"And are we all done scoring what has just been displayed by Examinee Nin?" one of my colleagues asked the rest of us. My legs tapping the floor ahead of me while I waited for everyone to give their answers. A series of nods, brief speaking, hand gestures and other forms of acknowledgement coming from everyone at this table. A quick finger going up being my response.
"Good, now, let's get this creature out of the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding and go back to normal." a different staff member commented, his opinion clear to me. And, unfortunately, not enough of my equals, lessers and superiors held my opinion. They did not want Examinee Nin here and were in full support of our legal compromise with our neighbours.
"And as is my role, I will present his scores on their own before we transition on to the average." I then explained as I stood up. This being my job as he would be a student of my House should he succeed. His success was not wanted by some, but I maintained a firm belief in its likelihood. Student Larishazza had put together quite the safety net for him so that should get him through.
As, unfortunately, without those shared scores, he would not pass. For the results he himself got were very disappointing as we could not rate him highly at all even with nit-picking. No amount of pondering the meaning of the scoring outline would get him higher. His descriptions and writing were crude and simple and his magic was basic and unrefined.
There may have been no magical education level below our own but this did not mean we took on the blatantly unskilled. It was a travesty pure and simple. He may have used magic but he failed to get even a few points in entire scoring brackets. The lack of complex spells, signs of exceptional expertise in a particular magic type, nothing!
We just got displays of basic magic distribution and the usage of internal-magic to lift an impressive weight. Well, impressive for the average magic-capable man of the outer to near-middle of the continent. If this was an armed forces training centre then he might have done well, but we were not one of them. This was a magic training academy, we needed our potential students to show the ability to cast spells!
"Enjoying the results, Oddity House Head Frihdeicalkbr?" I was then mockingly asked as a fist formed on the table. An annoyed tint in my eyes as I looked on over at the man who just passed comment on my beliefs.
"And how does it feel knowing an osibindah showed better magic usage than you?" I then bit back with, knowing full well why so much of our staff was men. They were pen pushers and data-handlers. They weren't witches for the most part. Just feeble creatures passing judgement on the quality of their betters.
"Better magic usage? Hah! If he had shown that he'd not be going to the execution wall!" a wave of laughter erupting out from him while he pointed at the display.
"This is not his final score, you know that, right?" I informed him as I rolled my eyes with a few buttons being pressed shortly after. The scores of all but one of the students contributing to Examinee Nin's final score being shown. A greater display forming as they all came up. Their names and a few basic details as well.
Student Einervaene Bosphama of Eusorochi was there contributing what her transmutative spells got her. The Sl'Ayiysab sisters who dazzled their examiners with their fine display of aquatic magic of the liquid and solid variety. Quinshuu Wuun whose skill with his magic, despite his casting methods, won him a few useable points. Then, finally, Omb Ur-Nace who did the most to help, even with his limited display as he was insistent on using little effort.
For some reason.
Yet, as I looked up higher to the final tally, I was a little worried. Examinee Nin was now just two points away from going beyond the finish line and the final student was not here. He had insisted on handing the results in personally but what if his results were not good enough? He was attempting to get into Traditional House and they had by far the highest failure rate.
Them being the House for the average student after all.
"We didn't get enough points...?" I then heard a heartbroken voice say quietly behind me. My attention going to the woman behind us while the table went into a state of uproar as arguments broke out. One side determined to enjoy Examinee Nin's failure while the other displayed issues with law and disappointment.
"I am afraid so, Student Larishazza, you did not get enough." I told her flatly as she began to tear up before rolling up into a ball.
"No... That can't be right... Everyone was cheering when I did mine... Everyone liked it and we got all this help and it still wasn't enough?" she exclaimed before her red face left her legs, watermarks all over her cheeks.
"I made sure to recount several times. I'm sorry, Student Larishazza, but if something doesn't happen then he will be executed."
"Then I'll just stop them!" she said to me in defiance as hints of anger began to appear on her face. Frustration just dripping out of her every time I looked at her before going back to the door.
"C'mon, hurry up." I then muttered impatiently at the door to this room.
"Why do you keep looking at the door...?" I was then asked by her, something I did not answer as it began to move. A little bit of excitement spawning inside of me as that must have been him! No member of staff would be bothering us at this time so it must have been him!
"Yeah... This looks like the place." the man behind the door said before he walked in. The loud tap of his staff making everyone quiet down before he came to a stop before the table.
"Why are you here? Who is this?" one of the members of staff asked as he shot up. His gaze, like nearly everyone else's, being intensely focused on those tablets he held. For they all had the necessary parts on them to be inputed into our table's circuitry. He could upload something, that something being his scores!
"He is Student Baltanthan of Traditional House." my fellow House Head, Ttonis clarified as he too stood up.
"House Head Ttonis," Student Baltanthan greeted with a small nod before he looked about, "Where can I put this in...?" he then asked before I went over and showed him. The signs of a smirk on my face as I looked at this young man. Did he offer us not only enough points to pass but enough to get us beyond the passing minimum!?
"Wait! Hold on!" someone then interrupted, his brow sweating as he realised what this meant.
"What is the meaning of this!?"
"We can't add in scores now!"
"Yeah! It's against the rules of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding! Rules we swore to uphold!"
"We have broken no rules!" I then declared to them firmly, shutting them all up instantly as I threw out another tablet. It being a document on our laws and rules and codes of conduct.
"As some of the students like to put it..." one of my supporters began to say with a smile as he rolled his tongue, "Read it and weep." he then said firmly.
My smirk fully coming out as the scores were added on to Student Nin's. Now he sat on a safe score of seventy-one. He would not be executed by our neighbouring mountain-state because of dubious legal twisting. He would no longer be put through what he has been experiencing since he got here!
"You traitor!" one of the teachers then accused Student Baltanthan of which made him incandescent with rage.
"Traitor!? I have betrayed no one! If anything I have freed myself of the burden that damn bug put on me by taking me here! I had a dream growing up you know, a dream that involved being a witch who came from this place. Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is where I wanted to learn! But, until he came along I may have not had that chance too! Yet, here I am, Student Baltanthan, no longer Shop Clerk Baltanthan! No longer Ravineer Baltanthan, but Student Baltanthan!"
"Be quiet!" someone then said in an effort to interrupt him.
"No, I will not be quiet! I will make my point clear! A point of how I will repay this debt I owe to a bug. I have just started a dream that was only possible because of him and I intend to thank him for it. And if helping him survive your shambles of a deal with Thrurstradtur then so be it!" he explained to them. Repeatedly dipping in and out of the likelihood of just shouting it out at the closest of Student Nin's detractors.
And then, he was thrown to the floor by a grateful woman, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" cried out Student Larishazza over and over as she hugged the floored Student Baltanthan. Laughter coming out of me as the disappointed law-twisters left the room in droves.
"Student Baltanthan," I began to say as Student Larishazza finally let him go, "As someone has just made perfectly clear to you, thank you for what you have done."
"Yeah, whatever, just glad I am not going to be dealing with this any longer. No more disturbed nights because of my debt to him." he sighed out in annoyance before he rubbed his eyes.
"If it helps, I can make your upcoming nights very easy to rest in." Student Larishazza then giggled out as her foot twisted about after she went against him. His arm having been pressed against her mostly bare front before he pulled back.
"Ehhhhhhh... No thank you, I'd rather just say hello to him and the other two and gloat." he explained with a gesture before he went to the glass. A common gesture used for swearing coming from him as he began to tap the glass.
My attention returning to Student Larishazza after I finished enjoying Student Baltanthan's antics, "Now, would you like to hand Student Nin this or would you like to prepare something more special?" I asked her.
"Special? What do you have planned!?" she asked me as she hopped about cheerfully. Her tears now having been long gone as Student Baltanthan had been soaked by the rest.
"Well, join us and we'll go over the details." I tell her as I point to the table where my supporters were still seated. Be it either because they held issue with Student Nin's treatment or had my opinion of the situation. They were here and they had helped me get Examinee Nin into the annals of history. To be replaced by someone else entirely.
And, I was overjoyed, for now... I could enjoy Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding's first osibindah student!