"All Senior Witches need to take an apprentice... seriously? That was what you all decided on?"
Looking out over the five heads of our Coven, I just had to sigh as I took in all of their expressions; Morrigan was still smirking at me smugly, Drucilla was still studying her mirror with a grin, Dracha had crossed her arms and donned a serious expression, while the twins - Hvitt and Svarta - were sneering at me, their closeness to Morrigan shining through right now.
"You didn't even discuss if there were those amongst us that weren't capable - be it through our work or our current situations - of taking on and caring for an apprentice properly, did you? Did you take that into consideration at all or did this just pop into your head as a grand idea of potentially wasting someone's time?"
It wasn't that I was against the idea of an apprentice - I had taken one in before - but instead that this sweeping proclamation was one that could affect many of my peers in a negative way since some weren't ready or willing to take on the responsibility of caring for and teaching someone.
"We did, and the decision was put to a vote, Corvina. Everyone agreed that with the surplus of hopeful apprentices this year we needed to take advantage and begin nurturing the next generation. Even if they have to take a year or two to serve as a servant to someone, just being around greatness can give them the things they need to succeed in the future."
Drache was the only one that I had little issue with, and it seemed that she had been given the role of placating and persuading me with this, so I just sighed again before replying "Very well. I will not have an apprentice thrust upon me though; I WILL be choosing my own. Are we clear?"
"Of course, of course~! What kind of monsters would we be if we forced our incredible Senior Witches to take an apprentice that did not fit them? We would be ruining both at the same time..."
Even though she said that in a sad tone, Drucilla was still grinning as she fixed her makeup with her mirror, though as she turned just slightly away from me the reflection inside of the mirror moved, pressing itself against the glass and smiling at me wickedly, which prompted Drucilla to swat the mirror playfully.
To say we were all eccentric would be an understatement; being at the top of any profession meant you were an eccentric, so I wasn't surprised by the actions and egos being shown right now, but as I had gotten older I had come to accept and ignore those things as best I could.
"Very well... Is there anything else?"
They all shook their heads and returned to chatting quietly above the rest of us, so I took my leave and slowly made my way towards one of my more favorite spots in this square; a rooftop patio that was owned by a good friend of mine, someone who had very little magic but loved it very much.
Finding the storefront, I didn't hesitate to leap up onto its roof and land silently on its patio, finding my old friend already lounging beneath the suns with a smile on her wrinkled face.
"Ah... Corvina! You showed up this year even after hearing the news? Color me shocked~!"
The warmth of her voice matched that of the suns above as she smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back as I settled into the chair beside her, my eyes meeting hers; they had faded somewhat with age, but there was still a fire inside those rubies that I respected, and yet seeing them slowly lose their luster hurt me ever so slightly each time we met.
To match her gorgeous eyes was her short cropped red hair that glittered beneath the sunlight, the slightest shake of her head turning it from hair to flames as each strand fluttered around; it had used to be longer, but just like me she had found maintaining long hair to be too much of a chore for someone always working.
"Well... I hadn't read the letters, so I had no idea about this, Miriam. Either way though it wasn't like I could avoid this summons; there wouldn't be anything to gain from it and everything to lose."
Miriam chuckled softly and nodded, turning her gaze back towards the square as she said "It is a good thing you came though, Corvina. The applicants this year are all rather talented, and there is a surplus of them. Years of peace led to people being more comfortable with having a family, y'know?"
That drew another sigh from me as I avoided that hidden question again, my friend's constant need to find every single little nugget of news being one of her greatest and sometimes insufferable quirks, but it always came in handy whenever I had questions.
"The heads said it as well. What makes this year so special, Miriam? Why are these applicants worth making such a fuss over?"
The red head drummed her fingers along the edge of the table with a smile as she returned her gaze to me, no longer looking as old as she answered "Because, dear Corina, this year has a myriad of Noble Houses and high ranking adventurer's children in the pool, alongside some naturally gifted youngsters who are simply worth this fuss."
"Nobles and second generations... oh fun. I'm simply quivering in my boots from excitement..."
Miriam rolled her eyes at me and said "They aren't your typical second generations, Corina. Remember, everyone needs to go to the Academy and prove themselves worthy of the Witches time. The same hard tests we took all those years ago are still in place, and the scores that you got are merely average amongst their class. This is truly the next generation of Witches, so long as they are taught by the right people..."
The pointed look she gave me made raise a brow, before I finally relented and asked "So who should I be looking for, Miriam? I know you already have a list of candidates for me inside that pretty head of yours."
Her grin caused my brow to go even higher as she purred "That I do, Corvina... This year is truly a good year, and I cannot wait~ to see who you pick...", her enthusiasm surprising me a little, only for her next words to make that surprise go even higher.