Episode 84 - Croissant Confluence

## Synopsis

In Kurt and Winsler’s room, the students slept in varying degrees of comfort. Winsler held tightly onto the Angel Tear, and was abruptly shaken awake by Kurt as he asked if the tear was what they needed. Overhearing them, Integrity woke up and groaned, “*Ugh shut up*,” before throwing a pillow at them.

Kurt grabbed the Tear, and went over to the golem skeleton they had assembled. He turned to Winsler with a slightly crazed look and said, “*Do the honours, please? Please?*”

Winsler walked over to a disheveled Kurt and carefully took the Tear, and placed it into the slot designed for it. Arcane energy sparked between the head and body, and the Tear pulled itself out of his hands and slammed into place. Purple energy crawled along the brass joints, flowing off the body and flying around the room, setting some small fires and breaking windows.

The lightning stopped, and the golem sat up. “*Who am I, what am I doing here?*”

Winsler exclaimed, “*It’s alive! It’s alive!*”

As Kurt began weeping tears of joy, the golem repeated its question.

“*My name’s Winsler, this here is my friend Kurt, and that there is my friend Integrity.*”

Kurt put his hand towards the golem, still sobbing. “*It’s a pleasure to meet you.*”

“*Me and Kurt constructed you, and I want to call you Yog.*”

Yog contemplated the name, before standing up. “*I am Yog, you are my creators. What task have you need of me to complete?*”

Winsler told them he didn’t have a task in particular, and was hoping Yog could just be his friend. He did however rip out the yoghurt recipe he had gotten from Ferimel,  and asked them to try and make the yoghurt.

Yog gently took the recipe. “*It shall be done*.” They walked out of the room, breaking the door in the process, and went to make the yoghurt.

Winsler looked to Kurt, who had tears steaming down his face. “*I’m sure they’ll be fine right?*”

“*I’m so happy Winsler.*” Kurt dropped to his knees and hugged his friend tightly.

Kurt stood up, promised to finally get some sleep, then headed to the bathroom. Winsler and Integrity immediately yelled at him not to open the door, they ran over tried to convince him not to use it.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at them, sighed, then walked over to his bed, pushed all the letters off it, and collapsed.

Integrity gingerly opened the bathroom door. The towels had been ripped to shreds, the sink had been tipped over and cracked, and in the corner, Teb was furiously scratching at the floor. He looked at them, eye wild, and yelled “*Horned One!*” He ran to Integrity and leapt onto her.

Winsler blew some powered iron towards Teb, shrinking him to half size, before grabbing him away from his friend. “*Integrity do you have any rope?*”

“*You really gonna ask me that question?*” Integrity began immediately pulling out her extensive collection of ropes.

They tied Teb’s hands to get him under more control, the entire time he was squealing, “*We had a deal! Net for stone, net for stone!*”

The net had been torn slightly, and was sticking up out of the toilet. Integrity grabbed it, and Winsler suggested they meet up with the other students.

Over in Serinepth’s room, a vast array of snacks and drinks had been prepared for the assembled guests. Small croissants periodically popped out from the goo jar. Serinepth put a plate to catch them, and apologised for not returning them to the kitchen yet.

Integrity, Winsler, and Teb walked through the door. Mira excitedly welcomed the nothic, while Serinepth just politely offered a croissant, having never seen him before. Phillip sat drinking tea, and Angelika and Allena moved away as Teb entered. Integrity introduced Teb, saying they met him early in the school year, and that he was a friend.

Angelika asked, “*If he’s your friend, why is he tied up?*”

“*Well he’s a little different from when we first met him. He’s very… aggressive right now.”*

“*Is this because he was too far from the you-know-what?*” Mira realised that probably sounded suspicious. “*Snacks! Is this because he was too far from his favourite snacks?*”

Mira *Messaged* Serinepth to quickly explain that Teb had originally had the Orb of Reverence.

Serinepth asked why they had brought him, if he was dangerous. Winsler told her he was important in the events that transpired the previous night.

There was a knock at the door, which opened to reveal one very, very tired looking Artis. He looked very confused as to why Serinepth had so many croissants, but took a couple when offered. He walked in, panning the room and his eyes stopped on the tied up Teb.

“*Why, why is Teb here?*”

Integrity briefly explained what had happened in the sewers, omitting the message from the Progenitor, and her conversation with Neska. Artis turned to Teb, saying he was glad to see him again.

Teb shrieked, “*Tall One!*”

As Integrity pointed at the net on her back, saying Teb had brought it, Artis’ eyes widened though he didn’t say anything else.

He then turned to Serinepth and Winsler, asking what they had done. Serinepth noted her concern at Phillip’s condition, Artis agreed saying he had never encountered anything like the Polisherium. Winsler started to explain everything else: his deal with Seltie, the Necromancy department, every little detail. Delnys nodded sagely when he described the gargoyles. However when he tried to tell Artis about the pebbles, he was cut off by Angelika.

“*And that’s where we ran into them, Mr Artisian. We told them where we left you after we saw you in like the tower fire, and we went and got you.*”

Serinepth’s squinted at her, while Winsler asked, “*What about all those pebbles you were talking to?”*

“*We were just looking at rocks on the way there Winsler, what are you talking about?*” Angelika stared back at them, a bright smile on her face.

Artis seemed to trust this, and asked what happened next. He turned to Delnys and Mira and asked what they did.

Mira briefly and vaguely explained what had happened. They had found the lockbox, and she fell unconscious upon touching it. She omitted the vision she had of Empress Terassis. She told him that the fire had already started when she woke up, and they had left as fast as they could. Afterwards they ran into the Necromancy department gang, and had agreed to meet up before returning to her room.

Artis somehow looked even more stressed than normal. Serinepth offered more croissants, and told the group about her goo friend, bringing them onto the table and explaining how it worked.

As they discussed the cute and not dangerous goo, they heard a loud voice from outside. An attendant stood in the rain and raised a wand to their throat. SWIM immediately started mocking him for using by a wand. Integrity and Serinepth heard him say, “*All students are hereby called to the Dining Hall for the final honours of stations for Headmaster Underbough, the honours will begin in fifteen minutes, please make your way down very orderly, that is all.*”

Being the delinquents they were, SWIM immediately decided to skip the ceremony to sneak around campus. Allena protested, saying they could get in trouble if they were noticed missing. Angelika also disagreed. “*Yeah of course we’re worried about getting in trouble Mira, we’re not troublemakers*.”

Serinepth and Winsler continued to glare at her.

Artis agreed the free reign of campus could prove useful, and Winsler teased him about endorsing troublemaking. Artis looked at Winsler, tired and expressionless. Winsler just smiled and tilted his head.

They discussed what they needed to get done. Integrity told Mira how to reach the sewers, and warned her to be careful. Winsler animated three croissants to accompany Mira on her quest. Delnys also walked over to her, and offered to go with her.

After the rest of the student body had gone into the Dining Hall, SWIM, Artis, and the other students snuck out to the secret tunnels below the school. Phillip had been left behind, sweaty and feverish. Allena apologised to Mira, saying she never wanted any of this, which prompted Mira to hug her and say it would all be fine.

They arrived at a fork in the tunnels, Integrity pointed out the direction to the sewers, and the party split up.