No Place For Heroes

Episode 4

Away from the busy districts of Barren, the class of soon to be seekers gather in the hall of the Trial Facility. The silence was loud as every single one of them listened to what JJ had to say, ceremoniously dressed with his Judge armor, issued by the Azura Seeker Association, or ASA for short. All of them, except for Drake and Ava, which to no one's surprise were late.

"There's no need to feel uneasy. '' he said looking at Sumi, who had her gaze fixed on what lay ahead of the door behind him. Plated with black armor with silverlined ornaments, JJ continued, "We've trained each one of you for this. The Dungeon Shard that was created here years ago has a pretty low source level. You all trained extensively to resist its corruption."

"So none of us are turning into monsters in there?" Kyle asked, the young mage seemed preoccupied with the possibility.

"No, Kyle, you're not:"

"What about Drake?" Garthos mentioned with a concerned look, "Won't it affect him?"

"Well, Drake, if he ever does get here, will be fine, he's been exposing himself to small fragments of Dungeon Shards just like you have so that he can ultimately withstand the Dungeon's corruption." explained JJ.

"We're here!" yelled Drake over the large banging of the entrance door against the wall as he and Ava arrived.

"You piss-poor show of a Seeker! What have I told you yesterday?!" yelled Maya, as soon as she noticed he spent all night training instead of resting by the bruises on his arms and hands.

"Relax granny. I'll have plenty of time to rest once I'm the strongest one here." He said in full confidence while walking towards the door that was a couple meters behind JJ. "Now, let's get this over with!" he said as he was stopped by JJ that stretched out his arm onto his chest.

"What did he call me?" said Maya, almost popping a vein on her temple.

"Calm down Drake." JJ said, removing his arm, "We are doing this by your grades order. The highest scores go first, lowest scores go last. So the order you're about to go in is: Garthos, Kyle, Tyke, Sumi, Ava and Drake. Everyone understood?"

"Ahah! It figures, the useless ones go last, right 'MUME'?" teased Tyke.

"I told you to STOP calling me that, stove-face!" Drake replied, pointing angrily at Tyke.

"Tsch, you're not even worth my spit. You'll see, I'll turn into a true seeker, and trust me dipshit, the first monster I'm coming for is you!" Says Tyke, as he draws his sword, aiming it at Drake.

Drake, enraged, advanced viciously towards Tyke ready to put up a fight if not for Ava that quickly grabbed his torso.

"Drake, stop it! Don't let him get in your head, that's what he wants."

Meanwhile Tyke was struck hard by a knuckle to the top of his head, he looked to the side to take a glance at whoever did it only to be met with Assen's disapproving and annoyed face. "What the hell are you talking about, kid! Do you even know how it feels to take a real life, a pure life, to be talking about it so recklessly?"

Assen's face transitioned slowly from disappointed to enraged with Tyke not being able to mutter a word, simply stepping aside as quietly as possible rubbing the top of his head whilst trying his hardest not to hurt.

"Is it ready?" Asked JJ.

"What do you think I'm doing here, if it wasn't?" Assen replied.

JJ gasped at her remark only to continue on, "I see your spirits are fired up. Truth be told, after today, none of you will ever be forced to work together again, some of you may wander the world, others stay, some may go solo, others may form parties and adventure the Badlands. But all of you will carry the weight of the Full Blaze."