~Chapter Nineteen: Bruising~

As the countdown to the midterm exams approached, the mood in Varin’s Academy shifted. The library’s first floor grew more and more crowded, and the number of students roaming Varin’s Town—or even grabbing a quick meal there after classes—plummeted. And nowhere on the school’s grounds was that feeling more intense than in the first-years’ rooms. The stress had even managed to push Eola’s quest to restore Varin’s diary into the background.

Practically speaking, there was more at stake for Eola, Colin, Patrice, or even Catrine than for any of the older students. Apprenticeships were up for grabs, after all.

Eola found herself in the Ideograms classroom one frigid morning, sitting near the back as Instructor Tarik laid out the process. “Unlike the end-of-year examinations, the midterms are simple. You’ll complete a series of tests—written or practical, depending on the professor—and will be given marks based on your performance. Using those marks, the school’s twenty-four professors will divide the first-year class among themselves, selecting their apprentices for the next two and a half years.

Tarik stroked his beard. “Given that this master and apprentice arrangement will follow you for the rest of your time at Varin’s Academy, it would be wise for you to do your best on these exams.”

“Sir, why?” one of the boys asked.

“Why what?”

“Well, why break us up like that? We’re all either Journeymages or well on our way to becoming one, and Ordered Magic’s all the same, anyway, so…“

“Mr. Oryole, Ordered Magic is, on its face, a simple and uniform thing. However, even setting aside attunements—which throw the entire system into chaos—there’s a lot of variance.” Instructor Tarik started sketching something in chalk. For a moment, Eola thought it might be a rune, but no—it was just a diagram. “Varin’s Academy keeps its enrollment small for a reason. Larger academies can produce more Journeymages and Truemages than we do, but by percentage, more of our mages reach Archmage than any other school. Why is that, Miss Lemiene?”

Eola flushed red in the back of the room. She hadn’t attended an Ideograms lesson in months, and now here Instructor Tarik was, putting her on the spot. Her hand closed on the stone cat figurine in her pocket. “Because, sir, of the apprenticeships?”

“Exactly.” Tarik finished his sketch. “The optimal learning environment is four to six students. Less than that, and the instructor tends to coddle their apprentices. More than that, and they don’t receive enough personalized instruction time. Hence, apprenticeships. Your homework, class, is simple. Study for your exams.”

Eola and Colin both looked glum by lunch. Madame Reyanna had given almost the exact same speech in Mana Studies, and she’d made it abundantly clear that her test was of the practical variety. Eola had no delusions about her ability to handle that test, while Colin was already making plans for after he failed the practical in Magical Dueling.

When Patrice sat down with them, she only made the mood worse. “I heard they don’t even offer apprenticeships to the bottom few students. Twenty-four professors, one hundred of us. Four left over.”

“That sounds made-up,” Colin said, but he didn’t eat his bread and soup. Eola stared at him, and after a moment, he nodded. “Go ahead.”

“It’s not made-up! My brother’s friend said it’s true!”

“I don’t believe you. Why wouldn’t they apprentice everyone?”

While Eola ate, Patrice and Colin argued back and forth. It was good-natured—mostly—but under it was an understanding that none of the three was at the top of any of their classes, and they were all near the bottom in at least one. Eola herself was a pretty good duelist, and she was motivated to know the different monsters in the library, but when it came to Mana Studies, she doubted she’d pass. Colin was possibly the worst duelist she’d ever seen. And Patrice…poor Patrice. She claimed to be the worst mage in Varin’s Academy, and she hadn’t given Eola any reason to believe otherwise.

If there were a few students who missed out on apprenticeships, it’d be at least one of them. Eola started thinking. Surely she could get Patrice through Magical Dueling, and maybe Introduction to Monsters. And as for Colin, he’d pass Ideograms and Mana Studies. Maybe.

Colin and Patrice were still arguing when Eola finished her—and Colin’s—soup and stood up. “It’s almost time for Monsters. I’ll see you there, Colin.”

“Not so fast,” a familiar voice said, and Eola turned to see the small, crimson-skinned Madame Reyanna bustling toward her, a look of mixed anger and triumph on her face. Eola winced when she saw who the professor had in tow: an almost as triumphant-looking Catrine.

Catrine glanced at Patrice, who—to Eola’s surprise—stood and offered a quick bow without making eye contact. Madame Reyanna didn’t wait for any formalities. “Miss Lemeine, Lady Andrese came to me after Mana Studies with an accusation. I simply must get to the bottom of it. Please come with me.”

The woman’s tone made it clear that it wasn’t a request, and Eola shrugged as she gathered her things. “Never mind. Take notes for me if I’m late.”

“Will do,” Colin mumbled, and Eola fell in a few steps behind Madame Reyanna and Catrine, looking much less smug than either.

Madame Reyanna’s office smelled like cinnamon, and Eola broke into a sweat within minutes. The gnome had a massive fire in the hearth, incense and candles burning on seemingly every shelf, and tapestries covering the windows; Eola and Catrine had needed to push through a thick, hanging blanket to enter the office at all.

After her previous office visit with Instructor Clearance, the warmth should have been comforting. Instead, it felt oppressive. So did the straight-backed wooden chair she was sitting in.

Reyanna gave her a long stare. “I assume you know why you’re here?”

“No.” Eola fidgeted in her seat.

“Lady Catrine Andrese, the youngest daughter of Lord Andrese, is accusing you of harassment and bullying—in my class!” The crimson gnome’s face went just a shade darker. “As a professor at Varin’s Academy, I can’t allow that to continue.“

“Harassment? You think I’m harassing Catrine?” Eola asked, dumbfounded.

“She provided me with evidence, and as both a Journeymage and the daughter of nobility in good standing, I don’t see any reason not to believe it.”

“This is ridiculous. I don’t want to be Catrine’s partner. She keeps seeking me out, even when I try to avoid her.” Eola’s eyes narrowed, and she balled her fists under her robe. What was Catrine playing at? What was she trying to do here?

“Madame Reyanna, that’s true. I was seeking Eola out.” Catrine smiled winningly, and Eola’s eyes narrowed even more. “It’s pretty obvious that she’s behind in everything except exhaustion training, and I was hoping I could help her catch up. I’ve got pretty good Mana control, and my Mana lines are the strongest in the class. I thought that maybe, since Eola seems unresponsive to what you’re doing, I could help her. I never expected the reaction I got from her, though.”

“I see,” Madame Reyanna said. She steepled her fingers dramatically and stared over them at Eola. “And what do you have to say about that?”

“Catrine never tried to help me. She was always showing off or trying to humiliate me,” Eola said.

“I’d never do that.” Catrine turned in her seat, looking Eola in the eye and grinning. “My father always says in his letters that it’s a noble’s responsibility to help the less fortunate, and I can’t think of a less fortunate person than Eola.”

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“See? She’s doing it again!”

Madame Reyanna raised a hand. “I cannot allow a student in my class to treat another like this, especially when she’s trying to help. I’m going to have to remove you from Mana Studies for the remainder of the term. That means your final marks will be—

“If I might interrupt,” Catrine said sweetly.

“Yes?”

“I still want to help Eola. I’ve got that independent study time with you every evening, Madame Reyanna. It’s covering advanced Mana line techniques, but I’d be glad to use that time to help her catch up—with your tutelage, of course.”

“What?” Eola asked. Her nails dug into her palms.

“That’s a wonderful idea, Miss Andrese. It’s settled, then. Miss Lemiene will work with us every evening until I’ve decided she’s learned enough to pass the Mana Studies midterm. You’ll be her chief instructor, and she’ll help with the exercises I give you.”

“But—“

“No buts, Miss Lemiene. This is for your own good, you know? You’re wildly behind. You’re both dismissed. Run along—you don’t want to be late for Instructor Clearance’s class, do you now?”

Eola spent the entire Introduction to Monsters lesson grinding her teeth and looking for a way out of her brand-new evening lesson. She barely paid attention to the sweltering classroom in the greenhouse, or to Instructor Clearance’s lesson on Wood Trolls and their weaknesses.

Fire. It was always fire when it came to Trolls—and that went doubly so for Wood Trolls. Moving right along.