The Other Witch: The Tavern At Which Adventure Begins

Hack had recovered several hours later, and proceeded directly to the nearest tavern, where he proceeded to buy the strongest drink available, down it without stopping for breath, then buy a round for everyone present proclaiming loudly, "Its finally happened.  I never would have believed it.  I always hoped for it, but I still don't believe it.  Gentlefolk, hell is officially frozen over."

Salvia had woken up the next morning in a room on the tavern's upper floor.  Hack had fallen asleep in the bathtub, and from the looks of things had managed to miraculously not throw up even once.  She found herself wondering if he'd slept their to be gentlemanly, or if he'd just cleaned up after himself.  She couldn't see herself having cleaned up after him, one bad boyfriend back in secondary school had been all the cleaning up after drunks she could handle.
The room was nice; high ceiling, wallpaper that wasn't peeling, and a bed that passed her sanitation test (no living creatures, bacteria, or bodily fluids detectable by magic).  The whole place was well lit, even the closets.  Fixtures in the bathroom were all brass.  Sink, toilet, and tub were fiberglass treated to look like porcelain.  The curtain was an opaque cream color with a pattern of all six of the classical elements of magic.  Normally a place this orderly and clean would have seemed a bit suspicious, but this was Krove.  No doubt the whole place would clean itself once they checked out and could be redecorated on a whim and a will by the owner.
What couldn't be changed was the view.  The window was non-magical, but needed no such enhancement to offer a grand sight.  The Arcane Academy, wrapped around Mount Hadougal, dominated the horizon.  The magics that had become embedded within the school, mountain, and even the very atmosphere of the planet, caused it to be surrounded by a perpetual pocket of prismatic vapors, giving it the appearance of being seen through a rainbow colored fog.  The Academy itself was a collection of sandstone structures, gorgeous gardens, and decidedly dangerous crypts.  During the school year, it was in session currently, students only left the grounds to carouse with the locals or go on questionable field trips with their professors.  Exactly what made these field trips questionable varied from teacher to teacher; the enchanting teacher often took whole classes out to hear obscure legends from distant locals, while several years back their had been a scandal involving the 'field trips' the former healing instructor had taken several female students on.
As Salvia stood admiring the view and reflecting on what it must be like to go to school at the Academy, she heard Hack roll out of bed, metaphorically speaking, and, after attending to his hygiene, he came out into the bedroom.
"I received some interesting news while we were sleeping.  Dire news, the sort that makes me re-plan my year."
"While you were...Are you psychic or something?"
"More of an ability to be more than one place at a time, its complicated, end of discussion.  Point is, I'm putting together a team, and you're on it.  We will most likely still run into your priest, considering the nature of the adventure, so none of your particular plans will be delayed substantially."  He paused a second to let it sink in a little before adding.  "If you've ever seen my adventures, you'll know that they are always worth your while."
"Your adventures?"
"You still don't know who I truly am, do you?  Has it even crossed your mind?"
Before Salvia could collect enough thought to be crossed, Hack pushed open the door and began walking towards the academy.  She followed silently as she began to wonder what sort of adventure she'd never actually quite signed up for.  Whatever it was, the pace was all wrong.  For starters, there still hadn't been a single fight, not even to set tone or establish someone as being powerful.  All she had were a vampire's assurances that the man she traveled with could outmatch an imperial guard as well as she could an angry bunny.  Whatever it was, she hoped they'd find someone who could properly explain what was going on, and soon.