It's been so long since I last published anything here in, but I still get asked about my previous fanfics and whether or not I will be finishing any of them, so I decided to do a bit of a foreword on this chapter before I jump into the adventure.
For my previous works "To Hell With The Handsome Ones" and "The Demon Boy" I can only say there is nothing certain about their future, and I say this because I have only recently regained my confidence and picked back up on writing again. Everything I wrote back in the years those works were uploaded has been greatly forgotten and/or lost. Maybe in a future I will pick them up and remake them at last, or maybe I'll keep them forgotten and continue to move on with other works. Nothing has been decided in the end, and I apologize for that.
As for this adventure, after seven years playing Skyrim and Oblivion, the titles have made me fall in love with the Elder Scrolls series, and after the release of Kingdom Hearts 3, I wanted to do a crossover between the two series I have loved since I first got my hands on them. This particular tale will follow the story of one of my Skyrim characters, Lily, as she meets Riku and King Mickey. The Mage of Winterhold will follow The College of Winterhold questline with as much fidelity as I can while bringing elements and characters from the Kingdom hearts series.
In the end, this is just for fun, and if all goes well with this story, I will move on to cover other questlines such as The Companions Questline (which is spoken of at one point of this chapter), the Thieves Guild Questline and finally the Main Questline (the one with Alduin and the Last Dragonborn). I hope this fanfic, in a way, also allows those who have not had a chance to play Skyrim (which I am sure might be few) to see what the game is about and vice versa for those that have not played Kingdom Hearts but follow the Elder Scrolls series.
Thank you in advanced for reading my story and remember a review will be greatly appreciated at the end, even if it's just to day "cool story bruh". Now without further words from this writer I give to you the first chapter of "The Mage of Winterhold".
Faction Data: The College of Winterhold
Founded by Archmagus Shalidor, the College of Winterhold is the only place in all of Skyrim devoted to the practice of all five schools of Magicka: Destruction, Conjuration, Restoration, Illusion and Alteration. Inhabited entirely by mages that come from all over Tamriel, it is also the only faction that practices the art of Necromancy freely.
Instructors of each magical discipline call the College their home and are always eager to pass on their knowledge to willing students and sell various artifacts of magical properties.
Chapter 1: Snowscape of Winterhold
"Gosh. It sure is cold here!" Mickey shuddered as he drew his hood over his head and pulled his jacket closer to his body.
"Agreed," Riku nodded as he too was buffeted by the cold and cutting winds of Skyrim's arctic tundra. He too drew his hood over his head and rubbed his hands together in a vain attempt to create some warmth. Before he could create enough friction between his hands, the cold winds snuffed out whatever warmth he had created.
Riku wasn't used to the low temperatures that befell him when he entered this new world. He had grown up in a warm and sunny island, with the concept of snow being foreign. It was one of the many things he never experienced while growing up, thanks to the tropical climate of the Destiny Islands, but something he had longed to see for a long time. He hadn't been able to see it, however, as the worlds he had visited so far were not in the winter season when he passed them. Now he was in, Skyrim, and it made both the young Keyblade Bearer and the King miserable. He was regretting ever wanting to see snow.
Skyrim was a world of rolling white slopes of snow that surrounded them in every direction, and there was nothing else to break the never-ending lack of color except for the occasional black blotch of a dry bush, patch of dirt or rocks to create some contrast and distract the eye. The skies above were cloudy and gray, threatening to let loose a storm of great proportions soon, and that worried the pair more than anything. If they were caught in the middle of a storm in the middle of nowhere, there was nowhere they could take refuge in, and that would spell danger for the pair.
It was ridiculous how his own clothes could not protect him from the harsh cold, despite the enchantments laid upon them by Master Yen Sid and the Good Fairies. It was as if he was standing bare naked to the elements. And more importantly, it took him only a minute of standing in the cold to actually feel it seeping through the fabric and to his bones to the point he feared standing in the open for long would freeze them both to death soon before the storm even began to fall.
"We need to find a way out of this cold," Riku said, looking around and trying to find a road that would hopefully lead them to shelter and a warm place. To his dismay there was no indicator to tell him which way to go, or a road that he could see. Everything was snow, rocks and dry bushes that had long ago burned in the savage cold winds.
"I said get back!" a young woman's voice cried from nearby. "I'm warning you! I don't want to hurt you!" the voice said again.
"Sounds like someone's in trouble," Riku said before breaking into a run towards the source of the voice. "Hey!" he called out into the open. "Is anyone out there? Are you ok?!"
"Please, help me! I can't keep these creatures away!" the woman called back; her voice full of relief that she was not alone in the cold wilderness.
Riku and the King found the source of the voice not far from where they had been dropped by the gummi ship─well beyond the snow desert path and thankfully on a stone paved road.
The young woman held up a form of protecting spell with one arm in front of her while she kept an eye to the creatures behind her, trying to keep at bay the advancing Shadows that slowly crept towards her from both directions. She was surrounded and had nowhere to run to, any exit she could have had was blocked by the blasted dark creatures. Not far from where she stood, was a familiar helmeted figure.
"Vanitas!" Riku cried as he summoned his keyblade.
There was no reaction Riku could see from The Masked Boy─his face hidden under his helmet. Vanitas only turned his head to see and acknowledge him before he was swallowed by a corridor of darkness, leaving behind his victim at the mercy of the Heartless.
"Stay away!" the woman warned again as she let a small fireball fly from her free hand towards the Heartless, intentionally missing them; almost afraid to actually hurt the small beings, of that Riku was sure. That would not help her; the Heartless wouldn't care about a little fireball meant to scare them away.
"Hey!" Riku cried, summoning his keyblade and racing towards the group. "How about you try me instead?!" he added as jumped and landed between the Heartless and the young woman.
The Shadows turned their heads towards him, wriggled their antennas before lunging towards him without second thought. He figured, compared to the young woman, he would be a more attractive target. That fact would give her the opportunity to escape while they attacked him.
"Hurry! Run away as fast as you can!" He said as the Heartless broke their formation and attacked him. He swatted the annoying little pests away with practiced ease.
The young woman didn't need to be told twice, and she bolted past him and away from the Heartless just as King Mickey arrived to help.
"Go with her Mickey. I can handle these nuisances."
Of course, Mickey didn't object to his decision. Shadows weren't as frightening or dangerous as other Heartlesses they had face in their time traveling together, and Riku had already fought swarms of them on his own before; taking care of a small band of them was not big deal or actual threat. He would have them dispatched quickly without any help. He'd been in tougher situations after all.
Much to his annoyance, however, some of the Heartless ran past him and towards the King and the woman that had bolted. Thankfully King Mickey saw this, and turned, aiming his keyblade and letting loose a volley of fire bolts from its tip. The fireballs all met their target, and whatever Heartless survived the fiery barrage met their end with Riku's own Keyblade, effectively dispatching them in record time, much to their satisfaction.
"Phew...thanks for the help!" said the young woman as she approached them carefully, studying them to see if they could be trusted. "I-i thought those things would be the death of me," she added, a bit skittishly as she rubbed her hands. "T-they weren't scared of anything I threw at them! And I tried everything! Gods above, really, I can't thank you enough!"
She was surprisingly short; not even as tall as Kairi and that was saying something. Riku's childhood friend at least reached his nose, this woman barely reached his shoulders, and underneath the heavy fur cloak that protected her from the elements she looked like she was traveling with a tent over her shoulders. Her hair was auburn in color with wild long curls that reminded him a bit too much of Princess Merida and escaped their confines underneath the fur hood of her cloak, though the DunBroch Princesses's hair was way wilder and redder than this woman's. The most peculiar thing about her, however, was the heterochromia in her eyes─ a blue iris on her right, the other green; definitely not something he saw every day.
"My name is Lillium Laurus...or Lily if you want, I know, it's less complicated," she chuckled and shrugged. "I'm a mage from the College of Winterhold," she introduced herself. "I hope that's ok with you. I'm aware a lot of the locals aren't too fond of magic…. or of mages like me."
"Y-yeah," Riku shuddered as a gust of cold air hit him. "No need to worry. I have no problem with mages." He extended his hand to shake it with her as part of his introduction. "I'm Riku...and this is King Mickey."
Lily took his hand in her gloved one and shook it. "A pleasure to meet you Riku...and it's an honor to meet you, your Highness," she gave a small curtsy towards King Mickey, who was shuddering harder than before, if that was ever possible. "Oh dear. Those clothes won't do at all in this part of the province. Don't you have some furs you can use?"
"W-we're actually kind of new here," the King said. "O-obviously pretty unprepared for this place."
"Well you're lucky to have made it this far up north without freezing to death," Lily said as she began undoing the knot of her fur cloak. "We should get you to the inn and get you something warm for your bellies. I'm sure you can buy some fur's from Birna's Oddments once we get to the city."
"S-sounds better than stumbling in the snow, that's for sure," Riku agreed.
"Good. Then, here," she said as she took off her fur cloak and handed it to Mickey. "I'm more used to the temperature here already, and I'm pretty warm under my robes as it is. You can use it, Your Majesty."
"Gawrsh. There's no need for that," the King said. "R-riku...you should take them. You look like you need them the most."
Lily looked at him in waiting before Riku nodded his head and took the furs. They were still pleasantly warm from Lily's own body heat, and the cloak felt soft on his own body, especially since they blocked the punishing cold winds.
Mickey, who had his own fur. Dealt with the cold as best as he could-wrapping his arms and thin tail around his body and rubbing his arms with his gloved hands. Then Lily shuddered and huffed, her breath coming out in a cloud of vapor.
"Come on then. Winterhold is not far from here and I can tolerate this for a while. If we stay gawking at each other night will catch us, and so will the coming storm, and the cold and beasts of Skyrim will show no kindness to anyone caught in the dark."
Riku and the King followed the mage in silence towards the City of Winterhold, and in the back of his mind the human Keyblade Bearer decided, he would give this new world-Skyrim-an opportunity to see its worth as he searched for Kairi. So far, however, he hated it.
Riku found out soon enough, that unless he got into a building with a burning hearth, there was no warmth whatsoever in Winterhold Hold.
During his journey towards the city he had created a mental image of an actual bustling city with people and mages walking about to and from the magnificent College Lily had described to them on their brief journey. Every person in warm winter cloaks, their arms packed with parchments, books and scrolls and maybe bags brimming with potions. The Winterhold her arrived to, was nothing like what he had expected, it was in fact, the total opposite. The "city" wasn't even the shadow of a village.
The main road was the only road in the small settlement and on either side, it was lined with broken down or abandoned and decrepit wooden structures with roofs that had collapsed long ago under the weight of the accumulated snow. Snowberry bushes grew wildly within the abandoned homes and the sides of the road. One or two rickety buildings like the Jarl's Longhouse and a few inhabited houses that also served as shops made up most of the inhabited town with only the Inn seeming welcoming enough to anyone that passed by; though with a name like "The Frozen Hearth" Riku hoped he didn't have to sleep on a block of ice.
Beyond the Inn, however, Riku noticed that the land gave way to a huge cliff that surrounded the remaining buildings and plummeted several feet down and into a steep cliff that overlooked a stretch of snowy beach of black sand and rocks.
"Not what you expected?" Lily asked as soon as she saw his horror stuck face. He nodded without a word, his eyes still taking in the level of poverty, destruction and misery the town was currently in.
The guards themselves looked demoralized, and with reason. What was there to guard? The only buildings that had survived and kept a semblance of welcome could be counted with the digits of a single hand. There was very little to protect and the cold was enough to give them the final blow to their morale as well, as many shivered even under their fur armors and wished for nothing more than a warm fire to comfort them.
"Don't worry, I was just as surprised when I first arrived," Lily admitted. "What with the mages all being here and coming from all over to study magic and such. You'd think the town would have more movement and life to it, but really all that's left is what you see."
"What happened here?" Mickey asked, almost with caution, not wanting his obliviousness to come off as rude.
"Well...no one really knows for sure," Lily began to explain. "It was almost a century ago. Arch-Mage Savos Aren said the Sea of Ghosts became violent and began to beat against the cliffs that held up the city. The terrain gave into the furious waves and rainstorm and eventually nearly all the city was swallowed up by the sea bellow. Then you have others that will tell you the Great Collapse came as part of the aftermath of the eruption of Red Mountain all the way in Morrowind, back in the Third Era." She shrugged. "No one really knows for sure what caused the whole thing, but the destruction was great enough to leave the city destroyed after years of it having occurred. What you see around, is all that is left from the incident"
"And the College?" Riku wondered.
Lily pointed at the far end of the road, where an archway stood all on its own at the edge of the precipice but beyond the stairs leading up to it Riku couldn't exactly see anything else.
"The College is just across the archway-past the bridge," Lily explained. "The road to it is perilous, and not at all enjoyable, but necessary to reach the College."
"Alright...so we're headed there then," Riku said, determined to see the College.
To his surprised, Lily stopped him before he could keep going.
"Don't rush yourself, only students can enter the College and well...you need to prove yourself valuable to the College in order to gain admittance," Lily chuckled. "I'm headed to the Frozen Hearth for food and something warm to drink first before headed to the College. Since you both look like you could both use some food as well, how about I treat you both as a little thanks for saving me earlier? Afterwards we can see how we can get you some admittance into the College."
Riku and Mickey both exchanged a quick glance.
"Alright," the King consented. "Sounds better than standing out in the cold anyways."
Thankfully, "The Frozen Hearth" was not an igloo or an actual frozen hearth.
A roaring pyre laid at the center of the wooden structure and filled the place with a welcoming warmth. Few patrons─or the few that still lived in Winterhold, Riku figured─had gathered there that evening to eat and drink; chatting silently among themselves and some trying to avoid walking close to their table.
The food was also hot, thankful enough, and it was so savory Riku could hardly stop himself from overeating. The buttered bread melted in his mouth, the steaming hot venison stew warmed his belly and bones when it washed down his throat, and the slice of apple pie and cup of milk got him all nice and full, to the point his body felt sluggish and tired when he finished. He couldn't remember when was the last time he had eaten food so good, so he figured it had been quite a while.
Winterhold could have been empty and cold, but the food was good enough to satisfy him and the King. And at least some of the locals seemed welcoming enough of them.
On occasion, one or two would glance in their direction, specially at Lily, who would either ignore them or was unaware she was being stared at. It was more than likely she didn't care, as she was too busy with her own meal. She picked at her vegetable soup and nibble on a chicken dumpling while Riku and the King ate. Meanwhile her drink remained untouched for a while, and she stared at it as if debating what to do with it when she had finished eating.
Even from where he sat Riku could pick up the smell of fermented honey and a tinge of alcohol. That only meant one thing: mead. Funny enough Lily didn't look like someone that would have that sort of drink in the first place...then again...what did he know? He'd only known her for a couple of hours.
"If I might ask. Why have you two come so far up north? There's nothing up here other than the College; and you don't look like aspiring arch-mages," she pointed out, catching him off guard. He had not expected the question and he hadn't really thought much of an explanation for her for if she even asked.
"We're looking for some friends of ours that arrived to Skyrim before us," the King quickly explained. "We think they might be in trouble."
"Oh dear," the young woman said, putting down her spoon and looking at him with concern in her features. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked.
"Maybe. Do you know anyone by the name of Kairi, or Sora; or maybe even Lea?" King Mickey continued.
"Oh yes! I know of Kairi!" she chirped quickly and Riku was caught off guard by that. "Red headed girl with blue eyes, with a pink dress and cheery disposition?" Riku's body almost jolted to attention as soon as the description was given.
"You know Kairi? How?" he wondered.
"Well...I only crossed path with her a few times at Whiterun," Lily explained. "Last I saw her was actually almost a few weeks ago."
"And do you know if Kairi is still in Skyrim?" Riku asked.
Lily only shrugged. "Again. The last time I saw her she was with the Companions in Jorrvaskr and that was a week ago. If she's at Whiterun or if she left to one of the other holds or even to another province of Tamriel, I cannot tell you. You would have to go to Whiterun to see if she is still there. I could also write a letter to the Harbinger inquiring about her, but I would have to wait for a currier to get up here and for the letter to arrive to her. That our course would take some time."
"Was she at least safe?" Riku asked.
"Safe?" Lily chuckled. "I'd hate to see the poor bandit that stood in that girl's way. She's as fierce as a bear with that Keyblade weapon of her's. She helped the Companions recover the shards of Wuuthrad and helped saved my life as well. The Harbinger would have proudly instated her to The Circle had she not declined the offer. Something about still having to find her friends," shrugged again. "I'm guessing she meant you."
"More than likely," Riku said halfheartedly. He had hoped to find Kairi quickly, but now it seemed they had made land too far away from her. He would have to travel to Whiterun and find her now...wherever that was.
"Hey…" she nudged him with her elbow. "She was fine last I saw her. If that brings at least a bit of peace of mind to you. I told you, she knows how to fight for herself and is one of the bravest souls I've seen so far in this province."
"I know...but I... grew up with her. I've known her since we were kids," Riku explained. "I need to find her and see for myself if she's ok."
"Well...that's understandable. But you obviously look like you're ill prepared to be traveling around Skyrim," Lily reminded them. "You should stick around for a while. Get provisions and supplies to travel south to Whiterun city. The walk from here to Whiterun Hold is easily around a fortnight, so I suggest you plot and get ready for a long and dangerous journey."
Riku nodded. "Right. I'm sure we can handle that."
"Good. If your intention is to go to Whiterun then just stick to the main road and don't leave it until you find the next road sign. The roads of Skyrim are well labeled at least." The mage stood up, finished the last bit of her tankard and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her robes. "Now, ss promised, food and drinks were on me. Now, I must get to the College, so this is where I get up and say my goodbyes."
"Right," Riku nodded. 'Thanks for this Lily...and for telling me about Kairi. Any chance we could...you know, join you at the College when we're done? I just want to make sure Kairi is safe."
"Hm... maybe I can speak to Faralda or Mirabelle and see what they come up with," Lily said. "Just what School of Magica are you mostly versed in?"
"Uh?" Riku and the King exchanged confused glances.
"Well...I've managed to be good at casting "-zeta" magic," the King explained,
Lily pursed her lips in thought for a moment. "Ok...is that, some form of Elemental magic? Or part of the School of Destruction?"
"Think of it more as Elemental," Riku confirmed. "We just come from very far away and the spells we know, might be different from the ones you practice."
"Hm... there's no debating with that logic," the mage shrugged. "Alright, at least you have that in your favor, so I'll see what I can do."
The mage smiled at him and went to the bar, where the innkeeper was serving a few tankards of mead, to pay off the food and drinks they had each ordered.
"You know Riku...I think we should stick around," Mickey said once Lily was out of earshot.
"What?" Riku blinked twice before looking at King Mickey. "Why? Kairi's at Whiterun and she's the one we're looking for!"
"I know...but Vanitas seemed interested on Lily and whatever the reason, it must be of importance to us as well," the King pointed out.
Riku sighed and looked over at the counter, were Lily stood chatting casually with the innkeeper. The young woman did seem to have a strong light about her and she'd so far seemed to be a very kind soul interested on helping others. The young Keyblade bearer sighed in defeat.
"Alright...so you want to stick around and see why Vanitas is so interested on this girl?"
"Yeah," King Mickey nodded. "I mean…. why would he target a mage all the way up here? There must be something or someone that he and Xehanort are interested in, and Lily is currently our only clue as to what they want right now."
It made sense. And the way Lily's light shone. He could only imagine she was the one they were after.
"Alright…" Riku relented. "But if we get the chance, we are going to Whiterun to find Kairi."
"Deal." The King nodded.
"Lily!" Riku called after the mage as she walked out and back into her fur cloak and hood.
She looked back at them and smiled. "Need anything?" She wondered.
"Sort of…" Riku said trying to come up with a sensible excuse to have her let them tag along. "You think we could go to the College with you now? We're both dying to see it and well...we don't exactly have anywhere to stay at the moment."
Lily pursed her lips.
"Um...well…" she looked up at the sky, the sun was no visible, but the little light that filtered through the clouds above seem to assure her they still had time before night settled. "I guess there is some time for you guys to speak with Mirabelle. Are you sure this is what you want though? No offence, but you honestly don't look like someone that would practice magic."
"We're sure," the King said. "I'm a magic student myself under the tutelage of Master Yen Sid and so is Riku. We would like to see Winterhold and study here for a while. Of that is ok."
Lily stared at him for a moment and took a sharp breath.
"Ok. I'll take you to see Mirabelle then," she said. "But be ready; the path to the College is dangerous."
When Lily said "the road to the College was dangerous", Riku hadn't expected it to be a bridge dangling several meters above a precipice and in a severe state of disrepair. There were areas where the railing and part of the bridge itself had collapsed to Oblivion, giving them a clear view of the fall they would take to the unseen floor below should they give a wrong step. The drop was so large, the falling snow blocked their view of whatever awaited beneath them. The sight made even Mickey nervous and the winds scared Riku as they threatened to push him to his death.
Meanwhile, Lily walked casually, glancing back at them and pausing when she realized they fell behind due to their fear.
"Don't worry, I've crossed this bridge many times," Lily assured them. "If you keep looking down, you'll only paralyze yourself."
"I-i know…" Riku said, looking at her and following her advice. "I've jumped from high places but this one is just...ridiculous. I can't even see the bottom through all the mist and snow!"
Lily sighed and went back, slipping her arm around his and helping him.
"Just, walk. Take it easy and don't let fear rule you," she assured him. "When you let fear overtake you, you do mistakes and those mistakes can leave you vulnerable."
It was a very basic rule he'd followed since he had first begun to practice swordsmanship, and one he had taken to heart after his return from the Darkness. To hear Lily remind him came as a sort comfort.
"Right," he said and continued to follow her.
"Is this the only way to the College?" King Mickey wondered.
"Unfortunately," Lily confirmed. "But don't worry. If I got used to it, so can you."
So they managed to cross after the longest five minutes of their lives passed, and the due were left breathless at the end of the bridge. Lily only watched them in mild amusement as they tried to gather their wits.
Once inside the College of Winterhold, Riku saw the place was like an entire new world within Skyrim.
The College itself was built like a fortress, with tall walls, towering several meters over them. At the entrance, a large statue stood proudly with open arms as if welcoming anyone that crossed the gates to the College and passed by it. In front of it, a well of ethereal magic glowed with energy and lit the courtyard but produced no warmth whatsoever.
Riku stared at the statue as they passed, as Lily took a sharp turn to the left as soon as they entered the courtyard. The small woman opened a door for them and Riku and the King went inside without much protest. Inside, the building it was warm and cozy, various dormitories visible right from the entrance and full of people all working on their projects, sorting through their belonging and gathered for a study group of sorts.
"Mirabelle should be around here," Lily told them as she gazed into the different rooms trying to identify the person she was looking for. Then she guided them up a flight of stairs and led them to a second floor where more rooms were found, only these were emptier than the first floor.
In one of the rooms sat a lone woman at a table, munching on some bread and going through a scroll as she did so. It was this woman that Lily approached.
"Mirabelle! I'm back from the excavation at Saarthal," the younger mage announced and the older woman looked back at her from where she sat. "I need to speak to the Arch-Mage but before that I have two erm...gentlemen...that want to join the college. These are Riku and..."
"Mickey!" the King quickly interjected before Lily could mention his title. "Just call me Mickey." The mouse winked at the mage who nodded in understanding.
The woman-Mirabelle-was older than Lily and slightly taller than the younger mage. Her hair was short and well kept, brown in color, and she had a stern gaze that demanded respect. She switched her gaze from the mage in front of her and looked at the intruding duo.
"Interesting,:" she said as she took a particular interest on Mickey, staring at the King for a while. "Alright…" she said as she set down the load of bread in her hand and slapped the crumbs off her hands. "Go on ahead and update the Arch-Mage with whatever findings Tolfdir has sent you with while I review or applicants," she told Lily.
"At once," Lily said before turning and smiling at Riku. "Good luck."
And with that Lily was gone. That left the King and Riku with Mirabelle who turned on her seat to face the pair, inspecting them and thinking what to do with them. Riku and Mickey only stood in silence, waiting for her verdict.
"Alright gentlemen," the woman finally said, her voice stern and strong. "I'm Mirabelle Ervine, the Master Wizard here at the College. I run the day-to-day operations, so if there are any question you would like to ask, you can come to me or any of our instructors, whom will always be eager to help you and share their knowledge," she stood up. "Before we can fully accept you as a full student here at the College, I will request that you provide a sample of your magical abilities so that I might direct you to the proper instructors that will be guiding you during your time here at the College."
"Erm...sure…" Riku shrugged.
"Good," Mirabelle stood up and beaconed for them to follow. She guided them back outside the College and had them stand before the statue at the entrance. "Please allow me to see a spell you are good at."
Riku and Mickey exchanged glances, both trying to figure out which spell would be best for the situation and who would perform first. In the end Mickey took the first performance, casting a spell of Thundaga that landed by the feet of the statue, and left a scorch mark on the floor.
Riku performed next, with a simple Reflaga spell that might have lasted for a mere second, but one which Mirabelle seemed to find interesting, because she looked at him with a bit of fascination in her features.
"Interesting. Your used of the thunder spell is certainly unheard-of Mickey, and your use of a ward, Riku, is quite unorthodox, but effective. I would advise you to approach Faralda, she can instruct you in the performance of more advanced destruction magic." Mickey nodded in understanding. "As for you," she looked at Riku. "Collette might be a bit difficult to work with but she is the best at the School of Restoration. For the development of your skills I can also suggest you attempt to pick up on other Schools of Magic."
"So... does this mean we're in?" Riku wondered.
"Indeed," Mirabelle nodded. "You have shown you have aptitude for the magickal arts. Therefore, the doors of the College and its resources are at your disposal. Welcome to the College of Winterhold."