Arcana Academy

3 - The Test

After a few days of relaxation, the loud knocking on Zay's door woke him from deep sleep. Upon opening the door, he saw Leon.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No, but you need to get ready," Leon said. "If you don't, you're gonna miss your Element Attune Test."

"I'ma be there for the test, Leon. I need to go smell good and put an outfit on."

Suddenly, Zay immediately was in a white shirt, a light blue jean jacket, a pair a jeans to match, and black shoes; the smell of cologne was emitting from him as well.

"Um..." Leon's eyes scanned Zay up and down. "Did you mean to do that?"

Zay examined himself, "I didn't mean to cast a spell, but it did help."

Leon looked at Zay's outfit, not being able to look away.

"Leon? Is everything okay?" Zay asked.

"Uh, yeah. Everything's fine," Leon said nervously. "It's just... your outfit; I like it."

Zay smiled, thanking Leon for the compliment before heading to the elevator. He pressed the M button and traveled to the main building. Upon arrival, he saw various other new students walking around.

"Hello, sir," said a sophisticated man who approached Zay. "You must be Zay Starr. My name is Mr. Mulligan, and I will be conducting your Element Attune Test. Follow me."

Zay followed Mulligan down a lonely hallway. He opened a door to reveal a classroom; it looked similar to classrooms Zay had known from the human realm.

"Okay," Mulligan sat down behind the teacher's desk. "It's time for the test. There are two parts to this test. The first is a personality quiz. You don't have to write anything down; all you have to do is answer my questions honestly. Think of it like you're having a talk-show interview."

"I can do that," Zay replied.

"Good. First question: What are your views on traveling to new places?"

"I would enjoy traveling! Different food, different cultures, even different modes of transportation. It's not about the destination; it's about the journey to get there."

"Very profound," Mulligan finished writing on a sheet of paper. "Second question: Which is more effective? Weapons or magic?"

"Well, I would say both. From my understanding, some people might have stronger magic than others. So while having magic is very useful and can help out a lot, the use of a weapon could compensate if the user's magic is weaker than their opponents."

"That's an interesting way of putting things," Mulligan finished writing more onto his paper. "At this school, we assist our students with magic and weapons training. People who graduate here become knights, potion-makers, even entertainers. So here's my final question: What do you want to be after graduation?"

Zay pondered on that question, "I honestly don't know. My entire world just changed. I went from living without magic among humans to being at a boarding school with apparently strong magic. Sorry, but I don't have an answer for this question, at least not yet."

"That's okay. A lotta people say that same thing when they start here."

Mulligan finished writing on the paper and used magic to summon a pair of sunglasses.

"What are the glasses for?" Zay asked.

"These is for the last part of the test," Mulligan answered. "I need you to perform some spells. When spell-casters use magic, they use the element they're most attuned to, which is in the caster's magic signature. These glasses let me see those signatures and determine what type of magic it is."