An aspiring wizard wants to prove they have what it takes to join an adventurer's guild, quickly learning magic, despite being born with a surprising amount of power, is far more complicated than it first appears. -- Lessons
"I'm supposed to what?" said Avorune the Unprepared. "I thought there was a scholastic grant program."
"There hasn't been one of those in decades," sneered Loharith the Judgemental. "Who told you about that, your grandfather?"
"Um," Avorune blushed. "He said it would be easy. Just walk in and ask for a place, he said. And everything else comes right at you on a silver platter."
"And you just trusted him," Brigitte Mosssnarl was idly making her Druidic staff bloom and unbloom. "Times. Change. There's far more crowds of people seeking admission in the Adventurer's Guild, and not enough alumni paying for grant support."
"A lot of them do die," said Loharith. "Mostly the barbarians."
"Not that they needed the tuition." Mossnarl rolled her eyes. "Charge in, kill everything, get the loot. Very simple."
"And that's why they die," said Aron Xi, the monkish representative. He had apparently been asleep for most of the interview. "In that, at least, the aptitude test is wise."
"...aptitude," muttered Avorune. "Okay, so. Uh. I don't have a lot of money? But I have been able to learn some magic."
"Oh here we go, here come the cantrips," sighed Loharith.
Avorune had his second-hand staff in a white-knuckled grip as he drew a sigil on the floor. Eldritch light sprang up from it, and silence descended on the room like soft snow. "Behold," mouthed Avorune. "Silence. Guaranteed to purturb any vocal spell element."
Loharith summoned a ghostly hand to draw a line through it and dispel the magic. "Interesting. What else have you got?"
"Uhm. A warding rune and one that turns common dirt into food? But it's a vessel's worth of the stuff and... I'm pretty sure you don't want this arena to turn into mud cake or custard. Or both."
"Mudcake or--" Loharith leaned forward in her chair. "Are you Odyora the Handy's little lad?"
"Uhm. I dunno? She showed me the runes since I was little..."
Murmuring amongst the board. "We can give you references for a magical school. You'll have partial credit given what you know," said Xi. "You must prove yourself worthy, and that will require effort and dedication."
It wasn't what Avorune expected, but it was certainly more than what he deserved.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / Erstudio]
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