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this was the most defining moment of
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Nha's life At 19 she received the letter
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that would tell her if she was good
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enough at her craft and if she got
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accepted into Madame Burkinbos's college
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for gifted green mages She'd always been
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one to doubt herself as she has a
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nervous personality and a racing mind
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But she wanted this more than anything
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else in her world Her supportive parents
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both in their early 40s stood with her
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and awaited the news She sighed
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hesitantly before she ripped the
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envelope and scanned the page with her
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sage green eyes Dearest Neha Malice due
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to your outstanding lineage and she
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trailed off but her parents were already
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beaming Holy fus I got in The three
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wrapped each other up in a hug and her
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mother planted kisses on her crown Oh
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Mayia we never doubted you'd get
0:48
accepted her mother said pleasantly
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Olga's always been a mean old bird but
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she recognizes talent I'm so proud of
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you," Nha's father told her with tears
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rolling down his cheeks He gave her a
1:01
kiss on her forehead before releasing
1:02
them She would only have a few weeks to
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prepare and for green mages that meant
1:07
sleeping under the stars at night then
1:09
tending to and communing with plants
1:11
during the day Theirs was simple unlike
1:13
other elemental types because you didn't
1:16
need a complicated ritual They're one
1:18
with nature and nature was one with them
1:20
She whispered teary farewells to her
1:22
parents before setting off without need
1:24
for supplies She greeted the woods with
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familiarity by resting her head on each
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tree and running her palms and fingers
1:30
along the bark They may have lived in a
1:32
cabin but these woods were home too She
1:34
went to work gracefully removed dead
1:36
pieces and communed with the plants to
1:38
ask them what their needs were When she
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was hungry she gathered berries nuts or
1:44
mushrooms As green mages communally
1:47
cared for the woods there was plenty of
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food and clean drinking water for all
1:51
living creatures and their community was
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very protective of local wildlife Nha
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adored bird song most of all At night
1:59
the forest spirits came out to dance
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under the moonlight She let them play
2:03
with her hair and sing her lullabies to
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sleep as they've always done Nature
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spirits even those of fire or water
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adore nature mages so they would find
2:11
friends wherever they roamed She fell
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asleep imagining what her schooling
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would be like and the spirits whispered
2:17
their congratulation to their blooming
2:19
flower Her month of preparations went by
2:21
similarly before she was faced with the
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journey to college She would walk or
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sprint then hitchhike the rest of the
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way On arrival she was greeted by a
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shorter girl with red hair and hazel
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eyes Naamelis my name is Aelia Burkinbos
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My gram wanted me to give you the tour
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and answer your questions Typical
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welcome wagon stuff It is so awesome to
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meet you I may have peaked at your
2:44
scores She smiled sheepishly Oh good to
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meet you Aelia Neha smiled
2:50
good-naturedly at her fellow green mage
2:53
Their families were both influential
2:54
among all branches of the elemental
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mages I'm sure your own are also very
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impressive She chuckled and waved Naa to
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follow her in So I know you've already
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been in the foyer during the entrance
3:05
exam but don't worry because our
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classrooms are outside They exited the
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back door to stone walkways that led to
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a beautiful grand garden that was
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currently being maintained by many
3:15
students The center was a large hedge
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maze with little white flowers dotting
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it This is where you'll be spending most
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of your time and Graham's waiting to
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speak with you for your orientation task
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So ask if you have any questions Numea
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paused and processed everything that was
3:30
said What should I expect nothing too
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challenging for green mages of our
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pedigree Aelia winked and nudged her arm
3:38
But it's held in the maze You have to
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make it through I can't give you much
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advice because it changes with each
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person You get a different pathway and a
3:46
plant to help The goal is to see what
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you can do in the moment then determine
3:50
the specialization you'll be placed in
3:52
What happens if you don't make it
3:53
through i'm not really sure she thought
3:56
for a moment I guess that's never
3:58
happened At least not while I've been
4:00
alive But I can't imagine anyone's task
4:02
being that difficult Mine was separating
4:04
different plants that didn't grow well
4:06
together But any green mage should be
4:08
able to do that That doesn't sound bad
4:10
at all Na agreed Where is the madame
4:14
aelia gestured toward a figure hunched
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over a cane wearing a beaded dress of
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greens reds and browns Her hair was ashy
4:21
gray and her face revealed many years of
4:24
wisdom Nha nodded and approached their
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elder with confidence and respect She
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bowed partially with her hands woven
4:30
together above her heart This was a
4:32
traditional symbol of gratitude among
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green mages Good day madame I'm Nema
4:37
Malice The grounds are more than I ever
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dreamed She smiled tilting back up
4:43
slowly I'm ready to begin my task You
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talk too much Burkenbos croked Same as
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your mother Follow me She hobbled toward
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the maze entrance on her cane and Nha
4:54
followed feeling sheepish "It's simple
4:57
You go in alone and the maze will tell
4:59
you what to do through whatever method
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you choose to speak with them." Oh I use
5:03
telepathy Great Just like your father,"
5:06
the old woman cut in sharply "I'm sure
5:08
you'll be fine." "Thank you," Neha said
5:11
and didn't hesitate to enter the floral
5:13
arch that led to the beginning Suddenly
5:15
it disappeared She realized this when
5:18
she turned to ask another question but
5:20
was met with greenery "Oh ficus." She
5:24
breathed in slowly bringing her thoughts
5:27
back to a manageable pace then placed
5:29
the palms of her hands flat against the
5:31
dense growth as she walked This helped
5:33
to keep her grounded She followed the
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path it beckoned her down then found
5:37
herself making only left turns Something
5:39
awaited her assistance down this path
5:42
and it was huge She approached the last
5:44
bend slowly and peered around It snapped
5:47
toward her and reached its limit nearly
5:49
a foot before her the grimacing maw of a
5:51
Venus fly trap She had fallen backwards
5:54
and was catching her breath "Fus this
5:57
isn't what I signed up for." She
5:59
scrambled back up and stared at the
6:00
carnivorous plant before her As far as
6:02
she knew they didn't grow near the mage
6:04
burrows or villages The desert mages had
6:07
the fly trap problems She sighed
6:09
deciding to get on with it then figure
6:12
out why later She placed her palms back
6:14
on the hedge and bowed toward the
6:15
monstrous plant which seemed amused by
6:17
her gestures "Hello fly trap I am a
6:21
green mage named Namia completing my
6:23
college orientation exam How may I help
6:26
you?" she sent telepathically
6:28
Fascinating mage He rumbled back and it
6:31
bounced in her mind I am parched and
6:34
would like my teeth flossed if you would
6:36
Na shuddered knowing she would have to
6:38
get closer but she nodded and got to
6:40
work She started by placing her palms on
6:42
the ground and asking for water to swell
6:44
to the surface It obeyed and the fly
6:47
trap absorbed every drop He grinned
6:49
afterward then looked at her expectantly
6:52
She stealed herself before walking up to
6:54
him Knowing he didn't like the taste of
6:56
mammals she pulled the ribbon from her
6:58
waist and flossed between every one of
6:59
his soft teeth She stuffed the ribbon in
7:02
her pocket after and he growled to her
7:04
in appreciation It reminded her of a
7:06
cat's purr "The way out is back out of
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the swirl and opposite where you came
7:10
Follow the blue flowers of destiny."
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"Thank you," she said out loud then
7:15
headed back out now making only right
7:17
turns She took the path in the opposite
7:20
direction of where the arch disappeared
7:22
then followed blue flowers to a similar
7:24
arch where Madame Burkenbos was waiting
7:26
for her with a smile Congratulations Ms
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Malice You've passed this test and
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you're being placed in the natural
7:32
defense program as only gifted defenders
7:35
of nature received the fly trap task and
7:37
you completed it effortlessly Nha
7:39
couldn't believe what she was hearing
7:41
Someone as clumsy as her was chosen as a
7:43
defender of nature She imagined she'd
7:45
get herbal potions like her dad or even
7:47
singing growth like her mother But
7:49
defenders were passionate and hands-on