Magic of Shadow and Secrets

The Beginning (Part 4)

"Is this a joke?" The Headmaster glared down at the little girl, pulling his rectangular glasses down an inch.

"I'm serious," the scorpion-tailed demon insisted, resting his bronze hands on Saiyah's shoulders. "She has magic, she'll fit into your school."

The Headmaster peered down his nose at her; she was all bones, paled olive skin, and....over all appeared to be weak.

She didn't respond.

Skip chuckled darkly and patted her head. "She's..had a rough few weeks."

The Headmaster leaned closer, his golden eyes flashed. "How. Old. Are. You."

"Twelve," Saiyah replied, barely in a whisper.

The man scoffed and turned to Skip, gritting his teeth. "Come outside." He jerked his chin toward the door.

"Be right back." Skip murmured to Saiyah.

~

"You're wasting my time." The Headmaster hissed.

"She's pretty strong."

"She's a girl." He pinched the bridge of his nose. After the transfer of power, more magikers were male, few were female. Males were commonly more powerful too.

"Raiko," Skip growled, ears twitching in frustration. "For old time's sake. I'm telling you, she's different."

"Where'd you find her?" Raiko frowned.

"A small village, in the outskirts of Shreyat."

"Shreyat!" The Headmaster barked a bitter laugh in disbelief.

"She was chased out of her village and..." Skip approached closer to whisper in his ear. "He paid the area a visit."

Raiko's eyes widened momentarily, then furrowed his brows. "You've found him."

"Came and went." Skip replied. "You tasked me with tracking him a while back. I've come to report that everywhere he went, he left a mess of magiker bodies." Skip informed, crossing his muscled arms.

"He's killing magikers?" Raiko asked thoughtfully, a crease formed between his brows.

Skip shrugged, "Mostly the weak ones. And he spared the girl."

"So she doesn't have magic?" The golden-eyed man hissed.

Skip growled, a deep rumble coming from within his throat, his eyes glowed beneath his bangs. "I've trained the kid for eight years, dammit!" You'd think I'd waste my time on some repulsive human?" He spat distastefully.

Raiko held his gaze calmly. "Very well, but I'd like to test her first."

Skip shrugged indifferently. "Do what you must if that satisfies you."

~

Saiyah clasped her hands together with a sigh. The Headmaster of the wizard school didn't like her very much. She sat patiently in the office as the adults spoke outside. Skip was yelling outside the room, Saiyah smiled, of course he was. She experienced first hand how terrifying he could be when angry. It sent a small shiver through her.

The Headmaster entered, Saiyah sat up straighter. It was just him, Skip was nowhere in sight. The man unclipped his cloak and draped it on his chair. "So....he trained you himself, hmm?" Realizing he spoke of Skip, the girl quickly nodded. He squinted at her. "My companion doesn't take failure lightly, nor do I. Though I do not always agree with his....methods."

"I understand, sir." The girl mumbled, making eye contact at last.

"Let's see if he spoke the truth about you, shall we?" He jumped over his desk, coming at her with inhuman speed. Saiyah yelped and leaped away. The Headmaster bounced off his office wall, leaving a crater as he launched himself at her.

Saiyah sped up and sought protection under the desk. "You can't dodge me forever." He called. So this was her entrance exam. How on Zardon could she defeat the Headmaster?

She couldn't.

Snap.

Saiyah jumped out from under the desk before the Headmaster struck the heel of his foot into the wood and smashed it into smithereens. "You must fight me, Saiyah." He said soothingly.

Saiyah shook her head. "I-I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

The Headmaster's gaze softened as he half smiled, "Don't worry, high level magikers can regenerate." Oh yeah, she slapped her forehead.

"Ok..."She breathed, fists clenching tightly. She closed her eyes only to reopen them to reveal two cold, glowing amethysts. The Head master's eyes widened. "Here I come."