“She can finish two dresses in less than two weeks?”
“Some people use magic to destroy, and some, like Alessnae, use it to create. If there is anyone in the entire realm who can do it, it’s her. She is a true master of her craft.”
Her words echoed in my head. It had been a harmless comment, yet I felt a sting in hearing it.All you are is suffering. All you do is hurt.
“Nairu? You fall asleep?” Elle snapped her fingers to get my attention.
“Uh—no. I, um—I don’t think I’m supposed to leave the Consortium, though.”
She smirked. “I thought you were up for a little mischief?”
I had highly underestimated Elle, and I loved it.
Alandris was avoiding me—I was sure. Pretentious, maybe, to assume as much, but his conveniently timed absence from classes definitely supported the idea. In his place, the next highest ranked Mage, Felydrin, Alandris’s right hand, was charged with taking over our training. Another person I didn’t fully trust watching over me for the day. Lovely.
He looked a bit older than Alandris, visible in the sharper lines and faint creases on his face. Though, a ‘bit’ could be the difference of a hundred years between Elves. He was no less handsome. Copper hair grazed the tops of his shoulders, loose and wild. His eyes, busy assessing our group, were the color of moss, deep green and dotted with brown. All the Elves I’d met so far were approaching sheer physical perfection. Which, in truth, was very much annoying and incredibly unfair.
Felydrin’s next words brought my attention back to the class. “Today shall be a bit different from what you’ve experienced thus far. I’ve been given free rein to have you study whatever I’d like, and so I’ve chosen something from my area of expertise.”
A few of the Mages groaned in exasperation, including Luelle, which gave me serious concerns about what exactly he intended us to do.
Luelle tugged me closer and whispered, “Grand Magus Felydrin is well versed in magical traps. They expend a lot of energy to create and maintain, and are only useful in specific circumstances, so few Mages practice that particular subset of magic. But he’s obsessed.”
Felydrin continued, “I understand that most of you battle-hungry Mages dislike learning trap magic, so I won’t force you. However, knowing how to detect and avoid them is important for any Mage.” He tilted his head with an amused smile. “Which is why… I’ve prepared something outside. A bit of a game, if you will.”
The mood of the class shifted in an instant. Grumbled complaints turned into gasps of excitement and anticipation. Those known for competitiveness already wore smug looks, predicting their win before the contest began.
“See! It’s not so bad to take a class from me every now and then, is it?” Felydrin grinned and moved to the door, waving for us to follow behind. “I may even have a reward for the first to clear my game.”
We did not dawdle on the way to the front of the Consortium. We were near running through the halls. Curiosity had gotten the better of me. I found I was no longer worried over any pre-existing suspicions I’d had of Felydrin. There was a fair chance he wasn’t involved in Alandris’s plots. I could enjoy a game. It was a learning experience.
We stopped abruptly and found ourselves face to face with the deep, lush forest to the west of the Consortium. They aptly named it the Towering Wilds, because of the abundance of giant sequoia and its completely uncultivated state. Because the Wildshad a rock coastline unsuitable for fishing and docking, no one ever made a path.
For so long, the people of Nil’Faerith had utilized the smaller forests around the island for wood, it became a taboo to alter the Towering Wild’s natural beauty. It was not abandoned by any means. Both the villagers and Mages enjoyed exploring the woods or reading a good book under its shade, but no axe would ever touch its trees.
My fondness for botany had inspired me to read its history, studying what sort of plants I could expect within, but I’d never taken the dive to explore it. It was beautiful, but any time I neared the edge, I felt a strange presence. Like a songstress singing to me, lulling me to submission, with a smooth and comforting voice.Come inside, child.The same tug pulled at me now, but I stayed grounded in reality, my arm comfortably tucked under Elle’s as I turned my attention back to Felydrin.
“The rules are simple. I’ve hidden some harmless traps within the Wilds. Your goal is to make it through the forest and reach the coastline on the other side.” He shrugged a shoulder as if it was the simplest task imaginable. “Activating any will alert me, and you’ll be out of the game. The first to join me on the other side can have their pick from a selection of enchanted items I’ve set aside for today.”
Quinn’s voice broke through the murmurs of stirring. “What if we beat you to the end?”
Felydrin scrunched his nose, perplexed, paused, and then opened his mouth in understanding. “Ah. It was a joke. I see. You do have quite the sense of humor, Quinn.”
I had to swallow my laughter as Quinn’s face turned red, and he sputtered something about Felydrin being an idiot.
Another Mage stepped forward to ask, “how will you know who has triggered a trap?”
The same expression rose to Felydrin’s face once more. “How wouldn’t I know? It is my magic, after all. If you’d like, I’d be happy to teach a class centered on magical traps. It’s very intensive work. You would learn a lot.”
The Mage sighed. “Never mind….”
“Well, then, with that all settled, I will add that you’re welcome to work in pairs or as a team, but there can only be one winner. Ah, and no fighting. Do not be brutes.”
I spared a glance at Elle and nodded my head, a silent cue of my intention to partner with her.
Much to my dismay, she returned the gesture with a shake of her head and an apologetic pout. “I’m sorry, but I really want to win,” she whispered.
Well, there went that plan. I was going to have to face the forest on my own. It was roughly a two-hour hike to the coast, but accounting for the traps, it would likely take at least an additional two hours. It wasn’t as if I would be entirely alone, anyway. I had the sounds of detritus crunching beneath my boots, the repetitive buzzing of insects, and the soft rustling of leaves to accompany me.
