7: Orientation III

"Iris calm down!" Jane said patting Iris on the shoulder.

"Lady Jane how in the name of Set can you expect me to calm down?" Iris asked throwing her hands in the air. "We are in a competition to learn from a Paragon; one of the strongest splicers in our generation; and our teammate is a peasant from the most backwards country in the world that doesn't know anything about splicing?!"

"Will everyone stop calling me a peasant!" I snapped.

"How did you even get into this collage let alone get a perfect score on any part of the entrance exam?!" Iris demanded.

"Yes I would like to know that as well." Our guide said with a very amused smile on his face.

"I mean it was a written exam. Literally all the questions were evo related. And while all books on splicing as burned way back when, books on evos weren't and easily excess able. I mean evos are America's biggest export thanks to Techno-Splicing."

"Hmm, if I may ask what were the subjects you got a perfect score on in your test when you go your results?" Our guide asked.

"full genetic sequencing, contemporary gene mapping, nervous system restructuring, controlled mutation, dual genus sequencing, triple genus sequencing, quadruple genus sequencing, redundancy purging, and theoretical gene manipulation." I replied.

I looked back at the Jane and Iris; Jane just stared at me in disbelief, Iris was rubbing her temples shaking her head.

"That can't be right! You're telling me that you got a perfect score on nine subject out of the forty they tested us on and all the ones you got a perfect score are advanced research subjects?!" Iris snapped. It was my turn to look at them in disbelief.

"Advanced research subject?" I snorted. "All those things are the basis of Techno-Splicing. My mom and dad had tons of books on the stuff lying around the house."

"I understand now…" Our guide said. "You grew up learning about the technical side of Splicing through Techno-Splicing of all things, but you never had anyone to show you the practical skills."

"We're fucked…so very fucked…" Iris groaned.

"Not necessarily. Don't forget you are a team. Whether you win or lose will determine how well you three can work together." Our guide said. Jane nodded looking a little more hopeful but Iris just hung her head in defeat.

"I really want this. I'll do my best and try not to hold you two back." I said softly.

The lead steed let put a braying noise and I turned to see what the noise was about. The steeds were heading down a road to a large silver spire.

"looks like we've arrived." Our guide said.

"I'm Nigel Earton, by the way."

"Chase Kingston." I replied.

"I'm Jane Yearwood and this is my companion Iris Stone." Jane said.

"Well nice to meet…most of you." Nigel said giving Iris a sideways look. "Hope you three make into Baset's class. It'll definitely make things interesting."

The steeds ran full speed and came to a stop under a overhang in front of the spires entrance. After everyone got out of the carriage I released my hold on the steeds. They all let out a loud braying noise then looked to me for a brief moment before they ran off heading back the way they came.

"So what's here?" I asked Nigel as I looked up at the spire.

"A test of control. I can't tell you anything more than that." He replied then headed inside.

I shared a look with Jane and Iris before following after him. Whatever the test was if we were going to pass I'd need to lean heavily on them.

The spire turned out to be a giant library, though the scale of it made the term library seem inadequate. Grand archive seemed better. Shelves filled with books, scrolls, and tomes as far as the eye can see. Many stretching several stories high. There were a few dozen people inside already, most of them wearing staff uniforms and scuttling around doing their various duties to keep the archive orderly.

A few meters from the door stood a desk, already stacked taller than me with books and tomes. A frazzled woman rushed around the desk frantically trying to put things in order. You could easily tell it was a losing battle.

Nigel walked up to the desk and rang the bell the sat on the edge under a small stack of pizza boxes.

"I'll be right with you." She said absent-mindedly

"I'd say take your time but I don't think these three will appreciate that." Nigel replied.

The librarian stuck her head out from behind the stack of books to see who he was talking about. When she saw the three of us her eyes nearly bugged out.

"You mean a group figured out the trick already?" She gasped. Nigel chuckled and then glanced at me.

"I'll tell you later Jovia. They're ready for the next test." Nigel said. Jovia reached under her desk and pulled out a box. She then walked around to the front of the desk and held it out to us.

"Okay for the next test you're each going to reach into this box and pull out a sigil card. You'll get further instructions after you draw." She said.

"Me first." Iris said. She walked up to Jovia and stuck her hand in the box. She pulled out a metal card similar to the one I had in my pocket, only hers was blue instead of Grey. Jane went next, she pulled out a yellow card. It was my turn next.

As I approached the box I couldn't see inside it, the top was totally pitch black. I reached into the top and felt thousands of cards. Rooting my arm around the box my hand brushed against a card that felt different from the others. While they all felt cold to the touch and smooth this was rough like sand paper and hot. For some reason I felt like I needed to grab that card. Pulling it put out of the box I saw it had two colors black and gold.

"Well that's kinda cool." I said examining the card. Jovia grimaced when she saw that card.

"Okay on those cards are inscribed a spell sigil. Your test is for each of you to learn the spell inscribed and cast it. You can use any open table to study the sigil but please only use the casting rooms at the back of the library to vast your spells." Jovia looked over to me and pats me on the shoulder. "Good luck, you'll need it."

With that she scurried back behind her desk and went back to sorting. I turned to open say something to Iris but she had her finger pressed to her lips to be quiet. Jane motioned to the tables at the back of the library. I was puzzled by the sudden secrecy until I looked over Jane's shoulder and saw a group from the theatre walking inside.

'Shit someone caught up already.' I thought as we made our way to the study tables. We took the one furthest away from any other table, our backs were to the wall and we had full view of the rest of the library. We could talk without fear of someone sneaking up on us unexpectedly. Nigel stayed by Jovia's desk.

"Okay on a scale of one to ten how fucked are we?" I asked. Iris and Jane both shared a concerned look then turned back to me.

"Ten."