I followed behind the examiners quietly as they moved the limp Hannah. They didn't seem to pay much attention to me, which made me a little nervous whenever there was a door coming up ahead.

We travelled out the main building which held most of the lecture halls. Although in reality little time had passed since we came this morning, the corridors were considerably emptier. In contrast, the lecture halls and study rooms hid away students isolated in their own worlds of learning along with their mentors. We turned in the direction to the south side of the Triolo, passing by practice fields where apprentices got into the swing of practicing. Built into the exterior wall there was a two story building which probably at one stage was a barracks but now served as an office complex.

The difference between students and apprentices here at the academy was subtle. Whilst the academy was indeed geared towards the pursuit of understanding magic, not every subject matter taught spells. It was the difference between theoretical and practical knowledge. Apprentices studied the more practical side, whilst students leant more towards theory or were being educated in more general studies at the academy.

Hannah was a student. She didn't have a magic licence, so in my humble opinion, not an official apprentice yet. Apprentices her age were well ahead on paper.

We approached the office complex and I had just the briefest of time windows to slip in before the door shut. The examiners appeared to be in no particular hurry to close the doors behind them.

Different people have different door closing techniques, y'know? Some people let it swing shut slowly. That suits me fine. Some people close behind themselves. That sucked but it was normal. Some people slam the door shut behind them and I honestly wouldn't feel a shred of sympathy for their parents as they mourned the impending closed casket funeral of their child.

I suppose I was a little worried about Hannah as well. That should have probably been at the forefront of my attention. Still, I'd have been justified in not being all that concerned.

Here at the academy, to provide immediate care and advice to exhausted staff members and reckless students, there was a Nurse's office. It wouldn't have been my first choice. Presumably there was a hospital here in the city better for the treatment of Hannah's injuries.

However the Nurse didn't look in the slightest bit shocked to see Hannah in her condition. He moved quickly, placing Hannah to sleep before working on her arms.

It was the first time in a while I had seen anything like 'healing magic'. Similar to the examiner who had killed Hannah's pain, the Nurse collected a diverse number medicines from the glass cabinets against the wall and methodically administered them. Moving his hands, he muttered under his breath.

I assumed he was muttering incantations. However my cat ears caught several frustrated curses uttered with great ire towards the Order of Ice. The examiners had left presumably after doing their last good deed of the day dumping Hannah off at the office.

I'd largely been ignored. Or tolerated. A combination of the two likely. Until the Nurse was done, I sat a distance away watching him work. When he finished, I took my place on Hannah's bedside table. Until he threw me out that is.

Whereupon I entered the office again slipping through the gap in the door made by another visitor. And then he threw me out. This happened repeatedly until he gave up. My chest swelled with the small victory I could claim today. I won but the Nurse looked like he was about too root through my innards in search of the mythical all-cure. Either that or just to make me stop moving.

It wasn't an amazing spot to take a nap or sit and wait. There were curtains drawn through the room to give privacy to everybody in need of rest and we hadn't got the compartment with the window despite it being empty. This I was stuck looking at rather dull scenery. Everybody knew that spot was the best spot. The bedside table had a tough uncomfortable wooden surface which would have been made more bearable with a nice view of the outside.

It was definitely the cleanest place in the academy. The contents of the glass cabinets on the opposite wall looked a bit intimidating. As was the Nurse himself quite intimidating. However I was unsure as to whether I'd describe the place as 'clinical'. It just didn't have the same feeling as a hospital did.

The rules imposed on me stated I was not allowed to sleep on any bed whilst Hannah was in it. Understandable. She knew I wasn't really a cat. I could be a creepy middle aged man for all she knew. Some risks just weren't worth taking.

I wasn't a creepy middle aged man by the way. That was just her fears getting the better of her.

It did make me a little bitter. There weren't all that many nap spots in view of Hannah now that the curtain had been drawn. Deep down I knew that even if there was an unoccupied bed on the other side, the Nurse's desire to keep me out of his office was rooted logically in the possibility someone with a severe allergy to cats might pay a visit. I couldn't just rub myself up against every piece of furniture here.

Hannah was the only visitor right now. Whilst faculty and students stopped by regularly, none possessed any injuries they'd suffer a rest in the same room as the grumpy Nurse to recover from.

I couldn't help but let out a little sigh. What a pain this situation was. People were so troublesome. There was no such thing as a perfect caretaker or home. Hell, I didn't even have good ones. Hannah stressed me out more than any other person I'd evenr encountered in my years of life.

When Hannah woke up, she reached immediately for the pot placed next to her. She hurled up the contents of her stomach. It didn't look pretty. It wasn't breakfast which came up either. It was the mixture of medicines which the Nurse had used to treat her.

She struggled to get a firm hold of the pot with her hands. She wobbled sluggishly and had about as much control over her arms as a drunk. She sobered up out of her daze pretty quickly after she began throwing up.

The Nurse seemed unphased by her reaction. “Had I better stock, it wouldn't be this bad.” His tone, emotionless, betrayed any concern for Hannah which should have come with his occupation. “It's better out than in. That was still some of the best catalysts I had.” He added with a subtle tinge of frustration beneath his words. “I'm heading out for lunch. Don't disappear. Make sure you throw up everything.”

It was a joyful sight to see the Nurse being the one going out the door for a change. Granted, I couldn't celebrate that much. He, unlike me, could open that door.

Still, to be out the door as soon as his patient was conscious was very unprofessional. Surely he should stick around to check for any adverse effects?

The Nurse paused as though sensing my stare on the back of his head. “One last thing.” He turned, casting us with a look from his two dead eyes. “Your cat is a dick.” And he left.

Now that was a victory I could take pride in.

After a while of throwing up, Hannah regained her composure. What was unsettling, if a little worrying, was her silence. Her eyes were shut as she meditated over this morning.

“My arms... It's strange I don't feel anything.” Hannah winced as though under the effects of a headache. I didn't reply since there was a much larger elephant in the room. One so great it made the tension in the silence ever more palpable as we both continued to ignore it. “I know what you're thinking.” She declared sedately.

I doubted that. I was almost entirely certain that she was wrong to that regard. For one, someone who could act so calmly and composed after burning their arms with their own magic was not someone who I could sympathise with let alone someone who could empathise with me.

She had her hands wrapped in blood stained bandages. It was the results of the Nurse's work. He'd used magic and medication to push the recuperative powers of her body to its limits. Painkillers were probably not optional for that. It looked as though her arms had painfully broken themselves down just to properly rebuild from zero.

The medication she'd swallowed didn't seem like medication in a normal sense. The Nurse called them catalysts. If I understood correctly, then it was some component vital to the spells success. Possibly the actual target of the spell rather than the body.

“Really?” I spoke back, uncomfortable with the silence.

“I know.” She asserted. Her chest rose and fell in shallow motions. “You think that was stupid.”

I think that the condition you are in has proven you are stupid, I wanted to retort. It would have been harsh. No less than she deserved. Her poor life decisions were difficult to watch. I didn't have to put myself through watching them.

One couldn't control the circumstances of their birth but they were still accountable for their actions. I mean seriously, is magic really that worth it? She's got all four of her limbs. She could try any number of different professions.

She'd been given a worse lot in life than quite a few other people. I wouldn't dispute that. She'd been told something along the lines of 'do not hit your head against a rock. Your skull is so soft it will explode.' Now naturally after being handed that warning, she could have lived her life conscious that she should never hit her head against a rock. That was hardly limiting. There were plenty of jobs out there that did not require bashing ones skull against a rock. She was picking the one thing she'd been warned against. She was picking up a giant boulder and destroying her head against it. Repeatedly.

I itched to say something, anything in reply. Swirling inside me was the urge to chastise her, make snarky comments, and applaud her for her how she'd make the idea of never giving up go out of fashion. However I held such feelings in contempt.

I didn't want to get involved. There was no need to get involved with this caretaker I would outlast no matter how eccentric she was. Yeah, no need at all. Not one bit. I needed a human who could appreciate the simpler things in life. But simple humans wouldn't accept talking cats and not being able to talk would be a very lonely experience. Thus, sadly, I always had to settle with eccentric ones.

“I see.” That was my reply. Weak as it was.

It wasn't particularly her fault she'd failed. Her condition was not within her control. The variety of items on the table suggested the examiners probably reacted reflexively to the performance of the person taking the exam.

If they noticed a fault, they'd exploit it. What more obvious fault was there than Hannah's own condition. Despite showing such a self-destructive performance, the examiners had not immediately forbid her from using magic ever again. I'd thought about it a little, and it made sense that they may have felt pity for her, but also accountable for choosing the trials based upon her worst weakness.

“I should've just called it quits then, right?” The moment that ice block came out, Hannah probably recognised she'd lost. If they'd set down a different object and given a different task then perhaps she could have gotten further. But she carried on anyway. The result would ultimately be the same. The examiners weren't interested in passing her anyway, at least, that's what I thought. “I knew that was the only thing I could do. I don't have anything strong enough to crack an ice cube with force. I had to do it with temperature. But I don't have... I can't... I mean everybody else can y'know?” She searched for the right words only to fall short.

It wasn't the only thing she could do though. She could've given up and still had her arms intact. Frustrated at her logic, I let my mouth move faster than my better judgement.

“Use magic?” The moment the words slipped out of my mouth I felt my chest tighten with regret. Her reply came with two choice words that felt like the crack of a whip.

“Fuck. You.” She furrowed her brows as a demonically angry gloom settled over her expression only to pass a few seconds later. I no longer felt safe where I sat. “I can use magic actually, thank you. I think if anything has been established, I can use magic to effectively break my own body.” She stated primly.

Was that something to be proud of? Although she was technically correct. But where's your 'woe is me' air gone, Hannah?

“Yes but that's not how magic is supposed to be used.” Seriously, what sort of mage would show up at their workplace, incinerate themself and scorch half the floor, clock out and then call it a day?

She threw me a scowl. Knowing when to be quiet wasn't one of my talents. I feared I might end up being pushed off the table. Suitable revenge for pottery around the world that the cat would be pushed off before the vase. Indeed I was certain the plant pot I'd moved precariously close to the edge was watching with anticipation. “And how is magic supposed to be used? Turning annoying people into cats maybe?

Ouch, that stung. “Ha ha very funny. I'd like to see you try with no arms.” I laughed on the outside but on the inside I swore then and there that the moment I got my opposable thumbs back I'd get my sweet revenge.

“Arms are for the weak, I'll just use my legs if they break. When they break I'll use my head.” She lifted her bandaged arms and turned them over, examining them further. “You get what this means to me, don't you?”

“You're insane?” My caretaker of twelve years stared me in the eyes. I stared back, uncomprehending. Surely she could just cut out the middle man and use her head to realise this was a stupid idea?

She looked ahead once again and in silence balled her fists. I couldn't make out what emotion was stronger in those eyes. Sadness, frustration, anger. They boiled over until something else came to surface. “Screw it. I'll just try again. I'll tell Jean to sign me up for another practical next month and get right back to work.”

“Really? I mean sure go ahead. Next time make sure to burn your legs as well.” I tried to subdue the wince that almost entered my voice. This after all was something I refused to get invested in.

“Yeah, well maybe I will. I think if I can get more durable paper and the right kinds of ink I could burn more than just my arms. The licence would have let me borrow better books from the academy library but I can't be arsed to feel bitter about that again. Two times is enough.” She waved away her defeat almost too nonchalantly. I wondered how many times she was allowed to repeat her practical?

“Hmm... Am I missing something?” I tilted my head. The other two times she failed she'd been a lot more... dramatic. Had she finally broken? Was this the effects of despair? I played with the idea in my head. She looked as unconcerned as ever. That felt incredibly wrong to my sensibilities.

“Don't think I can do it?” She challenged. Staring me right in the eyes I saw what had boiled to the surface of her psyche. Determination. That same stoic determination that had refused to give up during the exam was ever-present.

“Well, it's possible you will fail again. But I'm guessing your plan is to try again until they tell you you can't. What happens then?”

Her chest fell with a sigh as she shook her head. “If they don't let me take the practical anymore then I won't hang around. I'll figure it out on my own somehow. But it would suck. Even if I'm just experimenting on 'measly' and 'inferior' outdated practice scrolls, I think I can turn them into something good.”

“Really?”

“Well I'm missing a certain something I need to have a little more free-reign of the facilities here in Triolo.”

“Yeah, you just said.” Passing the exam would've let the academy treat her more like a competent mage. They'd have lifted restrictions on certain scholarly articles. Some of which Hannah was sure would really help right about now.

“Failing the exam three times was a bit uhh- Well it was more than a bit humiliating. But that's not the problem. With a bit of time and just half of the perks I needed that licence for, I could beat that exam.” There was a lot of potential around 'paper arts' as she called them. Potential that had been squandered when people dismissed it as a learning tool for beginners and never touched them again.

The system she was fighting, according to Hannah, was more of a problem than her condition. Given just more free-reign, she could thrive. However this academy wasn't going to try and encourage her. On a superficial level, her aspirations of being a magic user seemed inappropriate for her. There were easier students to encourage and reap results from. Hannah's path down a magic oriented career must have looked like it reached a dead end only one step into the journey. It would all be well and fine if she just agreed with that and took another path in life.

Such dogged determination. I was in awe. I was sure however people around the world would turn slothful if Hannah became the poster girl for diligence. After all, if two burnt arms and failure was what hard-work got you, what was the point?

“Maybe I bargained too low with my deal. Do you think I could get a bit more out of it if I handed them a talking cat?” She looked over at me forebodingly. Shivers ran down my spine at the possibility she could read my thoughts everytime she did this.

Is it me or could everyone just read my mind?

“Woah, easy there.” I hissed. “Somebody is gonna get slashed with that attitude.” If people here knew I could talk, I'd be dissected and pickled in a jar before the sun went down.

Hannah shrugged. “Yeah I thought as much. More trouble than it's worth. Well either way, in my state nobody is going be running any tests on me anytime soon. I just wish they would let me see the results of my pain. Magic is my birthright and yet I have to stoop to such pains to study it.”

“In my honest opinion they are probably letting you study here just to keep you around. Saves on travel money when they need you for experiments.”

My perfectly reasonable answer only made her grind her teeth. “You know-” She turned reaching out her hand menacingly towards me but the sound of a bell chimed signalling another visitor.

Fancy keeping a bell on the door to a room for people in need of rest. It was like handing a bucket of oil to someone wanting to put out the embers of their fireplace.

Calm steady footsteps approached from the entrance. They were familiar. My opponent had returned.

“You were talking to yourself?” The Nurse looked across the compartment, then behind him around the office before his eyes set on me. His eyes were like bottomless wells of disdain. 'Oh, you are still here' they seemed to communicate.

“To my cat.” Hannah sttled her hand which was very threatening a while ago on my head to pat me with. I put up with it. It was very awkward patting that felt like it was coming from someone still learning how to use their arms.

I gave the Nurse a very smug look. I might have been saying something like 'look at me with head pats and you, a sad loner with no head pats' or 'look at me, still here and you know you can do nothing about it, peasant'.

He reached into coat pocket for a pen. “Relax your arms for me, would you?” He requested and began prodding her arms in different places. “Feel anything?”

With eyes which seemed to stare right through people, the Nurse spoke with a lifeless tone and an expression that rested permanently on a gloomy glare.

“No. Not even numb. It's like my arms don't exist.”

“Yeah, I thought as much. They used Gyko-uji syrup. What overkill.” His tone suggested like he needed Gyko-uji to suppress the anguish he felt daily.

“When will I be able to feel my arms again?”

“When they are healed.” He answered. “And only when they are healed.” He added with a hint of pre-emptive exhaustion. “Keep your arms resting and try not to move or strain them, understand? If you ever want to be able to feel with your fingers again anytime soon that is.”

“What does that mean? What's Gyko-uji?” Hannah scowled at the Nurse looking for a further explanation.

“I told you not to move your arms before. Have you been moving them?” He raised a brow knowing the answer. “Gyko-uji is very exotic. I've read that it's the double sided sword of painkillers. The stuff is incredibly toxic. Diaphram paralysis and cardio plegia are just two things it'll give you in the wrong dose and without magic. Fortunately you wouldn't be able to feel your heart stop beating or your lungs stop working so you'll just be left in a mindless state of panic until you die of shock.”

“Fortunately? As in if I'm lucky I won't be feel myself dying through the panic attack? This sounds more like a poison than a painkiller.”

“Well you wouldn't want to know how that feels, would you?” The nurse frowned giving Hannah a doubtful look. “With the correct patent and the right dosage, it's a very effective and lasting painkiller.” He finished prodding her arms. “As I said, you won't be able to feel anything until they are healed almost perfectly.”

Hannah digested this and after a short pause her reply was, “So what you're saying is you can't just do a half-arsed job?”

“Smartarse. I could do a 'half-arse job' but unlike all the other times I've fixed you up, you wouldn't be happy with the results.”

“...Because I wouldn't be able to feel my arms.”

“And thus you see the magic of Gyko-uji. Wonderful for horrible injuries treated within a proper modern hospital.” The large bulk of what this nurse said was sarcasm, which I imagined was not all that great for the occupation. “If your burns leave a scar, guess what?” He didn't need nor expect an answer.

Hannah quietly digested this. She was practically simmering with rage at this impressive setback. I was just impressed anyone dared use Gyko-uji. I wondered how much experimentation had to be conducted before people understood how it could be used as a painkiller.

“Those Sorcerers of Ice really don't hold back.” She ground her teeth menacingly, probably imagining all the wonderful things she would love to do to the order of ice with the miracle painkiller Gyko-uji.

“Well I guess I'll have to use more magic to force your arms back into good health. No problem since you won't be able to feel the pain. Hell might as well leave you conscious whilst I'm doing it.” The Nurse grinned. “You should be thankful to the afore mentioned Ice sorcerers for revoking my medical licence and getting me sent here. The local hospital here is shocking.”

That... Huh that was a lot to digest.

“We won't be running any tests on you until you can feel your arms again which means you have this friday, tomorrow that is, free. Bad news for both of us is you'll be spending the night and tomorrow here with me.” The Nurse shook his head and opened one of the glass cabinet kept near his desk. “Oh and you might as well keep your cat here for company since you won't be leaving anytime soon.”

After the exam, Hannah had a chance to gear up to fight her rematch. Only this start was going considerably worse that her others.