Melody of Mana

Fall came, and the studying became real. It was either Kala or Dras or both at all times that I wasn't working. Once I was a week out I took the time off to just study. If I didn't get in I would be amazed, if I did I wouldn't be staying at The Sky. As it stood Lucien accepted my leaving with little more than a chuckle and pat on the head.

On the night before Dras came down to join Kala and I. We spent the evening relaxing again and chatting about whatever came to mind. I appreciated that he was keeping this tradition alive and as the sun set we all went to rest for the coming day.

I woke up early. Insanely so, and found that Eleanor was still sleeping. With little else to do I slipped out of my room and headed towards the main room. I wanted to see it, to take another hard look around the place that had been my home for so very long. As I came in I found Lucien there, leaning on the bar and doing some light cleaning.

"Woke up early?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, nerves."

"Alana, I've known a good few casters. I've known bards, and wizards, and clerics of all types. So, as someone who has seen plenty of people who've gone to that school, allow me to tell you. You're going to be fine. If anyone I've ever known was ready for that exam, it's you." He gave me a kind smile and motioned me to take a seat by him at the bar.

"I know that I know what I need to. I'm also fairly sure I'll destroy the practical."

"How's that thing you were preparing for that going?"

"I got it down, it'll be great if it works."

"Odds on that?"

"Fifty fifty, depends on one big factor. That's out of my control though so who knows."

"Well soon you'll have a proper teacher. I'm sure they'll be able to help you get it going afterwards."

"You're a proper teacher, just a rather unconventional one."

"Alana, I take in strays every now and then, but I'm no professor. You and Jackson are my only two real students. Even then I only took you on because you reminded me of my old friend."

"And Jackson?"

He gave me a real deep look and I nearly fell out of my chair. "Does he know?"

"I'm not even sure. Could get a priest to check or something if I really wanted. He's the right age though, and from the right neighborhood. I can't deny that he certainly acts like I did too... Enough about my past though, you've got a future ahead of you. Do you think you're ready?"

"As I can be, not just on an ability way either. I like it here, it's comfy, but I need to get stronger. When I come of age I need to go and find my family. I'm betting they're still out there somewhere, I just don't know where yet."

"Bit surprised you're waiting that long."

"I don't really know where to start. I'm hoping that they come and find me, or Mystien comes to visit you. If he does..."

"I'll get word to you, and I'll let him know where you are."

"Thanks, for everything."

Lucien smiled at me and patted me on the shoulder. He then made me a frankly huge breakfast with most of my favorites. I was surprised he knew them, but we'd lived in the same place for so long I really shouldn't have been.

Before long The Sky was abuzz with the morning crowd. Eleanor rushed me off to get ready before it got too late. Even as I was doing that I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. When I returned I found Kala there, along with an amused looking Charles. His big eyes taking in everything around him.

"Surprised to see you here." I said as he came over.

"Oi oi, we're friends."

Were we? I only saw the guy like once or twice a year outside of him coming to get his injuries mended up. Charles was weird about the social stuff though, so he might actually consider me his friend. I mean, he did tell me when I was being stalked.

"Well, sadly it's time for me to go on..." I looked at him and he shook his head.

"Sure, but we'll see each other again. I mean, you're not even leaving the city, you can visit The Sky pretty much any time you want."

I felt really silly in that moment about being all tied up in leaving. Sure, The Sky had been home, but it was just going to be a short walk away. Even Kala shook her head as she looked at me.

Our walking chat up to the gates was at least fun. Kala had apparently been saving some of her best jokes for this very trip. It worked to relax me completely by the time we arrived.

"Alana, I know you don't like me, but good luck dear." Eleanor said as we split from the adults with us to go to the actual test.

Kala had a few that had come to cheer her on in the practical as well, and they gave her a wave. Lucien had opted to stay back, something about not liking the noble section of the city.

It was easy to follow the crowd to our testing room. I'd thought that we'd only have a few people based on what I saw yesterday, but it seemed that I had been mistaken. There were easily a three hundred candidates filing into the large hall used for the written test. I didn't think there were this many in the capital itself. My guess though was that nobles from all around the country sent their kids to try and get in.

"Welcome to the written examination for The Bergond Academy of Mages." A familiar old man spoke from the front of the room. His aura was still a bit unpleasant to look at for too long, but I thought he was toning it down a bit. "Though we more often refer to ourselves simply as 'the academy' here. I am Dean Lorrae and fifty of you will have the privilege of being my students. First you will take the written portion and those that pass will undergo a practical examination afterwards. Attempting to cheat here will result in immediate failure, you are here to show us your abilities, and your abilities alone. Find your seat, once we begin you will have until the sand runs out."

At the front of the room was a desk with a rather large hourglass on it. I wondered if they used that rather than a clock for some practical reason, or just because someone thought it was a good visual. My desk was near the back, quite far from it. As were all the desks of what could be considered lower class folk. Not that that bothered me in the least.

We began as soon as the hourglass was flipped, and as soon as I began to dive into the test I relaxed. It was easy as pie. After years of study on the material this was a bit of a joke. Even the prose and rhyme parts were nothing major for anyone who'd been forced to sit through language classes for as long as I had. The math was laughable, nothing more complex then the most basic of algebra and geometry.

As I was around halfway through the math section there was a loud *bang* and one of the students on the other side of the room was launched backwards from his chair. He was quickly removed from the room by an irate looking Professor Magnolia.

"That's our one for the year. We've never had a second, but do feel free to break the record if you were planning on it. For those of you who are smart though, back to work," the Dean declared.

I finished early and ended up sitting there for a good bit of time. That was after I went back over everything twice, just to check. There were one or two more that had finished as well, though most were still bent over their papers and scribbling furiously.

When it ended there were only a few who hadn't yet finished, and the lot of us were quickly instructed to group up. Since there were so few bards we ended up as a group. The priests were much the same, but the wizards... The wizards had to consult a list, and then go to their assigned section of the room. They had the rest of us thoroughly outnumbered.

Our time spent waiting was filled with nervous glances around, the tapping of fingers, and one rather annoying noble giving me a glare. It wasn't too long though before Professor Magnolia and my old doorway guarding acquaintance walked up to us.

Professor Magnolia took out a piece of paper and looked it over briefly. "June of Estri, Omar of Mintra, Lora of Lithere, and Alana of Orsken, you may stay. The rest of you may now leave."

Most of our little group rose and began moving away. I was glad to see that the boy with the gray aura was among those. He on the other hand seemed to have something to say.

"The common girl passed?"

"Her score made yours look like the scribblings of a small child, now go."

"Professor Rooke, there's no need to be impolite." Professor Magnolia inserted.

"I've no use for those who can't pass that test. Particularly when they let themselves be blinded to their own failings by the illusion that their birth should do anything other than require their excellence." Professor Rooke seemed far more harsh in this setting than I'd ever seen him before. "Now, go. I've far more interesting things to be on with." Yes, he seemed particularly cross for some reason.

The students who'd failed quickly fled from his presence when he turned to give them a look that might be capable of literally wilting flowers. One which he then turned on me. I was unsure what I had done, but it seemed there was something.

After they'd left the two professors took out June and Omar. My guess was that they'd take us in order that we were called on the list, meaning I was thankfully last. I took the chance to begin quietly humming several spells into place, one after another until everything was right where it needed to be.

"He seemed pissed." Lora leaned over after they'd left. If I had to guess from her clothing she was fairly low on the nobility totem pole.

"Yeah, that's an understatement."

Professor Magnolia came back first, and gathered up Lora for her practical. He dropped off June at another waiting room to the side as he came, she seemed in good spirits. Professor Rooke on the other hand pointed Omar off to the exit as he came in, before he came striding up to me.

"Alana, I'm a bit miffed at the moment, though not at you."

"Oh... I suppose that's good then Professor..."

"Did you know that I came to join the duty roster for the odious job of testing applicants who show almost no talent just to see you in action?"

"Um... you did say you'd administer my test last year sir, yes?"

"Good. Then I don't suppose you can tell me why the Dean has decided that you passed your practical already then?"

"Oh." I understood now. I'd convinced him to come and test me himself and then shown to Dean Lorrae enough magic that he didn't feel the need to test me further.

I'd literally kept him waiting to see me cast for a year, gotten him to take a job he hated, and then been pulled away before he even got a look at my magic. I'd be a bit grouchy at that level of tease too.

"I... suppose that the Dean saw some of my magic awhile ago, and made his decision there..." I could see the eye twitch.

"Well,. I am still quite curious as to what exactly you showed him."

"You could still run me through the practical sir... I prepared specifically for it and all."

"I was hoping you might agree to that. Did our esteemed Dean," I could nearly taste the sarcasm in the word 'esteemed' "let you know that he'd passed you?"

"When we met he didn't even tell me who he was."

"That... is a bit unsurprising. He rather likes his jokes."

As we walked past the man in question he looked up at me, and then he looked at me.

"Eh heh heh heh heh," he laughed as Professor Rooke passed.

"Something funny sir?" The still slightly irate man asked.

"Don't worry about it lad. You'll like it."

When we finally made it out into the arena, coming in through a side door Professor Rooke had on an actual smile.

Once we'd found a good spot away from the other examinations he turned to look at me.

"Alright Alana, you may begin when you're ready."

"Oh, I began some time ago Professor." I smiled.

"What?..."

When the illusory me that I'd made while waiting for him to come administrate my test poofed and I appeared some twenty feet behind it I got to see him actually begin to laugh. It took him a good fifteen seconds to stop.

"Okay, how'd you do that?" he said, wiping his face.

"Invisibility and illusion mostly. I used a silence bubble over my mouth to hide the sound of myself and a sound moving spell to make my voice appear from the illusion's mouth." That got me another round of chuckles.

"Quite good, and the footprints?" He pointed to the places in the sand where my double's feet had landed.

"Just a simple movement spell."

"You're quite the bold girl to go and pull that on me. Good job on the casting, multiple spells like that can be hard to work out. What else have you got?"

Most of my other spells weren't all that impressive to him. Though he gave some good reviews on my sugar summoning. The big show was the flamethrower, which I saved for last. It was too expensive mana wise to use earlier. Even if the cost had dropped significantly for me, it was still a monster.

After that there were indeed a few small questions on mana regulation and group casting, nothing complex though.

"Well sir, did I meet your expectations?"

"And exceeded Alana. If you'll come with me, we'll go join the other successful candidates." There were a few still testing as he led me back in and to the waiting room.