The Hunter Mage

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Vernon kicked dust as he walked away, he wasn't as scared of the captain as he was the first time he saw her but that didn't make her less scary. He didn't run, he wasn't ready to get scolded. He took his time.

When he got to the shade, he found her exactly like he had left her, all slouched up on the chair with her minimal clothing. "Vernon!" She squealed when he got close enough. "Tell me you have good news."

"Um, well, I don't exactly have…" he could feel his anxiety take over and it became hard to say the right words.

"I can't hear you," she interrupted, cutting through his thoughts with her sharp voice. "You're going to have to speak louder."

"No!" He yelled back at the jump start.

"No?" She frowned.

"No, no, I mean I don't have good news." He quickly blurted out, having realized his mistake.

She leaned forward, sizing him up. "Why?"

It was a simple question but not one he had an answer to, so he just looked down to the ground drawing with his shoes. "I don't know," he mumbled.

"Did you try or Levisus was a terrible teacher?" She snickered at this, leaning back to her original position. Bart was still by her side. He stood unmoving with his back straight, his hands by his sides, his eyes looking straight ahead.

"I did," Vernon replied and the memory of him farting for all to hear popped into his mind and he cringed.

Captain Robbin didn't notice his expression because she chose that moment to burst out laughing. "What a way to say Levisus sucks!"

That wasn't Vernon's intention and he actually thought Levisus didn't do too badly but before he could defend his words and Levisus' actions, Captain Robbin started to speak again. "Anyways, make sure you're here as early as training begins so I can assign you to a new group."

She stretched her hand and wiggled her fingers and Bart broke from his freeze spell and went deeper into the shade, he was back in seconds with a gourd that he immediately handed to Captain Robbin. She took it from his hold a little excitedly and took a large gulp that spilled a little around the sides of her lips as she swallowed.

She smacked her lips and gave a sigh of satisfaction. "Go on, you can leave." She said, realizing he still stood there.

He nodded vigorously and set off in the direction he had come from as he tried to catch up with the last to leave the courtyard. He stopped running when there was enough distance between him and the shade and just walked instead.

He felt really exhausted and all he just wanted to do was to go take a very long nap but by the looks of it, that was not the case to be. He got to his quarters to find everyone in.

"Vernon!" Dev called out as soon as he stepped into the huge room. "Where did you go? I was looking for you everywhere."

He sighed and his shoulders sagged, closing the door behind him he replied, "I had it go report to Captain Robbin," Vernon replied, and walking to his corner, he threw himself into his bed.

"What for?" Dev asked and walked closer. Everybody in the room had either completely stopped what they were doing to listen in or they were pretending to be busy as they listened to the conversation between Vernon and Devant.

"To hear how the training went because she assigned me to your group today, tomorrow she would assign me to a different group." Vernon tried to explain even though he would rather be sleeping than talking right now.

"Why?" An entirely different person asked. The boy had not been in the wind group so it was only typical that he had no idea what was going on but the problem was, Vernon, didn't feel like replying anymore.

"Yeah Vernon, why?" Devant interjected and Vernon wanted to claw his face because now he was obligated to respond.

Vernon rolled his eyes, he had expected Dev to be smart enough to understand what had happened without him having to explain every single step of it. Unfortunately, that was not the case and now he has to explain. His fear that everyone was considering this a topic to discuss was looming.

"Because," he started through tight-knit teeth. "I don't know what magic I have and for some reason, I can't do magic. Therefore, Vivk and Captain Robbin think if I watch other people do magic it would trigger mine and I would finally be able to."

"What? That doesn't make sense. Everybody knows what kind of magic they can do without watching other people do magic." The boy who had asked why said. "Do you even have magic?"

"Jay!" Dev yelled but Vernon didn't care. He just rolled on his back and went to sleep.

He missed home, he was trying to act tough because the rest of the boys here acted like living in this huge secluded place was normal but he would give anything to go home now. He would even give up his excitement to finally use the magic he was supposedly born with but even that wasn't going so well.

He sniffled, he couldn't understand why his nose was running and he tried to wipe off the little that had escaped being drawn back in, he felt wetness on his cheeks. He coiled up, he had not even realized he was crying.

He tried to feel around for his blanket as he made to cover up himself. Nobody would see him crying, it was bad enough that he already had a hectic and embarrassing day. He was surprised that wasn't the topic of discussion instead of the fact that he couldn't use magic.

How long would he have to stay here? He wondered. Would you ever go home? How was his mother? Has she delivered the baby now? Was he a big brother? He threw the blanket over his head and dozed up.