Von absorbed the drops of blood into his aura and spirit reducing the lost magical energy within him by over half. Thain watched him and said, "Too bad she started so late. She has a lot of energy within her. You did well boy. You not only detected the class, but you found a way to force them back. Very good! To force a transformation just do the reverse, got it? For now, go lay on the stone and allow your aura to recover. Your magic power will return swiftly here."
As if in afterthought, the dwarf added, "After your battle later, do return Mr. Mayfield's parts to normal, please? He will whine for weeks anyway. On second thought, before you leave Sungrove, set things right. He's been spending evenings with a couple of his female classmates using magic to enhance things. It will serve him right to be inferior, particularly in the dormitory showers." The grin on the dwarf's face was full of mischief as he winked at Von knowingly. Thain whistle a vulgar tune as he wandered through the woods. "I shall see you in two hours. Be early."
"Yes, Master Thain." Von relaxed on the bench, extended his aura and allowed the magical essence within him to replenish. System, please let me know when one and a half hours have passed.
Having set a timer, Von closed his eyes for a brief nap.
After almost a minute, his system repeated itself.
Thank you, system.
Stretching from his nap, Von discovered someone left a bowl of berries and nuts beside him on the long bench. He quickly looked around but spotted no one. Looking at the bowl of treats, he inquired. System, do you recognize these?
Hearing this, Von munched on the snack as he directed himself to the central nexus of the academy. The bitter tang of the nuts blended well with the fresh flavors of the berries. Not only were they magically enhancing, the combination of flavors where a delight to one's tastebuds. Before he had left the woods, he reached for another snack only to realize he had absentmindedly emptied the bowl. Since this was the case, he sent a thread of spatial magic to return it to the bench for his benefactor to find.
By the time he reached the large nexus, his step felt a bit lighter, he seemed calmer than he expected, and the flows of magic were so thick in the air, he felt as if he could reach out and tie them into the forms he might need. Stepping around the final obstacle between him and the nexus, he was concerned with the enormous number of people who turned up to watch his challenges against the other students. The entire nexus was surrounded!
Scanning the crowd, it turned out many of the townspeople were present on top of the students. Oddly, he didn't feel nervous as he felt he should. Instead, his heart was beating normally as though it was just another day walking across the large campus.
Thain was present and behind him a long queue formed while Monica stood to his side staring at a group of numbered balls at her feet. She seemed to be talking to Hellyne, Thain, and Aldon about something as she concentrated on creating a shimmering sphere of chaos. As Von approached, she was reciting, "...the balls can be placed into the sphere and when properly released, it will split into its parts then randomly distribute the numbers to those in line. We have agnomancers every year at the fair who use balls similar to this to reward some lucky person with a beast heart."
Hellyne nodded in approval. "Please girl, show us how it works. I will dump the numbered balls into your sphere as soon as you nod." Once Monica nodded in her direction, the mages lifted the basket of lottery balls dumping them into the swirling sphere of chaotic energy which then enveloped each one to form individual spheres stirring within the larger one. Once the last challenger was determined to be in line, Thain nodded to the young girl.
The shimmering ball flew into the air, still spinning the smaller spheres inside mixing thoroughly. Thain announced, "The challenger with the number 1 ball will step forward, followed by 2, 3, and so on. This will form the formal queue for the challenges." Turning to Monica he grinned slyly then whispered, "Can you make each ball smack into the head of its intended recipient?"
The academy's new addition to the challenge ceremony continued with a blend of amusement and anticipation. The ethereal spheres, now emptied of their contents, hovered in the air like dormant magical entities. Thain, still grinning mischievously, continued to oversee the proceedings.
Concentrating on the chaotic energies, she sent forth a new sliver of energy which joined in the mix. A bead of sweat formed on her brow, but she finally smiled, "I can!" The large sphere spun faster spitting out the smaller globes inside. As the ethereal spheres traversed the air they danced about the line as if seeking the individual to whom they belonged. Finally, they seemed to fly with a purpose as they whipped in and out of the challenger before finally opening allowing the contents to bounce off the heads of their intended recipients before dropping into their hands.
Seeing the globes of energy spitting the numbered balls at the heads of the recipients, the crowd started to giggle which slowly turned into a laugh when some challengers tried to duck or dodge only to have the chaotic sphere re-engulf the white ball before spitting it again at the recipient's head. Some of the recipients were quite agile dodging the ball several times, but each time they dodged, the swirling mass caught it, spun around them several times and released it with more force.
Given the choice between not being able to catch it and being hit with more force from the ejected ball, the challengers quickly decided to let the swirling masses take their shot knowing it would strike them on the head. This made the laughter turn into a roar as those who had successfully dodges or batted away the balls were hit with enough force to let out exclamations of pain before the numbered ball settled gently into their hand.
These students, instead of blaming the girl, looked instead of the cackling dwarf holding his sides in laughter. They all knew he was the force behind their humiliation, but few dared challenge him. No one wanted to end of misshaped. After all, many of the boys already heard of the malady which struck one of the boys from the transformation class earlier today. The tale was making its rounds rapidly alleged from someone who happened to have "glanced" in the victim's direction while they were in the necessary building. Most of the boys shuttered in sympathy upon hearing of it.
The academy's new addition to the challenge ceremony continued with a blend of amusement and anticipation. The ethereal spheres, now emptied of their contents, hovered in the air like dormant magical entities. Thain, still grinning mischievously, continued to oversee the proceedings.
Monica, having successfully executed the task set by Thain, wiped the bead of sweat from her brow and joined in the laughter echoing through the crowd. The recipients of the numbered balls, now aware of their assigned challenge order, made their way to the formal queue, each with a floating illusory number above their heads.
As the challengers lined up, the atmosphere crackled with a sense of camaraderie and excitement. Some still chuckled at the memory of the chaotic spheres playing tricks, while others exchanged knowing glances about the unavoidable but humorous ordeal. The cackling dwarf Thain, still amused by the chaos he had orchestrated, tried to compose himself but occasionally burst into laughter again, earning him bemused glances from both students and onlookers.
The illusory numbers above the challengers' heads began to align in numerical order, creating a visual cue for the upcoming challenges. The air buzzed with magical energy as the academy prepared for the diverse and unpredictable trials awaiting the students. The crowd, now fully engaged, awaited the spectacle with a mix of curiosity and excitement.
Despite the potential embarrassment caused by the whimsical initiation, the challengers embraced the spirit of the academy, realizing such annoyance was something else they owed to the boy who found his way into the hearts of the elders.
Each of the covetous challengers stood ready to face whatever magical tests awaited them against the boy, all while casting wary glances at the mischievous dwarf Thain, who continued to revel in the aftermath of his magical prank.