A few days later, after spending most of our time hiding like mice in a cat room, someone knocked on the door of my Magical Chem class. The person who entered came from the upper-class, tall and imposing. He wore the school uniform, but had put less care into how it looked than even the laziest of students, and his long black hair was a mess around his head.

My teacher, Miss Brien, looked up from the book she had been reading from and then rolled her eyes.

“Yes, Gaven?” she said in a tired voice. “Don’t you interrupt my class enough when you’re supposed to be here?”

Gaven gave a wry smile and bowed his head a bit. “Sorry, I promise I won’t be back until next week. I’m here to borrow…” he held up a finger and dug a piece of paper from his pocket. “Right, uh, Aidan and Brandi? They’re first years.”

Brandi looked at me, but I stayed seated.

“Well, get a move on, you two. I want to get back to my class. Get the homework assignment from one of your classmates,” Miss Brien said and returned to reading from her book.

I sighed and gathered up my stuff. When Brandi had done the same, we made our way out of the classroom. All eyes were on us, something that I grew tired of. It would have been nice for someone else to be the center of attention for once. Gaven left the room and met us out in the hallway, a hand extended to me.

“Nice to meet you. Lorelei has been talking you up like you’re her newest boyfriend,” he said and I hesitated taking his hand, but did and shook. He turned to Brandi and offered again. “And you, a magical saturate born. Don’t see many of your kind around. I can’t wait to see what you can do.”

“She’s a lot more than a saturate born,” I said, and he turned back to me. The good humor on his face faltered. “Who are you, exactly?”

“Ah, that’s a fair question. First, don’t take my comments as insults, they aren’t meant that way. I’m not the most… well, Cassie would say I put my foot in my mouth more often than not. I’m one of the recruiters for the delver teams and Lorelei cornered me until I agreed to come see you about joining the 5th team since I recently transferred to it. Normally I wouldn’t entertain first years joining, but I heard about the duel.”

“Right. Well Lorelei thinks it’s best for the two of us to be taken off the duel market, so to speak. Especially with how we are,” I said.

“And how are you?” he asked and then looked up and down the hall. “I don’t mean feeling and such, but what makes you so different from all the others? My witch checked you out during lunch and, don’t take this the wrong way, Aidan, but my little brother is more powerful than you and he’s twelve.”

“Not sure how I’m meant to take that,” I said, and my hands balled into fists. Brandi worked her fingers into one and I looked over as she gave my hand a squeeze. The concern on her face stayed for only a moment before it turned serious. I nodded. “Apparently, my magic is veiled. I assume you have some test for us? Let’s give it a go and see where we stand after.”

He put his hands on his hips and stared at us for a long moment before shrugging. “Okay, then come with me.”

We followed him all the way out of the school and onto the school grounds. From there we continued on out of the gate and toward the closest abyss entrance. He led us through winding roads with autumn colored trees on either side of us, their leaves crackling under our feet. We passed through a section of stores and shops which were filled with other students that were delvers, their cloaks unmistakable among the buildings. A few turned to Gaven with quick nods or smiles, but mostly we were ignored.

A steel bar gate blocked the entrance to the abyss, and beyond it I could see the tram that took teams down. There were workers on the platform. Clouds of steam behind them looked like a snowy backdrop as they worked to stack boxes and bags near the tram car.

We didn’t go through the gate, instead Gaven made a turn to the right and led us along a narrow road that wound its way behind the shops. A clearing came into view and in the middle of the overgrown grass stood a woman about the same age as Gaven. She wore a long, billowy black dress with white accents along her hips and shoulders. She stared at an outcropping of rock that rounded the back half of the clearing. She seemed lost to her thoughts.

“Ho, Cassie! We all set?” Gaven called as we stepped into the field. The woman looked down, a dreamy expression on her face that disappeared when her eyes met Gaven’s.

“Quite so. These are the two we are testing?” She came over, her dress drawing across the ground, and stopped before us. She smiled. Her mouth was a little wider than normal and it gave her a dangerous look when she smiled. “I’ve studied you for a bit, you’re an interesting mage. I’m Cassie, leader of the 5th delver group and as such, also head of recruitment.”

“A witch leads the group?” Brandi asked.

“I do. I am bonded with a mage, but I run the team. During battle, I rely on my mage just as you do yours. Well, maybe not to the same extent,” she said with a look at Gaven and his expression became pained. “Mine can’t heal me at a whim.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Gaven said and crossed his arms. It looked like making friends in the group would be as much an uphill battle as it was anywhere else in the school.

“That is what we’re here to test. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve brought up a few creatures that we commonly run into in the abyss. I’d like to see how you fair. Is it just the two of you?”

“Yes,” I said and tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I barely managed.

“Understood. If Lorelei is telling the truth about your powers being veiled, then it’s understandable. I wouldn’t bond with a mage of your power unless you were my only option.”

“You’re missing out then,” Brandi said before I could open my mouth. “My seeded magic feels amazing and I can’t wait to use it, so I hope you’ll let me go all out on something.”

“Indeed. Well, you have free rein here and while I don’t think the warnings will apply, I’ll give them just the same. Do not target any buildings or structures. Keep all your attacks in the clearing.”

“That suits me just fine,” Brandi said and bounced on her heels, ready for the fight.

“Very well,” Cassie said with a quick bow. “Gaven, please let the Warvin out onto the field.”

Gaven nodded and took off at a jog across the field. Standing alone was a small terminal that he stopped at.

“Forgot to ask, your magic is fully seeded, correct?” she asked Brandi who nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah, he was horny this morning so we’re all set,” she said and I glared at her. I knew that most people in the school talked freely about sex, but it being so blatant still felt strange.

A slight tremor echoed through the ground as a piece of it rose. Appearing a few years away was a large cage and inside was something from a nightmare. It stood on four legs like a cat while three tails rattled along the metal bars of the cage and caused sparks. Its mouth split its head almost in half vertically and had enough sharp teeth to rip and tear anything that got between them. The list of things that it couldn’t fit inside its mouth were small. It could swallow Brandi up whole and chomp me in half with little trouble.

I read about Warvins once in a book, but the smudged ink drawing didn’t do the creature any justice about how frightening it was.

Cassie watched me with a small smile. “Oh, don’t worry, if you can’t beat this little thing then you won’t have to face the more dangerous beasts.”

“Oh, well, that’s wonderful news,” I said as I tapped my MBD and it booted up. Brandi’s magic showed up in the corner of my vision as little icons with a number above them. Her seeded magic each had one charge, while her more normal spells had between three to five charges.

The creature had a red, flickering outline on it and a little text box floated beside it.

Warvin

Level 6

Warvins are common creatures in the middle floors. Their tails are their primary weapon which they whip around the battlefield with reckless abandon. This, however, is not its only means of attack. Specializing in wind and electrical attacks, the Warvin can create clouds of lightning over a large area. Entering these clouds will lead to being badly shocked or even killed.

Warvins are sometimes captured and used as training creatures to help assess new delver recruits.

Warvins didn’t sound like any fun, but Brandi was already out before me and waiting for the creature to be released.

A moment passed, and then the warvin darted out of the cage in a flash. Purple lightning followed in its wake and scorched the grass, leaving behind wisps of smoke. Its tails whirled about now that they were free of the cage. I felt sweat break out across my entire body as it roared into the chilled autumn day.

I followed it as it crossed the field and came directly for Brandi. I called out to her, but she was ready for the attack and erected a barrier just as the creature’s enormous paw came down. The barrier held, but just barely. The warvin hopped back and took to stalking a few yards away, sizing up Brandi and I.

‘She’s faster than I expected,’ Brandi said in my head and I remembered the telepathic connection. ‘She’s gonna give us some trouble.’

‘Not if we slow her down,’ I said, and felt the joy rise inside her. ‘Just remember what they said, don’t flood the place.’

She didn’t answer, but she didn’t need to. I could feel her draw on her seeded magic. She began the chant which took a few seconds, but with a shock I noticed that the warvin understood what was about to happen. It reared back for another attack, a milky white cloud of breath coming from its vertical mouth.

I mentally shouted for Brandi, but it would be too late. There wasn’t a thing I could do to protect her. I had to try, though, and so took off at a run.

The claw came down and bounced off the dome as it shattered. She just barely finished the chant. Deep black clouds gathered above us and from them fell the blackest water I had seen in my life. It splattered across my skin as I ran, the feeling of it like ice. It was nothing compared to the feeling I had when I saw the warvin's other large paw swing for Brandi. I needed just one more second to reach her.

It felt like I watched it all in slow motion. The paw moved by inches and somehow enough time existed for me to knock Brandi to the ground, but not enough for me to dodge the claws. They slammed into my back, slicing through my jacket and shirt and leaving three burning red ribbons behind. I tumbled with the hit, the air knocked out of me. I got to my feet and checked on Brandi. She had rolled when I knocked her over, but was back on her feet. Her eyes were wide and she turned toward me.

‘Don’t you dare,’ I shouted mentally at her. ‘Kill that damn thing.’

‘It won’t be around for much longer,’ she said.

The warvin moved sluggishly in the muddy puddles of black. I had no doubt that it was still dangerous and it showed that I was right as it backed away and the air itself crackled. Purple arcs of electricity danced across its back, the charge building. We had given it the perfect opportunity to use its electrical attack.

‘That’s bad,’ I said as I staggered to my feet. ‘Can you bubble again?’

‘Last charge was used to deflect the paw.’ There was a hint of nervousness in her voice, but she did her best to bury it. ‘Might not be so bad.’

‘I wouldn’t count on that,’ I said. A pop-up showed as I stared at the warvin.

Surge

A attack perfected by the warvin at a young age. A ground attack that spreads out in a circle around the creature. Does immense damage if caught in it.

‘Ground…’ I said and felt Brandi’s confusion. ‘Crap, use your razor wind below you right as it attacks.’

‘What are you talking about?’

The warvin roared and the arcs of electricity rushed out from where it stood.

‘Do it now!’

She didn’t hesitate, which was lucky as the moment she used the spell, the puddle around her erupted in bursts of electricity. She shot upward, the spell causing cuts all across her, but when she landed she stayed on her feet. The warvin stared in surprise and then growled as it built up again.

‘Mimic?’ Brandi asked as she wiped blood from a cut on her cheek. Her eyes were on me, just waiting for the word.

‘If you think it’ll work, yeah.’

‘Oh, it’ll work,’ she said. She started the chant and then pushed her hands out to her side and then down, as if reaching from some invisible object. The very ground crackled, and the puddles sizzled. The air became electric, sparking around her like fireflies. Shocks of lightning exploded from the ground around us as thunder rumbled in the dark clouds that still lingered above.

The warvin’s eyes widened, its head tilted, and it sniffed at the air. In the next moment it darted off, a yelping sound escaping its throat as the electricity gathered around it anyway, lifting chunks of mud and suspending the mud in sparks of blue and purple.

The world exploded. The flash blinded me and the sound sent my ears ringing. The smell of burnt ozone and smoke filled my nose and as the flash died down, I saw a charcoal colored crater about fifteen yards wide where the warvin had once been. There wasn’t even ash to tell that there had once been something there. The rocks around the crater had split in half and their edges glowed an orange and yellow, crackling with the remnants of the bolt.

I turned to where Brandi had been. She was on her knees, hand to her chest and panting. Our eyes met, and she grinned while getting to her feet. Other than the cuts she took from using one of her spells so close, she looked unharmed. She crossed the charred ground and looked up to me with the widest grin I’d seen on her. “Told you.”

“Yes, you did,” I said and looked out at the destruction. “Could have dialed it back a bit.”

She raised her brows in confusion. “I... I did.”

“Well, okay then. Good.” I felt like I should step back from her, but resisted. Cassie and Gaven stood beside each other, a shimmering blue half dome in front of them. Cassie made a movement with her hands and the dome fell. “Did we pass?”

“Poor warvin, didn’t have a clue what she was getting into,” Gavin said. “She was a good girl, a little mean, but—”

“She was not a pet, Gavin. But I do wish you had not… incinerated it. Warvins are tough to bring from the abyss, but if it was to be destroyed, at least it went out in a light show that will have the town talking for days.” She walked up to us and tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. “You two are dangerous, more dangerous than anyone will understand. I know you pulled back so as not to destroy anything as I asked. I don’t believe I wish to see what you are capable of when there are zero restrictions.”

I rose my hand a bit. “I don’t either.”

Cassie laughed. “Well, I see no reason to put more creatures to their deaths.” She held a hand out to Brandi. “Welcome to the delvers. If you can keep your spells under control, then I think you will be an excellent addition.”

Brandi grinned and took the offered hand. They shook and then Cassie turned to me with her hand out. I took it and shook while keeping eye contact. “What does this mean for us?”

“I’ll get the introduction book to you this evening. But the simple bit is this: when we are tasked with going into the abyss, you will report to the staging area and join us in the depths to help complete our mission. If there is a battle of any sort, then we will be in that. We also have tactical games between schools we take part in. These are controlled battles between us and other schools. I’m sure you’ve seen them before.”

We both shook our heads, and she gave us a confused look.

“We’re both from the slums,” I said, and her brows shot up.

“Sorry, didn’t consider that… it doesn’t matter. Just know that if you’re picked for the team, you will have to show up for meetings and practice along with finishing your other duties.”

“Can we refuse?” Brandi asked.

“No.”

“Well, that was definitive,” I said as Gavin appeared beside Cassie.

“I’ve reported everything to our advisor, and she has agreed to let them join. She isn’t at all happy about the light show.”

Cassie shrugged. “She will be in the next skirmish or creature attack.”

Gavin reached down and took her hand. “She asked to see us in person. Say goodbye to the new recruits.”

Cassie gave us a tiny wave as Gavin led away her. Brandi and I stood in the soot and mud for a few minutes, just taking it in.

“You hear that? You’re dangerous,” I said and nudged her shoulder.

“It’s your fault. It’s your seeding that does it. If I was with a normal mage, it wouldn’t even have reached a quarter of the power it did.”

“So you’re sticking with me?”

She turned and looked me up and down before getting on the tips of her toes and kissing my cheek. I gave her a curious look as she walked pass me and headed for the road. “You’ll do just fine. We need to get our cuts cleaned up. You coming?”

As if on cue, the cuts on my back stung. I sucked in a breath and followed her back to the school.