The Crystal Trials

12

The weekend after the banquet went by quickly. If I wasn't in my room, practicing summoning smaller bits of magic, I was on the training grounds with Alden. At some point, Ameer had joined too, and I welcomed the challenge of having two opponents. We had spared both evenings well into the night and cast light to hover over us. The burn in my muscles helped me feel useful and powerful. I also felt like I was more than the tens I had received for each element.

I wore the silver robes and ate with the Primes throughout the week. Erix would look to see that I was wearing them and each day he raised his glass in approval. Ahren did not approach the subject of that night or my mother again. And I made it clear to him that I was not angry with him, as there was no way for him to know I was my mother's child. Taury became distant as I acted like a Prime. I tried not to care, but deep down I knew she was upset with me for abandoning her. I didn't expect her to understand my need to do something for myself for once. I didn't hold anything against her, I just didn't know how to approach her when I felt like she was upset with me.

By the end of the week, Lambert had taught me how to light my sword on fire which impressed Syphor to no end. Ahren had helped me drill a hole in the ground. And the frantic Jorah was silent for the first time when I had chosen the largest Selenite and pumped it full to the brim with Aeromancy. He had silently handed me another gem, but I was too tired to fill that one too. Jorah had placed my Selenite on a shelf with my name to be added to my gauntlet later. A few other students had become successful in filling some of their gems too.

I showed Charis a controlled orb of water and even made it rotate in the air. She was proud of my command of the element and thanked me for practicing. Garren had patted Taury on the back that class. I didn't ask, and she didn't tell. No one could impress Elve, not even when I showed her that I could control which parts of the room were covered in darkness.

We had our first Arcmancy class with a master named Kaito. He was away on travel the week before to see family far away. He seemed to take after the same ancestors that Uncle Josiah did with the straight black hair and upturned eyes. He was incredibly patient with us as we attempted ice. Master Kaito tasked us with producing our own water and then freezing it midair. After I had accidently frozen everyone's water in one go, he asked that I stand back and let the other attempt it. He treated me with respect and not fear. I had decided I liked the guy. Maybe I could even teach alongside him one day.

By Ignus, the last day of the week, we could lift the platform in the courtyard with air magic to Master Imogen's elevated class. Grumpy old Dolta even cracked a smirk when Ameer and I got teamed up to create a sustained ball of electricity.

During lunch that day, the first Trial was announced by Erix. We were to be tested with Earth and Air. The trial would take place on Ignus of next week, leaving us a full week to prepare. The nature of the trial was not to be revealed. The only thing we could do was search the library and practice our Terramancy and Areomancy. Our only rule was that shifting was prohibited, much to Faolan's displeasure. He howled sadly in wolf form next to me. Evander scratched his head and received a tail wag for it. We scarfed down our lunch and got to work practicing and researching. Luckily Team Cobalt did not have classes in the afternoons.

In the library, Taury and Garren explained the card system to us, and we got to work. Even Rion and Sharin pitched in, occasionally spouting ideas. Taury and Emyr hovered a book about earth magic and across from them Lilta and Rayze researched air. Seraphina joined them, silently reading along. Taury looked up at her but said nothing and kept reading. Evander and Faolan were two go getters, rifling through the cards, and retrieving any book mentioning earth or air. We had found a few new ways to cast both magics and practiced in the courtyard. We created boulders and tried rubbing them together to create heat using friction since fire wasn't allowed. We tried throwing two winds against each other to create lighting, which only worked once and was very unstable. After almost electrocuting ourselves, we turned in for the night, exhausted.