“Annnnnnd that’s all about Esmeralda!”

“Ugh... Yeah, I get it, how amazing.”

“Yep!” Ikora was lying in bed, watching Slyvern continue his routine. She already finished getting ready, but Slyvern had decided to wake up late. 

As she waited, her mind raced with thoughts of today’s exam. She glanced over at the bedside radio, its soft glow casting a warm light in the dimly lit room.  

She reached over and pressed that button, and the radio came to life with a soft hum. After a short while, an electronic tune with a catchy upbeat rhythm started playing.

“You brought a radio, huh?” Slyvern asked as he finished combing his hair.

Ikora leaned back and looked at him. “A little music can help start your day right,” she said.

“Yeah, I can get behind that.” Slyvern looked at the radio, his face scrunching up.

“Is something wrong?”

“Nah, nah…” Pausing, he thought for a bit. “I’m just... I didn’t expect you to be into that kind of music.”

Ikora glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean.”

He shook his head. “Nah, never mind.”

Slyvern finished getting ready for the day then, approached the door and held it saying, “Ladies first, yeah?”

“Thanks!” Ikora stepped out of the room and began navigating the building’s halls. 

“Hey, Slyvern?” She asked.

“What’s up?” He replied. “You aren’t gonna ramble on about that lady in your posters again, right?”

“No, no, I wanted to know what you think the next test might be. Do you think we’ll fail?”

Slyvern pondered as he walked. “Who knows? Maybe a tougher maze or battling a monster.” He gave a nonchalant shrug as he glanced over at her. “I just hope it’s a monster, I just know I’ll win.”

“Right, well, but do you think you’ll fail?”

“...Nah, I’ll pass.”

Ikora smiled as they turned the corner. “That’s reassuring! Let’s get to know each other more. I’ll start,” she said.

“As you know, my name is Ikora. I’m seventeen and was born on Wallowden’s eastern island of Saphrisia.”

“Saphrisia, huh? Tell me something interesting about it.”

“Actually, there isn’t much interesting, but it is primarily used as a training ground for their forces. My father moved us there because he assists in forging weapons for their army. A couple of years ago, he taught me a thing or two about smithing.”

“Now you go.”

“Well, I was born in the Sable Plains and I’m currently sixteen. It seems like we were born on neighboring islands, eh?” Slyvern poked at Ikora’s shoulder.

She let out a small laugh. “Yep! Also, I have a question. What exactly are you?”

“What do you mean?” Slyvern turned around to face Ikora as he walked backward.

“Like, okay, okay, don’t take this the wrong way, but I noticed you’re a bit short for your age. Not only that, you have these pointed ears.”

“I see what you’re asking.” He said as he came to a stop, and leaned against the classroom door. “Ever heard of the Vanilhi people?”

“Ah! Those are the guys from that lost continent, right?” 

Slyvern lowered his head before scratching it. “Aaaaanyway, would you look at that!” Slyvern whipped around and he held the door open as he bowed.

“We’re here. C’mon now, ladies first. Don’t wanna keep Enadius waiting, do we?”

“I—oh, okay, thanks.” Ikora went inside and the two of them went to their assigned seats.

Enadius was seated at his table, his eyes scanning over the entirety of the room, taking count of every student as he scribbled something in his notebook. After a few moments, he closed the notebook, stood up, and cleared his throat.

“It seems that some of you are absent today... unfortunately, I assume they may have overslept, but that is their responsibility, not mine. This will not count towards their pass or failing, they will make it up.”

“Now, for those who showed up today, I’d like to welcome you to-day two of WAMA’s entrance exam. As you know, this is required for you, blah blah blah, and a bunch of boring stuff I already went over on day one that some of you probably didn’t listen to.”

He got up and started pacing around the room. “So, today’s test will be the academy’s obstacle course, which you will need at least one partner for. Don’t worry, I know how much you students like to pick your partners instead of being assigned one. I get it.”

“So I’ll be nice and allow you to pick your own. You all have five minutes to pick, starting…” He looked at his watch. “Now.”

As soon as the teacher gave the go-ahead, a sudden commotion filled in the classroom. The noise of chairs being dragged across the tile floor and the noisy chatter of students filled the air, echoing off the walls. 

Amidst the mess, Ikora frantically scanned the sea of moving bodies, searching for a sign of Slyvern. Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the din, drawing her attention upwards. There, at the highest row of chairs, stood Slyvern, waving at her. Without a moment’s hesitation, she ran up the stairs, her heart racing.

“Sheesh.” He said while eyeing her up and down. “Climbing up the stairs and you’re already winded?” 

“Shu…” Ikora tried to catch her breath before taking a seat next to him. “Shush, it was a lot of steps, okay?”

“Hm, okay.” He leaned back in his chair and turned his attention to Enadius. “You must be out of shape if you ask me. That was only four rows of steps.”

“Alright students, then five minutes is up. If you don’t have a partner, there will be an alternative test for you.” He said.

A groan from the students sitting alone filled the room as they slumped back in their chairs.

“I know, I know, it sucks, but that’s how it works. You’ll have to remain here until I get back.” 

“As for the other students, I need you to follow me,” he said, standing up and making his way to a door that led outside.

All the students followed Enadius through the breezeway and onto a course filled with various obstacles.

Enadius paused. “This little test shouldn’t require any further explanation. I trust that you are all familiar with the concept of an obstacle course, correct?” He questioned

The students nodded as a few “Yeses” came from the crowd. 

“That’s all I needed to hear. You are to go at the count of…”

“Three…”

“Two…”

“One…”

The sound of a horn blared as Enadius shouted. “Go!!”

A group of students took off from the starting point, the course was full of challenges, from towering walls to narrow crawl spaces, from muddy pits to slippery slopes. 

Despite the obstacles, Ikora and Slyvern pressed on, lending a hand to each other whenever needed. Their muscles strained with effort, their clothes stained with dirt and sweat, but they remained determined. 

Ikora stopped, out of breath, held her knees, and lifted one finger to Slyvern as she gasped for air.

He wiped the sweat off his face as he chuckled to himself. “You’re already worn out?”

“Hah… hah… I’m not used to running and climbing so much.” 

“Really? Then you might wanna take a look at that.” He said while pointing up.

Ikora followed his hand, her eyes landing on a towering wall with a single rope dangling from the top. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Don’t worry,” Slyvern said, patting Ikora on her back and looking around. “I brought this.” He dug inside his sweater, pulling out a wand. 

“What are you going to do with that?”

“Don’t worry about it, just stand in front of the wall for me.” He said as he lay on the wooden platform.

Ikora made her way to the front of the wall “I’m not so sure about this.” She watched as Slyvern said nothing, squinted, laid on his side, and aimed his wand at her legs. 

“Wait, you’re not about to do what I think you’re—” Slyvern flicked his wand upwards, sending her soaring up to the top of the wall. “AHH!!”  

“Be sure to grab the rope on your way up!” He shouted. “Make it look like you’re climbing up yourself!”

“HEY!”

Slyvern’s body tensed up as he turned to look over the edge, only to see Enadius staring back at him, a fiery plastered on his face, so hot that Slyvern could’ve sworn his face would melt off. 

“HEY! WHAT’S IN YOUR HAND, SLYVERN?!” Enadius barked.

“Oh, uhh, nothing? What’s up, teach?” He quickly rolled over on his stomach, tucking his wand into his sweater before resting his hand on his face nonchalantly.

 “Is that so? I thought I saw something. What were you doing? Why did Ikora suddenly fly up there so fast?” 

”And why are you lying on the platform like that?”

“Uhhh…” Slyvern looked around, trying to think of an excuse as Enadius’ eyes felt as if they were burning onto him. “I was just… taking a rest! I got a splinter too, I’m getting a splinter out of my hand, yeah!” He chuckled. 

“A-And, uh, Ikora’s a fast climber, isn’t she?” 

Enadius narrowed his eyes. “Okay, lift your other hand then.”

 “No problem!” Slyvern dragged his finger along the wooden platform, wincing as a small piece of wood dug into his skin. He lifted his hand to show Enadius.

“I see,” Enadius said as he began walking away. “Mmmmkay.”

“Phew... Shoot, Ikora?!” Slyvern ran over to the wall, grabbed the rope, and began climbing up.

Ikora peeked over the edge while giving a thumbs-up. “I’m okay! Just a rough landing.”

He breathed a sigh of relief before grabbing the rope and climbing up himself. “I thought I flung you a bit too hard for a sec.”

She reached out and grabbed his arm. “Nope! I’m just fine!” she said while pulling her friend back up. 

“Glad to hear.” Slyvern brushed off his clothes and walked over to the edge of their platform.

“Just give me a warning next time, okay?” 

“No promises.” He said as he pushed past her. “Last obstacle, a slide.”

“Who’s first?” 

A moment of silence lingered, and the two stared down at the long slide, watching as other groups slid down. 

“You know what they say, ladies first!” 

“Oh?” Ikora remarked, as she rolled her eyes and made her way to the front. “Fine, since you’re afraid to go, I will.”

“Just got to…” Once up closer, she had a better view of the slide. Her stomach plummeted as she stared at it. “J-Just got to make it down, right—?!”

Right when she spoke, Slyvern slithered up behind her, pushing Ikora down the steep slide. He smirked as he heard her screaming fade.

“YOU FREAKING JERK, I WAS GOING TO GO DOWN WHEN I FELT LIKE IT!!!!!” she yelled.

Slyvern sat at the top of the enormous slope and shouted “And you called me scared!” his hands tightly gripped the edges before moving himself forward with a powerful push. 

As he sped down the slope, he couldn’t help but let out a howl. The wind rushed past his face, giving him a thrill he couldn’t get enough of. Despite any previous fears or doubts, Slyvern felt alive and invincible at that moment.

A few moments passed, and Slyvern soon saw the end. It was a sandpit. He braced himself as the yellow ground got closer, before sliding along it and coming to a stop.

“WOO-HOO!” He sprang up, thrusting his arms into the air. “I WISH I COULD DO THAT AGAIN!”

“AND I WISH I WAS AT THE SHOWERS GETTING ALL THESE ROUGH, GRITTY, IRRITATING PIECES OF SAND OUT OF MY HAIR AND CLOTHES!!” Ikora yelled at him as she rose out of the sand. 

“Gah! Look at it!” She flicked her hair around as she spat out pieces of sand. “It’s everywhere!”

“Do you know how long it takes to fix this??”

“Oops, my bad. I’ll warn you next time, how about that?” He rubbed Ikora’s head as he made his way over to the platform Enadius would usually wait on.

FWOOSH! 

A pink flame rose from the ground, lighting up the entire area as Enadius rose from it. “Very well, very well indeed, students.” He said.

More and more students arrived at the end of the slide, making their way into the crowd surrounding the instructor. 

“Since you’re all here, I believe it’s time we move on to the last and final test.” 

“WAIT A SECOND!” a student yelled out. “Shouldn’t our final test be tomorrow?” 

“I did?” Enadius asked as he raised his eyebrow before rubbing his chin. “Oh right, I did.”

“Um, Yeah?”

Enadius pulled out a piece of paper and began reading it silently to himself. After a moment, he spoke up, “Forget what you may have heard before. There has been a change of plans.” As he spoke, a pink flame erupted from the paper, quickly reducing it to ash.

He pointed up towards a tall mountain nearby. “Instead, you’ll be climbing your way to the very top of that mountain for the next test.”

Angry murmurs came from the crowd of students as they crossed their arms and glared at their teacher.

“Hey, if you have a problem, then take it up to the headmaster!” Enadius’s voice boomed as the crowd fell silent, awaiting his next words. With a nod, he confirmed their suspicions. “As I thought,” he declared, his voice growing steady.

“All of you, follow me. I will be leading you to the entrance of the mountain. This will be your next test. However, I must inform you that I will not be on the hike. You are to make it through without any guidance.”

He walked away, and the students followed. “Just a tip: stay on the path.” It wasn’t long before they arrived at the base of the mountain. The top of the mountain seemed to etch into the sky, like a ship sailing through waters.

One by one, the students shuffled through the gate and made their way to the mouth of the mountain. Ikora stuck close to Slyvern. The first section was a dark cave. Ikora stuck close to him as he took out his wand, and a small orange light emitted from the tip. 

The sound of dripping water from the cave roof and rushing water from nearby streams echoed through the cave system, followed by popping flames from the torches.

“This looks familiar, doesn’t it?” Slyvern remarked as he looked over towards his companion. She didn’t respond. “Come on, cheer up.” He grinned. 

Once again, his companion had not responded. He felt her body shivering, her hands cold to the touch. Her eyes remain locked on the ground with a blank stare. 

Slyvern frowned and grabbed Ikora “Alright, how about this?” He sat Ikora on his back and began carrying her. His friend’s body felt as if it was stabbing frozen daggers into his clothes, but he pushed on.

“Knew we had to wear thicker clothing, I had a feeling they’d pull something like this,” He thought.

 

Exiting the cave, a narrow pathway greeted him. His vision became obscured by the mountain’s blizzard. 

Yet he pushed on, his body shivering with every gust of wind. The biting cold numbed his cheeks, turning them a rosy shade of red, while the snowflakes stung like icy daggers—relentless. 

Despite the pain, he pressed forward. His muscles strained against the natural force, the weight of his friend didn’t help lessen this. The wind threatened to force Slyvern to his knees, but he refused to give up.

His legs, once strong and steady, now ached with every step. The fatigue threatened to take hold. But he refused to give in. Gritting his teeth, he summoned all the strength he had left. A dying ember the world was trying to put out—revived, strong once again.

His breath came out in short, ragged gasps, the frigid air burning his lungs. Every inhale felt like swallowing shards of ice, yet he persisted, his willpower pushing him through. He had a job to fulfill.

Slyvern stopped in his tracks, his arm still wrapped tightly around his friend’s legs, ensuring she didn’t fall off. However, it was as if she was frozen in position.

He could drop Ikora now. They’ve only known each other for one day. But what would happen if he abandoned her? What if she passed the exams without him? What would she do after finding out what he did? The possibility of her snitching was too great. 

“No…” He blinked and shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts as he gazed over his shoulder. She was unresponsive. “I ain’t doing all that.”

He had to push on. 

“Hang in there, Ikora…”

Seconds passed…

Minutes passed…

Hours passed…

Before…

Step…

Slvern stepped in front of the door before clenching his fist, then hammering on its glass frame. There was silence on the other side before the door slid open, and he was greeted by one worker.

“Ah! Another group finally arrives! How was your—”

He ignored the teacher’s words, paying him no mind as he forced his way past him and looked around the lobby of this new building. 

Finally, his eyes found it. He darted over to a fireplace, dropped Ikora from his shoulders, then moved her closer to the warmth of the flames.

Then he took off his sweater and wrapped it around her. “There we go!” He sat across from her, resting his arms behind his head as he waited. “No offense, but you’re pretty heavy.”

But no response came.

“I–I mean, I’m not calling you fat or anything of that sort, of course not!”

But his words fell on frozen ears.

“...”

“Ah, that’s right, you’re frozen! Guess I’ll have to wait.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

Slyvern moved closer, resting his head on Ikora’s thawing shoulder as he shut his eyes.