It was Research period for D1 class, and all of the students are required to form into a group of five or six students. They should sit facing each other and work on their first assignment. The better one tries to perform in the Research period, the better will be their grades.

"Hey, where's Odin?" Timothy whispered, opening his notebook.

"He told me that his mother's condition was worse yesterday. Maybe..."

"Mommy knows of a Healer. Maybe, she could help cure his mother's disease," Timothy suggested.

"You should know that he cannot afford the whole expenses for his mother's treatment. He doesn't have a father nor any elder sibling. It's only him. Emile, can your mother help him?" Charlie turned to his side where Emile was busy engrossed in a book.

"I thought about the same a long time ago, but my parents are still engaged in their work at Galetope. They'll only be back after seven months. We'll be attending our finals during that period."

"What has happened to his mother?" Edwin inquired, leaning toward Charlie and Emile, who were seated opposite to him.

"She is suffering from Elf warts," Emile answered.

"What are Elf warts?"

"When you have Elf warts, warts form on your body and they secrete a fluid that causes itchiness. The itching is unbearable that it's most probable for the sufferer to itch over the wart. The fluid, when released onto the skin, causes burning and rashes. The itching continues again until properly healed," Emile explained.

"That must be exasperating," Timothy muttered.

"I sit here!"

Somebody slammed on their desk with a loud voice that caught the whole attention of the class. The boys turned their heads to a tall figure in her maroon woolen vest that reached up to her collar. In the uniform for girls, ties aren't required as in boys. Also, the end of the best reaches until their thighs. She had her brunette hair tied to a high ponytail, and never forgot to give them a grave stare.

"Trainor," Timothy whispered, gritting his teeth.

"Do you need me to repeat again?" She squabbled, her lips in a thin line.

"Please, Ms. Trainor," Timothy mocked, closing the book in front of him.

"You didn't see me when I'm serious, did you?"

"I don't understand your reason behind this bickering," Emile said, turning his attention to the girl.

"Let me make it clear for you, specky. Alfreda Trainor will sit on her bench and no one else unless she lets them. So, get the hell out of here!"

"But there are more benches around you, you can sit there," Ermand suggested in an irritated tone.

"When I say I sit here, I will sit here and only here," She said in a grave tone. Her electric blue eyes penetrated into Ermand's.

"Don't act so childish, Trainor. Find somewhere else," Timothy commented, breaking his contact with her.

The corner of her mouth twitched and she suddenly slammed her hands against the desk. This time, a bright orange spark erupted out of her hands that blew all of the stuff on the desk and shook the boys.

Emile immediately stood up, annoyed. He adjusted his glasses and grabbed the scattered book on the floor.

"I had enough!" He yelled. "Sit here and savour your time with the bench you own. I'm off!"

The boys followed after him to another bench that was at the far end to the bench Alfreda occupied from them.

"Sit," She commanded the girls assigned to work with her in the project. They did as she was told without even showing their slightest contradiction to her orders.

"She's so irritating," Timothy grumbled, watching Professor Hughasilda Rauffin enter the classroom, when everything was over. She exited the classroom to take something from the staff's room that'd help one of the students.

"Why are Trainors like this?" Charlie whispered, taking a second glance at Alfreda.

"I've heard that they're taught to be callous and rude since childhood and they carry this legacy onto their posterity. Do you know that Trainors never show soft emotions? No Trainor in the whole of Iyerth had ever laughed or cried in his or her lifetime," Emile said, interrupting himself from reading.

The four boys were jaw dropped.

"How do they live?" Ermand asked. The thought of never feeling or showing emotions was unbelievable to him.

"Probably like some rock," Timothy said, smirking.

"Or like Portoilates. They're the only creatures in Iyerth that don't show any gratitude for whatever we do. It only knows of bringing trouble and ungracious."

"I'm curious about how they live after marriage," Timothy guffawed. Charlie joined him while the rest three snickered.

Professor Chisel appeared near the wide opened door and knocked.

"Professor Rauffin, a word with you," He requested.

"Ofcourse, Professor Chisel," she replied, hurrying toward him.

After a short while of discussion at the door, Professor Chisel left and Professor Rauffin walked to the podium.

"A sudden announcement! All of you assemble in the Trainor's hall," she declared.

"The second test. I'm sure," Timothy whispered.

"Oh no... I'm not ready," Charlie said, slumping on the bench.

"This time, Timothy will pass it with flying colours," Emile asserted, smiling at him.

"I wish I did. But I don't even know how to use my Aslehm at it's moderate level. Leave it, not even in the minimum level. I don't think I'll be able to survive."

"Make it quick, everybody," the Professor told the students.

The boys jumped from their benches and followed their classmates to the Trainor's hall. All of them expected the same hole to be present at the corner of the hall but it wasn't there, instead, four different tunnels were dug on the walls opposite to them. All of them looked similar and dark. The same Professors were standing in front of the tunnels, greeting the students with a grave look.

"No way they did this!" Timothy gasped at the sight of the four tunnels straight opposite to them.

After all the students were assembled in the hall, Professor Qorder addressed them.

"As all of you may know, this is the second Defenders' Challenge Test. Your crystals will be your ultimate goal that'll determine the end of the challenge if you find it. You have to find it using your skills, with or without Aslehm but no other means. Try your best."

"Filius Waps," Professor Derek Chestnut called, glancing at the parchment in his hands.

"You have to walk into the tunnel and find your way to your crystal. Don't forget to remember that this time, it won't be easier as before. Make sure you accomplish within this test or the next will be more difficult," he directed, nodding.

"Yikes!" Charlie gulped.

"Do the Professors watch us?" Ermand asked.

"Yes, you see those crystals on the table, they show what each student is doing in the tunnel. I think a Professor deals with twenty students or something maybe," Emile replied, recalling all the spells in his mind.

"That must be tough work," Timothy gasped.

"Not as much as we're going to face," Charlie commented.

"Edwin Lapel."

Edwin shivered when his name was called. Charlie comforted him with a slap on his back.

"Good luck, mate," he said.

A few names after Edwin, Charlie and Ermand's name was called.

"Can we both walk into the same tunnel?" He asked the Professor Chestnut.

"Shut your mouth and walk into one of them alone or get the hell out of this hall. I don't want to repeat myself again," The Professor replied. His reaction wasn't new to the boys anymore, they know his temper and both of them know that Charlie was just testing the Professor's temper.

"Once you enter into the tunnel, your direction changes into another place," Professor Chisel explained, winking at them.

Ermand nodded at the Professor and drew a deep breath before walking into the second tunnel.

I should find my crystal in this test or else I may have to face a riskier one than this.