A cluster of about eight newly-inducted apprentices trundles along after an elderly Naga in brown robes, through eerie white halls. "… and now we come to the School of Spirit," he hisses, gesturing at the oddly angled, somehow wrong forced perspective architecture about them.

A winged Exile is the tallest of the eight, the rest being cubs, or close to cubs.

Envoy has been surprised so far by the variety of architecture she's seen. From the style of the School of Spirit, she wonders if it was designed by the same architect who built the Asylum in the Old City.

One of the cubs, a bat in black robes, squeaks, "Do they make zombies here?"

"They most certainly do not," snaps the old snake, his tail rattling in agitation. "Creation of undead entities is strictly forbidden. The conjuring of elementals is permitted, but only under strict limitations."

"What sort of limitations, sir?" Envoy asks. She isn't sure what a spirit "elemental" would be like in the first place.

The Naga turns around, and explains, "There are certain spells that you will be taught that will show you the basics of 'elementals' of your particular Spheres, so to speak. But the creation of autonomous magical beings is prohibited except with special permission from the Mages' Guild. There is great responsibility in the creation of new, sapient life. That it is done by magic rather than by nature makes it no less important."

Envoy nods. She can certainly understand the implications of magically created life, being one of those implications herself.

"What's the difference between an elemental and a ghost?" asks a collie Gallee pup in red robes.

"A ghost," answers the Naga, "is an echo of our life energies, once we have passed on. An elemental is wholly artificial, created by magic."

"Would a Chigai snow-demon be considered an elemental?" Envoy asks next. It's something she's been curious about, after all.

The red-robed Collie giggles, and whispers, "A snow snake?" but then he gulps and shrinks down under the elder Naga's withering gaze.

"That would depend on the origin of this 'demon'," replies the Naga. "If it occurred naturally, then, no, it would not be considered an elemental or golem."

"So spirit creatures can occur naturally?" the Aeolun asks. "Even outside places like Bosch?"

The Naga nods. "Yes, though it is very rare, and they are typically tied to areas strong in magic … more often a Forbidden Zone like Bosch than anywhere else," the Naga hisses. "But there are indeed documented cases."

Envoy nods respectfully. "Thank you, Sir."

"Now then," continues the Naga, turning about on his coils, and shuffling along. "Let us move on… "

The Naga leads the group out of the School of Spirit, and across the courtyard. "… to the Library."

The group heads into a place of tall bookshelves, musty tomes, and an old, withered-looking librarian who keeps an ear-horn at his desk.

In low tones, the Naga hisses, "The College Esoterica has many libraries … but this holds all that you will need to read for the time being … and perhaps a good deal more."

The Exile wonders if the old Librarian will still mistake her for an escaped experiment. "Is there a limit to how many books we can read in a day?" she asks the guide.

The Naga flicks his tongue, then hisses, "Most certainly not. Just so long as you return the books back to where you found them, when you are finished."

Envoy smiles and nods, happy to hear that answer.

"And that," says the Naga, "concludes our tour of the campus. You are free to explore for the remainder of the day. Your schedules will be delivered to your dormitory rooms."

"Thank you for your time, Sir," Envoy says to the Mage by way of parting.

The Naga nods back to Envoy, and slithers past her. He pauses, then hisses to Envoy, his tongue tickling her ear, "I would advise you not to wander around too much in the School of Mind, however, during your exploration." He then shuffles along.

Envoy stiffens slightly at the warning. Apparently Dean Malthus hasn't forgotten her. She decides to steer clear of Life for the time being as well. It might be rewarding to cultivate some contacts in the School of Dream though. She looks around to see what the other new apprentices are doing.

It looks like the collie in the red robes was in the process of starting a cantrip to impress the bat in black robes, but a sharp warning glare from the departing Naga prompts him to just tuck his hands behind his back and try to look innocent.

"You shouldn't try to work magic indoors," Envoy advises. "Especially not in a Library."

The collie ducks his muzzle all the more. "Yes, ma'am," he whimpers.

The bat snickers. "Hey, aren't you kind of old to be an apprentice?"

Envoy grins, "Actually, I'm not quite four years old yet. I'm an Exile you know. I won't grow old, and I was never young. Not like you are."

The bat looks a bit surprised at this. "Wow."

A fuzzy-looking Korv in gray apprentice robes hops up onto a table next to Envoy, and looks at her sideways. "*Kaw*! Are you Sphere of Light, or Sphere of Earth? I can't tell what color your robes are for sure."

"Sphere of Earth, for now," Envoy says. "I'd like to study Light later, though."

The edges of the Korv's beak turn up in a smile. "I'm studying Sphere of Dream. *KAW!* Just let me know if you ever have any nightmares you want taken care of!" He extends a wing-claw. "I'm Xavier."

Envoy takes the claw into her hand, "Pleased to meet you, Xavier. I'm Envoy. If you need someone to practice with, I'd be happy to help you. I have a friend that I can only talk to if I'm in a magically induced dream-state."

Xavier caws, "Really? That's odd." He ponders, tilting his head, then caws, "You mean, an imaginary friend?"

Envoy thinks. "Well, I know people that have really met him, so he can't be completely imaginary. But he does live in a realm of dreams."

"He calls himself Morpheus," the Exile says, "and is probably like a sapient, self-sustaining dream elemental in some respects. The Sifras made him a long time ago."

Xavier caws, "Morpheus? Oooooo!" His eyes brighten, and he hops on one leg, then the other. "You've really met Morpheus? *KAW!*"

Envoy nods, but then says, "Well, sort of. Not in person, just when I was under the influence of Dream Magic. I guess a lot of apprentices have run into him by now though?"

Xavier shakes his head. "Naw! But I've heard about some of the experienced Dream Mages running into him."

The bat rolls his eyes. "Aw, that's just some stupid dream. Come on!"

Xavier's feathers puff out, as he drops his head in a sulk and glares daggers at the bat. "Is not! *KAW*!"

"I wonder what they made of him?" Envoy ponders, and turns to the young bat. "And you are too young to be cynical, even for an Eeee. If you dismiss such things, then you may be caught unawares by something during a ritual that you can't deal with."

The Eeee crosses his arms. "Well … " He doesn't follow that with any sort of retort, though.

A Lion-Khatta in golden robes walks into the chamber, holding a crystal orb in front of him, watching it more than he watches where he's walking.

"Poor Isstan got his brains turned to mush," Envoy says, "and he was a powerful Mind Mage, one of the best."

The bat shrinks down. "Ewwwwww. Mush?"

The Lion-Khatta walks over toward the group of apprentices, then sets down his orb, looking at each of them in turn. "I don't see any Spirit Mages amongst you. But have any of you been casting spells in the library?"

Envoy blinks, and asks, "Is there Spirit Magic at work here?"

The Lion-Khatta nods. "Most certainly. And … " He furrows his brow, then lifts the crystal orb up again, looking at Envoy through it … which gives her a strangely distorted view of his face. "Hmm."

"Could it be a ward?" the Aeolun prompts, a bit hopefully.

The Lion-Khatta blanches, and lowers the orb. "Oh … nothing. Ah … Apprentices, come with me, will you? Except for you, Madame. Just … ah … " He gestures toward a desk nearby. "Could you please be seated there? I would like to come back and speak with you privately. Just give me a moment… " He turns and starts to walk back the way he came, gesturing to the other apprentices to join him.

Envoy sits down where told, and worries. She hadn't heard anything new from Qing since his warning about the spy.

Time passes. There's no sign of the Lion Khatta returning just yet. Other students in the library come and go, some checking out books, some putting them back, some leaving them at their desks rather than putting them away like they ought to.

There's a tingling sensation in Envoy's head. It feels like that "magic sense". Maybe.

Cautious now, Envoy doesn't betray any reaction. Instead, she just tries to focus on the tingling.

Three mages shuffle and slither into the room, wearing robes of white. They make their way over to an aisle of bookshelves, disappearing out of Envoy's line of sight.

A glowing form slowly materializes, hovering above the desk in front of Envoy. It looks like a miniature female Eeee.

Envoy takes in a long, slow breath, and focuses on the figure. Could it be Wynona trying to contact her somehow?

It doesn't look the least bit like Wynona. It definitely isn't attired the way Wynona would ever dress, and its expression looks a bit cruel, somehow.

The entity seems to be watching Envoy without expression … and then some thin ghostly lines slowly appear, stretching out between the ethereal bat … and about to the location where those three Spirit Mages would be, behind the book case.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Envoy whispers to the apparition. "Do you need help from those Spirit Mages?"

The apparition looks up at Envoy, as if surprised, then suddenly looks at its arms. It immediately starts to fade … but the thin lines of light form into ghostly chains, and whip out at the bat apparition, wrapping around its wrists, ankles, and wings. The little apparition struggles against the phantom chains.

Envoy looks up quickly towards the shelf the three mages moved behind, and trains her ears toward the spot as well to see if she can pick up any snatches of chanting.

Yes, it sounds like there's some chanting coming from that direction. Not enough time has passed since they took that position for them to have possibly fired off a ritual, especially not in Rephidim. It is more likely that some sort of held spell might have been used … but that would have been something to start casting some while ago.

"So that's why the lion never came back," Envoy whispers, mostly to herself since the little spirit is probably too distracted.

A few strange runes start materializing around the apparition, then quickly fade away … At last, the apparition dissolves into a ghostly mist, and the chains fade as well.

Envoy blinks several times, and looks again for the three Spirit Mages.

There's a scuffle from behind the bookcase, as the three Spirit Mages rush out from behind it, and over toward Envoy. "It's gone!" "Did you sssee that?" "It's for certain!"

"What's for certain?" asks the confused Aeolun. "Who was that?"

The Naga Spirit Mage hisses, "Mage Qing wasss right! It wasss a ssspy!"

Envoy quickly asks, "Can you tell how long it has been around? Is there any magical trace it could it have left?"

"Of course I was right," whispers a hissing voice in reply. The burning scent of chemicals and decay arrives shortly before the witchdoctor it clings to.

The three Spirit Mages all bow to the witchdoctor.

Qing slithers from the direction of the entrance, one of three wispy blue puffs of flame hovering around him extinguishing itself quietly. "The origin has indeed been traced."

Envoy asks, "Local?"

"Far from it," hisses the witchdoctor, coiling himself up and folding his arms. "Babel. The palace of the High Prince, to be exact."

With a sigh, Envoy says, "Oh. They were hoping I'd lead them to Cryona then?"

Qing nods at the three other Spirit Mages, then turns his head to give Envoy a level look. "Perhaps. I do not know the implications… only what I've detected."

The three other Spirit Mages bow, then disperse, leaving Qing with Envoy.

"I've never been to Babel," Envoy says, "So why else would they spy on me? They probably have Roho under surveillance as well, and maybe even Wynona."

Qing hisses, "It could be worthwhile to check to be certain. The spell feels to me as though it were cast with the use of an artifact of some sort, not by 'hand', as it were. I will bring my findings before the Arch-Inquisitor. I am here to advise that you stay some place secure. I do not know of what risks there may be." He holds a hand off to one side. "Take heed, or ignore it, the choice is yours."

Envoy blinks. "What could be more secure than the Collegia though? Frankly, I'm relieved… I was expecting it to be Necropolis."

The witchdoctor simply uncoils himself, slithering over his own back to start towards the library exit again. "Secure within the Collegia. Consider yourself notified."

"There is one other thing though," the Exile says. "Qing, could you find out who my sponsor is?"

The Rokuga pauses. "If it bears relevance, I will look into it." He continues on his way.

Envoy frowns, hoping against hope that it doesn't, after all.