Alistar pushed all weighted thoughts from his mind as the others began to make a game of racing to finish their ale. Joining in with fervour, he entertained the reckless competition until he was well and drunk, the Lawsons constantly retrieving the jugs from the table in order to refill them in the cold room at the back end of the tavern where the ale was stored.
A short while after their reckless game had come to an end, a red-faced Zech spoke up in a boisterous voice. "Aren't we forgetting something?" Raising his cup, which he didn't seem to realize was empty, he said, "Lessa was just promoted to a sixth-tier apprentice mage. That's a big deal, isn't it?"
"You were?" perked up Rosa, pride in her usually timid eyes. "That's amazing, Lessa! That means you'll be a full-fledged mage before long."
