Mythshaper

Swiftly, I donned the eight ward discs, four on the front, two on the sides and two on the back, before infusing essence in a measured manner. Layers of translucent waves of force wrapped around me. The rune formation was mapped to my dimensions, so there was little to no hindrance to my movement.

This was arguably the hardest part to fit into the fabricator. Any novice could make a kinetic shield, but mapping it into a shape that completely protected the human body required far more proficiency. My shortcut, obviously, had been the book Mum had given me. It took into account everything on how to modify the formation design, depicting it all in mathematical formulae.

After displaying the two oscillating patterns, I handed all the discs to them for examination. Master Luc let them all float in the air, infusing essence to trigger their enchantments.

"The only other downside I'm seeing is the terrible essence cost," he said, handing half of the discs to his better half, who was more silent in her scrutiny, only noting the specifications in her notebook.

They did not even check how much of a blow it could take, though I reckoned that with their rich experience in the field, it would not be difficult to measure that. Since the formation was not concealed, they scanned it for an extended moment, checking by pouring varied amounts of essence to measure its efficiency.

"The most riveting part of this," Judge Aurine said for the first time, "is that you manage to complete such a robust ward within two hours."

Well, it certainly had not been easy. Good thing I had no other duels to fight today. In the state I was in, I might not come out on top if I met someone like Melina again.

The judges moved to the next bench, collecting my fabricators like everyone else's. Since there was no high material cost, they would return them tomorrow morning when the result would be announced.

I could leave now, as some of the competitors did, but I lingered, waiting for the judges to examine the platinum-haired girl's wards. Meanwhile, my eyes darted to the other side of the field where the Endurance Test was still going strong. I found Eran drenched in sweat, with veins bulging all over his wiry body, his hands uplifted, carrying a large block of concrete. There had been over four hundred participants in the Common Class Endurance Test, but now only a few dozen remained, all in similar situations.

Whereas the Agility Test would only begin after we all disembarked.

"Looks like another one went above and beyond on these waste materials," Master Luc said, once his eyes fell on the ward formation of the girl.

She showed off her craft with much more eloquence. Where I omitted all the obvious parts to the two master artisans, she articulated all her crafting processes in great detail, displaying the capability of her ward. Without testing, I could hardly point out any difference in its defensive capabilities to mine, though I was glad to learn hers only had one pattern oscillation to protect against penetrative force.

Then I heard Master Luc say, "This one is a little more efficient than the other table."

"Obviously," the girl said, shooting a winning smile in my direction. "I have had screen through multiple forms of layered wards and found this to be the most effective dimension."

I managed to keep my expression even, gazing at the ward with Fractal Sight. It looked like she had come prepared with what kind of fabricators to make for the competition. Mum had prepared me in a similar fashion as well, though she was not too hard on it, leaving me with the freedom to choose whatever I wanted. That was not to say I was not prepared.

Just like the saying 'War is won before the battle is fought', crafting was half won with preparation.

"Alright, this concludes round one of the crafting competition," Judge Aurine called. "The sixteen who'll pass to the second round will be posted by twelve tomorrow morning, along with the marks you have gotten. Until then, you're dismissed."

Removing the gloves from my palms, I exited along with the other contestants. The air they exuded was sombre; some were already convinced they were not turning up for Round Two. Drained of Will, I did not have the energy to talk and get familiar with any of them, though there seemed to be a few wishing to converse. I came out of the inner route, only the contestants and the audience were permitted to use, and crept my way to the stand where my parents were seated.

The number of the audience had grown considerably, awaiting the more eventful games to begin. With the number of people pouring in, some groups even cheered upon noticing me. I was unsure how many of them recognised me from the duels the other day, but the applause was mostly to cheer the contestants.

Upon reaching, I rested next to Mum without a word. Mum gave me a side hug before bringing out a container filled with fruit juice, while Diana handed me water.

"How did I do?" I asked, gulping a mouthful.

"Good," Mum said.

"You have worked hard," Father said, patting my shoulder.

I nodded. "Any comment on my choice of craft?"

"Not the wisest choice, considering the chances of something going amiss, but it lets you show off the extent of your abilities from round one. Other than the girl with a Craft gift, the other contestants have a lot to catch up to you if they want to win the competition."

"The girl with dyed hair?" I arched my eyebrow. A Craft gift that explained how she managed to complete such a sophisticated work within the time limit.

"There are a couple of others with similar talents," Mum said. "The boy who made the sword that shoots lightning, and the girl with the essence binding chain. The more interesting thing is, there's someone without the Enchantment essence type."

I tilted my head. "Really? How did they perform?"

"It was the girl who made the purifying fabricator with the hardwood box," Mum said with a smile.

I nodded, eyes darting to Eran. The Endurance Test was cutthroat. Among the four hundred odd competitors, only eight would reach the next round. There were still about fifty enduring through the test, whereas the Common Class Strength Test was taking place in the space our crafting category had evacuated. For the first round, it seemed to be merely a weightlifting competition.

"I'm going to go cheer Eran," I said, standing up to make my way to the Stonecutters.

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"We should join too," Father said.

Mum agreed, and then her head tilted towards one direction where an old man along with a young girl, was making their way in our direction. Both were familiar figures. The older man was Master Marn from Dragonforge, from where Mum got most of her materials for crafting. With him was actually one of my competitors. The platinum-haired girl, now with her hair laid freely on her shoulders, strode with impetus.

"Long time no see," said Master Marn. Before any of us could return his greeting, he continued, "I was watching the competition closely and felt I should introduce my granddaughter before this unruly lass and little Arilyn are at each other's throats."

"The only unruly one in the family is still you, old man," sniffed the granddaughter, pushing the old man to come forward. Then, as though going through a full flip, she greeted, curtsying in a way that I found no fault in. "Greetings, I'm Tera of House Albenius."

Mum nodded. "It seems the Albenius has produced yet another bright prospect."

Marn laughed heartily. "Other than being a bit sharp-tongued, she still has a lot to learn about artificing. But her business acumen has already eclipsed old men like us. The whole idea about sponsoring the competition came from her."

"It's not that I'm better at business, Grandfather," Tera said straightly, "it's that you're too rigid, and either unable to or cannot bother to adapt with time."

She did have a sharp tongue. The older man did not seem too heartbroken, perhaps too used to her barbed words.

"The younger generation will outshine the old," Mum said with a smile. "The sponsorship is a good move. You will lose some in the short term, but the reputation of Dragonforge will soar, especially with the youths in the competition."

The youths would not remain young forever. They would grow, climb higher ranks and would remember the grace Dragonforge showered when they had little. Even those of higher pedigree and background, their rewards would be sponsored by Dragonforge. So long as they fulfilled their requisites, perhaps even going a little above and beyond, they would win the hearts of all young prospects, opening the narrow road further.

"Exactly," Tera said, "finally someone who understands it. You won't believe, Master Ashlyn, how far I have to go to convince these old fogies."

"You can call me Aunt," Mum smiled. She seemed to have hit it off with Tera at first glance.

"Aunt Ashlyn," her smile was radiant. "We're going for lunch soon. Would you like to join?"

"We have to decline for today," Mum returned the smile, "Jinn's apprentice is still undergoing the test. How about tomorrow?"

"Then I'll have a table reserved for tomorrow."

We made our way out after some more polite words. Meanwhile, the Endurance Test was growing searing hot. There were thirty contestants still enduring with faces red, drenched in sweat.

"Such a keen lass," Mum said, still weighing the meeting in her mind.

I exchanged a look with Father, as if asking whether Mum was a little too chummy with the girl at a first meeting. Well, she was polite to everyone, but rarely did she ever get intimate so easily. Perhaps it was Tera's exceptional gift in crafting that made her feel a sense of kinship.

"It never hurts to make acquaintances with the influential," Mum said.

I arched an eyebrow.

"I have had both friendly and business ties with Dragonforge for years," she explained. "And for the entirety of it, they have never been untrustworthy or deceptive. There are a few High Patrician houses that truly deserve respect and reverence, and House Albenius is one of them. They are earnest in their conduct even when their house was booming, and they have preserved that honesty even during their lows."

"What about the other house, Anvil?" Diana asked. After all, they were the leading force when it came to crafts, while Dragonforge had descended into obscurity for the last couple of decades.

Mum was silent for a moment. "Anvil is run by more than one family. If Dragonforge's speciality is the craft itself, Anvil focuses more on the business aspect."

"I understand," the girl said.

I nudged her on the shoulder. "What do you understand?"

"That," she grinned, "there's still hope for me to be rich."

I understood the self-deprecating insinuation even though she said it jokingly, but I was unsure how to reply to her. I eyed Mum, who seemed to pay no mind, other than saying:

"Both of you need more worldly experience."

There was a solemn air where the Stonecutters were seated. Only little Lilia was cheering her brother, while her parents watched with bated breath. Uncle Dalin had a frown, his eyes never leaving his son, who stood like an unmoving tree, whereas Aunt Risna was biting her lower lip fiercely, her eyes ready to turn teary at any moment.

"Ari, Ari," Lilia jumped at our first notice, "did you pass?"

"Hopefully," a smile came to my lips, unbidden, "we'll find out tomorrow."

"What about my brother?" she pointed. "He's been like he has eaten something bad, and they are not letting him to the loo."

Diana and I laughed out loud, whereas the adults were more restrained, exchanging smiles.

"Lili, don't talk nonsense," Aunt Risna admonished.

The little girl pouted and moved towards Mum. On the other side, perhaps the time allocated to the Common Endurance Test was drawing close, so the referee in charge decided to double the gravitational waves impinging on their endurance.

Immediately, half of them fell to their knees. The shaper keeping watch took the burden off their shoulders, as the referee called out the number of eliminations. Eran's legs wobbled, knees heavy, his arms shaky, palms wet with sweat, as he almost fell to his knees. Almost. Grinding his teeth, he let out a muffled cry and straightened, standing on firm feet. The struggle on his face was evident. As for how long he could remain firm, we would find out soon enough.

"He doesn't need to win," Aunt Risna said, tears streaming down her face. "He's gotten so far, that's enough."

Uncle Dalin kept her company in silence.

"Your son is not a stranger to hardship," Father said, eyes not leaving the steady figure of his apprentice. "He'll persevere."

There were fifteen contestants, all boys, half of them burly, robust with wiry muscles, even at their tender age. Some of them were even sturdier than Eran, who had grown like a bamboo shoot in spring. But of course, as much as the test was physical, it strained the psyche. Eran was no stranger to that either. The strenuous pain he had put his body through had already had a substantial effect on his psyche. The only thing left for him to do was awaken his aura before reaching Noble Class, which could either be a curse or a boon.

One or two youths fell every minute, bursting into tears as soon as the weight was off their shoulders. Some even suffered internal injuries. One's arm was broken, a couple fell unconscious, until the eight were decided.

Eran dropped the concrete and fell on his bottom as soon as the congratulatory words escaped the head referee's lips. His palms were shaking, but swiftly he went through a few rounds of rigorous breathing exercises and stood up. He turned around to find us, taking a moment for his eyes to fixate on our figures before he raised a clasped fist triumphantly.

I cheered, standing up with the others. Lilia was easily the loudest. I lifted her off the seat and onto my shoulders as she supported her elder brother. Mum applauded, while Father gave a nod of approval. Aunt Risna could not be any more tearful, clasping her husband's arm tightly. As for Uncle Dalin, he finally closed his eyes with a lone tear at the corner of his eye.

Eran smiled and then walked his way out. Not everyone was as durable as he was.

Everyone was ready with water, juice and a rehydration drink by the time Eran joined us. His lips curled up as he took the container from me and then fully slouched on the rather uncomfortable stone seating. He was utterly spent.

"I have gained twelve points in the way of Arcane Resistance," he said.

"I'd be surprised if you haven't gotten that much," I said.

"How did your crafting go?" Eran laughed. "Did anyone forfeit from the competition after they peeked at your equipment?"

"No, many of them failed on their own."

"Arilyn has some tough competition against a girl with fake hair," Diana chimed in.

Eran shot an inquisitive gaze.

"I'll tell you later," I said. "The Agility Test is about to begin."

I could already see Priam waving his arms in our direction as though he had already won the competition.

"I don't feel good about saying it," Diana muttered, "but I won't feel that bad if he fails in round one, if only to save us from hearing him gloat for hours on end."

I laughed. "You think he won't complain for hours on end if he's eliminated?"

Her expression faltered as she rubbed her forehead. "Solas, that will be godawful."

After waving at us, Priam seemed to be arguing with one of his competitors now. A scrawny youth, half a head taller than him.

"Hey, Arilyn," Eran asked, "isn't that the boy who swindled our money?"

It was exactly the unassuming youth from the cup shuffling game where we had gambled big time and lost.

"Looks like Priam has tough competition as well."