A TRIAL BEFORE THE TRIALS

The morning sun was out to illuminate the skies as the people around busied themselves with their various activities. Traveling amongst them with a huge rat like beast were two figures, a young man looking to be in his early twenties and cladded in a military armor, his buzzed black hair and brown sparky brown eyes seem to peculiarly compliment his casual expression as he would occasionally whistle various incomplete melodies and behind him a boy who looked a little younger than him although his gray coloured hair seemed to contrast this notion and his blue eyes bore some sort of long and dull look in conformity with his distant expression.

"You know you haven't said anything past three words since we began our journey this morning." Nathan stated with concern in his tone.

"Huh?…mm." Kairos simply muttered as a reply.

"You know I could tell you the tale of The Blue Fire Lord, Leander Eros now, not feeling sleepy anymore." Nathan still offered consistently.

"Oh...not now at least, my mind is currently clouded." Kairos simply stated causing Nathan to slightly shake his head in seeming despair.

"Nathan?" Kairos voice suddenly called from behind, startling and calling the attention of Nathan who had resumed his whistling.

"...do you think another great war would happen?" Kairos asked in a low hoarse tone.

"Another war?...off course another war is bound to happen and another one after that one and another after the other one…that's life, wars are like basic essentials necessary for human development, so it's like asking if another trading center will be opened after the old one shut down or another leader will be instituted after the old one is no more…the people don't just decide to not make a new leader because probably the last one was an idiot or bloodthirsty and greedy, no…they rather find a more pleasant or soothing way about it than outright abandon it."

"...which is why we have various Factions trying to acquire new battle machines and strategies, recruits for the military is on the high, and the search for battle prodigies now a necessity…which is why the Factions pay a common amateur mana runes incriber three times the pay of a well trained trooper who goes out sacrificing his life everyday just because the other is capable of drawing some shitty mana magic rubbish."

Immediately Nathan was done with his explanation, an awkward silence loomed between the duo, as Nathan tried suppressing his rising annoyance while Kairos still seemed taken aback by Nathan's sudden tensed up tone.

"Oh look, we made it." Nathan exclaimed, suddenly breaking the silence between the both of them.

"Huh?" Kairos muttered and immediately moved his gaze forward with which he quickly noticed the magnificent vast and tall stone walls of the Verdant capital. The walls, although looking like it had existed for ages still looked firm and sturdy with no signs of wearing out anytime soon, on it Kairos could spot a few cracks and slits that he was sure bore a lot of history just like the wall it was on.

Both travellers soon arrived at the wall with which after answering some questions from a couple of soldiers stationed at the gate and Karios being searched they were allowed to pass through.

Immediately they got through the gates and into the town Kairos couldn't help his eyes widening up open.

The capital's setup and features were a complete difference from any of the towns they had gone through in their journey; everything here was like an upgrade. The people here used a wooden cart like object for transportation except this cart had four wheels and had a roof and was tied to mana beasts, horses and bulls to push this weird cart around, Kairos had off course heard of these strange carts or 'carrums' as they would call them, but this was his first time seeing one in person.

Instead of the normal woods, the buildings here were made and beautifully crafted from stones…or at least they looked like stones.

Kairos continued to stare in awe at the peculiarity of the Verdant's capital, it's top notch security, it's beautifully exceptional trees that he didn't seem to notice in any of the other Verdant region he has been too, the elite demeanor the few residents he had spotted in their journey expressed. And Kairos felt there were more exceptions to the capital as the places still uncovered by them seemed vast.

"So the capital is where the high-class citizens are stocked into?" Kairos bluntly asked.

"Well there are a couple of ordinary people too…why, have you got some problem with high-class?" Nathan asked back with curiosity.

"Not like I have a personal reason to…the island is not really a place of class stratification, actually there isn't even a class there….no rich, no poor, no high-class or low class the only thing valued there are your skills." Kairos replied casually, causing Nathan to briefly stare back at him.

"How do you know we aren't late for the trials anyway?"

"The trials start at noon and look (Nathan briefly took out his sundial and showed it to Kairos) it's barely even close to noon…trust me I had made all the calculations even before the start of the journey.

Why else do you think the Captain and squad leader had chosen me over troopers of even higher rank than me it's because of my great affinity with routes and shortcuts of different regions in the Verdant Faction…who knows maybe during my free time I'll just start up a new job as the Faction's regions guide or escort…what do you think stone cutter?" (Nathan briefly asked while petting the head of stone cutter).

The duo journey continued until they eventually got to a place with an eerie quietness with no sign of population and numerous sprouting gigantic tree, Kairos couldn't help but look around warily as he asked in a slow tone:

"Nathan…where are we?"

"The military training center." Nathan replied as he pointed to a direction with which Kairos equally looked towards where he immediately spotted a towering wall, almost similar to one covering the Verdant capital, only this one looked more like it was made from wood or a wood like material but that didn't diminish it's majestic overwhelming look at all even from afar where Kairos spotted it from.

"Quick, give me your daggers." Nathan ordered as he stopped stone cutter from moving and jumped off its back.

"What?" Kairos quickly asked, confused by his escort's sudden strange request.

"Trust me…weapons aren't allowed past those gates…well at least for people who aren't in the Verdant Military, but no need to worry you might be allowed to use yours during your trials considering your not a manipulator and your daggers aren't mixed with mana stones or grant any buffs but first we have to go past those guards stationed at the gates to the trials admin first for your clarification."

Kairos felt a little skeptical releasing his only source of protection to someone he wasn't really familiar with…but what choice did he really have in such a situation, "I guess you have to ignore the risks of certain things for the rewards" he murmured as he handed over both his daggers to Nathan who quickly put them in the pouch he was carrying.

Kairos equally jumped off stone cutter and helped Nathan tie him up to one of the trees around where he patted the beast for while. A sudden smirk appeared on his face as he thought to himself:

'What am I even doing? petting something that could kill me in mere seconds and worst I just met it just a day ago' with his smirk growing wider he stared at the beast who seemed to equally enjoy the petting as it would occasionally push it's head closer to Kairos' hand to enjoy the light pats.

"I guess humanity and its apprehension can be very funny and confusing at times." he murmured and then quickly followed after Nathan who was already moving towards the wall.

Few moments later and they were at the wood like majestic wall, now standing close by it made it easier for Kairos to decipher what sort of wood the wall was made from…wood from mana trees, the aura around the wall was suppressing and the woods looked too durable to be just ordinary wood, all this making him sure of his notion that they were made from mana trees and these wall spawned wide…impressive.

"...yeah but we will have to search the boy." The commanding voice of one the Verdant soldiers standing guard snapped Karios from his thinking trance as he stared at the man who had previously spoken, from the uniform he wore, it seemed he wasn't any higher in rank than Nathan at least not in a considerable way.

Nathan quickly stared at Kairos who seemed to immediately understand him as he quickly stepped forward to be searched, which after being searched to the satisfaction of the guards both he and Nathan were allowed to pass in.

Immediately they got in, Kairos noticed a couple of men and women up to seven of them each holding a book and seemingly writing down the descriptions of the enrollees as they were constantly asking questions and writing in the book in their hand.

Both he and Nathan immediately walked over to the closest they could spot that wasn't currently attending to anyone at the moment.

The man who seemed to have been studying the book in his hand, suddenly stared at the two figures standing before him giving Kairos the opportunity to do the same.

The man seemed to be in his middle age and was cladded in an attire with the Verdant Faction elblem imprinted on his chest area and shoulders; the silhouette of a large tree surrounded by green robes, on his face a stern and uninterested expression.

"Your name?" He bluntly asked.

"Kairos Leander Eros." Kairos immediately replied prompting the man to immediately stare at him with apprehension and then the trooper standing not too far.

"Leander Eros as in the Legendary Blue Fire Lord ?" The man quickly asked with a tint of disbelief in his tone as he continually moved his gaze between the trooper and the young looking boy standing before him.

"I guess he also has the nickname 'Blue Fire Lord'." Kairos managed to reply, a little taken aback by the man's sudden change of attitude.

The man still taken aback by Kairos recent words, did seem to realize his mouth slightly open as he would periodically shift his gaze between Kairos and then the trooper standing few steps away, his gaze focused on theirs as though trying to fish out any form of truth or falseness in their eyes, he eventually managed to regain composure as he quickly scribbled down something on his book before looking back at Kairos with excitement growing in his tone.

"What region do you come from?" He asked again, only this time without the stern tone, he now had a more subtle and respectful tone.

"Pacifica Island." Karios replied, seemingly getting more understanding on the man's sudden change.

"Pacifica Island." The middle-aged man repeated and quickly scribbled it down to his book. Luckily the Island was known by all Factions to have a mutual relationship so it wouldn't be odd seeing someone from that region coming over to the Verdant Faction for training as there wasn't any form of hostility between them but rather a mutual agreement.

"What element do you manipulate?" The man asked again, only this time he asked with some sort of anticipation in his tone.

"Ehmm…I am a vulgar." Kairos replied slowly causing the man to immediately stop scribbling and stare at him.

"You do know what a vulgar means right?" He asked this time with uncertainty but seeing Kairos nod his head in acceptance he could help but sigh with disappointed.

"Then am sorry but I can't register you as a participant in the trials."