If you wanna come by and vibe, maybe even hear me read you a book, just slide in the server.
Discord: /PecUxPxMZQ
28 years after the death of Himmel the Hero, at the Northern Plateau Border Checkpoint, located in the Nachricht Region
The next day began with a brisk morning, the cold wind pushing the chill it carried through all it touched. The mages that had passed the initial test were asked to be back where they had been, that closed off courtyard, at first light, but Senken was the only one who had brought with him a meal.
The packed meat of a kebab wrapped in a flat bread with a little of his hamburg pan sauce, kept in his shadow, with a few sprigs of arugula. As he ate, he made note that the colorless fresco of yesterday, from which the golem for their test was made, had been returned.
Every stone had been set within its specific space, taking care for orientation and weathering. The care of this action reminded Senken of a zen garden, the peace people found when raking the sand.
Genau was here, he was before anyone else had been, Spitz beside him bundled up as if the very air was deadly to her, the amount of layers she wore made him think she couldn't touch her hands to her shoulders if her life depended on it.
When the ones who had passed yesterday's test were all gathered, Genau spoke.
"I shall be your proctor for this test," He began, stepping forward. "Yesterday, you all showed the possible aptitude for combative magic. Today, you shall be put to combat."
"You all shall step into this barrier with me, formed by Co-Proctor Spitz." He gestured, and the old woman lifted her staff with both hands, waving it as if she could barely handle its weight. A column of transparent light bloomed into existence, roughly eighty feet in diameter.
"The rules are simple. If you leave the barrier once you've entered it, or I am able to spill your blood onto the ground, you fail. If I am somehow killed, or one of your spells is able to break through the barrier and harms your fellow test takers or public property, you are disqualified."
"You will pass when I say you pass."
Senken noticed the majority of his fellow test takers were looking at each other nervously, for good reason. One thing everyone had shown yesterday was a ranged option. Eighty feet was small for a mage, a range that many would not feel safe to be trapped in with an adversary. That, paired with the choice of Genau to proctor the test himself, the first-class mage, led everyone to a similar line of thought.
That Genau must have some manner of close ranged spell, one that is likely highly responsive. This was a lesson in adapting to a range most mages would not be comfortable in, against an adversary that most mages are weakest against; a close quarters combatant.
Though Senken was not like most mages.
The tallest mage here had planned to wait and study Genau's preferred means of combat in such a confined space, but the proctor caught his eye with his own, and gave a small quirk of the cheek.
"As the highest scorer, Senken, you shall be first."
Keeping a neutral face despite his initial plan failing, Senken lumbered with Genau into the barrier.
The sensation was familiar, not in that it was just a barrier, but feeling the ease at which the field yielded to his skin but pulled at something deeper, like touching a plate with honey on it.
The barrier was familiar to him. Much like how his domain had once let all living matter escape it, so too does this one.
It was oddly nostalgic, like stepping into a room you hadn't been in in years.
Across from him, Genau stood relaxed, arms at his side, head only slightly inclined to look up at him.
"Senken, are you ready?" He asked, hands lifting up.
"I am."
"[Digardnacht]"
Senken watched a black dust drift off of Genau's back, stretching before suddenly gaining volume and shape as they became these black wings that caught the light in a way only metal could.
While Senken could keep a featureless expression on his face, his abdominal mouth contorted in a slowly growing grin.
Simply because he had yet to see such a unique spell before today.
"The test begins now."
Senken lifted a hand, and a flurry of dismantles flew from his fingertips, sliding through the air. Purposefully dulled, if this move would work Genau would have little more than scrapes and ruined clothes, but Senken believed that a valid way to pass the test was to simply beat Genau in a way that he doesn't die.
Genau, despite keeping the wings manifested, produced defensive magic, the hexagonal plating forming in a dome in front of him, his dismantles crashing into it with a noise akin to rain on a sheet metal roof. The lack of the noise let Genau know to drop the defensive magic, and despite his schooled features, he sounded insulted.
"Did you really think something so forward would be enough?" He asked.
"If it had been, I'd have thought first class mage was a worthless title." Senken replied. Genau answered in turn by flicking one of his metallic wings forward, metallic shards flying through the air only to impact into Senken's own defensive magic.
Senken frowned at the spell, the first time he had used it. The flies in Abzug, and Genau, had used it better. His was too thick, the view through the spell distorted slightly.
Looking down, he could see these projectiles were feathers, and just as he was about to comment on it he saw Genau rushing to cover the distance. It was, after all, a close quarters test.
Pulling his spear from the shadow of his cloak, Senken sent a thrust towards Genau only for the first class mage to spread his wings and arrest his momentum upwards. Senken, with his grip choked near the end of the spear to have a superior reach from the failed stab, channeled mana through his spear and lifted the tip after Genau, a dismantle firing from it.
Yet the mage showed his experience, mastering his inertia by doing a backwards loop, out of the way of the spell, and dove down towards him, wings tucked close. Senken saw the move before it happened as Genau used a wing like an axe and smashed into the hard wood of the spear, and it snapped like a bone.
Senken didn't have time to decide how useful the spear still was, as Genau had used his continued momentum to try and flank him, aiming to capitalize on his distracted moment.
Which led to his look of surprise as another defensive spell sprung to being, without Senken looking, saving him from failing the test.
Genau had come into this knowing that Senken was malformed, but he had been well bundled this winter. Part of him had thought it was an exaggeration, a lot of odd birthmarks and being freakishly tall.
Spitz had only ever called it "birth defects".
Yet when Senken pulled his cloak off, and the test-takers saw his physique, he understood it was a different situation. He tucked the spear into the many sewn together pelts as Genau eyed the four arms and four eyes, two looking pointedly at him as the other two looked to where he tossed the garment Senken had not been seen without all winter into the barrier.
Genau took this small interim to mull over the revelation as the ones outside the barrier spoke in hushed whispers. Despite the resemblance, he knew Senken was not a demon, there wouldn't be any reason why he would have stayed hidden for this long and not had some evidence he was doing something.
He saw Senken turn to him fully, and as if remembering a joke, crack a grin and scoff at Genau. His upper arms crossed in front of his chest as his lower ones set on his hips.
"Catch your breath?" He asked, and Genau brought his wings to bear, swinging them in an X shape. If Senken thought he could make casual conversation in a fight, even one like this, then he would show how he needs to keep aware of his opponents reach.
Even then, Genau was expecting a pivot, some impressive movement from an unranked mage who faced an unnamed demon in single combat. At the very least, another application of defensive magic.
Yet when his wings carved into his forearms over his chest, and blood sprayed from the wound, he was surprised.
Surprised, and disappointed.
And then, surprised again.
Because the blood never hit the ground.
"[Herzloc]"
Senken's blood was floating.