>>6310539
“Tch!” Snarls the sorceress, her irate expression not carrying as much menace as it did before, “T-turn him into a Makaar or something! I don’t care!”

Oti eagerly acquiesces, much to Obber’s horror! Shrinking like his sister, the fearsome Sanguiphage emerges from the process as one of the clicking horrors that beset you upon your arrival in Zoral… A BEAKWOLF!

With one last round of incantations, Oti emerges from his own arcane augmentation sporting a fresh pair of BLUE EYES!

… That’s it?

“I’m not about to debase myself masquerading as another race…” He sneers with a touchy flickering in his new gaze, “That aside, statistically-speaking the majority of Trimbault staff are Chytree.” His new eyes fall upon the still-simmering sorceress. “You were the last one to visit the academy: what department should we be with?”

Ooh, yea, you add with an enthusiastic grin! What are we teaching, huh? Divination? Geomancy?

A sly look falls onto your face. Charms?

Toppel and Oti stare you down as if you’d just slapped them both in the face.

“Erm, I would suggest Arts and Literature,” She murmurs, her voice a tad higher-pitched than before, “Enrollment in those courses has been in decline for years now.”

Oti scoffs. “About time… artists...”

You’re about to ask why an Arcane Academy has those courses in the first place, but decide against it–your self-esteem has already taken more than enough hits today, thanks!

So to review, you begin, still not used to the somewhat deeper timbre in your tone, we’re here to gather intel on our mutual friend… per Volkir’s message we have a contact to look into too: PROFESSOR LIS’TAT... oh, and Toppel mentioned the KHORROZEH WING... there could be some info hidden in plain sight somewhere around there!

“Indeed,” Oti nods as Obber clicks in assent, “All that remains is our point of ingress: you’d do well to recall the whole Academy is an extension of Trier’s Tower–some portions virtually unreachable without the right credentials…”

He’s saying you shouldn’t dilly-dally, you answer with a furrowed brow.

“I’m saying we should work quickly and quietly, yes.” Oti confirms with another click. “The question is: are you ready?”

You… you don’t know-

Your answer is quickly answered by a sharp smack upside the head!

“And now?”

Yea, you nod, you think you’re all set!

“Good.” Oti nods with approval, “Expect mages, Teksouls, and other tricks if the Archmage catches wind of our interloping. And stay close–if we are to be boxed in, it’d be ideal to do so together.”

>CONTD.