Mage

Secunda

Graduation.

I breathed in the new freedom bestowed upon me, running my hands over the pristine robe I was wearing. When Adrian graduated last year, and Howan a few years before, they both received blue robes, enchanted especially for water magic. Seeing as I'm completely useless at water magic, mine are white; proper graduated healer's robes. I'm not particularly good at healing magic either, but I'm at least more comfortable with the defensive nature of healing spells.

Just as family tradition calls for, my graduation party was held under the vibrant moonlight, with lamps and light spells to illuminate our yard. Father put a special water movement spell on our fountain so it danced around and refracted the light coming from under it. It looked the way I felt.

My mother broke out our good telescope so we could look at the waxing gibbous in the sky, especially enjoying the natural boost to the water mage mana from its influence.

The still night air was filled with the sound of music from the hired viol players. One of the players was a friend of Kyan, whom Kyan was waving at despite the fact he was busy. I smiled, lost in thought looking at my younger sister until Howan came to stand by me.

"Does being graduated feel nice?" Howan asked me, smiling over her goblet.

"Feels good to relax," I said, sharing the expression.

"You still don't know what you want to do yet do you?"

"That's a no," I said honestly, "You've been turned down by the high council and you're amazing at magic. I barely graduated. I don't think I have much of a magical career ahead of me."

"Don't say that Esca." She said, "you would be amazing in a guild. And the high council doesn't need another water mage right now. To them, it's more important to have extra lightning and fire mages than water... what with, you know..."

"Yeah, well I think that's stupid," I said, scanning the crowd of my friends and family.

"Yeah..," she trailed off, "Adrian still hasn't found a job?"

"No, he's kind of holding off in case... you know," He gets drafted into the war.

Howan sighed, "I know."

The only downside to graduating is the adding of my name to the draft lottery. My parent's wealth could only protect me to such a degree.

If my name gets drawn it won't matter how important my parents are.

I shook my head to clear the thought as Kyan made her way over to us.

"Guys, you'll never guess what you just missed," she said with a smirk.

"What?" I asked her as Howan set her now empty goblet of wine on a nearby table.

"Rinn made Adrian laugh so hard he shot wine out of his nose and then Rinn was laughing right? Until he realized Adrian sprayed wine all over his ice mage robes and you guys," she wheezed, "you have to come see this."

I ran after my little sister, and pushed to the edge of the crowd to see my brother holding his nose in pain, exclaiming loudly. Rinn stood next to him half laughing, half upset as he pulled his nose-wine stained robes off of himself.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing along with my sisters as Howan led Adrian into the house to rinse out his nose.

Rinn stood frustrated staring at Kyan and me who were still laughing.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked.

"Rinn, your shirt," I got out between laughs, trying to look apologetic.