(Dyn)

  “And this ohis bad girl,” Ni’ot held up a bck shell with her signature smirk, “is called a reaper-round.” She carefully slid it into one loop oock sleeve. She leaned in, l her voice. “Officially, it does, but I’ve been w on a round that sets off a sedary explosion after pung through armor.

  “If you run into a tough target, give the reaper-round a shot a me know how it performs.” Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “Just make sure you’re not too close when it goes off.”

  “Noted,” Dyn said, nodding slowly. He adjusted his grip on the shotgun, feeling a bit more cautious now after hearing the warning.

  Ni’ot finished loading the pouch with ammo. “You’ve got five light-shots, fifteen mid-shots, and twenty heartstoppers.” She ted them out with a quick tap on her fingers. “Now, which shells do you want for the open slots on your sleeve?”

  Dyn took the poud slung it over his shoulder, adjusting the strap until it rested fortably across his chest. The weight of the shells settled against him like a reassuring presence, grounding him in the reality of the ing trial.

  “You got any more of those reaper-rounds?” His curiosity piqued as he g the bck shell already slotted in the sleeve.

  “No, but I like the way you think.” Ni’ot winked, leaning in slightly as her voice carried a pyful edge. She gave him an approving nod.

  Dyn rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to focus oask at hand. “I’ll take heartstoppers.” Curiosity about the reaper-round lingered in the back of his mind.

  “A man after my ow,” Ni’ot teased, scooping up four more red shells with a sly grin. She hahem to him, her fingers brushing lightly against his as they made the exge.

  “Anything else I help you with before the trials tomorrow?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, as if challenging him to think of something else.

  “I’ve got to get my hand fixed.” Dyn frowned as he held up his bruised hand, the dark purple mark spreading across the back of it.

  She wi the sight of his fractured hand before fshing him a sympathetic smile. “Ouch, that’s gonna need more than a kiss to fix.”

  “Got any tips for me?” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to sound casual despite his nervousness.

  Ni’ot’s eyes widened in surprise before she let out a low chuckle. “For a sed, I thought we were having a very different versation…” Her tail swished behind her.

  She cleared her throat, her expression shifting to something more serious. “Obviously, you’re asking about the trial.”

  Ni’ot leaned in closer, her breath warm against his ear as she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’ll tell you a secret about the trial. The quest yoing on is a distra.” Her voice dropped even lower. “The actual trial will e after you get back.”

  “I’m not sure I follow,” he said.

  “That’s alright, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” She stood up straight, stretg her shoulders. Dyn frowned, still fused but unwilling to press further.

  He hadn’t realized how close they had gotten until she pulled back. Her st reminded him of the sun. The air was cooler now that she wasn’t as close. It wasn’t just his imagination. The heat from her body was real.

  The pain in his hand was being hard to ignore, a dull throb with each heartbeat. “I think I should get this taken care of. Thanks for the shells.” He patted the pou his chest with his good hand.

  “Be sure to e bae in one piece, handsome. The quest might be a distra, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous.” Her pyful smile fading just slightly as she spoke.

  Auto-manners kicked in, and Dyn said, “Yes, sir,” followed by a curt nod.

  “Sir?” Ni’ot raised her eyebroced a hand over her chest. “Oh, I like that.

  Those hungry eyes were staring at him again. “Go get your hand fixed before you start something that I’m going to have to finish.” She didn’t wait for a reply and took off toward the crafting studios, her boots eg lightly in the hallway.

  Dyn cradled his throbbing hand. He didn’t know where Nathan was, but the infirmary might have someone who could help, and he had a general idea of where the room was… somewhere in the guildhall.

  He found a familiar hallway and followed it to the infirmary. The king of vials was his first greeting as he stepped inside, apanied by the faint st of herbs and the sterile tang of medial salves. He’d been too out of it st time to notice.

  A slender Okamijin was restog the et Nathan had raided the ht, her coat bck with white markings on her fad down her neck. She moved with precise, practiced efficy. As she closed the et door, she aowledged him with pierg blue eyes, reminding him of a husky.

  “Do you need help?” Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized him. “I’m sorry. I don’t think we’ve met.”

  “I’m looking for Nathan,” Dyn said.

  She quickly looked him up and dowing for a moment on his bruised hand. “You must be the new pup Nathan took in.”

  “Yeah, I’m Dyn,” he said.

  “An expensive pup at that.” She clicked the et door closed. “We don’t have any alchemists with the ability to jure healing or mana potions. They have to be made the old-fashioned way, with hard-to-find reagents.

  Dyn shifted slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry.”

  “I’m Ru. Let me see your hand.”

  Dyn took a step back. “What are you going to do to it?

  “I’m the mender for team Tome & Key. Your hand looks injured, perhaps even broken.” She pced a cwed hand on her hip. “Do you want it healed?”

  “Oh good. You’re both here.” Nathan said, appearing in the doorway.

  Dyn hadn’t heard him approad jumped. “Gah! Don’t sneak up on me like that.” He pced a hand over his poundi.

  “Sorry, I heard that Dorian’s team had returned.” Nathan stepped into the room, gng at Tome & Key’s mender. “Ru is an excellent mender with the ability to heal your hand.”

  She strolled up to Dyn, taking his hand. “Is it just a fracture?” She tur over, examining it.

  “Yes,” Nathan firmed.

  Her eyes lit up with a golden glow, casting faint shadows across her face, and the pain vanished instantly, leaving only a strange warmth behind.

  “You still don’t have any abilities that actually heal?” she asked Nathan.

  He avoided her gaze, shifting his weight unfortably. “No.”

  “What good is a mender who ’t do their most basic task?” She dropped Dyn’s hand, folding her arms. “Your brother is right. It’s time to sting your feet. Our teams have to either wait their turn for a mender or risk going without oop being so selfish, glyph up a out there.”

  Nathan quietly nodded; his blue eyes repced with bck.

  “If you’ll excuse me. I’ve got to get ready for tomorrow.” She cast a quice at both of them. “Guildmaster K’hab recalled my team because they needed a meo pup-sit for this trial.”

  She pushed past them, leaving behind an awkward silence. Dyn retty sure bck meant Nathan wasn’t in a good pce mentally. What Ru said must have hit him hard.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Dyn reached out and pced a hand on Nathan’s shoulder.

  Nathan looked up and gave him a false smile. “I will be.”

  The rest of the day involved Dyn and Nathan figuring out how to put on and take off the padded armor Wedge had picked out for him. The armor’s stiff fabric creaked with eaent, fitting snugly around his chest. Nathan agreed it robably the best choice, given the short notice. They had both wished Charles had been around to see if he could have resized metal armor. Nathan didn’t think so, though, sifitting and smithing were usually two separate abilities with minimal overp.

  Nathao dinner while Dyn stayed out of trouble. The prismatic elf had given him a book, The Basiagic. His curiosity took over as soon as Nathan ha to him. Hyperfocus set in, and he didn’t realize when his friend had left or that he had moved from his chair to his bed.

  The book slipped out of his hands and smacked him in the face when his eyes grew too tired to stay awake. That little maneuver bought him a few more minutes each time it happened, until he was too tired that it failed to wake him. He fell asleep dreaming of the ten categories of magic: alig, attribute, bat, creature, element, spectrum, mineral, order, profession, ay.

  Dream 3 - Answers

  Dyn sat at his desk in the middle of the , surrounded by his fellow students. The teacher paced at the front, the sharp tap of their shoes eg in the room as they drilled the students with questions. Each of the other students raised their hand fidently, respo the ready. Every time the teacher called on someohey had a suitable answer.

  His stomach ed. He stared down at the bnk piece of paper in front of him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t e up with a single right answer. His hand trembled as he gripped his pencil tighter. It was only a matter of time before he’d get picked.

  The teacher’s questions tinued, never ending. More hands shot up, all except his. He shrank in his seat, not knowing any of these either. Why didn’t he know? He’d been studying, but new questio ing up, and he same owice. There was so much he didn’t know.

  Notig his disfort and ck of response, his peers turo stare. Their eyes narrowed, whispering to each other. He tried to look away, but the weight of their gaze pinned him down. His throat tightened as the teacher turheir attention to him.

  “What’s the answer, Dyn?” the teacher’s voice cut through the murmurs, sharp and expet.

  All eyes were on him now. The buzzing whispers stopped, their silence deafening. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His chest tightened, and his fingers gripped the edge of his desk anxiously, knuckles white.

  He looked around, desperate for help. Every other student had the answer scribbled on their paper. They khey all knew. Why didn’t he?

  “I—” His voice cracked, barely audible.

  The teacher’s frown deepened, eyes narrowing as they leaned closer, looming over his desk. The air around him felt colder, tighter. “What’s the answer, Dyn?”

  His heart pounded in his ears. His ski hot, cheeks burning uhe weight of the stares. The room seemed to shrink around him, the walls closing in, trapping him in his silence.

  “He doesn’t know,” oudent whispered. The murmurs spread, soft at first, but quickly rising to a chorus of judgment. “What’s wrong with him?” “Is he stupid?” “He doesn’t belong here.” “It’s a simple question.”

  Dyn swallowed hard, his hands shaking as he gripped the desk tighter. His mouth moved, trying to form words, but afraid to get it wrong. He was frozen, uo speak, to expin, or even to think.

  The teacher loomed even closer. “Well, Dyn?”

  “I—I don’t know,” he stammered. The teacher gripped his desk, and his entire world ended as Wedge flipped his mattress to dump him unceremoniously on the floor of his quarters.

  Dyn was now awake, sprawled out on the floor. The book had broken his fall and was now jabbing into his back as he id on it.

  “I’m up, I’m up,” Dyn said.

  “You did not respond when I called out to you. Get dressed.” Wedge adjusted the strap of his gear. “I will return after breakfast, and we will go to the staging area to assist.”

  Nathan had helped him pack for his trip. Everything he needed was in three duffle bags: his quilted armor filled one, while fk, The Basiagic, his toothbrush, a tin of toothpaste, and ain of deodorant occupied the sed. The third held three outfits for the trip. The weight of the bags was manageable, but awkward to haul all at once.

  Wedge had kept his promise a Dyn with a belt to stow his mace. The lithkai even found a strap to attach to the shotgun’s stod barrel. It allowed him to sling it over his shoulder for hands free carrying, simir to how Charles stowed his bow.

  Nathaiohat there would normally be someone oeam with a ste ability, so Dyn wouldn’t have to limit himself to so few items. But he didn’t mind; this was almost everything he owned, anyway. It was enough.

  After Wedge returhey left for the staging area, an open field directly in front of the guildhall. The sun was already warming the grouh their feet. Wedge poio some empty pallets where Dyn could pce his duffle bags. A tent had been pitched away from the piles of gear, a wele spot of shade uhe bright sky.

  The big guy picked up twe barrels, one under each arm, while Dyn struggled to lift a sack he assumed was t. The weight dragged at his arms, making each step awkward. After he moved all five sacks onto a pallet, Wedge informed him it was flour made from razor wheat.

  Besides him, there were three other initiates. Most elves looked youthful to Dyn, but Eury appeared especially young. Her shoulder-length rose gold hair caught the sunlight as she stood off to the side. Then came the identical twins, W’itney and Hay’len, both slender violet-scaled drai.

  He reized them as the pair of violet drai he’d seen the first day he’d arrived at Dartmouth. They shared the same crest, eyes, and scales, and the only way he could tell them apart was by their outfits. The older sibling, W’itney, was wearing a loose, revealing tunic, while Hay’len wore a servative buttoned vest.

  Team Tome & Key would be the adventurers handling the quest part of the trial. That was the st thing Wedge told Dyn before the lithkai took his pext to Guildmaster K’hab. Now, Dyn was aloh the other recruits, people he’d never met before. His ay built, sweat colleg in unfortunate pces. He stood with his group to the left of Guildmaster K’hab, while Tome & Key stood on the right. The guildmaster began addressing them.