The tests were finished, and it was finally time for everyone to receive their final judgments. Everyone, even those who hadn’t been tested, was feeling a tight tension in their stomachs. Those that were graded were especially nervous, trying their best to cope with the near-panic that raced through their minds. It wasn’t an easy thing, being tested in front of a panel of Alphas and Lieutenants, with other Nexians in attendance.
That sensation had set Eric to wondering. He’d already experienced the feeling of comfort and security that came with being in close proximity to his Alpha. Was the flip side of that this tension that he couldn’t quite put his finger on? He’d felt it before, during the joint training session with the other Nexuses, so he knew it wasn’t solely caused by the test. It was like a fear instinct, though less mild, alerting him to the fact that there were rivals nearby.
“Jerik Barr,” Kevin Williams spoke clearly, his voice cutting across the muttering of the crowd and causing them to fall silent. “The demonstration of your fire archery was interesting, to say the least.”
Jerik inclined his head slightly. “Thank you, Alpha Williams.”
“According to the demonstration you provided, we have assigned you the overall ranking of C,” Kevin continued, offering Jerik a small smile. “That’s an upgrade from your starting status!”
Jerik inclined his head again. “I will do my best to improve.”
“Next, Eric,” Kevin said, picking up a new paper. “We were, to say the least, greatly surprised by the power of your new technique. We believe, and Alpha Will agrees with us, that this ability is an altogether new application of the Thunder Nexus powers, and as such, makes you a special talent.”
Eric offered a deep bow, trying not to look too pleased with himself. It was at moments like these, when he achieved a new level of mastery with his powers, that he found it difficult to remember that these people would eventually become his enemies. They would inevitably oppose Grimr’s mission, which would place them firmly between Eric and his hope to return to Emma and Emily.
“While it has its obvious flaws, there is no denying that its power is on a scale not seen in many recruits of your experience. Why, I believe the last time we were this shocked by an apprentice was from your own Alpha, when he demonstrated just how powerful he was, only months after his induction into the Fire Nexus.”
Eric glanced sideways at his Alpha, looking for some kind of reaction. He received none, of course. His wife behind him was beaming in approval and pride, but he offered nothing more than a solemn nod that Eric knew, after months of training under the man, was the equivalent of a hearty cheer. He offered the man a bow again before turning back to Kevin to hear his new rank.
“It is the opinion of the Alpha Council, by unanimous agreement, that your demonstration was far beyond what we’d expect of a D-rank Nexian,” he said, that grin coming back. “We assign you an overall ranking of B.”
Eric felt a powerful surge of fierce pride and excitement swell inside him, billowing up so fast that it threatened to knock him off balance. Keeping it to a grin, he offered yet another bow. “Thank you, Alphas.”
He tried his best not to skip back to the crowd as Edward moved forward, giving him a quick fist bump. Edward’s demonstration had also been of control rather than power. Being the son of two Nexians, he was of course expected to be powerful, but his display of control and expertise had shocked everyone. He’d created a sort of fusion of his two parent’s unique abilities, the fiery flowers of his mother and the martial combos of his father. The resultant field of lingering dormant static closely resembled a sparking field of spikes.
“Edward,” Kevin said, “I must say I’m very impressed. You’ve demonstrated exceptional growth since your last testing, and your control over lightning is inspiring to behold. You are the true son of both of your parents.”
Edward grinned lazily, his hands shoved into the pockets of his uniform and slouching in a relaxed posture. “Thanks, Uncle Kevin. Told you I could do it.”
“And I never doubted you,” Kevin replied. “You have earned your promotion to A-rank without a doubt. Well done.”
Next up was Megan, who looked the most nervous out of everyone. She’d stumbled slightly during her demonstration, in which she’d attempted to show a powerful mix of offensive and defensive power. Creating thick barriers of ice with one move, then pivoting one hundred and eighty degrees to bring those same barriers, now returned to liquid form, crashing down in a powerful strike. Her transition to a ring of protective ice had been perfect, but shattering the ring into many spikes that flew into the walls had been clumsy, and more than half of them had simply been pulverized by the uneven force and sprayed across the room like a blast of snow.
“No need to be so nervous, child,” Kevin said, giving her a new smile that was strangely comforting. “Your display of control was excellent, and we can’t deny that your power is well above the expected level of someone in your position. We’ve seen a lot of prodigious talent today, and you are no exception.”
Megan tried to return his smile, but it was a wan effort. “Thank you.”
He nodded, accepting her thanks. “You’ve definitely earned a promotion from D-Rank. We’re going to make that a C for now, but I have a feeling your next test will launch you squarely into B-class, or even A-class.”
She bowed her head, then scuttled back to the safety of the line. Eric, watching her take a deep breath of relief as Felix swaggered forward to be measured, thought she looked oddly pleased for the low grade. All at once, he had the suspicion that she’d deliberately underperformed for the test. It certainly didn’t match with the Master of Transmutation in the College of Milagre, who was renowned for her uncanny control of mana and magicks.
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Felix, who’d shown a rapid series of strikes, alternating freely between ice-covered fists and feet and crashing tides of water, all without touching the ground once, was awarded a new rank of A. He walked back to his Alpha and mother with even more swagger than before, all but preening himself.
At the head table, Kevin sank back into his seat, smiling in satisfaction, and Will Andrews rose to his feet, folding his arms behind his torso. “Nicholas, please come forward.”
“During your last two tests,” he said, glancing down at a sheet of paper in front of him, “You showed remarkable strength and combat sense. Your ability to coalesce wind into a physical weapon was unseen, and your reflexes are easily on par with a Thunder Nexian.”
Nick gave Will a slight bow. “Thank you, Alpha Andrews. But I lacked full control over every aspect of my ability.”
“Indeed,” Will agreed. “That is why, despite how unique and powerful you were, we couldn’t give you a ranking any higher than B. This year, however, you showed just how much control you’ve gained.”
Eric had to agree with that statement. Nick’s demonstration, while bland at first, had quickly hammered home what true mastery of a Nexian’s powers looked like. He’d created a barrier of wind around his body several inches thick and maintained it for nearly a minute without it changing its shape in the slightest. Then he’d shredded the barrier apart into hundreds of tiny little wisps of silvery air, which spun in on themselves to form nasty-looking darts. They’d peppered the ceiling with deadly force, creating a small dent for each dart that struck.
That alone would have been a remarkable display of power and control, but he had only been halfway done. Next, he’d performed what Eric could only describe as an elaborate demonstration of graceful yet fast movement, moving through several martial combos all while maneuvering gracefully through the air and changing direction so fast that the others had been hard-pressed to keep up with his movements.
“You know, of course, that nobody besides an Alpha can earn an S-Rank,” Will said. “This, as you also know, is because our Condition makes us invulnerable. While you have not yet reached that level, your power, agility, and control are very nearly equal to our own.”
A quiet round of murmurs swept through the crowd of gathered Nexians. It sounded doubtful, and it wasn’t limited to other Nexuses. Even his own fellows were frowning skeptically. Behind Kevin Williams, Kiera Lawrence stepped forward, glaring at her Nexus. “It’s true. He has mastery of all the abilities we’ve taught him, and even I have trouble beating him in a duel. All he lacked was training his Condition to a level we could call mastery, and he achieved that during the joint training session.”
Will nodded his agreement with this assessment. “He did indeed. If there are still those among you who doubt him, then ask him for further demonstration later. As for the Nexus Council’s opinion, we are in perfect agreement. Nicholas, you are more than deserving of the honor of A-Rank.”
“That’s not all,” Kevin interjected, rising to his feet and surprising Nick out of the bow he’d been about to direct at the council. “I, Kevin Williams, Alpha of the Air Nexus and Speaker for the Nexus Council, name Nicholas King a Captain within our family.”
Eric nearly jumped at the loud roar of acclaim that erupted from the Air Nexus. They surged forward and swarmed around Nick, embracing, shaking, and slapping him on the back. He vanished from sight under the collective affection of his family and was dragged back to the crowd by a whooping, cheering, and laughing group of figures, all beaming in intense pride of their comrade.
“Yes, well done,” Will said, raising his voice to quell the cheers. “But true celebration will have to wait until later. We must proceed if that’s alright with you all.”
The Air Nexus laughed again, but fell quiet, giving waves of apology to the Alphas, still ruffling Nick’s hair so that it looked even more windswept. Shaking his head wearily but smiling, Will lowered himself back into his seat once again, and Kevin took the lead once more. “Only one member left now.”
Eric could have imagined it, but he swore that the volume of the room plummeted further than seemed natural as Kevin called Grimr forward. “Natal, if you please.”
Grimr paced forward with a deliberate, calm air, yet seemed to reach the center faster than seemed plausible. Eric knew he wasn’t the only one that noticed how quickly he’d come forward either, judging by the mutters of surprise that came from the others. They all regarded Grimr warily, almost as if some instinct allowed them to sense that he was a dangerous beast in the body of a young man.
“I must admit,” Kevin began, sounding uncertain, “That you are a very unique case, Natal.”
More than a few mumbles around the Nexuses at that. Eric thought he could understand the reason for their quiet anxiety. Grimr, a member of the Earth Nexus, had been expected to show nothing more than a decent demonstration of his powers. Maybe some experimenting with warping metal, as a few of them were known to do. But Eric hadn’t been all that surprised at what Grimr did offer up.
If you stripped away all of Grimr’s titles and legends, he was, at his core, a druid. Such beings were capable of warping the powers of nature to their will, shifting entire forests and animals in ways that were nothing short of arcane. Grimr had demonstrated that very power, at least in so far as it pertained to nature. Conjuring powerful twisting vines of wood, he’d weaved and raised a thick tree in the center of the building. Eric could almost still hear the gasps and shouts of shock as a thick oak had burst out of the tiles out of nowhere, twisting and creaking upward so fast that it actually punched through the ceiling.
A whole tree, ancient and healthy in appearance, as if it had spent the last two centuries growing in that exact spot. The memory of it was clearly on Kevin’s mind as well, judging by the deep frown. There was no sign of the easy, cheerful smile that he’d worn for the other assessments.
“If any other Nexian were to show signs of warping a new element altogether, we would assume that they were an Alpha,” he said, looking troubled. “But it’s clear from watching your demonstration that you’re no more powerful than any of your fellow Earth Nexian.”
Eric resisted the urge to snort derisively, but only barely. If only he had an inkling of Grimr’s true ability, he thought. He wouldn’t speak so easily, for one. But he’d also be surprised that Grimr wasn’t able to put on a show of force like he’d be able to do with ease if they were in Ahya.
“We consider this a special case, in any event,” Kevin continued. He inclined his head in Will’s direction. “When young Will here became an Alpha, there were warning signs of his eventual gift. Signs that we now see in you.”
He glanced down the line of other Alphas, who nodded gravely. This was a momentous occasion in the history of the Nexuses. Even Eric could tell that. It made him wonder, albeit briefly, why Grimr had gone out of his way to demonstrate such a unique and strong power to the people that would eventually become his enemies. But the uncertainty was short-lived. Grimr knew what he was doing, of that Eric had no doubt.
“It required a great deal of thought on the matter,” Bai Xiao said, speaking up for the first time. “Of course, you are more than worthy of the respect and appropriate treatment that any other Alpha would earn. But as you are not yet at that level, we shall withhold any such reaction.”
“I understand,” was Grimr’s only reply.
“However,” Will cut in, leaning forward and peering at Grimr with great interest, “We must take precautions. Especially in regard to the upcoming Nexus Games. Nexians grow through competition and conflict, as we’ve learned in the past. The Nexus Games are a safe way for this growth to take place. If we were to allow you to join them, you might achieve your full potential then, and cause great damage to those you fight again.”
Grimr said nothing, holding Will’s gaze. An uncomfortable silence formed then before Kevin delivered their final decision.
“So. In the matter of your assessment, we grant you the rank of A. But you are no longer considered to be a member of the Earth Nexus and must leave their territory. From this day on, until we have a better understanding of your growth, you may not fight against other Nexians, including at the Nexus Games. You are now an Alpha in all but name. Your time would be much better spent finding a place to create your own first territory.”