Marie skidded to a screeching halt just inside the door of the training grounds to avoid crashing into Carline. To her amusement, Carline had a slender golden hourglass in her hand, which had only a few grains of sand left in the top.

“You are just in time to avoid 10 extra sprint laps for being late.”

Carline said dryly.

“I know and I am so sorry, but father has basically attached a High Sorceress to my hip. Speaking of which she should be here any-”

Marie stopped talking as Minerva sauntered confidently into the training grounds. She smiled sickly sweet at Carline, whose brows rose slightly but she made no comment, opting to let Marie introduce them. Closing her eyes briefly in exasperation when she realize that neither woman would make the first move, Marie reluctanly introduced them.

"High Sorceress Minerva, this is my trainer Carline”

“Carline this is High Sorceress Minerva, she is apparently going to be teaching me etiquette....... although I don’t believe you ever told me how my father managed to convince you that it would be a good use of your time?”

Marie asked, angling the last part of her sentence at Minerva. Carline smirked slightly, as a trace of anger at being asked such a blatant question by her student flashed over Minerva’s face. The sorceress recovered quickly however and replied,

“Well, I suppose this is a good time for your first lesson in etiquette Marie. You should never ask a question that you have not been invited to ask.... especially in front of another person”

"If I never ask a question than how am I to get to know anyone High Sorceress?"

Marie questioned. Before the conversation could evolve into an argument, Carline clapped her hands briskly, interrupting the heated stares the two were sending each other, and said,

“On that note, Marie, your exercise for the day is the assault dummy. I have already gotten it out, I hope I don't have to say this but make sure you stretch before you start.”

Marie nodded and grinned, a channel of unspoken communication flowing between the girl and her mentor.

“Minerva is going to die of despair when she sees me take this dummy apart.... or when she sees it take me apart, depending on the dummy Carline chooses for today. No way will she want to teach me “etiquette” after this! Well played Carline.”

She thought, grinning as she limbered up before approaching the dummy. Before she got close enough for the magic that would bring the dummy to temporary life to activate though, she heard Minerva yell,

“Wait!”

Turning around in exasperation Marie prepared to defend herself for a rant on how it would be unladylike for her to fight the dummy, but Carline beat her to it.

“With all due respect High Sorceress, Marie may now be your student as well as mine, but this is currently the time that has been designated for me to teach h-”

Minerva cut her off,

“I understand and respect that this is your time with Marie, however, we have a very delicate problem on our hands right now.”

Carline cocked her head intrigued,

“And what might this problem be?

Holding up a black amulet Minerva explained that when it was golden, there was no malignant magic in the area(s) near it, and black when there was harmful magic near it.

“That so-called "training" dummy over there is throwing off a ton of harmful magical intent” the sorceress concluded.

After hearing her explanation, neither Marie nor Carline could contain their gales of laughter.

Minerva scowled,

“Don’t you two understand, that thing needs to be taken care of ASAP, it is very dangerous!”

Carline held up a hand, still doubled over from laughing so hard,

“I am truly sorry High Sorceress Minerva but I am afraid that there is no real danger.... that dummy has been enchanted to attack someone only when the proper passcode has been entered into it. It is a training tool, not something truly dangerous.”

Minerva frowned her brow creasing,

“Show me.”

That it was a demand and not a request did not go unnoticed by either Marie or Carline, but they both choose to ignore it. Both of them were far to eager to see Minerva's reaction to the dummy to be offended by her demand.

“Go on Marie, show the High Sorceress how it works.”

Carline told Marie, smiling as she saw her student's grin. Marie approached the dummy cautiously, waiting for it to make a move when she was just within its range.

Sure enough, it sprang to life aiming a roundhouse kick at her head. Marie deftly avoided the kick, nearly catching the dummy’s foot in the process. After a few more blows were exchanged and Marie managed to mark the dummy across the throat with her practice sword which caused it to shut down as it was a “fatal” blow.

“That is truly a very interesting training tool”

Minerva said, seeming genuine in her praise of the dummy.

"Oh really? Do you have any that are made for training magic users?"

Minerva asked.

"You mean ones that won't blow up the first time a fire enchanmanet or something similar is used on them?"

Carline clarified.

"Yes exactly."

Minerva responded.

"Unfornatly we do not have any magic users here on a regular basis so as of right now we do not have any magic proof dummies. However if you would "

“Thank you, both the one you just saw and the others in our inventory were enchanted by my aunt.”

Before Minerva got caught up trying to figure out who Carline’s aunt was, she caught on that Carline’s causal mention was a ploy to get Marie out of, or at least delay, her etiquette lesson.

“Alright Marie, you need to go take a shower, I will expect you in your living area, dressed presentably, in 45 minutes.”

Marie nodded in understanding, and said goodbye to Carline. Then she hurried to her rooms to shower and change.