Rose Benoit and the School of Magic

The Calix Acceptus

Author's note: Some of this is bound to change. . Helpful comments are welcome. And please ignore the lines. Those are in place because I don't have names for what they are referring to yet. This story has been entered into the wattys2016 so please vote, comment, and share!

         Rose heaved a deep breath in an attempt to calm her racing nerves. Today was the day. The day that began the long series of tests for admittance into MITOAM School of Magic. Rose longed so much to see the castle-like structure built out of the magnificent mountain. She got giddy with excitement at the thought of learning magic. Her mom couldn't do magic, but strange things had happened around Rose and Alex. Maybe they both have it.

        Rose gave a small wave to her smiling mom in the first floor kitchen window before continuing on down the pathway. At the bottom, she met her impatiently waiting best friend, Nicole Wainright.

       "I guess Alex is already at school?" She asked.

       "Of course he is!" Rose replied with a laugh, "Mom wasn't about to let him sleep in just because I could. His turn will come in a few years."

       "What do you think we'll have to do?" Nicole's tone suddenly grew somber and nervous.

       "Probably do magic. It sounds like Mitoam expects a lot from it's students so it only makes sense they would expect magical kids to be able to perform spells without having ever tried."

       Nicole smirked and looked relieved, "Well if that's all then I'll be fine. Do you really think the kids go home and don't practice their magic? Maybe you don't but most kids are ok with breaking the rules."

      Rose looked horrified, "B-but, we don't have wands a-and y-you c-could've gotten in so much trouble! They could've taken your aura away!"

       "My parents easily could have covered me up if they ever found out. Which they didn't of course. Too bad for you, your mom can't do magic." She patted Rose's head sympathetically.

       Rose didn't let it show but deep inside her anger was boiling. She hated when Nicole did that and especially hated when people pointed out or teased her for a non-magical parent. It was hard for the Rose, living in a city of magic without parents able to do magic at home. Theirs was a rare case, usually only families who could do magic were allowed to stay in a magical city (the number of which was lessening every year). Of course, it didn't matter if the kids could do magic. If the parents couldn't then they weren't allowed. This was how Rose knew her father could do magic. She was born in this city. If neither parent could do magic then she would've been born somewhere else.

       While Rose silently seethed, gritting her teeth so as not to say something she would later regret, Nicole chatted away about all the things she would do and learn at Mitoam.

      "I bet I'm a natural at dragon taming! I'll be the best rider at the school and my dragon will win every race!" She lapsed into a moment of daydreamed glory, imagining herself holding the Trina Cup.

       Rose sighed, not voicing her thoughts. What if she's the worst magician there? What if she can't do magic at all? There really is no guarantee that her dad could do magic. If only she knew...

       "I bet my element is one of the best, and by the end of my eighth year I'll have mastered two."

       "You do that Nicole. I'll be glad to master one." Secretly, Rose was hoping that she could be one of the best, graduating top of her class, but she seriously doubted it would ever happen.