"El! Over here, sit here!"

In a room of twelve to fourteen year-olds, Idris' childish size stood out making him easy to distinguish from the rest. It didn't seem to bother him, however, as he waved his hand, before slapping it down on the tablespace next to him. Not seeing a reason to argue, Elysia moved to the highest row. As she walked, she silently took note of where Salia had settled three levels below him.

She wasn't surprised. No matter how much time passed, or how close the three grew, Salia refused to give up on her stance of 'hating' Idris.

Not that it deterred him.

"Hey, Sal! Why don't you join us?" Idris called as Elysia sat down. "You're just gonna get a neck ache sitting that far from me."

Salia snorted, not moving an inch. One of their classmates--a lanky night elf--snickered.

"Looks like a no, M'lord. Maybe she'd listen if you'd listen. Didn't Lady Salia tell you to stop calling her that?"

Elysia nodded her agreement. The instruction was practically the first sentence out of Salia's mouth every time they met.

"She doesn't mean it," Idris retorted dismissively. A confident amount of snark filled his expression, telling her what his next words would be before they left his lips. "Right, Sal?"

"I do! I hate it just as much as I hate you," Salia declared.

"Seems like she means it," the elf commented.

Idris ignored him. "Then you must really love it when I call you Sal."

"What? I don--" Salia began, before her face flushed. "You jerk!"

Ke leapt from her shoulder, circling the room as Idris laughed. "Wow, only twelve and using such adult words already. What would your mom think?"

"Better than ten and a brat," she snapped. "Will you ever grow up?"

He grinned and shrugged as he spread his hands innocently through the air. "Why should I? Like you said. I'm ten."

"Dunderhead."

"You get points for creativity with that one," Idris decided.

Salia huffed. And, in the same moment, Ke who had ended up behind them, dove past Idris' head to land back on her arm bracer as she raised it. He blanched, hand touching a thin scratch across his cheek as Salia pointedly spun around in her chair--putting her back to the both of them.

"She won't like you if you keep being mean to her," Elysia pointed out quietly.

Idris' hand fell from his face as he shrugged once again. "Nah, Sal will always like me. That's just how she's built."

I don't think it is.

Before Elysia could think of any way to persuade him about the topic, the door swung open and Professor Talon, with General Allura at his back, stepped in. Tucked in his arms was a box, which from her vantage point she could see was filled with individual parcels. The box was dropped on his desk, before Talon stepped around to place the small of his back against the front of the surface, eyes skimming the room.

"Congratulations on being here today," he announced. "Some of you are from my course, while others originate from higher or lower settings. Regardless of your current status, however, the moment you step down here and receive your assignment, you become official tower apprentices. In brighter times, there would be a ceremony and festival, but I'm sure all of you are aware of how few hands we have to spare. As such, the celebrations are being postponed until we've the capability to do such things.

"General Allura, however, has been kind enough to find time in her schedule to oversee your appointments. So, without further ado--let us begin."

The majority of assignments and names went over Elysia's head. She didn't know half of those present, and while she took note of each face and title that walked down as their mentor entered, she doubted that would change anytime soon. Her tension hiked with each departing team, however, as time passed without their names being called.

She couldn't help the feeling that despite being told to attend, they were going to be shooed back to the classroom and informed it was a mistake.

After what felt like ages, the next to last mentor was called into the room. Idris straightened, eyes lighting up in a way that forced Elysia, too, to pay attention to the man.

He was taller than anyone else she knew, with the lean, lanky frame of a scholar. A shock of black, raven toned hair hung about his face in messy, unkempt strands that nearly covered his odd, ruby eyes. Odd, because the pupil didn't feel right in a subtle way she couldn't quite pinpoint. And, as Elysia cautiously reached out with her senses, she could practically feel his mana swimming through the room.

The mage wasn't human. 

"Sir Vidar LeVain," Talon introduced.

The man nodded, fingers brushing the hood that hung at the back of his neck--familiar in the mana that radiated from the fabric. It's like Aarin's.

"Elysia Lunas--"

Idris nudged her with his elbow, face bright.

"Idris Kazin--"

"Yes!"

Talon cleared his throat, before glaring at Idris. Unrepentantly, he leaned his shoulder into Elysia's, before pushing her up so they could start down towards the front of the room.

"...and Salia Konari. Follow me."

Relief had her knees weak as she accepted the package from Professor Talon, before shaking General Allura's hand. She had suspected as much when it narrowly became just the three of them, but they really wouldn't be separated. As much as they would complain later, she could tell from the bright expressions on her friends' faces that they were as pleased as she was by that development.

Without giving them a moment to waste, Vidar turned his back to the room and strode out at a brisk pace. Shooting one last look at the fond, encouraging smile on Allura's face--and receiving a mouthed 'good luck,' in response--Elysia hurried after their new mentor.

Instead of leading them out of the tower as she'd expected, the man weaved his way through the upper floors, before pushing open the door into a dimly lit room. Ignoring the space entirely, he strode across the floor and waved at the far wall. A flicker of mana emanated from his fingers, before the bricks curled back from themselves to reveal a small, open balcony. The open air gave way for sunlight to illuminate where they stood, revealing the room to be a small office of sorts.

Was it his? How important was Vidar if that was the case?

As Elysia watched him, mind spinning, the man caught the balcony railing with his hands, before hopping up so he could perch on the edge in an easy, graceful movement that didn't seem to match his size.

"Well, come closer, won't you?"

At the surprisingly light tone of his voice--and Idris' encouraging bump of his shoulder to hers--Elysia crept forward with the others. She couldn't help the smoke that curled about her feet, but thankfully the shadows in the room were almost enough to disguise it. Not that she believed it went unknown by Vidar, who followed their movements with a sharp, assessing gaze.

"I've met one of you before, but given the circumstances, I figure a more appropriate introduction is due," he stated, before spreading his hands over the railing. "As Mage Talon said, I am Vidar LeVain. What he left out beyond his way of address, is that beyond being a member of the tower, I am also the Count of Azalea. Lucky for you bunch, as long as I keep you, you don't have to remember that most of the time."

Something uneasy uncurled in Elysia's stomach.

"As long as you keep us?" Salia asked uneasily.

Vidar shrugged. "We'll get to that in a moment. What else...ah." He tapped his hood. "I'm a member of Eclipse, so there will be times when work takes me outside of the village, independent of you. I'll be sure to leave you something to work on as long as I have time, so no worries about how that will affect your studies. Any questions?"

More than she could count. Vidar's introduction was lacking in about every way.

"No? Good," he continued within the second. "Then, it's your turn. Name, status if you have one, attributes, mana level, and what you think you're best at. Go."

Elysia furrowed her brow. What was the point of answering all that? He likely had files on each of them that said more than he'd asked.

Idris drew himself up to his full height, before thrusting his thumb at his chest. "Idris Kazin, heir to the Kazin family--"

Elysia turned to look at him, eyes widening. Was it official, then? He hadn't told her that.

"--and all around genius."

Salia snorted. Idris, predictably, ignored her.

"My mana's a solid purple, and my attributes are light, water, earth, and void. And there isn't anything I'm not good at."

Vidar stared at him for a heartbeat, before raising a brow. "I see. You're very egocentric, aren't you?" He gestured at Salia as Idris visibly deflated. "You next."

She drew in a deep breath. "Salia Konari--"

"Ah." Vidar drummed his fingers along the railing. "Baroness Keyla's daughter."

Salia nodded, before continuing. "I've a dark yellow mana pool and am a nature attribute. I'm good with hand-to-hand combat and taming--specifically birds."

"Quite average for a Konari," Vidar observed, causing a flush to color Salia's face. His attention flicked to Elysia. "And you?"

She didn't answer right away, too distracted by what he'd said of the others. Had it really been necessary to be that rude? At the prompting raise of his brow that followed a moment later, something stubborn filled her chest and she merely mirrored the expression.

"Elysia doesn't really talk," Idris volunteered for her. "I know all the answers, though!"

Vidar studied her a moment longer, before waving indulgently for Idris to speak.

"She's Elysia Lunas. Her family doesn't have a title, but her mom is a badass mage and her dad runs the best smithy in Whistrial. The emperor commissions him," Idris bragged. "She has an...orange mana pool?" He glanced at her, and she shrugged. It was close enough. "And is a fire and wind attribute! She's really good with her sword and magic."

"But, doesn't talk," Vidar concluded, before offering the group a thin smile. "It seems I've an odd collection of apprentices, hm?"

Idris frowned. "El isn't odd!"

"Don't be mean to Elysia!" Salia declared simultaneously.

They glared at each other.

"El doesn't need you helping her," Idris informed her. "I'm her big brother, not you, Sal."

Salia rolled her eyes. "You're littler than her, and aren't her brother. Apprentice Sorrel is. I know because I've met him. So, I can help Elysia if I want."

"I've met him, too!" Idris shot back.

"Then you know you aren--"

"Am too!"

Elysia sighed and raised a hand to cover her face.

"Are not, dunderhea--"

"That ones old already. Come up with something new."

"Quit interrupting me!"

"No. I don't want to."

She peeked through her fingers at their new mentor, who was silently watching the argument with a raised brow. His eyes caught hers, causing a quirk of his lips.

"I think my apprentices might need a chance to cool down," he suggested over the squabbling. "Time for your test, I believe."

Salia cut herself off mid-insult. "T-test?"

Vidar's smile merely grew as he raised his hand from the railing. His ruby eyes seemed to glimmer when he waved his fingers and a thud echoed from behind them.

Elysia spun around in time to see the last brick roll into place over where the door used to be.

"I realize, I didn't explain my own skills when introducing myself," Vidar mused. "Which is important if you're to trust me, I think. I'll keep a few secrets, it's my privilege, but..."

There was a flare of mana as he leapt down from the railing.

"General Allura agreed that if you fail, I don't have to teach you. So, I'll be conducting a test via void magic."

He snapped and all light sucked from the room, leaving them in a black space.

"You pass if you survive five minutes."