Metal Master in Love: Chapter I

AND.

It was late May. The atmosphere of joy stemming from the approaching end of the school year at the Kestar magic school was almost palpable. It meant a three-month break from school. Some were returning to distant homes for the duration, others were to be picked up by their parents and accompany them on their summer journeys. Still others remained at Kestar. Remaining at the Adept's House over the summer, they enjoyed the entertainment available in the city or tried to earn money by doing various odd jobs. Employment in the city was easy to find, especially before the harvest. Although Kestar was a large city (though not among the largest in Goriad), many people here engaged in a typically rural occupation: farming. Vast, multicolored fields stretched to the horizon, dotted here and there with small groves. The lands on which the city was built were among the best for farming in the entire kingdom. But Randwat wasn't thinking about Kestar or its fertile soil right now. He sat by the open window of his room on the second floor of the Adept's House and admired the beautiful view. The sun was already setting below the horizon, obscuring the multicolored fields in shadow, which was quickly approaching from the west. The sky was also shrouded in darkness; only the sinking sun was still enveloped in a dark orange glow. In the square in front of the Adept's House stood a group of adepts, a year younger than him, eagerly discussing the tunsha they would embark on in such a short time. Randwat remembered the tension, the excitement, and the pleasant thrill of anticipation. He remembered that feeling fondly. However, the tunsha no longer occupied his thoughts. Rand had already passed it. The next, more difficult trial was far enough away that he needn't worry about it just yet. The adept was now completely absorbed in his vacation plans. He wanted to return to Nurhan! The mere thought of it made him feel a surge of euphoria that far surpassed the general joy of his peers. He had everything carefully planned and arranged down to the last detail. Surprisingly, his parents agreed without much resistance, and his two dearest friends, encouraged by their tales of the unknown land and its inhabitants, agreed to accompany him. They, too, with varying degrees of reluctance (in consultation with Randwat's parents, of course), received permission from the "higher-up" authorities. They were to set off immediately after the end of the school year, stopping by their hometown along the way. All three came from the same small town located several dozen miles from Kestar. Noftos and Tetramon (also known as Noft and Tetro) were not in the room at the moment. Solitude was absolutely not Randwat's nature, but lately he had enjoyed sitting by the window and lost in thought. Randwat had changed in many ways over the past year. The young apprentice had matured, grown more mature, and grown taller. Light stubble had appeared on his strongly accentuated, smooth, once pointed beard. Randwat took pride in taking care of him,making sure he always looked "day-old." It wasn't just the young wizard's body that changed, however. Randwat remained talkative and cheerful. However, he learned to be reserved in certain matters. He didn't like to discuss his talent. He learned that it wasn't worth showing off, as it was met with disbelief or even laughter, both by the wizards who taught him and by other adepts. Even his closest friends responded to his arguments with condescending chuckles.

"Come on, Rand!" Tetro burst out laughing one day. "If you were truly this... what did you call IT... Metal Master? Would you really be studying with us here today? I don't think anyone would let such talent go to waste. Besides, you can't even prove your skills."

Indeed, Tetro's arguments were practically irrefutable in the current situation. Randwat had to admit to himself – his power had clearly weakened after leaving Nurhan. Whenever he tried to demonstrate his talent, he simply couldn't. He would get frustrated, and even when he did manage to achieve something, the results were usually so poor that they didn't convince anyone. This infuriated Randwat. However, when he later proved to himself, alone, that he did possess a unique talent (he sometimes began to doubt it himself), he always did much better. Eventually, he gave up trying to convince others. He realized it was simply too early for that. Without proper training, his abilities had diminished. For obvious reasons, he didn't even try to find a trainer among the teachers. He only dreamed of training under Ansilve's supervision. Although the adept's talent was not universally believed, no one questioned his story about his stay in Nurhan at the elf Ansilve's inn. When he reported on his experience, the wizards on the interrogation committee were as surprised as Ansilve when he learned that Randwat was traveling alone in Nurhan. He was, of course, severely reprimanded for his recklessness, yet he received the highest mark for the entire Trial. The wizards nodded affirmatively at the elf's name. They were clearly familiar with the news. The beautiful armor and fans Randwat had brought back from his journey were likely also significant in the matter of the highest mark Rand received. He treated them with almost meticulous care. He tried not to dwell too much on how they had come into his possession. He was under a mind magic spell that controlled the truthfulness of his words, so Randwat had to work hard to conduct the entire conversation without lying. Apparently anticipating such a situation, Ansilve taught Randwat a few tricks that made things a bit easier for the apprentice. The wizards knew Randwat for his talent for rambling on about nothing at length, and eventually they gave up listening to his bizarre ramblings. He received the highest possible grade. There are things that always remain the same in a person. In Randwat's case, these were undoubtedly his laughter, his unbridled talkativeness, and his piercing blue eyes, radiating a constant joy and zest for life. Randwat had changed his hairstyle slightly. His golden fringe now fell like a waterfall over his forehead. His features, more mature than a year ago, made him a truly attractive young man (which he successfully exploited in his short affairs). Someone knocked on the door.

"Please!" Randwat shouted, turning away from the window. The thick, oak door opened with a slight, distinctive creak. Era Nimas's head peeked out. Era was the family in Randwat's class. Rod was the annually elected representative and a sort of class leader. It was a position officially recognized by the masters of magic and the regulations, but its roots lay in ancient customs and traditions passed down from generation to generation from adept (and there were many of them). Era took her role with great seriousness and diligently carried out all the tasks assigned to her. This was undoubtedly the main reason she had been elected to this position since the class's inception (three years ago).

"Rand! Dinner time!" The girl glanced around the room. It was dim, and it took her a while to realize where Randwat was sitting.

"Thanks, Era, I was just about to go down to the dining hall. Have you seen Noft, Tetro, Deron, or Aftas?"

"Everyone from your room is already in the dining room." The girl blinked her large, black eyes. "Hurry up, or dinner's getting cold." She added in a soft voice, and the door closed. Randwat liked Era. For a short time in first year, they were even together. Our apprentice, however, as before, quickly grew bored with relationships. They were rather short and tempestuous. They were based on infatuation at best. Rand had never truly fallen in love. He hadn't been involved with anyone lately. He was absorbed in other activities. Now all the grades were in, and to change them (for better or worse), the apprentice would have to move heaven and earth. Earlier in the school year, however, he had really devoted himself to his studies. The apprentice looked out the window again. On the horizon, only a red glow was visible. The magical lamps in the square in front of the Apprentice's House were lit. Randwat closed the window and left the room for dinner. The corridor he found himself in was long and quite wide. It had snow-white walls and a ceiling, from which magical lamps glowed brilliantly. The floor was covered with a fluffy gray carpet. Ornate tapestries depicting various scenes, some related to magic, others to a greater or lesser extent. Some depicted great battles, others portraits of eminent wizards, hung between the doors of the rooms. Rand passed a tapestry depicting a beardless wizard he didn't recognize, sporting a long black mustache. He wore an ancient robe with a huge, colorful collar adorned with fanciful patterns, and a low mind mage's cap. He always imagined the wizard was smiling at him, though everyone else assumed he wore a deadly serious expression. The adept glanced at the tapestry. Again, he imagined the wizard was smiling. The corridor ended with a wide, spiral staircase. It led both up and down. It was possible to pass it; on the other side was another identical corridor with white walls, a gray carpet, lamps, and tapestries. This was the section of the Adept's House designated for White Robe students. The lower floor contained corridors for Red Robes, while the upper floor held Black Robes. Each differed only in the color of the walls—white, red, or black, respectively. The Adept descended a spiral staircase, bypassing the first floor in the process. He descended to the ground floor. Here, the building's layout was slightly different: he found himself in the center of a large hall. It was lined with a gleaming wooden parquet floor. Numerous leather sofas lined the floor, some of which were occupied by groups of Adepts chatting. High up near the ceiling, three enormous magical llamas glowed, illuminating the entire hall perfectly. After descending the stairs, Rand found herself facing the main entrance, flanked by two rows of long, arched windows. On the opposite side were small double doors leading to the dining hall. On the sides were various other rooms, such as a library, a gymnasium, and a corridor leading to the tutors' area. Adepts had free access to most of these rooms.Although the Adept's House had its secrets and forbidden places that stimulated the imagination. Most of these rooms, however, were located on the top, fourth floor of the Adept's House. Adepts were strictly forbidden from entering most of them (of course, there were those who, through their insatiable curiosity, passionately tried to break these prohibitions and sometimes even managed to discover even a fraction of the secrets, but that's not the point of this story). Randwat turned and headed for the dining room. It was the second largest room in the Adept's House, right after the great hall. And it was certainly the highest. Windows, identical to those in the hall, were located high above the heads of the adepts. Three long rows of tables were set for the three types of robes. In addition, against the wall opposite the entrance, perpendicular to the students' tables, stood the table of the guardians and teachers residing in the Adept's House. The room was quite crowded. Randwat headed to the White Robes' tables and sat down with his friends. After dinner, the three returned to their room and discussed various current matters. Randwat, of course, kept bringing up Nurhan, which was slowly starting to irritate his companions. However, they endured it in silence.

The next day, after classes, Randwat sat by the window again, spending more and more time there. His thoughts drifted to Nurhan. Noft and Tetro were strolling through the gardens of the Adept's House. The other two boys Randwat shared the room with were also gone. Rand was alone. He wondered what Ansilve could be doing now.

"Ansilve..." Randwat thought absently, flopping onto his bed. "I wonder how the dear elf is doing."

Randwat looked around the room. It was a far cry from the one at the Centaur's Hoof Inn, where he had slept during his inn. Still, it couldn't be called dingy, or even plain. The walls were clean and snow-white. The floor was covered with soft carpeting. While perhaps a bit old and worn, it was also clean. The furniture looked impeccable. In addition to the five beds, there were two desks, a small bookcase, a wardrobe, and a table with five chairs. Far from the inn's richly ornamented, precious wood furniture, it couldn't be accused of being unsightly. Randwat had been lying there for a good dozen or so minutes. Although it was afternoon, rays of the sun, still high in the sky, streamed merrily through the window to his left. The sky was almost crystal clear, with only a few small clouds drifting slowly forward. The beautiful landscape of green trees and multicolored fields surrounding Kestar was a joy. He could hear the chirping of birds and the chatter of apprentices in the courtyard. Although Randwat's room was on the second floor, he could clearly hear what was happening downstairs. Randwat got up to look out the window again. Leaning on the windowsill, he watched the groups of apprentices strolling below for a moment. Then something strange happened. He suddenly felt weak. It was as if he were about to faint. He began to gasp for air. He felt as if everything was fading away—a strange darkness clouded his vision. He quickly threw himself onto the bed to avoid falling to the floor. He closed his eyes and, still breathing deeply, pulled at the collar of his white robe. Suddenly, everything quieted. The noise coming through the window seemed to recede and fade. For a moment, Randwat couldn't open his eyes or breathe. He jerked harder. He finally managed to open them and realized he was standing in the middle of an endless sea of ​​green. A plain, covered with bright green grass, stretching to the horizon, surrounded him. The sun shone in a crystal-clear blue sky. A light, refreshing breeze blew. Randwat had been here before. He quickly remembered when and under what circumstances. He also immediately understood what was about to happen.

"Greetings, Metal Master!" He heard an unusual, yet haunting, strangely familiar voice coming from nowhere.

"Are you what I think you are, illusion?"

"Why do you call me an illusion?" the voice asked. At the same time, a strange figure materialized before the adept. He had seen it once before. He recognized it. It was a man. Or so it seemed. He had white skin and blue eyes. He was bald, and except for a small braid, it was an intense blue. Beneath his beautiful, snow-white robe, a muscular body was visible. He had beautiful facial features. He looked at Randwat with a slight, condescending smile.

"And what basis do I have for claiming you are something more? I am supposedly 'the chosen one.' Unfortunately, so far, my 'calling' has been met with mockery and laughter. From the beginning, I was unsure if this wasn't all just one big coincidence and a delusion," Randwat spoke with unconcealed reproach.

"I am an illusion only to the extent that you consider me an illusion, Metal Master! I am Kivandal - the Spirit of the White Ore. Do you doubt my words?" Despite this, you agreed to accept the nickname I suggested and refuse to even consider renouncing it.

"I haven't accepted it yet." A slight uncertainty crept into his voice. "And it's unclear if I ever will. If I ever even get far enough to deserve the nickname.

" "Metal Master, you will go much further. Your destiny has been marked. Either you follow it, or my words will not come true. You will not become powerful and famous immediately. As you explained to yourself, it is too early for the glory of Metal Master. But your time will come. And the nickname you have been offered is already engraved in your heart. You know this well. You would never want to change it or part with it. Don't try to hide it from me. I can see deeper into you than you think. Perhaps even deeper than you yourself can."

For a moment, they stood in silence, looking at each other. Randwat was surprised by the words he heard. Inwardly, however, he admitted with admiration that Kivandal was right.

"Something important will happen again soon. Be vigilant. I am with you all the time, Metal Master.

" "Why are you doing this? Just don't run away like you did last time without an answer!" Randwat blurted out quickly.

"I am Kivandal—the Spirit of the White Ore. I am one with your armor. I am a friend. I am watching over you, Metal Master. I am meant for you, and you are meant for me."

Randwat wanted to ask another question, but as soon as Kivandal finished speaking, everything swirled and faded. For a moment, darkness fell again.

Randwat felt someone shaking him violently. He opened his eyes. He saw two friends above him, their expressions worried. Tetro was still shaking Randwat.

"He's waking up!" Randwat heard Noft's velvety voice above him.

"Finally. We were worried!" Tetro shook his lush, black hair. "Do you know what a scare you gave us?!

- What exactly happened? - Randwat asked, getting up from the bed.

"I think we should be asking you that. We found you lying on your back next to the bed. You showed no signs of life.

" "I had..." Randwat began energetically. However, he quickly concluded that his friends wouldn't believe his story anyway. So he frowned and said moodily, "I dozed off. I must have fallen out of bed."

No one asked any more questions. The three of them went downstairs to wander the hedge mazes surrounding the Adept's House. Randwat didn't say a word about his vision. But he hadn't forgotten the words he'd heard, and they kept him awake almost all night. Time flew by, but the wait for vacation dragged on mercilessly for the three friends. The days dragged on like weeks. They spent their classes daydreaming. All their retakes had long since been completed. No practice... all they had left for the rest of the year were painfully boring lectures. Each day was identical: wake up, school, a long walk, sleep. But finally, the long-awaited moment arrived. It was the last day of school. Randwat was completely absorbed in one thing: he was obsessed with the trip to Nurhan. He paced around the room, turning every inch of it upside down, checking that no one had left anything behind, that all the luggage was in its place, and that everything was in order. At the same time, he kept talking about Nurhan, contemplating the various (more or less sensible) adventures and surprises they might encounter along the way. Virtually no one was listening to him anymore. Even Noft, with his angelic patience, known and admired for his ability to listen to Randwat's long, epic monologues, lost his nerve and began to simply ignore his friend's ramblings. Randwat, however, didn't seem to mind the lack of an audience. In fact, he didn't notice it at all. It was as if it didn't bother him. The next day, all they had to do was report to the closing ceremony and finally set off. Today, however, they had one more important event: the Fools' Ball. What was the Fools' Ball? It was the name of a party held at the back of the gardens surrounding the Adept's House in Kestar the night before the end of the year. Where this strange name came from, no one seemed to really know. The oldest masters of magic teaching at the magic school began their studies here sixty years ago, and even then, the madmen's ball was a carefully cultivated "tradition," while the school in Kestar was already over a hundred years old. This custom likely dated back to its very beginnings. Officially, no one consented to the ball, and its organization conflicted with the regulations of the Adept's House. On this one special night, however, the adepts' superiors turned a blind eye to the prevailing rules and made no attempt to interrupt the ball. In the evening, everyone waited in their rooms for the families of each class to arrive. Era arrived just after nine in the evening. The adepts heard a knock, and the thick, oak door opened with a slight creak. The head of a girl with long, straight, black hair peeked out from behind the door. She had a long face, her dark complexion complementing her hair perfectly. She was excited. She winked significantly and disappeared back into the darkness of the corridor. Randwat and the adepts threw white cloaks over their shoulders and after a while they slipped out of the room.Dozens of young magicians moved through the shadowed corridors of the Adept's House, but all were so quiet that the only sound was the faint rustle of the apprentices' cloaks. The friends joined a larger group of adepts and moved toward the main corridor. This was now perhaps the best-lit part of the Adept's House, though it was still dim. High above the heads of the silent adepts, just beneath the painted vault, glowed three magic lamps covered with greenish shades. Here, the colors of the robes were already beginning to blend; in addition to the Whites, to which Randwat belonged, there were also Blacks and Reds. They were all heading for the main exit, which "accidentally" hadn't been closed that night. The tricolor cordon left the House walls and moved through the hedge mazes to the agreed-upon location of the Madmen's Ball. Everything was ready: large torches mounted on thick, two-meter-high poles were staked near the feast. The shadows of the apprentices danced on the ground. The pleasant aroma of herbs burning in the bonfire in the center of the feast hung in the air. A unique, mysterious atmosphere prevailed. A year ago, Rand had enjoyed the Fools' Ball and couldn't have imagined a more wonderful time. Neither he nor any other apprentice knew that the strange yet wonderful atmosphere was fueled not only by the proximity of the summer break, nor by this unusual taste of freedom. The Fools' Ball always coincided with another magical holiday. It was called Dowry Day. A holiday so ancient that the tradition of the Fools' Ball seemed to have existed for only a few moments. Many holidays and unusual dates were associated with magic, sometimes overlapping. Few wizards knew them all. Certainly, none of those present at the ball knew anything about the Wreath Festival, much less its history and specifics. However, everyone with even the slightest contact with magic or astronomy (i.e., the apprentices) noticed that the moon, contrary to its phases, completely disappeared from the sky around midnight. But who would seriously worry about that on the last night of the school year? Rand and his friends found themselves at the party venue. In a rather large meadow, beyond the hedge maze, almost all the apprentices had already gathered. Randwat, Noft, and Tetro stood in a group with their young magicians. Rand, of course, said nothing, his thoughts wandering along the Nurhan Road. However, Tetro roused him from his thoughts with a nudge.Just beneath the painted vault, three magic lamps veiled in greenish shades glowed. The colors of the robes here were already beginning to blend; besides the Whites, to which Randwat belonged, there were also Blacks and Reds. Everyone was heading for the main exit, which "accidentally" hadn't been closed that night. The tricolor cordon left the House walls and moved through the hedge mazes to the agreed-upon location of the Folly Ball. Everything was ready: large torches mounted on thick, two-meter-high poles were driven near the dance floor. The shadows of the fledglings danced on the ground. The air was filled with the pleasant aroma of herbs burning in the bonfire in the center of the dance. A unique, mysterious atmosphere prevailed. A year ago, Rand had enjoyed the Folly Ball and couldn't have imagined a more wonderful time. Neither he nor any other adept knew that the strange, yet wonderful atmosphere was fueled not only by the proximity of summer break, or by this unusual taste of freedom. The Follies' Ball always coincided with another magical holiday. This was the holiday known as Dowry Day. A holiday so ancient that the tradition of the Follies' Ball seemed to have existed for only a few moments. Many holidays and unusual dates were associated with magic, sometimes overlapping. Few mages knew them all. Certainly, none of those present knew anything about the Dowry Day, much less its history and specifics. However, everyone with even a passing connection to magic or astronomy (i.e., the adepts) noticed that the moon, contrary to its phases, disappeared completely from the sky around midnight. But who would seriously worry about that on the last night of the school year? Rand and his friends found themselves at the party site. In a rather large meadow, beyond the hedge maze, almost all the apprentices had already gathered. Randwat, Noft, and Tetro stood in a group with their fellow young mages. Rand, of course, said nothing, his thoughts wandering along the Nurhan Road. However, Tetro jolted him from his thoughts with a nudge.Just beneath the painted vault, three magic lamps veiled in greenish shades glowed. The colors of the robes here were already beginning to blend; besides the Whites, to which Randwat belonged, there were also Blacks and Reds. Everyone was heading for the main exit, which "accidentally" hadn't been closed that night. The tricolor cordon left the House walls and moved through the hedge mazes to the agreed-upon location of the Folly Ball. Everything was ready: large torches mounted on thick, two-meter-high poles were driven near the dance floor. The shadows of the fledglings danced on the ground. The air was filled with the pleasant aroma of herbs burning in the bonfire in the center of the dance. A unique, mysterious atmosphere prevailed. A year ago, Rand had enjoyed the Folly Ball and couldn't have imagined a more wonderful time. Neither he nor any other adept knew that the strange, yet wonderful atmosphere was fueled not only by the proximity of summer break, or by this unusual taste of freedom. The Follies' Ball always coincided with another magical holiday. This was the holiday known as Dowry Day. A holiday so ancient that the tradition of the Follies' Ball seemed to have existed for only a few moments. Many holidays and unusual dates were associated with magic, sometimes overlapping. Few mages knew them all. Certainly, none of those present knew anything about the Dowry Day, much less its history and specifics. However, everyone with even a passing connection to magic or astronomy (i.e., the adepts) noticed that the moon, contrary to its phases, disappeared completely from the sky around midnight. But who would seriously worry about that on the last night of the school year? Rand and his friends found themselves at the party site. In a rather large meadow, beyond the hedge maze, almost all the apprentices had already gathered. Randwat, Noft, and Tetro stood in a group with their fellow young mages. Rand, of course, said nothing, his thoughts wandering along the Nurhan Road. However, Tetro jolted him from his thoughts with a nudge.The Follies' Ball always coincided with another magical holiday. It was called Wreath Day. A holiday so ancient that the tradition of the Follies' Ball seemed to have existed for only a few moments. Magic was associated with countless holidays and unusual dates, sometimes overlapping. Few magicians knew them all. Certainly, no one present at the ball knew anything about the Wreath Day, much less its history and specifics. However, everyone with even a passing connection to magic or astronomy (i.e., the apprentices) noticed that the moon, contrary to its phases, disappeared completely from the sky around midnight. But who would seriously worry about that on the last night of the school year? Rand and his friends found themselves at the party venue. In a rather large meadow, beyond the hedge maze, almost all the apprentices had already gathered. Randwat, Noft, and Tetro stood in a group with their young magicians. Rand, of course, said nothing, his thoughts wandering along the Nurhan Road. However, Tetro jolted him out of his reverie with a nudge.The Follies' Ball always coincided with another magical holiday. It was called Wreath Day. A holiday so ancient that the tradition of the Follies' Ball seemed to have existed for only a few moments. Magic was associated with countless holidays and unusual dates, sometimes overlapping. Few magicians knew them all. Certainly, no one present at the ball knew anything about the Wreath Day, much less its history and specifics. However, everyone with even a passing connection to magic or astronomy (i.e., the apprentices) noticed that the moon, contrary to its phases, disappeared completely from the sky around midnight. But who would seriously worry about that on the last night of the school year? Rand and his friends found themselves at the party venue. In a rather large meadow, beyond the hedge maze, almost all the apprentices had already gathered. Randwat, Noft, and Tetro stood in a group with their young magicians. Rand, of course, said nothing, his thoughts wandering along the Nurhan Road. However, Tetro jolted him out of his reverie with a nudge.

"Remember Rand?" He smiled broadly and pointed a little deeper into the clearing. A rather large group of apprentices were sitting there in a circle. They were a year younger than our friends. - Tunsha's drawing.

"Yes..." The apprentice smiled. The memories of those moments were truly pleasant. "It seems like ages ago.

" "Don't exaggerate." Tetramon shook his shaggy, black curls flowing down his forehead. He was tall, taller than Randwat. He was also well-built. His stature didn't fit the usual image of a magician, which was sometimes the subject of jokes about him. However, no one crossed certain boundaries of good taste. Major conflicts rarely broke out between the apprentices. The apprentices respected each other. From the beginning, their specific "elitism" had been instilled in them and mutual respect was encouraged.

"Shall we go for a drink?" Noftos suggested. Rand and Tetro nodded simultaneously. The three friends separated from the group of adepts and headed toward the center of the clearing. There stood tables with prepared food and drinks. Class families, with specially appointed assistants, were in charge of providing them (acting in tacit agreement with the Adept's House dining room). In addition to various delicacies and beverages, there were also alcoholic beverages. The magical education authorities disapproved of their drinking, but no one forbade the young mages from doing so. They also had certain mental blocks imposed on them (of course, the adepts were unaware of this) that limited their desire for any stimulants, which meant that abusing their freedom was unlikely to be a problem. Despite this, they were not in any way enslaved. Moreover, adepts were instilled with self-discipline from the start and raised in a spirit of decorum, regardless of the color of their robes. Rand and Tetro began with Fedeii, a wine from Kestar vineyards. Noft settled for punch. He was naturally the calmest of the three (which didn't mean he was calm). He was about Randwat's height and build. He had an oval face. What stood out about him was his distinctive, penetrating gaze. It was Noft's defining characteristic. The three stood at tables, observing the goings-on. Numerous smaller celebrations were taking place. Someone was celebrating a birthday. The Thoughtspeakers' Guild was having its year-end meeting. Many apprentices wandered around the clearing aimlessly. Some were chatting away in groups. There was, of course, the ball proper, though it wasn't particularly popular this year. The section of the clearing set aside for dancing was almost empty. The Rod of one of the fifth classes, an Esetrian operating the magical jukebox, yawned with boredom. Numerous trysts also took place during the ball. Couples of amorous students slipped away quietly to nearby streams or the groves scattered around the area. This year, however, all of this seemed rather insignificant to Randwat. The Follies' Ball passed without much excitement for him. As dawn broke, all the apprentices began to return to the House. Now they could get some sleep before the afternoon's end-of-year ceremony. Only the families remained to clean up after the party. As usual, everything was conducted quite civilly, and it didn't take long. Randwat fell asleep happy for the first time. Happy that it was tomorrow.