Chapter 17

Without another word, Captain Hector turned on his heel back to the compound.

My mind reeled. “Wait,” I half muttered as I took a step forward.

“Stay in line!” Brontus barked at me, and I instinctively obeyed.

Hector didn’t turn or acknowledge me further, instead leading the mages inside the compound. Each followed, one guiding their captain’s horse, some riding and others I now noticed were also on foot. One of them, in a helmet, turned to me and nodded, but that was all the recognition of our existence that they gave as the proud march went by. They kept coming, walking two or three across, and I estimated there were about fifty or sixty of them in total. There was a range of ages; while Hector looked around forty years old, the majority appeared in their twenties, and some only a couple years older than myself.

“Alright, let’s keep this run going!” Brontus shouted as soon as the last returning mage stepped inside. “RUN!”

I turned with the others, bracing myself for further exhaustion, only to feel a hand on my shoulder. “Not you,” Bradey told me quietly, pulling back just a bit. My first instinct was to feel relief until I realized that in no way could this have been a good thing. His posture was straighter and his eyes just a bit wider, which wasn’t much but still a noticeable difference.

“Follow me inside.”

“Yes sir.”

He led back into the mansion, through hallways that felt completely different. They were now alive. Around each corner it seemed like there was another blue cloak drifting behind someone on their way to do something. Men, women, teenagers all felt like they crowded the halls, even if there were only a couple in each, as such was the contrast to the past day and a half. I was momentarily distracted by all of the activity from my current plight but the reminder came as we turned down a short hall that felt unfamiliar, if only indicated by the more ornate door that ended it.

Bradey held up a hand to stop me. “Wait here,” he ordered before knocking on the door. Captain Hector’s voice beckoned him in and I caught a glimpse of the man before the door again was closed, leaving me alone.

I took a step back. Then another. I didn’t know how long he could be. I was unsupervised. Perhaps I could make a break for it. It would be tricky to get by but I knew that—

“HE SAID WAIT.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin upon hearing that voice. I whirled, looking up to see Amalay staring back down at me. Her tan and silver mask left only eye holes which in the moment I felt was still far too much exposure. I backed up, this time to the door, bumping into it. I almost fell through as it opened but quickly stepped forward as the two men stepped out.

“Thank you, Amalay,” Bradey told her as he eyed me wearily.

“Ren, my boy,” Hector said as he followed his lieutenant, “it would appear that there’s the matter of your evaluation… Care to explain yourself?”

I swallowed nervously. “Well, you see, sir, I was told that the goal to pass the evaluation was to hit the target. I did. By throwing a rock. With my hand.” My sentences became short as the silence squeezed words out of me. “I think that passes. I mean, that was what was said.”

“Hmm.” He scratched his stubbled chin, appearing to mull my answer over. If anything, I was grateful that he was the one that the other two turned to focus on. “While you were indeed correct, I would be immensely disappointed if you didn’t realize that the purpose of a magic evaluation was to test your ability and aptitude for magic. Was that unclear?”

“I, uh, yes, that much was clear in the moment.” I kept stumbling over my words but barely kept it together as I tried to sound intelligent. “It just seemed that the wording of the evaluation was flawed.”

I heard Amalay tap her foot, driving it into the ground, while Bradey cleared his throat. Hector bent over just enough to almost bring us eye level and his voice took on a deeper, threatening tone. “I would caution you against saying such things; nepotism will only get you so far, nephew.” He stood back up and clapped his hands as if announcing something for a party. Bradey rolled his eyes and I couldn’t help but wonder if none of this was news to him. “Seems like a re-evaluation is in order.”

I knew this was going to happen. I told Rose this would probably happen. But still a small part of me had hoped beyond hope that I could get out of it just by talking.

“Come along, to the courtyard,” Hector ordered, grinning with excitement that I could not grasp the source of. He walked fast, not with quick moving legs but long strides that doubled mine, and I had to jog to keep up while Bradey and Amalay didn’t seem to have to rush as fast as I did.

The courtyard was cool despite it being the middle of the day, the sky overcast and blocking the sun from warming me. Hector took a deep breath as if savouring the air he just came in from. “Alright, boy, time for your magic evaluation.” He looked over at the targets. “In case that was a bit much, while we do prioritize magic that is able to attack a target, I’ll be plenty content with any demonstration.” He stood there, staring at me expectantly.

Rose’s words came back to me. “We’ll get through it. So use me tomorrow, alright? Show them what we can do.”

Easy words to say when we aren’t in the moment, I thought as I started to sweat. Just… do something simple. I held out my hand and began to channel mana. It flowed back and forth through me and I felt Rose’s soul powering it as it accumulated in my hand. It flowed slowly and I cursed that I couldn’t rush it like the others had, their practice making them adept at channeling their mana as they poured it out of themselves like water from a cup, with clear purpose and direction.

“Hmm, decent flow,” Hector commented. “If a bit slow.”

Come on! Fire? A bunch of the recruits used fire, I thought as I tried to think of what would impress my judge. And… FIRE!

Nothing happened. The mana swirled in my hand, starting to form a faintly glowing ball, but it gave no flame or heat like I had hoped. Fire! Make fire! I begged as Hector’s smile slowly lowered.

“Ren, I really don’t have all day,” he mumbled tersely.

Ok then, ice! Make ice! PLEASE! I scrambled, trying to feel even a slight cooling over my hand. I focused on the water in the air, how it was saturated as a gas, to pull it out in liquid then solid form. Nothing happened.

“I had expected better, recruit,” Hector told me, any semblance of pleasantry absent.