Chapter Seven #2
It was silent for a moment before he spoke once more, his voice tired. “Goodnight, little menace.”
My eyes fluttered closed, heavy with lack of sleep, at the table where I sat.
I had awoken that morning to the room empty, neither the Kinslayer or the Prince anywhere in sight.
All traces of them had been cleaned away.
How I had slept through them scrubbing the blood from the floor or Rena healing Prince Kairen was beyond me, but I was thankful nonetheless.
I had thought it a dream when I first woke, a very odd dream, until I had seen the little paper upon my desk. Five simple words written in elegant curving letters, penmanship that belonged to neither Prince Kairen or Rena.
Thank you for last night.
The Kinslayer had far better handwriting than I would have thought for such a brute.
The room was filled with a tense silence as I sat at a long table, six other apprentices in matching long olive robes, threaded with black, were also scattered around at various other spots. Together, we waited, our shared nervousness palpable.
I wondered if any were also from Amori City or if they had travelled from cities or towns further away within Tavari's borders.
The Institute wasn't the only place within Tavari to take your trials; many cities throughout the Kingdom had various places to gain your Mastery, however many opted for taking them here.
Generally it came with finding better work and perhaps a place as a Master within the Institute itself, the highest honor one could give a Master in their field.
My eyes opened, spine straightening as the door clicked open and three figures garbed in olive robes threaded with gold entered.
First came Cecila Devram, her gaze flitting over those of us seated before she took a seat at the long table near the front of the room.
Next was a man I had yet to meet, his dark hair and beard speckled with grey, his skin pale and tinged with an unhealthy yellowing lingering beneath the surface.
He couldn’t have been older than fifty, yet he looked as if death itself was welcoming him with open arms. His robes hung awkwardly upon his gaunt frame as he took his seat at the table, leaving only the middle chair open.
The last Potion Master moved to sit between the other two, her hair a deep auburn that tumbled down her shoulders. Her skin ivory and flush with life, her deep blue-green eyes reminding me of the ice upon a frozen stream as she assessed us.
She appeared younger than the other two, but it seemed as if they deferred to her. I couldn't remember ever seeing her on my visits to the Institute with Merle, but then again I had merely accompanied her, never actually sitting in on the meetings she attended.
“Welcome to your first trial,” her voice high and sweet in the quiet room, “I am High Master Belcomb. To the left is Master Malek and to the right, who most of you have met upon your arrival, is Master Devram.”
A few gasps sounded at her name–High Master Belcomb.
My own brows rose in surprise at the revelation.
Head of the Potions Society, this woman created and regulated the inner laws of all Potion Makers, and she was overseeing our trials?
I hadn't expected her to be so young. She couldn't have been older than her late thirties to early forties.
How good must she be to hold such an esteemed position?
Master Devram stood then, a stack of thick packets in her hand as she began to move through the room, placing one in front of each apprentice, face down.
"When you are finished please return your packet to Master Devram and take your seat again. You have two hours.” A little twinkle entered the High Master's eyes as she said, "Your first trial begins now—you may start."
The questions started simply.
They ranged from the impact that Master Theodore DuClare had on potion making during The Celestial War and how it was vital to the success of the Solerian Army, to how goddess flower interacts with and strengthens various other potions.
How to properly brew a fever potion and whether it was swirled counterclockwise or clockwise before administering.
The questions continued to get harder as I worked my way through the packet. A few stumped me and I had to sift through my mind for Merle's voice. Our various lessons and long days in the shop's brewing room swirled around before I was able to scribble my answers down.
I breezed quickly through the measurements portion of the packet, a smirk on my lips as I did so.
Numbers I never really had an issue with.
What is the exact measurement of Goddess root powder added to the Elixir of Euphoria?
Exactly how many grams of crushed Navarrian sea star must be added to make an active hair lengthening potion?
It was the very back of the packet that truly gave me pause, my brows furrowing ever so slightly.
"Exactly fifty minutes left," Master Malek's wheezing voice called out to us. I tapped my pen against the packet thoughtfully.
The last question stood starkly against the page, but the words danced before me seemingly mocking me and my inability to answer it.
In three pages or less, explain why you want to be a Master of Potionry and how you would contribute to Tavarrian society with your Mastery.
Hesitating, pen hovering above the start of the first line, I contemplated.
Why did I want to become a Potions Master?
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely, but if I had a choice would I have chosen the path for myself?
I liked caring for others and I had always had an aptitude for potion making, unlike Bran, so Merle had poured her training into me and I had just gone along with it.
How could I not? Merle had given me everything.
Joining the Potion Society and gaining my Mastery had been Merle's dream for me and in turn had become my own dream, but was it truly my desire?
"Oh Nine Hells," I grumbled. The man two rows down shot me a rather nasty look at the noise. Ignoring him, I began to write.
Two pages later and satisfied enough with my answer, I stood, packet in hand, as I walked to give it to Master Devram. There was still nearly twenty minutes left, and I was the third to turn in my packet.
Slumping back into my seat I rolled my neck, working out the kinks that leaning over the table for nearly two hours had brought on.
The last twenty minutes went excruciatingly slowly, but when the time was up, everyone had turned theirs in. The man who had given me an annoyed look was the last to hand over his packet, passing it to Master Devram only three seconds before High Master Belcomb had called an end to the trial.
"I congratulate you all on completing your first trial, your results will be out by the end of the week.
Your second trial will be held next week and contain a more hands on approach," she informed, and the little smile on her lips had my nerves on edge.
"I look forward to seeing you all then. If you have any questions, please refer to either Master Malek or Master Devram. Thank you all.”
With a satisfied smile, I packed up my belongings.
One down, two to go.