why don't you try?

[small_magics]

Isibel's workload is under two opposing forces. On the one hand, she makes routine progress. Every day, she has done more of the things she wants to do; and now she has a replenishable supply of pentagons and hexagons and could probably prevail upon Lycaelon for stars too if it ever became particularly vital. On the other hand, she is still becoming aware of things to do, and more and more people every day are willing to come to her with problems.

One day she says to Liselen, [I wonder if I ought to make more people enchanters.]

Comments

[pythbox]

[I wonder if you should,] muses Liselen. [They'd still need to come to me for advice, though, unless they were Wildmages. ...Or unicorns. ...I could be an enchanter.]

[small_magics]

[You could! You would only be able to do small spells unless you had a channel, though.]

[pythbox]

[But that's true for anybody, right? Except another elf who knows how to meditate - and elves aren't Wildmages. So it's me or a Unicorn Knight. And you don't know any Unicorn Knights.]

[small_magics]

[It is true for anybody. Although there has been a Wildmage helping me of late, not with channeling, but with coins, which amounts to the same sort of help; I suppose I have not chanced to mention him to you.]

[pythbox]

[If he's been helping you with coins, maybe he could be a channel,] says Liselen. [Or an enchanter, and channel through himself. Or both!]

[small_magics]

[Quite possibly. I will add him to this conversation.]

[Lycaelon, this is my unicorn friend, Liselen. We have been discussing making more people enchanters.]

[pythbox]

[Hi, Lycaelon!] says Liselen. [Do you want to be my enchanting channel?]

[wildlymagical]

[...I don't know,] he laughs, [do I? How bad is it, compared to coins?]

[small_magics]

[It depends on the spell. I cast immense ones, myself, but they can be split into smaller pieces - hexes, pentagons - and the aftereffects of channeling for another person, unless layered considerably, peter out into square territory within minutes. The lingering effects can also be cleared away with torching if preferred. And there is nothing preventing one from using enchanting pain to make coins.]

[wildlymagical]

[Sounds just fine to me, then,] he shrugs.

[small_magics]

[Liselen, if you will come here, I can make you an enchanter now.]

[pythbox]

[Okay!]

Kerpoof.

[small_magics]

She scritches his mane and spends the hex, then the pentagon, for the power and the skill.

[pythbox]

He leans his shoulder on her. [Thanks! What stuff can I help with?]

[small_magics]

Isibel starts going over aspects of her to-do list that are straightforward enough that she's willing to delegate, or that interact enough with local magic that she'd need Liselen consulting closely anyway.

[pythbox]

Liselen swishes his tail and listens and makes comments.

[small_magics]

Meanwhile, Isibel reports to Lycaelon, [I've made Liselen an enchanter, in ability and skill.]

[wildlymagical]

[I suppose I should meet him, then.]

[small_magics]

[He is here with me.]

[wildlymagical]

[I'll come by.]

He teleports. (Teleporting is wonderful.)

[pythbox]

"Hi!" says Liselen, swishing his tail.

[wildlymagical]

"By the Light, you're pretty," says Lycaelon.

[pythbox]

"I'm a unicorn," Liselen says smugly.

[small_magics]

"That is how unicorns work," giggles Isibel.

[wildlymagical]

Lycaelon laughs.

"Believe me, I know."

[pythbox]

Liselen giggles.

"You can teleport, right?" he says. "Let's go fix a thing!"

[wildlymagical]

"Sure," says Lycaelon. He steps forward and tentatively puts his hand on Liselen's back, which is not strictly necessary for them to teleport together, but seems like the thing to do anyway.

And they're off.

[small_magics]

[I will be interested to hear news of how this partnership works out,] Isibel tells them.

[pythbox]

[Okay,] giggles Liselen.