by Bob Dattolo
And it tastes delicious.
The other two researchers take a step back at me eating my almost killer. It’s not quite normal for dragons to eat people, but it happens. Ira watches me get some down, “How are you healing yourself?”
My newly regrown fingers wiggle as I stare at them for a moment, “More power than I can explain and not really knowing what spell I’m using.”
He looked me up and down as my healing came to a stop, “That’s…if we could cast that spell, we could save so many lives!”
“I can write it down, but I won’t do that until I’m done with the academy.”
“But why?!? If you die…”
My smile was bestial, “Then maybe that can be used as leverage for getting me the fuck out of this asylum.”
They didn’t respond as I stalked away from them, heading for the mass of kids and adults. Too many of them look horrified that I’m eating someone. Or maybe that I kinda came back from so much damage?
It’s a good thing my rage is covering the agony and helping me along. My magic isn’t where it was when I helped Jenny, but it’s a hurting puppy right now.
Samantha watched me approach the group, “What the actual fuck was that? You were dead, Maddie. Gone. Gonnity gone.”
“Not quite dead. Just close.”
Marc looked me up and down, “You regrew your legs? How did you do that? We could see…your face was gone. You looked like a Halloween prop!”
I couldn’t help the glare at him. I don’t owe him an explanation. Not even close. “That’s why the researchers are here. I’m a one-of-a-kind freak and they want to know how I tick.”
He shook his head, not responding to that.
One of the adults flared magic, getting everyone to turn, “If you’ll…if you’ll all step inside? I’m not sure how or why any of that happened, but we should get started.”
Cleo, Stacey, and Cesar moved closer, somewhat loosely surrounding me. Levi stayed at my side. We made it to the little stage area, which shows me that this is set up like it was last year. Our path did take us closer to the doors into the trial, though. We want to be down there pretty close to first if we can.
The guy on the little stage is not the same one from last year. That’s good. I did not like him, and I’m not really in the mood to put up with a ton, you know? I hurt and I’m heading into the trial. That hurt could turn terminal.
“Welcome, everyone!” He raised his hands, as if everyone isn’t already staring at him.
Okay, some are looking at me still, just not anywhere near enough for him to act otherwise.
“Congratulations to all of you for making it to the end of your second year here at the academy!” His hands went down and his smile got larger. “Welcome to your trial!” Another pause. “As you all know, the trial ahead of you is the final exam, if you will, for this year. The format follows the same basic idea of what you faced last year. When the doors open, you will descend the steps to the main room. The trial starts as soon as the doors close. You will spend the first hour there. Do with that time what you will.” Now his smile turns evil, at least to me. “There are eight doors leading from the room. When those doors open, pick one and continue on. The hallways will be the same as what you encountered before, at least basically. You will encounter various tests and challenges along the way. Just as with what you saw last year, some are straightforward. Some are puzzles. Some have deadlines. You won’t know which have deadlines. Again, just as you saw last year? Failure to complete the tests and challenges correctly or on time may mean that the trial itself may be your death.”
He let that sink in a little. Not that it was a shocker.
“As with the warnings you received last year? Watch everyone. Watch everything. The trial. The tests. The challenges. Your fellow classmates. Your enemies. Your allies.” His voice dipped on the last word. Nice. What a dick.
“At the end of the six hours, time will be up. Anyone not through the full trial will lose their power. If that happens, you’re still you, unlike those that accepted the mortmagi last year. Feel free to catch the bus back with the others and collect your things.” He looked across everyone, “That being said? You have an opportunity before the doors open to walk away. You can decide to bow out. Your magic will be drained, lowered to 25 percent of what you have now. If that happens, you can also wait until the end and catch the buses back.” My classmates shifted a little, some murmuring happening. “117 of you are lined up to start the trial. It is highly unlikely that all of you will make it. Very much so. Some will be targets.” He glanced my way. “Some are weaker on spells than you’d like to be and maybe the trial itself will kill you. Some may get caught up in a fight and killed in error. Or by a rampaging dragon. Or any number of other things.” He waved to the side, “For those of you that feel that you cannot make it or that don’t want to risk it? Please step forward to my left, your right. We will verify your decision and you sit. You will then be presented with a button. You press the button to reduce your power level. Until that button is pressed, you can back out and enter the trial.”
More murmurs.
“In just a moment, the doors will open. Once that occurs, you cannot back out and will be forced down the steps. It’s time now to make your decision. Do you take the trial with your classmates? Or do you check out early and feel your power reduce?”
What the hell? It’s like they’re pushing everyone to go into the trial. That’s a freaking joke.
Every head that I could see turned as someone stepped from the group. I think his name is Joel, and he’s a metal mage. He turned and backed towards the chairs to the side, “Hey, everyone. It’s been real. I made some friends. I made some enemies. Thankfully, fewer of those. As far as the trial? No fucking way. I know I’m not strong enough to make it through, so…yeah, I’m fine with 25 percent and living. You guys have a blast. Good luck making it through.” He turned and stopped at one of the chairs.
The woman there nodded, “Do you sit of your own free will and accept the reduction in your power to 25 percent?”
“Yup. I do.” He sat, seemingly without a care, and took the box with a literal red button on it. He had it in his hand for maybe a second before he hit it, still smiling wide.
The smile never dropped, although it kinda looks like it may not have been a completely pleasant experience.
Once it was done, he handed the box up and stood, “Umm, if you’re wondering? That felt freaking weird. Not painful, though. Certainly not like having someone crush your skull with a bat.”
The woman took his arm gently, or so it seemed, and directed him towards the back of the space.
Another of us stepped forward. Followed by others.
I haven’t talked to most of them and barely know their names. As the minutes passed, 16 of us bowed out.
“Oooh, Tim, good call, you weren’t gonna make it very far!” Someone I know was his ally calls out.
“Yeah, I know. I heard you two talking about it last week.” He doesn’t seem upset by that.
“Sorry, man, you were just the weakest.” He doesn’t look at all ashamed of himself.
“I know. Stay safe. We’ll connect after this?”
“You got it.”
Others were told that they got lucky by not going in. Others were booed for not going, being told that they don’t deserve their power and should have given it to someone else in the trial.
Hmmm, Kaylee isn’t in the group. That’s so not what I was expecting. Like at all. I can see her, just barely, on the other side of the group. She’s behind almost everyone, arms wrapped around herself, and watching everyone in front of her. Seriously, something’s going on with her that I just don’t get.
The guy on the stage counted down from a minute. When a small gong went off, he waved and the doors opened, “Descend the steps for your trial. The trial does not start until the doors close. Watch your steps. Don’t attack too early or you may be punished. Watch yourself. Watch the trial. Good luck.
We will see those of you that survive six hours from now.”
Levi and I were the fourth and fifth onto the steps. We weren’t hurrying, nor were the people ahead of us, but we weren’t fucking around, either. The people ahead of us are alone. I would have sworn that all of them had allies. I’m just not sure.
God, it’s starting.
Those 16 get to walk away. Their stress levels have to be plummeting like crazy right now. On the plus side in my head? None of them were ones to hit my stuff with spells, although a few of them laughed at me. I’m thinking they were just going along with everyone else, though.
They’re safe from me now, so there’s that. Unless they mess with me after the trial.
Assuming I make it.
Just like last year, the room is pretty big. Large enough to fit dozens of shifted dragons if they wanted to be close together, yet cozy enough to kill your classmate. As soon as we hit the floor, we jogged to the right. I grabbed a mace and a dagger looking thing from the floor, while Levi picked up a sword and knife. My initial fear that he might go for me faded as we reached the wall. He moved to the side about ten feet, giving us both room and making it obvious that he’s not there to attack me.
I appreciate that effort.
The rest of the class came down and spread out, with many grabbing weapons from the floor along the way to the walls. Some then changed out weapons for something they liked more. Obvious ally groups formed, with others staying single. We have 101 of us here, and there are a distressing number of single folks taking this on for themselves.
Cesar caught my eye as he led Cleo and Stacey off to our right a little farther along the wall. They’re on the other side of a group of two and a single person and take up spots to watch everyone and each other.
Samantha, Parece, Paige, and Riley are off to our left with two small ally groups in between us. Angelica, Kynal, and Gage are on the other side of them. Two singles in between them.
The ceiling here is hundreds of feet high and there are platforms up there that I can get to if I wanted to shift. Makes me wonder if there are better weapons up there.
“Levi, mind if I shift and check out the perches and platforms? Maybe there’s something good up there?”
He shrugged, “Go for it? Just watch what’s happening down here.”
“Good deal.” I shifted and leapt up before anyone could react and was at the first perch before the calls and yells started.
Nothing.
I jumped off and flew higher, reaching the ceiling and circling. Plenty of weapons, just nothing awesome or that’s a game changer.
That determined, I headed down, gliding and watching everyone. The crowd coming out of the doors is thinning, and I see Kaylee coming in holding herself. She crouches and grabs a knife, then continues on. There are some people to her left and one almost directly behind her.
Until the doors close with a bang.
The guy behind her comes in instantly and smashes his bat across her head. Except it doesn’t hit! She moves forward before her face changes and she turns and buries the knife directly through his temple from side to side and then wrenches it forward, wrecking his eyes.
She was turned facing everyone before his body hit the ground.
What the fuck was that?
To her left, the last three groups that came out fell into a brawl amongst themselves. In short order, three of them were dead and their power absorbed, with the winners continuing on. Two of them are injured and bleeding, which isn’t a great sign. I have a feeling they won’t be making it through this.
My flight brings me down low enough that others started paying attention to me again. Someone tried to hit me with a knife but missed by a solid 30 feet. No one caught that it disappeared as my magic dissolved the metal.
That gives me some ideas.
Around us on the floor, some of the weapons began disappearing as my spell fired. It’s easier to cast metal spells and form things out of metal if you’ve kinda absorbed some to start. So let’s see if I can get a ton to do that.
I cleared the lower levels of perches and platforms, too. No one will see those disappear.
Then I was down, hitting the ground and shifting a solid 40 feet from Levi and continuing towards him as I watch everyone around us. I pitched my voice loud and pushed it with magic so that everyone could hear, “No doorways. No weapons up there that aren’t already down here.”
“Huh, not worthwhile staying up there?”
“Not really?”
Marc’s voice interrupts us, “You’re fucking lucky you shifted back, stricken.”
“Hey Marc? Go fuck yourself.”
Ugh, my magic hurts even more after casting that spell, and that sucks.
Levi sniffed as I reached him, indicating that he picked up my pain. I’m wondering if he knows what it means. Given who he is, he probably has at least a decent idea. No, he knows what my prior pain meant, I’m just wondering if he knows that it’s tied to me having to heal myself the way I did. He sure as hell knows I put a ton of pressure on my power.
Now, let’s get to watching everyone…
Damn, four groups on the other side of the floor fell into fighting. I missed what started it, but once one did, the others went to town. Three are fighting among themselves, while the other is a single that attacked another single…and involved a third.
Close groups began edging towards them to pick people off, but the damage was done too quickly, leaving five kids down and five powers absorbed.
Most of the watcher missed one of the kids that got hurt in the attacks at the doors go down with a thrown mace. The thrower was on him and crushed his throat before anyone could react. More power drained.
“What the fuck, man, this is insane.”
Levi grunted, “10 of us dead already? That’s more than I expected for this soon.” He shrugged, “Given how I was last year, that shouldn’t bother me. It does now, but…this is what our lives is driving us towards.”
“That’s fucked. It really is. 10 of us came in here hoping to make it. They had dreams. Goals. Families. Loves. Hobbies. Now they’re freaking dead.”
Destiny is in one of the groups nearby, and she laughs. “You’re too funny, Maddie. You really are.” Her voice gets people to pay attention to this end of the room, “You kill left and right, yet you get broken up over people dying in here? What a joke. This is what the trial is for.”
“It doesn’t have to be for that, destiny. Not at all.”
She spread her hands, holding her bat in her left hand, “And yet that’s what the trial is. That’s what the academy is. When in Rome, right?”
“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Well, don’t you worry, you won’t have to worry about it for long. We got enough people ready for you that you can put aaaaallll of this out of your mind soon enough.”
Others grumbled along with her, with some of the individuals and groups starting to edge this way.
The more people that looked this way, the more I thought I was gonna have to fly up and wait out the hour on one of the perches.
Magic flared on the other side of the room, and a girl ran into Kaylee, tackling her to the ground. More magic flared and there was a scream, and Kaylee stood up, crying and covered with blood. The other girl didn’t move.
Levi grunted, “The fuck you say? Kaylee killed two of us? That’s messed up. I never thought she’d have it in her to do that.”
“Yeah…yeah…” What I felt hits me and tries to take root, but the slowly moving people coming my way have my attention. “Skipping her,” my voice dipped, “stay here or go onto a perch? I won’t take you and have you shift, though.”
He shrugged, “I’m okay either way. I doubt they’ll continue to come if you’re out of reach?”
He didn’t move as I scanned the groups and had only just started to react when I raced at him, shifted, and launched us into the air, flapping for height.
We barely missed being taken down by s
ome thrown weapons, but no one actually touched us. We landed on a perch as others on the floor continued to yell at us. There are a good 40 of them saying something or other to us. Mostly things like come down.
Yeah, nah, that ain’t happening just yet.
We’re on a perch above Cleo, Cesar, and Stacey.
“Hey, all. Just so you know? I won’t let Levi shift up here, so don’t worry about that.” I let my voice carry but didn’t push it. Then I sat on the edge, feet hanging over the side. Levi joined me.
The calling continued, with threats being piled onto things.
Cleo shook her head at me, “You know…if you let him shift up there, things are gonna go to hell right quick.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why he’s not gonna do it.”
Levi smiled down, “The best part is that she could get others up here and we could create a group of us and possibly be in a better position than before.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Or else start a straight-up war.”
“Yeah, or that.”
Magic triggered from Marc’s group and fired at me. A fireball, of all things. My magic burned as I deflected it with a small barrier, trying to use the least amount of power needed to get the job done. The casting caused some cheers, while the deflecting resulted in more catcalls.
This time I pushed my voice with magic again, “Just think. If someone hits me with a spell and somehow takes me out? Levi’s up here all alone to shift. He’d have nothing holding him back.”
He waved down, “Hey, everyone. Forget about me?”
The catcalls slowed as they realized their situation. They could kill him too, but getting both of us up here isn’t too likely.
At that point, time began to pass. No one died over the next 20 minutes or so, so I continued watching, with Levi kicking his feet next to me. We’re not right next to each other, so we’re not being stupid about things.
The groups and individuals are busy watching everyone for anyone moving, getting closer, or working magic. Too bad most of them have magic moving right now. Not the smarter groups, they’re keeping everything under control for now, but some of the ones that I think are weaker plus others wanting to play at being strong? Definite magic moving. Just not doing anything yet.