Author's Note: I'm sorry it has taken so long to upload this chapter. I've been away and other stuff has happened since I got back home, making it hard for me to concentrate on writing. But here's chapter 10 anyway.


Seth concentrated. He had to focus all of his blades at once to be able to move that stream. The stream was like a fountain and he was about to split it in half, or making it look like it, using his blades continuously.

He was just supposed to show his Rune control and he wanted to show it in the best way possible. And to him, a split fountain would really make an impression. He opened his eyes and made his gestures. Fifteen blades were created around him and he quickly made them loop around, making it like a circle saw, and he forced them through the water. The water's stream was interrupted but the wind was too weak to split it, so he forced it harder. He knew this was going to be his last move, his Magic levels were starting to run really low, but he wanted this to be his finale.

The water was weakly moving apart but he widened the blades and quickened the speed. He started sweating from the effort but it was worth every little Magic he had; the water was split in half, creating two perfect fountains.

Seth dared a smile for his accomplishment, seeing it for real was way better than just his theory. It was really like a beautiful piece of art. For the first time since the incident he actually felt proud of himself; his Magic and his skill. He felt like, whatever the outcome, his performance was impeccable. And he knew it.

The person in charge, a very big bald man put up his hand, releasing his own Water Magic. "The Trial is fulfilled", he boomed with a deep voice.

Seth released his blades, letting them smoothly join the rest of the air. He also dispelled the barriers surrounding the area, that he had managed to keep up in case some Magic travelled where it shouldn't.

Fulfilled. He didn't know what that meant, but he figured it was just that every part of the test was completed. He couldn't celebrate; it didn't say if he made it through or not.

"Come over here", the big man said.

Seth nervously walked up to the man and the other Rune Masters. He was filled with several mixed emotions. He was still kind of high on adrenaline and excitement of the Trial itself, nervous because of obvious reasons and everything in between.

With a racing heart, he stood there in front of the Rune Masters.

"Every Rune Master has their own vote, they will now give their verdict. There are four of us, and you'll need three approvals for you to be approved. Any other outcome, and you fail and you're sealed." The big man reminded him of the judging.

Seth nodded. He knew all of this by heart as they had went over it so many times already.

"We have evaluated your skill and control when it comes to your Magic and Runes", one of the Rune Masters said, a quite spunky man with his arms full of Runes. He kind of reminded him of Roman in a way… "And from what I've seen." He paused and smiled. "Approved. No point in dragging out on it. Awesome performance, man." He even gave him a thumbs up.

Seth was relieved. One approval.

"Approved", said the next one, another man with well-covered arms. But he had a very edgy vibe about his appearance.

Seth's heart started to beat even faster. Two approvals. The next one was a petite lady.

"Fail", she said. And Seth's heart dropped. A fail? Why was that? What had he done wrong? Was it because of the piece of Earth that headed towards the academy walls? He had taken care of that and the smithereens were stopped by his barriers. Was it how he had put out the flames? His mini tornadoes? His big one?

His mind was racing but he forced it to settle down and focus on what the others were saying.

"How can you fail him?" the first man burst out. "Didn't you see his performance?"

"I did. And I saw some things I didn't like. I don't need to explain myself to you", she just replied.

"Seriously? How can you say that, man?"

"Mr Uso…" the big man interrupted.

"Apologies…" the younger man mumbled.

Seth appreciated this Mr Uso's support in this. But he really wanted to know the reasoning behind her fail. It was true the Rune Masters didn't have to explain their decisions. That was lame, really, but it was the rules or whatever. It was probably because it didn't matter since they couldn't take the Trial twice, (otherwise it would have been nice to know the problem areas to able to improve them for the next try). But what if there was something he needed to know if he was an approved Rune Bearer?

He shook his head to try to clear it from all this over-analyzing. It really didn't help, and he still needed to hear the last man. The one that had his fate in his hand. Or his decision, at least.

He nervously looked at the tall Rune Bearer.

"I can't see any reason not to approve you", the big man said. "Your skills and knowledge is beyond your years. You don't have any difficulties when it comes to handling your Magic."

Seth started to feel that excitement again, did that mean he was approved?

"However."

Oh shit.

"This is a delicate matter. You got this Trial from the Guild, something that's very rare. It has only happened once before. And the conditions is you becoming a Hunter. Having a Wind Rune Bearer there… you're young… I would not recommend that for you if it wasn't for your Healing. However, it is not of my concerns, nor the concerns of the academy. I'm here to judge your ability with Magic. If you're fit to use your Magic without danger for others.
And you're fully capable of using your Magic perfectly. So with that, I give you my approval."

Three approvals… He was approved…? Three approvals would mean an approval, right? Seth felt it like his heart was going to skip out of his chest. He was going to burst, but he still waited for the final confirmation due to this delicate situation. He realized he was holding his breath.

"You're approved-"

"YEAH!" Seth just burst, raising his hands to the sky and just screaming out his happiness and relief. He was approved! He did it! He showed them! "Thank you, thank you!"

"Settle down", the big man continued, seemingly a little annoyed to be interrupted.

Seth tried to calm down, but his energy showed off anyway; in him not able to stand still. He bounced on his heels as he tried to calm himself enough to be able to hear what the man had to say next.

"You're approved to use your Magic at will. Come here."

Seth walked closer.

"We will now cancel your Magic signal. Show your Re-Set Rune."

That felt a little awkward but he still turned around and lift up his back piece for them. "The one in between the shoulder blades", he informed them, suddenly shy.

"This will sting", the edgy one said.

A hand was put on his back. It was cold. Suddenly there was a simultaneous dragging and pushing feeling. It burned, making him cry out in pain. Then he felt like something snapped and he gasped for air from the pain and involuntarily fell to his knees. He found himself panting as the sensation faded.

"Your Rune no longer sends out your signal", edgy said. "Sorry for the pain, but I broke your connection. You're still able to Re-Set and use your Magic as usual. Your Magic vibe is just not sent out anymore."

Sting… that's the understatement of the year. He thought the man would try to extend and snap his spine with his bare hands. That had freaking hurt like hell.

"You sure you didn't break anything…? It really hurt…" he mumbled. Somewhere he thought maybe he should be thankful that he was still affected by the relief and happiness about the approval; that probably dulled the pain some.

"It's completely safe. There isn't any change to your Runes in any way. You're a free Rune Bearer", the big man said.

Seth faintly smiled at that. He was approved…


The young Rune Bearer remained in the court yard a little bit longer after the Rune Masters had left. Thankfully the pain had died down by now, he just had some ghostly sensation still lingering but it wasn't too bad, just a little unpleasant, like a bruise being frequently touched. He tried to process everything that had happened lately but things just got muddled; his thoughts were all over the place.

Using his Magic had felt very good, better than usual. It had felt so… effortless and smooth. And then the adrenaline rush of being in that event, that had really given him a boost for his confidence. That certainly had its effect on his Magic as well.

And even his Recovery had been shorter than normal. He knew some Rune Bearers developed quicker Recovery over time but he didn't know it happened to fast. He had halved his Recovery time and that was a major feat. He went from being below average when it came to Recovery rate to being well over average. It had been a very convenient time for it too, also giving him the boost he needed.

He looked at his wrist Rune and couldn't help but smile. Just for the sake of it, despite he was getting very low on his Magic, he made a teeny tiny tornado and let it swirl above his hand. It was a test to see if it was any difference in his Magic usage. And it wasn't. As promised, he still was able to use his Magic normally. Nothing was changed. But it was also a test of this vibe they had spoken of. He was in the middle of the academy and he waited. There wasn't any disturbance. Okay, so they couldn't pinpoint the location where he used his Magic but they would have known that he was responsible for it and they knew he just had this Trial and would still be in the neighbourhood. Still no one approached him. He really seemed to be in the clear. The vibe must have been broken.

But at the same time, he couldn't get away from this feeling of maybe being tracked in some way anyway. He was probably just paranoid but his government was sketchy enough to do something like that. But he discarded all those thoughts. Everything was fine, he could use his Magic and no one came rushing in on him for doing it.

While looking at his mini tornado, he thought back on his Magic at the Trial again… he had felt so full of power. Not in some arrogant way, just… efficient. Maybe it was just the adrenaline rush again or maybe it was his imagination that his Runes had felt more efficient. There had only been a small boost though and not the dangerous kind you got from using unstable Magic. To some people, that was an effective boost but since they didn't know their Magic levels, there was a higher risk of being depleted and Exhausted.

A positive boost. Yeah, that was very nice.

As he was sitting there, playing with his miniature spinning wind, he saw someone approach in his periphery. He looked up and recognized the two half pints.

"Thought we could find you here", Noble greeted him.

"Yeah…" Seth said, cancelling his Magic as he stood when he got company.

"Seems you weren't sealed. Congratulations, Mr Helmsley will be pleased", squeaky-voice smiled.

"Thanks. Mr Helmsley wants to see me?" Why else would the minions be here?

"Very much so. Would you be so kind and follow this way?"

Seth got more excited again. He hadn't failed and now he'd become a Hunter, right?


Even though he roughly knew the way he let himself be escorted to the Guild where he was immediately sent in to Mr Helmsley's office.

"Young Mr Rollins", the man in charge called.

"Hello, sir", Seth managed out as he was left alone and walked up to the desk.

"I hear you just finished the Trial", he said as Seth joined him.

"Yes."

"You're approved?"

"Yes", just agreeing to it made his insides make some small happy bouncing.

Mr Helmsley seemed pleased as well. "And they broke the connection?"

Seth nodded. "One of the Rune Masters put their hand on my Re-Set Rune, and I felt this pain like something was ripped, yes." He found himself wondering a little why he asked for that specifically though.

"Everything's in order then, you're approved, and as the arrangement was, I'm willing to let you join us.
Being a Hunter means taking on missions, often involving hunting monsters. One of our biggest concerns is keeping the civilians safe, taking care of the threats out there. Hunters work in pairs, because it's too dangerous to be out hunting alone, everyone needs some backup, no matter how strong a Hunter may think he is.
Hunters stay in the Hunters Guild's headquarters. You'll share a room with your partner and you'll get one hot meal a day. Otherwise it's up to you what you eat.
Every Hunter has a Rune stone that records your progress on missions. But since you already have Runes on your body, your progress can be read from there. Just ask the Guild workers about the details.
I'm the one giving out missions, but you can report them to the Guild agency.
Normally we give out education to the Hunters before sending them out on missions. That may be months to several years depending on the person. But you have more of a support role, meaning I don't intend you to go through the same kind of warrior training. You will however still be training with your team before you're sent out on a real mission. You're approved and that means you know your Magic, and you have good instincts, so I don't have any doubts about that capability of yours."

Seth barely managed to get all this information at once. He almost wished he had been prepared and taken notes.

"So… with all that. I'm offering you a spot in The Shield."

That didn't tell Seth anything so he just waited politely for a continuation. The Shield sounded like a neat name though.

"You'll be working with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose."

Seth's heart skipped a beat. Really? He'd be teaming up with Dean and Roman? They were called The Shield? That's really cool.

"You've already had an encounter with them, and I have a feeling that you'll be what they lack. You may be their lost piece of the puzzle."

Seth felt both excited and nervous at the same time. He was very happy that he'd been offered to be on the same team as the only Hunters he had met. But should he mention something about Dean and how he seemed to be around Seth? He didn't want to risk being put on another team because of that. Being with someone he kind of knew would be like a security in this totally new experience.

"Um… do they know I'm added to the group?" he asked, testing the waters a little about Dean's view on him.

"No. I'm going to introduce you to them tomorrow. Ambrose doesn't like change, and I'm just going to drop the bomb on him without him having a say in it." Mr Helmsley actually made a chuckle at that and Seth gave him a small uncertain smile. Both because of what he'd said about Dean's reluctance to change and the fact that Seth was that change, but also because of the glint in Mr Helmsley's eye when he said it. It was like he was going to enjoy what was in store when he revealed the new member of The Shield.


Seth's mind was still quite muddled after his second meeting with the head of the Guild. There had been a lot of information in a very short amount of time. And considering the intense day, maybe it wasn't so surprising that like half of it just passed his head and became forgotten. But he knew at least that he was supposed to go to the Guild tomorrow to meet up with Mr Helmsley and his new team.

That sounded so weird to him. His new team… He just hoped that Dean and Roman would accept him. Roman would probably be cool about it and Dean had shown some… promise, before. He didn't think he'd had a total change of heart, but he hoped they would at least be able to co-exist.

He didn't have anything against Dean. He just wanted to know why he didn't like Rune Bearers. Or mages, since he didn't seem to dislike Roman. And Dean had shown a softer side when he'd been there for him after the Re-Set. He probably was too stubborn to admit it though.

Dean didn't seem like a bad person… He was happy to have been put on the same team as him and Roman. He found himself wanting to know Dean better. That would probably be a major task, but with the glimpses he'd seen from Dean, he was more than willing to try.

Anyway, he was going home for the night, sharing his news with his family.

He opened the front door. "Mom? Dad?" he called out. No answer but he found them in the kitchen. And no aunt, Seth didn't complain.

"Seth", his mother said, acknowledging him.

"Guess what, guess what! I'm approved~" Seth beamed. He just couldn't contain his emotions. Especially when this was the first time he got to say those words out aloud.

"That's a relief, honey."

That put a lid on Seth's happiness. A relief?

"I'm approved", he said again, as if they maybe hadn't heard him the first time.

"That's very good of you."

"I'm glad, son", his father said.

"Whoa, take it easy, contain your excitement", Seth just said sarcastically.

"No need to get some attitude, we are happy for you. You weren't sealed."

Oh. Just happy he wasn't sealed.

"Yeah, I wasn't sealed and for your information; tomorrow, I'm going to be introduced to my Hunter team."

"Can't you reconsider?" his mother said. "You got this offer, but can't you change paths? You know say you'd join them and then find it wasn't your thing?"

Was she serious? As if he'd let them down after all Mr Helmsley had done for him. He would show them that it wasn't a mistake in believing in him.

"Being a Hunter is dangerous", his mother continued.

"I'm fully aware of the dangers, mom. I want to do something that matters, okay? I want to protect this town, give something back."

"You could do that here at home, in the hospital."

"I don't want to do that. If it wasn't for the monsters, it wouldn't be as many injuries and I'd rather take care of the core problem than the aftermath."

"Seth… yes, you are a Healer and you'd be a good field medic", his father pointed out. "But with you having Wind… let's just say there are better Runes for the battlefield."

Another bomb dropped. It was because of the Wind? He had really hoped that his parents had been supportive of his Runes. That they weren't like everybody else. He had always believed they accepted his Wind. Had he really just told himself that? He had been lying to himself all this time? They were just like everybody else.

Since day one, they had always been so proud of him being a Healer, Seth had never wanted to believe that they had focused more on that instead of his element. But being a Healer obviously was his only good asset with his Runes…

He had had such a late Rune appearance so he hadn't had them for so long. His parents had seemed genuine, but it seemed he just had been hearing what he wanted to hear, telling himself lies to cover it up. Reassuring himself… His parents had never been the most outspoken people and their praise was always modest, but when they praised or showed signs of being proud, Seth took that whole-heartedly. Always had. Maybe he had taken too much of it, twisting it into believing they were happy with all of him, being a Rune Bearer, not just a Healer.

"I'm not weak…" he said, feeling utterly betrayed.

"I know you're not, honey. We're just worried about your safety", his mother said.

"To be honest, son… yes, you know your Runes and can Heal, but you don't pack quite the punch with your build", his father said. "Being a Hunter is honourable, but let's just let the people suited for it handle it."

"We don't want to lose you as a Hunter. We don't want you to be killed."

Meaning they didn't believe in his abilities. Okay, they didn't want to lose their son, but in this context, they just didn't have any faith in him, or his Runes.

"I'm sick of hearing that Wind is the weakest element. I've been beat down by it before, but now when I'm approved I won't let you or anyone else tell me I'm weak." His voice grew bolder as his mind was set. "I may not pack the punch as Fire or Earth, or have the build as the warriors, but I have something most other people lack; agility and accuracy. I am finely tuned but the thinnest blade can stab the most vital parts.
I am a Hunter and I will show you and everyone else what Wind isn't the weakest element!"

With that, he left. He had said things he just had thought before. He got some defiant new confidence learning his fake support from his parents.

Some of the things had been more aimed towards Orton though, the one that had been able to shake him so badly. That was when he had believed he could only get the recommendation from his Rune Master. Now when he knew that wasn't the case, he had been approved without Orton, his inner fire was lit anew about his mission in life.


Author's note: Again, I'm sorry it took so long for me to upload this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it anyway, (mistakes and all). I just wanted to say that I don't know when the next chapter will be up, again, I have had difficulties concentrating and balancing stuff lately, but I'll be uploading the next chapter as soon as I can.
Thank you for reading~