Adira hated that feeling she always got in her stomach before an exam; the tightening in her stomach that made her palms sweat. She waited anxiously until Lilian was finished; the look on her face when she came from the room made her sick. Lilian was just as she: better at one part of lichten than another. Which meant she had little hope; but she would go.

Smiling nervously back at Lilian, she entered the stone room. There was no glass or windows in the room, neither was there any furniture at all. Mistress Malaya stared at Adira when she strode into the room, her cool blue eyes analyzing her even though she had not yet begun the test. Breathing deeply and reminding herself that she had worked hard for this day, she said, "Mistress Malaya, I request to become a Bachtera."

"Your request has been accepted; your test remains before you."

"Command me as you will."

"Lift me to the roof." Malaya stated.

Adira first went through each step she had been taught: visualize the object, approximate the weight of it, and torrent the lichten through. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and began searching for it, finding the lichten and surrounding Malaya. When she opened her brown eyes, Malaya was at the roof. In her excitement, Adira almost dropped her to the floor.

Five minutes rolled by and Adira did not break into a sweat; lifting was easier than the other requirements. But she knew the test was not over and Malaya descended to the floor after the five minutes, which Adira allowed once she felt tension over the lichten.

"Create a ball of fire."

Adira did so, holding it once again for five minutes.

"Heal my cut." She took a knife, and a thin stream of blood ran down her arm.

This was easier than the fire or levitation.

"Those were your initial tests. I will now give you your final test." Malaya said, stepping back as lichten filled her, "Repel my attacks."

Adira jumped back as the lichten flew at her feet, she put up a shield to protect her body as more sparks flew.

"Use your offensive techniques as well," Malaya said as she added more fire to her volley.

Adira's mind raced: what offensive moves? She was a healer mainly, and every time she tried something more than simple fire or levitation, she failed. Shaking uncontrollably, she let down her shield, flipping away from the fire, constantly rolling away from the knife that Malaya had following her through telekinesis. Unsuccessfully, she shot darts of fire at her opponent, who dodged easily. The rain continued, some eating away her skin but reappearing moments later. Thinking quickly, she drew Malaya's attention to the fire darts she attacked her with, and broke Malaya's link to the knife. The knife firmly held, Adira thrust it in Malaya's direction, not caring where it landed. All the lichten stopped. Malaya had been pierced in the stomach and was on the ground. Adira's eyes filled with tears, and she ran over to Malaya, pulling out the knife and healing her so swiftly that pain had been there for only a minute until it was gone. When Mistress Malaya gasped out of with shock of what had occurred, she looked at Adira and stated, "You are a Bachtera. Welcome."

"But I almost…"

"That was the quickest healing I have ever experienced," Malaya rose, taking Adira's hand and squeezing it, "You have abilities you know not of. You are a Bachtera; Adoweh bless you." She reached over to Adira's pinned hair and let it flow down past her shoulders.

Then Malaya left the room; Adira ran out to write to her family of the news. As she was coming to the split halls where the rooms parted to men and women, she slid into Alex Nico, promptly falling on to the ground.