The Root of all Magic [Solo | Training]

A vast variety of books and scrolls were strewn across the floor of Aoife's room as she prepared for her preliminary exam with the academy adjudicators. It was early morning, as Aoife insisted she wake up at that time, so she could get the most possible time to study in before her "big performance." She considered this test as equivalent to a sort of debutante, where she will be released into magical society a woman, or more appropriately, a female magician. There wasn't much of a guide on how to prepare for the exam--most people spent it naturally gifted and didn't prepare at all, passing the exam with flying colors and free entry into competing in the second Kodor, other students grew mad with panic that they ended up dropping out of school. Aoife fell somewhere in that range of students who panicked far too much for the current situation and students who were in the safe zone based on their academic talent that they'd at least make it past the second Kodor. She particularly focused on life magic, mainly because it was the magic she used best and figured that was her easy road to participating in the second Kodor.

"THIS IS A MESS! HOW WOULD I LEARN MAGIC THIS WAY? WHAT DOES "THE PRINCIPLE OF THE RUKH IS THEIR PRESENCE IN AND AROUND ALL MATTER IN OUR WORLD--COMMANDS ARE APPLICATIONS OF THE RUKH'S INNATE ABILITY--THIS IS STUPID. NOBODY CARES ABOUT THIS. GIVE ME PIZZAZZ! GIVE ME RAZZLE-DAZZLE! GIVE ME A FRIGGIN' CHEAT SHEET THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" Aoife yelled, frightening a few passersby that dared pass by her doorway. She made the unfortunate mistake of leaving the door to her room open, possibly so she didn't need to be disturbed by her roommate coming in and taking her away from her studies. The unnecessary yelling at a collection of books and paper snapped Aoife back into a more realistic place in her life, and she quickly piled all of her things together in organized chaos on her desk and decided to do other things with her time. Deciding this day was a dud she set everything aside and laid down to sleep on her knowledge.

---

Aoife was fully aware that she was being absolutely insane and the only thing that could assuage her nerves was a nice walk through the community garden. Her first day roaming through was calm enough and appropriately soothing her mind. She spent her time tending to the crops in the garden, calming her nerves and growing vegetables and fruits aplenty, hoping the poorer city folk would grab it for free sustenance. She came by for five nights and six days to tend to these plants, seeing some of the fruits of her labor taken away by what she assumed were hungry students or professors.

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On this particular day, though, Aoife had come to the garden to find the garden disturbed. Who could've been here before her?

"Do you come here often? ...Aoife, right?" A voice in the distance asked. Aoife turned around to see a slightly older gentlemen holding a bunch of tomatoes. How did he know her name? Before she could even open her mouth to speak, he replied with an answer, taking the poor girl aback from the surprise. "Yes, we've met before. In the library--what brings you to our little...vegetable patch?" He asked. His mouth was pursed in a smirk, a look both aggravating and endearing Aoife. She blushed and held her hands tightly together behind her back, trying to take away from the fact that she was obviously smitten with this fellow for being so debonair.

"I was just...calming my nerves. You see I'm taking my preliminary exam to get into the second Kodor tomorrow. And while I normally wouldn't be nervous about something like this, I mean it's just a test right? But still, if I fail this that means I'm just some second rate magician with a knack for tossing up radishes and carrots from the ground like some weird magic rabbit and that's all people will ever think of me and then they'll call me Rabbit Girl and I'll be DOOMED to walk the halls of Magnostadt in bunny ears and giant fake teeth and people will say things like "what's up doc?" or "you're a bitch!" and that TERRIFIES ME and it's NOT EVEN TRUE YET!" Aoife inhaled a very large breath after spitting all of that out at once, her face nearly blue from the loss of oxygen. She covered her mouth after, terrified that she had just embarrassed herself big time in front of this cute stranger. He was not phased, however, and merely laughed at her ramblings.

"All you have to do is show them you're capable of learning higher level magics: it's very simple, I've seen you perform some before. The professor is a nice man so don't worry. But if you do, have one of my tomatoes. They're said to bring good luck!" He joked, offering her one of the tomatoes from his hand. She grabbed it, confused, but didn't want to question the cute stranger's superstitions. It would be rude to just assume he's wrong after all. He walked away after, giving her a playful goodbye as he walked out of the garden. There was a tingling in Aoife's body--was it love? was it lust? No, it was the call of nature. And so she rushed back to her bedroom, attempting to pee in the proper place and not her pants.

---

"OH CRAP I'M GOING TO BE LATE!" Aoife yelled, waking up her sleeping roommate as Aoife flew off of her bed and into her robe. Aoife was up so late that she completely lost track of time and could have missed her exam time. She was sure she'd make it, but, you never can be too sure in these kind of situations. After barreling down the halls and into the examination grounds, there the professor stood, about to leave his post when Aoife showed.

"Aoife Reis, I presume? What a surprise, I thought you were one of those students that throw themselves off their balcony." Aoife immediately felt intimidated by his curt nature. But, she would not let him ruin her mood. She felt good, she felt confident, she felt ready to take this exam and kick it in the hairy ass! Aoife grabbed her staff and spun it around in front of her, giving commands to the rukh as the air around her illuminated in a faint purple light. The adjudicator was impressed, to say the least, at Aoife's impressive ability to control the magoi in her body. After a few seconds of being a show-off, Aoife opened her eyes and let go of her staff, leaving it remaining spinning in the air for a few moments before she got it again.

"BLOC! AVEC! CAROTTE!" Aoife chanted, revealing a spinning carrot in front of her. The professor was confused, and a little dumbfounded as to how Aoife thought this was an appropriate display of "learning higher level magic," but he was impressed with her ability nonetheless. So, she passed, and Aoife took her good news all the way to her room, telling every. single. person. she. saw.

Word Count: 1280/500