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Jacens' leased Subaru Impreza pulled up to the magical institute's parking lot. The signs listed it as a church but the mages of the city knew better. Yes every Sunday it held a Catholic mass which was actually led by one of the grand maesters but this was to keep the institute incognito.

Jace pulled the car into an open space in the parking lot then pulled the keys from the ignition. Without saying a word to the younger mage he opened his door, stepping out of the car. Stephens words this morning still were through his mind. He really wished he could tell the kid off but he knew that would not help their living arrangement. After pulling both their simple canvas backpacks out of the cars hatchback he wandered towards a door at the back of the church.

"What's with the silent treatment there boss?" Stephen questioned, taking the black canvass backpack from Jacen and slinging it over his shoulder. Stephens's lanky appearance gave him the look of more of a delinquent than someone who should be visiting a church on a daily basis. His torn jeans and patch covered denim jacket hiding the faded Rise Against shirt he wore underneath not helping the image either.

"You're being an ass today is all." Jacen quipped, not wanting to really share what was bothering him. "Plus I need to focus. I have a hearing with the counsel later today." He bit his lip. Was he really nervous about the gathering? He knew he shouldn't be. He hadn't broken any of the laws of magic as far as he was concerned.

Stephen feigned shock at the older mans remarks, "Me? Annoying you? Never! It's not like I enjoy pressing your buttons." His look then became more serious as a thought crossed his mind, "Wait you aren't gonna kick me to the street over this aren't you?"

"The thought crossed my mind Steve..." Jacen let his sentence drop away unfinished to get the boy to shut up. Stephen was a good kid but could talk too much for his own good sometimes. He reached his hand out to the door knob as they reached the door. The signature of magic power on the door always hit him as he got to the door. It wasn't painful, but similar to a static shock, it let you know it was there. He mouthed a silent curse and opened the door for Stephen and himself to enter.

To any non-mage it would look like a simple hallway, but to the wizards who trained here it was far different. The walls spread out, revealing a large round room. There were doors and other openings in all directions, leading off into all the different parts of the world, as well as the different branches of the magic institute. The grand mages had used spells to bend space around this room, allowing for multiple levels and rooms to be accessed through this and the several other simple looking entrances.

A large desk sat in the middle of the room, occupied by three seemingly human looking figures. Jacen nodded to Stephen as the two parted company. "See you after class. You'll have to tell me what you learn about Merlin the Great tonight." The youth rolled his eyes and flipped me off with both hands as he wandered off to the scholastic wing.

"I guess I should go check in," he muttered to himself, forcing himself to move towards the center of the room towards the desks. As he approached the desk you could see that the figures weren't made of flesh, but of brass gears and levers all animated by the force of magic. In all honesty they were inspiring but Jacen feared the beings. Something about them being able to know anything that the institute knew about you at an instant was unnerving. What if they got into the wrong hands? He shivered at the thought, pressing it to the back of his mind.

"Uhh... Jacen Mills reporting to meet with the High Counsel." He said in general to the automations. The one closest to Jacen looked up from a sheet of parchment marked with Cyrillic text. The lenses that functioned as its eyes adjusted to his face, as if to verify that it was in fact him.

"While your verbal and facial identifications pass, Jacen Mills, all High Counsel affairs require a multitude of identifiers. Please proceed to the administrative wing, room 205 for further analysis. Maester Snow shall be commencing your testing." The automation then returned to the page.

Great. This day was just getting better.

"Um... I hate to be a bother but is there another Maester who can do the tests?" His question wasn't answered by the automations. Jacen knew all decisions were final when it came to the High Counsel. Maester Snow was a crotchety old man, one of the few mages who still used a spell to focus his power. The old man was a walking encyclopedia of both people and the law. Why he was involved had warning flags running rampant through his head.

"I wonder what further they need from me?" he muttered as he walked over to the administration hall on the side of the great room. He had limited dealings with the High Counsel in the past. The only two times that stuck with him is when he was accepted as an apprentice and at his graduation into a full mage. Thinking back on the day of his introduction made his mind slow down a bit. Maester Snow was at that appointment.

But before Jacen could get himself lost in that thought he arrives at a door marked 206 with ancient brass numbers looking like they could fall off the door at any time, and underneath that an equally old looking knocker. "A suitable location for an old wizard I guess" he chuckled to himself. He reached up and used the knocker.

"Come in," came through in an elderly tone. There was still a sense of authority behind the voice even in age. Jacen silently wondered what he'd be like if he made it to that age. He turned the doorknob and escorted himself into the room.

"Ah if it isn't mister Mills." Maester Snow said slowly, as if it was quite an effort to talk. The man was dressed in the traditional robes worn by wizards of lore.

"As far as I'm aware I am but the piles of cogs downstairs seemed to think additional testing was required," he said, showing his resentment of the desk dwellers

"Yes, they are telling the truth Jacen. But not testing on who you are per se. How are you? Any troubles recently?" Jacen kept his face neutral to the questions. Shit. Could they know the nightmares were back? Why would they care?

"As far as I can tell I've been more than ok Maester. I've been looking after the housing of the apprentice Stephen Eaves and that's going well enough..."

The Maester cut Jacen off there "I mean in regards to losing your family in that fire mister Mills"