The Test

“Okay Katie, this is the final test.”
Katie looked up at the Moderator, he was smiling kindly at her, encouraging her to go on. She looked back at the man who sat in front of her, he had his head bowed, eyes closed and hands fisted. He was a portly man with greasy brown hair and rich robes in jewel colours that made his skin look sallow. Lord Belnevides had hated her for a long time. She had come to the Order as an orphaned fourteen year old, taken there by a kindly nun who had sensed her potential when visiting an orphanage. Lord Belnevides had taken a horrible fascination with Katie instantly, watching her wherever she went and she had always felt a horrible shiver when she caught his eye. Finally, when she turned 16, he pounced on her, shoving her against a wall in the Orders’ gardens. She had frozen as his stumpy fingers groped at her breast and then she reacted, shoving and kicking until she could draw enough breath to scream. He had grabbed her by the neck instantly, choking her to silence and threatening her with expulsion if she dared tell.
“After all girl,” he said in a slurred voice, his liquor soaked breath making her flinch, “who would ever believe an orphaned wench like you over one of the Orders most loyal Professors. You’re barely tolerated as is.” He let go, shoved her away and stormed off in to the night. Katie had told no one.
She forced herself to focus on the present once more and looked again at Lord Belnevides. With his head bowed, his many chins were shoved down, hiding a squat neck; they quivered as he took deep breaths and her lip curled in revulsion. Suddenly he looked up and his eyes narrowed as Katie struggled to smooth her face. His iris were so dark they looked black and right now they were as cold as ice, her heart plummeted to her toes as his angry expression cleared and he gave her a smug smile before looking up at the Moderator.
“I’m ready Patrick,” he said.
“Good.” The Moderator gestured for Katie to step forward. “Lord Belnevides will test your ability to sense the world around you. Without this ability you will be a liability to our Order; you will be unable to correctly judge the effects of your actions on your surroundings. You have shown yourself adept at learning all of the theoretical aspects, as well as mastering the meditation tasks. Pass this final test and you shall proceed onwards and your full potential shall be unleashed.”
The Moderator turned towards Lord Belnevides, gesturing with an exaggerated flourish of his hand. “Katie Clandines, he’s got three colours in his hands, what are they?”
Lord Belnevides was looking straight at Katie; his hands, still curled in to fists, were held out towards her, and he looked as serious as the Moderator. She focused on his hands and calmed herself, cycling through the seven spheres of self until she felt her heart slow in her chest, she could feel the air that filled her lungs with each inhale, bubbling into her blood stream and revitalising every part of her. She took hold of the strength her body gave, the rich power that was life itself, and pulled it up until it fizzled behind her eyes, waiting her command to shape it into the form she needed. It was here her lessons had ended and theory had taken over, she knew what she had to do next, she just had never had her powers open for her to do so. She formed her intent in her mind and pushed it into her life-force, encouraging it until her power quieted and stilled ready to do her bidding. It happened quicker than she had thought it would and to her joy it felt easy, natural. She was ready.
She opened her eyes and whispered softly, “show me” and pushed outwards. The world changed. Everything faded in to the background except for his hands, his fists seemed to almost glow to her sight, every nuance of them highlighted, from the tense white knuckles to the black hair that coated them. She focused harder and suddenly she could somehow see through his fists to the tiny balls of colour that nestled inside them. There were two orbs of light in his right hand, purple and blue, and one in his left, red. She smiled and looked towards the Moderator, who gestured towards three white spheres that were now floating in front of him, she realised at once what he wanted of her. She focused her power once more and pushed it towards the spheres, the first began to glow purple, the second shimmered blue. She turned to the last and was about to colour it red when something made her stop. She felt a flex behind her, a pulse of power and she whipped around and saw the glow of colour in Lord Belnevides left hand slowly start to change.
“Moderator!” She cried pointing.
He looked at her then at the Lord, whose face suddenly went red and his breathing increased. The Moderators eyes narrowed and Katie felt another flood of power, stronger this time, and suddenly Lord Belnevides hands blazed with colour, purple and blue in the right, and a ball that shone half red, half green in the left.
When the questioning was finally over, Lord Belnevides was cast from the order, his power restricted. The whole story had tumbled out of Katie under the intense inquisition, and it turned out that Lord Belnevides was already on probation for past misdemeanours, and the Moderator had long suspected more sinister things of him, though he had had no proof. Katie herself was finally initiated fully as the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon. She held herself proud as a poor orphan was welcomed into the most prestigious magical order in the world.