Walking down the street, it was no surprise to Evelyn that she couldn’t read any of the signs. Instead, at a street corner, a pair of what Evelyn could only assume were guards stood chatting. Noticing her approach, they turned to face her in unison, “Can we help you with anything mam?” Yep definitely guards, She thought. “I’m new in town and looking for some work. Got any directions to point me in?”
The guard on the left rolled his eyes as the other guard pointed behind him.
At the end of the road was a large building with a painting of two swords overlaying a deer skull. “Thank you,” She said, walking down the street. “Damn bumpkins,” She heard one of the guards say.
Opening the doors, she took in the wave of sights and smells. The inside of the building looked like a restaurant, filled with people in all manners of armor. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Evelyn turned her head to a tall woman in very professional clothing standing over her. “Do you need help?”
”I'm looking to do some work.” Evelyn responded, staring dead into the woman’s eyes. “Aren’t we all. Are you a registered member of the adventurers guild?” Then, shaking her head, Evelyn said, “ah uh no….”
Sighing, the woman waved Evelyn after her as she walked across the room. Having to jog slightly to keep up with the woman, Evelyn let out a deep, long exhale. Arriving at a desk, the woman sat down and gestured for Evelyn to do the same at a chair across from hers.
“Alright, to start are, are you a registered member or affiliated with any sister guild, like the hunters or merchants guild?”
“No”
The woman made some marks on a piece of paper on her desk. “Then lets begin. Please state your name in full, including title if you have one.”
“Doctor Evelyn Wisteria Writer.” Looking up, the woman raised an eyebrow, “Your a doctor?”
“I have a doctorate in engineering.”
“I see. Well, Dr. Writer, what’s your country of origin?”
“Terra United, North American sector.” Narrowing her eyes, the woman glances at Evelyn before looking down at her paper again. “Alright then, Dr. Writer, if you’ll follow me,” she said, standing up, “You now need to complete a physical examination where your abilities will be graded from A through F.”
Standing up, the woman briskly moved to the back of the building, Evelyn in tow. Opening a door, they entered a large yard filled with training equipment. The woman cleared her throat, walking over to a large man bench and pressing a log.
Looking up, a smile passed over the man's face, and he chucked the log to the side, sitting up. “Katrin! How can I help you today!”
“Hello Max,” She said, her expression not changing. “This,” she said, gesturing at Evelyn, “Is Evelyn and she needs her physical evaluations done.”
Looking Evelyn up and down, he stood up, towering over her by almost 3 feet. “Then let's get started!” Walking across the yard with Katrin and Evelyn in tow. “So Evelyn, this evaluation will test your Speed, Stamina, Strength, and Technique. We are, of course, going to start with speed. Stamina will be tested in all categories as a side product of the physical activity. Understood?”
“Yes sir.” She nodded. “But I, uh, might need new clothes for that….” She said shyly. Chuckling, Max pointed behind him, “there’s a changing room back there, go into the back and pick out what you most comfortable with from the counter. You WILL be required to return it.”
Nodding, Evelyn entered the room and picked out a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of knee-length shorts. Then, throwing her other clothes into a cubby slot, she tied her hair into a ponytail around itself.
Walking back out, she found Katrin and Max having a conversation, and Katrin seemed to almost be smiling. However, upon seeing Evelyn, Katrin's face immediately fell neutral again. “Alright, Evelyn!” Max stated loudly, “Run as many laps as fast as you can around the yard!”
“Yes sir!” Evelyn said and started running. After running for over an hour, Max called her back with an impressed look. “Evelyn you’ve been graded an A on speed, and we have yet to test your stamina to its capacities, so it gets a provisional A.” Pumping her arm, Evelyn mentally celebrated her victory. “So,” She said, “Strength next?”
“Yes indeed.” Max said, guiding Evelyn to a row of weights ascending from 5 pounds to 600 pounds. “To streamline this, pick up the weights one by one until you get to your maximum. Then, hold that one for as long as you can.”
Nodding, Evelyn walked to the 500-weight, A large metal ball, and held it in her arms. “Theoretically,” Evelyn grunted, “I can hold something under 300 pounds or less forever. But,” She said, dropping the weight on the ground, “Anything over that overloads my joints.” Rubbing her arm, Evelyn let out a deep sigh, “So, what’s next?”
“Next,” Max said, opening a cabinet near him, “We get into the training ring.” Inside the cabinet were weapons of all varieties, from swords to crossbows. Max grabbed a wooden greatsword, hauling it over his shoulder. “Grab whatever you want,” he said, “when you’ve made your choice, join me in the yard.”
Only sparing the weapons a short glance, Evelyn pressed her fingers to her wrists, causing her hands, up to her elbow, to split into sections raised slightly above her normal skin level. The vents on her back shot open, ripping through the shirt. “Oops.” She shrugged.
Walking over to Max, he stood talking to Katrin in a large circle enclosed in a rope fence. Hopping over, Evelyn called out to the two, “Let’s get this going, big man!”
Looking over, a grin spread over Max’s face. Then, taking his place on the opposite side of the arena, Katrin hurried out of the boundary.
“Don’t worry about hurting me, i'm a tough guy, and we’ve got a healer on hand. Before we start, no magic is allowed. Only physical abilities. Understood?”
“Absolutely,” Evelyn said, lowering into a combat stance, “come at me, big guy.”
Hefting his greatsword off his shoulder, he charged at Evelyn. With a heavy swing, His sword arced down towards her head. Jumping up, Evelyn grabbed the sword and launched, clearing Max’s head. The plates on her left arm opened, forming an air jet, throwing her fist forwards. With a swoosh, Max threw his sword up to block. The blade met Evelyn's fist, splintering with the force of the impact; Evelyn flew past, rolling as she landed behind Max.
Max quickly turned to find her still kneeling. Approaching carefully, he held the remains of his sword out defensively. Upon getting within a few feet, a large puff of steam shot from Evelyn's back vents, hitting Max in the face. “Fuck!” He shouted, stumbling backward.
“I call fowl,” He said, rubbing his eyes, “I clearly stated NO magic, did I not?”
“Well, yea, but I didn't use magic. Everything I do is my body and my body alone.” Evelyn replied, Standing to Face him. Across her arms and legs, small sections opened to join her vents in expelling steam. Then, with a snap, all the plates shut, and the steam dissipated.
“Well,” Max said, “I won’t pry.” Then, looking at the splintered hilt in his hand, he looked at Katrin. “I’m giving you an A in strength and a C in Training, and you have an A in speed. So I’m using my authority as yardmaster to grade your stamina at an S.”
“I thought the grading was A to F?”
Stolen novel; please report.
“Normal it is. Still, due to your apparent unlimited capacity to keep doing anything, you're getting the S or Special grade. It basically tells anyone looking at your statistics that you have a unique ability in that category.”
“Huh,” Evelyn said, “Well, I can work with that. And uh, sorry about the shirt.” With a chuckle, Max responded, “Not a problem, it happens more often than not, so it will be made into a 10 copper debt on your membership. But, of course, you’ll have to pay it off before earning anything else.”
“Makes sense to me. Any other debts I have incurred today?” Holding up the broken sword, Max smiled. Sighing, Evelyn chuckled, “Should’ve figured.”
Clearing her throat, Katrin looked between the two. “We still have one more test to do; your magic test. Even if you could claim not to have magic, This test is still required.”
“Alright, lead the way, Ms. Katrin.” The use of her name cause Katrin to squint at Evelyn before turning on her heel and walking away.
Max chuckled at Evelyn’s bewildered look, “You should probably catch up with her; she’s a fast walker that one.” Nodding, Evelyn ran after Katrin.
Opening a door with an ornate glyph, Katrin ushered Evelyn inside. Beyond the entryway was a small waiting room filled with chairs and a set of entries across the way. Both doors had signs, but Evelyn still couldn’t read them. Evelyn mused over how she could talk to these people but not read their writing as she and Katrin sat and waited.
“Is there any particular reason you don't like me?” Evelyn asked, turning to Katrin. Katrin looked up from her paper resting on a small wooden plate. Then, tapping her pen against her chin, she pondered.
“Ah, yes, well, I don't. I don't hate you. I’m just…, not good with people? Yeah. The only reason I'm doing this is that our normal receptionist quit. So, uh, I'm sorry. It’s just kinda easier to be brief and sharp with you. Because, like, I don't know you, you know?” Evelyn raised her eyebrows in surprise. The Katrin she was looking at was nothing like the one she had spent the past couple of hours with. She was fidgeting with her pen and her long brass-colored hair. Putting her hand on Katrin's shoulder, Evelyn said softly, “It’s ok, I understand.” Jumping at the sudden contact, Katrin looked into Evelyn's eyes and nodded. “Thanks,” She mumbled.
After a couple more minutes of silence, one of the doors opened, and a woman in a simple black knee-length dress walked into the waiting room, “Ah! Hello Katrin, how may I assist you and your new friend today?”
Clearing her throat, Katrin turned to face the woman, “H-hey Silvia, Evelyn here,” she turned, gestured at her, “Needs her magic tests done.”
“Ohhhh!” Silvia smiled, clapping her hands, “It’s been a while since we got new recruits! I’m excited to see what your scores are, Evelyn!”
“Well in advance, sorry if i disappoint.”
“Now, why would you do that? Even if you don't have the capacity for a magecraft of some kind, It always interesting to measure people. Speaking of,” She said, turning to the door, “If you follow me we will start with your natural mana pool capacity!”
Katrin and Evelyn stood and followed Silvia into a short hallway with more doors. Unlocking the first right door, Silva tossed it open and started moving stuff around inside. “Give me one moment, and we’ll begin!”
Standing in the doorway watching Silva, Evelyn's mind again drifted.
Coming back to reality, Evelyn felt something press itself onto her back; turning her head, she saw a girl pushing her head into her. Her curly green hair went everywhere, and her giant moth-like antenna swayed in the air. “Um,” Evelyn said awkwardly, “Can I help you?
Looking up, the girl moved her face inches away from Evelyn. Their eyes meeting, Evelyn noticed the strange way her green eyes seemed almost like swirling ink. “Your mana is amazing…,” She said dreamily. The girl inhaled deeply through her nose, her eyes never leaving Evelyn's.
Evelyn's mind was racing, with thousands of thoughts coming and going every second. Part of her wanted to move, and another wanted to continue looking into the girl's mesmerizing eyes.
“PRIMROSE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” A loud voice brought her back to the present as the girl stepped back and looked behind Evelyn. Silvia was staring daggers at the girl, arms crossed. “But Silv! Her mana! It’s so pure!” The girl, Primrose, said excitedly.
“Stop bothering visitors! Im sorry, Evelyn,” she said, turning to face her, “This is my assistant Primrose, and she is VERY forward and inclined to follow her nature.”
“Uh, mmm, yea, it's… fine.” Evelyn mumbled, still slightly distracted. “Now,” Silvia said, clapping, “Everyone in the testing room!”
Silvia grabbed Evelyn by the arm and walked her to a chair at a table, sitting her down. “Evelyn, you can zone out later; please focus.” Nodding, Evelyn examined the room; all sorts of strange gadgets sat on shelves and in boxes.
Sitting on a chair across from her, Silva placed a small crystalline orb on the table. The inside of the globe sparkled and swirled with colors and shapes. While Evelyn was examining the ball, Silvia mumbled something Evelyn couldn’t understand under her breath. A magic circle expanded from the orb, climbing into 3 tiers of multiple patterns with shapes and runes. “Evelyn dear, whenever you're ready, please place your hand on the orb.”
Cautiously reaching over, Evelyn placed her hand on the orb, the magic circles passing through her like nothing was there.
As soon as her hand touched the orb, nothing happened. “Hmm strange…,” Silvia mumbled, “Ive never seen the orb NOT give a reading.”
Primrose leaned over Silvia's shoulder, staring at the orb, “This IS strange. I can FEEL her mana. I know it's there.” Then, reaching over and grabbing Evelyn's other arm, Primrose shoved her nose into her skin. “Jumping, Evelyn tried to retract her arm, but primrose wouldn’t budge.
Finally, after much too long, Primrose moved her face and softened her grip. Then shoved Evelyn's other hand onto the orb.
When she had both hands on the orb, it started glowing a deep silver light.
“Well.” Silvia started. “That’s impressive.” Primrose finished.
“Are we going to tell me what’s going on?” Evelyn asked.
“Well, you have an externally strong concentration of mana. But you cant send it outside of your body very easily.”
Silvia gestured to Evelyn to take her hands off the orb, which stopped glowing when she did. “Evelyn, can I have a drop of your blood?” Primrose asked.
“What”
“Your blood. Can I have some?”
Reaching her arm up and laying it on the table, “I guess, just give me a second to get it.”
Raising her eyebrows, Silvia asked, “What do you…,” She drifted off as Evelyn opened her arm to reveal the mechanics inside.
Reaching her fingers, she grabbed the small vein carrying the luminescent orange liquid. At one end, it plugged into a slot going toward her hand. Twisting it, Evelyn took it out, both ends of the plug sealing themselves. “I’m going to need a cup.”
After Silvia placed a small wooden cup on the table, Evelyn held the tube over it, pressed a small button, and released it, letting a small amount of liquid out. Then, putting the vein back, She closed her arm and stretched her fingers. “Will that work?”
“What is this?” Primrose asked, sniffing the liquid.
“That, as best as I can explain, is my blood. It running through my body keeps me alive and moving.”
Primrose continued to look into the cup entrance. “What’s it made of?”
Evelyn sighed, “Lots and LOTS of chemicals.
Afterward, the group made Evelyn sit in the waiting room as they discussed further. Looking up as a door opened, Silvia, Primrose, and Katrin walked in. Standing up and walking over to them, Evelyn asked, “So? Do I pass?”
“Yes but under the recommendation that you attend our guild sponsored school,” Silvia started. “Or you could call it the adventuring academy like the rest of us do!” Primrose interrupted, earning a glare from Silvia.
“Well Evelyn,” Silvia continued, “What do you think?”
Pondering for a second, Evelyn nodded, “I’m never one to turn down learning something new and useful. But, I have one concern.”
“What is it”
“I’m broke,” Evelyn said, rubbing the back of her neck. Primrose chuckled in response. “Don’t worry, the school will provide anything you need, and it will be added to your adventurer's debt, which you can still pay off by doing quests while enrolled.”
Nodding, Evelyn said, “Sounds good to me.” Primrose cheered and jumped in the air, “YAY! Silvia, can you pull some strings and get her in my dorm? I can help her with anything she needs,” she said, thumping her fist on her chest. “I can try but I make no promises,” Silvia sighed.
After their conversation, Katrin and Evelyn departed, splitting off at the entrance to the guild hall. “I will submit your application and you should have it confirmed by the morning.”
“Thank you Katrin, have a good night.”
“And you too.” Katrin replied, smiling at Evelyn.
Walking onto the street, Evelyn looked around at the barren pathways and a few stepping stones. “I should have asked about lodgings before leaving, huh,” she chuckled.
Walking the streets till midnight, Evelyn again examined the stars, mapping out her new constellations. Finally, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was one she recognized. And next to that, another. “Libra and Virgo. Then that means there’s Leo, and up there should be Ursa Major.” She mumbled, tracing the points, “but where is it?”
Taking a seat on the side of the road, Evelyn continued to stare at the sky and its twinkling eyes. “Holy fuck,” She said, bewildered. “How in the hell did I miss a second moon?” Sitting in the sky together was a pair of moons. One is the spitting image of her own, and the other is a large white circle. It had no shadows, edges, or craters, just a solid white hole in the sky.
Mesmerized, Evelyn stared at the moons, lost in her mind.