We Three Mages (Editing)

Chapter Eleven: Ranked Exams (Part One)

“It’s about time these stupid exams started.” Dolly complained as she and Mari walked to the locker rooms to get changed.

“Well, at least we got an extra month to prepare.” Mari commented.

“Extra month? Please, everyone feels the same way Mar, we just want to exams to be over so we can get on with our studies.” Dolly said as the two entered the locker room. Several other people were there and getting changed into protective gear for the first test. Each wore padding on their shoulders and torso underneath their uniforms. The padding was there to not only protect them from getting seriously injured, but to also control the magical output a student could use.

“Who’s this ‘everyone’? The people I know have all been grieving the loss of the loved ones from the attack.” Mari got a bit on the defensive about the subject. She lost a few friends herself and was angry at herself for not doing something sooner.

“Well, while we all have been grieving, we also want to be able to fight for those we have lost.” Dolly pointed out.

“Well, let’s just drop this matter for now. I don’t want to go out there with ill intentions for you.” Mari sighed.

“Agreed.” Dolly nodded. The two laced up their boots and walked out into the arena. The arena was the center building of the academy. It was here that the Upper Years trained for actual combat out in the field. For the next month, it would be used at the Exam area. All the students who were supposed to be taking it were standing around, talking to one another, curious as to what the first exam was going to be. The stadium’s seats were being filled with Upper Years itching to find out who would fail and who would join their ranks and the Lower Years were there hoping to see if they could get a glimpse of what was to come for them. Jared and Nadia were somewhere in the middle of all this, trying to spot Mari.

“I see h-her.” Nadia pointed over the crowd to the corner of the stadium just as Mari and Dolly had walked out.

“She must be nervous.” Jared noted by the way her head kept looking in different directions.

“I would be t-too.” Nadia said. “T-These exams are really important a-after all.”

“Yeah, but man this arena is so huge.” Jared let the thought slip out as he was gawking at it. The arena itself could have fit over a thousand soldiers easy. The floor of it was covered in dirt rather than marble to help simulate a battlefield. Dummies, hoops, targets and other items were scattered throughout the place.

“Your sister i-is about to compete in front of the entire academy a-and your admiring the arena?” Nadia couldn’t help but chuckle at it.

“Well, it is pretty big.” Jared said.

“Quite.” Jared spun his head to the right to see Lieutenant Ross just a row above him.

“And I thought you weren’t coming.” Jared said.

“I’m here for the same reason the both of you are, to protect Ms. Dixen should anything…unseemly should occur.” Lieutenant Ross kept her eyes focused on the girl. Both Nadia and Jared knew what the Lieutenant was worried about.

“Relax, Mari is smart enough to know not to use the, well, you-know-what in front of all these people.” Jared shook off the Lieutenant’s concern.

“Nonetheless, I am here.” Lieutenant Ross stood firm.

“I have my trust in her, everything will be fine.” Jared reassured.

“As do I, but these Exams are nothing to laugh at. They can and most certainly will bring out the worst in people.” Jared didn’t saying anything after that because he couldn’t possibly imagine an Exam doing that to someone. But at the same time, he had an unsettling feeling in his stomach.