As the drizzle began to fall, Edguard looked up into the sky. The cool waters struck his brow and ran down his face in rivulets.

Things had become difficult lately. So much was happening at once! There just wasn't any time to take it all in any more. Something would have to go soon or else he would fail miserably in all his responsibilities. Between mentoring students, developing spells, and training for the third level of Perception, Edguard was about ready to split.

So here, he was, waiting for Devlin again. Reaching level three had to be the most important thing in his life now. But what would it accomplish? Immediately, he'd go after his True Name, just another mission. ..

"Must we always meet in the rain?" came a muffled voice from behind Edguard. Devlin had his head wrapped in a thick woolen scarf, and the brim of his bowler hat was quickly gathering rainwater.

Edguard chuckled as he turned to the professor. "I blame the weather. Would you prefer we went somewhere else?"

"It is no matter," said Devlin, grinning wryly. "Tonight we will not even feel the rain."

He stepped forward, unloading his satchel of equipment and methodically setting up the plot once again. Edguard might have noticed subtle changes in the layout; the pattern of the oscillators was slightly different, and the wooden marks were spread out wider. The circle itself was twice as large as their last.

"You will be casting on me tonight," said Devlin abruptly. "We may have trouble with your control of the spells; I am accounting for that in the plot. Have you meditated today?"