"Get in the ship and drop out of the exams if you want to live." The commander says in an almost final tone.
Like he's been warning others for too long and he's grown tired of it.
Silence followed. Only the faint thunder and waves of the ocean. Then loud murmurs. People talking and contemplating the idea of leaving.
If the Highlands Navy had to intervene... what are we going to face in there if the navy had to warn us?
The murmurs continue to grow. "Should we leave?" one asked. "What are we going to face down there?" another asked.
Questions begin to grow louder and louder. The man raises his hand and looks at us again. "I haven't come to answer questions. I've been given orders by the parliament to retrieve anyone who no longer wants to participate. This isn't the first time I've done this. I've asked plenty, but some didn't listen. So I'm offering you a chance to drop out and leave so you can live and have a life."
The rookies continue talking amongst themselves. "I don't want to die there," one says. "Maybe I should be a farmer. This adventurer thing isn't cut out for me."
One steps forward and enters the vessel. Then another. And another. More and more rookies enter. I look around and see Alexandria standing there with Aurelia and Rela. Rowan leans against the railing with some Eighty members, his eyes narrowing as some of his own enter the ship. Zora sits on the floor, leaning against the wall with that smug smile on his face as he watches more of them go.
Now there's only a few dozen left—probably about seventy. The rest have entered the ship. The commander looks at us, then speaks:
"You are much closer to the Highlands now. Once the ship gets past the archipelago, you will be able to see the Highlands coastline if your vision is good. Good luck. Pray to whatever God you worship, because you will need it."
He turns and enters the vessel. The ships leave within minutes, their figures growing more and more obscure. Guess it's just us now.
I look around and see everyone else in their groups. But only one is standing alone—Edward. Leaning against the railing with his arms crossed, staring at the approaching dark clouds.
"You know him?" Dominio asks.
"Yeah, I had a talk with him while I was recovering. He's one of the good guys... well, from what I know."
He walks ahead of me and gestures for me to follow. "Come on, Aurelia must be worried."
I glance around and see Zora standing with his group, including Koan. He looks at me, then at my claymore, and smiles before focusing back on his people.
Was his wish to reverse the penalties for people who broke rules? A gift for the rebels. And those gifts are the weapons they lost. But my question is—what did he do to lose his mace? And if it was a wish for everyone to get their weapons back, he could have wished for only his own. But he chose everyone. Why?
I follow Dominio to the group. Everyone's looking at the clouds. Aurelia shifts her attention to me. "Your claymore is back. Good."
Rela scoffs and crosses her arms. "The axe looked good on you though. Made you look more like a berserker trained in Drakva."
"Thanks for the axe and the compliment, but I'm more used to the claymore."
She laughs and pats my back hard. "Makes sense. You fight better with the claymore than with any other weapon."
My senses trigger again. The temperature drops as black flames erupt once more in a tornado.
The moderators appear again. All of them look at us, then toward where the Highlands ships disappeared.
"The commander gave you all the chance to drop out and leave. Do you acknowledge the danger of this exam? Some of you will not come back alive."
One of them looks at me, their gaze lingering a moment longer before raising their thin black hand. They snap their fingers, and a giant hourglass appears behind them from black flames—much larger than them.
"THE FINAL EXAM... THE ARCHIPELAGO EXAM."
"ALL OF YOU WILL FORM A GROUP OF SIX. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO COLLECT 3 GEM CRYSTALS. THE FIRE CRYSTAL, THE WATER CRYSTAL, AND THE WIND CRYSTAL. EACH CRYSTAL IS ON A DIFFERENT ISLAND."
"ONCE YOU HAVE COLLECTED ALL OF THEM, BRING THEM TO THE SHIP AND PLACE THEM ON THE ALTAR. ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THAT, YOU PASS. THE SHIP WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE ARCHIPELAGO TOWARD THE HIGHLANDS, SO YOU MUST BE FAST AND EFFICIENT. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO REMAIN ON THE SHIP UNLESS THEY HAVE THE CRYSTALS. AND YES..."
"MURDER IS PERMITTED."
Three altars rise in a triangular formation, each with a hole where the crystals must be placed.
"THE VOYAGE FROM THIS ARCHIPELAGO TO THE HIGHLANDS SEA TERRITORY TAKES 2 DAYS... SO BE VIGILANT. ONCE THE GLASS TURNS, THE EXAM WILL BEGIN."
The moderators disappear into the flames, leaving silence.
"A team of six. So: me, Zain, Dominio, Rela, and Alexandria. We need one more. Who though? Everyone else either won't trust us or is already in a team." Aurelia closes her eyes as she thinks.
I look around. Everyone's already grouped up. I turn and see Edward still alone, looking left and right.
Aurelia follows my gaze. "You're thinking of adding him? Wasn't he a psychopath?"
"Do we have any other option?"
"I guess not."
I walk toward Edward. His hands are in his pockets. "You want me to join your team, don't you?"
"Yeah. We don't have enough for a full team of six."
He scratches his white hair. "Alright, I'll join you. But it's because I need a team. So adjust your braces and let's pass this exam."
"Adjust my braces?" I don't even have them—they melted off.
"It means focus, Zain. Learn your idioms." He walks off laughing.
"Oh... right."
Aurelia looks at the group and exhales, as if struck by a realization. "None of us have proper armor. Just white vests and pants since our gear is banged up. We need to be careful. Work as a team. Watch each other's backs. One bad hit could be serious—there are no medics this time."
She points at Alexandria. "Alexandria has the only proper armor, so she'll take the front lines."
Edward raises a hand. "I also have armor—chainmail under my vest."
Aurelia smiles. "Good. That makes you an important variable."
"Another question," Dominio cuts in. "How are we supposed to cross the sea between islands?"
Aurelia pulls out her wand. "I have a water bubble spell that can carry us. But it takes a lot of Lumin and concentration—especially with all our weight."
Alexandria adds, "We also have to consider the monsters in the water." She looks out at the sea.
I point at Edward. "That's why we have him. He's a mage with long-range spells."
Rain begins to fall. We're under the dark clouds now. The waves are stronger, more violent. Lightning flashes—but it's red. Rocky islands surround us. Too many to count. Dozens? Hundreds? Some are just large rocks, others have trees and plants.
The hourglass turns. The exam has begun.
Aurelia steps to the railing, wand raised. She moves it in slow arcs, water following her movements, growing larger as she chants in a language I don't recognize.
Within seconds, a massive sphere of water forms around her—big enough for all of us. Its surface is soft and wet, like stepping onto a puddle.
She points her wand, and the bubble lifts off. Slow at first, then steady. The view of the sea from above is terrifying and beautiful. The clouds block most of the light, turning the ocean almost black. Above us, the clouds are no longer gray—they're purplish black, with red lightning dancing across them.
It's too much for my ears. No wonder animals hide during thunderstorms.
"Everyone look out!" someone shouts. I turn—something is leaping toward the bubble.
A sea monster?!
It jumps from wave to wave. Its body is serpentine, but its face... its face is like an anglerfish. A fin runs from head to tail, its dark blue body blending perfectly with the sea.
"It's pouncing again!" Dominio yells, but I can barely hear him over the storm.
The monster lunges at us, mouth wide, razor-sharp teeth gleaming. It looks at us like prey...
"Someone attack it!" Alexandria shouts, gripping her axe.
So this is what we're fighting. No rookies. No psychopaths. The things that belong to this world. Creatures straight out of nightmares. Monsters that can shatter the resolve of any man.
This is the wrath of nature. This is the wrath of the sea...
This is the Rock Archipelago!