By Libra's Scales

Magi Exam

"Alright, Melissa, you've got this." I reminded myself. "It's just a fireball followed by a sealing spell. That's not too hard."

"Mrs. Maple," the test administrator barked.

Someone sounds grumpy.

He had been grading magi all day. And judging by his silver hair, he'd been doing this for a while. "We can start the test as soon as you call out to the mana."

"Right," he sighed. "And it's just miss."

"I'm sorry?" he raised a brow. His cold blue eyes pierced into me.

"It's Ms Maple." I responded. "I'm not married. So I can be a missus, yet." 

The other administrators blinked at me. A few exchanged glances.

Oh, great, Mellie, I scolded myself. Being rude to the examiners. Great start!

I grimaced before adding, "Sir."

"Apologies, Miss Maple." he sat back in his chair, leaning away from his mic. Embarrassment darted his eyes away from me.

Another admin leaned toward her mic, "Feel free to proceed, honey." she smiled at me, and nodded. Show us what you've got, her amber eyes seemed to say.

I nodded to her. Then, I closed my eyes, tightening my grip around my staff. I focused on the color red, seeing a burning fire in my mind's eye. I inhaled, feeling the heat of the mana surrounding me. It was a lot hotter than usual.

The audience gasped in amazement. I had to fight the urge to open my eyes and see what they were whispering to each other about. If my eyes were open, the light would have blinded me! Instead of blinding myself with white hot mana, I pushed the mana to the base of my staff, the heat off of it glowing.

"Now releasing the monster." another admin spoke. His voice was smooth and calming. My shoulders relaxed.

Thank the colors I dont have some drill sergeants administering my test!!

I opened my eyes to see a growling manticore. It crawled towards me, keeping its leonid head low as it prepared to strike. Its scorpion tail whipped from side to side. If it crawled another ten feet, the manticore would sting me with its paralyzing venom.

I wouldn't let it even take another step. I bent my knees, smirking cockily. The white hot fire at the base of my staff fluxed as I shouted, "entyposiakó énkavma!(striking burn!)'' As I cast the spell, the flame leapt from my staff, shooting through the air and blasted onto the manticore. The flames consumed it, blackening the monster's fur and tail. The monster roared, reeling back.

The audience clapped, a few of them whooping.

Don't celebrate yet, Mellie. You still have to seal the damn thing.

I raised my staff over my head, then thrust it down. Sparks shot out from under me, then formed a circle. With my eyes open this time, I called to the mana around me. A green circle formed around my feet, sigils of protection etching themselves into the floor. I thrust the staff forward, forcing mana to shoot out in a straight line at the monster. If the line isn't straight, even if it was slightly curved, the sealing spell would fizzle, or become uncast.

I pushed the thought of me failing away.

"We're sealing this mother fucker away, Mell," i muttered to myself.

The line of mana shot straight towards the manticore. Hate and rage glowed in its green eyes. Even though it was burning to a crisp, it charged at me.

This made the task of sealing a lot harder. If a monster wasn't sitting still, sealing was harder. And if it spread its wings and took flight, the odds of me passing my exam were nearly impossible!