Sixth Test: A New Friend, the Mage Seems Even Scarier

Akiko had fallen asleep on the dragon’s back. Gently, he landed, and together they passed through the middle barrier.
She was woken up by a scream:— AAAAAH! Two dragons!
It was Lara. She had been startled when she saw Akiko sleeping on top of two dragons. Rubbing her eyes and letting out a small yawn, Akiko noticed that there were already many people gathered in the middle, which meant the test was almost over. But then she realized Lara hadn’t crossed the barrier. Tilting her head in confusion, she watched as Lara explained:
— You noticed, didn’t you? I didn’t make it. I couldn’t find a dragon, let alone capture one.
Akiko pointed at one of her dragons as if offering it.
— No, I can’t accept that — Lara said. — You did really well catching them, congratulations. I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you. If you give me a dragon just so I can pass, I probably won’t make it through the next test anyway. I hope we can meet again.
Lara smiled, though her face was tinged with sadness.
Akiko climbed down from the dragon with some difficulty — her legs were short, after all. She crouched and began to write on the ground, drawing a house and a question mark, asking where Lara lived. Akiko didn’t know why she wanted to keep in touch. Was she trying to replace Letícia? She didn’t know.
Lara told her the name of the place and added:— See you later. I hope I can welcome you to my home. You can do it!
Akiko waved her hand and whispered:— Bye.
Lara gave her a big smile, looking happier, and left.
Once Lara was gone, Akiko whispered to the dragons:— What are your names?
The dragons shook their heads, meaning “no.” They had no names. So Akiko said:— Can I call you Haruto and Hiroki?
The dragons happily agreed. No one had ever cared about them before, let alone given them names.
Soon after, the mage announced:— The test is over. Only 32 people managed to pass, but in the final evaluation only 15 remained.
Many looked confused, but Akiko already knew what had happened. They wouldn’t just pass the tests and become mages — each would be evaluated individually. Even if someone succeeded, if their score was too low, they would be disqualified.
The mage explained:— There were hidden examiners in the forest. Each of you was tested individually. We’ve prepared a board with the results. The minimum score is 7.5. If you scored below that, you failed. If you got 7.5 or higher, your name won’t appear on the board.
The students ran toward the board. Akiko stayed close to her dragons. She didn’t like crowds, and the people rushing scared her. Besides, she already knew she had passed.
Then a voice whispered in her ear:— Aren’t you going to check if you passed?
It was the frightening mage. Akiko jumped to the side in surprise. The mage leaned closer and whispered again:— You already knew about the test, didn’t you?
Akiko shook her head quickly, denying it, but her expression betrayed her.
The mage let out a sarcastic, unsettling laugh:— Impressive that a little girl who’s so afraid of me managed to pass. You even helped another girl and captured two high-level dragons. Looks like appearances really are deceiving.
With that, she walked away. Akiko turned pale.— That mage is really scary… — she thought.
Sensing her fear, Haruto wrapped his wing around her in a hug.
Then the mage announced loudly:— We are heading into the seventh test, which will be the hardest one yet. You may all go home to rest, and return the day after tomorrow. You are dismissed.
She then led the dragons into the forest, cast a spell, and raised a barrier to keep them inside — probably until next year’s test.
But Akiko, quietly, created a small hole in the barrier, turned the dragons into cats, and escaped with them back to the hotel where she had been staying before the test.
There, she lay down on the bed and read the diary until she fell asleep.
Akiko kept wondering why Letícia had wanted her to become a mage, if being friends with Lara would bring trouble, and whether keeping the dragons would cause problems. With her mind full of questions, she still managed to drift into sleep.
Final Notes“That mage really is terrifying.”