41. Aren’t Scared Anymore?

"All done sir!" thirty seven exclaims with a bright smile on her face. She had finished refining the purple spirit flame.

The trio, thirty four, thirty six and thirty eighty turned to her. Her fist was clenched and her smile was shiny bright. She was beyond happy and thirty eight was devastated.

"Huh? So quick," the man turns to her. "Ahem! That is good, let's wait for him to…"

"I'm done," Hiro's voice interrupts. He stands to his feet and took out his pouch bag. Taking several healing pills from it and swallowing it in one go, Hiro hoped for the pain on his palms, neck and face to subside. His palms were roasted, his neck scared, as if he had worn a hot metal collar and his face was a bit unrecognizable. Patches of burnt marks filled his face and several holes on his head revealing his scalps.

"Hmm? Very well," the man said as once again, the wall glides open.

"Just how many tests are we having?" Hiro scratched his head.

The man led the way and ignores him, while the five of them followed after him quickly. The room they entered had five huge stone plates. And Hiro could only wonder what they were used for. Just before the stone plates were tables, and on top each of them was an ink pen and a book.

"Each of you will stand before one. You will be thrown five random questions, off which you are to answer in fifteen breaths of time," the man explains. "The questions aren't above basic historical knowledge, so you don't have to worry."

"Histo… rical?" Hiro mutters to himself.

"You may begin,"

At the man's signal the five of them each walked up to a table. Hiro was the last to reach one. With a sigh, he turns to the stone plate before him. As the man had said, five questions appeared immediately.

~Questions~

- What marked the rise of the Jewang empire?

- What family founded the Jewang empire?

- Who is publicly acknowledged as the greatest emperor of all times?

- What is known as the biggest catastrophe of the Jewang empire since its founding?

- When is the Jewang founding festival?

Hiro frowned at the questions as he thought. "Hmm, the rise of the Jewang empire? Jewang? Is that the name of this place? Next, hmm? Lu city, Lu family, Jewang empire, Jewang family, right? Let's write that," he picks the ink pen. "Luckily, Izuhi taught me how to use this."

He dips the ink pen into small the ink bottle and writes. After which he turns back to the questions.

"Next, hmm? Next, um? Biggest catastrophe? What could be worst than the fall of the battlefield and the rushing in of monsters? Let's just put that."

Once again, he turns to the book and writes down. "Finally… um? Festival? I don't know that," he sighs and drops the pen. "Perhaps I should learn the history? Nah, that would be a waste of time."

"Times up," the man calls not long after. Each of the pages they had written on, flew to him. He caught them and turns as the wall once again glides open.

"There are still more tests? Ah! Grandfather, I take it back, I don't want to establish a foothold! No more!" Hiro screams in his head. He quickly followed as they all went into the next room.

~

"Hmm? Is someone talking about me? Or is it about the main body?" the old ancestor mutters as he flies over a forest. "Hm, I wonder how Hiro is doing?"

~

Inside the room, there were two long tables. The first table had five sets of three plants and the other had five set of three ores.

"This test is for only those with spirit flame. The two of you will pick a set of herbs each and purify it with your flame."

"Purify?" Hiro asks.

"Just liquify it as much as you can," the man replies.

"Oh."

"When you have completed that, you go over to the next table and do the same. You may proceed."

Thirty seven happily walks to the table and picks up a set of herbs. Hiro follows quickly and picks one two.

"With my flame? How do I release it?" Hiro asks.

A purple light ignites, and Hiro turns to see thirty seven had begun. Her flame covered the herbs and slowly heats them up.

"Oh!"

~Fwoosh~

"Yikes!"

Hiro's palms released his flame instantaneously. The heat from it was so strong, not only did the herbs turn to crisps but even the ceiling was threatened to burn.

"Is it really alright to leave that spirit flame with him?" the man sighs to himself.

"You are going to burn this place down," thirty four yells.

"That's not my intention," Hiro replies.

"Take a deep breath, the flame is only an extension of your body," the man voices.

"I don't see how it is, sir," Hiro yells and breathes in.

He exhales softly and instantly the roaring flame whimpered. It's size and heat reduces greatly. Hiro stares at it for a while before closing his palms.

"Sigh, I wasted those plants," he stretches his hand for another set.

"I never said you could take two."

Hiro's hand came to an halt at the man's voice. "I burnt the previous ones by accident," he defends himself.

"Doesn't matter, move to the next table."

"Hm, okay," Hiro sighs and walks over.

He picks up the three ores and exhales. This time his palms released calm red flames that burn ever softly. By seeing it, one could put their hand in it with the believe that it wouldn't burn. It was a beautiful red flame.

.

.

.

"Look, isn't that Shin, the bully crusher?"

"Yeah, who is that beside him?"

"I don't know."

.

"I didn't think you were this famous," Tanji jests as he, Shin and Mia walks into a classroom. On the way over, they heard whispers about Shin.

"Tch, it would pass," Shin mutters.

"Yeah, yeah," Tanji smiles and looks around. "I wonder if I'm going to see Mos here," he thought. His eyes scanned the room, that had roughly sixty others in it. They were all seated on the floor, some chatting and others meditating. One could only wonder how they could meditate in a place like this. From one end to the other, his eyes continued to scan, unfortunately he didn't find who he was looking for. "I guess he still skips class," Tanji mutters.

"Who's that?" Mia asks.

"Huh? You don't know him."

"Elder brother is being secretive."

"Let's find a spot to seat," Shin says.

"Step aside!" a voice orders from behind and Tanji's lips curls to a smile. He turns around, and was greeted by a boy wearing an eyepatch. He was not much taller than Tanji, though he had a big build.

"Mos," Tanji says in his head.

"What's with that creepy smile? I said step aside," Mos says.

"Huh? I'm sorry," Tanji moves to the side.

"Why are you apologizing?" Shin blocks Mos paths and glares at him. "When did you become his slave? He doesn't have the right to order you about."

"You again?" Mos squints his eyes at Shin.

"You know him?" Tanji asks.

"Yeah, we met at the beasts' mountain. He went after the same beast I had tracked down. We had a little feud about it."

"I am sure that didn't end well," Tanji sighs.

"When you are ready to talk properly, you can pass? Unless you want to face me again?"

"I'll gladly face you," Mos charges forward with a fist, forcing Shin to retreat. "We have unfinished business remember."

"Since that's what you want, I'll give it to ya," Shin says and raises his fist to his chest level.

"Wait you two, you can't fight here. Remember it's against the rules," Tanji steps in and said.

"Tch,"

"Hmph, meet you at the arena," Shin spat out and walks away.

"You bet, immediately after this class," Mos accepted Shin's words with a grin on his face.

"Ugrh, why are they still going to fight?" Tanji sighs.

"Let's go sit elder brother, the master is here," Mia says and pulls his arms as she follows Shin.

"Alright."

Shin found a spot and sat down as a a man walks into the classroom. Mia sat beside him and Tanji sat beside her.

"You sat beside me? You aren't scared of me anymore?" Shin asks Mia.

"A little, but you took a bath at our place so we can say we are companions," Mia replies with a wry smile.

"You didn't have to say that out," Shin glares at those around who had start to murmur.

"Why? You are embarrassed by it?" Mia asks. "If you are embarrassed by us then…"

"I never said I was. If it was Tanji who said that it would have been okay. Coming from you it sounds inappropriate. Not everyone knows you and Tanji are siblings and that you stay together."

"Oh, I see my…"

"If you all are done murmuring, do let me know so I may begin today's teaching," the master's voice sounded and the noisy class turned silent. "Before we begin, I'll be checking your progress."

The master turns to the person nearest to him. He took a quick glance and then turned to the next person.