Magic and Sword

Chapter One

Whack!
The cleaver hit the chopping board. I jumped, startled by the sudden noise but coming to ease by the running water that followed.

Now normally we just continue our daily work about the castle but today we were set to do our exams, meaning we had to move quicker if we were going to make it to the testing room in time. The guards usually escort us down there but they haven't come up here to get us. "I wonder why." "Who cares let's go", laughed Aaron as he scurried down the marble steps, running his hands down the walls all the way to the bottom.

We sprinted to our rooms quickly undressing ourselves and putting on our school uniform. Fixing each other's uniforms in a timely manner as we shuffle past. "Hey catch your collar!" I yell. Blazing past the maids as we ran to the study room, getting there just within the clock, just standing there we felt small with the solid oak door towering several feet above us with solid steel reinforcements and magic binding locks.

" Shirav!" Aaron shouts.  The gears turned and the hinges creaked as the door slowly creeped open. I peer in past the door seeing the rows of tables filled with books and the hundreds upon thousands of shelves of books. Aaron traipses towards the door, Angelica and Vander following behind,"Hey wait for me." I say and stalked behind my friends to the tables.

"Here you will be taking the written test of the Gilded Mage Trials, if you fail you will be forced to adhere to a chosen master. Likewise if you pass then you will be free to choose one of five guilds of magic." Says the scholar in a raised voice. I looked around at all the other students filling the tables, all of them high strung and anxious.

"Hey just remember once we past this test we can finally ditch this place and join the guilds we wanted to since we were five years old." I say, fully aware that a handful of the students were looking in my direction. The scholar bellows " Now remember if you cheat, you will be punished and then following after, you will be put to work. If your lucky though you could just be drafted for the army, unlikely scenario all together unfortunately."

I walked out of the room a few hours later, following the person in front of me as the rest of the students followed behind in a single file line. As soon as we are back in our respective rooms I looked at Vander and Aaron, both lounging around the room in various awkward looking positions.

"What are you two doing." I say looking at them inquisitively." You look stupid." I chuckle. They shoot their gaze at me with a deathly look in their eyes, then relax a bit. "We are getting comfortable idiot, you should try it some time." Says Aaron. I laugh, "maybe" I say. I lay on my bed staring at the headboard, I wonder what Maeve is doing right now.

"Psst, wake up Maverick it is time to get up." I groan and turn over a finger as I pull the covers back over my head. "No get up now." Growls Aaron, he yanks the blanket off along with the sheet. "Fine." I grumble. I shuffle over to the dresser to get dressed, pulling out a new pair of breeches as well as a loose shirt. "We need to get to the training arena before eight, okay?" Vander says. "Alright." I say.

Shortly after getting ready and dressed we leave for the dining room, getting served the normal loaf of bread as well as a cup of water. After eating I briskly walk out to meet up with the girls and stride towards the training arena. Angelica and Maeve were waiting patiently at the entrance to the barracks quarters, "Where is Vander and Aaron." Maeve says. "Oh they are right behind me, they will be here in a minute." I say.

We walk as a group towards the arena once the rest of the boys join up. "Race you there!" I shout. "We need to conserve our energy." Argues Angelica. "Oh come one guys loosen up and get your blood boiling." I shout as I continue to run faster and farther. I kept going and going, I momentarily look back to see if they are trying to catch up but at that moment I ran smack into a now strangely human face shape dented beam along the outskirts of the arena.

"Oh lord that hurt, I feel like I just got my face bashed in by a metal plate. I can't believe I just got mauled by a piece of wood and some metal." I groaned and wanted to double over for a second. Soon after the rest of my friends came rushing up to help me get up to my feet before anyone notices.

I arrived at the training arena ready to go or so I wanted to think I still felt a bit wavy and wanted to topple over. "I'll be fine guys, really." I say very shakily. "No you can't go out to train you will be swept off the floor and beaten to a pulp." Countered Aaron. "And I know a few things about that." He added. I chuckle half heartily, "well I still have to try even if I get wrung out like a dirty rag on the floor." "Your funeral my guy." Vander says jokingly.

Following my face being convicted with pain and a shiny new dent, I moved about trying not to fall over. How long does it take to duel. I thought impatiently. As I waited I thought I should try and do something to ease my nerves and get prepared for the duel. I got up and started moving around, cautiously watching my foot placement but not to much as to be oblivious to where my face goes.

I grab my sword and swing it a bit, I try and swirl it in one hand but instead I end up hitting the temple of my head with the blade. Following it was the hilt, which I dropped, unsurprisingly landing on my foot to cause more immense pain as well as bruising. I carefully picked the sword back up and moved back and placed it up on its rack to keep from damaging myself any further. "Yeah, just stay there like a good sword." I whisper and follow it with a half hearted chuckle. I clutch my head and hop back over to where I was sitting.