"She's going to use a five man team strategy. Herself, plus her four friends" The girls had decided to have lunch in the forest, away from most of the other students. While their classmates fretted over their homework, the girls worked on their strategy for the upcoming match.

"Naomi and I can handle her friends." Shira said, "Its Mellie that worries me." She pulled out her notebook and began reading aloud. "As a soldier class, she has the upper hand when it comes to weapons. According to my notes, she has a secondary-class of fire. She uses a war hammer for battle, this one she received last year."

"How did you find all this out?" Izumi wondered, since they had been in class all morning after the opening ceremony.

Shira gave a knowing smile, yet refused to asnwerher best friend. "The 'Shira' in class was just one of her illusions." Naomi answered, as she continued to read her comic. "Shira never actually went inside the classroom with us this morning."

Izumi was surprised, for Naomi to notice this, said alot about how much she was improving. "You've finally learned how to see through basic illissons?" She asked her friend.

Naomi shook her head, "Not so much. I could just tell that 'Shira' was taking way to many notes, even for her, on a subject that she already knew alot about." As a guard class, Naomi didn't have the natural ability to see energy shifts. This ability allowed guardians to see the slight shift in energy, no matter how big or small. Healers and elementist classes have this gift since birth. While the other classes have the potential to learn how to use it, it is a very diffcult ability to master.

"You know if you learned how to see energy shifts, you'd be able to see through Shira's illisons more." Izumi knew this was only partly true. If one could see energy shifts, then another could learn to make their energy shifts near invisible.

"But you can't see through them and your an elementist." Naomi voice was deadpan-flat, causing Shira to brust out in a fit of laugher.

They spent the rest of lunch going over the information Shira had gathered. By the time the bell rang for afternoon classes, they had an idea of who they would be fighting against.

***********************************

Field training made up afternoon classes, students spent this time working on developing their powers and team work. Since it was the first day of classes, skill tests would be given. Naomi lined up with the other first year guard classes. At fourteen, she was the youngest first year. Those who knew her age, assumed she was among the partial middle grade students enrolled in some of the first year training classes. This wasn't unusual. Some of the middle grade students were advanced for their age with their powers and needed more changlling course training.

Naomi wasn't one of those students. She had skipped years four and five of the elementray grades and went straight into the middle grades. Two years younger then her classmates, she had no trouble keeping up with the courses and assignments. "Each one you will be will be evaluated on your simulation." The teacher was an aged formore member of GUARD. He's years of experience was why he was scouted to become a teacher after his retirement. "You will be going on a basic field asssignment in teams of five. It will only be you, your teammates and everyone else are nothing but NPCs created by the system. That doesn't mean you can slack off. I'm expecting high scores."

The similation building was divided into seven domed halls. Each hall could do up to ten different similations at a time. Naomi's class was moved into the fourth hall after the first group was done. Lined up along the wall, Naomi waited with the others as the first ten went in.

One hour later, it was Naomi's turn. She stood in the center of the hall with nine others. In a flash of light, the white room was replaced with a town square. The nine students were replaced with four NCPs. "Your test starts now!" This signaled the start of the simulation. Three massive dark wolves stormed into the town sqaure. Their onyx fur gave off the appearance of living shadows. Ruby red eyes, shined with a haunting orange glow.

Before Naomi could act, two of the NPCs rushed the dark wolves. They were thrown back against the wall. "So this is the 'basic' assignment." Naomi shook her head, "This is why I hate the five man team strategy." Naomi could do nothing but watch as the warrior and soldier NPCs continue to attack the wolves. As a guard in a five man team, Naomi wasn't suppose to leave the healer unprotected. Only if the warrior or soldier were injuries could she join the fight. It was the healer's job to stay back and heal anyone who got hurt. Only going to the frontlines if there was no one else left to fight. Guards had to stay beside healers, protecting them and using their bodies as human shields if necessary. If either the warrior or soldier was injuried, only then ccould the guard go to the front lines. While the warrior and soldier fought, the elementist supported them from behind, as they helped to protect the healer.

Growing annoyed, Naomi really had nothing to do. To complete the test, the dark wolves had to be taken down and the healer had to remain unharmed. Naomi continued to watch as the NPCs were thrown, slammed, and clawed. She looked to the healer, "They've both been scratched, that's an injury." She grabbed the elementist by the arm and dragged her into battle.

Grabbing the naginata off her back, Naomi charged at the first dark wolf. Jade colored claws slashed down at her. Naomi jumped back and used the staff of her weapon as a shield. Each swap of the claws weakened the naginata's staff base. If she had been a soldier class, Naomi would've been able to use her energy to reinforce the weapon's endurance. "This is annoying." Naomi grunted, as she felt extra weight land on the naginata. 'Stressing out helps no one and nothing.' The words of her cousin rang in her mind. Naomi took a quick breath, needing a moment to calm down.

She thought back to the beginning of the simulation. What had gone wrong? The answer was simple, Naomi was thinking like a guard and not like herself. Naomi didn't care that she was a guard, she just wanted to develop her own style for her powers. She didn't want to be like the other guards she knew. Mostly, they just followed what was taught and didn't try to do more than what was expected of a guard. Naomi's refusal to blend in and her never ending quest for improvement, was one of the qualities that helped her to be skipped two years. With this in thought, she stopped thinking like a guard and started acting like Naomi. In true Naomi fashion, she chancled all of her energy into her muscles, a difficult task for any first year, but for a guard it was near impossbile. Bending down, Naomi sprung up. Pushing the dark wolf back with her sudden movement, she charged forward. "Their in danger." Naomi thought to herself. By slightly changing her chain of thought, she would be able to force ably active her inner strength. Guards got stronger the greater the danger to those they were protecting or if the number of protectees was high.

Her nagatina collected with the stomach of the first dark wolf. It went fell backward, wincing in pain. Before Naomi could go after the other two, the simluation was shut down. She was back inside the hall with the rest of her group. "Good job all of you." Their teacher stood before them, grinning. "Your results will be announced at tomorrows class. You are free to leave."

Naomi blinked, dazed from suddenly being pulled out of the simulation. Just like that, it was over. She was just getting into things. Other students were starting to come out of their daze, as they made their way to the exit. Naomi decided it would be best to find her friends. They needed to figure out what to do about weapons before the battle that afternoon. Since classes were still going on, she figured Shira and Izumi would go to the library once they were finished. Naomi went to replace her nagatina on her back, noticing the staff was cracked. Sighing at her damaged weapon, Naomi simply went to the library in search of her friends.