And so it all begins - auspiciously, of course

Hundreds of students crowded into the vast hall, shivering in the cold mountain air despite their heavy ceremonial robes. The sum of all their breath fogged in the air, creating a thick fog-like layer above their heads – as if the far-away vaulted ceiling was the firmament of the heavens, flickering floating candles and faded ceiling paintings taking the place of the stars and planets. Several of them nervously adjusted their student caps, coughing and shuffling. The Grand Magister liked to leave her audience waiting, in order to make her entrance more dramatic but, on this particular occasion, something stole a part of her thunder. It could not take all of it, she always had ample reserves tucked up in her sleeves, but it did spoil her entrance.

The heavy quiet of the entrance ceremony – a very solemn and important event – was broken by a loud thud and some muffled gasps and murmurs. The hall was all aflutter and the rhythm of the ceremony had been totally disrupted. A young lady, stood somewhere in the back with the other first-years, seemed to have fallen into a dead faint. Those around her hastened to check in on her – there seemed to be some bleeding, although (as the common wisdom goes) head wounds always bleed more then other injuries of similar severity. Another girl, studious looking with dark hair, volunteered to get the still-unconscious young lady to the medical office. It was a terrible shame for them to miss the ceremony, all the sparklers and invocations made for quite the show, but it couldn’t be helped. As the second girl carried the first out, the program could at last resume. 

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This was originally going to be a longer chapter but I'm treating it more as a teaser now! I should have a novel cover in a few days and maybe a chapter 2 if the stars align. I just need this baby OUT and posted.