by Eric Vall
I was actually grateful for the alone time. It gave me time to decompress and sort out the day’s events. Never in a million years would I have imagined anything like the Magicae Nito. I was so fascinated by every new bit of magic I learned about, and I got to see some cool monster battles.
When I finally stumbled to my room and pulled out my key, I could feel the tiredness take over. I barely made it to the bed before I passed out, and I only vaguely remembered to shut the door and lock it.
I woke up late the next morning. There were no classes to get to, so I took the opportunity to sleep in and get a solid amount of rest without interruption. I rolled to look at Braden’s bed and found that he was still asleep as well. His round in the Magicae Nito must have tuckered him out. He probably had a mild case of mana depletion if the near loss of control of his Ember Eagle had been any indication.
I stretched and laid in bed for a while longer. Braden must have closed the curtain when he came in because even though I knew the clock read ten in the morning, our room was still pitch black and cool. I could have stayed in bed like this all day and been perfectly fine, to be honest, but I knew I had to eat at some point. I should probably see Layla before she goes into the arena for her Magicae Nito tonight, too.
With a soft groan, I rolled out of bed, and it was only then I realized that I had fallen asleep with all of my clothes still on. I laughed at myself and got changed. I thought about if I should wake Braden, but decided against it. I didn’t want to disturb him after he had kicked so much ass yesterday. The man deserved a good sleep. He’d get up on his own.
I slipped out the door and wound up in the courtyard before long. Nia and Layla spotted me from beneath a fruit-bearing tree almost instantly and waved me over. I plopped beside Layla and leaned against the trunk.
“Feeling confident about tonight?” I asked.
“I feel pretty good, yeah.” Layla grinned and tossed one of her crystals in the air. She caught it before it hit the ground, then tossed it up again.
“Bringing any specific monsters in with you?” I inquired again, and Layla fished a couple of crystals from a drawstring pouch she kept on her belt.
“My hippocrans, maybe the venotox…?” Layla drawled as she looked through the bag. “There’s my new one, too, but I’m not sure whether I’m ready to use it in battle or not. I want more practice with it first.”
I nodded. That was fair. Her hippocrans and venotox were both solid choices as they were. She would have no problem utilizing either of them in battle.
“What about you?” She turned the question onto me.
I shrugged. “I haven’t really thought about it.”
It was the truth. I had been much more concerned with my friends and how they would handle their exams that I hadn’t even given my own much more than a passing thought.
“Really, Gryff?” Nia leaned forward and peered around Layla to look at me. “Your grades are just as important as the rest of ours. Please be more considerate of yourself and give it some thought.”
I laughed. “Relax. I’ve never been the type to plan things out. It kind of happens in the spur of the moment. When the time comes, I’ll know what to do.”
I said that, but I hoped that was the case. I simply had to treat it like it was any other mission in the Shadowscape and do my best to improvise on the spot. In a real mission, you didn’t get to plan for what was coming at you. You simply had to be ready, and my round in the Magicae Nito would be no different.
Both girls frowned at my answer but left it alone.
“Where’s Braden?” Nia asked after a moment of silence.
I sank further into the grass and closed my eyes. I knew I’d slept like a dead person, but there was nothing better than the chance to take a nap under a shady tree in the late morning with two pretty girls by my side.
“Left him to sleep more.” I yawned quietly. “Didn’t have the heart to wake him after he did so well in his round last night.”
“How nice of you.” Layla grinned and tossed up her crystal again.
I reached up and caught it before she could reach for it, and I smirked when she gave me a dirty look.
“I’ll have you know, I’m a very nice person.” I defended.
“I can’t exactly argue,” she replied with a laugh and tried to swipe the crystal back from me. “But you’re being a dick right now.”
I heard Nia snort, and I mock pouted as I handed her back the crystal.
“Yeah, well, whatever is in the crystal is really weak,” I said, but it wasn’t much of a retort, because Layla agreed.
“That’s because it’s not a summon crystal, genius.” Layla took the small green crystal between her thumb and forefinger and waved it at me like a taunt. “It was a gift from my older brother.”
I quieted. I knew she missed her brother dearly. From what I could recall, he was the only one with their head on straight in that family. Everyone else, her parents included, were one short train ride away from completely bonkers.
“Sorry,” I apologized.
“Don’t worry about it.” Layla shook her head as she smiled softly. “I’m just glad I still have something from when things were normal.”
“There were normal times?” I asked, and I’d meant it genuinely. I simply hoped she took it that way. Thankfully, she did.
“Well,” she chuckled, “normal for me.”
That, too, was fair, and I laughed.
“What about you?” I forced myself to sit up again and looked around to Nia. “How goes things with daddy dearest?”
“I am avoiding him at all costs,” Nia stated firmly, and Layla and I exchanged worried glances.
“You know he could have any single person of the students or staff bring you to him if he wanted to, and you’d have to listen,” I told her warily. “Otherwise, you’re pretty much committing insubordination.”
True, this was a school for mages and magic, but it was also a military academy. There were certain rules that we had to abide by whether or not we were in a squad or not. Come to think of it, I wasn’t sure if being in a squad made those rules pertain to us more or less. We were technically higher up than students because we were both in classes and a squad that actively gets deployed, but we were also just that, students. I guess at the end of the say, it came down to a matter of being able to hold a certain amount of decorum and respect regardless of your position in the Academy.
Nia groaned and wiped her hands over her pretty face. “Don’t remind me. I’ve already dodged upwards of six people since his arrival from Hartmire yesterday.”
Layla and I snickered.
“Damn. I thought I hated my pops, but you really got it in for yours.” Layla playfully nudged her with her elbow, and Nia sighed, exasperated.
“I just want to make it through the Magicae Nito without having to talk to him,” Nia whined uncharacteristically, and I was brought back to the fleeting thought I had last night on how I might have been a bad influence on her. Not that I whined, but I knew a certain, smallish someone who had that whine down to a science, and she knew how to use it in the most malicious of ways.
I was about to open my mouth to reply when Braden barreled across the courtyard at full speed. I couldn’t ever recall having seen him run so fast, and I was on my feet in milliseconds.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, and he barely stopped to answer me.
“The first round of Magicae Nito grades were posted!” he yelled, and I wondered how he knew that when he had been dead asleep less than twenty minutes ago.
Nia and Layla were on their feet, too, and the four of us ran to the grade postings outside of the dining hall. We must have been the first ones there, because other than us, the halls were near empty. Everyone else was outside basking in the glorious weather.
We skid to a stop, and Braden’s eyes scanned the grade sheet.
“Well?” Layla bounced impatiently on her heels.
“… I passed?” Braden asked, seemingly confused,
and Nia stepped up beside him.
“You passed, Braden!” A wide grin spread over her features, and she hugged his arm as she pointed out each individual mark. “E’s across the board!”
“E’s?” I echoed, and Nia quickly turned to me.
“Exceeds Expectations,” she explained. “S is Satisfactory, N is Needs Improvement, and F is Fail.”
I nodded, then grinned myself. “You passed!”
“I passed!” Braden repeated, and we high-fived.
“Oi, Gryff!” Orenn’s voice called out behind us.
I turned to look at him, and he grinned as he waved. “Oi!”
“Grades are posted already?” he asked.
“Braden passed,” I told Orenn like a proud father, and I saw a bit of relief flood the other man’s face. I knew he had said he messed up during the test, so hearing other people had passed probably offered temporary relief from his stress.
“Heck yeah! That’s awesome!” Orenn playfully punched Braden’s shoulder. “Congrats!”
“Thanks,” he replied, and I could see the flush of embarrassment creep up his neck. “Uhh, how did you do? I know you were worried last night.”
“Yeah...” Orenn turned his attention to the board. The longer he looked at it, the more crestfallen he became. After a moment, his shoulders sagged, and his smile faded.
“Orenn?” Nia asked, but all that greeted her was a dry laugh.
“I failed,” he stated plainly. “I actually failed.”
“Shit.” I stood in shock. Orenn? The same Orenn that I fought alongside within the rifts, the same Orenn that I’ve seen doing amazing things with his metallouge ability, failed the Magicae Nito.
“Double shit. How could this have happened?” Layla reached forward and patted Orenn’s shoulder.
“They must have graded something wrong,” I insisted, but Orenn shook his head and gave a mirthless laugh.
“There’s no mistake, Gryff,” Orenn whispered. He sighed, then pushed his way through us. I wanted to reassure him and maybe convince him to argue it, but I didn’t want to bother him like this. It was abundantly clear that he needed his space, and who was I to encroach on that time?
“How did someone like me pass with all E’s, but someone like Orenn, who has been on missions before, end up with a failing grade?” Braden asked, and I felt the thunder and excitement over his achievement leave his body. That was no way to be. Whether Orenn failed or not, Braden deserved that pass. He worked his ass off for it.
“I don’t know,” I frowned and looked after where Orenn had slammed a door shut. “But you earned it, Braden, fair and square.”
Braden still sagged a little but nodded slowly.
“What happens if someone fails the Magicae Nito?” Layla asked.
Nia sighed as she crossed her arms. “It varies. For someone like Orenn, it could have serious repercussions.”
“How serious are we talking?” I questioned, and she shrugged.
“Well, for one, he is automatically dropped to the bottom of both the active and reserve lists for squads,” Nia told us quietly. “Which means if we get deployed between now and whenever they rectify this, he won’t be able to go with us. We’ll have to have a different shield.”
“This is insane,” I uttered and gripped my hair.
“There is a chance he can still pass his overall exams, in which case, he’ll be able to at least remain on the lists, and maybe move back up a spot or two.” Nia rubbed the bridge of her nose with her long fingers and let out a sigh of frustration.
“Come on,” I said finally. “We can’t do anything to help Orenn right now.”
“Besides,” Layla chipped in quietly with a soft smile, “Braden passed. That’s more than enough cause to celebrate.”
“That’s right.” Nia smiled a little.
I nodded. It sucked that Orenn had to deal with the possibility of never getting back on a squad, but that was a bridge to cross at another time. For now, I was going to celebrate Braden’s success and look forward to Layla’s round in the Magicae Nito tonight.
“Let’s pop into the dining hall and see about getting a celebratory ale for now until we can get into town and celebrate properly.” I walked past Braden and pried the double doors to the dining hall open. Sure enough, there was a staff lady inside, and it looked as though she had only now put out the first round of frosted mugs.
I waved for my friends to follow me, and we slipped in. I didn’t think we were necessarily not allowed to be in here between meals, but I didn’t want to cause any trouble either.
The girl turned just as we had approached her, and I put on my best smile.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be in here,” I started, “but I have a giant favor to ask of you.”
The girl was cute, with lavender curls and bright blue eyes. Her smile was sweet, but I had a hunch that beneath that soft exterior, she could go a few rounds in a bar fight and not end up with a scratch on her.
“What’s the favor?” she asked, and I leaned in close.
“My friend here just found out he passed his round in the Magicae Nito.” I motioned to Braden, who waved. “We want to take him out properly, but my other friends here have their rounds tonight and tomorrow night, and mine is the night after, so we won’t get much of a chance to celebrate his hard-earned grades for a little while.”
The girl, Annie, her name tag read, shrugged.
“You don’t need to give me a sob story.” She rolled her eyes. “If you want the beer, just take it.”
I blinked in confusion. “Are we allowed to?”
“Does it matter?” Annie laughed and started to walk back to the kitchen. “You’re already almost done with the deed. Why stop now?”
My jaw dropped, and she disappeared behind a set of thick wooden doors. I looked at my friends, who all shared similar looks along the lines of ‘I can’t believe that just happened,’ but we sure as hell weren’t going to try to change her mind or anything.
We took four glasses and filled them to the top, then raised them.
“To Braden, who overcame his fear of his monsters and kicked the Magicae Nito’s ass,” I cheered, and my friends clinked their mugs to mine.
“Cheers!”
I drank down several long gulps before I finally came back up for air. It wasn’t the best ale in this part of the world. Hell, it wasn’t even the best ale in Varle, but it would have to do until we were able to get out on the town and celebrate for real.
“To friendship,” Braden added. “Thanks for being here for me. I say I couldn’t have done it without Micha, but really, all I had to do was think of you guys and your encouragement, and I knew I could handle whatever that fake rift had in store for me.
We raised our mugs again, and they clinked together with a satisfying sound as we cheered in unison.
“To friendship!”
Chapter 7
It came time soon enough for Layla’s round in the Magicae Nito, and the four of us, plus Maelor and Cyra, found ourselves on the path to the arena once again. I thought I had been to this spot more times this week than I had my entire time at the Academy so far. Not that I was going to complain necessarily.
We stopped along the merchandise booths this time. I was surprised at some of their wares. There were cloaks and tunics for each different color of magical category and pins that identified what kind of magic subset you specialized in. I didn’t know if summoners had a subset category, but I knew that summoner pins were in the shape of a jagged crystal. For whatever reason, though, pins were something that was only given to students after their first year at the Academy. I guessed it was simply standard procedure to see your magic potential first before assigning you a pin that more or less defined who you were in the world of mages.
These pins, however, were more colorful and less official looking than the pins that the Academy offered their mages after their first year. Definitely replicas of some kind. I didn’t care to pick one up, but Layla liked th
e pink and gold of one of the summoner pins she found.
“It’s a sign,” she declared, and I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
“A sign of what?” I asked instead.
“Good luck, duh,” she answered as though that were the most logical of answers in the world and I was just an idiot.
Maybe I was. I laughed quietly to myself as we came to the entrance of the arena again. We stopped, and Layla struggled with getting her pin open so that she could clip it to her coat.
“I’ll help.” I fiddled with the strange circular mechanism on the back until I got it to unlock, then slipped it onto her cloak.
“Thanks, Gryffie!” Layla smiled brightly up at me.
I chuckled. “No problem.”
I held her at arm’s length, then pulled her into a hug. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t nervous about Layla being in a rift by herself. Rather, I was nervous about Layla being in a rift without me. I’d never seen her in action within one, but I had seen her fight alongside me on a few occasions, the most recent being against a pyrewyrm that escaped the rift and appeared again in a marshland Enclave days later. She could hold her own if our sparring matches were any indication, but this wasn’t a practice run. This was to keep her spot on the reserve list, something that until recently meant nothing to her, but she had consistently placed high thanks to her high written exam scores.
Now was the time for her to prove she was meant to be here in the physical aspect, too.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” I asked her seriously.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly as she leaned her forehead against my shoulder, “but I do know that as long as you’re waiting for me on the other side, I’ll be okay.”
I smiled and squeezed her lightly. “Good luck in there.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Layla stepped back and smiled. She waved, then bounced up to the check-in counter while the rest of us found seats.
As it were, we ended up only a row or two higher than where we had sat for Braden’s round. Again, I saw Sleet and Mr. Kenefick greet Miriam Sharpay in front of the central tower, and then the three of them ascended together. I wondered if they simply teleported up there or if there was some kind of automatic stairs that carried them to the top because I highly doubt that at their age, especially Sleet and Miriam Sharpay, they weren’t about to climb an abundance of stairs.
