Editing S03 – Wistram Days (Pt.5)

{{Infobox_episode|title = S03 – Wistram Days (Pt.5)|published = November 14, 2017|previousChapter = [[S03 – Wistram Days (Pt.4)]]|nextChapter = [[S03 – Wistram Days (Pt.6)]]|wordcount = 12,054|link=[https://wanderinginn.com/2017/11/14/wistram-days-pt-5/  S03 - Wistram Days (Pt. 5)]}}'''S03 – Wistram Days (Pt.5)''' is the fifth part of the [[Chapter List#Side Stories|side story]] of Wistram Days, the 39th chapter of [[Volume 3]] and the 11th chapter of [[Book 4]], '''Winter Solstice'''.

== tl;dr ==
A year later [[Montressa du Valeross|Montressa]] arrives in Wistram. Ceria and Pisces' expedition are ambushed by pirates and survive in part because of Pisces revealing to be a necromancer. He gets into trouble for that.

== Synopsis ==
A year after Ceria and Pisces passed their exams the new students that failed this year's final exam depart and the newest mages enter the banquet hall after their third day of partying. Pisces and Ceria are now in their second year at the academy and while they sit with Calvaron and Beatrice, now an item, a first year human, Montressa du Valeros approaches the table introduces herself. Montressa's family paid the full fees as she only arrived a week before the exam.

When Montressa asks about being tutored by one of the four Calvaron suggests Pisces and offers to pay him four small secrets on her behalf. Calvaron continues to boast about the two younger students accomplishments over the year as Ceria leaves to wait for Illphres. Illphres' class over the year had been gruelling. After waiting outside her office Ceria manages to catch Illphres heading to breakfast, and after revealing that she's become an [Elementalist] she begs Illphres to become her master.

Two months later Ceria finds Pisces, having just won his eighth duel this week and together they head to Montressa's room to study. Pisces had become fairly wealthy in both coin and secrets thanks to his duelling skills and as they walk Pisces tells Ceria that he has been meaning to tell her a big secret but they run into Mons before they do.

Two more months after Ceria mentions to Illphres that Wistram has been asked to take care of some of the pirate raids that have been occuring nearby and Ceria considers going. Illphres calls it arrogance but Ceria still thinks it should be fairly safe with the other older students. Illphres walks out onto a walkway over the ocean, Ceria stops, afraid of the heights. Illphres, having paid for the secret, tells Ceria to jump - she refuses and Illphres mentions that she wouldn't have taught her if she had, but not before causing her to slip and fall regardless.

Ceria survives the fall but winds up with a cold, Calvaron tries to convince her to stop chasing after Illphres and also for both Pisces and her not to go on the pirate hunting expedition. As he makes his argument Mons manages to cast the special message spell that Ceria and Pisces had developed for themselves.

Two weeks later Illphres is sitting alone in the banquet hall for once with Ceria and Pisces out chasing pirates. Jurix, a Dullahan Isolationist, tells her that Ophelia has agreed to join their plan bringing their group to four. Illphres plans to ask Amerys again to be their fifth but is interrupted. One of the other mages had received a message spell telling them that the hunting expedition was a trap, the students were surrounded by a fleet of six ships and would die without help.

With no Archmages nearby, Illphres and Jurix decide to help, Jurix leaves to get the other two members of their group, Bastam, a Drake, and Ophelia, a Stitch-Woman, so that the latter can teleport them. Illphres instead rushes off alone, by creating ice and skating across the ocean.

Ceria, Pisces and the other students try to fight off the Drownedfolk pirates but already half had died when the Pirate Captain advanced. Pisces duels a human pirate and ends up leaping from one ship to the other, the one that had been wiped out.

Ceria sees one of the enemy ships attempt to ram them, but a huge blade of ice cuts the ship in two. Illphres arrives and the Pirate's [Storm Captain] challenges her to a fight.

Pisces tires during his fight against the other pirate on the abandoned ship but suddenly the remaining corpses begin to rise allowing Pisces to kill him. The other pirates appear facing down the Necromancer.

During Illphres' fight with the Storm Captain, Ceria launches a surprise attack that fails and the Storm Captain breaks Illphres' mask. Illphres freezes him and the entire ship, and afterwards Ceria sees her true face damaged by frostbite.

Jurix, Bastam and Ophelia arrive in time to clean up the rest of the pirates. Ceria leaves the weakened Illphres to search for Pisces, but not before the rest of the students realise that he's a Necromancer. The students stare at him in horror and Ceria throws up.

Pisces is called to a hearing in front of the council, and although Wistram hadn't banned Necromancy explicitly he was there to argue his case for being allowed to stay at the school. Pisces declares that he admires Az'kerash and came to Wistram to follow in the [Archmage's] footsteps. After the debate Pisces' scholarship is rescinded and must pay the full fees if he wishes to stay.

Pisces returns to the group to gather money to pay for his studies but none are willing to lend it to him. Beatrice leaves and Pisces offers to sell his rapier and bell.

Ceria visits Illphres in her office and through their discussion Illphres calls Pisces a mage, just like herself and Ceria. Illphres accepts Ceria as her student.

== Characters ==
* [[Calvaron]]
* [[Beatrice]]
* [[Ceria Springwalker]]
* [[Pisces]]
* [[Montressa du Valeross]] ''(First Appearance)''
* [[Illphres]]
* Ramon ''(First Appearance)''
* Praemla ''(Mentioned)''
* Quesm ''(Mentioned)''
* [[Jurix]] ''(Identity Revealed)''
* [[Ophelia]] ''(First Appearance)''
* [[Bastam]] ''(First Appearance)''
* [Storm Captain] Pirate ''(First Appearance) (Deceased)''
* Red Robe Pirate Mage ''(First Appearance) (Deceased)''
* Tattoed Human Pirate ''(First Appearance) (Deceased)''
* [[Feor]] ''(First Appearance)''

== Locations ==
* [[Wistram]]
** [[Wistram Academy]]

== Creatures ==
* Zombies

== Items ==
* Illphres' Spellbook
* Enchanted Blade
[[Category:Chapters]]
[[Category:Side Stories]]
[[Category:Volume 3]]
[[Category:Book 4]]