Alright! Major support for the first chapter! Thanks guys can't thank you guys enough for the favs and follows, hope I don't disappoint you.

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"Quite the look for you, Prince Trellis." Said Logi in the councils sub chamber. Trellis looked down at him, his more mature adult features showing. His hair was just as long, and just as white, but he was grown man now, not the boy we all knew. He had a short white beard on his chin, his scar still showing, and Instead of his traditional armor, he wore councilmen gear. A large shoulder piece and a short teal robe covering it. He smiled at the hairy fuzz ball.

"I haven't been called that in years, Logi. No need to bring it up now." He said firmly, adjusting his robe in the mirror he stood in front of.

"I don't know, I kind of liked how it sounded back then." Said a voice behind them. They turned to see Emily smiling. She wore the same garb as Trellis, her dark red hair behind her shoulder in a braid, she had grown too. She was about a foot and a half taller, and her hair was darker then when she was younger, but other than that she didn't look anymore different than she had. She walked over to Trellis and put her arms around his neck, at least the part that wasn't covered by the shoulder piece. Logi left with a smile on his face, he knew to give them privacy, what little they had these days anyway. Trellis smiled and kissed the red head with love. She kissed back smiling as well. Trellis looked in her blue eyes more seriously. He looked back at the mirror and finished adjusting his clothes.

"This is a big moment for Alledia, Emily. After ten years, the newest council member will be decided. I hope he's as good a stonekeeper as...as..." He paused and sighed silently.

"Vigo..." Emily said. She hugged Trellis. They both felt remorse for letting Vigo die, he didn't have to play the hero, but like all stone keepers, even themselves, he'd be willing to die for what he believed in. Trellis hugged her back, he smiled and let go.

"Do you think the new choosing system is ready?" He asked looking back in the mirror making even more adjustments.

"Yeah, Vigo really did work hard on it, said he always wanted to see a new council, better than the old ones, stronger, wiser. At least he'll be with us through his machine." She said. Trellis finished adjusting his clothes, and turned back towards her.

"Are we ready?" He asked in a more upbeat tone.

"Well..." She said dimming the lights. A console rose out of the floor and displayed an image. It was of the council chambers, where the final candidates stood in wait, all but one. Trellis sighed.

"Ah, Jacob. What am I going to do with him? He's as gifted a stonekeeper as you when you were younger, but he's been skipping classes to go fight or bet or what ever kids are doing these days."

"Rat fights, but that's not important, what is is that he makes it. He's got about ten minutes or he's out." She said turning the lights back on.

"I hope he makes it. Then again our plan is still in effect, it all depends on the responder." He said quoting the choosing machines name.

"You're right...well Jacob or no, we have to go out." She said. Trellis fixed up the rest of his outfit and nodded. They walked out to the candidates, ready for choosing.

-0-0-0-

"Coming through!" Jacob yelled running through the streets. The baker stepped out of his shop with a cart full of pastries. Jacob slid under it, almost knocking it over. "Sorry, Mr. Drake!" He yelled still running.

"Watch it, kid!" He yelled back. Jacob made it to the academy entrance, students walking in and out of the building. He pushed through trying to get to the council chambers. He reached the main doors which, of course, were guarded. The two guards stopped him.

"Hey, what's the big ideas? I need to get in there for the candidates ceremony!" He yelled.

"Papers." Said the guard to the left. Jacob sifted through his cloak.

"Ah! I must have left them back at the rat fight! Please, my parents'll kill me if I don't get in there!" He yelled trying to push his way through. The guards pushed him back, making him hit the floor.

"Go away kid. No papers, no entry. Go hang out with the other rejects." The guard said snickering. Jacob growled as his stone began to glow. The guards put up their spears.

"Wait!" A voice said behind them they all looked up to see the face of a woman. She was tall and thin, with bright blonde hair and a friendly smile on her face. "This ones with me, Douglas." She said. Jacob smiled.

"Aunty Allison!" He yelled hugging her.

"Hey kiddo." She said back. The guards gasped, clearly realizing who Jacob was. Ally gave them a stern look that said "move out of the way, now!" They got the message and stood aside. Ally let go of Jacob. "Better hurry Jacob, I heard your parents just walked in." She said. Jacob gasped beginning to run, but he turned back and hugged her again.

"Thanks, aunty!" He yelled running towards the crowd behind the doors. He stuck his tongue out at the guard and ran inside. There were only a few candidates, which were in the front of the room, the rest were family and friends. He joined in at the left side of the line and looked forward at the stage. His mother and father stood there, smiling when they saw him. They knew they could begin now. As Emily dimmed the lights a girl standing next to Jacob whispered in his ear.

"Glad to see you made it, Hayes." He turned to see the face of Lara, another elf student in the academy. There was something special about her though, she was a half breed, just like Jacob. Her mother was an elven tech genius in the academy, teaching students how mechs and walkers worked. Her father was a human architect for the city, who helped rebuild Ceilis after the elven attacks. He smiled at her. She had the traditional elven features, grey skin, pointed ears, glowing white eyes, but she had long black hair with red outlines. She smiled back.

"Glad to see you too, Lara. I thought you were too busy with your mom in the lab." He said. She shrugged.

"We all have time, Hayes. We all have time." She said looking back at the stage. Jacob did the same. Emily and Trellis stood firm looking down at all of the candidates, young and old. Trellis spoke.

"You are all here because you have been deemed the very best the academy has to offer. Some might agree, others might not. No matter how you did, you've made it, to the final selection, the final test." He finished. A panel in the floor behind him dropped and rose to reveal a machine. It looked like the head of a mech, but there was something different about it. It had blue, green, and red aura around it, and inside were big orbs of light. Emily stepped up.

"This machine will determine if you are worthy or not. It will judge you. It will judge your heart, it will judge your mind, but most importantly, it will judge your soul." She said hitting a button on the side of the machine. All colored light orbs flew across the room, going from person to person. One flew in front of a large muscular man.

"Dakota Riser, you are not worthy." It said in a low robotic voice, moving on. All chose different candidates.

"Reese Drakon, you are not worthy." One said.

"Mex Laxer, you are not worthy." Said another. All orbs ended up returning to the machine, all but one. That one landed between Jacob and Lara. It stood there for a moment, silent but then finally spoke.

"Lara Rake...you are worthy of the right as council member, congratulations." It said remaining at her side. Jacob gasped, but everyone else cheered, including her parents. She walked up to the stage, the ball still following her. Trellis and Emily stood next to her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your new councilwoman!" Trellis yelled. They all cheered again, people laughing, others crying. Jacob had a blank expression, and with that expression he stormed off towards the council chambers, trying not to yell.