Keeper of the Lost Cities - The Prequel

Chapter One- Jolie

"Jolie! Need I remind you that you have to pass Elementalism if you want to move onto Level Six next year?" Lady Veda barked. "And to pass Elementalism you have to pay attention!" 

Jolie snapped up. "Sorry, Lady Veda. I didn't sleep very well last night, you know, studying for finals and everything..." 

Jolie had purposely added in the last part. Anyone who had Lady Veda knew that she was very particular about studying and grades, even though actually, Jolie had been up late with her mom, Edaline, catching up on the week. Edaline was an emissary for the council, and had been coming back from her job late every night. 

Lady Veda  looked at her with doubt, knowing that Jolie was definitely not telling the truth. "Ok, Jolie, if you were studying so much last night, how about a little pop quiz?" 

Jolie flushed red, silently glad that classes were one-on-one, with only the prodigy and the mentor. "Um, I didn't study Elementalism last night," she mumbled, knowing she had gotten caught. 

Lady Veda rolled her eyes. "I know. Now, this first task is 10% of your final grade. Bottle a lightning bolt, but the bottle can NOT have any cracks in it." 

Jolie sighed. She reluctantly got up and tried to bottle the lightning bolt that had appeared in the middle of the room. She bottled it successfully, but the bottle had a tiny crack in it from pressure. Lady Veda did not look very impressed when Jolie handed it to her. 

She sighed. "Very well, you can go to lunch now." 

Jolie eagerly rushed out of  the Elementalism room and met her friends, Brant, Lina, and Myrin.

"What took you so long?" Myrin asked, biting into a blitzenberry  muffin. 

"Sorry, Lady Veda gave me a pop quiz." She frowned. 

"Ugh!" Lina gave her a sympathetic look, handing her a can of strawberry flavored air. "How'd you do?" 

"I don't know. I bottled the lightning bolt, but it had a crack in it. And she said that it cannot have any cracks, so..." 

"Why'd she give you a pop quiz?" Brant asked. 

"Knowing Jolie she probably didn't do her homework or something." Myrin said. 

"Close," Jolie replied, then turned to Brant. "Any luck with Ability Detecting?"

"No." Brant sighed. He was the only elf level five who was still in Ability Detecting, trying to find an ability. If an ability was not triggered in the next couple months, he would be branded Talentless and go to Exillium instead continuing with Foxfire. Being Talentless was a very big difference in the Lost Cities. Instead of the option of being awarded with a dream job, he would probably end up working somewhere low and being scorned. 

If someone Talentless ever tried to marry someone untalentless, it would be considered A BAD MATCH. The entire elven society of marriage is based on approved marriages by the matchmaking office. At a very young age, you can fill out a packet and hand it in to the matchmakers. Then, they work on a list for you with 100 names of different elves, ones who seem that they would be best matched with you. If you choose to marry someone who is not on your list (or lists, you can get more than one) you are considered a BAD MATCH. 

It was no secret that Brant liked Jolie, and that Jolie liked him. And Jolie had already received her packet from the matchmakers to fill out. Would Jolie want to face the scorn?