by Eric Vall
“What?” I asked, suddenly extremely fearful.
“Your squad…” Braden trailed off, and I took a tentative step closer. They parted to let me through. My eyes scanned the scroll until I found my name. My exam time was scheduled the day after Nia’s. It was cool that I’d get to cheer on my friends before I took my own test. Maybe I could learn a thing or two from their experience with it.
And then I saw what they had.
Squad #4: 10:50 AM
Varleth Prost
Erin Lindblum
Gryff of Njordenfalls
Gawain Madox
“Are you kidding me?” I groaned loudly. Why? Of all the students, Sleet could have picked anyone else to fill the vanguard role alongside me, but no. It was Gawain freaking Madox.
“That’s tough luck, man.” Braden clapped my shoulder, and I sagged under the weight.
“Maybe you can get it switched,” Layla suggested hopefully, but it was feigned. She had read herself that all decisions in squad choices were final and hand-chosen by Sleet himself.
“It’s fine,” I lied. “I’ll deal with it.” And I would. Gawain didn’t matter. I was going to ace this exam if it killed me, Gawain Madox be damned.
At the other pillar, Gawain and his lackeys hovered over the scroll and seemed to come to the same realization as we had. I met Gawain’s fiery and angry gaze, but he had nothing to say. This shocked me and seemed to stun his posse as well, but Gawain simply strode off and accepted it for what it was. Or he was going to Sleet to demand the list be changed.
I was cool either way.
“Come on, Gryff.” Nia grabbed my arm and ushered me out of the way of the scroll so others could look. Braden and Layla trailed behind us, but they didn’t speak as we made our quick walk across the paths.
Our trek back to the main campus was silent as we mulled over the events that were to come the next few days. Tomorrow was the written exams, given by each professor individually. The day after would begin the practical exams.
I did my best to avoid any mention of Gawain. I didn’t want to have to deal with it until I had to, and by then it was just a matter of pushing through to the end of the exam. No big deal. I could handle him for that long.
The majority of our day was spent outside, something I greatly appreciated having been in a hospital bed for the better part of a month. Braden and Nia would study and then occasionally ask Layla and me questions to keep us on our game. I was a little nervous about the exam for Arwyn’s class, but that study session would come later in the evening. I was confident about everything else, though.
Nighttime came before I knew it. I left my friends after dinner and a bath and jogged to Arwyn’s classroom. When I arrived, I knocked briskly, and I was only mildly surprised to find that the door was already slightly ajar. I heard Arwyn beckon me in from her desk, where she poured over a mountain of books. On a nearby table was an elaborate set-up of vials and tinctures, and I recognized the substance swirling within as the essence from the Shadowscape.
“Isn’t there some kind of stigma against the laws of science versus magic?” I joked, and it brought a smile to Arwyn’s face, though it didn’t quite reach her beautiful eyes.
“There is,” Arwyn agreed. “However, there is something of a balance between the two, though it is rather easy to disturb, so not many magicians pay it much mind.” She looked up at me as I closed the door. “You brought study materials.”
I faltered at the statement. “Yeah, I was supposed to.”
Arwyn smiled as she stood. Then she moved around the desk, and I stepped closer as our bodies met like magnets. We kissed. It wasn’t a hard kiss, there was no sense of urgency or desperation, but it wasn’t a soft kiss, either.
No, it was simply a kiss of sincere adoration.
I cupped her cheek in my hand, and in the back of my mind, I knew that there wasn’t going to be any studying in this session. It was apparent that both of us needed this.
I ushered her back against her desk and easily lifted her onto the surface. Her long legs hooked over my hips and dragged me close until I was pressed between her legs. A soft gasp fell from her beautiful lips, and I took the opportunity to slide my tongue inside her mouth as I rubbed against her. My cock was delighted to feel how damp Arwyn was already, and she melted and molded herself to me in all the most perfect ways.
I had her right there on the desk. We moved as one in our pleasure, and each kiss and every touch burned with passion. We made love well into the night, and I stayed with her until morning.
I awoke to the hum of a soft melody beside me. The tune wasn’t one I recognized, but I knew the voice as Arwyn’s. I smiled and rolled onto my side to nestle into her breasts and kiss her neck and throat. The vibrations felt sinfully erotic against my lips, and I couldn’t help but sigh softly as I ran my hands along her body.
“Good morning,” she whispered.
“Morning,” I murmured back and peppered her with gentle kisses. We laid in the quiet for some time, and the only sound in the room was her song and the rise and fall of our chests as we reveled in the peace. These stolen moments seemed few and far between nowadays, and I was happy to spend it with Arwyn like this.
“So much for a study session,” I purred as her delicate fingers raked through my hair and tickled the back of my neck.
“There is still time before you have to leave,” she insisted. “Perhaps we can make a game of it. You get an answer right, you get a piece of clothing back.”
I made a face and sat myself up on my elbows with a laugh. “I don’t think that’s going to work the way you want it to.”
“There is a catch,” she interjected slyly and winked. “If you aren’t completely dressed by the time I need to start class, you’ll be stuck in here and miss your first exam.”
I stared at her in disbelief. My first final exam was with Rori, the summoning professor. Surely she knew that. I opened my mouth to object, but she silenced me with a kiss. There was no way out of this one.
“Question one,” Arwyn cooed against my lips, “tell me what benefits there are to a summoner capturing a monster personally in an essence crystal.”
Though I had never captured a monster myself, that was still an easy one. “If you capture a monster, you infuse it with some of your own mana and forge a bond with the creature. It makes it take less mana to summon, less mana to control, and makes it easier to control.”
I accentuated the answer with a kiss and trailed my fingers along the inside of her thighs.
“Correct, Gryff,” Arwyn cooed with a smile, then true to her word, she handed me my shirt.
I took it and inwardly whined when she continued with more questions. I guess round two was also out of the question. As it was, I had put on my final boot well before the first bell.
“I’m proud of you.” She kissed my cheek. “I wish we had more time to fit in a few more of these sessions, but I’m confident that you’ll ace your tests with flying colors.”
“That’s the plan.” I started to grin but then faltered. I remembered the way she had been strangely distant the morning I woke up in the infirmary, and it left an uneasy lurch in the pit of my stomach. Maybe I was just hungry, but it crept up on me and wouldn’t leave.
Arwyn must have noticed my shift in attitude, for she put her hand to my forehead as though she were checking for a fever.
“Are you feeling alright, Gryff?” She continued to check over me like a doting mother. I appreciated it, but it wasn’t necessary. I thought maybe I would lie and blame it on a slow recovery, but that wouldn’t solve anything.
“Were you scared for me?” I asked the question before I had the chance to catch it, but now, it was out in the open. Might as well roll with it.
Arwyn straightened and looked thoughtful, her brow furrowed and eyes darkened. “Well, that’s a silly question.”
“Is it?” I said with a sigh.
Arwyn nodded. “Listen, Gryff,” she started and sat beside me once
again. She took my hand in hers and twined our fingers together. “Every day, we are learning something new about the monsters. Every day, we are making adjustments and doing the best we can with what magic and technology have afforded us. I spent hours testing vial after vial of essence, combining it with different properties, changing elements and catalysts, but nothing helped you. There was no science, no magic that could pull you out of your coma. I was powerless…”
I gasped. “Arwyn…”
“Let me finish,” she insisted, so I let her continue. “I waited, and I waited, and Gryff, I honest to the Maker thought you were never going to wake up.” Her breath hitched, and her words were full of emotion.
“I’m here,” I assured her quietly as I pulled her close and ran my fingers soothingly through her hair.
Arwyn sniffed before she sat up again. “It wasn’t that I was trying to distance myself from you, Gryff,” she explained, “but I couldn’t let anyone know how much it would have pained me if you never woke up. You have no idea how relieved I was when I checked in on you, and you were looking back at me.”
“Hey now.” I chuckled softly and lifted her gaze to mine. “Don’t talk like that. I know it’s scary, but I can take a beating. It’s going to take more than some black smoke to keep me from coming back to you.”
Arwyn managed a smile at my declaration. She was strong, but even the strongest people needed to show weakness from time to time. I admired her for being able to do so with me.
“I know, and that’s why I need you by my side,” she replied as she poked me in the chest with the tip of her finger, “and also why you need to pass these exams. You can make a difference in the world, Gryff. I know you can.”
I laughed as I stood and brought her up to me. She cupped my cheeks as she pulled me in for another chaste kiss.
“Now, make yourself scarce,” she told me as she shooed me out the door. I was a little offended, but I had to remember that she was my teacher, and teachers shouldn’t keep the bedside company of their students.
I simply nodded and waved as I made my exit, ready and eager for the exams to come.
Chapter 4
It probably wasn’t the best decision to show up to my first ever mage exam with the afterglow of sex with one of my teachers stuck in my mind, but I had barely enough time to grab a quick bath and change into my uniform before the tests. It was well after time for breakfast, too, which was a shame. I had wanted to get a good meal in before my first round of exams, but it would have to wait until lunch, I supposed.
I crossed the training grounds and slid into a warehouse-like building on the north side of the campus. A chill raced up my spine as the door shut behind me, and a rush of excitement surged through my veins. It felt like it had been forever since I’d been in the summoning classroom. In a weird way, it was like coming home, though I would hardly call this particular area anything like home.
When I entered the classroom and was greeted by Layla and Braden, a warm smile pulled on my lips. It was as though I had walked in for the first time again, but this time, I knew people, and I had a place to belong. Strange, because I had only just seen them the night before, but it still gave me an odd sense of nostalgia.
I fell into a seat beside Layla and gave Braden a high-five.
“Missed you this morning,” he commented, and I rubbed the back of my neck with a sheepish grin.
“Yeah. Had to check in at the infirmary again before heading over for exams,” I lied, and Layla eyed me knowingly. Still, I couldn’t exactly announce that I was romantically involved with Arwyn. I wasn’t about to jeopardize her career and livelihood for the sake of being open about our relationship. Besides, those who needed to know already knew, and that was more than good enough for me.
“But you checked out okay, right?” Braden sat back in his chair and raised his brow in concern.
“The healthiest I’ve ever been in my life.” I smirked, and it wasn’t exactly a lie. That echoserum had done wonders for me, but it left me curious. If banishers had to drink it almost regularly to dispel any remaining essence, did it have a physical effect on them? I know I had noticed that I felt fitter and better than I had in a long while, and it showed in my match with Varleth, but maybe it was different for them? Or maybe it was the same, and that was why Varleth was such a tank despite his rather smallish frame.
“You think you’re ready for the exam?” Layla asked and propped her foot up in my lap. “You missed a lot of prep work, after all.”
I considered this a moment but ultimately shrugged it off.
“I’ll be fine,” I replied with a bit of cockiness. After all, I had basically taken over the class when it came to field lessons earlier this year. Whatever our professor could throw at me, I knew I could take it.
“And what about you?” Layla turned to Braden, who flinched back, but only because Layla’s gaze could be sharp as daggers. He crossed his arms over his chest confidently.
“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself,” he answered smoothly, and Layla and I shared an amused grin.
“Look at you coming into your own,” I teased, but I was proud of him. He’d really progressed a long way from being afraid of his own powers and his monsters.
“What can I say? You’re kind of an inspiration, Gryff,” he complimented.
“Stop it,” I mock whined, though I was honestly flattered, “you’ll make me blush.”
We laughed, but it really did mean a lot to me that he would give me credit for taking the next step in his summoner training.
“Where’s Rori?” I changed the subject. It wasn’t like him to be late to class anymore, not since our initial falling out when I smeared him for coming to class drunk.
“Not sure,” Braden shrugged.
“I didn’t see him at breakfast this morning, come to think of it,” Layla muttered. Even though the teachers sat in a different level of the dining hall from the students, she would have been able to tell whether or not he had occupied his designated seat.
I frowned. I sincerely hoped Rori hadn’t fallen back into old habits.
Soon enough, though, he came through the door with a stack of papers in hand, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and looking as though he was ready to take on the world. It was a vast improvement from my first impression of him months ago.
“Morning all!” he greeted, and Layla swiveled in her chair to face the front of the room properly. Braden sat up, and I waved.
“Gryff,” he continued, “glad to see you’re feeling better.”
“Thanks, Rori,” I cooed, “I missed your face too much to stay away.”
My friends laughed at my good-natured joke, and Rori bristled, but couldn’t conceal the slight grin that curled his lips.
He cleared his throat and sat the stack of papers down on his desk. “You’ll have an hour to complete the written part of the exam. I’ll collect exactly sixty minutes after the start, finished or not. After that hour is up, you’re free to go on to your next exam.”
He stopped for a moment and looked over the three of us.
“I assume you’ve all been made aware that you’ll be participating in the Magicae Nito this year?” he asked, and the three of us nodded in unison. “Do you think you’re ready?”
I propped my legs up on my desk and grinned. “Of course we are, Rori. The headmaster wouldn’t have put us on the list if he didn’t think we weren’t awesome.”
When no one said anything, I turned my head to Braden and Layla. “Right?”
Braden looked a little unsure, and he chuckled nervously. Layla, on the other hand, punched the air.
“Right!” she cheered.
Rori laughed and slammed his hand down on his desk. “That’s the spirit, Bethel!”
“What made Headmaster Sleet change the exam parameters?” Braden asked suddenly. He’d tried to hide it, but the nerves of his upcoming practical had started to wear on his nerves, and his big fingers trembled as he put his hand down on his desk.
> “If summoners are going to be considered worthy enough to be on a squad, we need to make sure you’re going to be battle ready,” Rori replied as he straightened his tie. “Of course, Mr. Gryff and Miss Bethel already have some experience with battling monsters within a squad setting, but I think it’s necessary to put you all to the test and see how you measure up to battle standards.”
I gawked. Was that the real reason Sleet postponed exams as opposed to having me test after everyone else? Because he had this whole plan in mind for me to prove to everyone in the Academy what summoners are really capable of achieving? I considered that, and a feeling of importance and the need to be the best bubbled in the pit of my stomach.
“Is it going to become part of the class curriculum to participate in the Magicae Nito?” I asked, and Rori shrugged.
“Guess that depends on you lot,” he concluded and took a stack of papers from his pile as he came around the front of his desk. As he handed them out, I noticed that the stack was actually three separately bound packets of parchment. Each booklet was about half an inch thick, and I gawked. When we all had our exams, he stood back at the front of the room.
I glanced at Layla’s test, then back to mine. We had different questions on our tests.
“Uh, Rori…” I raised my hand as I trailed off, and the overweight man laughed as he put his hands on his hips.
“You all have the same questions,” he assured, “but I’ve mixed them up between each packet to ensure there wasn’t any cheating.”
I grimaced, but I supposed that was fair. I settled into my seat and took out a quill from my bag as Rori lifted his hand.
“Your hour starts,” he drawled, and then snapped his fingers as the minute hand of the old fashioned clock above his desk struck ten, “now.”
The three of us set to work, and Rori took a seat at his desk, kicked up his feet, and laid back as he patiently began his one hour wait.
As I flipped through the pages of the booklet, I noticed that a lot of these questions actually had some thought put into them, including the best approaches for certain battle techniques and situations. The majority of those were short answer essay questions, but there were simpler ones, too. The easiest part was the multiple choice monster questions, like identifying features and traits. There were even some more esoteric questions involving the known origins of summoning crystals, which I didn’t think were first-year questions, but Rori did say that he had reworked the whole curriculum to better encompass the many abilities a summoner can provide.
