The shifters

Challenge

"Aragon, I swear if this is some sick joke..."  I must admit though, part of me wanted this to be some sick joke.

"I wish it was Stella. This is ridiculous. She did amazing at everything. Why should we not accept her all because of some stupid story?"

Story?

The headmaster, who to me resembled a naked mole rat, stood up. "Aragon, you told us about Stella's honorable sense of justice. I'm sure she would rather go then cause delay on fighting the drifters." He turned to me. "Isn't that right Stella? This is the best way to get that ever so sweet revenge on what they did to your parents. So if you just go everything will be taken care of."

I stared down at my shoes. "I'm not leaving." I whispered.

"What was that?"

I stood up and slowly looked up, "I won't go."

"Oh Stella you know this is the wrong choice-"

"No it isn't!" I shouted, cutting him off. "Everyone thinks that they know best, but they don't. I know that I'm ready. My gut is telling me I'm ready. I don't care what you, or any other fuddy-duddy headmasters have to say about it! I did perfect on every thing, and what's this I hear about a damn "story" being the only reason why I'm not going!"

I breathing heavily now. My narrowed eyes were still locked on naked mole rat. That's what I call him now.

Aragon was the first to speak up and break the awkward silence. "She's right and you know it. She also has a right to know the story Edgard."

I was holding in laughter now. Edgard? What a name. I wonder who his wife is? Gertrude? Susan B. Anthony?

Mole rat spoke up after thinking for a while. "Aragon you know I can't tell her, it might change fate and life as we know it."

He turned his wrinkly face towards me. He was completely bald all over. Like a mole rat.

"I will let you in the academy, but I can't let you in because you think you can back talk to me. So I think a good challenge might be in order."

"A challenge?" Great. Now we really are in medieval times.

"Yes, a challenge. Do you know what that means?"

I was so close to telling him off. But I thought about it, and if I did it would probably just mean more "challenges". So I stood up straight and said in the most lady like voice I could, "Yes I DO know what a challenge is. Perhaps you can now tell me what this challenge would be?" It took all I could to say that.

"Tomorrow at 3:00pm you have to defeat me."

"Defeat you? More details please."

"Well if you can pin me down and have a good chance to kill me, you would prove your worth as a student here."

"Wait so I have less than a day to train? Can't I get any hints?"

Mole rat sighed, "Well I guess I'll go easy on you, and I'll give you a hint. My animal is a naked mole rat."

I was drinking water when he told me this, and I think you can guess what happened next. Water was all over my shoes and I was laughing like an idiot.

Mole rat muttered some stuff. "Why, what is the meaning of this?" He sounded mad.

"Nothing." I said. "Just an inside joke my friend and I have." It's a good thing I can lie on the spot. Sure he didn't look convinced, but he already hates me anyways so I've got nothing to lose.

"Alright then." Mole rat said. "Aragon. You can be in charge of training Stella since you two already seem to know each other. You can start training now. Meeting dismissed."