Enola Gay's C Rank Exam

• Take Care of My Baby! || 25 EXP
  
• Deliver My Letter! || 25 EXP
  
• Wanted: Jacob Goodnight || 25 EXP
  
• To Earthland... and Beyond! || 25 EXP
  
• Spy: Criminal Watch! || 25 EXP
  
• Housekeeping! || 25 EXP
  

If approved, I would like to take the exam.

Kihia was sitting within the Lamia Scale's primary training  hall, he was sitting crossed legged, meditating for what was to come. He had recently received word, that a recent member of the Guild had recently gone on a series of jobs, and proven herself worthy of to possibly be granted the next step. Kihia had left a letter in the hands of the associate who mans the bars during the morning hours. When handed to Enola, it would hold instructions, telling her to come to the training hall, he didn't write who it was, or why.  



Kihia sat there for a long moment, breathing at a slow and relaxed pace, Icarus was on the floor next to him, balancing on a stand made out of holy ice. This would be the second he had taken the job of proctoring, but he was certain of one thing, this exam would be no less harder than the last one he had given out, his only hope was that Enola, the member he had not even met, was ready for the trial from the Ace of Courage.

As with all days that she wasn’t on a job, Enola continued after her mini-goal of cleaning the entire tower. At least, that’s what she’d planned on doing that morning. Instead, she came into possession of a suspicious letter requesting her presence at the guild training hall. It gave no reason why nor was it signed, which struck the woman as somewhat odd. Still, trusting as usual, she safely assumed that it wasn’t a prank and headed for the training hall. She brought with her the feather duster spear (still in the form of a regular feather duster) she’d come to rely on, thinking perhaps someone wanted to spar or train with her.

The first thing she noticed upon stepping into the training hall was a relaxed-looking individual. Despite being young, early twenties from the look of him, he had pure white hair that gave him an almost angelic appearance; and his eyes – they were like cool, blue ice! Enola had to look him over a second time just to assure herself he was even human.

Enola peacefully tip-toed to the man, smiled like a store greeter, and held up the letter given to her.

“Are you the one who sent me this, Mister...?”

Kihia had opened his eyes as he heard someone walking up the steps, he sat there waiting for the member to arrive. Eventually she did, she walked up to him and extended out a letter she was holding. He then heard her question, he then examined the letter closely and indeed recognized, that it was the very same letter he had left to the bartender. He then grabbed Icarus and stood up, he did a slight bow her direction, "Hello Enola, I am Kihia Avoa, the guilds Ace of Courage...." He then fell silent for a moment before continuing, "I have heard that you have done numerous jobs and have been deemed worthy to take a special test... to see if you are ready for the title of a C-class mage..." Kihia looked up at the high ceiling of the training all for a moment, he then turned back to Enola, "I have been given the task to test you in this endeavor... if you have any questions... feel free to ask if not... just let me know when you are ready..."

Enola’s jaw nearly fell at the man’s few but powerful words. She was standing before Kihia Avoa, an ace of the guild! That made him one of the most powerful mages in all of Lamia Scale, right below the guild master. She was, without a doubt, impressed by the man’s introduction. Furthermore, he wanted to put her to the test to see if she was worthy of being called a C-class wizard. If her head were a bomb, it would have gone off at those words for it meant she was one step closer to her goal of taking back her home. It may have been just a single step, but it was a far bigger stride than any other step she'd taken in the last decade.

When Kihia gave his slight bow, Enola responded with her own meager bow.

She placed the letter in her pocket – it was practically a keepsake to her now – and stood erect as a cadet would before an officer. In a rather distinct servant's tone, Enola politely inquired, “A test?” Although she tried to hide it, Enola was quite nervous on the inside – she had developed a somewhat nasty fear of tests, due in part to her old mentor Ms. Kieva, who was a brutal teacher under the best of circumstances. For instance, if Enola had gotten an 80% or lower, Ms. Kieva would have considered it an automatic failure. There was no such thing as a C or D, just A, B, and F. Of course, even if Enola had gotten more than an 80%, she'd still have to go back and correct all the answers she got wrong (with written explanations of why her original answers were incorrect).

"What would you have me do for this 'Test,' Mr. Avoa?"

Enola made a subtle gulp and prayed Kihia was more forgiving than Ms. Kieva.

Kihia simply nodded when she asked him what this test would require, he took a few steps back making the center floor decoration be cleared. He then lifted his right hand and pointed up towards a hanging piece of steel that was hung on the ceiling way on the very top of the tower. “On that piece of plate above us is a slab of stone… The plate is approximately twenty meters above our heads… Your task will be to retrieve it…” Kihia then put his hands together hand channeled his magic power to them, he then slammed his hands on the floor. Then a pillar of ice one meter thick shot up from the floor and went all the way up to the steel plate. Then numerous branches shot out and attached themselves to the walls, forming a twisted mass of thick ice bridges that went all the way up. “This tower of ice will be your way up… keep in mind the way up won’t be easy… as I have arranged numerous obstacles along the way up….” Kihia smiled a bit, not letting on that infact a good portion of the branches will shatter upon being touched… but he had faith she will figure out not to go on the ones that had large tinges off blue. “When ever you are ready… proceed… I will be here to make sure you don’t get hurt…”

---

Posting Rules for this, You can only go up five branches per post, after each post I will post rping what might have happened, Have fun ^.^

Enola awed at the large ice pillar before nodding her head at Kihia’s instructions. Though, she was somewhat intimidated by the suspicious word “obstacles,” she could only guess as to what that meant.

“I just have to get the plate?” She beamed at the branches and continued, “I think I can do that…”

Enola sheepishly approached the lowest hanging branch and placed her hand on it, assuring it was sturdy before hoisting herself up on it. The branch was thick enough – like a miniature bridge in fact – that she had little trouble balancing on it; that is, until she began slowly sliding toward one side of the branch, indicating the ice was slippery. Her eyes wandered in search of a higher branch and, upon finding one, she jumped up and grabbed onto it in fear that she would slide off her current branch. She hung from it rather vulnerably, her hands sliding across it until she completely lost her grip.

"Eeeek!" she fell down to a lower branch, though her bad luck wasn't finished:

Snap!

The branch shattered like the ice it was made of, sending Enola down to the ground. Fortunately, she hadn't made it high at all, making her landing merely uncomfortable. She sighed in grievance and inspected the ice pillar and branches once more, hoping to find a clue to get up to the plate.

Oh!

Feeling clever, Enola closed her eyes...

Dust to Dust!

Cracks and flakes began to manifest on Enola's skin and clothes as her body turned into a shade of light grey. Quickly, her body seemingly exploded into a cloud of dust, covering the ground around her in dust (and possibly Kihia). In the form of a dust cloud, Enola flew up the ice pillar, covering every branch she passed with dust. Once she made it five branches up, she transformed back into her physical form and landed on a branch to get a clear view of where she stood. This time, however, dust covered the ice of the branch, making it significantly easier to stand on (coupled with her natural poise).

---

HP: 97%
MP: 87%

Spells Used:

Dust to Dust (1/3 Posts | 0/2 D Rank Damage):

Kihia stood there and watched as Enola had first tried to make her first branch as she jumped up and landed on it, and was quickly caught off guard with how fast she had begun to slip on the ice, and quickly tried to jump on a branch that was on the second tier, he watched in half amusement and half seriousness as the branch had snapped dropping her to the floor. He continued watching in silence as Enola got up seemingly getting an idea, she then called out a spell, she had called it dust to dust, after a moment she exploded into a cloud of dust, covering everything in a thick layer.

Kihia braced himself has it happened and the cloud of dust enveloped him, after it finally settled he dusted himself off and saw that Enola had ended up on the fifth layer of branches, however what caught him off guard the most was the fact all the ice had been covered by the dust and making them easier to stand on. Kihia gently smiled not at her feat, although impressive, but the sound he was hearing. It was of ice cracking, and splintering… and it was coming from the one she was standing on… Good idea for traction… but that is only a third of the battle here…

Impressed with herself, Enola looked down at Kihia with a warming pride. All was silent except for a subtle cracking noise filling the training hall. She dumbly searched her surroundings for the source until she felt the branch beneath starting to shake.

Snap!

The branch gave out right from under Enola, send her down and the dust upwards in large plumes. Enola screamed in momentary terror as her body was hurdling down to the branch below – it was going to hurt for sure.

Poof!

Using what little wit she had, Enola dispersed her body into a dust cloud once more, leaving her floating right above the branch below. Meanwhile, the ice from the branch she was previously on fell downward and landed in separate pieces next to Kihia. Enola, once again in the form of a dust cloud, began spiraling upwards past more branches until she’d passed another five branches; after which, she shifted back into her physical form and landed on another branch. The dust, of course, provided the needed traction.

Now ten branches up, Enola looked down at Kihia with a warm yet cocky smile.

---

HP: 97%
MP: 82%

Spells Used:

Dust to Dust (2/3 Posts | 0/2 D Rank Damage):

Kihia watched as Enola managed to use her spell to quickly recover and travel up another five levels of the ice structure, this time on a more solid branch although she had yet to find out the true difference. He was impressed, Kihia honestly didn’t expect Enola to reach the halfway point this fast… however… who ever said that Kihia had said every detail of this exam at the beginning? The rather large Frost wyvern who had been waiting outside the tower at his fullest size undetected most certainly didn’t. He then spoke up using the design of the room to project his voice, “Good work so far Enola you have made great progress… However… Your true exam starts now…” He then raised Icarus up then hit one end against the floor making a metallic reverberation echoed throughout the training hall. Then suddenly a giant hatch opened up on the wall revealing the gargantuan mouth of a Frost Wyvern, “ That’s my Cue!” At this Ukan exhaled releasing his Frosty breath into the training hall, filling the entire upper section all the way down to Enola in a cloud of ice and snow that remain suspended up there. Kihia nodded, he knew that contact with the cloud would probably dispel Enola’s spell effect, giving a good challenge to climb the remaining ten meters.

(OOC, alrighty, this will deal no damage to you, but will cancel out your spell as well as making it harder to see)

Enola blinked sheepishly down at Kihia. “True exam?”

Her gaze dashed upwards toward at a hatch above – the head of a dragon-like creature popped out! Her eyes widened like two moons and her jaw hung open, believing the wyvern was going to come down and eat her. Instead, the creature took a deep breath and unleashed giant, harsh snow storm down upon the pillar and toward the young woman. Enola could do little beyond sitting helplessly as her skin and clothes reverted to normal, indicating that her spell was over. The snow and ice chunks started to wipe away the dust on the branch she stood on and, thus, removing the traction. Her porcelain shoes started to shake and wobble as she began slipping along the branch.

An idea popped into her head: Enola reached for the feather duster on her waist and pressed the button on the handle. Ching! The duster extended to form a long spear with a sharp tip. As if it were an ice pick, she jabbed the spear into the side of the pillar and used it to hold herself in place on the branch. Her eyes wandered around in search of a possible solution but there were none; in fact, Enola could barely see anything. The cloud hindered her vision, even covering her glasses in snow. Keeping her hands firmly on the spear and her feet still, she shook her head until her blinded glasses fell off her face and down below. They landed below next to Kihia and shattered.

Things were bleak. Enola was stuck in place on a branch, with a flimsy spear being the only thing keeping her in place. Her eyes were impaired, both by snow and the lack of glasses, and her body was becoming stiff from the cold. She lowered her head in dread, feeling defeated and out witted. Shame overcame her and she was afraid to look down, too embarrassed to look down at Kihia.

Wait…what would my friends do in this situation.

Enola let her imagination take over and pictured Gil Vessalius standing next to her on the branch with his crimson eyes looking flippantly at her.

He sighed, “I would have someone carry me up the pillar of course. Probably you.”

Enola pouted, “I don’t think that’s an option for me.” She shook her head and instead imagined Shohei Kirisagi.

The imaginary Shohei frowned, “I’d quit standing around like a moron and climb the pillar before I froze to death. Oh yeah, you might want to do that too before you freeze to death yourself.”

“That doesn’t really help…”

Enola thought for some time before imagining her old mentor, Ms. Kieva, standing next to her.

“Seriously, you need my help? After all I’ve taught you?” Ms. Kieva sighed in agitation, “I can’t believe I ever passed you…”

“But it’s hard! I don’t know what to do!”

“Of course you don’t! You never do!” She rubbed her brow in frustration.

“I’m sorry, Miss Ki-“

“Quit apologizing! If you weren’t so nice, you wouldn’t be here! You’d be home sipping tea in your mansion instead of that rich little punk!”

Enola reeled her head, taken aback by that nerve-cutting insult.  She wanted to tear up but she shook her head. She thought of her brother Alexi sitting in her favorite chair, enjoying all the benefits that should’ve been hers. An irritated vein appeared over Enola’s eyes and she took a deep breath.

The imaginary Ms. Kieva chuckled and disappeared.

Enola look up, a determined fire raging in her eyes, and took one of her hands off the spear. She raised it up and whispered…

Dust Bunny Easter Egg.

A giant dust bunny ball formed in her hand and hurdled itself at a portion of the pillar above her. When it hit the icy surface of the pillar, the dust bunny extended in exploded into an even bigger tangle of dust. The dust tangles constricted around the pillar until they were tightly in place. Enola reached upwards with her free hand and grabbed onto the dust tangles as if they were vines. As her feet came off the branch, she lifted her spear with her and jabbed it into the side of the ice pillar to help hoist herself up.

Enola made it two meters up until she came to the end of the dust tangles. With one hand on the dust strings and another holding on to her spear, she darted her eyes around in search of something she could grab onto – two branches. One up above her to her left and another up above to her right. She reached for the one on her right until she had an epiphany. She awkwardly jabbed upward at the branch with her spear.

Crack! The branch shattered and fell down below.

A sigh escaped her breath, relieved she hadn’t grabbed it in the first place. As with the branch on the right, Enola jabbed the spear to her left. Evidently, the branch was solid as it didn’t budge a bit. Satisfied, she jabbed her spear back into the side of the pillar, let go of the dust tangles, and reached for the branch. She got a hold of the branch but quickly began sliding along it. Panicking, she hoisted her feet up and wrapped herself around the branch until she was hanging upside down with the spear dangling in her free hand. Her skirt was riding up her leg and she could feel the ice of the branch against her thigh.

Cold! Cold! Cold!

She winced at the stinging temperature but managed to turn herself around until she was upright on the branch. Very carefully, the young maid balanced herself on the branch with her knees and jabbed her spear into the side of the pillar once more. With the spear keeping her in place, she carefully raised herself up until she was standing on her feet.

She looked around for more branches, though they always appeared blurry at first, and repeated the process until she was up another five meters, for a total of 15 meters up the pillar. Enola looked down from her branch – she couldn’t see anything below though the snow storm. Her head was beginning to get dizzy from the cold but she kept her grip firmly on the spear, less she fall below.

Enola closed her eyes, thinking of her most hated foe – Alexi Pisa. If she could climb this pillar, then she could at least hope that she might one day make the Pisa family pay for its crimes.

“Mister Avoa! I don’t know if you can hear me down there, and I apologize for my rude tone, but I’m afraid that it would be unacceptable to let a snow storm stop me!”

---

HP: 97%
MP: 72%

Spells Used: Dust Bunny Easter Egg (1/2 Posts)

Kihia stood there and listened, not watch Enolas new found methodology of climbing up the next five levels of the ice structure. He wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but after a few moments of seemingly talking to herself she had found new found tenacity to continue to climb. She then called down to Kihia, from a general height that sounded like she was on the final stretch. He then gently smiled at her comment about how Ukan’s frost breath will not stop her from completing the task he had given her. He thought for a moment, wondering if later on after this next part, how much Enola would yell at Kihia for the idea the Goal of the task wasn’t the goal of the exam, no, for she had already technically passed in his eyes, for having the courage to take on such a test, but Kihia wasn’t going to tell her that juuuuuust yet.

Kihia placed one hand on the center ice column and focused on the key structure he had used to form it, there was a distinct reason he had formed the ice structure in two separate stages, in a matter of a second the center ice pillar shattered into magical particles, leaving the branches only connected to the wall of the training room, making them all lean downward towards the center of the room. However as he did this he made all of the remaining branches completely solid, so they won’t break if she gets on one. If by any chance Enola did fall he had numerous safety plans in place to catch her, Enola wasn’t going to get hurt on his watch.

Enola continued to lean in on her spear until the ice pillar seemingly disintegrated. She tried to pull herself back but found it impossible with the branch leaning downward toward the center. Her shoes slipped against the ice but it proved to only delay the inevitable. Her arms flailed as if reaching out for something in one last desperate attempt.

Oh no.

Enola went tumbling down with her head going first and her spear fell along with her, though hit several branches down the way with loud pinging noises. Wind swept into her face and through her hair as a million thoughts rushed through her, especially the idea that her body was about to shift shatter into several different pieces on the marble floor below.  The thought of the coming pain coaxed Enola into closing her eyes, though it only drove her mad as she thought about her failure to reach the plate. She would never become a C rank and she would never beat the Pisa family. Her entire work up to this point, it seemed, had been in vain. She could practically imagine Alexi Pisa laughing at her whilst he enjoyed all the luxuries of his position, a position that belonged rightful to her.

She held up her arms in front of her face in an x in the hopes that the fall would at least not break her neck. Her teeth were grinding together in anticipation of the coming pain.

Kihia watched as Enola had completely lost all bearings with the center column shattering the way it did, however as soon as she fell the ice branches shattered, leaving nothing for her to crash through as she fell. Kihia used his magic sensory ability to track where Enola was. He crossed his arms and then moved to where his hands came together, a unique Ice make stance to any who have seen one. He then spread his arms wide and a bright flash of light shown above him as a white ice great eagle formed above him and flew straight upwards. Catching the back of Enola’s collar with her neck and gently bring her down to the floor before releasing her and putting her on the ground gently. Kihia nodded to the great eagle, and then watched as it dissipate back into magical particles. He then slowly walked over to Enola and said, “Are you ok Enola…?” He would then wait for her to respond and to finish, if any response happened before pulling out a ticket to one of hargeon finest hotels and offered it to Enola saying, “Congratulations… you passed…”

As she felt the wind shifting in her face, Enola jutted her eyes upward to see a large eagle made entirely from ice. The talons around her neck chocked slightly though it was reasonably more comfortable than falling to her death. When she landed, however, her eyes watered. She had failed her task and it seemed to only hurt worse on the inside when Kihia asked her if she was okay.

Her lips quivered and she lowered her head in shame, “Yes…I’m-I’m okay.” Her fist clenched in disappointment: she simply wasn’t cut out to be a wizard.

Then, a surprise – Kihia passed her. Her eyes shot up from the ground to his gaze and widened with the most profound surprise. Enola cautiously took the ticket from his hand and studied it for any possible joke. Her grip tighten around the ticket and her eyes read it over and over to ensure herself it was real.

With a dumb look on her face, she asked, “Kihia, I don’t… I mean, Mr. Avoa, I don’t understand. The plate’s still up there." A loud gulp could be heard traveling down her throat. Her face might have expressed her surprise better were it not so stiff from the cold.

Kihia looked at Enola with a serious expression, but had signs that he was slightly amused in his eyes. He then turned his expression towards the upper reaches of the training hall and waited a moment before saying anything. “The Plate wasn’t the goal of your exam Enola… Not this time… No the true point of this exam was to test your courage…” He waited a moment before continuing, “The courage to surmount a seemingly impossible obstacle… and keeping a level head to the very end to find possible solutions to the problems you faced…” He then turned his gaze back to ground level and then towards Enola, his ice cold eyes showing the seriousness that his own face was showing. “That courage, that ability to think no matter the obstacle will help you be able to make better decisions for those around you and for your own walk through life…” He then softened his expression and gestured toward the ticket, “that is a ticket for a one night stay at one of the most luxurious hotels Hargeon has to offer… go have your rest… and get warm… Congratulations on reaching the next step in your walk of wizardry…”