The envelope randomly teleported into the middle of the dinner table. Zac blinked.
"Okay," he said, a little dumbfounded. "Huh, hey Saku it has your name on it."
Saku took a closer looked and took in the bold calligraphy that did indeed spell his name.
"So it does," he said.
Saku looked at his hand, a little greasy from the chicken, and opted to wash his hands before sating his curiousity. Once his hands were dry, he picked up the enveloped and slit it open. The letter inside was written on a piece of fancy paper, which Saku noted as he unfolded it.
Zac watched as Saku's eyes grew larger and rounder in amazement and when his curiousity became too much to bear, gave into his impatience to inquire.
"I've been invited to do an interview tomorrow. For... for..." Saku swallowed hard. "For a position at Draíochta Ollscoil."
"Where?"
"Draíochta Ollscoil. It's basically the magic university. You can't apply for admittance; you have to be invited. And invitations are rare enough that a lot of people even doubt it exists."
"I guess it does then," Zac nodded, not entirely understanding what this meant.
"If I... if I get in..." Saku said slowly. "They'll... I'll have access to all the resources I need to master any branch of magic I want. I could master all of them and become an archmage if I want. Well... I don't actually want to be an archmage, but the point is that I could."
"Can't do that at the Watcher Academy?"
Saku shook his head.
"Magic is taught secondary, in favour of demonology and other related subjects for the purpose of training Watchers. Y'know, for the slayers," Saku explained. "It's like that in most places that teach magic: it's either basics to advanced over a broad range of disciplines, or mastery in one. Some people give up trying to learn at a school and opt to become an apprentice. Draíochta Ollscoil teaches everything to mastery level. But as I said, it's invitation only."
"And... you have one..."
Saku took a deep breath and nodded, his heart pounding.
"I was starting to look around for another school to go to - I've pretty much exhausted the library at the Watcher Academy - but this I... I never even considered Draíochta Ollscoil a possibility."
"Well, you did say that invites were rare," Zac nodded, then gave his son a big grin. "Hey congratulations. I'm sure your interview will go fine."
"Oh hell... it's tomorrow. Great, now I'm going to be a nervous wreck all day," Saku buried his head. "I may never get to sleep."
Zac laughed.
"That'll be the day."