[X] Take Columbi's offer to attempt to sneak you into the college.
[X] How do the two of them know each other?
[X] What exactly do the enchantments on your clothes do Columbi?
"So how exactly do the two of you know each other?" You ask to break the silence that had fallen.
Columbi glances at you before looking to Addy. She doesn't say anything, just idly continues running her fingers over the strings of her small harp. After another moment, Columbi speaks up.
"I met Addy a couple of months ago when she first came to the city. She wasn't used to Diadem and had gotten herself into a bit of trouble with some minor noble."
Columbi pauses and glances to Addy again before continuing. No acknowledgement at all.
"I happened to be robbing his estate at the time and figured that upgrading to murder would probably save me trouble in the long run. Less push on the lawkeepers to find me and the possibility that no one would realize what thing in particular I was stealing."
Your eyebrows rise at this. You knew that there were stories about people who robbed noble houses and got away with it, but they were more legends than anything else. Stories about the Rose and the Fox, tall tales about thieves capable of stealing even from the Dragon of Wealth. Nothing worth taking seriously. And you had certainly never heard any stories about a pigeon.
"How do you get away from the lawkeepers? I haven't had a chance to see the spells worked in person, but I've read books and their ability to track thieves and stolen objects is supposed to be almost unbeatable."
You change the subject slightly, sensing that the current topic was somewhat uncomfortable. Besides, you were interested. Columbi just gestures to her outfit.
"All these enchantments aren't for show. If there's a spell I'm not able to confound, hide from, or run away from, I haven't seen it yet."
You eye her clothes more critically. The enchantments are much too complicated to commit to memory, but if you remember the gist of them it could prove an interesting avenue of research later.
You want to ask more questions, but she interrupts before you can.
"On that topic... You're stuck outside the college now, right? I could give getting you back in a try. Or at least get you to the gates safely."
You're happy to receive the offer but...
"No offense to your talents, but I somehow doubt your ability to get past the archmage's spells."
Columbi cocks her head in response, her mask making the motion exceptionally birdlike. You hear a bit of a smirk in her voice as she replies.
"Who ever said anything about getting past the archmage's spells?"
---
Despite your curiosity at that statement, Columbi won't answer any questions. So that curiosity, combined with the fact that you dearly do not wish to be stuck outside the college missing out on time you could be spending learning more magic and growing more powerful leads you to accept her offer.
Telling Addy very sternly to wait there and not go anywhere or go back to playing music, she leads you over the roof tops towards the college. Well, 'leads.' Princess carries would be more accurate, but you're going to do your best to not acknowledge that that happened. It was embarrassing!
Regardless, she gets you past skirmishes between lawkeepers and revolutionaries safely and in what seemed to be complete secrecy, so you can't really complain. It's only when you reach the long bare stretch just before the gates of the college itself that things really become interesting. Columbi sets you down two roofs back from the last building and walks to the edge to peer at the gates of the college.
"Shut tight, as expected."
"So how do you plan to get me in?"
"Well-"
You blink. Columbi just vanished. Gone, not even between blinks but between one instant and the next.
Suddenly, the TA is in front of you, reaching out a hand. Even more suddenly, you're in her room at the college.
"Uh. What?"
The TA doesn't reply, practically collapsing onto her bed and breathing heavily.
You're somewhat dumbfounded by what just happened.
"How did you-"
"Later. Too tired right now. Go see miss Ruby would you? She has been. Bothering me all day. About wanting to go out into the city and look for you."
And before you can even react to that, the TA's door is slammed open and Ruby is giving you a hug and telling you how glad she is that you're okay.
Which is very nice and much appreciated, but you would like it if you had a moment to take things in before anything else happened.
---
Though the college has not been directly affected by the attempted revolution, the archmage has suspended all classes temporarily and put the faculty on high alert. That leaves you with the rest of Sunday and Monday free. (Pick three)
[] Hang out with Ruby Ruby is not currently letting you out of her sight. All choices automatically include Ruby.
[] Practice Magic.
[] Talk to Henry and friends.
[] Classes may be canceled, but clubs were mostly still ongoing.
-[] Write-in Club.
[] Study in the library.
[] Talk to Sammy
[] Talk to the TA about enchantments.
[] Talk to the TA about the diagram and your insights into it.
[] Write-in.
Despite being unhappy with this update, I'm going to post it anyways. I really want to get back to a regular update schedule on this.
Bit cheeky, I know.
