AN: And here's chapter eleven. Not much to say, so hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"Blah" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

Herbert Runewarden eased his class's examination room door shut, letting out a sigh in the process, before turning around and walking off to join the other assistant professors. He made a line straight for the grand staircase leading up the professor balcony. Most of the assistant professors were already ahead of him; he had dawdled a bit after initiating the testing device.

He was one of the last ones to ascend the staircase, and took his place next to Cyrus Drake. By that time, Merle Ambrose's hand reached out to touch the crystal ball being brought forwards by a pair of workers. As he did so, it began to glow a shade of purple reminiscent of the Retae Sutol. It reached its apex within a few moments and all eyes shifted upwards to view the images on the magical holographic screen that stretched from one wall of the large room to the other.

Clear views of over a hundred images could be seen, the projection faded only slightly by the manner of light which created it. Every student from every class, organized by class and name, was represented in their own box, showing an image of the individual so as to not invade their privacy. In addition, some screens were different than others, and Herbert knew exactly what they meant. The deeper and more vibrant your screen colors were, the closer you were to awakening. The more yours faded into black and white, the more difficult it was for you to escape. He was surprised to see anything close to grays this early, though. The test had only just started.

Shaking the worrisome thought out of his head, his ears picked up something interesting next to him, but his eyes did not follow suit as Malistaire Drake spoke to his brother.

"Hopefully this lot will provide pupils with some backbone." He remarked, condescending eyes gazing up into the screen. "The last few batches have been less than appealing, and I tire of instructing students who lack the drive to learn."

"Indeed." Cyrus responded evenly, not tearing his eyes from the screen either. Specifically what he reasoned as the dreams of Tala Mythhammer, Victoria Flaresong, and Fate Evergreen. "Still, I have some hope. This time, anyway."

EXSEED

Eleventh Pip: Advancement Exam 2

Tala lay completely still, not quite sure what to make of this turn of events.

Everything was dark. Pitch black, to where he could not make out his hand in front of his face. Or what he assumed was his face. He couldn't really tell that right now either. There was no way to tell where his current location was, how long he'd been there already, and how long he was going to stay here. So for the moment, he just remained completely still, assessing what he could. Which admittedly wasn't much.

Of the few things he was sure of, he was positive that some sort of magic was involved. Strong magic, at that; powerful enough to at least block him out from all his senses. Or perhaps that wasn't it. Maybe they weren't being blocked. Maybe his being was just cut off from them. He couldn't tell which, and decided an explanation wasn't important right now. Finding out how to end it was—

Suddenly, he felt himself jerk. His mind rather than his physical body; something deep inside his mind had been…invaded? He didn't know if that was the right word, or how it could even be possible, but it had happened. He was bound to do plenty of impossible things as a wizard.

His eyes peeled open slowly a few seconds after the initial jolt, and everything was gray for a second. Sound gradually trickled in with color, followed by feeling, smell, and an odd bitter taste in his mouth. As his senses finally returned in full, he was able to look around assess his situation and surroundings.

"Cyclops…Lane?"

Buildings and entryways large enough to accommodate giants. Roaming groups of trolls whose smell could put a frightened skunk to shame. An overabundance of pretentious, marble statues.

This was Cyclops Lane alright. But why was he—

"Wait." He glanced at his hands, then his feet, testing everything out. "Is this…This must be the dream Runewarden was talking about." His claim made sense at least in theory. Memories of his class entering their examination room and the professor's explanation of the test began to return. Though, there was no way this could be a dream. All his senses were in perfect, working order now. He was experiencing everything as he always had. The mind was powerful, but to this extent?

He took to his feet, stumbling a bit and still somewhat distracted by how eerily real all of it was. Still, if it really was a dream, he should be able to control it somehow, he reasoned. He squeezed his eyes shut and began thinking of random things, everything that crossed his mind. Nothing happened. He vaguely remembered back to what Runewarden said. That device brings about a dream. So maybe it forces a specific dream on you? Tala shrugged, and affirmed it as his best hypothesis for now.

He decided to walk, to at least do something for now. The dream itself was a surprisingly accurate replica of the neighborhood, down to each individual stone, so even though he didn't have a distinct path in mind, he could spend time conjecturing without having to watch where he was going too often.

"Okay, so what do I know…?" He'd finally convinced himself this was indeed a dream, so that meant he was sleeping in real life. Runewarden said they had fifteen minutes to wake up. But with everything feeling so real, how were they even supposed to do that. Also, doesn't time in a dream pass by differently than in real life? How could he know what time it was? And then there was that weird rule. If you wake up before the fifteen, you pass but lose your memory of this dream. And if you don't, you'll get to remember.

There were definitely a few pieces he was missing. He was absolutely sure of that. The memory loss clause seemed especially suspicious.

Tala's head drifted up steadily throughout his speculation session, and his mind stopped racing with thoughts of the exam to actually truly notice his surroundings. Not the buildings, the people. Specifically the Cyclops that passed by him.

They were acknowledging him. In reality, most every Cyclops that didn't show outright hostility to the boy would usually do just the opposite. Ignore his presence altogether, when he was walking past like right now, when they were at the same stall in the market district purchasing fruit. They would act like he wasn't there. But right now, they were. Nods of affirmation, a warm smile here, a small wave of the hand there. The boy actually didn't know how to respond, not having returned greetings that much. At first, it was awkward, but he quickly picked up waving back at them.

It was sometime after this that his thoughts came back, and he reminded himself that none of this was real. That his mind was conjuring this up. He had no time to get wrapped up in this. He had to figure out what was really going on—

"Ah, there you are, Tala."

Tala spun around at the deep, lively voice. By that time, though, the massive hand had already enclosed around his torso and was lifting him upwards. The Cyclops that had captured him bellowed out a laugh, placing the boy on his left shoulder, and after becoming situated, Tala repositioned himself so that he wouldn't fall off, a leg dangling on each side of General Akilles neck.

The boy opened his mouth to question the action, thinking he was in trouble for something – whether it was his fault or not – but the Cyclops leader beat his words to it. "I've been looking all over for you. Remus is already at the council hall."

The general started moving again, the two Cyclops behind him following suit, and the quartet began moving into the denser areas of the neighborhood as Tala asked his question abrasively. "The council hall? What for? What's going on?" Now he was sure Akilles was up to something.

Akilles' eyebrow creased in confusion, and his voice was strangely honest. "For dinner, of course. You don't remember? You and Remus always eat with us once a week."

The boy paused, and when he did finally talk, his words came out breathless but grew slowly. "Dinner? With you? Why would I eat dinner with all of you?"

The crease increased. "Because we're your family. What greater reason is there?"

Tala lost the ability to form words at that moment, not that he could think of any regardless. His mind kept running as he sat stunned at the response. How long he'd only dreamed for this one moment to occur. Every painstaking, self-worthless year since Remus had taken him in. How long he'd waited for this recognition, the thing he wished for most—

In the silence that followed Akilles' declaration, the boy's eyes widened. The time limit, the memory clause's true expanse and ramifications. He grasped the true goal of this test.

—o—o—o—o—o—

It took Victoria a few minutes after she had initially opened her eyes to feel like she was fully awake. She sat motionless on her bed during this time, inside her room in the condo she and Fate shared, not quite sure of what was going on or what she should do. She remembered little, and barely any of it was solid. There was the walk to the examination room, Herbert explaining the test, she and her two friends sitting down in their seats, then everything after that was blank until right now.

She really wanted to believe what she was experiencing right now was a dream. Everything felt so real, though. The sensation of silken sheets over her exposed legs. The pleasant aroma she worked so hard to perpetuate throughout the condo, especially to counteract visits from Tala and Ty after training sessions. The clamor of pots and pans in what she assumed was the kitchen downstairs.

Dream or not, she decided to go discover the source of that sound. She climbed out of bed in a simple red tank top and blue shorts, threw on a white bathrobe lying in a stacked pile of laundry on her desk, and pedaled down the stairs to find Fate Evergreen and Ty Stormwhisper both mixing some strange concoction in a bowl.

"Umm…what are you two doing?"

"Victoria!" Both said in unison, but kept their faces on their work as Fate continued. "There you are, we need your help. Do you know how to bake cookies?"

"Well, yes. But why do you need to know?" She surveyed the mess of flour and batter on all of her once cleaned countertops. "What's all this for?"

Ty looked up from his own bowl, and quirked an eyebrow at her. "We're having family night tonight. You're the one that suggested it. Now, go and get dressed before—"

The Diviner's sentence cut off as the click of a lock resounded through the room from the front door. This prompted Tala and Fate to work more quickly, separating the batter on into circular dots on metal pans, but Victoria's eyes remained fixed on the entryway.

Three figures stepped through into the room. The first, a woman only slightly taller than Victoria, with deep brown hair whose ends rested on her shoulders. Next to her, a man nearly two heads taller, with hair blonder than the girls own and a musculature somewhat reminiscent of Remus. Both carried brown paper bags full of breads and vegetables. Behind the two was an elderly man reminiscent of the blonde, short hair grayed with age hidden under a white pith helmet. He was surprisingly lively, with a pep in his step for his supposed age.

The three visitors' mouths curved upwards into genuine smiles, the two younger ones stepping forward to envelop her in a hug.

All doubt washed away, and as she laid eyes on her father, mother, and grandfather, she knew instantaneously that this was indeed a dream.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Herbert couldn't take his eyes of the projection, not even for a moment. It wasn't as if his class as a whole was doing poorly. In fact, many more than he had first envisioned were beginning to break free. Some seemed on the verge of awakening. Others, somewhere in the middle of the road.

However, there were a few notably poor ones. Both Victoria and Tala's screens were deeply in grayscale. The latter's, he could understand, what with the racial tension and hardships he'd been through already, but Victoria was a complete mystery to him. He supposed he'd inquire about her at a later date.

"I do not understand." Herbert turned to Moolinda Wu as she spoke, looking solemnly up at the screen. Her voice was quiet enough for only those around her to hear, mainly Herbert and the other two spirit school professors. "What are we hoping to accomplish in this test?"

"Willpower." Cyrus answered just as reserved at length. "The Retae Sutol is a device that penetrates the mind and brings about a convincing dream of the thing desired most." He paused, and tacked on a sigh. He didn't like it any better than she did. "Fifteen minutes. They have fifteen minutes to discard the most realistic depiction of their happiness they will ever come across. If they can, we will have that much more assurance of their ability."

The bovine didn't tear her eyes away, but they did narrow considerably. This definitely didn't sit well with her. "What kind of stimulus is required to wake them, Cyrus?"

"It varies between the students." He admitted with a shrug. "Those near full color may require little. A prick of the arm, being frightened, perhaps even just focusing. Those in deep gray…" The Life professor's eyes traveled up to Victoria and Tala, remembering their faces from the hospital a few weeks back, then scanned others like them. "…would take something drastic. Death or something akin, perhaps."

Her eyes widened at the answer, but she quickly schooled them back. She then looked towards the floor, shaking her head and muttering aloud. "We would damage mere children this far? Simply to test them? How could this be ethical in the slightest?"

"Wizardry is no world for the weak-minded." Malistaire, who had been silent up until that point, spoke matter-of-factly with arms tucked behind his back. Swathed in a black robe not at all unlike his brother's yellow one, dragon patterns emblazoned on the breasts and a sash of gold holding his waist. "They must have the strength of mind necessary to discard such trivialities if they ever hope to walk down the road of magic. It is this damage you speak of that allows them to grow."

"Or destroys them before they can begin." She countered. Malistaire's eyes flicked over to her sharply, and she barely restrained a flinch. His voice was as calm as always, but she could definitely sense an edge to it somewhere.

"You speak freely of ethics, Professor Wu, but I advise you to remember this and remember it well. As the head instructor of the life school, you have the luxury of molding healers and doctors." He turned his eyes back towards the projection. "However, the remainder of us must fashion soldiers."

The conversation died at that, Wu turning back to the screen as well and Cyrus darting his eyes off to the distance somewhere, obviously saddened by something. Herbert looked back up at the screen as well, not sure why Fate Evergreen's screen had suddenly turned pitch black.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Tala cursed repeatedly in his mind, barely restraining himself from pounding his fists into the back of Akilles' bare head. He wasn't frustrated at him, or rather the pleasant companion the dream had crafted him to be. The situation itself was screwed up, and also what he'd realized in the indiscernible span of time since they had begun towards the council hall.

This device, or whatever was forcing him to dream, was causing him to experience the thing he wanted most. The exam rules were forcing him to throw it away. All of it. To completely toss away this unexplainable joy he was feeling at finally, finally being accepted amongst these people. For the first time since he had the ability to remember anything. It was all a lie, and he knew it.

This Retae Sutol was one convincing liar.

But wait. He wasn't completely deadlocked, per say. There was the last rule he had forgotten about. Only one out of your team of three had to awaken within the time limit in order for the entire group to pass. What had seemed the most counterproductive rule he'd ever heard was finally becoming clear.

If one of you passed, the other two could freely indulge in the greatest fantasy in existence. And savor the memory for the rest of their lives.

But there was no way to communicate with the other two people in your group. In essence, there was no way to ensure that you could do as you pleased. Tala supposed if you truly had faith in your teammates, it could work out somehow, but he quickly quelled that notion. This exam wasn't even about trust either. It was testing you.

You either take the fall for the sake of the group, or pray to Bartleby that your teammates aren't as selfish as you are.

Tala's eyes scanned around in every direction he could find, searching for clocks, sundials, anything. But if the exam creators had any common sense, they'd have made sure to eliminate anything in the dream that could keep time. How long had he been in here anyway? He was now positive dream time was different from real. Where Akilles picked him up to where they were now was well past a fifteen minute walk, not counting the time before he encountered the Cyclops.

So now two things. He didn't know how much longer he had left, and he couldn't confirm Victoria and Fate's status. He paused, eyes widening. Maybe they haven't realized that aspect yet. That not all of them had to pass. But could he bet on it? Victoria's a dependable girl. She stood up to those Cyclops last week without any fear. And Fate seems so pure. The Exseed had to be uncorrupted, right? Surely one of those two would be strong enough to pass this. Surely he wouldn't put himself before his friends.

Not like Tala was prepared to do.

"Something wrong, Tala?"

Tala had been so zoned in that Akilles voice came as a rather disruptive shock, and he jumped a little as his deep voice's vibrations ran from his throat up through the boy's body. He composed himself before responding, hesitant but feeling he had no better option than to ask. "Yeah. If you don't mind…"

—o—o—o—o—o—

Victoria's eyes could not leave the spot on the wall in front of her. She lay back on the couch, mind struggling to comprehend just how much the next few moments were going to affect her life. And chances are she wouldn't even remember it.

By the time the group of six had finished dinner and sat in the living area for a rousing series of games, she had picked up just how all the rules of this test interconnected, and what they meant for their group. Right now before her were the three people she wanted to see most, having a wonderful round of charades with her adoptive brother and the Exseed. She could have asked for no better scenario, to spend time with everyone she had come to cherish the most.

Ambrose was right when he said knowing the test was half the battle. The once elusive 'one out of three' rule was especially clear now, and more than that, dangerous. If two out of three had to pass, it would have been extremely difficult to let go of this happiness she felt right now, but there wouldn't have been little hesitation. She'd know there'd be no room for a mistake on her part.

One out of three was a completely different game.

It was a dream, she was assured, and she would give it up for the sake of her friends. But if one of them had already passed the test… no she couldn't afford to think like that right now. But she was.

Tala. She was unsure what Tala would do in this situation. There was just so much she still didn't know about him, so many secrets he was hiding. Like the stuff in Cyclops Lane. Could she really trust that he'd throw away whatever happiness he was in right now? If what they witnessed the other day was any indication, he needed some sort of break. She could hardly blame him for capitalizing on this, but otherwise her sacrifice would be a waste. And there was no way she was going to waste this moment.

The last time she would ever see her grandfather, mother, and father all in the same place. All with her.

Fate was an enigma himself. Not the Fate before her doing his best impression of a Frost Giant he'd seen in textbooks. That was a dream, she reminded herself. The real Fate, who'd they'd gone through so much with over the past couple months. What was the Exseed's dream like? A boy who came into this world without a single relative. Who's constantly in danger of being assassinated at any time. Could he escape whatever happiness he was trapped in?

"Your friend sure is cute." The words registered in Victoria's mind just as her mother plopped down onto the sofa beside her, just having finished her turn of charades while her grandfather moved to take a shot at it. A knowing smirk stretched across her face, and she poked her shoulder accusingly. "The tan one over there. Where'd you find him anyway?"

"Just around." Victoria lied nervously, glancing away. Her mother caught it, but didn't feel the need to press. Rather, she got down to what she really came for.

"Be serious with me. What's wrong, Victoria?" Her face was reserved. "I'm your mother, and I can tell when something's eating at you." She leaned in to whisper. "I won't tell your father, I promise."

The following wink calmed the blonde somewhat, but she still fidgeted for a moment, figuring out how to phrase it, and eventually ended up staring out the glass doors leading to the porch as she spoke. "If…if you had to choose between the greatest happiness you'll ever know, or taking a chance and helping a friend when there's a big chance it won't even matter. Which one would you pick?"

—o—o—o—o—o—

"Personal happiness or uncertain friendship…" Akilles mused for a few moments after Tala's question, allowing a hand to come to his angular chin.

The two and the duo of Cyclops guards behind him rolled into Marathon Way. Those passing by, mostly human's and children with a few other Cyclops, greeted the group upon recognizing them, and Tala felt a tug on his heart once more as he envisioned having to give all this up. At some length, Akilles' face seemed to register some epiphany, and he began to relay his decision.

"One of my greatest passions in life, Tala, is war. My entire being craves the thrill of battle, of emerging victorious. To me, there is no greater fulfillment." Tala saw the Cyclops' head angle down to a few children running past his feet, and his voice grew more reserved. "But my people have seen enough war in their lifetime, and I know they cannot afford to partake in any more. Being a leader…no, even just being a man means knowing when to set aside your desires for the sake of those you cherish. For those who need and depend on you."

A silence reigned over them in the following moments, the blaring chatter of the pedestrian traffic little more than soft white noise to them now. Akilles cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Did that, uhh….did that help any?"

Tala remained quiet, recalling the final hint Professor Runewarden had imparted to the class, then suddenly smirked. He'd been such a fool.

"Yeah, it did. Thanks."

The Cyclops breathed a sigh of relief, just as the two behind him witnessed Tala's body relax, falling backwards. Musing on how well he and Akilles probably would have gotten along under different circumstances as the back of the boy's head connected with the stonework below, snapping his neck.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Ms. Flaresong was quite perplexed at her daughter's such…serious question, and had to steel herself back before she could give a proper answer. Just as she opened her mouth, though, Ty's voice filled the space, snapping both of their attention to him.

"Hey Victoria, get over here. Grandpa brought us some wicked stuff from Krokotopia." To demonstrate, the Diviner retrieved a wood-hewn wand top with a gold-encased amethyst head, dexterously twirling it around in his hand as Fate stood mesmerized by it and egged him on to show him the technique. Before she could make any move, her father and grandfather moved towards her position on the couch, the latter holding a burlap sack that jingled with ever step he took.

"Here. I didn't forget about you." The elderly man set down the bag, simultaneously retrieving a golden, heart-shaped locket with a flawless ruby at its center. The girl stood frozen at the gesture, as her father fixed it around her neck, raising her hair to clasp the two ends.

"Grandpa…" She knew she was running out of time, but couldn't help expressing her surprise at the gift. It was just so…perfect. "What is…what is this for?"

Her father backed off from her and answered with a smile. "Your grandpa, mother, and I thought that since you put in so much work getting in to Ravenwood, you deserved at least this much." He grabbed one of her arms, and her mother stood up as he pulled her out of her seat into an all-encasing hug. His voice was a loud whisper, and she could hear his breath. "You've always worked hard, and always stood up for what you believe in. Never forget that we are very proud of you, Victoria. You are the daughter that we had only dreamed of."

Single teardrops began to fall from her dad's eyes and stain the top of her head. Her mother and grandfather, supposedly moved by the display, joined in their embrace. The girl failed to hold back a few of her own tears, and wondered how in the world she could ever let this go.

Then by chance, when she opened her eyes, they rested on Ty and Fate on the other side of the room. The former managed some sort of sincere grin, and the latter just smiled warmly for her. Victoria just watched Fate's face for the longest time, mystified, and something just clicked inside her. She detached herself from the embrace and looked at the three – mother, father, grandfather – replaying the scene one last time in her mind. Then, she decided. This time spent together, that one moment of love. Even if every part had been a lie, all of it had been enough for her.

And if it hadn't, it was going to have to be.

"Thank you, all of you." She turned to the chair in the middle of the living room, which her grandfather had used for his impersonation during the charades. "Guess it's my turn is next?"

Everyone nodded and sat down somewhere on their couches, and she moved over to the center. She inhaled deeply, one last good deep breath, and firmly gripped the chair's back with both hands. She exhaled. Herbert said they'd need a bigger stimulus the deeper the dream they were in.

Before everyone could recognize what was happening, the chair was sailing through the air, crashing through the window before tipping the porch railing and plummeting to the ground below. A sharp wind entered in tandem with shocked looks from everyone, and Victoria could only return an apologetic smile. She stepped through the hole left by the impact and didn't look back as she climbed over the railing and leaped forward as far as her leg strength would allow.

The wind whipping around her ears in her descent shielded her from the horrid, bloodcurdling screams coming from her living room. Even if it didn't, she wouldn't have had time to cringe at what she'd just done to them.

Not in the two seconds before she crashed into the pavement and everything went black.