Bright. That's the only descriptor Elizabeth had as her eyes opened. Eventually they adjusted and the next thing she saw was a huge cathedral full of people bowing towards her.
A squeak escaped her lips as she fell to the ground in shock. The last thing she could remember was laying curled under her covers, wishing for something to change. Anything, just so her situation was different.
Raising her hand to her cheek, she could still feel a wetness there.
'Where am I?'
"Oh Hero that our gracious God has summoned for us! We welcome you to Theoprya, the Holy Land that Ozalda himself walked upon 673 years ago! High Priest Lazarus told us that you'd be arriving today!"
A man wearing white robes had interrupted her thoughts, but nearly everything that came out of his mouth was gibberish to her. Elizabeth stared at him, confused until a female priest approached and helped her stand.
"Charles, that all means nothing to her. Remember, they come from a different world. Greetings, my name is Lila. As he said, we are in the capital of our nation, Theoprya."
"H-hello, my name is Elizabeth, nice to meet you. Di-did you say a different world?"
Standing uneasily, she stuttered her way through the sentence.
"Yes Lady Elizabeth, you were summoned to Folterod to help save us from a demon army."
Elizabeth's gaze was locked to the floor, her breathing becoming faster.
"Demon army! I don't know how to fight! I just want to go home! You expect me to-"
Wrapping a warm arm around Elizabeth, Lila's calming presence helped her heart beat slow.
"Do not worry Hero, you have been given the blessing of Ozalda. Not only will it make you strong faster, but it will protect you from mortal wounds not inflicted by the Demon Sin. Once you've defeated a monster, you will see the blessing in front of you."
Seeing the smaller woman calmer now, Lila continued.
"We will also provide you with a well balanced party. We are sure they can keep up with your growth better than anyone else on the continent."
As she said these words; five people rose from the crowd, three men and two women. They had a variety of weapons and equipment that were strange to Elizabeth. It was much different from the sweat pants and t-shirt she was wearing.
There was one man with an intensity that scared her, and one with a goofy expression, but other than that the group helped her confidence grow.
"Once you have defeated the demons, you will be able to return home."
"I will?!"
"Yes, and you should have no trouble with the weapon Ozalda blessed you with. It is what should be most suitable and comfortable for you. This is based on experience and innate talent that you may have never discovered. If you focus on the image of a weapon in your mind, it should appear in your hand."
Closing her eyes, Elizabeth could almost physically feel an energy within her. Pulling on it like a thread, a shining bow glistened into her hands. Raising it high in the air, clapping erupted throughout the Cathedral for the new Hero.
***
"Next!"
A thin boy wearing a nice set of robes walked past Kairo, muttering under his breath with a worried look on his face. He went through the door, leaving Kairo to be next. He glanced at the other two lines, appreciating the fact he wasn't at the end of them.
Before forming the three lines inside, all of the draftees had gathered in front of the Differentia Guild building in the middle of a town square. Two guards had stopped them, telling the crowd to wait for now.
A few people, including Kairo, couldn't help but stare at the building.
The massive structure was entirely made out of a strange, blackish metal. Tinted windows lay scattered across the building, enhancing the white stone creatures sitting uniformly on the roof.
Goblins, orcs, gargoyles; and many more than Kairo could name.
There was a slight hush hanging over the crowd. If people did speak, it was quiet and quick. After some time passed, a hooded figure quietly stepped out of the front doors and between the guards.
"I can't believe they're making me do this. I'm not used to this type of thing."
No one except the guards heard this, the comment making them snicker knowing how true it was.
The already hushed crowd became silent as a graveyard when the man stepped onto a small wooden podium. Despite the fact he had a quiet voice, he was easily heard by the over hundred person audience gathered in the square.
"Welcome, my name is Burch. As I'm sure you have all heard, there is a reason for you all being drafted. It's not for some pointless war, it's for our survival. I hope your family sent the strongest in the household, because you and your loved ones lives depend on it. Any questions so far?" He paused, waiting for anyone to speak up. It also seemed like a built in break for him.
"Now, let me explain the initial process you will all go through. We are going to see what your essence affinities are, your EIP, and EOP. Essence is what makes magic work, and depending on what essence is in your body, you'll naturally be talented in one or more elements." Burch took a deep breath, his voice sounding more exhausted by the minute;
"EIP is Essence Intake Potential. Think of it as how strong you're capable of being. EOP is Essence Output Potential, higher grade meaning you're more inclined to form magic. You'll get a more detailed explanation when you join a Class and train, which is what this Tetromite Reading will help you determine. You'll get a couple of choices, so it's ultimately up to you."
After finishing, Burch turned and opened the double doors, leaving the guards to usher them inside. As they entered the building Kairo took note of the front hall, which was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside.
It was a wide open space, rectangular wooden tables with benches filling most of it. A large front desk was towards the back of the room. A decent sized bar was on the right, a kitchen visible through a door behind it. Everything was made out of red wood and had iron edging. The long balcony sitting over the bar had a railing that also matched the aesthetic.
Walking past that area, they went into a spacious yet plain room with three doors. At Burch's behest, the group formed the lines and had been getting called in one by one since.
"Next!"
The man wearing the nice robes walked past him as Kairo approached the door. He opened the door and stepped into a gloomy room. In the center there lay a tablet of crystal; or as Burch had called it Tetromite, a material commonly known to absorbed small amounts of essence. Behind the tablet sat a woman with a clipboard.
"State your full name and place your palm on the tablet."
With a deep breath he stepped forward.
"Kairo."
"Surname as well."
"None."
"So you're a bastard?"
"Might as well be."
A smirk slipped across her face, but it was quickly replaced by a slack jaw. Red, yellow, silver, dark orange, and black lights flitted across the tablet.
'Is this right? I'd say the tetromite has been accurate so far, but his readings are higher than normal. That's two more essences than most prodigies, and he has S rank for EIP. The fact his EOP is low makes this more believable, but this is still the first time I've seen this. Hmm...I'll keep it as is, if the readings aren't accurate we'll see through training.'
Maintaining a mostly neutral expression, she wrote down the results and placed the paper in one of three trays.
"Thank you, you can head back to the front hall. Next!"
Her voice rang out loudly as Kairo exited the room, wondering why her attitude had changed part way through.