Over the next few weeks, the student's schedules begin to separate based on their needs. An intense grind begins in preparation for the test.

Nel trains in the sword. Chance can be observed sneaking away to train in fire mana with Dunder, training that is absolutely necessary. As of this moment, Chance is the weakest of the group as a result of his lack of control, and he constantly worries about being cut and having to confront his family back home.

Absolutely no one worries about the skill level of Christopher. In fact, they mostly worry about whoever will be forced to compete against Christopher.

Not a soul in the group is aware of what Yuto does in his free time, they barely ever see him when he's not forced to be around them for training. What they've seen for training is only what he allows others to see; A combination of speedy jabs and agile movements, mainly using a dagger or small knife as a weapon. As far as mana goes, they're not entirely sure; he heads to another tent for training so it is certain he must use it but he remains an ambiguous and questionable character.

Earth students approach Dunder, many flee from his rough way of training in the days to come. However, some commoners have seen it fit to become attached to dunder at his hip. They appreciate how dedicated Dunder is to teaching them, even with the aches and pains he leaves them after. Xiao joins these trainings, in an effort to improve on her weakest element, earth. As a result, Xiao comes to many realizations she may have never come to before. She begins to theorize new strategies building solid earth will allow her to do. Including shielding and creating projectiles.

Xiao isn't afraid to ask questions and during their second week of intense training, she notices spirals of color reaching from beneath Dunder's sleeves.

"Dunder? What are those on your arms?"

"You don't even know about runes?!"

"If you're lucky enough you might get the chance to have some. They increase the amount of mana I can take in at once without injuring myself. These dark green ones here are for earth magic, I have a fire rune on my chest as well." He pulls up his sleeves to reveal dark runes stretching up his forearms. They dance and build hooks, sometimes connecting around his arms, creating a faux gauntlet look. "How can I get something like that?" she asks.

"That's… a complicated question, I'll go over it with the class another time." His eyes dart and he looks unusually troubled.

--------------------------------------------

Nights are spent resting around the campfire. Yuto pokes at it as chance uses his mana to expand the blaze, a feat he was never capable of doing without starting a wildfire a week prior. Whatever Captain Dunder was beating into him was working.

The nights were getting colder, and Xiao's body hadn't adapted yet to the northern air. Each night she would be the only one to struggle to find warmth, even while close to the fire. Her toes would turn stiff and her fingers would blush as red as Nel's face after Chances teasing.

Her teammates were grateful for this trait of Xiaos, as it enabled them to learn more about her. Often, Xiao took it upon herself to disappear similarly to Yuto. Though, these disappearances were mostly in part due to Xiao needing to go to extra lengths to hide her gender. When the men would bathe together in the fresh spring water of the forest, Xiao would disappear. When Xiao needed to wash, she'd disappear. When Xiao felt particularly wary of a man in the camp, she'd disappear. These circumstances unintentionally created the distance between her and her teammates that she desired. The team didn't feel the same way and they took it upon themselves to bother her at every turn.

Each of her teammates came from a different world of their own. Throughout the night, Xiao had heard many stories. Chance, ever the friendly chatterbox, sent some icebreakers around the circle. "So where are you all from?" Yuto sighs. Christopher, led by Chances pleas, reluctantly told of his home in a tribe far from here.

"I just lost a necklace from my home, that's what I've been looking for." A gear clicks in Xiao's brain, she pulls out the amulet from her boot. "Do you mean this?" The group looks at her stunned, a word from xiao was like 1000's from another man. She places it gently in Christopher's hand, "I found it in the forest, you must have been practicing there and dropped it."

"Yeah… thank you," he smiles with his eyes to Xiao.

Xiao understands sentimentalism well, she grasps at the leather necklace around her neck; feeling the green gemstone underneath her shirt.

They sit together, picking at rations as the drowsiness creeps in. Chance exuberantly speaks of his family in the north. Nel and Yuto stay quite, Nel, uncharacteristically so.

"Have you all decided on an element teacher?" Chance says, his curiosity consuming him; slight jealousy pricks at his brain as he thinks of his own demon/captain/teacher.

"I found a young noble captain to teach me water mana in the west corner of the camp," Nel admits, "It's nice to not have to use wind mana anymore, no offense Xiao." He smiles coyly. "You only use it for reinforcement anyways," she says. "Still, it's just not my sort of energy. Something about water mana just feels very…. Hm," he pauses "authentic? emotional?" She raises an eyebrow at him. "Why do I feel slighted?"