--- Mary

Ever since joining the Circle, Marianne Wilmore had faced all sorts of exams.

There were easier and harder ones, depending on the amount of stuff she was required to study, but in every single one of them she would come out as a clear winner, the top of her class. When the Archmage had first noticed and praised the girl's talent, she felt happy. When master Bravo, one of the most renowned instructors in the tower, offered to tutor her she felt even happier. And the moment she cherished the most was when she had been assigned to the palace.

Mary didn't consider her life before becoming a Mage as something that had happened for real. All she strived for, everything she needed, the Circle could provide. Be it a career, a reason to exist or just a new rune-staff.

"So... What is this exam you mentioned?"

Roric asked that as they walked to the northern part of Cassidia. Why had she asked the boy to accompany her, exactly? Was it because she needed support, in the end, or just for some petty company? The answer to her doubts was out of reach for now.

"You are right, I didn't explain anything to you yet," replied Mary. "You see, the studies in the field of the Arcane are usually divided into three... Well, four levels. Basic, intermediate, advanced and... Beyond advanced. Sorry, this is something I'm not sure I should tell to an outsider."

"It's fine, If you can't or don't want to-"

"No, no!" exclaimed the girl, a bit embarrassed. "It's just... I'm not used to talk about this stuff to anyone who doesn't also study it."

"I've been thinking about it for a while," said Roric. "We just met once before today. Why do you trust me this much? It's not like I don't appreciate it, of course, but I can't help but wondering if there's any particular reason."

That's... A good question. It's not what I should be focused on right now, but...

It took a bit of reasoning for the young apprentice to figure it out. She had barely spoken with people outside the Circle during the past seven years, and even before... That was a different story. The people at the palace didn't like to have unnecessary contacts with Mages, as far as she knew, and the result was that almost every stranger she had met had turned out uncaring if not hostile. That boy had struck her differently from the very first moment, however.

The evening the two met, he looked... Out of place. He had been dragged to a banquet, in the presence of the men he had humiliated the very same afternoon, for the sake of a person he clearly cared deeply about. Nobody wanted to talk with that boy, and it was just out of chance that Mary hadn't avoided him too.

There's something in his eyes, in the way he acts... It reminds me of someone, but I can't tell who.

"I... I don't think it's a big deal, really," she answered, trying to minimize the matter. "I'm a very social person, I guess."

That was a blatant lie, of course, but Mary didn't manage to find anything better. It made her feel a little guilty, in truth.

I need to focus on the exam. It's no use thinking about this.

"If you say so. You were saying?"

"Oh, right. Usually, we Mages aren't granted a rune-staff before the end of our basic studies. It would be dangerous, and counter-productive."

"Of course. Still, yours has two rings on it."

"Yeah!" said the girl. "My master vouched for me to have it. He convinced the Archmage that I was good enough. It's not unprecedented, given that an apprentice reaches the appropriate results in the tests, but very rare."

"And the exam you are about to take?" asked Roric.

"It's for my third ring. I've been working a lot to even find the courage to ask for it. If I succeed, I'll be the youngest ever Mage to have ever possessed one."

She told him that casually, without bragging. The boy, however, made a surprised face.

"Wow... You must be really good."

I must be... Ugh.

For some reason, Mary blushed. She sped on the pace, blaming the long distance they still had to cover, but it was just a way to hide her face. She had never been late to an appointment in her entire life, in fact.

***

--- Roric

The duo came in view of the tower half an hour later.

It was a massive building, even bigger than the cathedral. Standing against the sky with its elaborate pinnacles, it reached so high that it could be clearly visible even from the palace. The base was circular in shape, vast enough to house the majority of the Mages, from what Mary told, and surrounded by beautiful gardens.

The beauty of this place could rival with that of the palace. So, this Circle must be pretty rich, huh?

Roric decided to ask his new friend about it, just out of curiosity.

"It's true," replied the girl. "Our organization is quite wealthy. But don't misunderstand, most of our resources end up being spent on daily necessities."

"The Crown provides you guys with founds?"

"Mostly. The Archmage has a budget he receives from the King and in return he provides assistance whenever it's needed. An old arrangement, made with Cassidia some time after its foundation."

The young warrior nodded. "The nobles don't seem to like the Circle too much, yet they come to terms with its existence, even supporting it? There must be a good reason for that."

Mary sighed.

"It's all because of something that happened in the past."

Roric feigned ignorance, yet he knew well what she was referring to. Centuries before, the Mages had helped the Lords of that land to deal with an enemy kingdom. A kingdom of Elementals just like him.

"This part of the city seems in great shape," he observed, to change the topic. "It's also because of the tower, isn't it?"

"The people are free to do their business with the Circle, as far as I'm aware. There are a lot of shops which specialize only in getting what we need," said Mary. "Also... I've been having a constant feeling that you are more informed in what we do than you want to admit..."

"No, I was just guessing. I assure you."

Truth be told, the boy was starting to realize how much he missed being able to talk about his supernatural abilities with someone else. It was since Tolwin's death, after all.

Still... Would she be the right person? Do I trust her this much? Just because she talked to me at the banquet it doesn't mean I can share my secrets with her freely... No, I should resist the urge at least for some more. There's no way to know if she won't simply report me to her superiors and have me imprisoned...

"Here we are," announced the apprentice. "I'm going inside now. Can you wait for me here in the gardens? It won't take much time."

"Sure, I'll take a look around in the meantime."

With a wave, the girl went on her way leaving Roric alone with his thoughts. As he observed her walking, he asked himself why he wanted to be friends with a Mage, of everyone.

It's true she could pose a danger to me, yet... When we were in the palace, the feeling I got was of someone who struggles to find her own place, just like me. It may not apply to the rest of her Circle, but I need more time to be sure of it.

***

--- Mary

The proving hall. A place Mary had visited many times, during her studies.

Contrary to the other apprentices, who had the tendency to freak out before an exam, the girl always tried to stay calm and collected. She knew well how being too tense could disrupt the handling of the Arcane even in very experienced Mages. As a result, a little trick she had found was repeating to herself seemingly meaningless rhymes.

Apple tree. Hornet bee. Endless sea. Jumping flea.

That activity had no real purpose outside of keeping her mind occupied, and worked surprisingly better than the exercises taught by the tutors. At least, for her.

"Miss Wilmore, it's time," said one of the examiners.

They were three in total, all chosen by Archmage Sartan himself for that unique kind of test. Two women and master Bravo, who acted as little more than an observer. It was custom that the teacher would be present, because he knew the extent of the abilities of his student better than anybody else.

He's been great at his job, but lately I get the feeling that I'm... Outgrowing him. His main strength is a nearly perfect knowledge of basic magic and everything related to it. That makes him very suitable for the novices but... If I pass this, I won't be a novice anymore.

Mary's eyes crossed her master's. The man remained expressionless for a couple of moments, but then he winked in encouragement.

What a nice person. I'll definitely miss him.

"Marianne Wilmore," started Danielle, head of that commission. "You are here to undertake a special exam that could qualify you for the right to bear three rings. We'll take your theoretical studies for granted and have a look to how you implement them in practice. Are you ready to begin?"

"I am, masters."

There wasn't a trace of doubt, nor anxiety in the apprentice's voice. She had prepared so much that there was barely anything left to study in her books.

"Good, take your rune-staff and show us the main forms, if you will. All three at once."

With elegant, measured gestures, Mary began invoking the Arcane. It took shape in her mind, surging out of her hands and into her instrument with a speed no fourteen-year-old in the tower could hope to compete with. Mere seconds later, three luminous objects were fluctuating in front of her.

A crystal, a bubble and a solid cube. These are the basics of the basics for a proper Mage. Their purpose is achieving control, not power, reason why most of the people I started with didn't manage to become good enough at them. They put too much magic into it.

Danielle came near the girl and examined the result with a series of appreciative nods. The bubble, in particular, seemed to impress her the most. Mary counted on it, given how hard it was to force the Arcane into such a thin barrier.

With a satisfied clap, the examiner proceeded. "Excellent. Your control over the Arcane is astounding, as usual. Let's see how you do in the other fields."

Next, Mary's speed was put to the test. In turns, the three masters ordered her to perform spells in rapid succession, another easy task for a disciplined student like her. When they were sure that she could handle three spells at once, the exam went on to its final phase.

This is where it gets serious.

Raw power was a very important matter for a Mage. The Arcane being a dangerous energy, when handled improperly, meant that every trainee had to fully know how to manage it to avoid accidents. The Circle, however, also needed fighting capabilities. In the event that renegades would arise, or any other supernatural event threatened the peace, it was nearly unacceptable for a full-fledged member to lack in offensive spells. Just like the King's soldiers, Mages had to shape up.

"This hall can withstand almost anything," declared master Bravo. "Come on, Mary. We'll create barriers for you to destroy. We set them up in advance, so their strength should match yours. I'm eager to see how much you can do before running out of energy."

"Sure, master. Ready when you are."

Younger students get obsessed with these things, normally, so much that they fail in everything else. Boys in particular seem to have a urge of showing the rest of the novices that they are the strongest... I wonder why. This was the only field I wasn't good at, back then, scared as I was to even use the Arcane...

"Begin!"

The rune-staff fired instantly, unleashing the three missile-spells Mary had already stored inside it. Her mastery of that form made the projectiles fast and powerful. They were of a lighter purple colour, close to pink, reflecting the amount of control she had on their shape and substance. Her spells wouldn't suddenly explode in mid-air, like those of an initiate. They wouldn't impact harmlessly on the barriers the teachers had put in front of her.

I have studied a lot, and everything is different now. They won't expect this.

Before hitting, the missiles divided into three. That move was just an experiment the girl had made a couple of weeks before the exam, but it worked incredibly well. And the overjoyed expressions of the examiners confirmed how good of a trick it was. The first barrier was shattered without posing any resistance, letting through the rest of Mary's magic.

A beam-spell was enough to get rid of the second one.

One last push!

Despite feeling her energy rapidly depleting, the girl didn't stop. She couldn't afford to. Her right hand conjured one last globe, a perfectly shaped arcane bomb.

Only six months ago I couldn't retain the concentration for something this elaborate after firing all the rest. I hope it's... No, it will be enough!

It was more purple than the other spells, like Mary wanted. An evolution of the exercise with the bubble, and one of the most fearsome abilities a Mage could muster. A thin barrier, surrounding pure, unstable Arcane.

The impact with the barrier was devastating, so much that the shockwave nearly made the apprentice fall. A moment later, when the safety crystals had absorbed the volatile energy, the masters all began to clap.

"Good one," exclaimed Danielle. "I can safely say that you aced the test. Any objection, colleagues?"

Seeing the shaking heads of Bravo and the other Mage, Mary smiled. She would have jumped of joy, but her body was too tired to do it. Leaning on the rune-staff, the girl prepared to leave.

"Give that to us. We'll see that the third ring is added," said her master. "Need any help?"

"Ah... Sorry," replied Mary, handing the instrument to him. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just need some rest."

The words of the Archmage came to her mind. Yes, she definitely needed some time to recover.

***

When Mary finally exited the tower, she found that Roric was still waiting for her on a bench. It felt good to have a friend, in that moment.

"From the look on your face, I'm sensing a success," observed the boy.

"It went well..." she answered. "Now that we are done here-"

She stumbled forward, but her companion quickly caught her. Their eyes locked together for an instant, then she blushed and regained her composure.

"Are... Are you alright? You seem a little pale."

"It's all good. Just some after-effects of using too much magic," said Mary, with an uneasy laugh. "Shall we grab something to eat? I'm starving!"

"Sure..." groaned Roric. "Do you... Want to go back to the palace?"

The young Mage turned the other way, with a fake smirk. "It's our destination."

Damn... I've never used this much energy all at once. I wonder if I can make it without collapsing.

To her surprise, her friend took her left arm and put it around his shoulders.

"Here. It will be easier like this. You shouldn't push yourself anymore today."

Embarrassed but relieved, Mary could only lower her gaze. He had read her like an open book.

"I... Thanks."