Chapter Thirty-Two: Exams

  Time passed as Ash, Rosalia, and the others spent time in Ivalia. The autumn days grew shorter, with morning fog shrouding the mountain paths until midday when sunlight finally burned through. Ash spent most of his days practicing his swordplay, gathering ingredients for potions, and studying from the books he'd managed to borrow from the Adventurers Guild's modest library. The routine brought a sense of normalcy he hadn't felt since before his home had burned to ashes.

  Nick and Will soon returned from their time in a local dungeon, their clothes bearing scorch marks and their faces smudged with dirt but wearing triumphant expressions. They found Ash at their usual table near the hearth in the guild hall.

  "Light's truth, it's good to see you, Ash!" Nick clasped his arm with a grip that could crush stone, his ebony face split in a wide grin beneath his beard. The smell of earth and sweat clung to him, but there was something else too—the acrid scent of victory.

  Will flashed a grin, winking at him as he brushed back hair that had grown longer in their time apart.

  "I hear someone is making a name for himself! It's all over town," Will said, pulling up a chair and sitting backward on it, resting his arms on the back. "The Silverblood heir knocked on his ass! They're calling you the Ice Prince in some corners. Did you really win with a wooden practice blade while he had the genuine article?"

  Ash rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his face warm as he shrugged noncommittally. The tale had apparently grown in the telling. He hadn't meant to become notorious, especially not before the exams even began.

  Will laughed, the sound carrying through the crowded hall. "I wish I'd been there! That guy is a real prick. Always walking around like his shit smells of roses."

  Nick nodded vigorously, slamming a calloused hand on the table hard enough to make their drinks jump. "Shadow take that goat fucker. Heard he was blubbering like a babe after you thrashed him."

  "Whose this?" Will asked, his attention suddenly diverted as he nodded at Lilith, who had been quietly sitting beside Ash, her small form almost hidden by the table's edge.

  The dragon girl glared at the sudden scrutiny, her tiny form straightening as green eyes flashed with warning. Her fingers curled into fists on the table, and Ash could feel her tension radiating through their bond.

  Will held up two hands in mock surrender, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Whoa! She's a fierce one, isn't she? Careful, I don't want you to get short with me!" He chuckled at his own joke, oblivious to the dangerous ground he tread.

  Lilith sent Ash vivid images of green fire turning Will's form to ashes, the mental picture so clear that Ash almost felt the phantom heat. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, feeling the tension in her small frame.

  "This is Amalia's little sister," Ash explained, carefully constructing the lie they'd agreed upon. "I'll be looking after her while here at school." He gave Lilith's shoulder a gentle squeeze, a silent reminder to control herself.

  "Yeah, about that," Rosalia interjected, her brow furrowing as she stirred her tea with a small wooden spoon. "Shouldn't Amalia be doing that? She is her sister after all."

  "Apparently, I owe her. Or so I'm told," Ash replied with practiced casualness. He took a sip of his water, feeling it cool his throat. "You know there's no arguing with Amalia."

  The group nodded in unified understanding. They had all experienced the storyteller's immovable will.

  "You'll need to watch your back, Ash," Rosalia said, her voice lowering as her eyes darted around the room. "I hope you know that. The Silverbloods have connections throughout Aleria. They're not the type to forget a slight."

  Ash sighed, running a hand through his ashen hair. The flush of victory had faded days ago, leaving only the reality of having made a powerful enemy. "Guess he would hold a grudge. There's no chance this ends up being resolved peacefully, is there?"

  Will clasped him on the shoulder, his face suddenly serious despite the lightness in his voice. "Can I have your stuff after they bury you?"

  Ash scowled, shrugging off the hand. "Very funny."

  The table fell silent for a moment before Nick changed the subject, launching into a colorful recounting of their dungeon expedition. Ash listened, but part of his mind remained on Torin Silverblood and the troubles that surely awaited him.

  The afternoon sun slanted through the guild hall's high windows, casting long shadows across the worn floorboards. Outside, adventurers called to one another as they compared contracts and haggled over prices for monster parts. Lilith watched it all with those unnervingly intelligent green eyes, absorbing every detail of a world so new to her.

  Ash learned a lot about Ivalia as they waited for exams. It was, most obviously, an adventurer town, its rhythms dictated by the comings and goings of those brave or foolish enough to hunt monsters for coin. The surrounding forests and mountains contained many opportunities—dungeons, rare herbs, mineral deposits, and monstrous lairs—drawing adventurers from across Aleria.

  The guild posted new contracts daily, from simple herb gathering to more dangerous monster hunts. Students from Wyrmhaven were always making trips into town, their excited voices filling the taverns as they spent their allowances on better equipment or celebratory drinks after successful assignments.

  Wyrmhaven also owned several dungeons beneath the school itself, the mountains concealing vast networks of tunnels that descended deep underground. These were primarily used for training, but rumors persisted of forgotten passages where even professors feared to tread.

  Ivalia served as a trade hub as well. Monster parts, rare herbs, and scripted items flowed from the town through caravans to the rest of Aleria. Merchants set up stalls in the central square, hawking wares from distant lands. The clang of smiths' hammers rang out from morning until dusk as they forged weapons and armor for eager adventurers.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Nobles, merchants, the wealthy, and even a few ordinary families sent their children to the academy, resulting in an influx of youth being dropped off around entrance exam time. The town's inns were filled to capacity, and extra beds were set up in common rooms to accommodate the hopeful applicants and their families.

  On the day before the exam, Ash sat with Rosalia and several other students in the guild's reading room, surrounded by maps and bestiaries. Amalia had gone early to school, of course, not explaining anything beyond a curt instruction to "be prepared." The weight of tomorrow's trial hung heavy in the air, a tension that manifested in the students' furrowed brows and restless movements.

  "So what exactly are dungeons?" Ash asked, closing a particularly dense tome on monster classifications. "I mean, I know they're places with monsters and traps, but what creates them?"

  "Dungeons are... well, they're alive," Rosalia stated, working her mouth as she thought of how to explain it. Her fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on the table's surface.

  Ash frowned, and Rosalia held up a palm, her expression apologetic. "I'm not a teacher, okay? It's something to do with a core or something like that, I think? They form naturally in places with strong aspect concentrations."

  "Light's breath, but you're going to fail all your fucking classes," Nick grumbled, setting down his own book with more force than necessary. He turned to Ash, his expression serious. "We don't know everything, so don't go expectin' me to be a light-fucked expert. Dungeons are erected from a dungeon core. Cores are a huge topic of study because no one knows how they can produce monsters, traps, puzzles, and the like, but they do."

  Nick scratched his beard, considering his words. "There's more to it, but I didn't understand everything I was told, and it wasn't the best environment for teachin', yeah? But yes, dungeons are, in a sense, alive. They grow, evolve, and some say they even learn from those who enter them."

  Ash had so many questions burning in his mind—how cores formed, why they created challenges rather than just monsters, whether anyone had ever communicated with one—but Nick's sidelong glance told him that if he asked, he would get an earful in return. Instead, he nodded and returned to his book, the words swimming before his tired eyes.

  As the evening progressed, Ash also noted in his journal that tuition wasn't cheap. A gold piece a year was a steep price, equivalent to five silver pieces per semester. Amalia would pay for their first semester, but then they were on their own. The thought of finding enough coin to continue his education weighed heavily on him.

  In the quiet corner of the reading room, with candles burning low and the smell of old parchment filling his nostrils, he found himself wondering what his goals truly were. He wanted to reach bronze rank—that much was clear—and then he wanted to hunt down the people who had killed his family, burning down their homes and destroying everything he had known.

  But deep down, he felt like he would need more power than just bronze rank could provide. That was merely the first rank, and he doubted the stranger with cinder eyes who killed his uncle was that weak. With this in mind, he decided to reach bronze rank first and then hear out Amalia. Once he knew more, he could make a decision about his future.

  He also had Lilith to consider. His dragon companion had quickly become the one he cared about most in the world. He loved her, had since he first laid eyes on her. Not in a creepy way—he cringed to think about it—but in a best friend, sisterly way that filled a void he hadn't known existed.

  Anything he did, he would talk to her about first. They were in this together, bound by something deeper than blood or friendship. Her presence was a constant comfort, a reminder that he wasn't alone despite everything he had lost.

  The first priority was to pass this exam. After that, finding a way to make money would be essential if he wanted to continue at Wyrmhaven. One step at a time, he told himself. Don't look too far ahead or you'll miss what's right in front of you.

  That night, Ash barely slept, his mind racing with possibilities and anxieties about the test to come. When dawn finally broke, painting the sky in shades of pearl and rose gold, he rose with a sense of purpose that overrode his fatigue.

  The day had finally come.

  Wyrmhaven Academy for Adventurers was awe-inspiring in the morning light. It looked precisely like what Amalia had described in the story of Sylvestrus Caledon, but there was a realism, a depth to it that the story couldn't convey. The massive bone dragon head that loomed over the school seemed poised to come alive at any moment, its empty eye sockets somehow watchful. Ash was certain that if he stared long enough, he would see it blink.

  It stayed dead, of course, but the impression lingered.

  Its great wings enfolded the building built from the rest of its body, pale bone gleaming like polished ivory in the sunlight. The wings curved protectively around turrets and towers, creating an architectural wonder that defied conventional understanding. Sunlight bathed it in radiance, giving the whole place a mythical aura that inspired awe and adventure.

  People crowded the entrance, a sea of nervous faces and eager whispers. Some wore finely crafted leather armor bearing family crests, while others made do with patched and mended clothing. All shared the same anticipation, the same hunger for what lay beyond those imposing doors.

  Ash stood among them, Lilith at his side, feeling both part of this crowd and somehow separate from it. He had come here by a different path than most, carried forward by tragedy and mystery rather than ambition alone.

  It was some time before he could get into the building proper, the line moving slowly as each applicant was checked against a registry. When he finally stepped inside, the grandeur of the exterior was matched by the interior's splendor.

  The entry hall was huge, to say the least. Vaulted ceilings soared overhead, supported by columns carved to resemble the vertebrae of ancient dragons. Hanging chandeliers filled with glowing script crystals cast multicolored light across the polished floor. Scripts lined the floors and walls, emitting faint light of all colors—from the warm amber of fire aspect to the cool blue of water. Their purpose wasn't immediately obvious, but Ash suspected they served both decorative and defensive functions.

  A reception desk of dark, gleaming wood stood at the far end, staffed by several robed figures who processed the incoming students. Large paintings hung on some of the walls, depicting scenes from what appeared to be Wyrmhaven's history—dragons in flight, mages casting spells, adventurers facing down terrible beasts.

  Ash's examination of the room was interrupted when a hushed silence fell over the crowd. A woman with midnight blue hair wearing expensive, slick attire floated in the air above everyone, drifting slowly toward the center of the hall. Her skin was burnished caramel, her eyes dark and penetrating. An air of authority hung around her as she surveyed everyone, her gaze seeming to touch each face individually despite the size of the gathering.

  After some time, she spoke, her voice carrying to all present, reverberating with elar that made the very air vibrate. "Welcome, applicants, to Wyrmhaven Academy. I am headmistress Zevia Al'Raith."

  She swept her gaze around the assembly, allowing her words to sink in before continuing. Her robes, Ash noticed, were embroidered with subtle script patterns that occasionally flashed with power.

  "Entrance to the academy is conditional on passing the exam. What is it, you might be asking yourself? It is quite simple. The exam is threefold."

  The headmistress held up a finger. "First, you must hunt a monster. Any monster will do, but pass or fail will be at the discretion of our examiners. They are members of our faculty." Her voice hardened slightly. "I do not recommend you hunt for something easy. Challenge yourself. You may not hunt in groups. You must undertake the hunt alone. Anyone who fails the hunt will fail the exam then and there."

  She held up a second finger. "Next, there will be individual duels for those of you who pass the hunt. You will receive grades based on your performance."

  A third finger joined the others. "And finally, there will be a test of potential. You can fail the duel portion, but should you pass the test of potential, you will be accepted to Wyrmhaven."

  She lowered her hand and looked over the assembled crowd once more. "Your time for the hunt begins... now. Good luck."

  With that, she turned, floating down to nearby steps, and strode away, her boots clacking against the stone as she disappeared up the stairs. The sound echoed in the sudden silence that followed her departure.

  Ash blinked, looking around at the other applicants who appeared similarly stunned. Some immediately began discussing strategy in hushed tones, while others headed for the exit with determined expressions.

  That was it. There was very little information, but maybe that was the point. Wyrmhaven didn't want people who had no foundational knowledge. His expression soured as he considered this. It was slightly unfair because how could one be expected to hunt monsters if you didn't know how?

  But he did know how. He had that foundational knowledge from his training with Amalia, from the dungeons they'd cleared with his party. The realization hit him with unexpected force.

  Thanks to Amalia.

  He hated to admit that, as the storyteller had been a massive source of frustration throughout their journey. Yet without her, he would have never lived to get to this point. Nor would he have a prayer of passing this exam.

  He sighed, adjusting the sword at his hip and checking that his potions were secure in their pouch. Lilith looked up at him, her green eyes questioning.

  "Let's go," he told her quietly. "We need to talk to a blacksmith."

  Wyrmhaven Adventurer Academy's entrance exam had begun. Time to get to it.