Chapter 19: Practicing Magic (Blake)

“…And this one is a Northern Featherwing, one of my favorites! Look at the way the feathers blend with the blue scales, and- Blaaaake, you’re not paying attention!”

Blake blinked, realizing he had dozed off while Reed was talking about dragons. For the last few days he’d been spending time with her, he’d come to realize that there was a serious difference in terms of their energy levels. Blake liked dragons. He LOVED dragons. But Reed was like a walking textbook on the subject, if that textbook had a pretty smile and would bug you unless you paid attention.

“Sorry,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. “It’s just been a long day.”

“Well, it is getting late,” Reed admitted, checking the ornate clock hanging from the wall of the dining hall. “Shall we go meet Elly?”

Blake yawned and nodded, standing up. He felt sore from Physical Training today. He tried to lift his duffel bag, but his shoulder ached from the weight.

“May I help?” Reed reached for the bag and Blake jerked away out of reflex. He nearly tripped over his own feet.

He was surprised when Reed grabbed his wrist, keeping him from falling over.

“Sorry,” she said, helping him straighten up. “I shouldn’t have touched you like that.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Blake mumbled. He felt his face heat up with shame at his clumsiness. “I know you weren’t… trying to steal them, I just…”

“It’s okay, really!” Reed’s airy laugh brushed away the uncomfortable feeling in his chest. She waved her hand. “It’s forgotten. Shall we?”

They met up with Elly outside the dining hall. The half-elf looked even more exhausted than he felt. She stared at the two of them in awkward silence.

I should… probably say something, right? Since I invited her? Blake wondered. He wasn’t used to building relationships with people. “Um… evening, Elly, how’s your shoulder?”

She brightened up at that, standing a little taller and smiling. “It’s fine, the nurse patched me up.”

“You didn’t get lost this time, did you?” Reed laughed.

“N-No!” Elly turned pale and shook her head. “Um… so, we’re… studying? Right?”

“Yes!” Reed clapped. “To the library!”

She raised her hand. Blake knew what was coming and grabbed her wrist before she could snap her fingers.

“Please… let’s just walk?” He didn’t want to get sick again.

“Sure thing!”

That was a relief.

…

Growing up on a farm had prepared Blake for a lot of things. He knew how to plow a field, ride a horse, care for newborn livestock, harvest crops, and do repairs of all sorts. Not to mention how it got him used to a schedule of early mornings and late nights.

What it didn’t prepare him for was studying. No one in his uncle’s family knew how to read, and it had been up to Blake to build on what little he could do on his own with what books he could get.

But the books he read weren’t as dry and boring as these.

“No, I don’t think that’s right.”

Elly showed Blake her own answer for Reed’s first practice problem. “See, if you go to page 78 it says Estval joined the Coalition 8 years before Unification, when King Roland conquered the stronghold at the Sacred Tree Eldrasil with the help of Archduke Marlowe Harker and his dragon, Maeven the Silverflame!”

“No, King Roland and the archduke worked together with the Estvalians to fight off a foreign invasion and in their gratitude, they joined the Unification Coalition! We’re talking about my family’s history, Elly, my mother was telling me stories of Marlowe and Maeven since before I could walk!”

“B-But the book says-!” Elly whimpered and turned to the neighboring table. Reed was supposed to be there to help, but she wasn’t even paying attention. Blake had given her permission to play with the dragon eggs, and she had them all lined up for admiring. Blake and Elly might as well have been a pair of buzzing flies for all the attention she paid them.

Blake sighed. Elly’s face was red with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment, and a little fear. It was obvious that standing up for what she thought was right was difficult for her.

He decided not to press the issue. Elly and the textbook were clearly wrong, but it would feel bad to fight her over it. She looked like she was about to cry. He swallowed his family pride and kept his anger in check, changing his answer. Her sigh of relief told him he’d made the right choice.

Then the smile on her face disappeared and she went pale. She shook her head and tensed up, and quickly ducked under the table.

“What are you doing?” He asked, looking at the small ball of Elly curled up on the ground.

“Over… over there… Lancelus…” Elly whispered, pointing.

The prince was walking down the aisle, scanning over the tables.

What did he want? Payback for this afternoon? Blake fixed a glare to his face and stood up, confronting him as he reached Reed’s table.

“What are you doing here?” He snarled. Lancelus didn’t look intimidated, though. His eyes looked past Blake and landed on the eggs.

“Should you be keeping them out in the open like this?” He asked, turning back to Blake with a glare. “Those eggs are a national treasure.”

“It’s none of your business,” Blake stepped in a little closer and made a fist. “Leave them alone.”

“Where’s Elly?”

“No idea.”

The prince ignored him, still glancing around the alcove.

“I know she’s studying with you. Where is she?”

“Like I told you,” Blake said, trying very hard not to lose his temper, “no idea. She doesn’t want to see you, so get the hint. Or didn’t you learn your lesson today about following directions?”

He could see the anger burning in the prince’s gaze.

“Stay away from my sister,” Lancelus growled. He shoved Blake, and Blake’s brain stopped working for a second. Before he knew it, the prince had fallen backwards and crashed into the table, scattering the eggs across the floor.

Lancelus hissed in pain and pulled his hand away from the crimson egg. He hopped up with a fierce glare and moved on Blake, but Reed stepped between them. Seriousness looked strange on her face.

“Calm down you two,” she said, and turned to Lancelus. “You should go.”

The prince opened his mouth to protest, but clearly thought better of it. He muttered something under his breath and stormed out of the library.

Reed sighed, and turned back to Blake.

“Picking fights isn’t the best way to make friends.”

“I don’t want to be friends with that guy,” he replied, his tone harsher than he’d meant.

“…I’m sorry…” Elly crawled out from under the table and looked up at them. “He’s…”

“It’s fine, sweetie,” Reed assured her with a smile.

Meanwhile, Blake picked up the red egg and placed it beside the others. He turned to get the last one, but Elly had already taken it.

“Here…” she offered the prickly brown egg to him. “Sorry… again… the prince is…”

“Your brother is a real jerk,” Blake muttered.

“He-He isn’t my brother!” Elly gasped, shaking her head. “That would be too presumptuous! No, it’s… his father is, well…”

Blake didn’t care about Elly’s family issues and she clearly didn’t want to go into them either. So he accepted the egg and ended it there. She winced. Blood trickled across her palm.

“It’s… sharp.”

“I think we should probably end things here.” Reed’s suggestion came as a surprise considering they’d barely gotten any studying done.

“But…”

Reed pushed her finger against Elly’s lips. “Don’t worry! We can meet up tomorrow! But today was stressful, don’t you think? You need some rest, Elly! I’ll take care of things here, so you can go on back!”

“A-Alone?”

Reed snapped her fingers.

“Aaaaaaah…!”

Elly’s cries echoed from within the closing portal.

Reed turned to Blake next and he shook his head.

“W-Wait-“

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Reed laughed. “I just wanted to talk with you in private about something.” She sat back down and patted the seat beside her.

“What?”

“That sword in your bag, it’s Soulfire, isn’t it?”

Fuck. Blake had screwed up. He had gotten so comfortable around Reed these past few days he’d forgotten that she only knew about the dragon eggs. Not his family’s sword. And he’d let her go digging around in his bag like an idiot! How could he have abandoned caution so easily?!

“Reed, that-“

“Again, not stealing it,” Reed clarified. “But I do want to talk about it. My mentor, Professor Saleigh, is an expert in relics like that one. Could take a look at it?”

“No. Why would I want that?” Blake snapped, eyeing her with newfound suspicion.

“Don’t you want to see that sword awaken?”

The conversation ended with that odd question.

…

Reed had given Blake a lot to think about. He told her he’d give her an answer at the end of the week, and they continued to study with Elly like normal.

Then it came time for another practice test. This one was for Intro to Combat Magic. But luckily the midterm for Intro to Combat Magic was simple in comparison to History and Magic Law.

…In theory, anyway. The paper test would be fine, but the practical section required that the students use combat magic to break a target. They had the freedom to use any magic they wanted, but that wouldn’t help Elly. Even the simplest of Fireball spells came out as pitiful shudders of sparks.

When Friday came and Professor Darkflame took them out to the practice field, Elly looked like she would fall over.

The cohort gathered in front of one of the podiums. An orica the size of a head floated above it.

“For the practical portion of your midterm next week, you’ll break that regenerating orica. You must destroy it completely to get a passing score. Remember, the orica will not break unless it senses magic in your attack. Today is for practice, anyone who succeeds may leave early. Are there any questions?”

There were a few, and Blake’s hand was among them.

“Ms. Angelique?”

“Are we required to destroy the orica on our first try?” Audrey asked.

“Good question,” Professor Darkflame nodded. “No. For the test you’ll have three chances. If you destroy it within three tries then you pass. Anyone else? Mr. Eldaria?”

“Will we be able to practice after class time is over?”

Blake lowered his hand. That had been his question, too. Elly would probably need all the practice she could get.

“Yes, I’ve spoken with the faculty, and they’ve permitted access to the field over the weekend. We can loan you practice orica. Just make sure you clear it with someone before coming out, alright?”

Elly relaxed after hearing that. It seemed instead of cramming the textbooks she’d be out here until her mana ran dry.

Seeing there weren’t any other questions the professor continued. “We’ll simulate this like the actual test, so line up in alphabetical order. You have 30 seconds to cast your spell. If you fail, go to the back of the line. If you pass, you can use the rest of your time as a free period and get started on your weekend early. I suggest you use that time to study.”

Blake sighed. Professor Reycom’s midterm was far from the last.

Audrey went first. Instead of a spell they’d been taught in class, she prepared one of her own. She drew her saber. It was shining! She swung, flinging the light from her sword in a blade of magical energy that sliced cleanly through the orica.

“…Sword Magic. Nicely done,” Professor Darkflame nodded in approval. He placed another orica on the podium. “Next, Caelia Auburn.”

Caelia stepped up. Blake couldn’t see well from his position in line, but it almost looked like she was drawing an invisible bowstring. She pulled her hand back and a magic circle lit up in front of it. A fireball as thin as an arrow shot out and struck the orica in the center. It was a direct hit, but not enough to shatter the crystal entirely. The orica quickly repaired itself.

“More power next time,” the professor judged. “But otherwise, your form was excellent. On the test, you’ll be able to use your bow.”

Caelia nodded and went to the back of the line.

“Chloe Bellajean.” The professor moved down the line. Of course Chloe was asleep. But she still stepped forward and raised her hand. She mumbled something.

A rainbow of colors lit up the sky, tracing out a magic circle nearly twice as large as its caster. A massive bird made of crackling lightning appeared in the center. It flew through the air and smashed into the orica with a giant explosion.

Blake was as stunned as everyone else. Magic of that level… what the hell was someone like that doing here?!

Even the professor was at a loss for words. “Uh… You, um… you can go…”

Chloe didn’t move, though. Mindy shook her shoulder.

“Hm…?” Chloe’s head shot up and she turned back to the others. Her face was tired, like she’d just woken up.

“Like, that was awesome! You’re totally done, go!” Mindy giggled. Chloe nodded and stepped out of line. She walked over to the shade and curled up, resuming her nap.

The practice test continued like that. Not a lot of students destroyed the orica on the first try.

The prince’s performance was a surprise. When Lancelus’s turn came up, he took a deep breath and raised his hands palms-out towards the orica. But nothing happened. He growled in frustration.

“…And that’s 30 seconds, back of the line.”

Blake was shocked. He’d expected the prince to at least cast a fireball, what had he been trying to do?

Most of the students were using Fireball. But there were also students who used their own magic, like Amy. She enchanted her legs and kicked with everything she had. Everyone was showing off and doing their best, and Blake got closer to the head of the line. Ark was right in front of him, what an act to follow.

When it was Ark’s turn, he raised his hand and the temperature dropped. With a turn of his wrist a massive chunk of ice appeared in the air, smashing into the orica.

Of course the genius would pass easily. Blake tried not to think about the fact that people would be comparing their performances. He focused on the Fireball spell. He’d been practicing, and he’d memorized the spellcraft to the point where he could conjure it with just a word. He flung the fireball and it smashed through the orica. Everyone was surprised. He’d been the first person to succeed with the Fireball spell!

He sighed in relief.

Blake didn’t go back to his room. He was worried about Elly. They weren’t friends, but he felt bad for her. Supporting her here was the least he could do.

“Let me show you commoners how a real mage does things!” Sabine’s annoying voice crowed across the practice field. The haughty girl walked up with a smirk on her face. While he would have loved to see her fail, the quicker she passed the sooner she’d leave.

Sabine closed her eyes and her hair glowed scarlet. The long locks rose up and began to burn, and with a whip of her neck she flung a wave of bright red flames across the field, smashing through the orica. She lifted her head and smirked, cocking her hip to the side. Her hair settled down behind her without a strand out of place.

“…And that’s how it’s done!”

Unfortunately she didn’t leave. Like him she waited off on the side and watched the test continue with a gleeful expression on her face. Blake had a pretty good idea why.

More people tried, and more people passed, and it finally got to Elly’s turn. She took a deep breath, and began to focus. What she conjured could charitably be called a fireball. It was a pitiful, flickering little thing, and it sputtered out halfway to the orica. Elly hung her head in shame.

“HAH!” Sabine cackled. “What was that pathetic excuse for a fireball?! You call that magic?”

“Ms. Scarlet, we don’t heckle our cohort members,” Professor Darkflame warned her. “If you won’t be respectful of their performances, then I’ll ask you to leave.”

Sabine scowled and settled down. After Jasmine and Mindy passed, the trio of girls strutted away.

Soon the only people left were Elly and Lancelus. Elly’s spells kept fizzling out, and Blake had no idea what the prince was doing. He was still holding his hands up uselessly, and getting angry when whatever he was trying to do didn’t work. Blake found his repeated failure amusing.

They kept switching, and everyone could see this wasn’t going to go anywhere. The professor walked over to them, holding an orica in each hand.

“Class is dismissed. You two can practice on your own with these.”

“Fine!” Lancelus snapped, grabbing the orica from the professor and storming off, setting it down on the ground and trying again, closer this time. Again, nothing happened. He kicked it in frustration.

“What’s up with that guy?” Blake wondered aloud. He didn’t think Elly would answer, but what she did next surprised him. She actually walked over to the prince.

Her steps were so shaky she might have fallen over. And when she reached him she didn’t say anything. Her mouth was closed and she was nowhere close to working up the courage. She looked like she was about to throw up.

“THIS FUCKING PIECE OF GARBAGE!” Lancelus shouted. “Why isn’t it working?!”

That was it for Elly. A tremor shook through her and Blake didn’t need to see her face to know she was crying. She silently fled.

That pissed Blake off. He stormed over to the prince, ready to give him a piece of his mind.

“What do you want?”

The words Blake planned to mock him with disappeared. The prince looked like he was in pain. Was… was he going to cry? No way.

“Well?!” Lancelus shouted, pulling Blake back to the present.

Blake scowled.

“You’re a royal prick, you know that?” He walked back into the school. The prince’s frustrated screams were music to his ears.