Rank

18

Ace couldn't relax, the many people all around talking and moving around was annoying to him. Being around so many people was very new to him, he had lived so long in seclusion he had to get used to people again.

At the end of the room near the training dolls, sat six people dressed in light armor, they were all in their mid-forties with three of them being men, and three women. They all sat and stared at a clock in front, waiting for the ranking to begin.

the clock hit twelve and all six people stood up straight looking at the people in front, a short woman with jet black hair and a plum face spoke out in an ear deafening voice. She had an authoritarian demeaner that forced people to submit subconsciously.

"Silence, the ranking will now commence, you are all to stand in line and await your turn to come. You will complete two tests and be ranked based on your performance, then we will assign you to a barracks and your new officer"

People began to stand up with anticipation gleaming in their eyes, the ranking decided what position you would start with in the army. It was a necessary system to find the champions and elite soldiers early so they wouldn't be wasted as foot soldiers.

It all depended on your ability to use and gather ether as well as your elemental manipulation, it was a very big deal for many and one of the few times normal people would be able to test their talent.

Ace stood up along with his group of trainees, they all looked really confused since none of them had been told anything beforehand. Ques quickly manifested and people patiently waited for their turn to come, except for Joshua and his group, who had decided they didnt want to wait in ques anymore.

While people stood, waiting for the que to move they watched Joshua walking in front and the trainees behind as they walked past the lines of people and directly onto the ranking area.

two of the judges took notice and walked forward to stop the group, but the plump faced woman just held a hand out and the two judges seized their actions.

Joshua saw the judges as well as the short woman's action but didn't pay it any mind, the plump faced woman leaned over to a tall man next to her with short brown hair and scars all over his right arm and face, he was one of the people who had tried to stop Joshua from proceeding, and she told him.

"I would recognize those scars and armors anywhere, that is the only tribe crazy enough to force their newborn children into baptism by ether. The cloud weaving sect is both infamous, and highly sought after in the army, no tribe has ever created as many champions as them, let them pass"

The man full of scars looked at Joshua in shock and moved aside for the group to pass, he knew the cloud weaving tribe as well, since he had faced one in the wilderness before and just barely survived the encounter. the short woman walked forward and blocked Joshua's path.

"wait for the people currently in the area to finish before you enter, by the way, why don't you have a commander with you if I may ask?"

Joshua was annoyed from having to answer that every time, but the short woman in front of him seemed different than most, and he felt obligated to answer.

"our commander passed away on the way here, I am responsible for the trainees now"

The short lady seemed very surprised by those words and she gasped.

"my goodness, I was starting to think the commanders of the cloud weaving tribe were all immortal, I guess at least one of them wasn't. was it perchance Grail? I surely hope I am wrong in my assessment, but it is also the most likely I am afraid"

Joshua just nodded silently at her words, and the short woman's face grew very serious.

"that is very unfortunate to hear indeed, I must inform my superiors. The wilderness will become a very dangerous place soon I am certain"

While Joshua and the short lady was talking, Ace looked at the testing area, where thirty people were currently undergoing their ranking.

The first test was grabbing hold of the torches, and depending on how well you could manipulate the ether inside the flame, it would dim responsively. Anyone who could make the flame die out would become an elite and if they could make it change color even, then they would become a champion.

That was the rule set by the military and all the people present was trying desperately to extinguish the flame, of course someone tried to just blow it out with his mouth, but the ether flame didnt even flicker.

One person passed the test by extinguishing the flame, and they all moved on to the dolls, the doll were meant for combat practice and every time you beat the doll, it would come back stronger.

Beating the doll two times meant elite, and beating it three meant champion. Anything above that would be incredibly rare, and you would be sent to the royal legion. There were other criteria as well that could send you to the royal legion, but the judges had yet to specify what.

None of the people managed to go past the second round and they walked over to the judges, demoralized and bruised. It took very little time for the thirty people to be given a barracks and officer in charge, as Joshua pushed Ace and the ten other the trainees forward.

People in the que looked angrily at the trainees, but since the judges ignored them jumping the que, there was little to do about it.

There were still nineteen places left when Ace and the trainees had entered the area, and placed their hands on the torches, people hurried up to fill the spots. Everyone were very interested in seeing just how strong these kids were, since they dared to just skip the rules like that.

A lot of people was expecting to mock the kids when they all had to walk away in shame, but instead found themselves nearly dropping their jaws on the ground, together with the judges.

The short woman next to Joshua chuckled lightly in the absurdity she was watching, Joshua seemed like he wasn't surprised, he knew exactly what kind of monsters they had brought this year. They might have lost a lot in the fight with Nyra, but the ten strongest trainees had all survived.

Amongst the trainee's torches all except one were either extinguished or a completely different color than before, one even had nine glimmering crystals floating around instead of flames.

When the judges saw the glimmering crystals, they exclaimed in disbelief and one even yelled out.

"crystalized flame, It's crystalized flame! She even extinguished one of them, how is that possible at her age."

The short woman walked over to one of the trainees, a blond girl with long braided hair, she had bruises all over like the other trainees but still held some femininity and said.

"go back over to your captain miss, there is no need for you to take the second test since you will be part of the royal legion now"

The girl looked annoyed at the short woman talking to her, but Joshua waved her over and she obediently ran back to him.

The only flame still unaffected amongst the trainees were Ace's, who hadn't been able to make the flame even flicker. The other trainees were assured a spot as either elite or champion, with none of the nineteen people making it either.

All twenty-nine went over to the dolls to begin the second part of the testing, it quickly turned into a beatdown for most of them as the dolls pummeled them into submission.

Except for the trainees were four people amongst the rest who beat the doll first time, even Ace took down the first doll, he might not have any ether but he was still from the wilderness, and had beaten several trainees before.

The second doll was up and it was much harder than before, two of the four regular people went down fast. Ace was having serious trouble with this one and he had to use every weapon in his disposal, as he fought with teeth and nail against the brutal doll.

The fight went on and he sadly had to accept that although the doll was too slow, he couldn't hit it hard enough to take it down, it ended in a draw as he jumped back in disappointment, and the doll stopped moving.