When the light faded, I was standing back on the round platform. Kyla was next to me glaring at Mai. Her eyes had a fire in them, but I wasn’t sure it was a good thing. Mai barely seemed to notice, or maybe she was intentionally avoiding my sister’s gaze.
Gregor kept his gaze fixed on me. The vein in his forehead looked to pop, and his eyes were dark with rage. His clenched fist and stiff posture didn’t reflect the noble upbringing he must’ve had, given his family's status.
The crowd of parents and spectators was quiet while the announcer read the results of the match.
“Mai Garnett, pass entering first class. Gregor Spearhand, fail—”
“What! You can’t fail me!” Gregor shouted. He stomped his foot and puffed out his chest as if to intimidate the announcer.
“Due to reckless actions resulting in termination, and leaving the mage undefended, Gregor has failed the exam.” The announcer took a long awkward pause after the statement. Gregor opened his mouth to speak, but only gibberish came at first. “But that… how come… I was supposed to be first class,” he finally whined. “Or at least a knight.” His shoulders slumped and for a moment I felt sorry for him.
“Kyla Ray, pass entering dust mage.”
I was relieved that Kyla passed, but I knew dust mage would be a huge blow to her pride. Still things turned out just as Sven warned. A rune was the difference between first class and the reject curriculum.
“Fayden Ray.” There were a few muffled noises then the speaker squealed before shutting off. My heart beat faster as my anticipation built. The pause was taking far too long. ‘Why did he stop?… Did I fail?’ Some of the spectators were giving each other puzzled looks, and I wondered if they had the same thought I had.
“Oh come on already, just read the result,” one man yelled.
Others started to voice their frustration with delay, but the intercom speaker remained silent.
Gregor started to cheer up. He had a grin from ear to ear as he looked at me. “You’re going to fail,” he sneered. “You just got lucky beating me. Everyone knows that.”
“He won’t fail,” Mai smiled at me. “He beat your spirit integration without casting a single spell. Even if you call it a fluke, that’s unheard of.”
“Thank you.” I smiled back. I tried to restrain my excitement at her praise, but the way she giggled and the glare Kyla shot at me, told me I wasn’t doing a very good job.
----------------------------------------
(Galious Spearhand’s point of view)
“What the hell is this?” I shouted at Valencia Nordblum.
“The results of the thrilling match we just saw. Which you need to finish reading,” She flatly replied, not bothering to even look at me.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” I roared. “How did my son fail but you passed this… this… this magicless insect! My son has a spirit relic, he’s even able to integrate. That kid got lucky eliminating Gregor like that.”
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“Your son failed because of his own carelessness. He’s free to try again next cycle, but,” she pulled her glasses down to look over the rim of her frame, “saber-rattling will get you nowhere here.”
I felt hot with anger at her words. How dare she accuse me, Galious Spearhand, of saber rattling. Pounding my fists on the table I yelled, “I’M NOT—” I stopped myself and squeezed my fists tighter to keep from yelling again.
Valencia stared blankly at me, totally unfazed by my brief outburst. “You’re not what? Mr Spearhand, please continue.”
I took several deep breaths then spoke again but this time, calmly. “I’m not saber-rattling Ms. —”
“Good, then finish reading the results and announce the next match.”
It took everything in me to bite back the words I wanted to say. If this had not been Sky Haven University I would’ve slapped her hard enough to dislodge her jaw, but it was, so again I took a deep breath. “Listen, all I’m saying is it doesn’t make sense how you’re accepting a kid with no magic but rejecting my son, my son that has a spirit relic and can integrate.” I stressed each word more than last until I was almost yelling again.
Valencia didn’t seem interested in anything I had to say. “I heard you the first time. However since your son, with his spirit relic, lost to a ‘magicless insect,’ I’d say that magicless insect has earned himself a pass. Not only that, but the boy didn’t hesitate to risk himself to save his partner even in a hopeless situation. He embodies the exact qualities we look for in a knight.”
“It was HIS SISTER! Of course he’d be willing to risk himself. Besides that, he should have been disqualified for moving before the first cannon.”
“I didn’t hear you raising any objections about their relationship before the match began,” she frowned. “What was it you said?… if he’s inept then he’s no better than a nabler.” I regretted having said anything because I couldn’t argue with my own words.
“Oh and since you reminded me, do you have any idea how they got teleported outside of the wolf den? Because I specifically recall deactivating those platforms.” She said, refusing to let me avoid eye contact.
Her piercing eyes felt as if they could see through my facade and directly view my thoughts. By her harsh tone I wondered if perhaps she had already pilfered my secrets without permission. I couldn’t be sure, but something told me she wasn’t really asking and might already know the answer.
Her unflinching posture and indomitable spirit didn’t fit with her meek and innocent expression. This coupled with her relaxed demeanor throughout the ordeal left me doubting her humanity. No matter how aggressive or threatening I tried to appear, Valencia just didn’t seem bothered at all. Yet with one question she has me second guessing myself.
I definitely couldn’t answer her about the teleportation incident, because if it got out that I altered the start locations to favor my son; the scandal would ruin our reputation for many years to come. Especially since that brat went and spoiled what should’ve been our victory.
“Are you finally ready to announce the result?” Valencia asked disdainfully.
I sat back in my place behind the mic, my shoulders slumping over the desk. ‘This isn’t over,’ I told myself while turning the intercom back on. “Fayden Ray, pass entering knights of valor. That concludes the first round.”
I took a long pause before announcing the next match. Losing was bad enough, but being forced to concede by a low born girl was humiliating on another level. Things shouldn’t have turned out like this but now that they had, I needed to think of another way to get Gregor into Sky Haven. If possessing a spirit relic and integration wasn’t enough then what about bribery, or perhaps a word from the right associate… Nothing seemed promising given my experience with Nordblum. Then again, she wasn’t a gatekeeper. Not in the true sense. Perhaps she ruled over the entrance exam, but I’d never even heard of her before being selected as the announcer for this year’s practical skills test.
My thoughts were interrupted when she reached over and tapped a pen against the side of the mic. She was again looking down at her desk checking test scores and placing names into brackets for the remaining events. She looked anything but threatening and yet I felt as though she could end me any moment she desired.
“Continue,” She calmly demanded.
“For the next match, Fin Emerson and Lenora Sabra please come to the arena, I said. I suppressed my anger and continued along in humiliating obedience.
When the first two students reached the starting platform in the center of the arena I continued. “Byron Marks and Charity Grace please come to the arena.”