A Magical Mishap

"Were- were there more cuts?" Sky asked breathlessly. She'd woken up very late and had had to run all the way from her rooms.

"The cuts are in three weeks." Jin replied gravely.

Sky frowned, "Then why do you look like that?"

Jin sighed, "You were three minutes late. I've got to take five points." Sky's mouth fell open. Aven crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"And you kept me waiting so that's another ten points." He added. Sky stared at them. A flush crept into her cheeks.

"But that's all my points for the week," She protested in a small voice. "and I was only late because I stayed up working on all those extra spells you've assigned me." Jin's face lit up.

"Can you do them?" He asked.

Sky frowned, "Some of them." Her throat was tight. Jin clapped his hands.

"Show me! Show me!" He eagerly cried.

Aven placed a hand on his vibrating shoulder stilling him and said, "Not right now. Now we are going to the indoor practice courts."

***

When they got to the practice courts Sky's mouth fell open. It looked like the students at the courts were having a battle. There was a towering rock structure at each end of the room. In the middle of them, rising up from the sandy floor, were craggy monoliths of stone. Students dressed in practice uniforms were arrayed in the openings between the crags. Explosions of bright colors and dirt were taking place sporadically from inside the crag-land. Here and there massive plants moved and some of the crags did too. Shouts punctuated the air as the smell of dirt and sweat filled Sky's nose.

"Come on." Aven said gesturing for Sky to follow him and Jin. They walked over to one court that had escaped being transformed into an alien realm. Bear stood in the front of it facing the crag-land. His arms were folded across his chest and his expression looked pleased. The clipboard was being carried by the big curly haired male who'd given Sky the daggers yesterday. He was standing to Bear's right and would occasionally make a note on it.

"Howdy, Bear!" Jin called brightly. Bear turned and his scowl, which had been absent before, returned.

"Morning, Bear. Rionen." Aven said nodding to Bear and the curly haired male.

Sky smiled hesitantly at them. Bear grimaced but the male, Rionen, smiled good humoredly back. His dark green eyes were warm. Sky blushed and looked at the floor.

"I thought you said you needed a court for Gothe exercises." Bear bellowed at Aven. Sky backed up half a step. Aven caught her hand.

"We do. She's got Gothe magic." Jin said. Bear's angry eyes bore into Sky. She felt like he might attack her at any moment.

"Prove it." He said finally. Aven turned to Sky. "Keep your eyes on the battle, Rionen!" Bear yelled. Sky looked with wide eyes at Rionen. Aven caught her chin in his hand and turned her head to look at him.

"Alright, Skylar." He said. "Close your eyes and clear your mind."

"But-"

"I'll be right here. I'll protect you." Sky frowned but did as she was told.

She let go of her fear and watched as thoughts passed through her mind. They eventually faded and she was there, where her magic resided. The five wells with their barriers surrounded her. She opened the orifice in her Gothe well and magic flooded into her.

"I'm holding my magic. What do I do now?" Sky asked.

"Reach out with your magic through your feet to the ground. Can you feel the rocks beneath us?"

Sky nodded slowly, and said, "I feel one. It's big."

"Good," Aven said, "pour your magic into it. Keep doing this until the rock no longer feels big." Sky opened herself to more magic and poured it into the rock. It still felt really big so she opened the orifice wider and poured in more magic.

"It still feels big." Sky said dreamily.

"That is because you are not using enough magic. Use more." Aven replied. His voice was slightly irritated now. Sky opened herself to all her Gothe magic and kept pouring it into the rock. Finally, the rock stopped feeling big. Now it felt moderate sized.

"It doesn't feel big anymore." She told Aven.

"Good. Now, pull upward with your magic. Pull hard. You have to break through the ground so you need to use a lot of force." Sky nodded and pulled upward on her magic. Nothing happened. She pulled harder. The rock gave a small lurch.

"You have to pull hard, Skylar." Aven said. Sky concentrated on pulling upward as hard as she could. Sweated beaded on her forehead. She bit her lip as kept up the pressure. Finally, she felt it. A pop! Followed swiftly by more pops and cracks. She pulled even harder. There was a snap. It was so intense in her mind that it felt like the room pitched. Then the rock started moving.

Sky opened her eyes and triumphantly said, "It's moving." Aven looked around at the undisturbed floor. Then he frowned and closed his eyes. The room started shaking. Aven's eyes popped wide open.

"Bear get everyone out!" He yelled. Grabbing Sky's hand, he took off running for the door. Bear's loud voice bellowed, magically magnified, across the room, "Emergency muster!" The floor was trembling violently, and Aven was running so fast Sky could barely keep up with him. She looked back over her shoulder.

Males were pelting out of the crags in their direction but Jin was still standing where they left him with a wide smile on his face.

"Jin!" She yelled over what had now become a Roaring sound. Aven looked behind them.

"Jin, run!" He shouted. Jin's eyes widened. He took a step forward and the ground in front of him exploded.