Chapter 28: Head of Scrolls [2]

The Head of Scrolls, originally meant for Squires who had successfully completed their three years program dedicated mainly to build up their foundation on Ascension. It is a survey, a test, an examination established specifically to know the strength and flaws of each young Ascenders.

As a matter of fact, because of its features, it was not only accessible to Squires who had completed their three years program of foundation building, it was also for Squires who were yet to complete their three year's foundation building if they paid a certain amount. Another way a Squire could participate in the Head of Scrolls was if they were initially given a spot to by their fellow older Squires. The usefulness of a spot wasn't just to enter the Society to be recognised as a Squire, it was like a chance to be acknowledged as one of the Squire who had completed their three years foundation building despite not really completing the three years foundation building.

Only Squires who had completed their foundation program could give out a spot to other young Ascenders and the Honorary Society of Ascension would accept these individuals who had gotten spots as Ascenders on the same level of Mana controlling and mantra construction as the Squires who gave out the spot.

Meaning, the Squires who gave the spot were certain that the young Ascenders with the spot were are strong as they were and these would enable them to participate in the Head of Scrolls as Squires who had experience on the Ascension foundation building.

That was why Mordecai reserved a spot for Bobby in the Society. Since he had been training Bobby for a few times before they met Vester, he thought giving Bobby a spot would give him a step up in people's opinions.

As a participant in the Head of Scrolls, some Squires who were born inside families that held admirable positions in a Kingdom Force found it redundant to partake. Since originally the Head of Scrolls were to give insights into the attributes of the Squires which would enable the Force to make decisions easier.

A squire like Bobby who is recognised as a young Sentinel due to his relationship status with an upper crust of the Force could ignore the Head of Scrolls. But after secretly considering the difficulty of the examination, he had to participate. He had to score himself and know how far his strength was to do better in the future, to protect his friends. It would only be unfair if they were always running to save his ass while all he could do was put them in danger.

Mordecai, on the other hand, would go through anything to acquire justice for his mother. He also wanted to know the truth. To peer deeper and expose the secrets of the Sentinels: not just the Sentinels, but any and all of the kingdom's secret that were potentially precarious to the people of Xylem.

For Vester, he had a reason for doing all of these. A reason he was yet to expose.

'It seems you guys could use a teammate!'

This voice came from their backs. As they turned their necks around they saw the speaker. It was a blonde girl on an armless purple padded armour. Dark blue eyes carried a fancy backpack and stood akimbo. Beside the speaker stood two other girls at her back. Waiting for the boys to reply to them.

'I guess.' Mordecai took it upon himself to be a gentleman.

The girl chuckled, 'We're not from around here. When we saw your group, we knew you guys number didn't make a team. Just yet.' she smiled as she spoke.

'Unfortunately for us that is correct.' Mordecai replied.

'What do you say, how about we join forces. It would save us the time.' the girl asked politely.

Mordecai shrugged and looked at the rest of his teammates who currently wore bewildered expression. He smirked before answering, 'What's your name.'

'I'm Ariel. This is Odile and Alith.'

'Right. So have we gotten ourselves a SectorGuild?' Mordecai asked with one brow up.

Silence fell after Mordecai's question. SectorGuilds were the team leaders. They give instructions and made the rules. Every other person in the team were under them so they had to listen to whatever the SectorGuild says and adapt to it.

But the thing about being a SectorGuild was that it had to be the strongest person in the group.

Mordecai's group and Ariel's just met themselves. No one knew how strong the other party was, and if they were taught something, it would be never to underestimate. For all to be known, the girls could unbelievably take out the boys with ease and the boys could do the same too. But that was just one illogical way to get a SectorGuild. The boys, especially Mordecai couldn't just sit around and let one random stranger boss him around. One female random stranger boss him around.

How despicable.

'I guess not.' the girl replied with ease. Like she didn't care at all.

'If you don't mind, I'd like to take on that mantle.' Mordecai insisted like he was boasting.

The girl shrugged in response to, 'Oh… you can.'. Mordecai smirked at her statement. 'But let's hope you could keep it on.'

Mordecai smile froze on his face. What does she mean by that? Or did she think she was stronger than himself? He wanted to laugh but the way the joke came out was abusing and outrageous. What made him humiliated the most was the giggling sounds Ariel's subordinates made. If they were males, he would have wriggled them by the neck as he crushed it.

Ssskkrr!

When this uncalled for the noise made its entrance, every single person propelled their sights back to the gate. After making the noise, the gate automatically opened by itself, as it kept on making the high screeching sound. At first, no one had the guts to walk inside. But after a little while, it became odd. So some of the squires summoned courage and went inside the gate.

The inside was like an arena, almost a thousand seats were situated around the flat area in the middle. From their knowledge, this place was the ground the officials used to test actual combat of certain Ascenders. Or even sometimes, the upper crust used it to settle a minor dispute and exercise their clouts, and territories.

In the middle of the open area, there was a person adored in a black cloak. He concealed his face thoroughly with his humongous hood, coupled with his oversized cloak that rippled with the wind.

When the squires got to a safe distance they stood and watched this person. Suddenly, the man energetically extended one of his hands to the side: revealing a paper scroll he clenched.

His voice echoed from every whereas he spoke. Some of the Squires even had to fling their heads around in hope to find out maybe the man was everywhere.

'I believe that all preparations have been made.'

Bobby, Mordecai and Vester looked at themselves sharply. They knew they totally missed out the necessities of participating: like building a team beforehand. If it wasn't for the girls, that would have been a dire hindrance. Taking the fact a team was to be made up of six to seven members as mandated and they were just four.

Even Maoki was lucky to have met the band.

'Your jobs are easy. In this Year's Head of Scrolls, there would-be defenders and the offenders. Defenders would be given special items. Items which are the major objective of the examination. There are two primary quests. One, protect the object you would be given at all cost. Two, take this object to The Silent Mountain.'

'This is the job of the defending team. Protect the item given to you. Get the item to the Silent Mountain. As the offending team, it's quite the opposite. Locate and acquire the items the defending teams possess and take it to the Silent Mountain.'

'If by chance you are defeated on the way and lose the object, your group automatically becomes an offender and must take actions to retrieve the object. During this quest, the use of potentially lethal mantras is highly prohibited. You, squires, are confined only to knock out your opposing parties.'

As the man spoke, he let go of the scroll he held and the paper came running downwards, showing them the astronomical paintings and drawings on it. Like expected, a minor gale swept the ground and carried dust around the man. The squires used their hands to protect their face as the dust-wind twirled around.

The next instant, a raised altar appeared before him. 'Once you and your teammates step on this altar, it would dissolve your disks and transport you to the battlefield. Once you've gotten to the field, you cannot forfeit the mission. It is wise you locate the Silent Mountain and do what you have to do. When you get there let the rest play itself.'

'As for the offenders, the item given to you would be of utmost importance. Whenever you're in a close range with a foreign team which happens to be a defender, your item would signify and locate the team. Giving you one step ahead for an attack and also, the element of surprise.'

'And remember Squires, we are watching you.'

The total number of Squires participating was around 100. So the estimated amount of teams was about fourteen. It wasn't long before Vester team mounted the altar. The altar wasn't big at all, only having the space to accommodate like six individuals. There wasn't much fancy design to it, so it looked crude. In fact, they had to jump to the top because it was lacking a stair.

'Are you ready?' the hooded man murmured to them.

They were all nervous so they couldn't answer, they only repeatedly shook their heads in unison.

'Very well then. Good luck.'

The man didn't even need to operate the altar. The starters' disk pass they held began to shine brighter and brighter until it faded away into thin air and they immediately started to feel nauseated. Between the brief time they stood on top the altar, they all suddenly started to shine like the stars. They shone and shone until they were completely white and then, they disappeared from the altar.