Abatheo: Guild

Lisette was leaving?

Aria frowned through her glass of whiskey. She didn't know the girl very well, but the cheerful archer's prescence had always managed to brighten up the atmosphere no matter the situation, and it would be a shame to lose that.

"Take care," she joined in the farewell wishes with a small smile. "and come back safely, you hear?"

Selan's and Don's departure was even more unexpected, and the Pride reacted with shock. Losing three members in one blow, all of them core members- this was a hard blow to them all. The following speech by Don, though admittedly cheesy, brought tears to everyone's eyes.

And that means you have to look after Big Sis, and our other sises, and all of our other little bros! Like… like Light Bro! And Mage Bro! And Lucy Bro! And our new Little Bro too!”

Aria also felt a sense of relief as she took a sip of her drink, feeling her fatigue wash away as the familiar warmness spread through her chest. Lute would be joining them, and already he had been accepted into their little group despite his initial (adorable) awkwardness. Yes, he would fit in well-

“BLOBFISH BRO!!!”

Aria nearly spat out her drink.

The three would would be departing tomorrow, so tonight would be designated to celebrating their victory over the Dream Eater even if it was temporary, and to the friendship of the Pride. The rest of the drink downed, Ari stood up with a small yawn. Perhaps she would go for some ice cream later as well.

Abatheo: Guild

“BIG BRO?!” Trixie and Dylan both shouted in unison. “YOU… YOU CAN’T GO TOO!!!”

It was just too much. What had started as a tearful goodbye to one friend had quickly spiraled out of control. First Lisette, then Selan, and now his Big Bro? It made such perfect sense - Don adored Selan, of course he’d follow her. He’d follow the woman around the world and risk life and limb for her and she’d never even have to ask. His love for her was immense, if somewhat overwhelming and possibly one-sided. These flaws didn’t make it any less beautiful, though, only more romantic.

“DYLAN!!” Don suddenly span on the spot again. “You’re no longer Little Bro! From now on… now on you’re the Big Bro! And that means you have to look after Big Sis, and our other sises, and all of our other little bros! Like… like Light Bro! And Mage Bro! And Lucy Bro! And our new Little Bro too! BLOBFISH BRO!!!”

It was an intense responsibility. Despite his craziness Don was the heart of their little group, who brought cheers and laughter and the occasional face-palm, but nothing could replace him. Reaching out with shakey hands, Dylan accepted the shades with a smile. “I’ll take care of them, Bro, you can count on me.” Even though it was night, even though they were inside, Dylan slid the glasses on, spinning around and striking a pose. “Bros! Do not worry! I shall protect you all!”

The next morning would be sad, when they split up and headed in different directions. But they were the Pride, and tonight they would celebrate all the memories they had, all the victories under their belt, and all the booze then could drink.

C’mon everyone. We and Lisette will leave tomorrow, but tonight… let’s have a party, yes?” Selan said, seeming to catch onto the idea as well. “To friends. To each other.”

“To the Pride!”

Abatheo Guild
So, it turned out it wasn't just Lisette who would be leaving them. Syed waved away Lucien's offer as he continued to watch it all unfold, abeit at a bit of a distance. Selan's reasoning... resonated a lot. He lowered his eyes as he fiddled with his fingers.

Yeah. He couldn't blame her at all.

Of course, wherever Selan went Don followed. His obsession wasn't exactly healthy, but then again Selan wasn't exactly objecting either. Wait, why did Don think he needed looking after?! Why was Dylan agreeing with him?! "Hey, wait a minute-!"

Moira said nothing more - other than taking an ice cream from Lucien at least - and opted instead for scowling into her drink. This is how it begins, huh? Leaving one by one, until there's nobody left. She'd seen it happen before, she wouldn't exactly be suprised to see it again. After all... none of them were like those who had joined their group and left after a mission or two. These were people who had been there since the beginning, more or less. Pah. She brought her glass up to her lips.

Syed had stood up again, laughing and flushing a little from a nice dose of second hand embarrassment. Not that he minded that, somehow. Oh gods, he was going to miss these guys, even if it was promised to be relatively short-term. "Yeah, for the Pride," he raised his glass, coming to a stop to wait for Moira. "And for i-" he caught himself, internally berating himself a little, "for when we meet again."

There was the sound of a glass slamming against the bar behind him, and suddenly Moira strode past and after the others. Sod it. "Come on then, let's give you lot a proper send off," she said gruffly, pushing any stragglers after them. If the others were going to celebrate it, then there was no way she was going to be left moping.

Abatheo: Guild

Lisette's announcement to leave had come so quickly. Whatever was in her letter had to be serious - she wouldn't even reveal the contents, much less allow anyone else to join her. Trixie pouted; if she had stayed like that any longer, she might have started to cry then and there. Lisette reassured everyone that she would be returning, but for Trixie...

"Lissa, no! You can't leave! This is our mission, together! All of us! And, and we can, we can come with you. Come on..."

Her whining was stopped by Amy's hand to her shoulder. Moira had passed by her earlier and notified her that Lisette was departing. Rather than remain at the bar, Amy promptly excused herself to return to Lisette for a proper farewell. It was odd for the cleric, really. She had grown to be so angry at the archer after the events in Weir, but ever since their tagteam in Vandrell, the girl had improved so much. To see her suddenly have to depart was...

"Do what you have to do, Lisette. Just stay safe."

"Yeah, you promised you'd come back! So you better!" Trixie chimed in. Dylan followed up, offering to sketch their journeys for the archer, and even Amy couldn't help but subtly grin at his suggestion. Lisette would be missed.

---

But the gods had decided that her departure wasn't enough. Selan offered to join Lisette, explaining that she too was in need of a break - though Amy could see right through her tone that the reasoning behind it was much more deep. Even after their departure from Thaum, Selan seemed out of it. Was it her nightmare?

This dancer had done so much for the two. Trixie looked up to her as a motherly figure, which always put Amy herself to ease. She was one of the only faces Amy found herself able to open up to during her stages of easing into such a massive group. It was thanks to her Amy was able to make such a transition - and though Amy said no words, Selan could see the gratitude in her emerald eyes.

Amy nodded, bidding the songstress a goodbye as well, before reaching out for her hand and clutching onto it. Trixie began to tear up, ready to jump at the dancer and cling onto her robes. But Amy held her in check, her hand firm on her shoulder. Trixie bit her lip. "Why are you guys leaving... I thought we were family..." she murmured, too low for either of the two to hear.

Trixie's ice cream dropped to the floor. Don followed up with his intention to follow them. No. No, this was too much. She cried out in unison with Dylan, but their pleas were turned down. "Superbro... come on... please, you can't--"

"LITTLE MISSY! THIS... THIS IS FOR YOU!"

"Superbro, n, no, I can't..." she shook her head, face matted in tears. She hunched her shoulders. "I can't--why do--why does everybody have to leave...!? You're su... super..."

"YOU'RE A SUPERHERO, TRIXIE! YOU'RE MY SUPERHERO!"

Trixie cried and leapt into the man's arms. Estelle waited for the moment to settle before holding the prankster's hand along with Lisette's.

Abatheo Guild:

At first Lute was just content to sit down and wait it out, but Don’s antics caught his attention and he got up to see what was happening. A few seconds in from his position by the sidelines and he deduced that not just Lisette was leaving; Selan was going with her too and that spurred the man to tag along. Lute was a little more than dismayed to see his new idol declare his intention to depart but he shouldn’t complain… Besides, the three of them said they would return… He discreetly stepped back and turned away from the touching scene, but then… “And our new Little Bro too! BLOBFISH BRO!!”

Delilah and Lute simultaneously facepalmed.

Anyway, since most everyone had their focus on Don by the time, Lute walked over to where Selan and Lisette are and held out his hand. “Um… I know I haven’t been around too long, well, basically just like I just popped in with you guys for a day, so this can sound a bit forward… But please stay safe and return to your friends! That… That’s all, goodbye! Bon voyage!” Before either girls could take the proffered hand Lute shrieked and ran away from the two of them, although they might have known that it was long coming since his face rapidly climbed shades the more he spoke.

The Pride really was a tightly knit group. That much the virtuoso was certain as he retreated a safe distance and watched Dylan and Trixie react to their bro’s words. The emotion they showed for each other sort of unsettled him, making him feel like he was intruding on a personal event, and twanging sounds started to play around Lute as he nervously inched away from the trio and nearer to Aria who was having a glass of whiskey.

Despite his discomfort at having to witness these sort of farewells, Lute couldn’t deny the fact that it was appealing to belong in a group of people who cared about you up to this level. Although tomorrow might be the best time to skip out because there might be waterworks, tonight was supposed to be about fun and celebration… So let’s get to it, then!

"It sucks that Lisette and Kapi are leaving," Lucien had his head on the table, cheek pressed against his empty tray.

Xan sighed. "It can't be helped, it seems really important."

"I know, I know, but it takes everyone to make the Pride, y'know?" He pushed himself out of his seat, hoping to get a glass of water, but a new revelation stopped him in his tracks, Selan and Don would be leaving too. "Wait what?" The summoner watched as Don began to yell. He had made a choice and while it was initially shocking, in the end it made a lot of sense, he had always been head-over-heels in love with Selan. Lucien battled a frown, saying goodbye to three people in one day, he hadn't been expecting that.

Don began to give them all a speech before he and Trixie shared an embrace.

Xan smiled at the scene. She hadn't known them for very long, but what she did know was that they were great people. It was sad, having to part ways with them. Things would be very different without Lisette's cheerfulness, Selan's calm suggestions, and Don's antics, but they'd soldier on and when the time was right they'd all see each other again. "Take care out there and Don, don't get any of those two into trouble."

Soon enough several guilders had their eyes on the pride.

"Don't worry about us," Lucien mustered up a grin and gave Don a thumbs up. "I'll help Dylan look after everyone and remember the boss can handle anything. When you guys return, we'll have a ton of awesome tales to tell you, so there'll be that to look forward to, yeah?"

Selan suggested a celebration and Lucien waved a hand at the nearest waiter. "Waiter! All the ice cream we can eat on me!"

“To the Pride!”

With a smile, Xan raised a glass of juice in the trio's direction. These people really were something and she looked forward to the challenges and everything that was to come.

Atlas who had been lingering in the background made his way towards the others. "You three stay safe, alright?" He placed a hand on Lute's shoulder and gave them a grin. "The least I can do is the pay the bill. You all did great back at Thaum." The magician wasn't one for words, but it was pretty much his way of thanking them. They were swell people. The guy with the sunglasses and jacket, he made a bit of a scene but it was a touching one. It was clear they all cared for each other deeply and he couldn't help but wish them the best.

Abatheo: The Guild's adjacent restaurant

It was amongst much emotion and sobbing that the Pride finally managed to seat themselves down for dinner, pushing three sets of tables together so that they could all sit around and eat together. Don, Selan and Lisette all seated within the middle of the group, so they could easily see and talk to the rest of their friends, with Don and Selan sitting to either side of Trixie and helping to ease her tearful sobbing. Estelle sat next to Lisette, laughing and joking whilst bending down constantly to hand Kapi some scraps of food under the table. Every time she did, she had to stop for a good minute, lost in the adorable cuteness of the capybara that was her one good weakness. But the night drew on, and it grew more and more enjoyable, even if it was still a numbing sensation to learn their friends were departing for a spell. With Don, Selan and Lisette all parting ways for now… things would grow a lot quieter.

“Hey, Lute, what are you going to do?” Estelle asked, stretching back up and turning to face the light blonde man who almost spat his drink out after being startled by Estelle’s startling address. She hadn’t really thought about it, until Don blithely mentioned it. But with three of their team leaving, and Estelle being the type of girl she was who loved to make new friends… not that Lute wasn’t already her friend, but to have more fun encounters…

“Are you just going to go back to Thaum, or would you like to join us?”

“Huh?” Don cocked his head 90 degrees to the side and leaned over the table. “Big Sis, I thought Blobfish Bro was already with us!”

“Yes, well, Blobfish Bro is, but… I needed to ask properly, didn’t I?!” Estelle puffed her cheeks out and fumed in embarrassment. “It’ll mean leaving Thaum behind for a while, you know? I know you’re close to Robin and Ruana, so… maybe you wouldn’t want to leave? Or… y’know, maybe you’d want to say goodbye to them first, or something…?”

“Yeah! That’s a good point, bro!” Don shouted again, slapping one fist into the other hand in realisation. “You can’t just leave without saying goodbye, bro!” Selan gave him a pointed look, remembering what Don had did back in Tagress (it was by pure, stupid luck that he got onto the boat leaving for Los Paraisos and not the working ship he originally intended) whilst Estelle drew red again. “On the other hand, you know, walking away like that would be all cool and mysterious! Although you might want to leave a message or something, at least.”

“You wouldn’t want Ruana to hunt you down and murder you, afterall.” Marcus rested his head on his hand, smiling at the still overwhelmed virtuoso.

“Yes! Join, Lulu! Please!” Aria’s eyes sparkled at the thought of her friend joining. It had been so long since they last met, there’s no way she’d make it that long again!

As everyone giggled and laughed, and Lute awkwardly gave his response after trying to hide behind his empty glass, a certain song slid into play on the Guild’s jukebox. Everyone turned, not noticing Don had left the table to punch it in, and find him posed with a microphone in front of it. The mood and atmosphere here was still far too gloomy for him, even if everyone was happy and enjoying dinner.

“Bros!” He screamed. “There needs to be more! Food and drink is great, but… we need more! There needs to be… singing! Dancing! Partying!!”

Let's go!!

As the song started, he dashed back across the restaurant, hopping onto their table, and began singing and dancing, pointing and thrusting in every direction and throwing out his hands to encourage the rest of his friends to get up and dance. “Come on!”

He yanked Aria up onto her feet, twirling her around in a confused daze on the spot that made her almost stumble afterwards. He bent down to lift Trixie up by the armpits onto the table with him, and sauntered and jigged his hips from side to side with her, before turning to the rest of his friend, pushing them up and onto their feet to dance with them. With a knowing wink towards Lute, the virtuoso used his abilities to enhance the sound of Don’s singing and dancing, so that the entire confused restaurant staff, other patrons, the Guilders next door and the people outside in the quiet street could all hear them. Don, doing what he did best… and propelling everyone to join him!!

“NOW this is a party!!” Don whooped, clapping as he threw his hips out to the side over and over beside Lucien and Dylan, shaking his shoulders up and down and dancing with the head shaking, but then laughing Selan.

Don, Selan, Lisette and Kapi would be leaving… but all of them would return sooner rather then later. And when they did, the Pride would all be singing and dancing harder then ever before.

And that was a promise.

”So… this is where you’re from, Jade?”

“This place is so… fancy and ritzy… I really don’t fit in well here…”

“Yes. Welcome to Aliquam. This is my home.”



Aliquam: Academy of the Arts
25 years ago
Largo Mann: F Rank Guilder: Age 23

The emerald tressed cleric, with staff in one hand and her silk dress flowing behind her, led her companions through the large, staggering halls of the academy grounds, granting them all the tour of her old home and past life. Largo, Tiberius and Rachael all gasped and murmured amongst themselves as they pointed around, marvelling at this painting here or a jaw dropping statue there, unable to barely contain their enthusiasm and excitement, whilst the rest of their companions, the hooded and always composed Matthew and their much older, experienced teacher, the A Rank Warrior, Damas.

In the years spent since they had met Jade, she was as much an enigma as the day they had met her- a beautiful, almost distant woman who saved them at a point in which they badly needed it, and helped to soothe and heal their wounds. She didn’t even need to be asked to accept wanting to join them, and for Largo and Tiberius, who would often rush into danger headfirst without so much as a thought prior, it was necessary. Far too many they had cheated death now, and should have, would have, if it wasn’t for Jade. But whilst she was only too welcome and seemingly happy to help with her healing abilities, she was not as forthcoming with information about herself, until one day in which she requested their help with some important, personal matters back in her hometown. An Academy of Art, dedicated to the pantheon goddess Aislin, was not what they had expected at all.

“Man, this place sure is amazing, huh, Largo?” Asked Tiberius with a grin and a laugh, nudging his partner and pointing to more elaborate, beautiful statues. “I could never go to a place like this. But now that I think about it, this fits perfectly for Jade.”

“I’m surprised you even ever went to school,” Rachael shook her head from behind the pair.

“Hey! I went to school!” Tiberius frowned. “I mean, sure, I dropped out, but I still went!!”

“This is a most marvellous place,” Matthew murmured to himself, taking in all of the grand, exquisite architecture and history. “I’d be most fascinated to learn more.” Matthew smiled from beneath the shadow of his hood.

“This Aislin… the Academy was built all in her honour, to respect and bestow her teachings of all the arts to her faithful followers. I just… I wonder. I wonder what kind of goddess she must have been?”

“A very beautiful one, I’m sure. Bwahaha!” Largo laughed roaringly.

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts

“COME ON GUYS WE’RE HERE!” Dylan yelled, dashing ahead of the group. It had been a little over a week since they had left Abatheo, and though they had said goodbye to some of their closest friends Dylan had something to perk him up. The morning after the farewell party, when Estelle had announced the next stop on their trip, Dylan had nearly fallen out of his chair in glee.

He was going home, back to Aliquam. It had been nearly a year since he had left, and though he had his fair share of bad memories of people who had given him a reason to leave in the first place, he had so many more good ones. The entire time they traveled he couldn’t shut up about the school, his teachers, the art, and his sister. He was so excited, in fact, that the first thing he did after they checked in with the Aliquam Guild was drag them over to the Academy.

The Academy rose tall over the town, dwarfing it with it’s sheer size. It was grand and elegant, the intricate detail on the scaffolding just as much a work of art as anything else inside it. The Adacamy had three wings with the back open to a stunning view of the ocean. The sides hosted the living quarters, one side for the teachers and the others for the students.The actual Academy was in a front wing, which hosted the classrooms and auditoriums.The Senior Exhibitions would be held in the great courtyard, a open air party which attracted artists from across the continent, coming out to see the greatest young talent of the year.





“Trust me guys, you’re going to love it. Oh Aislin, I can’t believe we made it in time for the Exhibitions!” He lead them into the courtyard, which was filled with throngs of students milling about. On normally days it was fairly quiet, filled with students who needed some time to breathe and relax. But this day was different. Scattered about were paintings, sculptures, photos and even some striking pieces of floral arrangements. The students seemed to travel in packs, their laughter rising through the din of conversation. The energy was infectious as it was a time of celebration and happiness.

“So what do you want to see first?” he asked, turning around to the Pride. “The paintings are always my favorites, but those floral arrangements are simply inspired this year.”

“Dylan?!!”

A bouncing bundle of blonde hair emerged from the crowd, running over to the where the Pride was and tackled Dylan, nearly knocking the matter artist to the ground. “Oh Dyl I can’t believe you’re back!”



Dylan laughed, spinning around to hug the girl. “Dalia! I’ve missed you too. Hey hey everyone - I gotta introduce you to someone.” Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he turned her to the group. “This is Dalia, my older sister! She’s one of the Priestesses here. Dalia, this is the Pride - I’ve been traveling with them for a while now. We’re Guilders.” He puffed out his chest. “We’re really good Guilders.”

Dalia beamed at them, stepping forward to shake their hands and offer random hugs to those who would take them. “Really? My baby brother’s a Guilder now? You are going to have to explain that to me later. Please, come enjoy the Exhibitions. There’s something for everyone.”

“I want to see the flowers - did Rose do them?” Dylan was already getting distracted. He was itching to mingle with the students, since he knew a few of them from before he left.



“Oh, hold on, you’ve got all afternoon.” She turned to the Pride, slipping back into proper Priestess mode. “So, what do you guys want to see? I’d love to show you around.”

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts
"...Wow..."

Well, as much as Dylan had hyped up the Academy, it certainly didn't dissapoint. It rose high into the air, dwarfing them to the extent that it made them feel pretty insignificant. Syed had his mouth open pretty much the whole time, only really stopping to introduce himself to Dalia. It was an odd, humbling feeling really. Even with his significant history in education, he had never come across anywhere as grand as this. Heard of, sure. But not seen.

He started bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. The vibe in the air from the students was absolutely intoxicating, to the point where it didn't even matter that he had no real interest in the arts. He wanted to find out more about pretty much everything - in particular about the school itself, although that could always wait. "This is increadible," he exclaimed, fidgeting so much he didn't really know what to do with himself. Dylan and his sister sure were lucky to have ever attended a place like this. "There's so much talent here... and you do this every year? I don't even know where to start!"

Which was quite the contrast to Moira, who folded her arms as she looked up. The place was certainly huge and pretty much screamed of wealth. Which was pretty much exactly why it made her feel uncomfortable, more than anything. Still, she was never really expecting to fit in here, so it was no suprise.

"Uh..." she glanced to the others with a shrug. She was never one for the arts either - sure, she could appreciate skill, but she could never really understand the meanings behind any of it. There... was a lot of it though. It was overwhelming. "Fuck it, I dunno," she ignored Syed's hushed protest at her language, "Sculptures are alright? Anyone fancy that?"

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts:

Leaving Thaum had been surprisingly easy. Everyone he knew gathered like a flock of the faithful the day the Pride left Abatheo, and while he had been immensely touched by the gesture Atlas just had to ruin the moment by saying that ‘it was like seeing parents say goodbye to their children on the first day of school’. The magician was probably envious of the fact that everyone in The Red Parasol gathered around the virtuoso for a very squishy group hug. Ruana was there too, smiling demurely at the otherwise chaotic goodbyes the other girls, Robin excluded, were giving off as the Pride walked off into the distance. So, there was no drama about his departure, which was good. Maybe.

Lute was listening in to Dylan’s excited chatter about Aliquam the entire time; he developed a first impression of the place from listening on the matter artist’s explanations, but the Art Academy was just grand. Too grand. Scary! If the façade was anything to judge by, then everything in this place was costly! The virtuoso was sure that if he broke something here he would slave his entire life to pay it off. He was cringing the entire time and had developed a way of walking which had him stiffly pinning his arms to the side in order to avoid any clumsy gestures. He had also managed to gather more than a few curious stares with his tense posture, not to mention the twanging sounds that wafted around Lute as he nervously glanced around. “Hey Aria, if my arm lashes out or something can you hit it down for me,” Lute asked the illusionist whom he was walking with; they were near to Trixie and Amy, and Lute was trying to subdue his nervous tendencies to avoid annoying the cleric.

They reached an open area full of students and their works. He took in a deep breath, awed at all the art around him. Oooh, that painting of a farmland was pretty! “It’s nice to meet you, miss Dalia,” Lute murmured when they met Dylan’s sister and the tense music around him slowly dissipated. The beauty in the courtyard, especially the flower arrangements, were starting to get to him.

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts

Trixie found herself mimicking Syed's astonishment - "Wow...!" - upon seeing the Academy. It was just... so... big. She outstretched her arms; even being at the distance they were, Trixie couldn't fit the faraway image in the distance between her hands. "Hey, hey, you guys said this was a school, right? Are we gonna learn something today?" Like Dylan, the second they reached the senior exhibition, Trixie squeaked with even more enthusiasm. "So all everyone does here is make pretty thingies all day!? Whoa Amy, you didn't tell me school was like--"

Amy was quick to throw her hand over the brat's mouth, effectively muffling her. While Lute expressed concern for breaking things to Aria, Amy was more so worried that Trixie would be the one causing a ruckus. The cleric noticed Dalia approaching from the distance, and the last thing the Pride needed was for their personal rat to get themselves booted off the campus grounds. Luckily, that was not the reason for Dalia's arrival. "A pleasure to meet you, Dalia."

Trixie ripped the hand from her mouth. "You're Dylan's sister!? Wowww, you're just as pretty as he is, seriously!" She continued to gawk over the priestess' looks, uninterrupted by her clerical partner. "Oh right, yeah, we're good guilders, really good guilders. The doc isn't lying!"

Like the others, Amy too was already losing her focus in the precious pieces of art surrounding them. The moment Dylan mentioned flowers, Amy found herself following his gaze to them as well - at least to the ones closest to them. One particular arrangement toyed with purple globe-shaped buds and blossoms. Her red lips curled into a subtle grin. "Someone here has a good taste in flowers."

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts

The splendour of the academy had Aria expressing her wonder along with everyone else. From the grandiose architecture of the building to the exquisitely carved marble fountain and the lush, colorful flowers lining the lawns, everything had the mark of a high class school.

Aria gave a small wistful sigh. Must be nice to be able to come here…

“Hey Aria, if my arm lashes out or something can you hit it down for me,”

The illusionist gave a small laugh at the ‘twangs’ of nervousness emanating from Lute before moving closer and grasping his hand, tugging him along with the group.
“There’s no need to be so nervous, calm down Lulu!”

They were soon joined by a blonde girl that Dylan introduced as his sister, and Aria gave her a handshake when proffered.

“It’s very nice to meet you too,” She grinned, before pondering the possibilities of where they could go on tour. There were so many possibilities, and she wanted to see them all.

“Could we visit the music rooms after we see the statues? Maybe the theatre too?” She piped up excitedly. She could only imagine what kind of equipment they would have in a school such as this.

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts

Everything was just grand and Like Syed and Trixie, Lucien took it all in with wide eyes and an even wider grin.

"Dylan, this place is fancy!" He peered this way and that, like an excited child at a toy store. The building was massive and as they got closer things just got better. There were all sorts of artwork scattered around the courtyard and each and every one was beautiful in its own way. Who knew schools could be so awesome? Lucien followed after his friends in silence, just taking it all in.

One painting in particular caught his attention and he snickered as he peered at the sad looking human. "This is so good."

"Everyone is really talented," Xan appeared beside him and gave the painting a long look. She had never seen anything like this in her home town, it was beautiful.

Dylan reappeared with a girl who looked like him and soon he was introducing her as his sister.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Lucien chirped.

Xan nodded, a smile plastered onto her face. "It's great to meet you...this place is just incredible."

Dalia asked them if they wanted to see anything in particular and while Lucien mentioned paintings, Xan was content with seeing whatever the others wanted to look at. Wherever they went she was sure it'd be amazing.

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts

Estelle gaped first at the sheer size of the Academy, which ascended far, far into the sky and dwarfed them all. Then, to the exquisite and immaculate details of the building, and the hustle and bustle of students walking or milling about, showing off the various exhibitions they had all worked so hard on to fellow students and interested tourists. Even from where she stood, in the centre of the courtyard with the various exhibitions a short distance in all directions, she couldn’t get a proper view of the details but could tell that everything here was exemplary. Estelle always had a fondness for art, and enjoyed drawing and colouring when she was younger, even if the best her talent could muster were stick figures. Whilst she wasn’t any good at it, she could certainly appreciate it, and the Academy had a wide and diverse range of arts to showcase. From the more traditional fine arts of painting and sculpting, to floral arrangements, music and theatre, the Academy held everything.

The only question, really, was where to begin?

“Dylan?!!”

A bouncing bundle of blonde hair emerged from the crowd, running over to the where the Pride was and tackled Dylan, nearly knocking the matter artist to the ground. “Oh Dyl I can’t believe you’re back!”

A smile crept upon the swordswoman’s face, as she witnessed Dylan introduce the young blonde woman as Dalia Sanders, his sister. Estelle had heard bits and pieces from Dylan about Dalia before, but never to any great detail. Much to her delight, Dalia fulfilled Estelle’s mental picture of her almost perfectly, except Dalia was much, much more prettier. She had to agree with Trixie, and like the prankster, her enthusiasm could only grow.

“Hi Dalia!” Estelle shot her hand into the sky, hopping in front of everybody else and gripping the priestess’ hands for a powerful shake. “My name’s Estelle Fenix, and I’m kind of Dylan’s boss! It’s a pleasure to meet you!!”

Marcus shook his head. “There certainly is a lot here for all to see. It wouldn’t be a problem to split up a little to explore, would it? I’m sure everyone here has something they’re dying to see, from Lucien and his paintings, Moira’s statues and Aria’s music rooms and theatres. Would that be a problem, Miss Sanders? I know the Academy is big, but… it should be okay to get around, shouldn’t it?”

---

Biggs and Wedge!

Meanwhile, seated on a park bench located around the courtyard fountain and in fullview of the Pride, a duo clad in light armour and their weapons (a javelin and a hammer) resting by their side, relaxed with a hearty smile as they enjoyed the sunshine beaming down on them and their lunch from the Academy’s cafeteria.

“This is nice, isn’t it Biggs?”

“It sure is, Wedge. What a beautiful day and festival!”

Biggs and Wedge were recent recruits of the Artar Empire’s army, still slowly growing and accumulating experience during training. The duo were virtually inseparable partners, and had been through a lot to get to were they were today. But the road ahead was still extremely long.

Biggs was a tall, slender and lithe man, with a long pronounced chin and large eyes, whilst his partner Wedge was far shorter, squattier and muscular, with a wide smile and rosy cheeks. They had been sent to Aliquam’s Academy to help provide security for the festival and be sure no trouble transpired, as well as sent with a personal message to be delivered from their Captain to his two adored children. It seemed like a simple enough mission, and was a pleasant break from one of their more recent ones. Becoming a tree wasn’t exactly fun.

Biggs finished off his mustard hotdog by shoving the remains of it into his throat, whilst Wedge smacked his lips off one by one to clean them off the ketchup that had spilt from his hamburger. Coupling that with their milkshakes, it had been a tasty treat.

“Ah… what now, Biggs?”

“Hmm… maybe we could just enjoy the sun a little longer? Walking is tiring.”

“You’re telling me…”

Academy of the Arts: Courtyard

Dalia was stunned by the sheer amount of colors in Dylan’s group of friends, each one having a distinct and powerful aura. The large woman with sword seemed overwhelmed, vague spears of blue shifting through her aura, but her friend - the tall, dark skinned man - was practically glowing with excitement. She passed through them all, taking in their auras and reciprocating their greetings, until she was stopped by the most amazing sight. The lovely lady in red had an aura that was simply overwhelming, and Dalia had to squint to see through the brilliance to the woman beneath. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before.


She opened her mouth - about to comment on it - but was interrupted by the young girl at the woman’s side.

"You're Dylan's sister!? Wowww, you're just as pretty as he is, seriously!" The young girl said, aura shining a brilliant pink. There was such energy and happiness in the girl that Dalia laughed out loud.

“Why thank you,” Dalia responded. “I’m glad you think I’m just as pretty as he is.” She winked at him over Trixie’s shoulder. “But you know what, I think you’re the cutest one here.”

“Hi Dalia!” Estelle shot her hand into the sky, hopping in front of everybody else and gripping the priestess’ hands for a powerful shake. “My name’s Estelle Fenix, and I’m kind of Dylan’s boss! It’s a pleasure to meet you!!”

Dalia accepted the shake, but pulled the redhead in for a hug anyway. This woman’s aura was fantastic as she was surrounded by swirls of red - not the harsh red of anger or the blinding red of blood, but the warm red of fire and passion. “Any friend of Dylan’s is a friend of mine.”

Turning, she smiled at Marcus as he asked about protocol. “Oh, we’re not that strict here - there’s no real rules or structures to follow.” She pursed her lips, thinking about the best way to handle this. “But I suppose I can round up some tour guides. Wait right here!”

Dylan smiled as his sister dashed off, running through the crowd and snatching up students in her wake. It didn’t take her long to return, a pair of students students following her, their expressions on opposite ends of the spectrum from excited to bored. “Okay,” she said as turned to the students. “Angel here can show off any of the sculptures and Keeva will escort any one who wants to see the music and theater areas.”

“Oh, and I can show others around as well. Any questions?”

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts - Courtyard

Trixie bit her lip impishly as Dalia reciprocated her compliments. "Hee. Hehehe. She called me cute. Told you they think I'm cute. Huh? Amy?" It took all of the cleric's patience not to pummel the brat into the ground, but Dalia's soft-spoken presence was soothing enough. In the meantime Amy had taken mental note of the way the priestess had squinted at her during the greetings, but decided to brush it off.

Soon Dalia darted off and returned with two academy students. One of whom lagged behind the other two, yawning. His attention was diverted away from the Pride.



"Dollie, Dollie, come on. You know you can't just--" he stopped himself short, letting out a low whistle as Amy and Aria came into view. "Hello there! Been a while since we've had some tasteful visitors come by. Name's Angel. I can... ... Hey, Dolls, what'd you want me to do again? Oh, right." He placed his hands lazily behind his head, before kicking one foot behind his other. "Sculptures, yeah. I wouldn't mind showing you guys around some, I guess." (Though the young man had accents in his full name, he always preferred the straight up pronunciation of the word 'angel' to his own given one.)

Amy rolled her eyes; of course they would come across a pig like this in such a vast and wealthy establishment. At least Angel had the decency not to eye any of the girls head to toe like a certain ranger had in previous travels. Amy returned a complacent smile to Dalia. "Actually, I would love to see more of the floral work up close."

Trixie sighed deeply. Selan and Lisette had picked such a terrible time to take off! And Don too, he could've joined Trixie and they could both break sculptures together! ... Well, that changed her mind from joining Angel on his exhibition. Trixie eased towards Keeva, hands behind her back to exude childish innocence. "Hiii," she cooed. Her eyes flitted back and forth between the musician and Dalia. "You're really pretty too."

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts – Courtyard

“Ya ever see a spread like this back in Thaum?” Lute shook his head in amusement as Delilah began tittering in excitement over the smallest thing. He kept his eyes trained on a complicated and somewhat lonesome painting of a woman until a student walked over and blocked his view of the artwork; the virtuoso straightened his spine and took another look at the surroundings. His gaze leveled on a pair of men lounging on a nearby bench. They were wearing blue outfits and had weapons with them but to be honest neither looked menacing, especially the “pudgy one with the cute round cheeks” as described by Delilah. “Huh,” Lute huffed out. An exhibition like this attracted soldiers too huh?

He turned back to his group and saw that Dalia had indeed rounded up some ‘tour guides’. At first Lute thought that the animated brunette was the one named Angel, but that assumption was quickly corrected when the lanky man introduced himself. “He’s not that attractive, Dellie. Calm down,” The virtuoso murmured as he watched Angel flirt with the ladies in their group, his eyes narrowing slightly before he turned away towards Keeva. “I’ll go with the other guide,” Lute tapped Aria on the shoulder and excused himself. He approached the female student at the same time as Trixie did. "Heya," Lute blurted out at her before he could stop himself.

The girl complimented their guide and Lute waited a few heartbeats before introducing himself, “Good day. I’m Lute. You must be Keeva, right? This Academy of yours looks really impressive. I’m looking forward to seeing the music department.” He wasn't just looking forward to it; both he and Delilah were pumping with excitement to see those certain facilities plus maybe hearing the composition of talented musicians.

Academy of the Arts – Courtyard
Dalia soon returned with some students, and Moira's eyebrows raised at this "Angel" guy. Wow, was that even his real name? Maybe she was judging too soon - and to be fair, she didn't really care anyway - but he seemed to be a bit of a nob right from the get go.

Oh well. Maybe he'd make this interesting. "So you're the one showin' us around?" she grinned, patting him roughly on the back. "Great! Is any of your shit there?"

Syed meanwhile looked back towards Dalia. To be honest, he would have rather stayed with her. It would have been nice to talk to someone who worked here, get her angle on how the academy ran. But since Moira had suggested the sculptures, that seemed to be where they were going. Dissapointment flashed across his features for a split second, although he soon regained his composure.

"Moira, this is a school," Syed groaned, before smiling again and offering a hand towards the student. "Good to meet you Angel, I'm Syed." He turned back towards the others. "Anyone else coming with us?" The look on his face said it all. He was going to need all the help he could get.

Moira, on the other hand, was already pushing this Angel guy off in one direction. "I'll be honest love, I don't have a clue about this kinda thing. Have yer got anything with like, fighting or somethin'? Or really buff guys? OR BOTH."

Syed laughed despite himself, that typically broad and dorky grin spread over his face. His enthusiasm had taken over again. Oh, he couldn't wait too see what they had! "I dunno, I'd be interested to see if there's anything which pushes the boundries a bit more, you know? Something which really showcases the scuptor's creativity."

Moira shrugged. That sounded like a bunch of poncy bullshit to her, but hell, it was an art school. A rich art school at that. "Uh, well yeah whatever."

Aliquam: Academy of the Arts

The academy was bustling with students and visitors alike, all fully taking advantage of this beautiful day to admire the various paintings and sculptures displayed in the square as well as the well-tended gardens of the school ground. Some were sitting on benches with pamphlets and a cup of tea, resting their feet and just enjoying the sunshine.

When Dalia reappeared with two new guides Aria stepped up to join Trixie and Lute for a tour of the musical and drama facilities with their guide, Keeva. She had nearly thought that the girl was Angel, but their introductions cleared up her misunderstanding. Truthfully she was also rather tempted to go look at the flowers, but in the end decided otherwise. There was so much to see in this academy that she doubted even if she was given free rein to explore for a day, she wouldn’t be able to see everything.

“And I’m Aria” She piped up after Trixie and Lute, introducing herself to the guide cheerfully. “Do you suppose we’ll be able to catch any performances for ‘the Exhibitions’?” She was very excited for the chance to see a drama or musical performed by the students of such a high-caliber school. It would be amazing if they could see an orchestral performance as well- she hadn't had the chance to go to a concert with all the jobs she and Xan had been taking prior to their arrival at Los Paraisos.

As the groups were finalized and the guides led them on their way to their respective locations, she turned to Trixie with a grin. "Are you interested in music too, then? Or are you more a drama type?" Despite their travelling together, she had yet to know the prankster very well. Perhaps this would be a good chance to get to know the girl a bit better?