Chapter 27: The test.
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Two days later...
"Before those chains and now these walls" Ophni murmured in a low voice with rage.
Arlo and Lynorr were trying their best to hold back their boff while covering their faces with books "What happened?" Lydan signed with a surprised face as he just woke up after ascertaining a loud thud sound.
"A wisecrack was just trying to break through" Ayrton replied as he flipped another page.
"What?" Lydan's notion muttered as his regard fell on Ophni, who was on the floor.
"It's the last day, Gage will let us go now" Lydan signed as he buried his little laugh that was about to crop up on his face.
"He said he'll let us go when we finish these books and give him a test," Lynorr said as she finally stopped laughing.
"Unlike you who finished all the books in less than one day, we still aren't even half done," Arlo said as he placed his hand on his mouth to stop his laugh forcibly.
"Those books were intriguing, that's why it took me less time," Lydan thought to himself.
Ophni stood up as he galumphed toward his chair with an expression of furor- seeing Ophni's face Arlo and Lynorr were about to burst into laughter again when Ophni's glare set them in one place as he sat down while ruffling his white hair in hassle.
"I'm impressed, you jested my spell's pledge and freed yourself" Gage whispered in Ophni's ear as he abruptly appeared behind him, making him jounce forward.
"What's your problem!?" Ophni thundered as he looked back while Gage smiled looking at him.
Lynorr and Arlo, who were seated beside Ophni, looked toward Gage with a surprised look when he suddenly appeared out of nowhere– Gage turned toward them and placed two boxes one on each of Lynorr and Arlo's desks, that were in his hands.
"What's this?" Arlo asked as he goggled at the box in front of him.
"Your highness, this is your emblem," Gage said as they both opened the box in front of them, Arlo was holding a green blob shape earring while Lynorr had a sky blue earring "I was about to ask the reason for the three of them to wear one earring of the same style, so those were colophons, huh," Arlo thought to himself.
Gage stepped toward the front and stood there facing the royals while smiling "So, how much have you done? I can bet you all must be famished" Gage said while snickering.
"I'm done" Lydan signed.
"Impressive, your highness," Gage said as he smiled warmly while gaping at Lydan.
"I'm almost done too," Ayrton said as he closed the book.
Silence fell there for a short while because the other three rather than answering, were preventing their eyes "Let me guess, you aren't done, right?" Gage said "I've good news for you too"
"Good news?" Lydan's notion muttered.
"You can go if you just pass the test," Gage continued.
"What kind of Test?" Arlo asked.
Gage smiled that gave a flashback to Arlo of his nonage where he got scolded by his parents just because he opined on Gage when he only smiled in return, as he squinched to remember the dark scrap of his memory "He's at it again" Arlo thought to himself as he looked toward Lydan, who was looking back at him with a dither look on his face.
"Remember these?" Gage said as he flitted his finger revealing the veritable pile of shackles from the fog in a corner that they held a sight of before.
"Why are these here again?" Lynorr asked with a frown.
"It's for your test, your highness," Gage replied.
"Are you playing with us?" Ophni said as he glared at Gage.
"Why would I, your highness?" Gage said as he dramatically made a surprised face.
"Why are you doing this?" Ayrton asked.
"This is in your course, your highness," Gage replied.
"What's the test?" Lydan signed.
"Finally a question worthy of answering," Gage said, while gaping at all the royals "Your highness, the test is to free yourself from these shackles while using the spells you all just have learned from the books"
All of the royals were surprised "One wrong spell and the shackle will get tighter, you all have to use the right type of spell as you all know that every spell has a different kind of pledge to them and that will only going to work when the pledge matches your sincerity" Gage continued to explain.
"And if we use wrong spells again and again, then?" Ayrton asked.
"I'm afraid you'll lose your wrist," Gage said while smiling.
"Is this a joke?" Ophni seethed.
"No," Gage replied.
"But we have not completed the spell's books yet" Arlo blurted out.
"I have to see the new spell that they made again," Gage thought to himself.
"Then you can stay here all you want, till you finish those books," Gage said as he smiled with his eyes.
"But..." Arlo halted.
"So, who is gonna come first? " Gage asked before Arlo could say something.
Ophni stepped forward and raised his hand while glaring at Gage, "I suppose that taking all of your tests at once will be much better and it'll save us time" Gage said as he scowled while ignoring Ophni's glare.
Gage picked the smallest and lightest shackle from the pile as he trudged toward Lydan, "your highness, let me put this on you" Gage asked as Lydan jounced and extended his hands toward him.
Gage started to chunter and in the blink of an eye, Lydan's hands were tied with the shackle "Wow!" Lydan's notion muttered.
"Doesn't it look like the weakest shackle?" Lynorr said in a low voice.
"It doesn't look like favoritism either" Arlo blurted out as he scowled "Or maybe you're jealous that your mentor gave a weak shackle to our beautiful Lydan"
"Seriously, you sometimes don't make sense at all" Lynorr said as she looked at Arlo with a pitiful look.
"Sometimes I think if you're like other girls that are kind and pleasing to the eyes" Arlo teased.
"I'm blessed to not be a pleasing girl, at least to your eyes" Lynorr replied, sarcastically.
"Girl? And you? Do you even remember the last time you wore any girlish clothes?" Arlo again teased.
"Arlo... " Gage tried to speak but he halted when he saw Lynorr throwing a punch at Arlo.
To be continued...
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