I am Just an Average Tamer

The soft golden hue of morning poured through the windowpane, spilling across the wooden floor and warming the modest inn room.

Kai stirred beneath the thin covers, one arm tossed over his eyes as the city slowly rumbled to life beyond the glass.

Yawn!

A faint yawn escaped him.

"Mmnn..."

He blinked up at the ceiling, then finally sat up with a stretch, spine cracking as he arched his back.

Outside, the muffled sounds of merchants calling, wagon wheels clattering, and early birds chirping in alleyway nests signaled the start of another day in Auralian City.

Kai pushed off the bed and padded barefoot to the window.

As he reached it, the faint rustle of feathers greeted him.

Vael, his Windsight Falcon, glided down from a ceiling beam and landed neatly on his shoulder, head tilting with its usual predatory grace.

Kai raised a hand to gently scratch beneath his beak.

"Mornin'."

Down below, the streets were alive—vendors already shouting their wares, children weaving between stalls, the distant chime of bells echoing from a temple spire.

The city shimmered under the early sun, its rooftops golden, its heartbeat steady.

Behind him, soft paws clicked against the wood. Vex, his ever-watchful phantom lynx, approached, stretching her sleek black form with a silent yawn before settling near his side.

But one wasn't quite ready to rise.

Kai turned slightly and glanced toward the bed.

There, curled among the tangled blankets like a contented puppy, lay Stormeon.

The Thunder Drakelet was sprawled on his back, limbs loose, tongue slightly poking out as he snored softly, his little blue-scaled belly rising and falling with each breath.

Kai chuckled, low and amused. "You'd think you fought off a legion last night with how deep you're sleeping."

Vael clacked his beak in what almost sounded like agreement, and Vex huffed quietly, her tail curling.

Kai's gaze drifted back to the window.

The city beckoned.

Opportunities, meetings, missions. Maybe trouble.

Probably trouble.

He exhaled through his nose, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "It's about time."

Turning away from the window, he stretched his arms once more and started preparing. Boots by the door. Daggers checked.

Armor half-buckled as he moved with the calm rhythm of someone who'd done this a thousand times.

Stormeon gave a sleepy chirp, still half-dreaming.

Kai glanced back at him.

"Five more minutes, huh?"

He shook his head and fastened his belt.

"Fine. But don't complain when we leave without you."

******

In a cramped room that smelled faintly of old parchment, wood and dust.

The sunlight crept in through the cracked shutters, painting slanted golden stripes across a crooked desk piled with half-torn books.

A pair of boots—worn at the soles and stitched too many times—sat neatly by the bed, beside a scuffed backpack that had clearly seen more patches than seasons.

The boy stood in front of a small, cloudy mirror nailed to the wall.

He ran a hand through his tangled black hair, smoothed the front of his slightly oversized tunic, and exhaled.

His reflection looked back—seventeen, a little too thin, black eyes brighter than they should be for someone who had grown up in this part of the city.

Behind him, the door creaked open.

A woman leaned in, a tray of warm bread and tea in her hands.

Her apron was stained, hands calloused, but her eyes shone with the same quiet fire as the boy's.

She set the tray down on the desk, brushing a hand lightly across his back as she passed.

"Eat before you faint, stubborn child," she said with a soft laugh.

A man followed a moment later, taller, broader, his shirt half-unbuttoned from the heat of the forge.

He walked with a slight limp and smelled faintly of iron and smoke.

He didn't say much—never did—but he stood in the corner with arms crossed and a subtle, proud look in his eyes.

The boy turned and looked at both of them.

They didn't say the words out loud. They never had to.

But in the woman's soft smile and the man's steady gaze, it was there—love that ran deeper than words.

"You've done everything you could," the woman said, pressing a rough hand to his cheek. "No matter how it turns out today, we're proud of you. You hear me?"

He nodded.

The man stepped forward and clapped a firm hand on his shoulder. His voice was gruff but warm.

"You go in there, give it everything. If they don't take you, that's on them. You've already won in our eyes."

The boy blinked fast, and then grinned.

"I'll pass," he said, trying to sound confident. "I'll get in with scholarship. And when I do…"

He paused and looked around the room, at the patched walls, the ceiling stain that looked like a bird, the floorboards that creaked only on certain steps.

"I'll send money home. I'll make sure the forge has new tools, and Ma gets a new stove, and maybe Pa doesn't have to limp to the smithy every morning."

His voice cracked slightly.

He laughed, brushing his eyes quickly.

"I'll graduate. Join one of the biggest guilds in the empire. Crescent Flame or maybe even the Platinum Order. I'll make so much gold, you two won't even have to work another day in your lives."

His mother chuckled and wrapped her arms around him.

His father joined a second later—stiff, awkward, but firm.

Three bodies in a small room, a single breath held between them.

Then the boy pulled back, adjusted his collar, and slipped the bag over his shoulder.

He turned toward the door.

But as he reached for the handle, he paused.

His smile didn't falter.

But somewhere beneath it—buried beneath the practiced confidence, the hopeful grin, the shining eyes—was a flicker of doubt.

He didn't show it.

He couldn't.

Not today.

******

The city was already alive when Kai stepped out of the inn's creaky wooden door.

A warm breeze brushed past, stirring the hem of his long black coat. Vael circled overhead with a sharp cry, while Vex slinked ahead, her shadow melting and reforming between gaps in buildings.

Then after few minutes.

"Azurean Academy," he murmured under his breath, eyes lifted to the uppermost tower.

Beyond the walls, past a line of spell-woven hedges, lay a vast open arena carved into the very land itself.

A wide, tiered clearing, ringed by ancient obelisks crackling faintly with dormant energy.

It was here—outside the gates, away from the safety of the campus proper—that the Trials took place.

Already, dozens of candidates had arrived.

Boys and girls around his age, some younger, some older. Nobles in tailored combat gear.

Commoners in patchwork armor.

Beastkin with gleaming fangs and tails twitching.

Even a few horned folk from the volcanic southern lands stood among them, quiet and brooding.

Their expressions varied—some eyes burned with determination, others darted around anxiously.

A few whispered spells beneath their breath, mentally rehearsing. Others held weapons too tightly, as if trying to keep fear from slipping through their fingers.

Kai moved into the edge of the gathering, hands in his pockets, silent and unreadable.

Vex had remained behind for now. Vael, however, circled high above, his falcon eyes ever watchful.

A hush fell over the clearing.

From the far end, near the largest obelisk, a figure strode forward with graceful confidence.

A woman—perhaps in her forties—cloaked in navy robes threaded with gold, her silver hair tied into a tight braid, long pointy ears. Her eyes, pale violet, gleamed with old power and sharp intellect. She radiated presence.

When she spoke, her voice was firm yet patient—refined without condescension.

"Welcome," she began, standing at the heart of the circle.

"I am Professor Maelora Venn, lead examiner for this year's Azurean Academy trials."

The tension in the air coiled tighter. Every hopeful held their breath.

Maelora continued, folding her hands behind her back. "What lies ahead of you is not a simple test of strength. If that were enough, the army would suffice."

"This academy… our academy," she said with pride, "seeks more."

She stepped slowly as she spoke, her gaze sweeping over the group. "We look for potential. Spirit. Ingenuity. Discipline. You may hold power—but can you temper it? You may have trained—but can you adapt? Can you learn, fail, rise again, and still push forward when the world calls you insignificant?"

Several candidates swallowed hard. Others straightened their backs.

Kai didn't flinch. His eyes were locked on her, but his mind was already elsewhere—calculating, mapping, anticipating.

Professor Maelora stopped at the center again.

"You stand on the threshold of something great—or something humbling. The trials ahead will determine where you belong."

A pause.

"Those who succeed… will pass into the next phase and be considered for one of the most prestigious institutions in the Empire. Those who fail…" she tilted her head slightly, "will leave with the knowledge that they were not ready—yet."

A gentle breeze stirred the dust around her feet.

"Prepare yourselves. The first trial begins in fifteen minutes. May your hearts be steady, and your minds sharper still."

With a flick of her wrist, several glowing runes sparked into life in the air behind her, shifting into formation.

The crowd slowly began to murmur, adjusting gear, checking potions, some whispering to companions.

Kai simply exhaled through his nose, flexed his fingers, and stepped forward.

'Let's see what kind of game this is.'