chalk

[alicornucopia]

In Paraasilan, Esmaar, a pair of roommates are about to break a rule that, compared to the one about running in the corridors or even the one about unlicensed teleportation, is there for a good reason.

In unison, they complete their shared spell.

~~~

with Adarin (Aestrix)

with Ekador (kappa)

with Brilliance (kappa)

with the admin (kappa)

with Teah (kappa)

with Katran (lambda)

with Hall (kappa)

with Joy (kappa)

with Kalinda (Christy Hotwater)

Comments

[alicornucopia]

"We summoned you," says Saasnil. "It's only for a little while, we need to show you to Nemaar and then we can send you back."

[pyrophyte]

"...And why," he inquires, "do you need to show me to Nemaar?"

[alicornucopia]

"He was making fun of her," says Korulen, putting her book down. "Specifically suggesting that she wouldn't be able to do what we just managed."

[pyrophyte]

"Well," he says, tucking the block of wood into a coat pocket and sitting up straighter on the floor. "Congratulations, I suppose. But in the future, I suggest that before setting out to prove you can do something, you first question whether or not you should."

[alicornucopia]

"Who're you, my dad?" mutters Saasnil.

"It'll take just two degrees to get him and show him after his class period ends, and then you go right home," says Korulen, "no harm done."

[pyrophyte]

"How long is a degree?"

[alicornucopia]

"Twenty-five ticks," says Saasnil.

[pyrophyte]

[alicornucopia]

"A tick is five splits," adds Saasnil in a helpful voice.

Korulen casts another spell. This one displays the time. She points at the last number, which is changing at a regular pace. "Those are splits." The next number rolls over. "That's a tick. That one's a degree."

[pyrophyte]

"Thank you," he says, and he stands up to get a better look at the display. "That's interesting. How does it work?"

[alicornucopia]

"It's a wizard spell," Saasnil says. "To tell time."

"Do you want me to leave it there for a while?" Korulen asks.

[pyrophyte]

"Yes," he says, "thank you again."

But he is distracted almost immediately by the belated realization that there doesn't seem to be anything nearby for his block of wood to have bounced off of. He looks around to confirm this fact, pulls the block out of his pocket, and tosses it lightly in just about the same direction it first flew.

It bounces off the invisible barrier and, this time, returns peacefully to his hand.

He looks down at the innocuous curve of chalk lying directly under the point at which the block bounced.

[alicornucopia]

"We got someone random, you could've been anybody," says Saasnil. "So the spell has a ward built right in."

Korulen leaves the time spell where it is.

[pyrophyte]

"I... see," he says.

He turns his attention back to the time spell and returns the block of wood to his pocket.

"What is the name of the unit larger than a degree?"

[alicornucopia]

"Angle," says Korulen.

[pyrophyte]

"Thank you."

[alicornucopia]

"You're welcome. Nemaar will be out of class pretty soon and then one of us can go get him," she adds.

[pyrophyte]

"Very well. Accepting the premise that I am not going to be let out of the circle, is there any chance of passing one of those chairs in?"

[alicornucopia]

Korulen shakes her head. "We could send you stuff, but not pass things physically through the ward in either direction apart from air. And sending you stuff would mean drawing another diagram and it'd take longer than you're even going to be here."

[pyrophyte]

"Well, it was a thought," he murmurs.

He takes the block of wood out of his pocket again and studies it thoughtfully, glancing up at the time spell every few - splits.

[alicornucopia]

"I'm Saasnil, by the way, and that's Korulen," says the human.

[pyrophyte]

"Ekador," he says, looking up at her when she speaks. "Not entirely pleased to meet you, under the circumstances."

[alicornucopia]

"Sorry," says Korulen sheepishly.

[pyrophyte]

He smiles briefly. "Well, that's something."

And back to contemplating his block of wood.

[alicornucopia]

After the time spell turns over to some key number, Saasnil scampers out of the room. She comes back with a child who looks rather like a humanoid lion, complete with tail.

"I told you," she tells him.