Wheeler Wants a Pet Rat

"I feel like this school year's going by way too fast," Priscilla lamented as she and Wheeler made their way to join the rest of their class in the summoning room.

Wheeler blinked. "But I thought you hated school."

"I do," Priscilla replied. "But it just feels like once we graduate we're going to be like...actual adults. Our childhood is about to end and there's nothing we can even do about it."

"But isn't that the exciting thing about growing up?" Wheeler pointed out. "The fact that things start changing."

"I suppose so," Priscilla said with a sigh. "I just...I wish it could last a little longer."

"Well," Wheeler said with a grin, "luckily we still have a full semester left."

The halls had begun to empty, the last of the students slipping off into the summoning room's massive entrance.

"We better hurry," Wheeler said. "Professor Slengeborn is going to kill us if we're late."

"Pfft, I think you mean Professor Slengeboner."

As if reverting back to being twelve year olds, Priscilla and Wheeler let out an obnoxious giggle before they took off scurrying down the hall, finally managing to rejoin the others as they entered the summoning room.

They hadn't been back here since the whole 'attempted identity fraud' debacle. It was nice to see it had been fully repaired in the year and a half since Wheeler's tree had nearly destroyed it.

The students were chatting excitedly amongst themselves, all feverishly eager for the announcements that were about to come.

Priscilla and Wheeler made their way to the back, sitting down just in the nick of time. Almost immediately the lights began to dim, Professor Milton Slengeborn and the headmistress appearing at the room's center.

"Greetings, everyone," Headmistress Vera said, stepping forward. Her magnified eyes darted across the room behind her thick glasses. "How are you all doing this lovely afternoon?"

This was met by a series of awkward, mumbled replies.

"As you know," Milton said, stepping up beside her, "today you're to receive your apprenticeship assignments."

"Apprenticeships," Vera continued, "are often considered one of the most transformative periods of a young mage's life. You'll be receiving three months of off-campus, real world training and experience."

"It's an amazing opportunity indeed," Professor Milton said, adjusting his tiny spectacles. "There's an array of brilliant witches across the country who are all excited to foster and train you in the following months. I have no doubt this class, just like the ones before it, will continue to uphold the academy's legacy of providing the best apprentices in the empire."

"It's our great pleasure this afternoon to announce where you'll each be assigned and which of your classmates will be accompanying you." The headmistress snapped her fingers, a long scroll of parchment appearing in her hand. "Violet Dolloway, Marybelle Tanner. The two of you will train under Madame Mistral Mortem to assist her at her magic emporium located in the capital."

This was instantly met by a series of excited squeals from the girls in question.

Vera continued to read off names and assignments, each one sounding more exciting than the last.

"I hope we get a good one," Priscilla whispered. "My brother got assigned to protect a tropical island filled with mermaids." She sighed dreamily. She could picture it so clearly, beautiful mermaids all swimming around her with their glittering tails and giant bosoms.

"Priscilla Packwood and Wheeler Trevil..."

Priscilla was jerked out of her mermaid daydream at the sound of their names being called.

"The two of you are assigned to..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, crossing her fingers. "Please be mermaids, please be mermaids, please be mermaids--"

"Gortsville, located deep within the icy mountains. There, you'll be repairing Count Vivok's castle after a section of it prematurely crumbled due to a rat infestation."

Priscilla's mouth dropped open in disbelief as Vera moved on to list the next group.

"Our assignment is...utterly...horrible..." she breathed.

"I think it sounds fun," Wheeler replied with a smile.

"You think everything's fun," Priscilla pointed out. "There's not a single thing about that place that didn't sound awful."

"Well, the icy mountains is a cool name," Wheeler said cheerfully. "I heard it's always freezing there which means we can build snowmen and have snowball fights!"

"Great," Priscilla mumbled.

"And if there was a rat infestation maybe we'll get lucky and find some still roaming around. I love rats! We could make them our pets!"

Priscilla groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Oooooh, and maybe Mister Pumpernickel could sing some traveling music during the carriage ride. I'm sure it'll be at least a few days' journey, so we're super lucky he can provide ample entertainment." Wheeler laughed. "It's not like we'd have any other options anyways."

Priscilla sat in silence as Wheeler babbled on, continuing to excitedly list off things that sounded like her own personal hell.

Goodbye fair mermaids, she thought sadly, hello gloomy, rat-infested town. No doubt a miserable, boring, and utterly terrible three months lay ahead.

Well, at least Wheeler could get a pet rat out of it.