The Iron Trial [Magisterium]

Chapter Thirteen...Wyverns Bent on Revenge

The next morning, Master Rufus showed up at our door just after the alarm, carrying armbands that would distinguish our team during the first test. We all yelled in excitement, or at least close enough to excitement. Tamara yelled because she was happy, Aaron yelled because he liked it when other people were happy, I yelled because I could finally beat up some chumps and Call yelled because he was sure we were going to die. Perfect team right?

"Do you know what kind of test it's going to be?" Tamara asked, eagerly winding the armband around her wrist. "Air, fire, earth, or water? Can you give us a hint? Like just a tiny little itty-bitty —"

Master Rufus looked sternly at her until she stopped talking. "No apprentices are given advance knowledge of how they are to be tested," he said. "That would confer an unfair advantage. You must win on your own merits."

"Win?" I said, startled. It hadn't occurred to me that Master Rufus was expecting us to win the test. Not after a whole month of sand.

"We're not going to win." Call said.

"He's got a point..." I frowned. "Although if I can smack Jasper at least once I'll call it a win."

"That's the spirit." Aaron hid a grin. He was already wearing his armband, just above his elbow. Call had tied his around his forearm and it looked like a bandage, which was funny as hell. I tied mine around my right wrist, hoping it wouldn't get in my way.

Master Rufus rolled his eyes. It worried me that the corners of my mouth twitched up in an involuntary smile, as though I was actually starting to understand Master Rufus's expressions and responding to them.

Maybe by the time we were in our Silver Year, Master Rufus would communicate complicated theories of magic by the lifting of a single bushy eyebrow. Not that I was sticking around long enough to make it to silver year but it was an interesting thought.

"Come along," the mage said. With a dramatic swoosh, he spun around and led us out the door and through what I was starting to think of as the main corridor. Phosphorescent moss flashed and sparkled as we went, down a spiral stair that I had never seen before, into a cavern.

The cavern was the size of a stadium, with massive stalactites and stalagmites jutting up and down like teeth. Most of the other Iron Year apprentices were there with their Masters. Jasper was talking to Celia, gesturing wildly at the stalagmites in one corner, which had grown together in a complicated loop shape. Master Milagros hovered slightly above the ground, encouraging one of the kids to hover with her. Everyone was moving with restless energy. Drew looked especially on edge, whispering with Alex. Whatever Alex was saying, Drew didn't look happy about it. Which made me wonder... Since when did Drew and Alex know each other?

Walking farther into the room, I glanced around, trying to anticipate what might happen. Along one wall was a large cave that appeared to have bars in front of it, like a cage made of calcite.

"This is the part where we die, probably." I muttered making Call snort a laugh.

"Iron Year apprentices!" Master North said as a few more students trickled in after Master Rufus. "I give you your first exercise. You are going to fight elementals."

Hushed gasps of dread and excitement spread around the room. My spirits plunged. Were they kidding? None of the apprentices were prepared for that, I was willing to bet. I looked to Aaron, Tamara and Call to see if they disagreed. They had all gone pale. Tamara was gripping her armband.

I tried to remember the lecture Master Rockmaple had given us two Fridays back, the one on elementals. Dispersing rogue elementals before they can cause harm is one of the important tasks mages are responsible for, he'd said. If they feel threatened, they can disperse back into their element. It takes them a lot of energy to coalesce again.