Thayva returned Serapis’ hug.
	“Huh.” Her brows lifted and the corners of her mouth pulled down in mock 
surprise as she placed a hand on her hip. “Must be a day that ends in ‘y,’ then.”
	She followed him into their small study, where they kept their more important scrolls and other documents. Two small, crude desks sat on either side of the room, hers strewn messily with various papers, books, ink bottles, and a couple quills and unlit candles from the night before that she had yet to get around to putting away.
	Thayva began to tidy it up a bit. She glanced over at Serapis as he opened what she recognized as the most recent finance report.
	“So?” she asked through a sigh, crossing the space between them. She placed a clawed hand on his shoulder and tried to get a good look at the report. “What’s the damage this week?”

[center]*    *    *[/center]
	In the halls, the three female elves stuck close together, their pace slightly slower as they whispered among themselves.
	“Are Tor and Nick in or out?” the youngest, a redhead who looked no older than twelve or thirteen, whispered to up to the tallest, who looked about a year older than her. “We can’t do it without them.”
	“Nick’s in,” the older girl answered, casting a quick glance around to make sure none of the staff were close enough to hear as they neared the dining area. “Says he’s been working the spell for it all week. He thinks he’s got it down.”
	“Tor was a bit [i]too[/i] excited for it, I think,” the middle-height and eldest of the three by a couple months interjected, her short blond hair tied back in a tight pony tail, “but her last class keeps going long, so she might be late.”
	The redhead nodded approvingly as they entered the mess hall. Boys of many races sat at the tables, with girls trickling inside as they got ready. Only a couple tables were dominated by single races, likely more by accident than intention, with the others a healthy mix of friends and siblings. A couple dracon adults walked the tables, making sure the meal remained peaceful.
	The girls slowly made their way to the large table at the head of the room, where an adult of each race stood behind an array of food fitting for their ilk.
	After receiving a plate of various fruits and nuts, and a glass of water from an elven man dressed in a green and brown robe, they went to one of the few remaining empty tables and sat, cross-legged, on the provided cushions.
	“What about you two?” the youngest glanced between her comrades as she picked up a rather ripe strawberry, her voice still low. “Have you gotten the spell down?”
	The middle girl frowned. “I’ve managed to make a pastry vomit its filling, but not explode. I squished it when it started complaining.”
	The oldest girl choked on her water. “You made it [i]talk?[/i]”
	The middle girl scowled. “Well… if you want to count pained groaning as talking, then yes.”
	The oldest girl grinned. “Well, at the very least, it will make people panic.”
	The three fell quiet and looked up as a boy, his ears slightly pointed, and a lizardwoman joined them.
	“When’s this thing happening, Kai?” the lizardwoman asked, her yellow eyes shifting slightly as she leaned forward over her plate of meat.
	“Don’t look so suspicious, Tor,” the red-headed scolded with a frown. She cast a quick glance around to be sure the adults still stood too far to hear amidst the din of other voices. “During lunch. When the staff switches. We’ll have a couple minutes before they get back.”
	“It usually takes a minute and a half,” the male elf, Nick, whispered. “The quickest I’ve counted was last Wednesday. Only about a minute and ten seconds.”
	Tor looked to him. “I’m not sure if I should be impressed or a bit scared that you actually counted.”
	Nick shrugged and started picking grapes from a stem and popping them in his mouth.
	“Remember to sit away from each other during lunch,” the middle girl reminded, changing the subject. “It’ll give us better range.”
	The five fell quiet as a dwarf boisterously joined them at their table. 
	Kai smiled and participated in the conversation as it turned to classes and training, excitement buzzing in her stomach.