“This is amazing.” Mini sat with a big grin as she kept her hood up to avoid detection. Today she was sporting the bronze robe of an Oligarch Mage and enjoyed the scene before. She came so early to the proving ground today she was able to get a seat on the front bench! She’d never had front-row seats before! All the Mage robes were all-in -ones you had to pull over your head and had slits level with your elbows to slide your forearms out of. Because of this design feature, no one could see her grey Neophyte tunic and trousers beneath it. Really, mages could be totally naked underneath their robes or wearing whatever colour they liked, and no one would know. She smiled to herself and looked out onto the massive circular dirt grounds. The many rows of cavea seating were filled with cheering commoners for the most part, but specific sections were reserved for attending nobles, and of course, them. “The Knights.” Mini spoke dreamily under her breath as she watched yet another pair of Knights walk out of the combatant area to take their places. To her great joy, Sir Raymond Tibaut was fighting again today. He was the reigning champion of not just Netora, the capital city of Sabraes, but he was highly decorated in the Royal army. He was a Knight Marshal and outclassed the normal Knights who competed here in buckets and spades. Really, he shouldn’t be at the proving grounds at all, but his last Mage fell in battle. It was sad news, and widely known because of how famous Raymond the fire blade of Sabraes was. 

But without a mage to stand as his squire, he was no longer on the front lines. Instead, he was duty-bound to compete in provings and forge temporary covenants with mages to test them in battle. Mini came to watch the fights here to learn as much as she could, at least twice a week, and Sir Raymond was here every other visit. He effortlessly defeated the opposing knight every time. Usually, before the Mage who had thrown their gauntlet in to be trailed as his squire, could do anything. Thus, he sent them on their way with no apology and repeated the whole experience at least once a week. A Knight like him shouldn’t be here. Mini sighed and folded her arms as she watched him move to the red starting marker. No armour was worn here, but his standing was clear from his fine brown leather and blue tabard. The quality of his boots and gloves spoke of his wealth, as did his grooming. His beard was trimmed to follow the square shape of his jaw, and joined seamlessly to his moustache and goatee. His brown hair was in curtains that would reach his mid-neck later once dishevelled from the fight. Right now though it was combed back neatly. His icy blue eyes stared holes into a knight who looked stupidly reassured by their girth. 

He was taller than Sir Raymond, wider, had thicker arms and held a battle-axe rather than the sword and shield like the reigning champion carried. A Mage stood beside him, looking just as confident. Pah, idiot. He’s just a Hoplite in that yellow. He’s probably been a squire all of 2 minutes. Mini leaned forward and watched in fascination as the mage started to chant and wave their palms fluidly over the space surrounding their Knight. Probably using protection seals. Maybe shock absorbance spells? Mini would have sat on the edge of her seat, if she wasn’t so concerned about being spotted by the guards again. She subconsciously tugged her hood down to reassure herself that she wasn’t easy to spot, and kept watching. 

Like he had for months beforehand, Sir Raymond turned to the crowd and pointed out with his sword. 

“Who will test their magic as my shield? Whom here will see if they are worthy of forming a covenant with me? I am Sir Raymond Tibaut, Knight Marshal and the Fire blade of Sabraes.” Mini held her breath and waited. This fight was going to be interesting, from the way the Hoplite was now squatting down by his Knight’s feet. Adding speed and agility? Wait, no, he’s not touching their feet. Mini leaned forward even more and narrowed her green eyes on the mage. Hang on… They had their hands on either side of their Knight’s feet, but firmly pressed into the ground up to the first knuckle on each finger. Wait a minute…traps aren’t allowed in the proving grounds. Hexes are forbidden unless on the front lines and with the sanction of- “Truly? No one?” Mini balked and returned her attention to Sir Raymond. He was scowling and openly displeased with the lack of temporary squire. “Is there truly no mage here whom I have not previously trialled? None are worthy?” He sneered and turned to face his opponents just after the Hoplite got to their feet and moved carefully around their Knight. “Fine. Then I fight with no squire.” 

The crowd gasped, and Mini paled. Without a mage squire there would be no way he would be able to detect the hex beneath his feet. Without magical wards he would suffer the full brunt of whatever kind of trap that was. “Whom will I best this morning?” 

“I am Knight lieutenant Garner, and I shall be the victor today.” 

“Unlikely.” Sir Raymond sneered and braced his sword along the top of his raised shield to point at Ser Garner. “Do your worst.” 

How right that taunt would be. Mini was sat on a bench, mostly with commoners, and her hands gripped into fists on her lap. He’s going to walk straight into a hex. He’s going to-no no no I can’t just sit here and do nothing?! Mini bit her cheek and knew how much trouble she would be in if she was discovered. I’m a Neophyte. A bottom-level Mage. I’m not allowed to become a squire, temporary or permanent, until I’m at least an Acolyte. What do I do? If I do nothing then Sir Raymond could be seriously hurt. 

Sir Garner started to taunt and jeer Sir Raymond, who started to stalk forward. Oh no oh no oh no oh no! Her mind came up with many of the forbidden kinds of hexes that this could be. That small patch of earth could be holding an evisceration curse. Immolation? Decomposition? Her green eyes caught the tell-tale glimmer of the trap, and saw Sir Raymond was only two steps away from triggering it. 

“No!” Mini stood and screamed. She rolled her arms up from her body like a wave, and then flicked her fingers upward, palms facing the battle. She inhaled deeply, swung her arms down, backward, and behind her like a pair of wings. Wind kicked up like a gale was tearing through and all three combatants were dragged several steps toward Mini. The wind also blew her hood down just in time for Sir Raymond to spot her as the source of the spell. Oh no. He’s seem my face?! 

He seemed startled to see a young woman, barely fully grown with a messy bob of dark blonde hair and freckles across her fresh round face. Raymond barely hesitated before he took a very menacing step towards her, only to snap back around at the sound of a soul ripping howl behind him. Sir Garner was bleeding from his eyes and writhing on his back on the floor. His Mage was panicking and knelt over him, hands flapping and tears pouring. 

“-n-no I, no Ger, I-I I didn’t even w-want to-h-how do I-”

“A hex?” Sir Raymond still had his weapon drawn, and soldiers were flooding down into the crowd to regain order. “How dare you place a hex within the prov-”

“EXCUSEMESORRYCOMINGTHROUGH!” Mini skidded past Raymond and skidded to a stop next to the writhing Knight, who had bled so much by this point he looked like an animated corpse. The Knight Marshal was sure he would done for. “Okay okay, hex reversal. Erm, short time window, erm…” Mini’s head was on a swivel as she looked around for something. “AH! Yes, a solar anchor.” She threw her left hand up towards the sky and her right slapped across the face of the Hoplite.

“What are you-?!”

“Shut up.” Mini tried to take hold of the guy’s face again but nearly got a punch to the face for her trouble. At this point she spotted how close Sir Raymond was and smiled up at him anxiously. “Can you hold him still please? I need to reverse this and it will be too late in a couple of minutes. This is gonna hurt.”

“What the HE-” Sir Raymond swung his sword up to press to the Adam’s apple of the yellow-robed mage, and raised a brow at him. 

“Be still.” He commanded, and Mini would have been intimidated herself, if time wasn’t against her. She splayed her hand across the Hoplite’s face once more, reaching up to the sky with her other hand and closing her eyes. 

“I invoke the light to banish the dark, to lift the burden, to end the pain. Cleans and clear the hex in this land.” Mini lowered her hand from the sky to the blood soaked ground beside the gurgling Knight. “I command time to give the spell back. Undo this curse. Restore the fallen.” Her voice sounded like three people were whispering all at once, and her eyes opened to glow brilliant green…with black slits for pupils. She strained, knowing she had to focus on pulling the curse back through the short bubble of time and into the caster, before Ser Garner died. Then there was no taking it back. The Hoplite knelt beside her started to gasp and thrash against her hand and the blade pressed to his neck. Ser Raymond sheathed his weapon and gripped his shoulders instead. His icy orbs focused on the foolish Knight starting to choke on his own blood at his feet. 

“Hurry Oligarch. He is fading.” 

“MINERVA DOVE!?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?” Mini recognised Archon Flavius’ voice, but blocked him out. “GET YOUR HANDS OFF-”

“Do not interfere Archon.” Sir Raymond barked, getting the Mage’s attention instantly. “This Oligarch is acting to save this idiot from a curse of this Hoplite’s making.” It was clearly working too, as the Knight was no longer weeping blood from his mouth or eyes. His breathing was rasped, but no longer wet and harrowing. 

“This Oli…?!!” Flavius took in her appearance and groaned. “Idiot girl.”

“She is not the one who cast-”

“Sir Knight, this woman does not need you to defend her actions.” Flavius threw his robe tails out behind him and knelt with a flourish to place his palms over Mini’s glowing green eyes. “Regardless of her credentials, she is doing the reversal, even though she has no business to. I will guide you the rest of the way Mini. Let me in.” Flavius bowed his head forward, his hands pressed to cup over her eerie eyes, and then raised his head to stare at her with magenta pools for eyes. “Don’t resist me Minerva. Let me guide you the rest of the way…good girl.” The air around them crackled with magenta and green sparks. Simultaneously three things happened.

The Hoplite fell backwards like he’d been struck, landing in an unconscious heap. 

Knight Garner sat up and gasped with clear lungs for air, and clear eyes to see he was still alive. 

Flavius released Mini’s face and yanked her hood back over her head. He kept a hold of the hood and ragged her to her feet with it. “Idiot girl.” He snapped. “And that one will be severely punished.” He snapped down at the yellow clad Mage. “He isn’t one of mine. I will be having stern words with their Archon when I find out who they are.”

“They shall both be punished severely.” Sir Raymond scowled and afforded the threat a moment to sink in for Garner. “You’re bloody lucky to be alive man, and you nearly did that to me.” Sir Raymond waved the nearest soldiers over to arrest the pair of them. “You had a Mage to dampen the effects of that Hex. I would have been killed instantly without a squire. That was no less than an attempt to murder a superior-” 

Raymond noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Archon Flavius trying to drag Minerva to the nearest exit. “This isn’t over.” He snapped at the prisoners, only one conscious at that point, and hurried after the other two mages. “Archon.” He called out and raised a brow when he was ignored. “Archon!” Raymond ran and cut the mages off at the exit to the main street. “Archon your statement will be required.”

“Of course. I will await officers in my office. I run the Netora Obelisk.” Flavius smiled politely and kept a hand on top of Mini’s hooded head. He made her bow it to try and hide her identity. 

“Very good.” He cleared his throat and pointed to the mage the Archon was trying to smuggle away. “And the Oligarch? Minerva? I should like to speak to her.” 

“Oh no you wouldn’t.” Flavius chuckled anxiously and tried to walk her around the Knight Marshal. 

“Yes, I would.” Raymond cut them off again and noted how the Archon became more anxious with time. “…my last mage was a Sacrum, so an Oligarch is significantly lower in rank than I would like, but I cannot deny the resourceful nature of this mage or her apparent raw abilities. I would like to therefore propose a probationary-”

Flavius squealed. 

Full-on squealed. “…covenant…?” Raymond had never heard a grown man make that noise before, or sweat so much outside of battle or hard labour.

“Really?!?!” Mini raised her head, her pupils still black slits and her smile wide, only to grumble as Flavius forced her head back down. 

“Perhaps this conversation should take place at a more suitable time and location?” The Archon flustered and nodded far more than was necessary. “Please come by my office at the Netora Obelisk. Other matters take precedence at the moment.” He nodded back towards the arrested Knight and Mage being brought this way in irons. “Good day Sir Knight.” 

“Sir Raymond Tibaut, Knight Marshal and fire blade of Sabraes.” Flavius squeaked in his throat and nodded again. 

“Yes, quite important indeed. Of course you are. Because why would you be someone insignificant? A ha. Yes, right. Later then Sir Knight Marshal.” 

“Later today?” Raymond didn’t want the first potential worthy squire he’d come across since the passing of his last mage to get away or be claimed by another. 

“Oh, goodie.” Flavius marched Mini away from the proving grounds and shoved her unceremoniously into the carriage. Once the door was shut his eyes glowed magenta and crackled at the edges. “Minerva Dove are you OUT of your MIND?!? DO you even KNOW what you just DID?!?” 

“I was just asked to be Sir Raymond’s squire!” Her face was bright with excitement, totally missing the point.

“…” Flavius was fuming, took a moment to gather himself, reached down to remove one of his shoes, and slapped her across the legs with it. “You IMBECILE! You’re a Neophyte! You CAN’T become his squire!”

“But-ouch!” He slapped her again and pointed at her with the shoe. “Archon, please? I didn’t mean to use my magic in the proving.” Mini sniffled and rubbed her thighs. “Sir Raymond was about to step into an unknown hex and I couldn’t let him-”

“Let, Minerva. Let. You understand that you did have a choice? And you chose to interfere and expose yourself?!?” He snarled up at the carriage roof in frustration. 

“But he would have died?” Mini’s green eyes had round pupils again and they watered with tears. “I couldn’t let him die. No one else was stepping in to save him.”

“No one else is supposed to be avoiding attention. Unlike you."