Exams

[Cloud Caelum Garr]

Frost 75 122

It was a big exam day in the Academia Arcanum, and Garr was feeling nervous. He had been studying for weeks, but he still felt like he might forget everything he had learned. Today, he had to show his proficiency in Elementalism. If he passed this round of exams, he would be able to move on to more advanced classes. But if he failed, he would have to repeat the entire semester, and his father had warned him of dire consequences if he didn't pass.

Garr took a deep breath and stepped into the examination chamber. The room was dimly lit, and the walls were made of stone, with symbols etched into them. He could feel the weight of the examiner's gaze on him as he approached the center of the room. He cleared his throat and began to perform the tasks he had been practicing for weeks.

First, he created an Elemental Lodestone, a small crystal that could store elemental energy. He carefully channeled his energy into the crystal, feeling it grow warm in his hand. When it was charged, he set it down on the ground and moved on to the next task. He summoned a small gust of wind, making it dance around the room before dissipating it. Then he summoned a ball of water, letting it swirl and twist in the air before letting it fall to the ground. He conjured a small flame, making it flicker and dance on his palm, before extinguishing it with a thought.

Then, he moved on to the most challenging task for this half of the exam: shaping the elements into various forms. He began with a simple shape, a cube made of earth. He concentrated, feeling the earth shift and mold beneath his fingers until it formed a perfect cube. He smiled, feeling a surge of confidence. He moved on to water, shaping it into a simple spiral. This was simpler than the cube, but he was still nervous. He knew that any mistake could cost him his chance to move on to the next level.

Finally, he tried shaping fire. He felt that this was the most dangerous of all the elements to shape, and Garr had to be careful not to lose control. He formed the flames into a simple ring, watching it burn brightly before extinguishing it with a thought. As he finished his final task, Garr breathed a sigh of relief. He had done it. He had not failed, yet. He turned to the examiner, waiting for the verdict. But before the examiner could speak, there was a loud crash, and the walls of the chamber shook.

Garr's heart raced as he and the examiner ran out to see what had happened. They were just in time to watch a massive ball of earth slam into the wall again. Everyone turned to look at a more advanced student who had overstepped on accident. They’d scorned the earth and his spell had gone awry. But now, with the noise subsided and the dust cleared, Garr refocused his attention on the task at hand. He had to pass this exam if he wanted to move on to the next level of classes.

The next examiner, a stern-faced man with greying hair, cleared his throat and motioned for Garr to manipulate two elements at the same time. Garr took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to center himself. He conjured up a stream of wind and a stream of water, and with great concentration, he pointed them in opposite directions. The examiner watched closely, his eyes darting back and forth between Garr and the streams of elements. Controlling two elements at once was still relatively new to him, but he was determined to pass this exam. He gritted his teeth and focused his willpower, sweat dripping down his face.

After what seemed like an eternity, the examiner nodded in approval. "Well done, Garr. Now, for your final task, you must create spheres of two of your chosen elements and juggle them in the air. You have one chance to get it right."

Garr's eyes widened in surprise. Juggling spheres of elements was not something he had practiced before. But he couldn't let his nerves get the better of him. He took a deep breath and conjured up a sphere of fire and a sphere of earth, and a sphere of wind. He concentrated on keeping them both afloat, trying to keep them from touching each other and dissipating. The spheres wobbled in the air, threatening to fall to the ground at any moment. Garr's heart pounded in his chest as he fought to keep them aloft.

To his surprise, Garr managed to juggle the spheres for without any detrimental mishaps. The examiner's stern expression melted into a smile, and he clapped his hands in approval.

"Congratulations, Garr," he said. "You have passed the exam. You will move on to the next level of elementalism classes."

Garr let out a sigh of relief, his body shaking with exhaustion. He had never felt so drained before. But he also felt an incredible sense of accomplishment. He had done it. He had passed the exam and proven his worth as an elemental mage. As Garr gathered his belongings and prepared to leave the chamber, the examiner stopped him. "One more thing, Garr," he said. "Be careful out there. The world of magic can be a dangerous place, and there are those who would seek to exploit your abilities for their own gain. Use your powers wisely, and always remember the responsibility that comes with being a sorcerer."

Garr nodded, his mind already racing with the possibilities that lay ahead. He would have to be careful, he knew, but he was excited to explore his newfound powers and see where they could take him. As he walked out of the chamber, Garr couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the world of magic that lay before him. It was a dangerous place, yes, but it was also full of adventure and discovery. And now, with his beginner elementalism training complete, he was ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead.

Garr couldn't contain his excitement as he ran back to his family's estate to tell his father the good news. He burst into his father's study, breathless with excitement, and announced that he had passed his Elementalism exams. However, instead of the proud response he was expecting, his father simply waved him off dismissively, barely even looking up from his paperwork. Garr's heart sank as his brother, who had been lounging in a chair by the fireplace, spoke up, claiming he had just secured a lucrative business contract. Suddenly, their father was all congratulations, showering his brother with praise and attention while completely ignoring Garr's achievement. Garr tried to hide his disappointment, but it was clear that his father's lack of recognition stung. He left the room feeling deflated, wondering why his father seemed to value his brother's business dealings more than his magical abilities.

Garr felt his frustration bubble up inside him as he watched his father blatantly ignore his success. He felt a surge of anger, but he knew he couldn't express it in front of his family. Instead, he stormed off to his room and slammed the door behind him. He needed to release the pent-up emotions that were coursing through him. So, he walked over to the corner of his room, cleared away the clutter, and got down on the ground.

He started doing push-ups, each movement pushing the negative energy out of his system. His muscles burned as he continued, and sweat dripped down his forehead, but he didn't stop. He kept pushing, determined to rid himself of the negative feelings. As he counted each push-up, he could feel himself becoming more and more focused, and the anger and frustration began to fade away. He even worked on his form, trying to keep his back straight and tensing up his core.

When he couldn’t do any more, Garr lay down on his back and worked on situps. He took a deep breath and lifted himself up, his hands behind his head. The movement was slow and deliberate, and he felt the strain in his abs as he lifted his upper body towards his knees. He repeated the movement again and again, each repetition becoming more difficult as his muscles protested. Sweat dripped down his forehead and onto the floor below him, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. But he refused to give up. He was determined to push himself to his limit. As he reached his goal of a whopping five sit-ups, he collapsed back onto the mat, panting and sweating.

He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, trying to calm his heart rate. Eventually, he sat up, feeling much better. The physical exertion had done wonders for his mental state, and he was finally able to think more clearly.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Review

Name: Garr

XP: 8 Points, can be used for Elementalism
Lore: 6 Lores
Injuries/Ailments: Sore muscles for the next day.
Loot: None

Notes: You do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do. Good job, Garr.