The Testing - A Short Story

   It's been a good four months since I posted my last short story - 10 'Till Midnight - and I figured it was high time I gave you guys another peek at my writing. The Testing certainly isn't the best thing I've ever written (I wrote+edited it in under three hours - go figure), but I hope you all will enjoy it none the less!
   (shout out to Abi, Anika, and Hann for helping with edits! You guys are great <3)  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  The Grand Wizard Tested male children for Talent every three years – the Talent to be one of his apprentices. I think.

  But I’m not really sure – I’m only fourteen, and I was too sick to attend the last Testing. But at least I know that it happens every three years.

  Every three years only.

  But for some reason, here I am. Seven months before the Testing, knocking on the front door of the Wizard’s castle like he had invited me for afternoon tea.

  The nervous kneading I gave my hat said otherwise.

  I was calling on the Grand Wizard half on a dare, but mostly out of desperation. In our village, any boy of fourteen years must be employed in some way or another, otherwise they were sent to the coal mines to earn their keep. I never got employed (mum says I have no aspiration, but I don’t think she really means it). If the Grand Wizard refused to test me -  or if I didn’t actually have any Talent – it would be off to the coal mines for poor Norman Aleck.

  I glanced over my shoulder. This hadn’t seemed like a good idea in the first place, and it was getting worse by the minute. I bet myself two shillings that I could rabbit my way across the over-flowered lawn and be out of here in a jiffy. Maybe I should–

  I about jumped out of my skin when the castle door flew open. Strangling my hat between my fingers, I took in the man who stood at the door. Middle-aged, dignified, and smartly dressed. And obviously waiting for me to talk. I rattled off my speech to this butler.

  “G’ afternoon, sir. I know the Testing isn’t for another seven months yet, but I’m real desperate, and I need the Grand Wizard to test me now, see? If you could just take me to ‘im, I know he’d understand – Mum says I’m real persuasive.” I paused for breath, then tacked on a, “please, sir”, for good measure.

  The man leaned against one side of the threshold and blinked at me. “They call me the Grand Wizard now? How odd. Well, persuade me, boy.”

  I blinked back. “You’re the Grand Wizard?”

  It wasn’t a good comeback, but I can’t say that I’m brilliant. This wasn’t going as planned anymore.

  “S-sorry,” I immediately stammered, giving an awkward bow and almost dropping my hat. “Sorry, I just… sir, I need you to test me.”

  The Grand Wizard’s brown eyes – very plain brown eyes, really – narrowed. “Not terribly persuasive, are you?”

  “I’m being taken to the coal mines tomorrow, sir!” I pleaded. “Please, it’ll kill my mum to have me going there, you gotta test me!”

  A gust of wind almost took my battered hat out of my hands, and it blew through the Grand Wizard’s brown hair – very plain brown, but slicked back quite nicely.

  “Coal mines,” he said quietly, staring past me. “I remember the coal mines.”

  I waited for him to speak again, but he didn’t. I awkwardly shifted my weight. “Please, sir? I don’t have much time…”

  The Grand Wizard blinked, and he stepped back to take me in. I had tried to comb my blonde-ish hair this morning (Mum said I’d done a terrible job of it) and I was wearing my least-patched clothes, but I probably looked a sight to him.

  He pursed his lips. “A little scrawny for fourteen, aren’t you?”

  I shrugged. “But I’m real fast, sir. I could outrun lots of the older boys.”

  “Older boys” had beat me up last time I’d said that. But I was pretty sure that the statement was honest now – I’m plenty faster than I used to be – so maybe it would work in my favor this time. It had to.

  The Grand Wizard looked me up and down, then sighed. “And you’re certain you’re going to the coal mines if I don’t test you?”

  “Yes, Sir, I’m certain.” I started to strangle my hat again.

  He gave a little huff, then pushed himself off the doorway and snapped. “Alright, come in. I’ll test you, but don’t think you’ll be staying.”

  I wanted to grin – but the battle was only half over. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” But would I have the Talent?

  I barely had time to step inside before he slammed the door shut and strode away. “Well? Follow me, or go right back out those doors, scrawny.”

  My ears turned red at the name, but I hurried after him. The Grand Wizard took a dozen twists and turns (the castle seemed a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside, somehow) until we came to a fancy courtyard.

  I blinked against the sunlight – it seemed wrong that the courtyard could be so cheerfully bright when the castle was so grey.

  “Well...? Well?”  

  I snapped back to attention. The Grand Wizard crossed his arms. “You don’t have a clue as to how this works, do you?”

  “No,” I stated honestly. “I was sick at the last time of Testing.”

  “Convenient,” the Grand Wizard muttered, striding up and grabbing me by the shoulder.

  He pushed me (and not very gently, either) into the center of the courtyard. There were four arches – one for each point of the compass – plus the one that led back into the castle. The only difference was that the castle entrance archway was dull, grey stone, while the rest of the archways were white and carved. I turned in a full circle, looking at each arch – oddly enough, they all seemed to lead out to the same, beautifully green lawn. It looked so different from the brown of our village.

  “What do I need to do now?” I asked after a moment.

  The Grand Wizard stood by the castle entrance arch, arms crossed again. “Now you wait,” he said, with mocking patience. “And see if any Wind comes in through one of those arches. That’s how you know if you have a Talent or not.” He glanced at the gold watch glittering on his wrist. “I’ll give you three minutes, and then you’re leaving.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “It’s more than fair - normal Testings only last for two.”

  I gave a jerky nod, and went back to staring at the arches. I accidentally tore a hole in my hat, and sweat had started to build on my brow.

  How would I know if a Wind came? What would it do? Was the breeze already blowing in the courtyard considered a Wind? Should I tell the Grand Wizard?

  And then, quite suddenly, the breeze changed. Instead of blowing around me, it was suddenly blowing inside of me. I gasped and shuddered at the strange, uncomfortable feeling. The Grand Wizard moved from his place by the wall, but I didn’t pay him much attention.

  Because there – there, by the North archway, stood a person. And not a normal, flesh-and-bones person, either. She was made entirely of swirling, silvery snowflakes and stood taller than two men. Her feet floated inches above the ground.

  I could barely make out her features, but I had a good guess that this was the North Wind.

  The Wind came towards me. I felt the breeze inside of me grow stronger and I started to back away.

  “Him,” she whispered, speaking to the Grand Wizard but looking at me. Her voice sounding like a breeze rustling frozen pond-reeds. “I can feel his Talent halfway across my realm.” She swirled to face the Grand Wizard. “Keep him.”

  And then, in an explosion of snow, she was gone. The wind inside me stilled, and I gasped out the breath I didn’t know I was holding in. There was snow in my hair and on my shoulders.

  “Well,” said the Grand Wizard slowly. “That changes things.”

  I turned to face him, still breathing hard. “How?”

  He shook his head in disbelief, looking at the North Archway. Then he took my mangled hat from my hands and mended it with a flick of his finger. I took it back with wide eyes.

  Magic.

  “Well, scrawny,” the Grand Wizard said. “It looks like you’ll be staying here after all.” 

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    *awards you with chocolate if you actually read that whole thing* xD

   So I hope that was enjoyable for you all! I wrote this story for Jenelle Schmidt's short story challenge that goes along with her February Is Fantasy Month celebrations (I would have attached the beautiful banner here, but my computer hates me today xD) - make sure to hop over to her blog and read the rest of the stories!

~ Savannah Grace 
 

Which Wind do you think would come if you were tested? Have you ever written a short story?