I was sitting on a bench outside of school with her in our second semester when I decided to pop the question.
"Would you like to go out with me?"
My heart had already left my body. Sweat devoured my brow as I fidgeted with anticipation. Was this where my life ended? Nothing really mattered to me up to this point.
She took a deep breath and formed her fist into her palm and placed it on her chest.
"To tell you the truthโฆ. I do l-like y-you. I love spending our time together during school and after it. You always listen to me and I always can go to you for any problem. I feel like I know you well now and I am really thankful to have met you."
I felt like she was leading me on only to drop me into a pit at the last minute.
"However... my parents won't allow me to date someone who doesn't have their magic yet. They have heard about you and they wouldn't change their mind no matter how much I pleaded. I hate it... I'm so sorry, Viri"
I took a deep breath and sighed. It made sense. I don't even know what I was expecting. Was I too clingy? She really was the only person I spoke to out of choice at school... well except for a certain blond pretty boy who can't seem to leave me alone.
"I get it. Family reputation comes first. Gotta keep up appearances, right?" My voice cracked at the end. Very manly Viri.
I heard sniffling coming from her direction. She quickly wiped away the tears when she caught my glare.
"I also won't be able to see you as much now that I need to focus on my studies." She saw the expression on my face morph once again. "Don't worry though. After we graduate, I won't have to listen to my parents anymore. Or your magic will manifest before that and we could be together anyway," her voice still filled with the gentleness I was used to.
I wanted to look away from her. Lament in my own failure, but something urged me to face her again.
She was looking at me again with her puppy dog eyes. At that very moment, I wanted magic more than anything. I would do anything for it.
๐๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข. ๐๐ง ๐ ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด, ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ. ๐๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ฐ. ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ'๐ต ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ'๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ ๐ท๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ.
I still felt bad that I didn't have magic so I could be with her, but I'm sure it would arrive soon. I wouldn't need to do anything that I would regret... yet.
What the hell am I even thinking. I couldn't gain magic even by force. It felt like some of these thoughts were being fed to me like a mother with their newborn. Still I wanted to advance in this magic society that I had been dragged into.
Why is it taking so long? How much longer must I suffer with no knowledge?
I smile wryly back at her, "Well I don't think I got rejected, so I'm happy about that...you just need to wait for me, right?""
She nodded. Her hand collided with mine, sending my pulse through the roof.
"One way or another, we will be together again. Time is our ally here."
I really hoped she was right. Hope was the only thing a magic reject like me could have.
That was the last time we had a good long talk.
4
During my second year at school, I spent a good chunk of time trying to learn about my family's magic. My back ached from hunching over so much in my chair in the Magonic Records aka my school's library. I scoured bookshelf after bookshelf, but there was nothing about the Inumbros. The good-looking librarian at the entrance said they had about every magic family that ever attended this school and then some within their records. Both of my parents attended Heartford so I thought I could find some answers, but no luck. I didn't want to give up, so I plowed forward. I kept searching, the library had four stories, each with over 10 thousand books. This was my weekly routine. Then it became a daily ritual when Fiona became less available, something to take my mind off the one smiling visage that gave my life some meaning. We would still chat and text a lot, but the time just seemed to go by so fast, especially since she was now in all different classes from me (talk about unlucky). Every day would go by and I would try to make friends with others, but the results were nearly the same, always. No one wanted to be associated with someone who couldn't even display even the fundamentals of magic. There was one kid that did consult me a lot. Since I spent so much time in the library, I was overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge on magic and family that I had locked inside my mental vault. I didn't remember his name the first time we met, but later on I would remember it all too well. The first time he came to me was in the second semester of my second year. I had read through so many goddamn books, but there was still an infinite supply waiting to be read and I wasn't one to give up. I was alone at a wooden desk in the back with a book so old that just breathing on it could make it crumble into oblivion. It was called the Dretegla Infinium and it was full of old english.
"What do you have there? It looks older than my ancestors."
It was a voice I had only heard at our opening ceremony for this year. I turned to see a blond haired, crimson eyed pretty boy. He was who I thought he was. Most guys were jealous of him from how many girls he attracted by just existing. I couldn't say I was exempt from it either. I wasn't sure what a popular guy like him was doing around here and especially around me.
"Uh. Can I help you?"
He grinned immediately at hearing my response, "Yea. I was wondering if you have any information on the Fulmens that I could use. I'm sorry for coming to you like this unannounced, but Ms. Loren said you would be the best person to go to, Viri Inumbro."
Not only did he know the librarian's name, he knew mine as well. The hairs on my back did stand up when he said it though. No one else had said my full name, but Fiona. It was an unexpected, but welcome development for someone like me.
"Ahโฆ You are Gil Fulmen right? The sword dudes?"
"I didn't know that was my title, but that is me."
I pursed my lips, "I seeโฆ Well from what I have read so far about you guys, it's all about this place called the Paladins guild and the people that come out of that."
"Oh. Yes," He made a fist and placed it into his palm. That's the training ground of my family and where I went to middle school. I don't really agree with their methods, but I would love to know more about them for sure."
I nodded, "Well they were known for killing dragons and demons in the days of old. Though, to tell you the truth, that stuff all sounds made up to make them sound cooler."
Gil made a wry smile, "Well something like that. Anyway. What I wanted to know was how often or if ever a Paladin after they graduated high school, went on to a non-magic related career."
I racked my brain that was cluttered with files and files of information. I would have just refused him flat out, but this subject slightly intrigued me when I read about it a few weeks back. The fact that someone could shirk away from their destiny and come out alright was something that was worth remembering.
"From what I remember, there were only two cases where they did not become a paladin. One of them was for medical reasons, but the other oneโฆ. His name was Alfor Borealis and he went on to teach at a university instead of joining the Ministry of Magical Defense under the Paladins. Is that what you wanted?"
He nodded, wiping his blond hair out of his crimson eyes, "so it is indeed possible. I don't suppose you have the details on how he did it?"
I shook my head.
"I thought so. Well thank you for this Viri, I won't forget to return the favor."
With that he walked out. I thought I wouldn't see him again, but the appearance of Gil Fulmen would become a rather common occurrence in my high school life, whether I liked it or not.
Much to my dismay, year three began and once again, Fiona and I were not in a single class together.
"I can't be this unlucky right? Someone has to be playing a trick on me."
She joined the gardening magic club as well so I rarely got to see her, but we still kept in touch. The one saving grace. I was able to follow her progress on social media when we couldn't talk in person or she was too busy for a meaningful conversation over text as well. I was actually thankful for modern technology for once.
Besides trying to pinpoint the origin of my family and its magic, I also tried anything and everything to get my magic to appear. I attempted it all: Hand movements, rigorous studying of all the elements and arts, even begging my parents. No results. One day I tried asking my parents over the summer when they seemed to be in a pretty great mood, but I was once again met with the immovable wall that shielded our family's past and origin. I was met with the same answer that I was so very used to.
"It's nothing like the magic of other families, it has to do with our last name. I can't say anymore."
I stared at my father, the taste of disdain filling my mouth. I was about to say more, but clamped my mouth shut and continued to brood.
๐๐ฉ๐บ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ'๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ด๐ข๐บ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ! ๐'๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ค๐ณ๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฅ! ๐๐ฉ๐บ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฆ? ๐๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ค?
Of course, I didn't say anything. I didn't want to get them angry and squander my future chances. I was just playing for the long con... or something like that. I don't know anymore. I honestly felt like they didn't want me to discover what magic we possessed, let alone be able to use it.
Why did they even send me to a school of magic? They were supposed to be respected mages. Did they want to see me struggle and suffer? I could not figure them out. The only thing that was consistent in my third year was the visits from Gil Fulmen. I thought he would be busy during lunch with how popular he was, but he always managed to come by a few times a week and ask me about what I had discovered. Even though he had not been in any of my classes since my first year, I think I finally found my second friend.
The first half of my 4th year played out like clockwork. Magic classes that didn't teach me jack, while watching other kids show off their powers. I was filled with envy daily. I still had no one I could call a friend in class. There was one I would see, but he hardly came up when I thought of her. My mind only wandered to the girl that was now locked away behind a wall that I could never climb the way I was now. I never spoke more than a word or two whenever someone approached me. I mean, who would want to talk to a magicless loser like myself? I only spoke to Fulmen during lunch and he started to get pretty busy as the student council vice president that he only started coming once a week. Why was this world so cruel?
Then the end of first semester finally came to a close. The headmaster had asked all of the ten senior classes to gather in the auditorium. When I was pushed inside, I really cased the joint. The walls were as black as obsidian and the only light in the room came from the torches lining each wall and the door that was near closing, leaving us in the 1800s. At the far edge of the room was a set of stairs that rose onto a stage where a large metal podium collected dust. It seemed this entire room hadn't been used In at least a year. An aged man hobbled onto the stage with a wooden cane. I recognized his face from magazines and posters around the school. He was the headmaster, Alister Dryphus Zenponus.
We clustered up like rats, waiting below the podium for the old geezer to speak. He spread his arms out in his red overcoat. His white beard was getting more shriveled by the minute.
"My dear students, "he said in a soft voice.
The microphone was really working overtime to project his meek words.
We all stared in awe. The headmaster didn't come to speak often. It was a rare thing.
"You will soon be starting your final semester at the academy. But as you all know, sending many trained mages into the world at the same time always leads to catastrophe. Hence, your graduation will begin tomorrow, after the completion of the Spell Games."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion. What was he talking about? Didn't we have another semester? What were these spell games? My mind was filled with questions and no answers.
"My parents never said anything about a game," said a girl somewhere behind me.
"I thought there were no more trials until graduation," spoke another.
"Settle down, settle down. I will now explain the competition."
The comments quieted down, but the atmosphere of uneasiness remained.
"One of you from each of your ten houses will be randomly sent to a different environment around the world. This will happen until all of you have been sent to participate in groups of ten."
The houses went from A-J and I was in B while Fiona was in G. That meant that means there was a chance we could be put together. I shuddered at the thought of being reunited under such questionable circumstances. Someone in the back raised their hand in retaliation.
"Yes, you with the bean sprout."
"Uh, how do we win these games? No one has ever told me of no fucking mage games."
The language on this kid. His voice sounded familiar. I got a chill that only occurred when I heard something or some I didn't like.
The headmaster cleared his throat before responding, breaking the stout silence that held the room hostage.
"It's rather simple really. The ten mages in training will face off against each other until only one remains. The winner of each game will become a fully-fledged mage and graduate immediately."
His face was filled with more color than I had ever seen when he said that. The exact opposite of every student in attendance.
Mass hysteria was unleashed.
"We have to kill each other!?" one said.
"I have never even fought before!" said another.
"Is that all we get?"
It was the voice from before.
Everyone was bumping into each other trying to leave, but the door was already sealed shut. The headmaster put his hand up again.
"Prepare yourself. The games will now commence. I grant you good luck in your endeavors and hope to see some of you return."
With that he flicked his wrist into the direction of the sky. A white light encompassed the room, blinding myself and everyone around me.
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