Fairycorrupter

Chapter 1

Draven stared at the ceiling, still in bed with his arm over his forehead as he thought. Every now and then, his eyes would drift over to the usually opened skylight, which must have closed during the windy night. Thick clouds dominated the skies turning the sky dark grey, which didn't help his mood. He had laid like this all night, waiting for sleep to take hold of him, but it only seized him for a few hours until the dim light of the day woke him. Maybe he could get some sleep on the train.

He shouldn't be nervous about going to the North American Mage Academy, right? A small village mage from the middle of nowhere is being thrown into the mix of various city and town mages... What could go wrong? If Azura could go to NAMA, he could too. The other mages were a part of his anxiety, but the entrance exam was his main worry. They pit students against a random enemy that had to be defeated within a specific time while being watched by the other applicants, proctors, and even some civilians. That made his mouth dry, and he had to exhale to release the pressure. He wished he could take the exam at night, his most vital power point, but he doubted they would be willing to move it.

His only solace and comfort are that Azura would be there to watch and support him. He was sure that he would be stuck in Fjordland forever without her. He missed his older sister, a fearsome battlemage at the academy, even for her age and rank. Azura was halfway through her eight-year academy training but only a fourth-ranked Journeyman. Outside of the academy, there were sixteen ranks altogether of the mage, including civilians and legendaries as ranks. Draven wondered if he and Azura would become legendaries. He wasn't even a Novice yet, at the bottom of the levels. Usually, power determines the mage's rank. Draven has no idea who chose the positions for those without academy training. Maybe it was the general public that decided. He shrugged his shoulders at his own thoughts.

Draven wondered what his uncle's rank would have been if he had gone to the academy. Both of Draven's parents were academy members, but Uncle Ro was never interested in the aggressive nature of the mage world. Besides the elves, the mages were the most militarized of the six magical races under the coalition. After what happened to their parents, Uncle Ro was hesitant about Azura's will to go. In a way, she paved the way for Draven to announce that he was leaving as well. Draven hoped that the two of them would be able to team together. However, it was unlikely that a first and fourth year would be teamed together.

With his stomach gurgling and his bladder full from overnight, Draven had no choice but to leave the comfort of his bed. Usually, he would wait to shower after eating, but it didn't smell like Uncle Ro had started cooking. Draven had no idea when Azura would arrive from the train station anyway. Draven walked through a small wooden arched hall that connected his bathroom and bedroom. He sighed when he looked at his knotted, curly, black hair that was easy to untangle at its current height. He groaned, looking at his skinny, wiry frame and grumbling at the lack of progress in his attempt to bulk up. Whatever he lacked in muscular strength, he was excellent at running and swimming. For most of the summer, he focused on developing all three of his magics.

After messing with his hair and washing his face, he moved to the shower. The lukewarm water felt satisfying and rejuvenating. It didn't take much heat for Draven to be happy. Being part ice mage and Alaskan, he couldn't stand some of the hellishly hot water some mages use. Even mages in Alaska used scalding hot water that turned their skin pink like salmon. Any temperature above fifty was warm for him and came with a wardrobe change into a tank and shorts. Draven walked out of the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist. With a wrist twist, the water on his body collected into a peaceful orb over his hand. Near his nightstand was a circular cutout on the floor with exposed soil. Draven neatly placed the sphere into the earth, and the roots of their house happily absorbed the extra water.

Their house's walls were made of living bark, with both sides being the same rugged texture. The whole place was connected to a large hemlock tree that towered above the main chamber. Draven thought the walls were cool until he tripped and got a face full of it. The healing process took nearly a week without the aid of healing magic. Azura refused to use magic on his face since natural healing was preferred. He tried to learn healing magic like Azura, but he doubled the size of a paper cut while trying to use the technique himself and has never tried again since then.