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Magical Quicksilver: New Quarter Part 2 |
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So I excused myself from Scarlet’s presence and placed myself at my assigned seat in the third and final row, where I am typically wedged between by two closest friends of the Elite Class. To my right was my most trusted and loyal partner, my best buddy Miliardo whom the class calls “Mills” for short. For someone from a respectable family, his dark brown hair was rather spikish and messy. Despite this, his big, deep brown eyes always looked on straight and true. He is a little meek, yet he has always been the most honest and dependable friend I could ever ask for. Together, I just know we can face anything head on!
To my left; however, is a space occupied by the “precious princess” of whom Scarlet refers to. Her name is Sherri Langley, and I confess that she is quite the fair lady. Her strawberry blonde hair was fixed into two neat buns at her side. She also had two violet eyes that always gazed softly at whatever the beheld. Her skin was pale, yet healthy in a flattering way. She was always so kind, gentle and humble, yet managed to hold an elegant poise in her bearing. I actually think she does fit the “precious princess” title Scarlet has given her, and it certainly doesn’t keep me from wanting to look out for a refined girl like her. Of course, there could be no one more fitting to protect a fine young lady like her than an honorable knight like me.
“Marco! You’re finally here!” My good friend cried.
“Of course I’m here, Mills! Did you honestly think my so-called “bad performance” would keep me from remaining with my best friend and good lady? I think not.”
“N-no! Of course not! I was just thinking that maybe you’d take the day off to reflect on how you could improve your grade!” Mills suggested.
“I don’t know… that doesn’t sound like Sir Marco’s way of handling things.” Sherri jumped in.
“Indeed. For you see, I have no reason to “improve” my performance! I simply have to keep doing everything the same, and once the time has come to show my talents, everyone will finally understand that all that pesky lecturing wasn’t needed after all!” I explained to them.
My two friends laughed awkwardly at the moment, but I could tell it was only because my good logic had to take awhile to sink in. But I know they should be laughing heartily alongside me once they finally see my success for themselves.
“I still think it wouldn’t hurt if maybe you looked at your study materials and---“
“Mills, it’s no problem! Easily out-dated books on useless facts and common knowledge aren’t as useful as they make it out to be! As long as you know your spells, your family, and your nation’s current events, you’re pretty much set! Besides, remembers that obsessive book reader, Jimmy? All he has in his head happens to be that textbook knowledge, and he happens to be the lowest of the class!” I explained to him.
My friends were a little silent afterward. Mills was taken back a bit, while Milady Sherri looked somewhat bothered. I fear my forward criticism of a fellow classmate may have upset her, but I’ll have to trust that she’ll get over it. She always does, anyway.
“And what about the basics?” Mills further asked.
“Basics?!” I laughed. “Basics are common sense! Why else would they be called “basics”? What baffles me is why this academy expects even their Elites to go over such simple things over and over again!”
My friend Mills looked like he had more to say, but he decided to withhold himself.
“Um… how about we about something more interesting? Like the new student!” Sherri suggested.
“Hmmm…. Yes, I do remember Lady Rose mentioning a new student that was to arrive for the semester. She doesn’t seem to know anything about him in advance, though.” I shared.
“New student?!” Mills exclaimed.
“Yes, Mills. I think I remember Professor Hunt mentioning a new student transferring in before we left for break. I’ve heard that he was previously apprenticed under his own father, and lived somewhere out in the country.” Sherri stated.
“Home-schooled, huh?” I said aloud.
“Apparently, his father is also supposed to be an old friend of the Professor’s. Some of the Moderate-level students believe this may have been part of the reason he got into the Elite Class Mid-Year, but I think that’s only because they don’t know our teacher as well as we do. If anything, he’d probably be tougher on a friend’s child, don’t you think?” Sherri continued.
“Wow, Miss Sherri! You’ve certainly found out a lot of gossip about the new student!” Mills cheered.
“Um…. T-thanks, Mills. But… honestly, it’s all just speculation that I’ve overheard. I’m not really sure how much of it is true.” Sherri replied rather meekly.
True, she always seems to catch much of what goes on around the academy, but she isn’t the most sociable girl, which astounds me sometimes.
“Lady Rose has told me our new student has actually done “exceptional” on the placement exam. Supposedly, he should have magical ability that matches, if not betters, our own.” I shared with my friends.
“Wow, I… I never heard about that.” Sherri answered in amazement.
“Really? Then maybe this guy is the real deal after all! I heard that placement exam is tougher than the ones we had to as already enrolled students! He may actually be the best of the best! A REAL Elite!” Mills cried.
“Hush, Mills. We’ve earned our place in this class, so we’re as “real” an Elite as anyone else here, especially some home-schooler who was taught his father. None of these ridiculous tidbits should automatically make him better than any of us.” I explained.
“Besides, I’m certain he’ll have to do some catching up with the rest of us. We can’t be too sure how much his father didn’t teach him yet that we’ve already learned. I hope it won’t be too much trouble for him…” she lamented.
“I’m always a little nervous over the studies, but then I always end up going over it a few times. If I can do it alright, then the new student should be good, too. He’s going to have Rose’s assistance, anyway.” Mills replied.
“Ah, Rose! Yes, he should be alright with her helping out! She’s our class’ model student!” Sherri added hopefully.
“So, Milady Sherri. Do you have anything else to say about our new mystery student?” I asked.
“Right! Right… um…. I thought I heard that he’s supposed to be Mitalin.”
“A Mitalin? One of the Prophet Folk? Like Serena?”
Let me clarify: Mitalins, or as some like to call them, the “Prophet Folk”, are a race of people with psychic powers that look a lot like us humans. They don’t have any telltale signs like pointy ears, or animal-like body parts like most of the other races here. No, the only way to tell them apart from us, if you’re lucky, is by their gemstone-colored eyes. Unfortunately, that still leaves a bunch of eye colors similar to ours, but if you notice any unusual shades or colors on a person that resemble a jewel’s, that person just might be one of the Prophet Folk. Just make sure they aren’t muscular, or bear any hidden fangs: Mitalins aren’t supposed to be able to have warrior-like bodies, and fangs usually mean that the person in question is actually a vampire or werewolf.
Another student of ours, Serena, is one of these Mitalins, but you can’t really tell by looking at her because of her light blue eyes. She’s a quiet one who never gets emotional, but at least she’s always calm and friendly enough, so I have nothing against her. Perhaps with their reputation of being patient people, maybe all Mitalins are just as calm and quiet as her.
In any case, Milady Sherri responded with but a single nod.
“Ah, then perhaps we have another good friend to welcome in our ranks! How refreshing! At least I know this well help balance out the unpleasant classmates we have to deal with!” I said aloud.
“That sounds good.” Mills replied.
“But if some rumors are wrong and this new guy happens to be a scoundrel, it’ll have to be up to Mills and I put to put him in his place. We’re not going to put up with that kind anymore!” I declared.
Mills glared at me. Milady Sherri looked concern. Maybe I sounded rash,
but what else could I say? We couldn’t rule out the other possibility.
“P-please! Let’s not jump into any conclusions!” Milady Sherri urged me.
“Right! Let’s just stay positive and think of the new student as a friendly addition!” Mills added.
“No worries, my friends. I’m just saying that we should be prepared whatever the case may be, but I’m looking forward to the greater outcome. Most likely, if our new student is indeed a Mitalin, our chances are good.” I answered.
Towards the front of the classroom, I heard a very defiant laugh.
“So… our new student is supposed to be that good, huh? I’ll see about that! I’ll put him through anything and everything until I run him dry! He only passed the entrance exam, but he has yet to pass the class! And if he’s weak and undeserving, I’ll see to it personally that he’s kicked out of the Elite!” a harsh voice declared.
There was only one among us with such a crude view of things, and that’s Annis Reinheld. If there’s anyone that deserved to be labled “villain”, it’s her. This devilish cur had pale blond hair styled in a thick ponytail hanging in the back. Her aquamarine eyes always seemed to be in a devious slant, which goes hand in hand with her sadistic smirk. Do not be fooled by her small stature: she may be one of the few classmates shorter than me, but somehow that fiend is among the more powerful among us. She happens to be ranked 2nd in the class, and is said to be the closest in ability to Lady Rose. She’s also claimed to have prior dueling experience before the lot of us, which frustrates me even more. Indeed, if there is anyone I loathe more than that annoying plant lover, or even that uptight Ketri, it would be this girl who’s full of so much privilege she doesn’t deserve. Curses, I can simply feel her dastardly power just by standing next to her!
“Marco, calm down. I know how much you want to take her down, but it will only get you trouble. Even worse, you could get hurt.” Milady Sherri warned me.
She always did have a way of knowing when my blood boiled. I always did admire her keen senses; it only made her more befitting as a proper lady.
“Do not worry, Milady. I’ll try to be patient until time allows it. And when it does, I’ll make sure to show her most of all why it is justice always triumphs.” I proclaimed.
“Is that needed? She spoke ill of the newcomer, after all.” Mills noted.
“That doesn’t take away the many times she spoke down to the rest of us. Always calling us hopeless weaklings in the past, and now thinking we made it as Elites by sheer luck?! Do you not remember how badly she always spoke of Fair Sherri?! She claimed that she was not only the weakest member of our group, but also the most useless of our entire class! She’s a foul one, she is! But should she choose to pursue harassing the newcomer, may he give her a sound thrashing if he can beat me to it!” I answered.
Milady Sherri looked rather ill and shaky remembering all the times that villain insulted her. No, it wasn’t just the villain, but so many others. As I said, Milady Sherri is a meek girl, yet so many dared to see her ladylike humility as reason to take advantage of her. It was because of that, much of the academy could not believe her abilities as a fellow mage, and were convinced her passage into the Elite Class was some mere fluke. Everything about this was absurd, yet I find myself as her protector more than necessary. As a sworn Mageknight, I’m proud to serve her, but I still hope one day that people look past this foolishness so they can finally see the smart, worthy lady that she is.
“If anything, it would be Lady Rose to put Annis in her place, wouldn’t it? But it would be nice if our new student had that sort of gal.” Sherri spoke.
“That does sound interesting to see.” Mills agreed.
Just then, the door opened up once again. This got everyone else to get in their seats immediately. At first, I assumed our teacher had arrived, but then I remembered there was one usually-occupied desk that was empty. I then hoped that Lady Rose had not been further delayed after our meeting. Still, there was a chance that the Professor had managed an early arrival. We could even be catching our first look at the newcomer.
When the figure finally entered the room, I was filled with relief. What I saw was long, honey-blonde hair along with the fair white skin of pointed ears and soft, blue eyes. Lady Rose had arrived, and class still hasn’t started yet. She had a most curious look on her face, which made me wonder what sort of business caused her brief delay. I was about the call out to her as she took her seat, but then the door opened again soon afterwards.
This time, two figures came through. One was a tall man with balding brown hair and a thick beard. His dark eyes looked straight ahead without a blink or a side glance, and he wore a very long, thick white robe. That was certainly the familiar sight of our “esteemed” Professor Hunt.
The other one was a far more noticeable sight. This one was a small boy clothed in our dark blue robes, but he wasn’t a familiar face at all. He had short, raven-black hair, and cautious-looking eyes that were colored a shiny red. He was a pale and weak-looking fellow, though. Clearly this had to be the new student everyone was gossiping about. I’ll admit that he’s an usual, maybe even suspicious boy in appearance, but not exactly formidable.
“Good Morning, Class. Today we have yet another wonderful day of learning, but before we get to that, I’d like to introduce a new pupil among your ranks. I’m sure many rumors have spread throughout your prepubescent ears, but now you can finally put them to rest. Go ahead and present yourself, my new little gruntling.” Professor Hunt announced.
This red-eyed stranger shot our Professor a strange look before stepping forward. Apparently, even he isn’t free from our teacher’s twisted sense of humor.
“Greetings, everyone. My name is Gades Rubiss, and it’s a pleasure joining you all. I feel very privileged to have earn my way into this class.” The boy announced in a polite tone.
I’ve got to hand it to this Gades, fellow. Upon his presentation, he comes off as upstanding and friendly enough. He kind of reminds me of Mills. Just maybe we may have another trusted classmate in our midst.
Shortly after giving us a gentleman’s bow, our new student glanced quickly towards the front row, towards Lady Rose, and looked surprised. I couldn’t quite make out her return glance, though. Does he actually know her?
“As you can tell from his ruby-colored eyes, Gades here is a Mitalin, like our dear Serena.” Professor Hunt shared. “The difference is that he happened to live his life out in the rural forest lands like most Mitalins did in older times. With the increase of attainable knowledge in the cities, this lifestyle has started to dwindle, but it still seems to be a preferred choice. Serena, do you care to show more feedback on this?”
Sure enough, a girl with fluffy shoulder-length black hair and light blue eyes got up. It was indeed Serena herself.
“I’m afraid I have yet to see a traditional home myself, but I know the reason they choose that specific kind of environment is because the forestland an ideal place to achieve the best concentration and become familiar with diverse forms of life. It’s also a good place to seclude our kind back in times when our way of life was secret from the outside world and we made our way through common society as wandering prophets.” She shared.
“Thank you, Miss Serena. That sounds about right.” Gades replied. “And if you were wondering how we made a living there, we pretty much lived off the land by gathering fruits, raising a good vineyard and go fishing once in awhile. Beyond that, we don’t hunt. We’re not very comfortable with most meats, really.”
That certainly explains why Serena refused the leftover mutton from the other day. Why didn’t anyone tell me about that sooner?
“If I remember correctly, your dear old dad started out as a fellow country bumpkin as well, am I right?” Professor Hunt asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Interesting. And yet he was even natural with city women…” he muttered to himself.
I noticed Gades’ head dropped down and looked embarrassed. I know our Professor has this effect on each of us at some point, but what made the new student react that way caught my attention. I vaguely remember my father mentioning a mage that graduated from this academy that was dubbed “Calkien of the Spring Gale” who was supposed to be a natural ladies’ man. Could he actually be this guy’s father? And a close friend of the Professor’s?
“In any case, thank you for the introduction, Gades. I look forward to teaching you from this point on, and I hope your fellow students look forward to meeting you. Now if you will please take your seat, we may begin” Professor Hunt stated.
Right when Gades sat at his desk, which was right next to Lady Rose’s, I could not help but notice a subtle smirk on Professor Hunt’s face. It was not a kind of smile I ever saw him make before. Actually, it was a tad creepy. I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it, but I have a feeling our teacher has big plans for the new student.
Other than that, I saw he and Lady Rose exchange a few words before Professor Hunt started close. The two of them had looked rather friendly towards each other, too. So perhaps they have met each other beforehand! And they both seem to be getting along quite quickly. But it bothered me a little…
After class ended, Lady Rose decided to introduce the new student to the rest of us and show him around. I decided to use this time to figure out something.
“Milady Rose!” I called out.
“Yes, Marco?”
“I notice you seem familiar with the new guy. Have you two met before?” I asked.
“Oh? Interesting that you noticed, but yes we have. I actually met him a few days before the new semester began. I caught him wandering around town, and we just really got along well at that time.” She explained.
“It was actually at a spot overlooking the academy! It was a great view, too!” Gades fondly remembered. “I happened to see her enjoying the view when we met.”
“You mean, Thinker’s Hill?” I asked.
“Is that what it’s called? Interesting. I guess that is a good place to go think about things.” He agreed.
“Hey Marco, guess what? I happen to be the first Elf he’s seen!” Lady Rose announced, “He must have been really isolated in that village because he asked me so many questions about Elvish Culture and City Life. It was really cute!”
I saw the new student turning pink and flustered. So he seemed livelier than Mills in a strange way, but the forest boy does have his own set of issues.
“Please, Miss Rose! I’m still so new to all of this! Please give me a break!” he pleaded.
“Sorry, sorry! It was just… you looked so amazed and curious about everything! And that first time you saw me, too! After hearing about your interest in my kind, I couldn’t tell if you looked at me that way because it was that, or if it was because you had a crush on me!” Lady Rose replied while laughing off her amusement.
To me, there was always refreshing about that more easygoing side to her. She may be the most accomplished mage in our class, but she’s also been a great friend to us. I may have said it before, but she looks after us like a big sister. Even if I question her sometimes, at least I know she means well by it. Still, I honestly can’t tell what she’s getting out of these books and papers of ours that she already has on her own.
“A-aren’t you being quick to call it a crush?” Gades uttered.
Lady Rose paused, then got a little closer at him and looked disappointed.
“Oh? Why? Do I not look pleasing to you?”
Gades was quick to look away, looking quite shaken. And truthfully, I felt like doing the same. The way Lady Rose said those words made me felt really funny, too. Yes, even our most highly respect mage can be a charming girl at times.
“No…that’s not it at all.” He replied quietly. “You look just fine, Miss Rose. It’s just… I feel far more respect than anything for you right now.”
Right then, her uneasy frown curved slowly into a grin. Before I realized it, she was in a fit of laughter again.
“You really are a sweet boy, aren’t you?” she answered teasingly.
Both he and I gulped in response. Somehow, I could just tell that we might share similar feelings towards our honorable lady. Still, he had only known her for maybe two times in his life and yet the both of them already shared some sort of bond. Not only that, Lady Rose will start being this boy’s assigned student mentor for the remainder of the year to have him caught up. That put him in a pretty close position with her. Counting the possibility that he just might be some prodigy wiz greater than most of us according to his test results and--- this irks me a little.
“M-Miss Rose, please take it easy on me! I’m still trying to get used to these new arrangements!” he cried.
“Don’t worry. I promise to be a more serious student mentor when we get there.” Lady Rose assured him, “For now, let’s try and loosen up and enjoy your first day getting to know the academy, okay?”
My fellow awkward classmate nodded in response.
“Thanks. I would like that.” He simply replied.
Going back on that last thought, he was supposed to have passed that entrance exam with little trouble, right?
“Say, Sir Gades?” I asked the ruby-eyed boy.
“Um, just Gades will be fine. I don’t need a title to my name. I actually don’t even have one.” He replied.
“Alright then, Gades. I’ve heard from a good friend of mine that you actually passed the Elite Class Exam almost flawlessly, am I correct?”
“Sure, I suppose you could say that. But it is just an entrance exam, right? I mean, I’d assume that compared to the actual school year, wouldn’t simply trying to make it in be relatively easy for a regular elite?” he asked casually.
That’s what I assumed, too.
“Certainly, you have not heard the reputation of the test?” I asked.
“No, I’m afraid not. Then again, Professor Hunt didn’t exactly go into full detail about the active portion with the cavern.” He replied.
Figures, he wouldn’t.
“Word of the Academy is that the exam to transfer in is supposed to be much tougher than the normal placement test, and a lot of it has to do with the cavern part. It’s supposed to test your wit and combat ability as an ace mage befitting an Elite.” I explained.
The new student mage had a curious look on his face.
“Really? The rumors make it sound a little dramatic. When I was in there, the situations felt basic to me. Especially that last part. It felt like a test of fundamentals more than anything else.” He told me.
“Basics, huh? For a test to allow students into an upper-level class? It sounds like an insult to our standards if you ask me.” I scoffed.
“Not exactly. I mean, you’d still need a considerable amount of magical power and effort to pull it all off. Luckily, I had enough of everything. But I’m sure with the kind of power and ability welcomed in this class, anybody here could pass it easily.” He explained.
“That does sound more fitting…” I said, “Lady Rose? How about you? Do you know anything about this exam?”
“Actually, I decided to go through it myself after qualifying as an Elite. I found it to be a decent review of previous lessons, and a good training session for using my magic. It was a little easy for me, too, but I think it’s fair enough test.” She told me.
“Really? Well, if that’s the case, it wouldn’t hurt if I tried the trial for myself as an exercise!”
“Is that so?” a bothersome voice answered behind me. Apparently, the great lover of foliage herself decided to stick around to torment me.
“Nina, what in the world are you still doing here?” I asked her.
“I just happened to overhear your little talk, and your last claim sounded very interesting to me.” She answered with an annoyingly smug grin.
“What about it?” I demanded.
“I still hold my belief in what has been said about the test. Sure Rose and the new student were able to complete the exam’s trial, but that must be because they’re better than you.” She taunted.
“Oh, really?” I scoffed.
“Yes, really. But since your so interested in the trial, how about you actually go through with it?” she suggested.
“Sure, I’ll go through with it! But you realize what you’ve handed me isn’t much of a challenge.” I argued back.
“Um? Marco? Maybe you should consider preparing first! I know I said it was a little easy for me, but just maybe---“
“It’s quite alright, Milady. I’m sure if the greenhorn made it through fine enough, I won’t have any problems either.” I assured Lady Rose.
“Ha! This should be interesting…” Nina scoffed.
“Interesting for me, I assume. You realize you’re pitting me against child’s play, right?”
“And you just happen to be a child, Marco. Figure it out for yourself.”
“Yes, I assume any knowledge that’s connected to plants will make anyone a step above the average student.” I mocked.
“Go ahead, see for yourself. I’m thinking if you were required to take the trial, you wouldn’t be here today.”
“Silence! Your words mean nothing! This trial is nothing! I’ll show you what a genuine Mage knight is capable of!” I declared in great confidence.
“Okay. Then we shall see in a week.” Nina declared, unfazed.
The fauna freak then left the room while laughing as if she had just met with a court jester. Of course, this absurd act of hers only made me want to show her the error of her ways that much sooner.
I turned to resume my talk with Lady Rose and the new student, but the both of them were looking at me uncomfortably.
“Er, Good luck, Sir Marco!” Gades told me in encouragement.
That sort of encouraging word is customary, I suppose. Even though I didn’t really need it.
A week later, I entered the trial cavern as promised. Unfortunately, things did not go quite as smoothly as it should have been.
I entered the academy shelter by the cavern and noticed a few familiar faces, and one unpleasant one, waiting around for me.
“Marco! You made it back!” Mills cried in relief.
“Well, of course I made it back! Did you expect me to be done in by a mere cavern like that?” I answered.
“No, but you look a little worn and roughed up.” Mills noticed.
Right by Mills was the ruby-eyed boy, looking very curious.
“So, how was it for you?” he asked.
Towering right behind him was that girl with a very annoying smirk. She was really enjoying herself right now, wasn’t she?
“It was ridiculous! I was shammed! For the most part, I was doing fine enough, taking my time figuring out each obstacle that kept me from moving forward! I would have passed if it hadn’t been for those blasted giant, colored lizards! My magic barely did a thing to them! What crock! How is this supposed to be a test of magic prowess if they throw in a bunch of creatures that are immune to it?! I swear it was rigged!” I shouted.
“If you assume I had anything to do with it, I assure you that sabotage is beneath me.” Nina scoffed. “And if you must know, I looked into the trial to ensure it would be fair. The academy have not changed the conditions of the trial for a very long time now. In other words, you went through the exact same thing that Gades here went through, and he passed.”
Gades turned to Nina in a panic.
“Nina, Please!” he cried.
“Aren’t you being a little harsh towards Marco right now?” Mills defended.
Regardless, the plant girl ignored their pleas and chuckled to herself.
“Gee, this little turn of events certainly says a lot, doesn’t it?” she teased.
That annoying ear sore… who does she think she is?
“Uh… Sir Marco? About those lizards.” Gades suddenly spoke. “What sort of offensive magic did you use, anyway?”
“I used my trusty lighting spells, of course! My usual spells failed, so I decided to throw out my most powerful ones! But I only managed to do any real damage to one of the lizards! All the others just stood around like it was nothing before they started charging at me! It was a good thing I found that emergency exit before they got to me.” I complained. “Don’t tell me there was some special spell you learned to damage the magically immune!”
Mills looked just as baffled as I was.
“Really? Giant Lizards with a magical immunity? That doesn’t sound like something on our level to handle. It almost sounds like a mock battle against dragons, and they’re a mage’s worst enemy!” He mentioned
“Actually, they weren’t magically immune. They each had a specific weakness.” Gades noted, “There were five lizards in there, right?”
I nodded in agreement. It was a really colorful bunch I encountered in that cave. No two were the same.
“Yes, and my magic only affected the brown one. There were also red, blue, yellow, and green ones” I shared.
“I felt the hard part there was the guessing game bit, but once you know which is which, it gets simple. The magical combat portion also happens to be a basic elemental aptitude test, too.” Gades replied.
“Huh?”
Both Mills and I looked confused, while Nina on the other side looked like she was trying to keep a big burst of laughter to herself.
“Each of the lizard’s weaknesses are based on the element they represent. If you noticed, each lizard had a special breath that had to do with their element, kind of like dragons do. For example, the red lizard was a fire creature, so its weakness was ice. The opposite is true for the blue one, who was weak to fire. And then the other three lizards was more of a rock-paper-scissors like deal. As you mentioned, the brown lizard was weak to lightning. So then, the yellow one would be a lighting lizard weak against wind, and the green one is a wind lizard weak against earth. If you had just mixed up your spell types, you could’ve figured it out sooner and passed through easily.” Gades explained.
What?! I couldn’t believe it. All of that is part of the basics I was expected to know? This is nonsense! Being able to face a foe head on with all your might should be enough to ensure victory! Not this useless knit picking! Stupid know-it-all…
“So what?! Just because you happened to know a few convenient tips, you think you’re better than me?!” I shouted.
“No! No! I was just trying to offer you some honest advice! Something like this could happen to you again in the future and---“
“What? You think I couldn’t handle it on my own?! You’re pretty arrogant for a new guy, you know that?! Trust me. I’m far more capable than you think.”
“Wait a minute---“
“Marco, I don’t think that’s what he meant at all!” Mills defended.
“I wouldn’t be speaking so high and mighty right now, Marco. Clearly he can outmatch you in a battle of wits. And since wit is such a heavy factor for a mage’s talents, this doesn’t look good for you.” Nina taunted.
“Hey! Nina! Please!”
“So… that’s it, isn’t it?” I uttered under my breath.
All eyes were suddenly on me. This was a very bad day for me so far, and it was only going downhill from here.
Just how did that boy manage to pass through a trial so easily when I couldn’t get through the last part myself, anyway? How could he call that easy, only to end up making a fool of me in the end? All this absurdity… there’s just no way he could be that much better. The tutoring he requires with Lady Rose is proof enough!
“Don’t think you’re so special just because you have Lady Rose’s assistance! She’s only doing it to help you catch up! Nothing more! Just be thankful of her generosity to cover for your weakness! You’ll see sooner or later that your so-called intellect means nothing in the heat of a real contest!” I cried.
“Sir Marco, I---“
“Right. I seriously doubt you could best this fellow, let alone me, in a proper duel.” Nina noted.
“Hey!”
“That’s it! I don’t know who you think you are, but know this! When our time comes to duel, and I settle my scores with my other rivals, I swear I’ll defeat you to make up for this indignity! If there’s anyone among us that deserves to be recognized as the best of this class, it should be the one with the greatest honor! Not some crazed plant freak, an anti-social cur, or even a cruel wench who just happened to be blessed with a tripe-load of power! Especially not some know-it-all greenhorn like you! I refused to be taken lightly!” I declared.
“Marco! Please calm down! I think you’re getting too carried away!” Mills noted.
“No! I’m not! You heard what he and that plant girl had to say! He thinks he can get away with talking down at me!”
“Sir Marco, I---“
“I can’t wait to see you take a thrashing by our new friend in a duel. It should be fun.” Nina teased.
“Please, just stop already!”
“Oh, you think you can still have fun with me, don’t you? Then hear me: I’ll make you regret it! I’ll make you and everyone rue the day you mocked a Volphied! Every last one!”
As Mills used his best efforts to drag me away, I could still hear Nina’s mocking laughter echo in my mind. I couldn’t see how Gades was behaving, nor did I care. Deep down, I knew he was looking down at me, and that’s all that I could stand. His kinship with Lady Rose is nothing but a nothing privilege, and his knowledge is nothing more than bragging rights, and now he has that stuck-up shrubbery freak speaking ill of me for him! I’ve figured him out alright. I won’t be fooled by his kindly, do-well act! Especially after handing me such a humiliating farce with the trial cavern! No, what I’ve come to learn is that I have another rival far worse than any other so far. From this moment on, I swear I will have my justice!
----
“Sir, Marco! I’m sorry! I really didn’t know what everyone expected from the trial!” Gades cried.
“Oh, it’s pointless now, dear boy. He’s already mad, and he doesn’t really listen to reason once he gets like that.” Nina explained.
“IT’S BECAUSE YOU PROVOKED HIM!” Gades shouted.
“Just relax. That’s just how things are between Marco and I. It’s nothing new.” Nina answered coyly.
The ruby-eyed mage-in-training shot her a dubious glance.
“Your type of human relationships…I swear they make no sense at all.” He grumbled. “I just don’t see the point in encouraging that kind of hostility.”
“Yep. We humans are an odd bunch, but I’m sure you’ll come to get us in time.” Nina smirked.
“The least you could’ve done is keep me out of your quarreling…” Gades muttered.
The lively mage girl adjusted her glasses while she chuckled in amusement.
“Nah, I’m pretty sure rivalry with Marco was unavoidable. Just by that little speech you gave, it was obvious you’re a much better student than him. And considering what being a mage is all about, there’s a good chance that you’re a much greater mage than our little knight.” Nina teased.
“I’m not here for bragging rights! I came here to learn!” Gades argued.
“Too bad then.” Nina shrugged, “You entered the Elite Class, Gades, my boy. A lot of it is about competition, and I’m afraid that’ll be very clear pretty soon…”
Gades sighed.
“Fine, then. But I’m not going to give up my education in this whole “competition” mess.” He insisted.
“Good. We need more dedicated classmates to keep us focused. I was afraid this class would start to slip, especially with Marco pulling us down.” Nina scoffed.
“I don’t think Sir Marco’s the type to hold the class back. Actually, I think he can help inspire it. I mean, you can tell he has goals in mind that he wants to fulfill.
And he’s good at keeping his friends’ sprits up.” Gades noted.
“Oh, so you noticed things about him?” Nina asked.
“I notice things about everyone around me. It’s a habit of mine.” Gades explained.
“Interesting, then we have something in common, then.” Nina smirked.
There was an uneasy silence in Gades as the spectacled student chuckled to herself once more.
“He had another point, too. That Annis girl full of bad karma, and she hasn’t left me alone since I started class. There’s just no way can I allow someone like that to beat me.” Gades resumed.
“It’s likely because she sees you as a threat, too. She’s been sizing up her classmates since she started her academy, and so far, she seems to have a good eye for who’s weaker and stronger than you. But in your case, you just might a big mystery to her, so she may be putting on airs. I have a very good feeling about you, though.” Nina replied.
“You can assume I can outmatch her just by looking at me?” Gades asked dubiously.
“No, but I can tell there’s a good chance of it.” Nina clarified. “Don’t knock yourself out, boy. I may not be psychic like you, but I have an eye for potential, and you have a lot of it. Maybe even enough to impress Lady Rose.”
“Um… Thanks?”
After the long day with Marco, the weary Mitalin decided to get ready to leave. However, he had a few final words to get out.
“By the way, if I may request something of you, Nina.” Gades started.
“Sure, I’ll hear you out.” Nina responded.
“Could you please not speak for me again?” he asked with a sigh.
 Chicken Yuki · Fri Jul 25, 2008 @ 10:27pm · 1 Comments |
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