The Isle of Mist’s fog had turned to a light blizzard that offered no more vision than the fog before it.
Austin, Mara, and I had continued our routine for the previous 8 months with the exception of basic combat class being shortened for weapon specializations. Master Korbyn conducted more and more special weapon training sessions as we gradually began to decrease our time spent with the other weapons. We had all reached an elementary understanding of each of the basic weapon types by the end of these 8 months. It wasn’t enough to be impressive, but it would suffice if we were caught in a bind and forced to use another weapon. By studying the other weapon’s fighting styles, we also gained crucial insights on their weak and strong points.
In the last six months, Master Korbyn also began teaching us to track, both humans and animals, in the woods surrounding the citadel. We learned how to identify footprints, droppings, scratch marks, feathers, and other hallmark signs of a creature’s presence. We also learned several tactics for trailing a target as well as how to lose a tail.
My magic proficiency also reached new heights as I began to master numerous 2nd grade spells of all attributes, but my progress slowed abruptly as I failed to crack 3rd grade spells. There are two ways to form a 3rd grade spell:
- Apply two elements to a one dimensional matrix
- Apply one element to a two dimensional matrix
While the first option was significantly easier to perform, it would be a 3rd grade spell in name only. The one dimensional nature of the matrix would make it inevitable for the two elemental attributes to disrupt each other and would lead to at best a waste of mana and at worst the spell form could collapse and explode from the discordant mana.
This left the second option as the only viable way to form a 3rd grade spell. Shaping a two dimensional matrix is significantly harder than one dimension and keeping it stable for long enough to complete the runes even more so. The simplest 2 dimensional shape for a matrix is a circle, but drawing a stable and near perfect circle on a chalkboard is a challenge and doing so with mana even more so.
Master Korbyn has been teaching us exercises to help visualize and refine our mana shaping, and I have finally been able to form a stable matrix. I still need some practice to form the runes without losing focus and allowing my circle to collapse, but I am confident I will be able to crack it in the next few months.
This month marks the end of our first year at the Mist academy. Every year concludes with a practical examination that determines if the trainees are ready to proceed to the next grade. The examination is conducted by the class instructor and each student will receive a passing or failing mark at the discretion of the instructor.
A failing mark is rumored to result in disposal, but in truth, failing trainees merely disappeared from class and I have found no conclusive evidence to suggest they were executed. The Mist Clan is cruel, but they wouldn’t kill if they did not stand to gain from it.
Today is our examination, and Master Korbyn has gathered us in front of the citadel gates at the edge of the forest surrounding the complex. Several minutes passed as Master Korbyn held a private discussion with a handful of adepts behind him. A thin layer of snow began to collect on top of my cloak. Recently the blizzard has begun to slow, but the.. My thoughts were interrupted as Master Korbyn began to address us.
“First, I would like to congratulate you all on making it to the end of your first year. In order to pass the first exam you must track and catch a winged rabbit within the allotted time. The test will begin at dawn and you will have until dusk to deliver your rabbit to me. If by the time you return I am absent, you have failed. There are only two rules: You may not receive any outside help and you may only use what you have on you and what you find in the forest. You may begin at first light.” Master Korbyn explained.
Even in another world, I can’t escape exams. I glanced to my side at Austin and Mara. As her luck would have it, Mara was the only one of us to have a bow and she was damn good with it too, so as long as she could track one down, I was confident she would be fine. Austin and I on the other hand were shit out of luck as usual. A winged rabbit was a small herbivorous mana beast with exceptional speed and mana detection.
All living creatures naturally emit ambient mana. The mana they expel forms a sort of aura which is invisible to the naked eye but in proximity can be felt by those capable of detecting mana. It can also be detected visually by some spells, but I digress. A creature with a large mana pool will produce a larger aura. Some creatures, including humans, have discovered how to suppress their mana to erase their presence. This makes it significantly harder for a mage or mana beast to be detected by sensing their aura.
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Winged rabbits are renowned for their high mana sensitivity which allows them to detect predators who are unable to or sloppily concealing their aura. On top of this, they possess an incredible agility and speed helped in no small part by their distinct wings. While they do not have the ability to fly, their speed is so blinding you will wish they were just flying instead.
Suffice it to say that Austin and I had our work cut out for us and we weren’t even allowed to collaborate.
On top of all that, this exam gives me a bad feeling. The rules only stated we weren’t allowed to help each other, but not that we couldn’t interfere with our fellow examinees. I doubt the other students would be so bold to kill me, but I wouldn’t put it past them to try and steal my rabbit out from under me.
The other examinees soon took off as the sun came out to greet us and I soon followed suit. My first course of action was to make my way to the otherside of the citadel. I would lose time in the commute but I was sure that it was the best course of action.
Aside from my clique, two of the other three boys in our class were sloppy trackers and I knew their presence would spook the rabbits. The remaining boy was decent as far as I could tell, but the remaining girl couldn’t find a snake if it bit her.
When I reached the North end of the citadel I concealed my aura as best as I could and began searching for tracks. With all the mana shaping exercises we’ve been doing lately, I was getting pretty good at mana manipulation and was able to conceal my aura to a satisfactory degree.
I estimated that the constant snowfall would quickly cover any tracks shallower than a human’s footprint within 30 minutes of formation. In addition, I believe that the rabbits become less active in the winter and only interrupt their hibernation to sate their hunger. There isn’t much for a herbivore to eat in the winter so they typically resort to burying several nuts prior to the first snowfall much like a squirrel would.
I continued to search for what felt like 3 hours as the sun made its way across the horizon. It was now mid-day and I hadn’t seen a single damn rabbit. The snow not only quickly covered any tracks, but it also created a uniform white surface that covered the forest floor making it hard to discern the presence of any disturbance from a distance.
I racked my brain in a panic as half of the day was already gone. My mind betrayed me for but a moment before a sudden realization struck me; I had worried so much about concealing my aura that I completely forgot I’m standing in the middle of a winter wonderland looking like goddamn Batman here with a black cloak.
I cursed my stupidity as I rushed to use grade one magic to apply a layer of snow to my cloak turning it white. In an effort to save mana, I froze the layer closest to my cloak so the snow would stick without having to constantly hold it up with mana. My body slightly chilled as the temperature dropped but I was still well equipped with winter clothes and my enhanced constitution from the augmentation made me more tolerant to the cold.
With my camouflage complete, I returned to my search and caught a lucky break within an hour. I had noticed a small black disturbance on the surface of the snow and upon further inspection I was sure it was rabbit droppings. I followed the set of prints it connected to and soon found myself behind a winged rabbit digging in the snow.
I couldn’t believe my luck, it had its head shoved in the snow and I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to catch it off guard. In my countless hours of searching, I had come up with many ways to catch the little bastards when I found one, but I wasn’t sure if any of them would work.
I considered using a spell to compensate for the lack of a ranged weapon, but as soon as I expelled mana I knew I would be detected. This left me only with my infusion magic and a pair of throwing knives.
As assassins it was mandatory for us to train with the knife, part of our knife training included throwing knives as well. I’m not nearly as good with them as Mara is, but it’s my only choice of ranged weapon.
I made my way to the nearest set of trees and approached branch by branch for two main reasons. I wanted to reduce the chance of being spotted by appearing above the rabbit, and I was only able to cast the silence spell. The silence spell was the lowest form of sound interference magic and only reduced the vibrations in the air. I wasn’t sure if the rabbit was sensitive to vibrations in the ground so I decided it was best not to risk it.
As I neared the rabbit from above, I drew one of my throwing knives from my belt and waited for the branch I was on to still. I took aim as best as I could, wishing I had bothered to learn an infusion spell for throwing stuff faster.
I was certain if I waited a second longer the rabbit would check its surroundings. I released the knife and to my suprise the throw wasn’t half bad. It still missed the rabbit, but at a distance of some 30 yards(27.4m), such a small creature was not an easy target.
Its head shot out of the snow as if the sky had begun to fall. Its head darted around looking for the source of the disturbance. It must have noticed me as it began to posture its wings in an attempt to flee.
In a hurry, I scrambled to retrieve another knife from my belt hoping it wouldn’t be too late. I flung the second knife as fast as I could as the rabbit’s legs began to twitch. By Mara’s own luck, I managed to hit one of its hind legs, staggering its attempt to flee.
I leapt from the tree and drew my spatix in an effort to finish the job. The sword may have been overkill for the size of the prey, but its longer reach would give me the best chance of catching the rabbit before it fled.
I swung the blade down in a vertical slash that severed the rabbit's head in one fell swoop.
The sight would have made any hunter worth his weight in salt cringe, but the exam did not require the rabbit to look pretty.
I retrieved both my knives before quickly bagging both halves of the deceased rabbit and securely fastening it to my belt. By my estimation I still had two hours of daylight before the exam was over and it was only a 20 minute walk to the other side of the citadel.
Just as I went to take a step a knife had grazed my ear from behind. I snapped my head back just in time to see a figure rise out of the snow like the rat he was. I recognized him as one of the boys from my class. He was a short one with brown hair and a weasley little nose that reminded me of a rat. I swear you could also see whiskers on him if you squinted hard enough.
I had considered an ambush a possibility but I over estimated my senses. To think his half ass aura concealment technique could manage to fool my senses. I was too reckless to write him off.
I began to feel the blood drip down my ear as a biting cold began to sting at my ear. But what hurt me the most was my pride. I had tunnel visioned my senses on the rabbit and allowed a rat to sneak up behind me.
After a quick check of my surroundings, I failed to notice any other enemies and prepared my blade. I steeled my resolve as I stowed my emotion. I’m not going to die on this damned island.