Tamara walked stiffly through the Iron Trial halls. She knew that there were a lot of kids that had no idea that they were there to be accepted into the Magisterium, but there were also others who knew exactly what was going on and knew exactly who Tamara was.
As she walked deep in thought, some kid from behind her ran right into her, she shot a glare at the boy with ink black hair, foggy gray eyes, and a limp? Oops.
"Sorry." The kid said.
Tamara felt kind of bad, "we're all nervous." Her attempt at an apology.
Jasper rushed to catch up with her and they left the poor kid far behind. That was too bad, she'd rather talk to the weird kid then Jasper who pretends that he's so high and mighty when he's really not.
He smirked, "That weird cripple over there is probably oblivious to the fact that this is the Iron Trial. And after he loses, he won't remember."
Tamara glared at him, "Don't be mean, Jasper." She hissed. And took her seat at the desk with her name in it. The crippled kid sat in front of some jock and while the blond kid smiled, the crippled boy ignored him.
"Please keep your books closed until the test has started." Master Milagros said. She knew most of the mages already, they often came to some of the more important meetings and parties that Tamara's family hosted. She noticed that the crippled boy wax the only one who had opened his book.
Master Milagros said something about the Magisterium, all of which Tamara already knew, then the Mage lifted her arms and there came an illusion of the Magisterium's caverns. The crippled boy didn't seem in awe. Did that mean he was the son of a former student?
"what if you don't want to go?" The crippled boy said.
huh. Maybe the boy was the son of a student who left the Magisterium after the Third War.
Sge listened to Master Milagros scold the boy and a kid named Drew Wallace, "Thise if you who are legacies know the dangers untrained mages pose to themselves and others."
To Tamara it felt like an icicle impaled her heart, she felt everyone turn to stare at her, including the crippled boy, she sat up straight and ignored everyone's gaze.
Master Milagros answered questions that Tamara already knew the answer to until the walls went back to original stark white. "You may begin."
Tanara opened her book and slowly wrote out equations and rules. The boy seemed to have trouble with his pen. She looked back at her test when there was a sudden boom and a fountain of blue ink sprayed the crippled boy. The blond jock scrambled to hide under his desk while the boy attempted to shut off the pen. His entire face was blue by the time he finally dropped the pen and the fiasco ended.
"Callum Hunt. Please, please leave the room and clean yourself up, then wait in the hall until the group rejoins you." Master Milagros said. Someone was laughing hysterically, but Tamara couldn't tell who it was.
Callum met Tamara's eyes and she tried not to start smiling. He stumbled out of the room and everone errupted into laughter. She wondered why Callum had his limp. She thought about all of her training at home, why did the last name Hunt sound so familiar?
Tanara was the first to finish her test and she waited outside to wait for the rest of the aspirants. Callum wasn't back yet and he still wasn't back by the time all of the kids finished their tests. Why did she care? Jasper stood beside yer and explained why he was going to be in the same group as her, even though Blond Jock finished right after she did. Callum limped back to join the group and he was still mostly blue.
"The freak with the ink." Someone said and a few others giggled.
"nice look with the shirt." Jasper said, and Tamara resisted the urge to kick him. "For your sake, I hope the next test doesn't involve explosions. Or, oh, wait-I hope it does."
"Shut up." Callum said.
Tamara whispered in Jaspers ear, "yeah, shut up Jasper."
Master Milagros called out some names and Tamara joined her group. Jasper who was acting weirder than usual began to hug her and wish her good luck.
"Hey Kylie." Callum said.
"Would you mind not talking to me?"
Tamara winced. Ouch. The kid had to move faster to keep up with the regular pace of the group. Tamara turned to talk to Rafe-someone in her group.
the next test was rope climbing and Tamara could barely see the other groups around the corners. Aaron climbed up the ladder faster than anyone and hit the ball loose from the top. Jasper did terribly which Tamara found hilarious.
Tamara braced herself on the first rung of the ladder and pushed up with her free foot. She used air magic to propel herself upward faster than the ladder could fall and she too hit the ball loose. She grinned and then remembered her parents and her face fell. Everyone was clapping for her but Tamara didn't really care.
Callum was arguing with Master Rockmaple who was in charge of his tests until finally grumbling and glaring, Callum went up to his ladder. He put his leg on the rung and pushed up, his face screwed up in pain as he fell back to the ground. There was a boom and their rubber ball began to burn. Tamara hid a grin.
Tamara sat at one of the desks, "Are we supposed to have pens?" Rafe asked.
Tamara shook her head, "They're testing us on air magic; levitating the paper."
She turned her thoughts on the paper and it lifted unsteadily toward the sky. "Well done Ms. Rajavi." Master Milagros said.
There was shouting from the room across the hall, "It's just paper!"
The group moved on and joined the others in the hall. Callum was being avoided, he was almost completely blue and he smelled like burning rubber.
Tamara went after Callum and when she went into Master Rufus's room there was broken glass and smoke everywhere. Wow! How many tests can one person completely ruin?
Tamara passed Callum who now has another layer of blood in his shirt. She sat completely composed next to her parents.
"You got second place." Mr. Rajavi said
"That's good isn't it?"
"You didn't get first place like Kimiya." Mrs. Rajavi said.
Tamara pursed her lips but said nothing as Aaron got called down. "Tamara Rajavi."
She descended the bleachers without emotion even though in her head she was shouting and congratulating herself.
"And my last apprentice will be Callum Hunt." Tamara stared at Callum in shock. He got the first negative score in Magisterium history and Master Rufus chose him?! Callum met Tamara's eyes but she was too shocked to react. "I said Callum Hunt, Callum Hunt please come down here."
"You can't have him!" Mr. Hunt told Master Rufus.
The two began yelling at each other and Tamara inched closer to the bleachers with Aaron in tow. Callum looked conflicted, his father held him tightly so Callym couldn't have went with Rufus if he wanted to. Callum whispered to his father but Mr. Hunt shook his head. Tamara was scared for Callum, his dad looked crazy. His eyes wild, he hauled Callum to his feet and dragged him down the bleachers, Callum was trying to keep his balance with his unsteady feet.
"Enough!" Master Rufus's voice cut through the air like knives, "The boy stays here."
"haven't you killed enough of my family?!"
Tamara and Aaron exchanged a look. The arguing continued and finally the mages took Callum by the arms and forced him over to Tamara and Aaron.
Suddenly something glinting twisted through the air straight at Callum's heart. Aaron stopped the knife and yanked it from the air, "I guess this is yours right?"
"Thanks." Callum said, but he didn't sound too grateful.
Tamara couldn't help it, "That was your father?" She could see why Callum was so... Angry all the time. She couldn't look at him in the eyes.
"yeah, he wants me to be safe."
Tamara highly doubted that.