Wizards' Choice

Olunai: "What are we to say of Miss Delrose?"

Ilusa: "The girl's potential within the school of Evocaturgy is undoubtedly significant. However, we must refrain from overlooking the mess hall incident of fourth grade... Pass the sugar, would you?"

Erus: "Is that fair? It were ten years ago."

Olunai: "Master Erus, it's our obligation to consider all facets of one's character, if we are to consider a student for the elite program. Would you care for some lemon as well, Mistress Ilusa?"

Ilusa: "I will pass. And I shall have to agree with you, Meister Olunai. After all, the elite program has limited spaces. We have six hundred intermediate students to consider - our largest class to date. We must be as meticulous as we can."

Erus: "Fine. What about Calder Grim?"

Ilusa: "Absurd! After the mistimed fireball spell he cast in eighth-grade Ruinurgy?"

Olunai: "I concur. The caretaker would have strong words for us if we were to let him advance."

Erus: "Alright, alright. I'll scratch 'im off the list. If you ask me, it's mad we even keep his sort on."

Ilusa: "Unfortunately, his parents are Eminents. We cannot dismiss him - having such power loose among the general population would put far too many lives at risk."

Olunai: "Better to keep that sort on a short leash."

Ilusa: "Exactly... My goodness, this strerry cake is divine."

Erus: "That's one of Cornelia Rathmore's."

Olunai: "Anyone would suspect that Miss Rathmore means to bribe us. While we're on the subject... Thoughts?"

Erus: "I'd let her in. She's a dab hand at Pacimancy."

Ilusa: "Mmhm!"

Olunai: "Looks like we have our first graduate then... Damn, the nib is clogged."

Erus: "'Ere, use mine."

Olunai: "Thank you. Now, what of Fleur Thornheart?"

Ilusa: "Aahh... much better... Hmm? Oh, the Macabremancy prodigy? Hehe... That certainly is worth discussion."

Erus: "The girl's strong, real strong. Some of the most powerful magic I ever seen."

Olunai: "Indeed. My concern being, does the world need more Macabremancers?"

Ilusa: "That is not for us to decide. Others may argue there are enough Erranturgists across the realm. How many tricksters do we need?"

Olunai: "A fair point. She certainly has promise. With us as her... supervisors... we could shape her skills for the better."

Erus: "I hope that's you volunteerin'. I'm happy to keep my distance, ta."

Ilusa: "Mistress Quwyn would oversee her studies. My sister has tragically been lacking students these past years. I am sure she would appreciate the challenge, and the company."

Erus: "Oof. That gives me chills, that. Your sister tutorin' Thornheart? Don't bear thinkin' about."

Olunai: "Moving on... Mr. Kaine Vossen?"

Erus: "No. Hard pass."

Ilusa: "My sentiments exactly."

Olunai: "Mr. Helion?"

Ilusa: "Um... Hmm... What say you, Master Erus?"

Erus: "You know how I feel about him. He's a good lad. Got a kind heart, and a wicked sense of humour... But... Hrmph... Kaine's a Diviner, and he's only ever had one prophecy."

Ilusa: "Yes, though it was a monumental premonition. The boy anticipated the Schism, long before any of our elders."

Olunai: "Master Erus has a point. Is one vision enough?"

Ilusa: "Put him on the 'maybe' list. We should go back to him at a later date - if there are more spaces remaining in the program."

Erus: "Aye. Now what about- aw hells! Sorry, droppin' all me papers 'ere. Erm... Ursula Crane?"

Olunai: "No."

Erus: "Agatha Marth?"

Ilusa: "Hah, over my wakeless corpse."

Erus: "Cadence Shelley?"

Olunai: "Perhaps if we were recruiting circus performers."

Erus: "Aw, come on folks, we gotta pick somebody. And not just Pacimancers! I get the realm needs more healers, but if we don't at least pick some Ruiners, the military will just recruit 'em."

Ilusa: "How about... Hettie Evilian?"

Erus: "Now we're talkin'! Diviner with a minor in Ruinurgy? Foresees incidents and actively combats them?"

Olunai: "Not a bad idea..."

Ilusa: "Yes, I have no complaints."

Erus: "Right then, that's three. Maybe four. Six more to go."

Olunai: "We can rule out the entirety of the Covenhall house. Remember what happened to their mascot?"

Ilusa: "Rest in peace, Snowball."

Erus: "There, there. That was a rough month for all of us."

Olunai: "I'd say the same to the Batontree house as well. Their conduct at last summer's Gauntlet was abhorrent."

Erus: "What, the whole house?"

Ilusa: "Well, not one stepped forth to confess following the Jarlfort Lake crisis."

Erus: "Right... True..."

Olunai: "That narrows the pool down significantly. With two houses gone, we have only one fifty students remaining."

Erus: "Fifty?"

Ilusa: "I took the liberty to exclude every student that scored less than ninety percent on average across every year's finals."

Erus: "Oh aye, good point."

Olunai: "The Morelli twins?"

Ilusa: "Yes to Acelin, no to Ewart."

Erus: "Why's that?"

Ilusa: "Induction week?"

Erus: "He was four!"

Ilusa: "He nearly melted another student's hand off. It was a catastrophic case of poor judgement."

Erus: "So what? We're only accepting students who were perfect from the off?"

Olunai: "Yes, I would also challenge that. Most of our dismissals come as a result of intentional misdemeanours. In Mr. Morelli's case, it was wild magic. He has since learned to harness his Ruinurgy."

Ilusa: "Well then, I would argue we allow Mr. Wright to advance."

Erus: "You're mad!"

Ilusa: "What? He is an excellent Erranturge."

Erus: "He's a psychopath!"

Olunai: "Labels aside, he did force three teachers to resign. Driving authority figures to insanity is not a pastime we'd wish to encourage."

Ilusa: "Maria Dupree?"

Olunai: "That's different. Grandmaster Idel broke policy. He was a danger to both students and staff."

Erus: "If anything, Maria should go on the list for the elite program."

Ilusa: "No, you are quite right. Miss Dupree did us a service... Three more then."

Olunai: "Miss Isobel Moonfall and Mx Morgan Graves."

Ilusa: "Oh yes! Of course, I almost forgot about them!"

Erus: "Aye! Student Council since the start, volunteer for everythin', brilliant Evocaturges!"

Olunai: "And then there was one."

Ilusa: "The most difficult decision of all. So many candidates..."

Erus: "One last place."

Olunai: "Perhaps we should choose in a manner to 'round out the group,' so to speak?"

Ilusa: "Choose for variety's sake? Who have we got again?"

Olunai: "Cornelia Rathmore, Fleur Thornheart, Kaine Helion, Hettie Evilian, Acelin and Ewart Morelli, Maria Dupree, Isobel Moonfall, and Morgan Graves. Two Pacimancers, two Diviners, two Evocaturges, a Macabremancer, a Ruiner, and an Erranturge. Oh, and one of the Diviners has a minor in Ruinurgy."

Ilusa: "See? Not too many Pacimancers after all."

Erus: "I guess."

Olunai: "So another Macabremancer or an Erranturge."

Ilusa: "We cannot round it out exactly. We have no Erranturges with minors in Macabremancy, or the opposite. Even if we did, that would be a terrible idea."

Olunai: "What about someone from the seventh school of magic?"

Erus: "Seventh?"

Ilusa: "I was not aware there was a seventh."

Olunai: "Oh yes, it's just exceptionally rare... Chronomancy."

Erus: "Do we even teach it?"

Olunai: "Only to those predisposed to it. It cannot be taught from nothing, one must be born with the capability to use it. Then we would train that individual to further their skills."

Ilusa: "Are there students here with such powers?"

Olunai: "One, yes."

Erus: "Who?"

Olunai: "Mx Nox."

Erus: "Rowan?"

Olunai: "Mhm. They also happen to be a triple-major. Divination, Erranturgy, and Pacimancy."

Ilusa: "A Chronomancer, you say? I am quite sure they have arrived late to almost every lesson they have ever attended."

Erus: "And for a triple-major, they're not the brightest of the bunch. Are we really going to let someone like that onto the elite program when we dismissed so many others?"

Olunai: "It's someone to consider."

Ilusa: "Maybe we should retire, and come to a decision in the morning?"

Olunai: "... Well... The thing about that is... they've already graduated."

Ilusa: "What? Where did you get that?"

Olunai: "Rowan Nox's diploma? It's been here this entire time."

Erus: "Give over!"

Ilusa: "That is... unbelievable."

Olunai: "Honestly, I didn't notice it immediately. It was on the rear of the register."

Erus: "Well, there's our tenth then."

Ilusa: "Seems a little unfair to the other students, but I cannot argue with the evidence."

Olunai: "That's that then. I'll fetch another pot of tea, and we can be on with the next item on the agenda."