An Illusionist's Tale

"…a new Art, one must ask themselves the following questions. First, ‘Is this Weaving truly necessary?’ Second, ‘Is it safe for me—physically, mentally, and emotionally—to Weave at this moment?’ And finally, ‘Will this Weaving put any persons, animals, or property at risk of possible harm or other adverse effects?’ Of course, these questions are but guidelines, as other dynamics may also be important factors to consider, such as…"

“Aaaugh!” you groan, leaning back in your chair and rubbing your eyes.
You’ve been staring at this book for hours, and your boredom and frustration are starting to get to you. It may be only a few days before a major exam, but it’s also only a few days from the start of autumn, and consequently, the conditions outside couldn’t be better for mischief. The open window in front of your desk, along with the sunshine and cool air floating in through it, is a constant reminder to you of how you wish you were enjoying it, rather than being inside, staring at your textbook, titled “Basic Guidelines of Weaving the Mystic Arts”.

Looking out the window to the manicured greens outside, under the warm sunlight, you decide it’s mostly common sense anyway. And since this could be the last sunny day for awhile, it only seems right that you should spend it outside, doing something productive…or at least entertaining. And since you’re not due back to a class for two days, there are plenty of possibilities open to you.

You cross the room, going to the closet. As you start rummaging for your backpack, your roommate Lorric looks up from his own book, lying open on his desk. “What are you doing?” he asks.

“I’m going to find a better way to spend the rest of the day than this,” comes your muffled voice from inside the closet. You start folding and packing a change of clothes.

“You did say you had a big exam in your next class, didn’t you?” he calls. “Don’t you need to study?”

You roll your eyes, pretending you don’t hear his suggestion. Lorric has been your roommate since you first entered the Institute, but from what you’ve been able to piece together from what little he has told you about his home life, you gather that he has always been very sheltered and consequently always does what he “should” be doing. You also have a feeling that his gentle demeanor and large size—making him a perfect target for scrutiny in everything—haven’t helped matters much.

Having finished packing a change of clothes, you silently Weave a Dispelling (you’ve been reading that book so long that you’ve actually started calling it “weaving” instead of “casting”; yuck) on the pair of shoes resting on the floor. Inside one shoe, an item slowly comes into shape. You glance out into your room. Lorric has already returned to his book, having given up on trying to talk sense into you. Satisfied, you take your dagger out of your shoe and grab your necklace and coin purse from the inside pocket of your cloak, which hangs from a hook above your shoes. You wrap the necklace around the sheath of the dagger and cast an Obscure spell on the necklace. To finish, you pack your shoes; a requirement if you plan on doing much walking, as the standard issue shoes that you currently wear are little more than slippers.

You tighten the cinch straps on your pack and sling it over your shoulder. You step out of the closet, and walk to the mirror near the door. You give yourself a quick once-over, deciding you look presentable enough.

Then you catch the image of Lorric’s back in the mirror, and a notion strikes you. Lorric might be interested in a study break too, you suppose. You feel a little guilty that you didn’t think to ask him before this, but you usually go out by yourself anyway. It’s not that you two don’t get along, you’re just not all that close, what with you both being in different departments of the Institute and thus not having much in common to talk about. Some things that crossed your mind to do would be more fun with someone else, but then he may cramp your style too.