A feast of soups, wines, and crisp bread was arrayed on the table. Two sat next to one another, one consuming everything with a voracious appetite and the other lightly sampling what was left untouched. Across the two sat a lonely container of metal that sat upon a plate, its contents not yet revealed to the world.

The feast was interrupted with sound of a bronze door opening on its hinges. Walking through and closing the door behind them, a pale woman with hair dark as the night sky and ghastly pale skin. Her piercing azure eyes swept through the room and clashed briefly with Nur’s rich brown.

Placing her hand on the single sword at her side, she stalked towards the seat across the table and sat down without so much as a single world spoken. With her free hand she opened the metal container, freeing a puff of frigid air that was visible to the eye.

Two creamy white hills sat upon the plate, with a brown lake drizzling hanging lazily down the side. She picked up a spoon in one hand, looked at the two frozen men across her and said, “Explain.”

Springing back to life, Imeran spoke in a careful and disarming tone,

“Your behavior suddenly changed, and you refused to meet me. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into a month and so I hatched a little plan. To see if you truly meant what you said in the only letter sent to me during that time period.”

He placed his hand on Nur’s shoulder, who had only stopped eating for a single moment, and said, “Nur here is a fellow aspirant who is here to attend the ceremony that is coming up. I hired him as the villain in my theatre, so I could ascertain the truth behind your words and actions.”

Imeran elbowed his seatmate stealthily. A whisper of wind gently tickled Nur’s ears with a silent order contained within.

“It’s as he says. I needed money, he gave me money.”

Nur looked up from his food, beaming with savagery while he spoke.

“Your sword cuts well. You fight good for your age.”

Scoffing, Minerva pointed her spoon at the man and spat out words laced with venom.

“Just good? We were evenly matched the entire time, but your crude fighting methods will no longer work. With a cooler head and calm moves…the next time we fight, you can only hope I spare your dog life.”

Nur shrugged in response. He took a thick bone from his plate and threw it towards the empty air across the room. Instead of falling to the ground uselessly, however, a slightly hazy animal jumped up and grabbed it within its maw. It presented it into the air towards Minerva for a moment, before biting down and smashing it into pieces within its teeth.

A quiet animalistic laugh spilled from its mouth for a moment, then it dissipated into nothingness leaving behind the now completely shattered bone.

Minerva shivered slightly at the implications, clicking her tongue in annoyance and choosing instead to spoon more of the fluffy mountain into her mouth.

“Now, now. We are all friends here, well, perhaps future friends is more like it. All three of us will soon be members of the same organization and seeing how competent you two are, I imagine that your paths will cross for years to come. No use in holding grudges!

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“Now, some celebratory drink!”

On command a servant carrying a pitcher appeared, pouring a murky purple tinged liquid into the crystalline mugs that sat at the center of the table.

Picking up his own, Imeran swirled it around thrice. Before he drank it, however, he said in a quiet but firm tone,

“You and I will have a much more in-depth discussion later, however. So much to discuss, like how my best friend decided for me that I could not handle a little pressure from above.”

He presented the container towards his two partners for the evening, prompting them to mirror his actions and as one they all drank.

Imeran looked at the cup with an annoyed gaze, however. He threw the empty cup at the wine servant, who barely caught it, and said, “Wine servant, you know better than to present me with this swill. This is the wine I serve to my par- “

Interrupted the dressing down session, Nur dropped a phrase that exploded in the ears of all those present,

“I have decided to not join the College.”

A crash resounded in the suddenly deathly silent dining area, everyone briefly looked at the wine servant that was frantically trying to wipe the spilled wine off the floor.

“You idiot, have you left your wit at home since I saw you last? Go and notify the cleaning staff and come back with the proper drink for me!”

Sighing, Imeran turned to Nur opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted once more by an icy tone.

“Are you stupid?”

Minerva pointed her spoon at Nur, leveling it like a spear and jabbing it across the table.

“You are wasting your time if you do anything else but join the College.”

Pushing the spoon away from Nur, Imeran thought for a moment and said,

“I agree with Minerva. You already have a recommendation plaque, the skills required, and a perfect background in their eyes.

“There is nowhere else in the world that could offer you what they could as well. Teachers, resources, status, and connections. For us essence manipulators, they have it all.

“Sure, it is a little dangerous as we will be asked to assist in slaying beasts or guarding precious supplies. But you would be supported by fellow members of the College at all times!”

Unfortunately the argument fell on deaf ears, Nur merely waved his hand in annoyance.

“I decided. I won’t change my mind.”

His words dying on his tongue, Imeran sank back in his seat and sighed.

“What a waste, truly. Woe be to the Republic, such talent squandered!”

He reached out for his mug with a downcast expression, only for his hand to catch on empty air.

“Right, I threw it,” Imeran looked behind him for his wine servant. Alas he was met with empty air, confusion burrowing its way to his brows.

“Vigil, go find where that idiot went off to.”

A shadow in the corner of the room wriggled to life, a figure shrouded in dark clothing appeared on command and bowed.

“As you command.”

The figure then melded back into the shadows slightly, moving at impossible speeds from shadow to shadow until he was gone from view.

Imeran then wrapped his arm around Nur and said, “No matter, there is still some time until the ceremony for acceptance. I will find a way to convince you in the end.”

Nur shrugged the arm off him, replying with little emotion, “Unlikely.”

The mood of the room dipped downwards from that point on. A downcast Imeran and annoyed Minerva kept to themselves and the awkward silence for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Freeing the three from the turbid air, the shadowed figure from before appeared at Imeran’s side and whispered into his ear.

“Gone? How could he be gone? Did the fool go off running because of that one mistake? No that is not like him, he has been serving me for years and knows my character well. How peculiar.”

Easily hearing the quiet conversation, Nur opened the door for himself into the talk without care or tact.

“I can help you find this missing person. In return for some information.”

Rolling his eyes, Imeran replied, “This information, will it be about other places that could offer you whatever you originally wanted from the College? Before this sudden changing of your mind?”

Nur nodded.

Imeran pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, rocking his head back and forth in silent concentration. “Fine,” he said finally, “but no matter what I tell you, it will never match up to whatever the College could provide.”

Nur stood up in his seat, licking his fingers clean of the sauce that stained it and presented Imeran with a roll of his own eyes. “Bring me something he owned or to a place where only he lingered.”

“He had a personal quarter where he stayed, come, I will lead you there.”