《Academy Saint》 Aptitude Test "Galivan! It''s time for breakfast. We need to leave before sunrise else we arrive too late for testing!" Galivan''s father shouted from the cramped kitchen in the direction of the sleeping room. The entire house consisted of only four rooms: the sleeping room, storage room, kitchen and library. With a loud yawn, a barely clad Galivan shuffled out from the sleeping room carrying his formal clothes. He neatly set them on the floor in the small hallway before accepting the plate of rice and eggs from his father. In a daze, he hurriedly ate the meal before placing the plate on the small table and excusing himself to prepare for the trip. As he departed towards the town''s communal bath house, his father and his mother cleaned the clutter from the table and spoke to each other about the coming trip. "Are you certain you can''t come along, honey? The trip will take half the day, and if he is accepted into Jackal Academy, another day to the campus. I know you need to teach the other young ones, but this is the only chance for Galivan to take the Aptitude Test. You know how important it is!" His father tried, yet again, to convince hiswife to attend the testing. He already knew her stubborn nature would persist, but his own forced him to ask anyway. "You have asked me more times than I remember, and you know how I feel about this. Our town depends on us to teach the children who can''t join the army. These past few years, we have had more and more born with poor physical foundations. If I were to skip even one day, that may be the day Nomin gets his way and puts them into remedial physical training. You know as well as I do that half of them would die." She knew her husband had good intentions, but she was all too aware of Nomin''s stance towards the town''s school children. "Of course, you''re right, honey. I knew you were before I even asked, but you know it''s Galivan''s chance! Don''t be upset with me." He gave her a roguish grin to indicate he wasn''t upset with her refusal and had brought it up knowing she wouldn''t change her mind. She harrumphed and gave him a playful swat before handing him the parcel of books Galivan was currently capable of completing and the lunch for both of them on their trip. Accepting the parcel, he kissed her cheek and turned to leave. Passing through the small hallway, he paused at the front door and remarked over his shoulder, "Don''t worry, honey. He''ll pass and I''m sure he''ll be the best student in the history of Jackal Academy!" Stolen novel; please report. Sparing no more time, he stepped through the open door, closing it behind him, and made his way to the baths to collect Galivan. Together, they made their way to the north road and stopped at the little house on the edge of town. Knocking once, Galivan''s father opened the door himself. "You damn buffoon! Who enters someone else''s house before the sun has even risen!" A man shouted from the bed in the single room house as he stood up, barely clad. With a look of fury on his face, he quickly approached the pair that had entered without his blessing. "What? You mean to say you forgot your little nephew was taking his Aptitude Test, today? Some godfather you are. Father would box your ears, you buffoon!" Galivan''s father made a point to return the same words back on his brother alongside a pantomime of his waking fury. "That''s today! You should have said so!" Galivan''s uncle immediately grabbed his robe and sandals before motioning for the pair to lead the way. He was obviously under dressed, soGalivan''s father crossed his arms and stood as still as stone. "Urgh. Fine. Give me a few moments to prepare. I''ll make myself presentable for your sake." His uncle retrieved some formal wear from a trunk in the corner and made his way quickly to the public baths. After he was out of sight, Galivan and his father spared no time before setting off towards the north. "Father, Mother only gave us two meals for lunch. What about uncle?" Galivan was used to his uncle''s lazy attitude, but he was well respected in the town because of his ability as a warrior. For the small town to have a 5th ranked warrior was a point of pride. Despite this respect and deference, Galivan''s parents enjoyed needling him when they got the chance. This included assigning him the honor of living in the most northern house in the town, despite most other houses in town having three or four rooms. His uncle, though, took it all as good fun and loved his brothers family as his own. "I suppose your uncle will smile and feign amazement and appreciation towards your mother anticipating his fast today." As the pair slowly traveled north, their laughter faded into silence and from behind an exasperated call of "Wait for me!" caused them to double over once more. The Strongest Element The sun continued its ascent over the mountains as Galivan and his father made their way towards the testing grounds, leaving his uncle near the entrance to the small town. Galivan''s uncle had quickly caught up to the pair soon after departing their town and was currently browsing the few stalls that invariably sprung up at each testing. Whether as congratulatory or consolation gifts, the stalls tend to sell most of their stock every year. Galivan''s uncle was determined to choose something fitting, rather than waiting and sifting through the remains for something little better than a bauble. Galivan looked around as he and his father joined a crowd gathering around a raised platform. While the testing grounds were not far away from his home town, the atmosphere here was entirely different. The Jackal Academy itself was the heart of the local region, located at the peak of the highest mountain most would see in their entire lives, and directly accessible only from this town where the annual Aptitude Tests were conducted. From this town, in almost every direction, towns seemed to radiate outward at an almost uniform single days travel from one another. Galivan''s town, however, was an oddly isolated exception due to the bogs surrounding their small valley. The crowd gradually thinned and Galivan noticed a man speaking with members of the crowd from the raised platform and taking notes before sending the prospective testees to several locations throughout the field behind him. The various adults then made their ways to a separate viewing area to watch and wait. Soon enough, Galivan and his father were addressed by the note-taking man on the platform. "Good morning, young man. Welcome to the Aptitude Test for Jackal Academy. It is very important that you answer my questions truthfully so that we can test you properly. So, have you completed the 1st rank warrior foundation?" Galivan''s father shuffled forward, drawing the attention of the man on the platform. "Good morning, sir. Galivan has not completed the 1st rank warrior foundation, but he has been primed on the four basic elements and the four advanced elements. His mother and I hope that he possesses aptitude for magic and can unlock the 1st rank magus foundation."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Primed on not only the four basic elements, but the four advanced elements, as well!" The man was momentarily taken aback and appraised Galivan anew. "How is it that he has been primed in so many elements at such a young age?" "Galivan has a poor physical foundation, but a keen mind. His mother and I teach classes to the children in our town, so Galivan has had plenty of access to information his entire life and his own perseverance has paid off." Galivan''s father explained Galivan''s determination with pride. The man on the platform considered Galivan with a measured look. For a long moment, he said nothing at all and Galivan began to grow anxioius. Just as Galivan began to grow worried, the man cleared his throat and began speaking excitedly to Galivan while indicating with a gesture that he was to answer rather than his father. "What is fire?" Growing serious, Galivan responded cooly, "Fire is energy manifested in reality. It consumes, it powers and it can be extremely dangerous without control." Satisfied, the man made a note and asked more quickly, "What is the strongest element?" Looking confused, Galivan did not respond immediately. Deciding to answer honestly, Galivan looked at the man and whispered, "I do not think there is one. The elements are strongest when combined." Taking another note, the man stared at Galivan as though he could see through his very soul. "Come with me, young man." Turning his attention to Galivan''s father, he considered for a moment, "You may as well come along." To the surprise of the remaining crowd, the man led Galivan and his father away and another man was sent to continue the original proceedings. Together, the three of them moved towards the more important Jackal Academy buildings before enterring one with an ebon black door. Inside, there were only three things: an ancient looking man, a table, and a large glass box. The man bowed immediately to the ancient looking man. "Master, I would like to test this young man." The ancient man did not even seem to move, but Galivan felt as though he was being searched. It wasn''t a physical feeling, but it felt invasive, somehow. Worried about what to do, Galivan simply stood still as the feeling soon passed. Long moments passed and both Galivan and his father began to feel awkward. The man who brought them here remained bowed. "Indeed. I will now test you, young man. Place your hands on the side panes and forhead against the one closest." Doing as instructed, Galivan felt the ancient man place his hands over his own. He watched as the ancient man lowered his forehead to the opposite pane. As he made contact, Galivan convulsed in pain. The last thing he understood was his father''s panic. Unlucky Genius "Indeed. I will now test you, young man. Place your hands on the side panes and forhead against the one closest." This young man''s soul shines like a bonfire. There is much strength in him, but his vessel is lacking. I see why he was brought directly to me, his affinity will determine his fate. I place my fingertips over his knuckles and prepare to infuse the smallest wisp of mana into one hand and retrieve it from the other one. Lowering my forehead to the focus, I consider the young man''s tranquil acceptance of the process. A good temperment for a future mage. Just as I engage the focus, I feel something is wrong. The young man convulses and I feel more than see him lose consciousness. I am not in control of my mana! "Galivan! What is happening!" The man''s father shouts in fear and desperation. His focus going between his son- now limp on the floor and bleeding from his ears and nose- and myself, wheezing from mana depletion. I open my mouth to speak, but taste metal and belatedly realize that what I feel is not limited to mana depletion. I raise my hand to my nose and feel the sticky presence of blood flowing freely. Desperately, I lurch to my feet and fall to my knees. My vision begins to narrow. Was this all an elaborate attack? From whom? No longer able to persevere, I lapse into unconsciousness as my disciple lays both the boy and I on the ground and calls for a healer. <><><> Galivan slowly opened his eyes and groaned as his head ached beyond measure. Noticing his awakening, the three adults in the room rushed over to check on him, each doing their best to avoid trampling the ancient man still comatose beside him. The healer reached him first and, after a quick inspection, assured the other two that there were no lasting issues before turning his full attention back to the ancient man. The man who led them here stood by awkwardly as Galivan''s father tried to comfort him and assit him in sitting up. "What happened? My head hurts so much right now..." Galivan looked around for some clue and noticed the ancient man still unconscious on the ground. "Oh no! Is it my fault? Did I fail the test and make it backfire?"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The ancient man''s disciple, although still worried, laughed lightly at Galivan''s concern. "It''s an affinity test, young man. You cannot fail! Oh, but in all the fuss, we never inspected your resu..." The man never completed his sentence as he turned around to inspect the focus and his jaw dropped. Inside of the focus floated NINE wisps of color. NINE! "This doesn''t make any sense," the man began short of breath. "The elements are arranged in groups of four between the basic elements and the advanced elements. The basic elements of earth, wind, fire and water are very common among mages, but the advanced elements of light, dark, life and death are so rare that you could go your entire life and only meet a handful." At this point the man turned and stared at Galivan as though looking at a demon, "But that still only adds up to EIGHT". Long moments began to grow more and more tense as none of the four men in the room knew what to make of the results. Luckily, the ancient man began coughing and woke up not long after the world shattering revelation. Sensing the atmosphere, the ancient man hurriedly assured everyone that he was merely overdrawn and with the assistance of the healer, moved back to his seat by the focus. "Young man, come here." The ancient man stared intently at the focus as Galivan returned to his seat across from him. "Look here, these wisps are your affinities. Our episode earlier was due to your body not being able to project them properly with your limited mana, in fact, all of my mana was drawn out and that was with the aid of this focus to share mana and project your affinities." The man explained the situation matter-of-factly. Then he grew much more somber. "Young man, you are a gifted genius never before seen in history. But, you are also a cursed existence. Possessing so much affinity means endless possibilities for you, but it also poses a very serious limitation- you will never be able to cast a spell on your own." The man stared at Galivan with pity and sadness. Galivan''s father stared at the ancient man before appealing to him, "Is there nothing we can do? He is unable to practice the 1st rank warrior foundation, magic is his only hope! It''s everything he worked for!" "Of course there is something we can do. Young man, become my disciple." Weakness into Strength "Of course there is something we can do. Young man, become my disciple." Galivan looked at the ancient man. Then he looked at his father. His father looked at the ancient man. Everyone looked confused. Finally Galivan''s father asked the ancient man his question, "Why would you want a cursed existence as a disciple? Are you able to cure him?" Galivan had not yet fully adjusted to everything that had happened since arriving in town. But he had certainly latched on to the way the man who brought him to be tested stared at him like he was a demon, the somber tone of the ancient man when he called him a genius but also a cursed existence, and finally told him he would never cast magic on his own. His emotions had been overdrawn as surely as his mana during the affinity testing. Now he was being offered to take this ancient man as his master and possibly overcome the curse fate had laid at his feet. He couldn''t even think straight, let alone speak. The ancient man considered the question from Galivans father while watching Galivan''s expression. Suddenly, without any warning, he began laughing. It was a deep booming laugh, one that shook his entire body and brought a smile to everyone in the room despite everything else going on. "It seems that I wasn''t clear a moment ago. While you will never be able to cast a spell on your own, you are perfectly suited towards the study of magic and group spell casting. I am one of the teachers at Jackal Academy and my specialty is group casting. While your situation may discourage many in your position, I encourage you to look at it as a boon! The reason my disciple brought you to me to be tested was originally due to your answers to his questions. I''m assuming you mentioned something about casting magic together with others?" His rising inflection turned the final statement into a question as he looked at his disciple. In response, the man clarified, "Actually it was his response to which element was strongest. He said they are strongest when combined." The ancient man''s eyes gleamed when he heard this explanation. "You sound particularly suited for group casting magic, young man. What do you think, will you accept this old man as your master?" Galivan looked at his father for guidance. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. He wasn''t sure what to expect. He didn''t know what he should do. Everything he studied in preparation for this day was so structured, so organized. He was supposed to unlock an affinity and join the freshman class of Jackal Academy so he could learn to become a mage. Now he had a teacher from Jackal Academy who wanted to be his personal master and he unlocked not one affinity, but nine.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Looking over at his son, Galivan''s father smiled encouragingly. If this was fate, then so be it. He only wanted what was best for his son. This ancient man did not seem to be a bad sort of person, and he was even a teacher at Jackal Academy. Surely that would assist his son''s future. Seeing his son floundering, he gave him a gentle nudge as if to assure him everything would be okay. Galivan took a deep breath and bowed to the ancient man. "I accept your offer to become your disciple, sir". Uncertain and anxious, Galivan waited for some sort of response before ending his bow to the ancient man. Luckily, he wasn''t waiting long before he heard the man laugh anew. "Sir is such a distasteful word. Call me Master Osiris. Greet your senior brother Horus." Osiris grinned at his new disciples as they properly greeted one another. Then he turned to Galivan''s father and arranged for Galivan to arrive at Jackal Academy the following day with his personal disciple token. He was given the rest of the day to relax with his father and uncle before travelling to the academy. <><><> Galivan''s uncle was still at the stalls when the two of them found him. Most of the gifts available were more suited towards warriors than mages, resulting from the great majority of those testing being on the warrior path. Fortunately, he had found two gifts he thought suitable for Galivan, but was unable to choose between them so he gave Galivan the choice between a water flask that refilled whenever it emptied and a book that copied other books by touching their spines together. Of course, Galivan chose the reusable book. The three of them spent the evening relaxing around the town before going to a local restaurant for dinner, Galivan''s uncle seemingly forgetting his supposed fast from earlier in the day. After dinner, Galivan explained to his uncle that he was now a personal disciple of one of Jackal Academy''s teachers and that he had unlocked all of his affinities. Luckily for everyone involved, and those few close enough to overhear, Galivan had not specified exactly how many affinities he had, or else there may have been a bit of trouble before they found a room to rent for the night.