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Rumerra - The Journey Begins [Progression Fantasy]
Chapter 4 - Let's Graduate Together (part I)

Chapter 4 - Let's Graduate Together (part I)

While the Council of Mages held its annual meeting in Everdale, students at the academy were starting to take their oral and written exams. The headmaster made sure Velvet was allowed to take them despite not having a partner for the practical part of the exam, saying "Even if she doesn't end up doing the practical exam this year, we can still ease the load on her for next year and let her get the other exams done."

Naturally, his assistant did not agree with this sentiment, but luckily for Velvet, he did not have much say in the matter. After all, Argus was his superior in every way and his word was law. Or on more than one occasion, above the law even.

"Ah, you're back already?" Arianna asked her friend upon returning to their room right after finishing her exam on 'The history of Rumerra'. "How did it go?"

"Too easy!" Velvet smiled, relaxing on the bed with her feet propped up on the wall. "These questions were for babies! I don't understand how nobody even seemed to be close to finishing when I left the classroom! Who doesn't know these things, seriously?"

"People who haven't read every book in the library twice already." Arianna laughed. "It was actually quite hard. I still think I've got everything correct, though. We will see."

"I'm sure you will pass with flying colors," her friend said and rolled off her bed. "This week is the task draw, isn't it?" she asked curiously, staring into the blonde girl's eyes.

Arianna sighed in turn. "It is. I hope I don't get an overly hard one! They say the tasks can vary greatly in difficulty so a lot depends on the luck of the draw. Granted the harder ones give you more points, so you can make some mistakes, but I would rather get an easy one."

"I want a hard one, for the challenge!" Velvet exclaimed excitedly, her amber eyes flashing a spark of curiosity. That spark quickly died down, however, when reality dawned on her. "I don't get to draw for a task without a partner, though. Bummer."

"Hey, Argus will be back in a few days, won't he?" Arianna put her hand on her shoulder. "Maybe he will bring some good news for us both!"

Velvet nodded. "I sure hope so. You were right. It was stupid of me to be so stubborn and not make a backup plan. If he comes back and says the vote failed...I don't even want to think about it. If that happens, it's truly over for me."

***

A few days later, Argus finally returned from Everdale, looking exhausted as always after having to deal with the Council. He lazily dragged himself up the staircase and up to his office, where his assistant not so eagerly awaited his return.

"Welcome back, Sir," Ralph said. "How was it?"

"Exhausting as always!" the old man replied and slumped into his large chair. Not a minute later, there was a knock on the door and Velvet basically broke into the office.

"Mister Argus! Mister Argus! How did the vote go?!"

"I've good news and bad news," the headmaster told the anxious girl who was nervously shuffling before him. "The good news is, that my proposal has passed the vote. This means that you can pair up with Miss Goldleaf for the practical part of your graduation exam. But..."

"YES!!" Velvet jumped up in celebration. "Yesyesyesyes! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"But there are certain conditions," he continued. "I've managed to sway the Council to vote in my favor because I offered them something in return. They were pretty adamant about keeping all other rules in place, however. Unfortunately, that means that you will have quite the handicap when completing your tasks."

The ecstatic girl stopped her celebration for a moment. "Hm? A handicap? How so?"

"The rules state each student has to complete a task within a week's time in order to pass the practical part of the exam. That includes traveling time. And herein lies the catch. Each student has to complete a task. Since neither of you has graduated yet, the Council basically demands that you two complete two tasks in a week's time — one for each of you. This notion is also reinforced by the fact that each student should complete a task from their own respective course. Now should you accept these conditions..."

"We accept!" Velvet yelled without hesitation. "As long as Arianna is my partner, this will be easy, even if we have to complete two tasks in the same amount of time!"

"I see you are eager." He chuckled. "Still, you should ask Miss Goldleaf about her opinion on this matter as well, don't you think? After all, it affects her too."

"She will have no problem with it, I am sure!" the girl was quick to respond. "But I will ask her."

"Very well then." Argus groomed his beard. "You should go and draw a task for yourself in that case. There's not much time left for you two to prepare with the written and oral exams going on. I wish you both the best of luck!"

She thanked him once more from the bottom of her heart and darted out of his office at an incredible speed, undoubtedly eager to share the good news with her friend.

"What you are allowing is highly dangerous, Sir," his assistant reminded him as soon as they were left alone. "And just what have you offered the Council to make them accept such an absolutely ridiculous proposal?"

"I offered them what a lot of people are waiting for." He smiled mischievously. "I offered them my immediate resignation from the Council should anything happen to either of them."

"You what?!" Ralph jumped up as if a bee stung him. "With all due respect, Sir, have you lost your mind?! Not only have you put your own position at stake, you are also putting these girls in a world of danger! You know how many people want you off your post?!"

"I am aware, my dear boy." The old man stood up from his chair as well and started pacing around the room. "I am a thorn in many people's sides. Especially since I do not conform to the rules that are being implemented lately. More and more useless laws that restrict freedom and the use of magic. What utter garbage! Rules are for fools! By my beard, I swear I shall vote against all of them until my dying breath! And that is also why they want me gone."

"Then what is your plan here, Sir?" the young man asked with concern in his voice. "How are you planning to keep these girls safe?"

"I am not." He smiled, eyeing him playfully. "You are! Should they decide to take on their tasks together, you shall follow them closely and make sure there is no...outer interference."

"You're roping me into this as well?!" His assistant was appalled. "Sir, this is preposterous!"

"Oh, come on, Ralphie boy!" Argus laughed heartily. "Where is your youth? Your sense of adventure? This is fun! It's exciting! It's—"

"Completely crazy!" Ralph yelled in frustration. "You are sending two fourteen-year-old girls out there to complete tasks that are usually done by eighteen to twenty-year-olds!"

"Two fourteen-year-old girls that are more skilled in magic than most of our post-graduate students," the headmaster calmly reminded him. "I've been training Velvet myself for the past few months and believe me when I say this girl is a magical genius, unlike anything I've ever witnessed in my life. And mind you, I've been around for over seventy years now!"

"Even if that is the case, she lacks practical experience! Fighting real monsters is not the same as sparing with a senile old man!" His assistant could hold back his anger no longer.

"Ohohoho! You crack me up, my boy! Senile old man! You got a good one in on me!"

"While that felt good," Ralph cleared his throat and regained his composure a bit, "insulting you right now is not going to help those girls in the slightest. We need a plan."

Argus coughed himself out of his laughing fit and nodded. "Yes, you are very correct my dear assistant. Only that I have already told you the plan. You will follow them. That is the plan."

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"I follow them? That's it?" He cocked his eyebrow. "Come on, Sir, you have to give me more than that to work with! How closely should I follow them? When do I intervene? Do they fail their task if I do?"

"I will let you be the judge of when and how," the headmaster said. "As for if they fail? Yes, they most certainly do. Since the Council is conveniently stationed in Everdale this year, they are sending one of their own to oversee the graduation process. Miss Pampleton from the elven kingdom shall be present in our academy for that purpose. In fact, she's already here!"

"Oh no, not that elf bitch..." Ralph buried his face in his palms.

"Oh yes, that elf bitch!" Argus allowed himself a chuckle. "Her personality might be a little lacking, but you have to admit she is quite the remarkable lady! Achieving tier three and being voted into the Council at only thirty-four years of age, she is set up to be one of the greatest sorcerers of the modern era!" He lowered his voice and spoke into his beard. "Pretty nice ass too..."

"I do not even want to hear what you just mumbled there, Sir." His assistant pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Anyways, I see the issue now."

"Precisely! We cannot be lenient to our students if the Council is watching us! We will probably have to fail more students this year than any year prior."

"Fail students that should have failed anyway, but you choose to pass every year, you mean?"

"There is more to magic than what grades you get," the wise old man said. "There's passion. Commitment. Curiosity. Selflessness. Courage. All of these are qualities of a great sorcerer."

"This is one of those rare occasions where I agree with you," Ralph nodded. "Grades are often not a complete representation of one's skill. Still, if you fail a test, you should fail it."

Argus sighed. "Sadly, it seems it will be like this. Either way, follow those two closely and make sure my dear colleagues from the Council don't cause them any difficulties."

"Yes, Sir," the young man had no choice but to agree. "I will see to it that they are safe."

***

"Arianna! Arianna!" Velvet shouted, bursting into their room so suddenly that her friend nearly fell off the chair. "Arianna, we can be partners!!"

"R-really?" the blonde girl asked after recovering from the fright she just received.

"Really! I just talked to Argus! The Council vote went through! Isn't that amazing?!"

"Wow, you mean it?!" Her excitement was now starting to spill over to Arianna as well.

"Yes! We can graduate together like we always wanted! I'm so happy!"

Both girls hugged tightly in a whirlwind of emotions as they rejoiced at this amazing news.

"Imagine the look on Dan's face when I tell him this!" Arianna said. "He'll be in shock!"

"Whaaat? You're leaving me?!" Velvet imitated his reaction and they both fell on the bed laughing.

After a short celebration, they decided to grab a snack in the dining hall. Since Everdale Academy was one of the top academies in Rumerra (and the tuition fees were exceedingly high), it offered refreshments and food even outside of official meal times.

"Have you drawn your task yet?" the girl with the pointy hat asked when she was munching on her sandwich.

Her friend shook her head. "I did not. I was too scared!"

"Hey, we can do it together now!" Velvet suggested. "Let's go do it after we eat this!"

"Let's!" Arianna agreed. She hasn't even fully realized it until now, but this whole situation with Daniel was weighing down on her so much over the past few weeks and months that she felt like she was physically suffocating. It's not that he was a bad guy. He actually treated her fairly for the most part. But it was evident that he wanted more out of this partnership. He made it painfully clear with how close to her he always walked and how he touched and hugged her on every possible occasion. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

"I'm so happy you're the one I get to do this with," she randomly blurted out. "I'm so sorry I doubted you and kind of left you on your own lately. I feel like I was a bad friend."

"You were not," Velvet immediately replied. "Even I was starting to doubt myself! And you were just looking out for yourself. Don't beat yourself up about it, that's all in the past now!"

Arianna smiled and nodded. "Yes. We're partners now. That's the most important thing!"

"Hello, ladies!" an all too familiar voice called out. They didn't even need to look to know who it was. The young man sat uncomfortably close to Arianna as usual and proceeded to put his arm around her. Things went a little differently this time for him, though.

"Hands off my partner!" Velvet yelled, slamming her fist down against the table.

"Still going on about this? Didn't they already fail you?" He laughed at her.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind sent him flying across the hall and he landed face-first on an unsuspecting girl's plate. He rolled off and stumbled to his feet, his uniform covered in food.

"Arianna? W-what...what's the meaning of this?!" he stuttered in complete shock.

"Never make fun of my friend again," she said sternly, giving him a death glare. "Never."

Daniel glanced over to the other side of the table, where Velvet was sitting. But it was empty. He faintly heard some footsteps approaching before he received a firm slap to his right cheek. Another one followed to his left one. Then a kick to his groin. He yelped in pain and fell to his knees. As he lay there holding his crotch, Arianna walked up to him and leaned down.

"We're done being partners. If you want a girlfriend, you shouldn't find one in this manner."

"Ah...I...I didn't...mean to..." he barely managed to speak through the pain.

"Well you did!" the girl said sternly, turned away, and walked off. "Goodbye, Dan."

In the corner of his blurry vision, he saw Velvet appearing out of seemingly thin air and high-fiving her friend before they both turned to the exit.

"I'll...I'll get you for this, Crow!" the humiliated boy yelled after them. "I know it was you!"

"Oh, really?" Velvet turned around towards the crowd of students staring. "Did anyone see me doing anything to him?" Only silence followed while a few students shook their heads.

"See?" she said, glancing back at him. "What are you talking about?"

After leaving the dining hall they turned toward each other and started giggling wildly.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe we just did that!" Arianna almost shouted in disbelief.

"Hey, you started it! I just went along." Velvet shrugged. "Nice Air Burst by the way!"

"Do you think we'll get in trouble?" The other girl immediately started to worry.

"Nah." Her friend waved her hand. "What's he going to say? Two girls beat me up?"

They laughed again at just how right she was.

"Let's go draw tasks now!" Velvet suggested.

And so they did. Ascending to the third floor, they found a small orb on a pedestal. Both girls stared at it for what must have been a couple of minutes, nearly forgetting to breathe in anticipation.

"So how does this work?" Arianna finally asked the question that plagued them both.

"I think...you put your hand on it?" Velvet guessed correctly. "Let's try it! I'll go first!"

"Wait a minute...first? We're partners now, remember? We only need one task."

"Yeah..." The girl with the pointy hat scratched the back of her head and grinned sheepishly. "About that..."

Thank you for reading the first part of chapter four!

Thank you for reading the first part of chapter four! [https://img.wattpad.com/b815dbc9d6593965d3bb975a67be28769f4de0da/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6c7051424f56573263486d6a44513d3d2d313236363832393332352e313731326232613538643264323336333133333839383732313130312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

What kind of tasks will Arianna and Velvet get?