''The first year looks strong,'' Chairwoman Amina Zaria notes. Her human-sized familiar was on the balustrade, next to her looking down on the students with contempt.

  ''I recall a time we had a css of at least forty students.'' Archmaster Pinarius was a man in his te sixties. Despite being hairless at the top he grew his pure white side hair long. Wild silver-gray eyebrows, warm eyes, and a long beard gave him the look of a loving grandfather. Even though standing on Chairwoman's left-hand side, Archmaster Pinarius was her right hand and an old friend.

  ''Quality over quantity, Metion,'' Chairwoman said while petting her eagle.

  Archmaster Pinarius looks at the future students below. ''Hmm...too soon to tell. They look like baby mbs, just taken from the ewe's udder.''

  ''They will be weaned soon enough.'' She looks at the far distance, toward the closed inner gates.

  Archmaster clears his throat. ''Some of the mbs have lions for parents. It would be wise---''

  Chairwoman Zaria's gaze stops him from continuing. ''They are in the same pen now...you stubborn old man.'' Her st words held no malice and were said in a tone used between family members or, as is the case now, between a ruler of an underground kingdom and her closest advisor-friend. While they continued their private conversation a strange and rude little mb, standing down below, kept trying to listen in.