Hearing those words, "no matter what, you are still my best friend, Monica." and seeing the hug Von gave her made those watching feel awe at the two young children acting at this moment as though they were decades older than they appeared. As they continued to watch, a blue-tinted scroll tube silently appeared on the desk.
Brook removed her eyes from the children, walked to the desk, and removed the seal from one on before dumping out a piece of magical parchment. "Monica, your affinity results came back first, so I have the pleasure of letting you know what the results are. Would you like to sit with me?" With a wave of her hand, a small table with two chairs appeared near the far corner of the room and a screen formed between the table and the rest of the reception area.
"Can Von and Oren come, too?" came the response of the girl.
Flipping her blue hair behind her shoulder, Brook tilted her head. Looking at the remaining examiners whose look of uncertainty told her she could, she waved her hand twice more and two more chairs joined the ensemble as she motioned them across the room. "Since your parents aren't present, I can't see the harm in it. Please, join us."
The small group took their seats as Brook unrolled the scroll within. Before she could read what was written, three people appeared near the wall and the screen disappeared with a gesture. With his silver hair and dark robes with gold trim, the three of them recognized Archmage Poralis immediately.
The second was a silver-haired elf with sharply pointed ears whose enchanted silk robes shimmered in the spectrum of colors as she moved or rather floated across the floor. A circlet of intertwined metals forming dozens of figure eights on their sides adorned with radiant gems looking as though small stars were set within it rested upon her like a crown. Around each forearm, a bracer of the brightest silver was fit along each wrist, and around her neck she wore an amulet containing a color-shifting crystal. Ornate rings could be found on each slender finger which she traced through the air as if sketching the invisible patterns of magic.
As she glided across the floor, her deep emerald-green, almond-shaped eyes, sparkled with perpetual curiosity. This woman carried an air of enchantment around her, and her delicate features expressed a constant wonder at the beauty and potential she saw in the magical world. Her gaze was always drawn to the Von as she became aware of the subtle variations of color surrounding him.
The third member of the group was draped in a robe of deep indigo, adorned with silver threads which shimmered with arcane energy. Her attire was complemented by a silver tiara embedded with sapphires, enhancing her connection to the mysteries of the mind. This woman's eyes, a piercing azure, seem to reflect the vast depths of her prowess. A pendant around her neck, shaped like a stylized brain, symbolizes her dedication to the intricate art of mind magic.
Looking back and forth between Monica and Von, her eyes radiated an intellectual curiosity, as if constantly probing the unseen realms of thought. Her movements are deliberate and measured, a testament to the disciplined focus required for delving into the intricacies of the mind. Her gaze lingered on the group, not in a prying manner but with a genuine interest in understanding the diverse mental landscapes around her. Her composed demeanor concealed a ceaseless desire to uncover the mysteries hidden within the recesses of the human psyche.
Please system. Von responded. He didn't want anyone to know about this thing inside him if he could prevent it. His mind suddenly formed a barrier around it as his system took control of his aura bringing it into a faint purple helmet-like force surrounding his head. He watched as the weaves of lavender tendrils attempted to probe at his mind but were repelled by his quickly formed helmet.
After a few probes were shrugged away, a large lavender arrow drove directly toward his head and out of instinct, he pulled his hourglass from across the room opening himself to the attuned artifact. Grasping it, his aura melded with the forces within as he gathered the temporal energies from the room in upon himself speeding time for only himself. Moving faster than his ever before, he leapt from his chair moving out from the path of this incoming arrow.
Seeing this, an enormous grin formed upon the face of the third wizard before the lavender energies returned to her aura. Moving her attention in the direction of Monica, once again, the soft tendrils formed and glided swiftly toward his friend. Without thinking, Von thought of himself removing his impenetrable helmet and placing it upon his friend's head in hopes of preventing the woman's intrusion. His own thoughts combined with his warped time allowed the helmet to land right before the tendrils found a place on his friend's head.
Wide eyed in shock, the woman withdrew her tendrils then paused. "Have you been trained in the arts of myalomancy, young man?"
"No, ma'am. I just did what I thought I needed to when you attacked."
A darkness filled her gaze as she responded. "I assure you; I didn't attack. You would not have been able to withstand one of my attacks, however, what you did was impressive for someone untrained, but still not up to the level of an apprentice. Combining myalomancy with chronomancy was impressive."
"How did you bring the hourglass to your hand?" Asked the elven woman.
Thinking about what he had done, he wasn't sure. "I just knew I needed it and I wanted to grab it. I don't know how I did it. I just did it."
The trio stood together, their eyes widened with admiration and amazement. As they gazed at the young boy in front of them, a collective expression of awe painted their faces. Subtle smiles played on their lips, and their body language conveyed a sense of genuine admiration. It was evident even to Von, they found something remarkable in his actions. Perhaps it was his display of exceptional skills he was able to combine or it's possible it was because he stood up to the elven woman in front and defended himself against her probes regardless of what it was, something he did left them visibly impressed. The shared glance between the three suggested a silent acknowledgment of the impressive qualities they witnessed, creating a moment of shared admiration in the group.
Bowing before the two women, Poralis stepped forward. "Please forgive my rudeness. This lady is Master Eve Trapper." Pointing at the elderly human woman dressed in indigo who tilted her head toward the children in acknowledgement. "She is the head of the myalomancy college. Her powers of the mind are exceptional even if she does say such, it is well earned. This young elven woman to my side is Archmage Alendoria. She is the head of the choromancy college, but she has also found mastery in xylomancy and chloromancy with some fair skill in a few other forms of magic." The elven woman bowed with an unnatural grace."
Von stood and bowed before the two ladies as a show of respect while not to be outdone, Monica gave a curtsey of her own.
"You are familiar with me, but together, we are the three directors of the college. There are several other members of the council, but we can't wrest them from their classes at the moment. We are most pleased to listen to the findings of your exams. Brook, if you will?"
In the midst of the hushed room, the atmosphere intensified as the three directors of the academy loomed behind her. Their authoritative presence cast a figurative spotlight on her, making every word she uttered carry added weight. As she prepared to announce the results, a subtle nervousness crept into her demeanor, causing a slight stutter in her speech. The weight of the moment, coupled with the scrutiny from the esteemed directors, made the task at hand seem more daunting.
Despite her attempts to maintain composure, the pressure was palpable. Each stuttered word echoed in the room, creating a moment of tension. The directors, with their discerning gazes, observed her closely, adding to the feeling of being under the spotlight. The combination of their collective authority and the significance of the results made the situation both challenging and pivotal.
The blue-haired woman, began, "Mon, Monica, despite your age, your affinity with the whims of fortune is truly remarkable. You have already demonstrated a profound understanding of tychomancy, and the tapestry of luck responds to your very essence. With the proper training, you have it within you to become master of tychomancy."
To Von, this was nothing new having seen what he had seen, but the three elders smiled knowing there was such aptitude in their midst. The room resonated with magical energies, acknowledging Monica's abilities.
Brook's face took on a more serious demeanor as she continued, "However, as you hold the reigns of fortune, I am sorry to tell you, you have a notable absence of significant skill in the other magical disciplines. In particular, Monica, you have shown limited aptitude for aeromancy, that is to say: air magic, aimamancy (blood magic); astrapimancy (lightning magic), chloromancy (plant magic), choromancy (spatial magic), geomancy (earth magic), hydromancy (fluid magic), metallomancy (metal magic), myalomancy (mind magic), necromancy (death magic), phosphomancy (light magic), pyromancy (fire magic), transformation magic, transmutation magic, and venomancy (poison magic).
Your skills in arithmancy, which some call number or math magic, and bibliomancy, known as book magic or sagely magic, you were able to supplement with luck, but your actual aptitude was quite low.
Those disciplines in which luck has almost no effect, specifically cartomancy, known as divination via cards and chiromancy known more commonly as palmistry or palm reading, you showed no affinity nor talent at all, yet. This doesn't mean as you grow, you won't develop them, but at this time, you showed no aptitude at all."
The council members, though impressed with her tychomantic prowess, were aghast she had no secondary discipline. Not that it was unheard of, but tychomancers of the past tended to have many skills based on luck alone.
A profound expression of concern etched across their faces, as if the weight of the world had momentarily settled in their eyes. Furrowed brows and a slightly downturned mouths conveyed the intensity of their worry. It was a look that transcended surface-level worries, suggesting a contemplation of more profound and troubling matters. In this moment, their entire demeanor spoke volumes about the depth of their concern, leaving an indelible impression of thoughtful apprehension.
Eve spoke first, "We don't have a college of tychomancy. We have only had three tychomancers in the last several centuries and most of them were tertiary tychomancers. Their true skills lied elsewhere. In fact, it's been so long, our last tychomancy instructor who taught here left over two centuries ago. Her name was Master Gwendolyn. We haven't seen nor heard from her since she left." The others nodded remembering the former instructor. "It is possible for you, of all people to find her by sheer luck, but I would not be able to tell you where to begin your search."
Archmage Alendoria added, "I believe she was headed to the north, but this was long ago. What Master Trapper was dilly dallying about saying is, Master Gwendolyn is the only person we know who would be able to properly train someone of your aptitude and affinity, or someone she has personally trained. We have no one within the academy who can properly train you, and without proper training, you will be a danger to not only yourself, but those around you."