stumbling out the forest blaze and Jacob where filled a with sense of relief they wondered towards the carriages and sat down
"you know from the moment I met you I hated you," Jacob said to blaze's surprise
"I just saved your life and you say that" blaze said cleaning his wounds with the water head from the makeshift hilt
"I don't hate you much now but I did when you got into the academy because you broke in and they forced you to join and I was one of the strongest students I put so much effort into getting in and you barely tried," Jacob explained gripping his fists in frustration
"I always have to save people I don't why but if I don't if I fail that voice comes back saying the same thing," blaze said pulling a piece off the carriage and wrapping it around the wound
"lets stop talking about this, we out aren't we but now we are, im wondering how the academy can do a test like this," Jacob said confused and angry at the academy
"do you really want to know the reason" Alice said leaning against the side of the carriage scaring Jacob and blaze
"where the hell did you come from," Jacob shouted slightly afraid
"hey is that a way to to speak to your teacher" Alice shouted kicking the carriage causing Jacob to drop off
"what where before" Jacob said getting off the ground
Alice sighed and said " the truth of the forest is a way to show what being a knight is really like but as well..." Alice paused and looked away and said "it also kills off the weak" after she said this blaze and Jacob where filled with sadness and anger
"why just why do such a thing" blaze said trying to hold down his anger
"nearly all knights die on their first year and then they get replaced by another set of novices who think they can defeat anyone," Alice shouted passionately before looking down and saying "so we are going to focus are resources on those knights who actually stand a chance those who didn't get their parents to pay the school to let them in," blaze collapsed to the ground in shock his head was empty the only thing he could feel was an overwhelming sadness " blaze we need to head over to the medical tent we need heal our injuries," Jacob said helping blaze up
" o...okay lets head over" blaze said getting up and slowly heading over to a half assembled tent
blaze and Jacob entered the tent and to blaze's shock mage was sitting down at a makeshift desk " blaze you survived my friend survived" mage said crying whilst hugging blaze
"hi.mage.your.squeezing.my.injuries," blaze said gasping for air
"oh sorry I just glad that you survived that nightmare but anyway lets look at those injuries," mage said letting go of blaze and looking at the cuts on his back
"you ran into a pack of fire kin didn't you" mage said placing his hands on blaze's wounds
"how did you guess" blaze questioned gripping his fist as mage cast a rejuvenation spell
"it was the first monster I ran into as a mage, it was actually how I made my first friend," mage said raping bandages around blaze's back
"alright the magic do it fully heal you because the wolves' magic is still attached to you but you will be fine after two days," mage said walking over to Jacob preparing a spell to heal his wounds
"wait who was your first friend" blaze asked sitting down on a crate
"well it was Alice she was the one who killed it," mage said causing Jacob to shout out "wait what are you sure it was Alice and not a slightly swan"
" it was her I was on my first mission for the knights I had to help her kill a monster that caused illusions that made the victim see the monster as some who close to them it was funny actually at first Alice was not fighting because she thought it was little sister snow but after I broke the spell, she summoned a giant axe that cut everything in front of her including the monster," mage said using a spell to reattach Jacob's ribs
"wait a minute snow is Alice's little sister and Alice owns you her life" blaze said feeling like his knowledge of everything was crumbling in front of him
"first yes she is and second I wouldn't say she owns me her life since she killed the fire wolves that tried to kill me," mage explained finishing up healing Jacob before saying "but now I answered your questions im going to ask you one of mine blaze Jacob didn't kill any monsters did he," blaze face switched to panic he thought of thousands of things to say but before he could Jacob said "yeah I didn't do a thing I was knocked out by a wolf and blaze saved me," blaze quickly turned to face towards mage terrified that he will send Jacob into the forest
"that's alright, I couldn't see me surviving the forest at your age im just surprised that you didn't lose an arm," mage said causing blaze to breathe a sigh of relief
"I can't either but now you know that I was totally useless please can train me," Jacob shouted hesitantly
"you want me to train you yes yes I never had apprentice before," mage said in complete excitement before gasping and turning blaze " I can teach you as well and with the perfect people," mage said with fire in his eyes
"please don't tell me" blaze said realising what mage was thinking
"that's right its time for puppets!" mage shouted casting an illusion summoning scruffy and floppy
"we're back!" floppy said, causing Jacob to be filled with confusion
"what the hell?" Jacob looking at the puppets ,
"I see we have a new visitor to the classroom," scruffy said leaning over Jacob
"you must be the boy that wants to be trained," floppy said slightly manically
"well first you must learn the thoughts that give your magic power," scruffy said adapting a weird pose
"h...how do I do that" Jacob said confused but also interested
"close your eyes, think about how you cast magic or what you think it is," floppy said in a smooth voice
blaze listened to the puppet and closed his eyes and thought about the about the fireball that almost killed him and the slash of light that Sophia let out but also the worlds that mage created around him and words formed in his head they were blurry at first but as he focused they came to him.