The Final Exam-Complete!

[Raneth]

First chapter of a new story. New story, new character, completely different time period from my other story. I'm also going to try to keep this one a little closer to actual magistream lore.

Anyway, here we go.
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The Final Exam

Aran took a deep breath, grateful for the familiar presence of his pegasus Aurora by his side. The magi arrayed before him in the clearing were all ones he knew-Belmos, who had been there when he had pulled Aurora from the stream, Thane, the most powerful archmage in the Keep, and his mentor Theo, who had taught him the mysteries of wind and earth magic.

But now his performance, and their decision, would seal his fate for the next year, and that next year would determine if he was fit to become a magi of the Keep-or simply an eternal student, a “fledge,” who would never be trusted with the harder tasks of administration and research that went to full magi.

He had to pass this exam. His direcore Leath, the newest fully grown creature he had, swished his long tail by Aran’s feet.

“Aran Smithson,” Thane began, and Aran took a shaky breath, hoping it wasn’t audible. “The preliminary portion of your final examination will take place now. Perform all of the spells we ask of you, and perform any the feats required of your two chosen creatures.”

“Yes Master.” His heart pounded, mingling with adrenalin borne of excitement. This was it. He had been training for this ever since entering the Keep.

“Perform a wind spell.” Easy. That had been the first spell he had ever cast. Aran focused, the air currents around him twirling into a dust devil that sent leaves fluttering around the clearing.

“Make it glow.” Aran took a breath. Light magic. Okay. He called upon the magic present in beams of light, stretching it into a filament and weaving it into his air spell, his temples tightening with the effort of concentrating. The twister shrank, but it became visible, a glowing whorl in the air in front of him.

“Good,” Master Belmos said. Aran released the magic, the light vanishing and the leaves settling to the ground. “Now pick up the same leaves you spun, and light them aflame.”

Aran blinked. Kelly had warned him about this. Magic residue…he had to find it on the leaves his spell had touched. Anxiety washed through him then; he wasn’t good at subtle techniques like that, and he was even worse at any magic involving fire. He barely resisted closing his eyes, a new student mistake, and sent out his senses.

It took him time, and he burned each leaf one by one-sloppy. But finally, the last leaf was reduced to ash. Victory rose in his stomach.

“Now reconstruct them,” Theo said. Aran’s stomach flipped, and he swallowed hard. Figures, that the hardest task would come from his old mentor.

“Okay.” Somehow, speaking aloud helped calm the anxiety that twisted in his gut. He reached for his air magic, sending the ashes whirling into a tornado. He added earth magic, and added a bit of light magic for good measure. When he touched the ashes with it, he imposed the form of the leaves upon them, holding the image in his mind. Swirling leaves. He wanted swirling leaves.

The ashes moved as though he painted a picture, leaves of black ash swirling in the tornado. He slowed it, just enough to hold them, and used earth magic to glue them.

Now the hard part. He reached for any life that remained in the leaves.

He swayed on his feet, Aurora steadying him and Leath kneeling by his legs. Tiny, infinitesimal bits of life he had missed with his fire…he pulled the heat away, amplifying the life, and the leaves began to turn green once again.

It took longer than it had to burn them, the sky growing darker overhead. One green leaf fluttered to the ground, released from the tornado. Surely that was enough? But Theo remained silent, and Aran pushed on.

Two leaves. Five leaves. Ten. Finally, every leaf was once again green, the signs of fire gone from the clearing. The sky was shot through with rays from the setting sun.

Aran released his magic, breathing hard, the beginnings of a magic fatigue headache building behind his eyes. His direcore stood up with a wag of his tail, licking Aran’s fingers.

“Good work, Aran,” Theo said, his eyes glowing with pride. “Rest your magic. It is your companion’s turn.”

Leath stepped forward, tail wagging faster, and looked up at Aran. Aurora remained where she was, far from the impulsive foal she once had been.

“Can you fly with your pegasus?” Thane asked. Aran nodded. He had been flying with her since he was twelve.

“I can vouch for that,” Theo said.

“Very well. What of your newest companion? Show me that he allows you to ride him.”

Aran nodded. “Leath, heel.” Leath froze, laying his wings flat, while Aran mounted. “Up!”

Aran grit his teeth as Leath leapt. Flying on a direcore was far different than flying on a pegasus-for one, direcores took to the air like a wolf would, a killing leap turned into a way to scale the sky.

And of course, they were fast. Leath’s wings sliced through the air as silent as an owl, quickly gaining speeds Aurora could never hope to accomplish. Wind whistled in Aran’s ears as Leath spiraled higher, circling over the heads of his exam committee.

Aran smiled. He had definitely passed.

Then a magic bolt shot up from the clearing, straight at him.

Aran reacted on instinct, throwing up a shield of air around him and Leath. His direcore growled viciously as the magic spread around them both, the bolt sizzling at the shield continuously, Aran’s already drained magic pushed to its breaking point.

“Down, Leath!” he called, and Leath dove, streaking like red and brown lightning. Aran held the shield, the magic bolt-like none he had seen before, one that wrapped him like a cocoon-burned at his shield like acid. He had to shrink the shield to hold it, but not if it would hurt Leath.

“Leath, let me go!” Leath pulled up from the dive mere feet from the ground. “Aurora!” Aran rolled off Leath’s back as the direcore took to the sky. The magic bolt stayed with Aran, and the young mage held the shield as his body hit the ground, buoyed by Aurora’s magic. He rolled in the pile of newly reconstructed leaves, and with a force of strength he didn’t know he had, shoved the shield outward, flinging the enemy magic in all directions.

He lay on the leaves, panting, the shadow of his pegasus covering him. For a moment, everything was silent, Leath’s shape circling above him.

“Stand up, Aran,” Thane said.

Aran stood, a hammer striking his temples with every beat of his heart. If he had to do something else…

“Congratulations. You have passed the preliminary exam,” Thane said with a smile.

“I…” Relief flooded through him, so powerful he felt nauseous. He wasn’t even fully aware of it when Leath landed, Aurora striding over sedately to stand by his side. His legs shook, and he nearly flopped down onto the ground, saved only by Aurora’s strong presence.

“Listen, Aran. You will now be given your yearlong assignment. Pass this, and you will become a full mage,” Theo said. Some of his old kindness from the years he had mentored Aran leaked into his voice.

Aran nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Only if he became a full mage could he even dream of becoming an archmage, like Thane. Archmages were rare, some of them even beginning castles of their own. That had been his goal since he had entered the Keep at the age of ten, seven years ago. Aran thought he could do it. He had to do it.

"Your final exam assignment will take place in Arkene.” Not so bad, not yet. He had never visited Arkene before, but with Aurora and Leath it would be easy to get there. “Your task will be to bond with an adult ice dragon.”

Aran nearly choked, blood draining from his face. Aurora sidestepped next to him, and Leath whined.

An ice dragon. He had to bond with an adult ice dragon.

He had never even seen one.

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TBC.
Comments/critiques always appreciated!

[Raneth]

Chapter 2


Leath nosed Aran’s hand when Aran returned to his room, Aran scratching his companion behind the ears before he flopped onto his bed, covering his eyes with his arm.

He knew the teachers here wanted him to succeed. Theo had always told him he had skill and strength that would make him a fine magi, and he had always performed well in all of his classes. He had just passed the preliminary exam, hadn’t he?

But never once had anyone suggested to him that he had the strength to bond with a dragon, much less an ice dragon.

He began to massage his scalp with his fingers, hoping he would recover from the fatigue quickly. Why couldn't his final exam be something easy, like a kirin? Sure they were rare, but they weren’t too powerful, and they certaintly weren’t vicious like ice dragons could be-especially black ones.

Kelly had been promoted to full magi by bonding with a kirin. She was sitting pretty in Synara now, studying some new method of storing food with magic.

Aran sighed. It wouldn’t do to dwell on what other magi did. Sure, a little competition was a great motivator, but it wasn’t going to help him figure out how to bond with a dragon.

He rolled over in bed, looking at the portrait of his mother, a gift from a man in his home village once she had died. She had worked so hard to get him to the keep when he was a child and had shown potential for magic. They had traveled for weeks from the Callisto islands on money she didn’t have, straight to the front gates.

He would not let her down.

He fell asleep in a beam of light that shone in through the window, planning his journey.

***

“Congratulations again, Aran!” His friend Julius clapped him on the back as Aran left the castle with the last of belongings, the heavy blow nearly sending him sprawling. It was way too early in the morning, and the dark haired mage was one of the strongest men Aran knew, both physically and magically. Leath whuffed a warning.

“Yeah, you said that last night at Remy’s remember?”

“But it’s amazing! You’re the second in our class to pass the exam, and you were the youngest student! Everyone’s impressed-or jealous, if they’re Alex, and he was pissed enough when Kelly passed.”

“Well, that’s great. Does he know I have to bond with an ice dragon yet?”

Julius just kept smiling. “That’s just cool, though. So, ready to start our trip? First stop Synara, last stop Arkene for you!”

“Yes-to bond with a dragon!” He almost groaned, lifting the special saddle for Leath onto the direcore’s back. “An ice dragon,” Aran sighed. “Have you ever seen one?”

“Well, no, but its just another creature, right?”

Aran moved over and tied the last bag to Aurora’s back, rolling his eyes and staring up at the dawn sky. Of course Julius wouldn’t understand. He had bonded with nearly every earth based creature that existed, including an amphiptere, which was nearly draconic itself. If he weren’t so unmotivated, he would have passed the exam long before Kelly did. “It’s a dragon, Julius. Dragons are powerful and rare.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like they’re crystalwings or anything. You’ll find one.”

“But will I be strong enough to bond with it? Or skilled enough? Or… I don’t know, smart enough? Dragons are smart, too.” Aran leaned against Lethe, running a hand through his blond hair. “What if I can’t do it?”

“Then you’ll fail and try again in a year. What’s the big deal?”

Aran glared at him. “I can’t just fail!”

“Then don’t fail.” Aran rolled his eyes again, and Julius held up a hand. “You always worry way too much. Remember the very first exam, when we had to find our way back through Silva, and you spent the entire night awake freaking out? You passed. Or, I don’t know, the last month you spent holed up in your room researching spells so you’d pass the preliminary? You passed that too, and here you are. So relax.”

“I passed because I worked hard, not because I relaxed!” Aran hissed.

“So are you going to worry then or are you going to work?” Julius grinned. “We’ve got a long flight.”

Aran pushed himself up from Leath’s side. For all his laziness, Julius quite often made good points. “Fine.”

“Remember how scared you used to be of flying?” Julius laughed as Aran checked Leath’s straps, squinting in the early morning light.

“I wasn’t scared of flying. I was scared of falling.” Aran cinched them and then leapt onto Leath’s back. “And I got over it as soon as I completed my first flight.”

“Well, it was hilarious.” Julius smiled at Aran’s annoyed expression. “So, you have everything?”

“I think so.” Aran looked over his two creatures, laden down with cold weather gear that he had read were necessary. He had spent the last few days preparing for this journey. He had never been to Arkene before, and his heart pounded as he imagined having to dig through snow to sleep and break through ice to wash. His bags were stuffed full of his warmest clothes and a thick sleeping bag lined with wool.

Of course, if he used his magic enough, he wouldn’t need to worry about that. But his heat spells would probably all go toward keeping Lethe and Aurora warm.

Aurora snorted under the weight of his belongings. “Just to Synara, girl, then we’ll rest.”

“C’mon, don’t make us both suffer any longer than we have to,” Julius said from the back of his hippogryph, the creature’s red feathers shining in the dawn light. “I want to be in Kelly’s arms by nightfall.” He inflected his voice with fake romanticism.

“Don’t worry, lover boy, your girlfriend will see you by then.” Aran’s chest twinged. Kelly and Julius had been dating for five years now. Aran had no one.

But that didn’t matter. Becoming an archmage mattered. “Up, Leath!” His direcore leapt, winging his way into the air faster than even Julius’s hippogryph could manage.

Aran circled while Julius took to the air, and they both waited for the heavily laden Aurora to catch up. Aran made a note to himself to give her an extra treat when they got to Synara. He knew the weight was nothing to her, but he hated using his first companion as a pack animal.

Aurora built up speed as they gained height, and soon enough they were off, the keep vanishing behind them. Aran circled once, waving goodbye.

The keep had been his home since he was ten years old, and he wouldn’t see it again for another year. Even longer than that if he failed.

He couldn’t fail.

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TBC. Comments and critique always appreciated!

[Piney]

Loving this. That's all I gotta say.

[Chess]

Bookmarking now. Chess wants moar.

[Raneth]

Hey, thanks for the comments! I'm glad people like this.

Chapter 3

They landed in the courtyard of Kelly’s building in the late afternoon, Leath panting after the long journey. Aran hopped off and grabbed a flask of water, the direcore lapping at it gratefully as Aran poured it. Aurora landed daintily, no worse for the wear.

Spiraling towers rose around them, the sun glancing off the white stone in pinks and purples. Aran craned his neck to view the limestone and marble architecture that surrounded the courtyard, carvings of creatures even he could not identify looking down at him from dizzying heights.

“Kelly!” Julius’s voiced boomed. “We’re here!” A passing lady, her hair done up in complex ringlets, gave the loud magi a scornful look as she passed. Aran made a face at her back as she turned down a side street and then immediately felt foolish. This was Synara, not the keep, and he would be a full magi if things went well.

“Julius!” The doors swung open, Kelly hurrying down the steps. A long silk shawl trailed behind the dark haired woman and swung around her neck. It twirled over Julius’s shoulders as he ran and picked her up by the waist. “Why so loud?” Kelly scolded as Julius set her back on her feet. “I saw your creatures land through the window.”

“What is this?” Julius pulled at her scarf, fingering the material.

“It’s Synaran fashion. I see a lot of wealthy clients who are interested in my refrigeration spells during my work, and I’m expected to look at least somewhat high class.” Julius raised an eyebrow. “Graduate and you’ll understand the need for such things,” she finished with a sigh.

“And end up working in some office keeping rich noble ladies’ food cold? No thanks,” Julius laughed, his hippogryph leaping over his head and flying outside the walls. “I’m content where I am.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. “We’ll discuss that later. Aran, it’s good to see you again,” she said with a kind smile. “I didn’t mean to ignore you. C’mon, let’s head to my place, and you can relax before the next leg of your journey.”

Aran gave a small smile and a nod. She had already agreed to help by letting him stay at her parent’s place in Arkene. He hoped she had more advice. With a silent mental push of his magic, he sent Aurora to graze in the fields outside the city, and then followed Kelly.

***

“So. An ice dragon.” Kelly sat with an ankle on her knee in a leather chair, her pugeon in her lap. She looked so much more sophisticated than when they had been students together, the fire crackling in the hearth behind her. “A year in Arkene. You’ve never been?”

“No,” Aran said from his seat on a soft cloth couch. Leath thumped his tail against the plush carpet at Aran’s feet, and Kelly tossed him something from a bowl that sat on the mantle. The pugeon gave an annoyed sounding grunt. “I mean, I know enough about it from our classes, but…”

“Experience is everything in cases like that.” Kelly sighed, resting her hand against her chin. “That’s a really weird final exam, too.”

Aran’s heart thudded. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…you’ve never been there. Your strengths are in air and earth magic, heavily constructive magics. From what Julius told me, that is what they tested you on too. In my exam I may have gone to Arkene, but I grew up there and cold air manipulation was my strength. That has been the case with other magi I’ve spoken with-their exam matched their strengths. I fully expected your final exam to take place in the Alasre mountains or in Silva forest. So why an ice dragon? Why Arkene? That sounds like a test of someone’s magical resilience, not of reconstruction.”

“I…I don’t know. I’m not allowed to ask.”

“That’s such a stupid rule,” Julius butted in as he entered from the kitchen, a steaming tray in his hand. “Here, eat something. You need it.”

“Thanks.” Aran took the lamb chop, not really tasting it. Leath whined beneath his feet. “Quiet, boy. Later.”

“It’s to foster independence,” Kelly said with a wave of her hand. “A magi shouldn’t need to ask his teachers for help.”

“He’s asking you, though.”

“I’m not his teacher, am I?” Kelly said with a raised eyebrow. Julius just snorted a laugh and handed her a lamb chop before heading back into the kitchen. “Besides, knowing why would give you-in some situations, at least-clues on how to solve whatever your test is. In my case, if my teacher had told me the reason I was supposed to bond with a Kirin was to master cold weather, I would have had an advantage when I went looking for one.”

“Where is your kirin?” Aran asked.

“In Arkene,” Kelly laughed. “I can call her if I wish, but it’s awfully warm for her now.”

“So…” Aran swallowed a bit of gristle with some difficulty. “Tell me about Arkene. Have you seen an ice dragon before?”

“I wish I could tell you I have, but I haven’t. My village wasn’t so far north that we’d expect to see them, and besides, if they don't want to be seen, you won’t find them. They’re like kirins in that way. They live far, far north-farther than I’ve ever gone.”

Aran’s stomach flipped, and he suddenly wished he hadn’t eaten. He knew the warmth spell he would need, but it was not an easy spell for him to cast. He wished he had a creature that could naturally withstand such cold.

“Relax, Aran,” Julius commented, coming in from the kitchen with more lamb chops and sitting cross legged on the floor. Leath immediately picked up his head and licked his muzzle, and Julius tossed him a chop.

“Leath!” Aran shouted, at the same Kelly shouted “Julius!”

“What? He’s going to Arkene. Let him enjoy himself now.”

“And get grease all over the…ugh. Fine.” Leath began licking the juices off of the carpet. “No more, though.”

“Sure thing, hon.” Julius said with a mocking grin. “Sit back, Aran, relax. Jeez.” Aran tried, but his heart was still pounding, his mind still racing with thoughts of how he was even going to survive the far north, much less find an ice dragon.

“Are final exams always to bond with a creature?” Julius asked when the silence ran too long. “I mean, can students do other things too?”

“I don’t know,” Kelly replied. “Everyone I’ve spoken with has always had to bond with something-even just a streamborn creature in some special cases, or with a creature specially bred from two others. But I suppose other types of exam could exist depending on the person. Why?” She raised an eyebrow. “You finally ready to try yours?”

“Nah. I was just wondering. Maybe yours is harder for a reason,” he said to Aran.

“Like…?” Aran pressed.

Julius just shrugged. “Maybe they need a magi up there for something.”

Aran swallowed hard. “But…I’m not a magi. Not yet.” Silence fell for a time, the three of them eating while the fire burnt steadily down. Aran forced tasteless food past his lips. He wished he could laugh and joke with them the way he always had as a student, but the gnawing anxiety wouldn’t abate.

“Don’t worry, Aran. Remember, you’ll be stopping at my village, and I’ve written a note to my family. They’ll take care of you the first step of the way,” Kelly said, patting her pugeon on the head as she stood up. “They can help you get used to the area before you go further.”

“I know. That…that would be great, thanks.”

“I’ll write out directions for you tonight and give them to you in the morning. For now…I guess you’d better get some sleep. You’re leaving early in the morning, right?”

“Yes.” Aran stayed in the warm living room while Julius and Kelly prepared for bed. He waved away Kelly’s insistence on giving him blankets and extra pillows, and merely stretched out on the couch. He didn't want to inconvenience her any more than he already had.

This would be his last night to relax before his exam really started.

Of course he couldn’t. His mind whirled with anxiety about the following day. Even worse, the couch hurt his back and was too short for him, and he felt awkward and alone in the small space while his friends shared a bed a room away.

***
“It’ll be the first village you see as you fly over the river,” Kelly told him the next morning, patting Aurora on the neck. The air was cold, the sun barely rimming the tops of the spiraling towers of Synara. “The village of Nyack. At this time of year the river shouldn't be frozen, so you can fill up your canteens. If you can’t find the place, follow the river upstream.”

“Thank you, Kelly,” Aran said, his hands shaking slightly as he fastened the straps over Leath’s head and climbed onto the direcore’s back. “Hopefully I’ll be back soon.”

“Take your time,” Kelly said. “A year is a long time, but you’ll see me again soon. And you’ll be a mage then.”

“Yeah. Then maybe I’ll try for it,” Julius said, putting something in one of the packs strapped onto Aurora. Aran craned his neck, but he couldn’t make out what it might have been. Knowing Julius, probably either something extremely useful or a prank.

“Alright,” Aran said with a deep breath. Leath stepped from side to side. “Thanks again.”

“Say hi to my parents for me,” Kelly said.

“Right.” Aran paused, and Julius stepped forward.

“You’ll be fine. GO!” Magic infused his voice, and Aurora and Leath leapt, Aran’s heart slamming into his stomach and back up. As he circled higher, he saw Kelly chiding Julius.

The last he’d see of them for a year. Aran waved, the city of Synara spreading underneath him as he gained height.

"Go on, Leath," he whispered. They headed north.

________

TBC. Comments always appreciated!

[Lunaheart]

I'm really liking this so far. And it's kind of ironic that one of the characters has my name lol. Keep it up!

[Kestrad]

Wait, in Chapter 1 you said that Aran had been to Arkene before, then in Chapter 2 you said he hadn't? Am I misunderstanding something?

[Raneth]

Wait, in Chapter 1 you said that Aran had been to Arkene before, then in Chapter 2 you said he hadn't? Am I misunderstanding something?

Nope, fixed it, thanks

[Chess]

Yeah, that's what I was wondering.

Moar?

[SilverDragoness]

Your stories are always so cool! Please, write more!