"Hmph," Osmond says, because that is the noise wizened wizards make in this situation.

"So," Professor Colbert speaks up. "We have reason to believe the summoning of a human familiar is significant for more than the obvious reasons. I can't say much about that until we're more sure of certain facts, but I've been up all night doing research," he sounds excited about this, "and I've found several leads on deciphering those runes. Or that is to say, I've ruled out every known familiar rune configuration from the post-Brimic era!"

"You should have just asked; they say 'left hand of god'."

Professor Colbert, who was about to continue, swallows his words in shock and starts coughing.

Old Osmond blinks. And a small white mouse falls out of his sleeve and onto the floor. For some reason.

"The, you, it's, you are sure that's what they say?" Colbert manages.

"Sure. I have translation magic, how did you think I was speaking your language?"

"We, er, simply assumed you knew Halkegenian," Colbert coughs. "It is a very wide-spread language."

"It seems you were correct," Osmond says, "Miss Vallière's familiar is indeed, the legendary gandalfr."

(Miss Vaux stares at Scyelen with a new intensity, but otherwise avoids reminding the men in the room that she's present.)

"Good to know. What does it mean?"

"Well," Colbert says, "if you are indeed the gandalfr, then there is, in fact, precedent for your summoning after all. You see, the original gandalfr was the human familiar of Founder Brimir himself."

"Huh." He nudges Scyelen.

"Huh?"

What is he... oh.

Oh.

"B-b-b-but you can't mean, I mean I can't be... can I?"

"Sure sounds like it. What else do you know?" he asks Colbert.

"Unfortunately, first hand accounts of the era of the Founder are limited to holy scripture. Are you unfamiliar with the... yes, I see that you are. The gandalfr is said to be the sword and shield who guards the Void mage. If true, this would neatly explain Miss Vallière's troubles with her practical class exercises. She must be a Void mage! The gandalfr's most notable trait was his unmatched prowess as a warrior; he is said to be able to master any weapon in an instant."

"My divinations said something about that, too."

"Divinations?" Colbert asks.

"I wasn't going to let her cast something else on me without seeing what it would do, of course. There's a loyalty effect and something for weapon proficiency. I'm not convinced it's in our best interests for you to know the details of it, given your handling of the situation so far."

"Our handling of the situation?" Colbert repeats, sounding genuinely confused.

Osmond puts forth a hand. "I believe that is a prudent policy with which to treat this information, regardless. Whatever destiny the gandalfr has been summoned to meet, discretion can only be advantageous."

"No, I want to get this out in the open," he tells Osmond, and then returns his attention to Professor Colbert. "I was kidnapped and tortured, yesterday, not to put too fine a point on it. She should never have been casting that spell, with what you and she knew of her abilities. I don't hold her responsible; she was a scared child with a knife to her throat. I'm a little less understanding of the adults who were holding that knife there instead of finding some other way of handling the situation."

Everyone in the room (with the possible exception of Miss Vaux) looks at Raafi like he just said something completely insane.

"The Springtime Familiar Summoning is a sacred tradition," Osmond says neutrally. "You should not speak ill of it unless you wish to bring extreme censure down upon Miss Vallière, should the wrong person hear."

"My problem isn't with your summoning tradition. My problem is with you forcing someone to do something both you and they know is unsafe."

At this, Osmond fidgets uncomfortably. "Hmph. I can perhaps acknowledge that we were not prepared for the possibility of a Void mage among our students, and that we should have recognized what she is long before this point. Under the circumstances, however, I assure you there is nothing else we could have done."

"Perhaps that's true. But it looks like poor judgement to me."

Scyelen tugs on Raafi's sleeve.

"He's right," she says meekly. "Not letting me perform the ritual would be... unspeakable. They could sooner have had me killed." She pokes her fingertips together, looking up at them hopefully. "Do you really think I'm a Void mage? I... can't really understand how that's possible. But if I am, does that mean there are spells I can learn?"

"I will certainly keep researching," Colbert volunteers. "If we have surviving records of Void spells, I will do my best to find them."

He pats Scyelen's arm reassuringly as they speak.

"I intend to travel, once I know enough about this world to do it safely. Perhaps I can find more information elsewhere."

"Perhaps."

"Unless there is anything else? Miss Vaux may show you out."

He glances at Scyelen again. "There wasn't time to bring it up last night but it seems inappropriate for me to be sleeping in her room, can something else be arranged?"