The Beastbinder's Ascension

Chapter 37: The Unseen Eye


Inside the central command tent, beneath the protective canopy of layered spiritweave, six figures gathered in a loose ark before two display screens. The crystal-clear projections cast a cool glow over their robes. Two of them wore a dark green robe with golden accents, while the other four had silver accents. Over the left of their chest engraved the symbol of Dawn Crest Academy, while on the right was the logo of the Scouting Arts Division.

On the left screen, the last of the 12 o'clock batch was being escorted out of the exam tent. Their postures varied, but all showing exhaustion and defeat.

One of the silver-accented people crossed his arms. "That's the last of the midday batch. No potential seeds here. We have already given them the clues."

"Professor Dale, I agree. Too slow to act, too quick to doubt their choices. Most waited for obvious signals, but the time already ran out," said a short woman with sharp eyes, adjusting her glasses.

One of the gold-accented people, a bald man with a silver tattoo running down the sides of his neck, stroked his chin in thought. His voice was quiet, but it carried weight. "This batch lacked insight. Only two out of fifty triggered independent strategic responses, and it was within the last ten minutes. That's less than five percent. Disappointing."

"As Elder Sylva said…"

The professors murmured and chattered to one another until they were stopped by a voice.

The smooth hand of a young woman raised slightly. "Let's quiet down. The next batch is entering." Her voice was soft, and slightly alluring, but it carried a momentum that silenced the others.

She turned her gaze to the screen, which began shifting. The view panned toward the tent's entrance, now opening to admit a new group.

An instructor straightened, tapping his legs to the ground. "We'll see if this set fares better."

Another pulled his tablet to check the roster.

The elder's eyes didn't leave the screen.

The camera shifted, zooming into the incoming participants as they passed through the tent flaps. Some walked with steady resolve while the others with faint hesitation. The elders and instructors watched closely. Not just the examinees, but the creatures perched on their shoulders, crawling along their jackets, on their shoulders, or trailing behind in obedience.

"That one's using a Verdant Viper. Low-range sensory type," an instructor noted, tapping his pen against his chin.

"His control looks shaky. Might choke under pressure."

The professor with glasses said, her tousled obsidian hair flipping back. "A Rapid Wind Squirrel. Fast reflex support. Mildly aggressive temperament. A rare choice of spirit beast."

"They are going to need more than quick reflexes to pass, Professor Olea," said Professor Dale who was seated beside her.

Then, Elder Sylva shifted slightly. Though his gaze never moved from the screen, something in his expression hardened.

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The young elder tilted her head as the camera caught sight of a slim figure entering with a calm, measured stride. Atop his shoulder was a lazy kitten who was continually yawning, while the other… a pale creature with nearly transparent wings, feathers faintly reflecting the light like fractured glass.

She blinked once, then again, leaning a bit closer.

"That one is a Glasswing Owl," she murmured.

"Those are hard to come by. They are also quite prideful and difficult to bond with."

"The owl is still young which may help the bonding process, but still…"

"What's his name?"

The instructor holding his tablet tapped through the list on his tablet, scanning. "Aston Rhyner. Seat 5B."

The young elder then smiled. "Interesting…"

He was the one I saw earlier during the registrations…

"Okay, they're going to start," said Elder Sylva.

The view shifted again. From the entrance, the screen now displayed the overhead view of the room. On the right screen, it shared the vision of the sweeping crystal.

The tablet-carrying professor let out a quiet chuckle. "Ah, this is the part I enjoy the most."

Several heads turned. Professor Olea inquired, "Really, Professor Royne?"

Professor Royne leaned back, an amused glint in his eyes. "The moment they see the written test - the confusion, the subtle panic, you can't fake that."

The other professor, with amber hair and a pen stuck in his ear, said "Don't get too excited. The first few minutes are always a drag. They'll poke at their tablets and glance around. It may even take the whole duration of the exam to be that way."

Professor Dale said, "Well, Professor Luke, it really takes a while for the smart ones to break the illusion. Most don't. They just wait and wait, until time's almost up."

"We had some students from our division join in with the answers. It was even obvious that they came in late. I don't really understand…"

"Well, they are just kids eighteen years old and younger. What can you expect from them? How long did you understand the test when you were entering the academy? You graduated from here, right?"

The professors bickered while wasting away the few minutes, while the two elders remained silent.

Then, the right-hand display, which had shown a bird's eye view of the hall - previously nearly still aside from the occasional shifting of shoulders or idle movements, flickered with sudden motion.

A blur shot upward.

"What the?!"

The chatter stopped.

All eyes snapped to the screen. A translucent-winged owl soared into the air from the back rows. Its form melded with its surrounding, like a mirage, but the faint silhouette was still there.

Elder Sylva leaned forward. Professor Royne, with the tip of his pen in his mouth, let out a gasp, letting the pen fall to his lap, then onto the ground.

"That's the owl from earlier."

"It moved. The first move," Professor Luke whispered, now frantically tapping across his screen. A few swipes later, he froze. "Eighteen minutes," he said breathlessly. "It took him only eighteen minutes to break the illusion."

"Eighteen?"

"That's the fastest in the last five years," murmured Professor Dale.

The room filled with the soft hum of astonishment. The elders remained still and their eyes locked on the screen.

"Look at the right screen," said the young woman elder, pointing to the screen.

The professors looked at the screen. Moments later, it shifted and showed… nothing amiss, only the despairing faces of the examinees.

"Elder Erin, what is it? There's nothing."

Elder Erin's eyes shifted from the left and right screens. "Look closer," she said, her voice calm but charged with certainty.

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