Clueless Delver

"Anesh... Aren't you a little too old for pranks...?" "Hehe... I couldn't help it. I called out your name several times but you didn't reply..."

But her movement was quickly stopped as the back of her head struck against firm flesh. "Yowch!" A familiar boyish voice came from behind Tul-Mitush. At that moment her fright turned into slight annoyance.

All of a sudden, Tul-Mitush felt her vision grow dark as a large palm suddenly appeared in her vision. A chill ran down her spine as she yelped in surprise and jerked backward against bench she sat upon.

And it was precisely this unexpected simplicity of the trial's request that troubled her. Surely a trial to determine one's aptitude to become essentially the leader of a region of the great Lal-Mit ought to be considerably more difficult - at least that was what she had expected despite this trial being the first of likely many other trials.

She could not help but feel something amiss when she had then heard the concoction that she had to prepare to pass the trial. Though the Farsight concoction considered advanced and could likely disqualify half of the participants considering their age and lack of experience, to the precocious or the extremely diligent, it could be said to be the easiest of all other concoctions considered in the advanced category.

In her mind's eye, she had conjured the exact scene of the trial yesterday - the components of the Farsight concoction, the equipment she had brought to the tincturing hall that day, and even those that were stationed adjacent to herself at the venue.

In the greeting hall of the Imiti Residence. Tul-Mitush gazed moodily at the sky as she reflected on the trial which she had previously participated.

The tense silence prevailed, and all those who were in the hall continued studying the bronze face of the pillar.

A several moments of silence passed after the Narim-Imdar's reply. There was no retort, but anyone there could feel the air grow tense. Should one have had the courage to look one would have seen the blonde youth with slightly widened eyes and a tightened grip om his own folded arms.

"I wonder, headmaster, you are attempting to glean the secrets of this pillar intended for us juniors?" the blonde haired youth spoke in a relaxed tone. "Of course I am," the elderly Niram-Imdar replied with a bitter smile. "Shameful as it may be, looking at the state of the sprouts of our City of Gravel - I am sure your masters have done the same for generations"

The next was a young man of average build with a tan, chiseled countenance, blonde of hair worn in a bushy ponytail, dressed in an open breasted robe. And the last was the scrappy girl who had made her declaration. Unlike her gloating expression from before, hers was now somewhat serious. All four gazed upon the middle of the bronze faced pillar, which appeared to be completely smooth.

Soon, all that remained in the hall were four individuals. One was the old Narim-Imdar who stood where he stood moments ago, still gazing upon the hexagonal pillar. The other was a girl in a clean white robe - of a tall, straight and sharp eyes but relaxed posture who gazed upon the bronze face of the pillar.

Some exclaimed after identifying their own names, wading out of the crowd to look for the location of their next trial, which would likely happen the next week. And gradually the crowd began to disperse, no doubt to prepare for their next ordeal.

After the venerable headmaster spoke the words the crowd sank into silence for several moments before erupting in excitement, many shuffling toward the other sides to the pillar to find their names to discern the location of their next tribulation.

"In other words, the intention of the pillar has never been to disqualify those not etched upon this pillar, but to better find the one the most appropriate to succeed the Cauldron..." "Now, do not lose hope and continue your endeavours! You may yet be chosen!"

After several moments the Narim-Imdar spoke. "Have one's name upon a surface of granite may not necessarily disqualify one from the later stage of the Tribulations, they indicate where the next stages will be held for each group, forming six separate groups that are tested through several trials before convening yet again according to the late Cauldron's arrangements."

The crowd parted, making way for the venerable headmaster to pass through until he reached the foot of the pillar and raised his head to look not at the bronze gilded face but at the adjacent rough stone face upon which considerably more names were inscribed.

But as though he had not heard anything before the elderly Narim-Imdar seemed to hover down the steps quietly and floayed toward the tall hexagonal pillar.

The hall was in uproar again as several shouted in fury at her blatant disrespect. "You fool! This is the great Narim-Imdar! Headmaster of the Academy of Gravel!" "This bumpkin is really in trouble now...!"

The appearance of this elderly man sank the hall into silence. But this silence was quickly shattered by the following words of the scrappy Imi-Adam. "Who's this old guy?"