The Mistakes Of Misfits

My back hit the ice. It flared in pain more than even the cold that consumed my body. My entire body ached. I had been at this for too long but I couldn't give up, I couldn't let him win. I stood up to face my attacker.

He was a hooded figure a few inches shorter than me. I saw a bit of white long hair poking out from the attacker's hood. He was older. I could maybe use that to my advantage. The figure crossed his arms and even though I couldn't see his face he almost seemed disappointed. "Sloppy." He said through his hood. Wait, I knew that voice. I didn't have too much time to think as I was rushed by the figure. He swung a sword at my torso but I blocked it using a small shield made of magical energy. This assassin didn't know who he was dealing with. I was a mage. I would not die so easily.

I shot a bolt of lightning at the attacker. It hit him in the gut and sent him reeling back. He was back on the attack much quicker than I would have expected. He kicked me in the chest and this time I didn't have the time to react to the strike. I kept my footing this time but the pure impact on the ice sent me sliding. My body was in shambles. I needed to end this fight before it gave out on me. My attacker was on me again before I had time to think. I moved with a flourish of my hands and let out a gust of wind to push my attacker back.

The wind not only pushed him but it sent his hood flying back revealing his face. I let out a sigh. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" I let out. In front of me was Orthis, my personal mentor.

His long gray hair almost seemed to gleam in the snow as he studied me with his dark calculating brown eyes. He was one of the most powerful mages in all of Tayrin. Orthis's mouth turned into a frown. "You know how important tomorrow is. You cannot falter." He was worried about my trials tomorrow. It was understandable. I had worried about them profusely the last few weeks.

I let out a sigh as I stood up straight. "I know this is important to you but you don't have to attack me like some kind of ass-" Before I could even finish Orthis hit me with a bolt of lightning to my abdomen. The bolt sent me to the ground. It wasn't enough to really hurt me. It was a message. One I knew all too well. I held my pained gut as I stood and faced Orthis. Orthis had abandoned his short sword and now had his hands engulfed in purple arcane energy. His expression was steeled. The man who raised me was gone. Only the mentor who practically tortured me into shape remained.

I let out a few pained breaths. I knew Orthis too well to think he was going to listen to my pleas. I would need to endure his training once more. I readied myself for the next attack. Orthis wasn't as vain as the other high mages but he wouldn't see me as much of a threat. I needed to use that. I opened my hands and the icy cold in the air formed into two blades. They felt cold in my bare hands but that was the least of my worries. I needed to be quick. I charged Orthis with my blades of ice.

I slashed in quick succession. I needed to keep up the pressure. I wouldn't let him think, not even for a moment. Orthis dodged each attack like a ghost only moments away from a slice each time. I kept up the pressure, convinced I would find an opening. Orthis knelt down dodging one of my strikes and swept my leg out from under me. My body was in the air for a moment then was met by Orthis's fist. He punched me into the ice causing it to crack under my weight. Luckily enough it did not break and before Orthis could attack me again I teleported back out of his reach.

My body couldn't keep this up too much longer. I could feel the magic straining my body to the point of exhaustion. I needed a plan. I saw the crack in the ice and a small idea formed. I let go of the blade in my right hand and raised it. My hand warmed and lit on fire. The warmth felt like a comfort but I had no time to relish it. I shot six fireballs in quick succession and charged Orthis following the last bit of fire toward him.

Orthis looked disappointed as he swatted away each ball of fire with ease. "Pathetic." He muttered. I rushed him mere moments after the last fireball fell to the ground below him. Orthis caught me by the throat. His icy look sent chills up my spine. "Is this how you expect to survive?" He asked me. He launched me back with a large blast of fire from his hands scorching my chest and throat. Orthis didn't move as he looked down at me. Good. I needed him there.

I got up to one knee and smiled through the pain. "I expect to survive like this." I held up my hand and the fireballs I had launched earlier spun around Orthis. Orthis looked down seeing the swirling fire and before he could escape I made the fire rise and a massive tornado of flame formed around him. Orthis didn't have an escape as the ice melted below him. I couldn't see much through the fire but I swear I saw a smile on Orthis's face as the ice fell from under him.

It was quiet for a moment. I knew it wouldn't last but I relished the moment, catching my breath. The seconds that followed felt like centuries. Orthis eventually emerged from the ice in a massive leap behind me. I stood up to face him. He didn't have a drop of ice on him, not a drop of wet or cold on his body. I stood tall even if my body aches with every movement. I didn't have any magic left to give but I wasn't going to let him beat me. I would fight.

Orthis's mouth curled up into a smile. "Not bad boy... let's eat, you'll need your strength for tomorrow." he kept that same monotone expression. He walked right past me and opened a portal to the city. Not bad, boy. That's all I got for taking on the second strongest mage in all of Tayrin. I guess it was better than the usual grunt he would give me after we were done training. I turned and followed him through the portal. We were heading back to Alexandria, the city of magic.

We emerged in the middle of the city. Most mages would have to teleport to the gates because of the wards on the city but Orthis was a high mage. He could go pretty much anywhere he wanted in the city. We were right outside the restaurant. It seemed we always went there after a long day of training.

We walked into the restaurant and I already smelled the wonderful smell of different cooked meats and spices. The restaurant was lit by small mage lights that looked like stars against the black ceiling. Orthis looked back at me. "The usual?" He asked.

I nodded to my mentor. My skin still felt like it was recovering from the extreme cold. "Yes sir." I answered. "I'll find us a seat." The restaurant wasn't that packed but we had a routine. I went to the same booth that we seemed to have reserved for us since it was always open. It was only a moment before Orthis sat down with me and slid me my plate. It was a stir fry of sorts. Plenty of vegetables and enough chicken to replenish any lost protein.

I nodded to Orthis. "Thank you" I told him as I dug into my plate. The flavors were heaven on my tongue. I had barely eaten all day. This felt like pure relief. It must have been almost twenty minutes of silent eating before Orthis finally spoke.

"Your form is getting better." He told me. "You need to watch your stance though, it was entirely too easy to knock you off balance." I nodded slowly. My mind raced, all kinds of worry about tomorrow floating in the deep recesses of my mind. Orthis raised an eyebrow. "Varrin?" He asked. He had that same cold indifference even when he seemed to be concerned. He stopped eating and put the fork on his plate. He let out a small sigh. "You're worried about tomorrow aren't you?" He raised an eyebrow and waited for my answer.

I thought about lying to him, thought about telling him I was fine. Knowing Orthis he would just pry it out of my head anyway. I let out a long deep sigh. "Of course I'm worried. I could die at any moment tomorrow!" my words had a bit more venom than I intended as they were flung at Orthis.

Orthis nodded slowly. His expression didn't even change a bit seeing my anger. "You are under threat of death every day. This is simply another test of many." How did he keep so damn calm all the time? These trials were our way to prove we were worthy of wielding magic outside of the university and training.

I slammed my fork into the plate causing the table to shake. "I'm still not ready! I'm far behind every other student I'm... I'm a joke of a mage." I hung my head. I was at least a few weeks behind in spells in my classes. I thought I could catch up but I was out of time and out of options. I was going to die tomorrow. I knew it already.

Orthis reached his arm across the table and grabbed my face pulling me forward. "Cease this self pitying prattling." He ordered. His eyes narrowed on me. "You are a Stormviel. You are not a joke, you will impress me. You will prevail. Understand?" I nodded, unable to speak with the hold he had on my face. Orthis smirked. "Good, now eat up. You'll need your strength if... when you succeed tomorrow." It was as close to a pep talk as I had ever gotten. He pushed me back into my seat.

I smirked as I dug back into my food. "Thank you Orthis." I told him. "I don't believe I would be alive without your help." Even with his confidence I didn't know if this would be the last day I would see him. I should say what I needed to.

Orthis seemed to soften for a moment, his usual scowl turned to a look of care and compassion. "Of... of course." He cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure. "I appreciate the sentiment... but we have no need for such things. We will be back here after your trials." He spoke with such certainty that I almost believed it myself.

We heard footsteps. I could hear them coming from the doorway behind me. Orthis's eyes widened. There was a bit of fear moving through those dark eyes. There was only one person who could put that kind of worry into Orthis. I turned to see the long slender body of the Magistrate walk into view. The Magistrate was the leader of all the mages, she was said to be immortal and more powerful than any made had ever been in history. She ran her dark ominous green eyes across both of us before settling on Orthis. "Greetings." She said with a small bow. The Magistrate didn't speak to many in person but Orthis was her second,one of the only people believed to be close to the Magistrate's power. "I need my second, Orthis. I have matters that need to be attended to."

Orthis furrowed his brow at the Magistrate's smooth face. "Respectfully, one of the other masters can take care of this. I am with my student at the moment." The Magistrate let out a chuckle and my anger lit like a fire.

"Oh yes... your apprentice." She said the word as if I were a pet. She turned that cocky, snake-like grin my way. "I'm sure he's as ready as he can be... your time would be wasted with him." I held back the words I wanted to scream her way. The Magistrate could wipe me out in a moment if I spoke out of turn.

Orthis did not have the same fear. He stood up and faced down the Magistrate. "My boy and I are having a nice meal. I was told my time outside the war room could be used how I wished." There was a bit of challenge in his voice. The Magistrate raised an eyebrow. A silent invitation to follow through. She did not back down however and sparks started to form on Orthis's fingers.

I stood up and put a hand on Orthis's shoulder. "I'll go, it's fine." I didn't know if Orthis could take the Magistrate in a fight. I doubted it, but if he was going to it wouldn't be for my pride.

He took a moment but he relaxed those shoulders. He could see the pleading in my eyes. "Alright... make sure to get some sleep tonight. Don't get distracted by your... companions." I chuckled a bit as I walked away.

"I'll try my best." I told him. I gave him the first genuine smile I think I had given since I started training. "I'll see you tomorrow." I said it as a goodbye but I held onto it like a promise. I would see him after the trials. I would make it.

I made my way back to the academy. It was surprisingly busy considering that every senior was going to the trials tomorrow. It was almost ten. I should have been in bed already but I needed to walk to clear my head. I saw a familiar blond waiting at the base of the stairs. I tried not to notice the way she quickly adjusted her hair as I approached. "Hey Ria." I greeted

Ria brushed her hair back away from the cleavage she was clearly trying to show off. I definitely didn't mind it reminded me of the way they moved the night before. She gave me a kind welcoming smile. "Hey Varrin." She said in that sweet light voice. She looked around for a moment making sure no one was in earshot. "I really enjoyed last night." She said, almost in a whisper.

I wasn't exactly popular here in the university. Ria had a status she had to keep up so our nights of fun were kept a secret. Granted I didn't mind. We all needed an escape from this place and its constant death and worry. This was just ours.

I nodded to her. "I did too. Sorry I had to duck out so early. Orthis isn't one to give me free time." Her shoulders sagged in relief. She thought I had left because of her.

"That's good to hear." She muttered. Her face was full of worry as she looked me up and down. She stopped on my burns that covered my neck but didn't say anything. She knew the way Orthis trained me. She knew the brutality. She sighed. "The trials are tomorrow. If you want after it's over we can..." she stopped. There was no guarantee we both made it. It was pretty unlikely I would. I smiled at her all the same.

"I would be happy to celebrate with you after." I told her. I gave her a quick kiss. She jolted up but embraced the small moment before I opened the door and walked up the stairs.

I opened the door to my room. I smelled the familiar incense and perfume of my roommate as I entered. "There you are!" Said Rylie. Rylie had been my roommate for years and my only friend I really trusted fully. She stepped her mousy frame into view and stared daggers at me with those bright blue eyes, similar to mine. "You know what tomorrow is, you should be in bed."

I chuckled as I sat down on my bed. "Sorry mom. I'm sorry I was out past my curfew." I tried to put as much sarcasm into each word as possible.

Rylie sighed. "I don't mean to be an ass, I just worry about you. Tomorrow is going to be make or break. I don't want you screwing around." She swung the door shut and walked up to me. "It's not that... what the fuck is that?" Her arms pinned on the Burn around my throat.

As if her stare had activated the pain on my neck started to burn stronger. I shrugged. "Just the usual training scars, I'll be fine."

Rylie shook her head. "Take off your robe. Let me see it." She was always a bit worried about me. She was also stubborn enough to never take no for an answer. I did as I was told and disrobed. All I had on was my trousers as Rylie inspected the wound. Her soft hands ran across the many, many scars that I had acquired through my training. She put one hand on my throat and I felt the warm rush of healing magic. "I don't know why he insists on hurting you like this."

I shrugged. "That hurt is what's kept me alive all these years. I looked at my arm seeing the large tattoo. It snakes across my arm making some kind of runic mark that was supposed to help me channel magic. Everything from the tattoos to the muscles were specifically designed to help me weld magic easier. All crutches to keep up with the others. Yet I still fell behind.

Rylie saw my mood switch and tried to change the subject. "I'm surprised you didn't stay with Ria again." She said with an inquisitive look. I knew that look. She wanted every detail.

I hadn't told her about Ria and I's nights out. "How do you know about that?" I asked. I didn't care about who knew but Ria was very keen that people didn't know too much about us.

Rylie chuckled. "Because someone forgot to put up a soundshield on her room and Ria is very, very loud." My face went red and Rylie gave me a playful shove as she moved down to a large cut across my abdomen. "Don't worry half the people who heard it are gonna be dead by tomorrow. No one's gonna remember any gossip like that once the trials are over."

I let out a small chuckle. "Thank you." I muttered. I was most likely going to be one of those people.It was probably easy for her to think positive. She was the best in our class, she would probably go on to be a high mage one day.

Rylie's eyes went stoic for a moment. She cupped my face. "We're both going to make it tomorrow." She was so convinced. I didn't want her to be wrong. I nodded without saying a word. Rylie smiled. "Let's get to bed. Big day ahead of us." She stripped down to her underwear and slipped into her bed. "Goodnight Varrin." She said before she drifted off to sleep.

I lay in my bed for a long time. "Goodnight Rylie." I muttered as I watched the mage lights above me circle and swirl. They slowly dimmed over the minutes I laid there. I knew tomorrow was going to be daunting. It would be deadly, but losing sleep wouldn't help. I calmed my mind thinking about the celebration after. The drinks, the accommodations, the respect. With that lovely thought, the mage lights faded and so did I as I drifted off to sleep.