Cp 4.1: The First Test

Aria pushed open the wooden door. The room was empty. A small box-like room was before Aria's eyes. There was nothing in it, except a cross in the center of the left wall. The cross wasn't like those in churches, it was more...complicating, as Aria puts it. There were two snakes intertwining the silver cross, as between the two snakes' mouths there was a tiny hole. Aria stepped into the room and the door behind her slammed shut. Aria tried twisting the doorknob but the door just wouldn't budge. Soon, Aria gave up and shifted her attention onto the small, dim room. The air was musty as Aria held her breath several times. The four walls enclosing the room was dry and rough, despite the damp air. Moss grew on the wall, giving it a touch of green.

Aria touched the cross, but it gave no respond. Suddenly, a voice spoke.

'Gaze into the serpents' eyes,
Feel into its' scaly skins,
Find out within what it lies,
Figure out what it really means.'

The voice subsided. Aria stood in front of the cross and concentrated onto the snakes' eyes. There was only one on each creature, so Aria focused on the left one first, then the right one.

'Click!'

It sounded like a gear just moved. Soon, both eyes of the snakes' were gone! All left was its' scaly body. Aria remembered what the voice said. 'Feel into its' scaly skins.' Aria lifted her arm and pressed her finger against the snakes. To Aria's amaze, her finger sank into the wall! She ventured the small space with her finger and she felt something cold. It shaped like a small lever. She pulled it and a second 'click' was heard. Now, the snakes in the wall began to slither away from the cross, forming an arc over Aria. The cross gradually faded and the only thing left was the tiny hole. Aria touched the small opening and something, perhaps fire, burnt her finger! She jumped back as a stream of fire escaped from the hole. It wasn't normal flame, it was white in colour. It wasn't sparks, just fire. Aria examined her skin and noticed the part where the fire had burnt her did not have any sign or mark of injury, but the area around it was burnt to black.

Soon, the flame ceased. Aria stood up and approached the wall, maintaining a gap between her and the wall as she does not want any more surprises.

A golden doorknob was slowly formed in the wall. Aria touched it. It was cold. She turned the doorknob and pushed open the wall.

Aria had just passed the first test.

Cp 4: Jobs

'I must be dreaming,' muttered Aria under her breath.
There she was, standing in front of twenty two tables made of black, rough wood. And among these tables, sat many, many unusual creatures. There was a hog-looking beast, sitting next to a petite, fur-covered creature. Aria's jaws hung out wide. She couldn't believe herself.
'Follow me,' said Giselle.

Giselle pulled Aria's arm along and Aria followed behind. Soon, they were at the centre of the building, where a tall, dinosaur-like creature stood.
'Hey Zel, what's up?' questioned the unknown creature. He-or perhaps 'it'-had a long, sharp horn protruding from his forehead. He had a muscular physical shape and a scar which was dragged from his left chest until his back. He had big eyes and they examined Aria like hungry jaguars looking at an innocent deer. His ear was sharp just like Giselle's.
'Nah, just the usual. But I found something very interesting, Kines,' Giselle gestured at Aria, who was feeling the awkwardness.
'Err...hi,' Greeted Aria airily.
'Hi there, friend,' said Kines. 'A friend of Zel's is indeed a friend of mine!' Kines grabbed Aria's hand a shook it vigorously, leaving Aria no choice but to shake along.
'I want you to classify her, Kines,' requested Giselle with a serious look on her face. 'And this time, no mistakes.'
Kines smiled awkwardly and nodded towards Giselle, then Aria.
'W-What do you mean by classify?' Asked Aria.
'Don't worry, my dear,' Giselle patted Aria on her head. 'Old Kines here will group you into your jobs accordingly.'
'To?'
'Your ability and capability, of course! You have to start learning and earn your own money here, my dear!'
Aria had no choice but to nod and go with the flow.

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The noise from Kine's gradually faded away behind Aria as she was brought into this narrow, gloomy hallway. The air was heavy as Aria fastened her breathing. There were wooden doors along the hallway. The hallway seemed like some sort of underground dungeon. The sides were lit with small, fragile torches which hung on the brick wall. They gave the hallway an eerie, gloomy appearance.

As they traveled along the narrow road, the creature escorting Aria-known as a Urukk-stopped at a door. The door was like the others, except it had a carving of a little vial producing bubbles.
'Here...magic...' muttered the Urukk.
'Magic?' Aria responded.
The Urukk nodded and gestured for Aria to enter the room. Aria hesitated, and turned the doorknob.