Looking at Whip taking out a blue orb of almost 20 cm of diameter from...where did she take it out? It's a dress!! As I observed every inch of Whip, trying to understand where she took it out, she met my stare and winked. Maybe it's because my stare wasn't the same as Carl but I didn't end up like him. (1) I still end up blushing like the last time...I have to do something about it, I can't keep doing that every time.

"I won't accept any talk now. This will be your test" She said pointing at the orb. "Sometimes working hard don't make up for talent, and this is one of those time." She said playfully.

"You'll just have to inject your mana inside this artifact, don't worry, you'll understand how to do it when you have it in your hand, you must not drop it." Whip

Carl tried to talk, only to be silenced by a stare from Whip. Carl, it looks like your relationship with Whip is off on the wrong track.

"You will touch this orb in the order in wich you've fought John, so Alexandra you're first. Remember, You don't have to talk, no that's wrong, until the end of the text you don't have the right to talk." Whip

Alexandra approached to take the artifact, we followed her by being 5 meters behind her. She took it from Whip, at first nothing happened, then a skull appeared inside the ball, surprising Alexandra who dropped it, but managed to catch it before it touched the ground. A purple light appeared up to 4 meters around Alexandra.

Whip looked at a shadow who shook its head, she then talked: 

"Sorry, look like it isn't enough, go next to them." Whip said taking back the orb.

Alexandra looked like her entire world was falling apart, she was breaking into tears, but a stern stare from Whip and a finger on her mouth put her on her way.

We could just look not knowing if we will end up like her. I said "we" but it was a "they" because I already had a teacher. I was way more serene than them.

Marie looked like she was holding back her tear too, but she still took the artifact from Whip, a circle of golden light appeared, followed by a strong white light flashing everyone.

When I looked back I saw Whip smiling, a shadow appeared beside her and talked:

" Hey, girl I'm Cleric if you can't tell. If you choose me, I will teach you how to heal the injuries of others and how to take care of them. So, do you want to be my student? " Cleric

Marie too had a tear in her eyes, but they were not the same as Alexandra, her hand in front of her mouth to stop any sounds from coming out, she nodded happily. Look like there was more than one outcome to this test.

 "Jule you're next" Whip

So the name of this brown-haired boy was Jule...I hope that this time, I will not forget it.

Taking the orb, a rock appeared inside it along with a brown glow that flashed everyone as Marie's did.

I didn't have to be a genius to understand that all of this was to test what attribute one had and who had the potential to be a mage.

I never hoped to become a mage, I was even less stressed than before after figuring it out.

A shadow appeared next to... the boy, I figured out that it was Rocky. A deep voice confirmed what I was thinking.

"Hello, I Rocky I will be blunt: do you want to take me as a teacher, I will show you the power of the Earth?" Rocky

He nodded silently and went next to the girls where Marie was still consoling Alexandra. He was calm as if he never doubted what would happen.

 The next 3 tests were uneventful one as the glows from the orb were between 2 and 5 meters, apparently not enough to convince the instructors to take them in. We still learned that Ron had water attribute why the twins had both a fire one.

 Carl triggered the next interesting event as a golden circle appeared in the orb and a white light appeared, like Marie but with a lesser intensity. But as he looked around waiting for a shadow to approach him, none did.

He threw me the orb, seemingly trembling, surely because of the rage of not being chosen.

A flaming skull appeared inside the orb, making a glint surprise appear inside the eye of Whip. A glow of about 6 meters around me appeared, better than average, but not good enough to be chosen, not that it really did matter.

Whip casually explain that I had good affinities to fire and darkness, a dual affinity quite rare.

"Now that we've finished, those that have a teacher move that way. Also, Wind, look like you will not have a lot of work in the coming years." Whip

While we were moving Carl seemed to not accept the result of the test, raging he said:

"I don't accept that! How could we not have instructors because of that stupid test!" Carl, he was followed by the twins acquiescing to everything he was saying.

"I had an intense glow, why wasn't I chosen" Carl

"You don't have the personality to be my disciple, while I want to see in my disciple the kindness to help to in need, I only see you exclude the pride of being above them, you're not fit for this role." Cleric answered calmly.

Carl was preparing himself to continue to scream at the injustice when Whip stopped.

"Why are you unhappy? Did I say that you'll be fired if you failed the test?" Whip

"You said that no instructor will take us if we failed!" Carl still screaming.

"I said that they will not take you, there other instructors than those that teach magic right?" Whip

I was struck dumb by this answer, and I think that everyone was too.

Carl turned silent at once, not knowing what to do. He finally opted to range himself in the back of the group, where he wasn't seen.

"We will end this quickly because you'll see each other a lot in the following weeks and months, I don't think you to talk a lot when chosen or while choosing, Alexandra you're with me." She said. Anybody with a little bit of observation could see that she was annoyed.

I think that the instructors understood that, or maybe it's still because of their precedent beating, but their choices were made in an absolute silence...they didn't even say the name of the one they were choosing, they directly came next to them silently and put their hand on their shoulders.

The final choices were that Carl was to go with Blade and the twins with Hammer.

"Now that you know who are your instructor, we'll end this journey by a final surprise. But before that, I have to say that you don't have to worry about magic for those that were not chosen by a magic instructor or weapon for the others as you'll learn to use them, in the following months. Now the big surprise, your parents are here!" As she said ringed a bell.

At first, nothing happened, by a few moment, later a group of middle-aged men and women appeared near the building of the training grounds. They only took a few moments to arrive near us, having bags in their hands. 

Looking at the smile of those around me I could help but smile too, maybe I should feel the sadness of not having anyone coming for me but I felt nothing of the sort. I just looked at them, when they were throwing themselves into the arms of those they hold dear.

Looking around I saw Alexandra, who like me was alone. Approaching her, I patted her on her shoulder. At this moment a middle-aged man called me.

'Odd', I thought while advancing toward him, He had well-toned muscle, and was almost one head taller than me, an air of authority was lingering around him (?), with his green hair and eyes, I had no doubt he was the village chief.

'But what does he have to do with me', I only ever saw him from afar but never talking to him. Still walking toward him, I finally observed that he had his hand extended toward me a cross-shaped pendant inside of it.

As I was preparing himself for the reason of this call, Whip herself called once more for our attention:

"The true surprise is that...You don't come back home tonight!" She said with a beaming smile.

While shocked face could be seen on the faces of those of class, I was concentrated on the man in front of me, his first sentence still resonating in my ears:

"This pendant...belongs to your mother " (2)