food as well. "My father has been giving me all these theories, but there's one that's stuck in my head."
"What's that?"
"Worlds end, that's what my father would call it."
"NYX," Axelle says in a serious voice.
"Yes, if we are selected, we'll eventually have to face that monster by the end of the year, perhaps sooner."
"Sooner," Axelle says in a worried voice.
Ambrose taps his arm. "Tell me, Axelle, how it feels being a candidate."
"Truthfully, I wasn't even excited about it when I first found it. I just stumbled upon it when I was younger. I was afraid. Scared"
"I once felt that before, but one thing my father instilled in me, too, even till this day, is that you fight for honor. We may be the only ones capable of beating it. That's how I view it. I am unsure how you or the other three feel now, but that's my reasoning."
"Woah, that's some resolve."
Ambrose nods. "Yes, it is. My father trained me even before I was chosen to be the son of a strategic war general. It's a given that I will be taught at a young age, and when I was training, he realized that I had the potential."
"I see"
Ambrose looks at Axelles neck. "If you don't mind me asking, what is that on your neck?"
Axelle grabs at the necklace. "This? It's a mana necklace from one of my childhood friends."
"That's a great gift. Are you still in contact with this friend?"
"No, she moved away. This is the last thing she gave to me."
"I know all about not seeing a friend for a long time. Some events that happen in their lives can change them. Really," Ambrose speaks seriously as he daydreams away.
"Ambrose," Axelle asks.
"Am sorry, Axelle, just reminiscing."
Vince and Izaiah eat their food near the back of The Tavern.
"I don't mind opening a spot just like this. While we were walking here, I could see some potential places to be. What should I name it, Vince?"
Vince constantly taps his feet and stares in Axelle and Ambrose's direction.
Izaiah follows Vince's gaze. "Vince, we just talked about this, man."
"I just wanna talk to him. Speak my mind. How I feel."
"You talk to him about the war and stuff, and our identities are unveiled. Knowing you would get all excited, you're excited right now."
"I just want a chat. Just a little chat," Vince hops off his chair.
"Hey!" a disruptive voice says.
"Seems like a drunken beat you to the punch, Vince."
Vince slowly returns to his seat as the two now watch the show.
"Ambrose Rossi, son of the great War Hero." A drunk man from the bar sways back and forth as he inches closer to Axelle and Ambrose.
"Hey-"
Ambrose puts up a hand to Axelle and prevents him from speaking.
"Let me," Ambrose smiles.
"Yes, indeed I am, sir?" Ambrose speaks in a formal tone.
"We have a celebrity. Beautiful handsome. Lady Killer"
"Thank you. I am flattered. Now, let's enjoy the rest of the day."
"How do you feel about your father?" the drunken man asks. "You think what he did in the civil war years ago was right. All those merciless killings in that war years ago? All the children who went parentless from their childhood? Those damn punks, the Aero Desperados. Which I have heard dispanded because two of their members got captured due to one of the members dying."
Vince again prepares to get up.
"That son of a bitch"
PUFF
Izaiah blows a small smoke cloud as it forms hands that pull Vince back.
Vince attempts to remove the smoke cloud but struggles as it has now solid form.
"Wow, you made me resort to this, huh? You would be in the gutter without me. Learn some restraint, Captain."
"My father raised me to learn the ways of the sword. His blood runs through mine. However, that is where the connection ends. Although I may be his son, I shall not follow in his footsteps. I am not my father's son. I will have my path and way and not follow his. I cannot make up for my father's wrongdoings of the past. But I can create a better future. As for the Aero Desperados, I have never been placed in that situation, but I do feel some empathy towards them."
"Ha, what an excellent and graceful response, Sir Ambrose. Did your mother teach you that"
Ambrose's face changes, and so does his tone. "Dont you ever put my mother's name in your mouth."
"Oh, here we are." The drunken man's friends stand up, all around 7 feet tall, big, and chunky.
"I would like to ask you to please leave this fine establishment and avoid any trouble for the patrons present," Ambrose warns them.
Axelle places his hands on his blade.
"What else can you offer, Mr.Rossi?" The drunk man mocks him.
Ambrose stands up and stares directly at the man. "If you insist on staying, I can-"
SMASH
Axelle swoops in, delivering a devastating knee to the man, sending him flying.
"I was going to let him go formally."
"You." The rest of the drunk men rush in on both Axelle and Ambrose.
Ambrose caught one of the men's arms and quickly slammed him through a table over his head.
"Why you?" Ambrose is about to be hit.
POW
Axelle punches the man in the face, knocking him out.
"It's a Good thing you didn't go in. Neither of them had to release any magic spell," Izaiah says to a constricted Vince.
The two then round up the men and take them outside.
"They will wake up sore tomorrow."
"These men shall be fine. I am not too sure about the one you kneed; he may have a broken jaw."
The duo then walks back in "The Tavern."
Tables were destroyed, food was everywhere, and plates and utensils were all over the ground.
Axelle was shocked. "Oh no, we made a mess of this place."
Ambrose bows. "My apologies, everyone. We shall fix this right away."
"It's fine, I got this," a soft and gentle says from the stairs.
"It's that girl again."
A mysterious girl holding a book is wearing a black thin strap dress with two horizontal white lines around the dress near the top. She also has square glasses, dark purple hair arranged into low twin braids extending just below her shoulder, and violet eyes. She is shorter in height.
A magic circle appears within the areas of the tavern where the damage has been done.
The girl writes in her book and closes it. At the same time, the damage and everything done in the tavern from that little scuffle has been restored.
She closes the book and takes a deep breath.
{Novice Mage: Sadie-Lyn Grace}
"You have my thanks, Sadie," Danica speaks.
"Thank you, Ms. Sadie," Celeste says.
"Thank you very much. I-"
Danica puts her hand over Ervine's mouth. "Oh, shut it. You didn't do anything. You were behind the bar this whole time."
"It's no problem, Ms.Danica. It is the least I could do."
"Woah, she just wrote in that book, and everything disappeared."
"Sadie, is that you?" Ambrose asks.
"A-Ambrose, it's been so long," she says with a surprised expression.
Ambrose heads over to her and hugs her.
"It's been ages since we last saw each other."
Sadie, with a flushed face. "Y-yes, it's been ages. You've grown."
"Excellent. How is your family?"
Sadie's expression changes as it glooms. "T-there doing okay."
"Sorry, my apologies about that hug. Have you been in contact with Roxanne these past years?"
"No she stopped attending all the Royal Functions. I heard she spends all the time training and perfecting her magic."
"Well, she is a prodigy," Ambrose remarks. "Where are my manners? This is Axelle Alekzander."
"Hi, nice to be formally introduced."
"Pleasure to meet you again."
"Again"
"Oh, I bumped into her while exiting my room to come downstairs."
"I wasn't watching where I was going because I was reading a book," Sadie adds.
"You still reading? That's great to hear."
"Yes, I hope to be a successful author one day."
"W-why thank y-our ugh?" Sadie loses her stamina as she is about to fall."
VOOSH
A gust of wind keeps her standing as it gradually glides her to a nearby seat.
Vince and Izaiah walk past the trio.
"Make sure you don't overexert yourself, especially if you're going to take the entrance exams tomorrow," Vince suggests as he passes by—the two heading up the stairs.
"Let me get you some water," Celeste says.
"Are you okay?" both Axelle and Ambrose show concern.
"Am alright"
"Who was that?" Ambrose asks.
"He said his name is Vince. He's taking the exams tomorrow as well, and I suspect the guy he was with will be, too," Axelle responds.
"You know my father mentioned him catching a smoke and wind mage. The other day."
Vince and Izaiah stop where they are at the first set of stairs.
"Supposedly, they are part of the infamous Aero Despardos. That could be anyone in this day and age," Ambrose chuckles to himself.
Vince and Izaiah continue their way up the stairs.
Ambrose sneaks a glance at them.
"Do you guys know where the exam will be held?"
"At Ardian Magic Academy," Sadie says in an exhausted voice while sipping water.
"However, the entrance exams will occur in the woods behind the school. There are two entrances to these woods. One East and One South. One of the professors at the Academy will oversee the test. The mages at those entrances will be asked to be paired up in groups 4 or 5. The goal is to transverse the forest, survive together, and reach the center. This forest is a tricky place to be, and it can send you back to the beginning, so it's challenging. It messed with your senses and perception of time. Moreover, I didn't mention its inhabitants." Ambrose explains.
"I see, so that it will be challenging."
"So I say the three of us be a group?" Ambrose suggests.
"That sounds like a good idea," Axelle says with excitement.
"Yeah, hopefully, I won't slow you guys down."
"Slow us down. You have an amazing type of magic. How does it work?"
"I just write an action down in this book, but It'll act on things I can do."
"I'll give you an example of it tomorrow. I am pretty tired,"
"Am sure we all let get a good night's rest."
"Sounds like a plan"
"We'll walk with you to your room, Sadie."
"Thank you, two."
Ardia Train Station
"We're finally here. At least some stores are still open, and we have some light. Where did Clarise and Clara say to go?"
"They wrote on here a house in the north district."
"Alright, let's head on before it begins to be late."
JINGLE JINGLE
"AHHHHH!!" Kate yells.
"Relax, Kate. It's just Jester. He's here to greet us on our arrival; however, it's awfully late for one to be here."
The two girls stare at the Jester as he smiles at them. "Welcome to Ardia," he says in a playful voice.
"That guy gives me the creeps."
"Hey, be nice, thank you. Have a nice night," Bri says.
"Oh, I won't get enough sleep now after seeing that."
"Dont worry am here."
"Thank you, Bri. What would I do without you," Kate says as she hugs Bri playfully.
Bri looks at the starry night sky and full moon. "Are you here, Axelle?"
Elsewhere
"The final Candidate has arrived," an ominous voice says.
"Good,"