Intro Mira, prt 2

        The two friends and coworkers, with the attentive aid of their cabbie, chose a quiet pub in the merchant district. It was a typical affair for Strouton, plain wood planks, tarred shingles and a couple of brick smokestacks. The interior, however, was cool and inviting to private conversations.

        “The mansion has more space than we will need for years,” Arminius began having ordered his meal. “There are a few rooms that I don’t think were even touched when the manor was converted. Not only that, the grounds cover half a square mile, all of it enclosed by the fence.”

        “It sounds lovely, it really does. Are you sure you won’t tell me how you got the job?” Mira said, voicing again the question she had been holding in the back of her mind.

        “I told you, politicking, and making deals with the right people. The details are something you shouldn’t know.” Answerd Arminius, taking a sip of Stroutons famed apple and pear cider.

        “Why, would I be killed for such knowledge?” Mira said full of her normal good humor.

        “Perhaps, most probably by me” Arminius chortled.

        They talked about this and about that, from rising duelists to the deadlines for lesson plans. The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their smoked trout, a savory favorite of Cornell. Talking quickly resumed and before long the food was a thing of the past and Strouton’s wizards were once again back at Ithalreal, talking away in the magically clean sitting room.

        “When they refitted the mansion as a school, they altered a lot of things to make it more academic. I’d like to undo some of that as we clean up, give it back some of its grandeur.”

        “Arminius, you had better be planning on doing some of that yourself. I’ll be busy too once I start with my plans and lessons.”

        “Oh I am, I’ve already done a some of it, just to allow me to try and hire some staff.”

        “How is that going, by the way?” Mira asked.

        “I have many applications, the locals seem quite pleased with the idea of having an academy again. I’ll be starting interviews tomorrow, for the positions of housekeeper, groundskeeper and cook, if I can hire them by the end of the week we’ll be in good shape to start planning for the semester.”

        “Good, I’d love to get down to the fun stuff.” Mira smiled.

        “I have heard you say many things before Mira, but never did I think you would consider making lesson plans fun.”

        “Well, there are only so many paintings to paint before one looks forward to one’s true job.”

        “Fair enough, though I feel just the opposite right now. It’s been an age since I last saw a duel, or even better a tournament.” Sighed Arminius.

        “Perhaps once the work is done and before the students arrive,” Mira yawned, “in the mean time, I’m going to take advantage of that bedroom you mentioned, fifth door on the right, right?”

        “Fifth on the left.” Arminius corrected.

        “Yeah, goodnight.” Mira left the room.

Intro Mira, prt 1

Introducing Mira

        Arminius sat in his newly claimed office, eyes shut allowing the warm sunbeams to enter through the window and soothe his tense shoulders. A morning’s worth of completed forms were stacked neatly on the corner of his grand desk, while a much larger stack waited at his right hand. He exhaled slowly, psyching himself up for a renewed start at his paperwork. Years of study and practice in nearly every form of wizardry had done little to brace him for the copious amounts of writing he was now required to do. The one comfort his training afforded him was that his hand was free of cramping, as he had enchanted his pen to take diction.

        Opening his eyes, he placed an unfinished form in front of him, and drew his wand from a pocket of his jacket. With a small gesture to his newly bought, but already worn, pen it stood at attention, hovering near the top of the fourteenth section of the Academy Recompense Form.

        “Number of students, not available. Primary residence, Calcibar Manor, Strouton Cornell province. Not available, not applicable, no, no preferred method . . . .“ Such did the day progress for Principal Arminius Traffurd. In fact, nothing changed, save for the name of the legal form, until the sun had hid itself behind the west wing of the manor, behind Arminius. It was at that point that there was the slight jingling of bells, announcing the arrival of a much anticipated person.

        The person in question, had arrived in Strouton only that afternoon, coming in by the most direct train from the Royal City, which still made three stops along the route. Her name is Mira Valithiano, daughter of Jordan and Miranda Valithiano, silver class duelist and dabbling painter. As she stood at the entryway, one of many summer breezes blew past, forcing her billowy clothes against her frame and nearly undoing her loose bun. At a glance, one would not take her to be a wizard rather the opposite would come to mind, most wizards being fond of plain appearances and calm demeanors, Mira seems rather contrary to the mold. It is a comment her dower, wizardly mother never fails to tease on.

        The door opened, seemingly of its own will, and Mira took her entry into the foyer.

        “Welcome to Ithalreal, Professor Valithiano!” Arminius called down to her from the balcony which ran across were the second story would be.

        “It’s a pleasure to be here, Principal Traffurd!.” Mira replied, “Or at least it will be when cob webs aren’t framing each and every corner “

        “I thought with your artistic sense you would see past that to what this place could be,” retorted Arminius.

        Mira raised her eyebrow, “ahuh, in other words you want me to do the cleaning?”

        “I’m drowning in papers, and forms, and reports and job applications, I’ve done nothing else all day,” explained Arminius. “In fact, I’ve not even eaten. I know you just arrived, but how do you feel about going back into town and catching up over dinner?”

        “I feel like if I smell coal smoke from one more train I’ll swear off anything but horses. Still, if that’s the option for dinner, let’s be off before I get comfortable.”