The shuffling of feet & the familiar shouts & happy conversations of both students and teachers echoed through the halls reverberating off the walls into every nook & cranny that it could reach, students & their daemons no matter the year level moved about the halls catching up with friends or trying hard to hurrying to classes after promising a turn around from past behavior; the dawn of a new school year bringing on the promise of great memories, harder challenges & obstacles, & of course new friends & experiences. The sound of her footsteps down the stairs of the entrance hall added to the noise that was already filling the beautiful castle the Academy had converted into a high class institute of learning; on the outside, the castle looked beautiful & inviting during the day. The large blocks of sandstone shone brightly in the light of the sun, whereas during the night, the moonlight gave the grounds & castle a mysterious yet romantic feel, making the long dark shadows dance in the night. The entrance, however, was warm & extremely bright causing her soft pink lips to turn up in a small smile as she rounded the corner heading over to the staircase where at the bottom the large group of first year students were waiting for her arrival, slowing her pace she came to a stop looking down the stairs at the group that were awaiting her each happy to speak with the person next to them; her arrival obviously going unnoticed by the crowd. She pursed her lips together slightly her soft dark brown orbs flicking over each & every individual that stood in front of her, lifting her hand up she brushed some of her long dark chocolate brown locks back off her face though it was all in vein as some of the strands slipped from her fingers once more taking their place over her face, “Guys… Hello… No? Okay then…”

Closing her eyes she let a dejected sigh escape through her lips her head shaking softly from side to side as her hand slipped into her back pocket pulling out what looked like a stunningly painted tarot card; on one side side intricate swirls in blue, brown & gold lined the card in a border while the other side held a realistic painting of a beautiful woman-like creature with talons, wings & long feathers adorning her body, “This lot is going to be difficult…” Slipping the card back into her back pocket she lifted both her hands up to her lips slipping her fingers in slightly as she let out a long though sharp whistle gaining the attention of all those around her, smiling once more she lowered her hands speaking louder & clearer than before, her Australian accent noticeable now that she was able to be heard, “Welcome to Aulani Academy! My name is Erin De Rosiere; I’m a third year student & am here to help you out in any way that I can! If you can open up the welcome packs that were handed to you upon your arrival, you will find both your class schedule as well as your new phone. Please be sure to keep your phones fully charged & on your persons at all times, these are your lifelines here at the Academy; you will receive updates, potential jobs, notifications on festivals & activities, and will be able to use these for contacting friends, family & the Academy if need be.”

She clapped her hands together smiling down upon the group as she explained the few things that they would need to know, anything else was in the welcome pack that was given to them; the student handbook, detailed information about classes & daemons, “Now, as you know, you're all here at the Academy because you like the rest of us are different. Everyone here is just like you, we’re all hunters, so there is no need for you to worry about fitting in. You will have plenty of time to make friends as classes will not begin for you guys another two days; so I suggest you use this time wisely by looking around, memorizing the paths to your classes & getting to know other students. If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to seek me out. I’m here to be a friend & helper to all of you; you can find my number in the office, if not, just ask one of the staff members & they will give it to you-...” She lifted her head looking up towards the speakers as a loud alarm began to sound throughout the hallways causing her smile to fade slightly & the attention of everyone moving about to shift instantly, turning her attention back to the group of confused looking first years she shot them an apologetic look on her face.

“When the alarm sounds it means that a daemon has either wandered too close to or onto the Academy grounds, all classes are instantly stopped so that every student has the opportunity to test their skills as a hunter…” She turned her body slightly watching as the students around her began to run towards the doors leading out to the grounds so that they could hunt, looking back over her shoulder she continued to speak as she slipped her hand into her back pocket once more pulling out her tarot card, “I’m really sorry about this, you have two options here: One, you can join the hunt and get in some practice. Or two, you can look around the Academy & meet some of the students who aren't hunting at the moment. Either way, meet me back at this very spot before the lunch bell!” Turning on her heel she pushed off her feet carrying her against the crowd as she headed up the stairs knowing from experience that most students left through the ground floor, that wasn't her style, there was only one place she was going to start her hunt from; the roof.

Eduardo smiles. He had been watching the new first years come in when the alarm sounded. He remembered his first year here. The awkward feeling of a new school, the daemons you saw at every turn. His normal bravado was absent in his first months here, but it gradually came back. Now, he's a second year. He was more confident, agile and competent of a hunter then ever was before. He couldn't remember if he got even one roaming daemon last year, but he knew he would make his mark this time. He would make his mom proud. This daemon was his.

He slowly stepped through the crowd to the front gate. He unfortunately needed some more space to summon his daemon then the crowd provided. No matter. He thought, I suppose i can make an impression on the new kids.
"Alright, kids." He yells to the crowd, pushing them around to give himself some room. "I'm gonna need a wide berth here. Unless you want to be target practice." He would never actually hurt any of the students, but Perhaps they don't know that he thought. Luckily, whether they believed him or not, they gave him enough space. He reached into his pocket, pulling out what appeared to be a small toy horse, made of fine polished wood. Some of the kids snickered, thinking he was done with his presentation. Ed grinned.

He threw the toy into the air, and it quickly changed size to form a large, muscular horse, who landed on the ground with a bang, scaring a few first years. The horse raised its head and front hooves into the air, making a loud noise halfway between a neigh and a demonic growl. Ed hops onto the horse, petting the side of its head a bit. "Alright, enough showing off." The horse neighed back at him. "We got work to do." Ed reached to his side, pulling out a short silver pole, which he then spins in his hand, both side of it extending out, forming a long, stable spear. He slid his hand down the pole to hold it correctly, as a proper knight might hold his blade. He pointed the blade end toward the kids in his way, who gave him a wide berth with no trouble. He hit his boot against the horses side. "Off, chariot!" And the horse quickly galloped to where he suspected the daemon might be.

While the new students were petering in, Cyril had already been here for several weeks, taking advantage of the fact that his room was his for the remainder of his enrollment. There was little to do away from school. His worldly possessions were limited to a small house and a slightly larger church which had remained silent since his father's passing. Cyril had made a short trip to Ireland to maintain the estate and pay respect to the dead. The family mausoleum had reached capacity with his father, storing the past nine generations of Garnets. He was the only surviving member of the Garnet family and fittingly, though it was to be expected. His father, Cassius, reminded him that Garnets have a nasty tendency to die young and leave the last member to fend for themselves. He doubted he would be an exception.

Cyril had spent much of his summer studying and had taken the time to meet with a priest his father once confided in during his time at Aulani. The priest knew the Garnet name well, the Garnet line having passed through the church for generations. In spite of the traditional requirements to become a man of god, Garnets would receive an honorary Masters of Divinity for their time dedicated to the Church and their time dedicated to the banishment of the children of Lucifer. As of June 3rd, Cyril was a priest of the Roman Catholic church and was given his Clerical collar which he frequently wears beneath his tie. His entry into the Church gave him the right to create weapons of his own, particularly holy water and blessed salt which acts like acid on the skin of daemons.

The crowd of first years had drawn the young hunter's attention as he took a walk through campus with his daemons in tow, Thane and Set. The two, Cyril and Thane, generally spoke among one another while Set listened in obediently. Set's strength was far less than that of Thane and Set had a respect for Thane much in the way a child views an adult. "Mar sin, go leor i mbliana," Cyril said softly in Gaelic to his daemonic friend that glided along like a shade wrapped in obsidian cloth. It wasn't rare for the two daemons to remain visible, despite their ability to shift out of the visible spectrum and become dormant wraiths. Thane seemed to nod to Cyril's comment, his voice seemed to melt from his body-less form as he spoke "do chomórtas växer för varje år" the daemon responded, shifting from Gaelic to Swedish. It was rare for the daemon to speak more than a few sentences in the same language, Cyril was just relieved to speak one of his more familiar languages for once. Cyril was fluent in well over a dozen living languages and six dead languages, and at least novice level in several dozen through near constant practice with Thane, though Thane's skill far outmatched his own and Cyril knew he could never best a Librarian of Hell itself. Cyril continued, hopping over to Swedish to match the pace of Thane, "De flesta av de nyfödda kommer att förlora sin flamma snart nog dock, både du och jag vet det." The sound of distant rumbling thunder echoed from the Librarian, the odd sound being what Cyril assumed was laughter.

Cyril had little intention for the first years to understand what he was saying, though there was always the chance that among the sea of fresh faces there was one capable of catching one of the languages he would share with his daemonic companion. A familiar face passed by, that of a Latin boy whose daemon was a horse. Cyril had never interacted with the young man, though he had always been good with faces. Many people recognized him rather easily, Cyril being one to always dress sharply and keep his two daemons by his side. His status as one of the top five hunters among third years also made him rather well known. At more than one point he had been the top, though the others were incredibly talented and almost an ambitious as himself. As if on queue the blaring of the spotting alarm rung out across the campus, alerting him to the presence of a daemon.

Perhaps the first years will get to see a small show, Cyril softly smirked, looking to Thane. "Obrěšti nebo prizoveši," Cyril commanded, his voice sharp as his tongue danced with the ancient language his father taught him as a child. Thane solemnly nodded, spreading the tome he carried wide before him, ethereal fingers running along the pages, a black form beginning to crawl forth from the book. Its body was drenched in ink that seemed to pour off of it once it emerged, revealing a small four winged bat whose wings buzzed like that of a humming bird. Thane's voice twisted and crackled like burning brimstone as he spoke to the class D daemon in their native language, commanding it to take to the sky and tell them where the rogue daemon was for its soul to be freed.

That bat took to the sky and for a moment, Cyril gave himself a chance to look at the fresh faces, his eyes quickly darting over them. He had nothing to say to them as he waited and made to attempt to communicate with neither the new hunters nor his daemons. Set's curiosity got the best of it and it slid between its two masters, approaching the fresh hunters, its veiled face moving close to several of the hunters. The first years didn't seem to know quite how to respond and Cyril had no interest in assisting them. Set reached out to one first year, bringing its ebon claws near her. "Enough." Cyril commanded, Set's hand dropping, its body shrugged downward like a shamed puppy. Thane looked toward his master, continuing to speak in Swedish, "Demonen ligger norr." Cyril closed his eyes tightly in mild frustration for a moment, knowing that if any of the first years could speak Swedish, they'd know where to hunt. He have to remind his companion to watch its words later on. "Come." He nodded sharply, making his way through the crowd which parted like the Red Sea before him and his daemons.

The warm rays of sunlight extended their way through the leaves of the willow tree. The tree was a solitary existence, it could be seen on an outlet of land that stuck out off the coast of the academy lake. The academy was an overpowering magnificent sight compared to the serene, lone tree. The tree was old, with a thick trunk and ancient moss growing along its bark, its branches extended wildly in all directions, while its leaves drooped down in long tendrils. They just barely touched the surface of the lake, and when a nice breeze blew across the lake, the leaves shook and they created small ripples in the mirror-like water.

From the right direction, you could spot a peculiar lump in between two of its branches, like a cocoon of sorts. Upon closer inspection, if you were so interested, you would find that it was a shoddily-woven hammock, sewn together from a wide plethora of scrap fabrics. The hammock was strung carefully in between two branches of the tree in such a way, that it would not be visible from the academy. The hammock seemed to be full, as if someone was inside it

Kinny slept soundly in his hammock. He had found this spot early in his 1st year, and made no hesitation to claim it as his own secret napping spot. It was a challenge collecting enough materials for his hammock, but he succeeded, and the work was definitely worth the reward. Whenever he wanted to escape from it all, he took a nap in his tree. It was a quiet place, with no distractions and a spectacular view of the lake's surface. He could forget everything in his spot and relax without worry.

A sharp shrill alarm echoed out across the lake, with a tired yawn, Kinny awoke from his nap and sat up in his hammock. He looked around tiredly, still half-asleep and yawning. Stretching his arms out above his head he sighed, and with that, grabbed a nearby branch and began to climb down with a cat-like silence. With a graceful landing he stood up and looked up at the academy, he could spot students exiting the building, a Daemon had arrived somewhere around the campus. Covering his mouth as he yawned, Kinny thought to himself, "Should I go this time?" Slowly, he sat down in the grass near the coastline, his hair was a wild mess and was all over the place. "I slept through last time...so I guess I should join this one..."

Standing up slowly, Kinny lazily walked towards a hole in the trunk of his willow tree and pulled out his hunting gear. A quiver of arrows he slung over his shoulder, each arrow dangerously sharp and dipped in a coating of Kinny's design, a mix of almost a dozen different substances Daemon's are weak to, A Gungdo bow, a traditional Korean weapon much like the small sized bows the Mongol's used, A 7-inch dagger he keeps strapped and sheathed on his left forearm, and a piece of cloth with Korean characters painted on it.

Carefully he placed the piece of cloth down and muttered softly under his breath in Korean, after a moment, before him stood the Dokkaebi, Go. Go spoke with a mischievous smile, his voice raspy and like a whisper,"A pleasure to see you again Ki-Hyun-nari, I assume your summoning me, means I get to fight?" Kinny looked up at the students exiting the academy, eager to find the Daemon and test their skills. "Yeah, I guess so... lead the way, Go..." He commanded, as he tied his wild hair back into a ponytail. With a nod, Go went invisible, as if he had never been there. Kinny could feel his presence and followed it silently, vanishing into the brush.

Never in her life had Heidi ever seen such grandeur. The building itself was a masterpiece of architecture, and mirrored things she had only read about in fairy tales. Tall and grand, the palace-like academy had held a magnificent elegance as she had approached it, but now that she was finally at its doors, it felt terrifying and imposing. It felt like a towering monster looming over her, ready to devour her. But that moment had long since passed and she now stood within its walls, caught in a sea of first-years and their all-too-real monster companions. A lump grew in her throat and her eyes grew frantic in her terror as she rubbed elbows with powerful demons and hunters alike. She was just a simple carpenter's daughter, why was she here? She'd probably be torn apart in the blink of an eye by these monsters as well as their masters.

And she felt their eyes on her; countless lingering, judgmental stares falling on her homely features and her scarred, hairless head. However, most tended to stray to the lidded wooden bucket and the woodsman's axe strapped carefully to her back. An uncomfortable and incredibly anxious Heidi shifted on her feet, and from the bucket on her back came the sound of sloshing water and a sudden burst of hot steam. The lid popped off and fell back on its hinge with a loud clack, and from the water surfaced a tiny, bearded sprite.

"Heidi!" he hissed, smacking the back of his partner's head with a wooden bath ladle, "Lopeta tuo!" Stop that! Before the sprite could hit her again, his eyes fell on the gathering of first-years and their daemons, all more powerful than him by leaps and bounds. At the sight of the ugly old sprite, some of the other first-years suppressed their laughter. How embarrassing it must be to have such a weak demon, and only one of them at fifteen! Heidi felt her cheeks burn and she bit down on her lip, thankful that she couldn't understand the hushed giggling and the whispers all around her. Sensing his partner's shame, the sprite hit her over the head again and said in his raspy Finnish, "Typerä tyttö! Älä kuuntele heitä." A pause. "... Haluatko, että tapan ne sinulle?" Silly girl! Don't listen to them. ... Want me to kill them for you?

Heidi let out a small laugh at that and waved a hand back dismissively at her companion. "Kiitos, Bannik, mutta ei. Se olisi epäkohteliasta." Thank you, Bannik, but no. That would be rude. She looked back up to the woman speaking, sighing when she caught only about half of what she was saying. She knew some English, having learned it for the occasional American or English tourist that had gotten lost in the Finnish backcountry, but it was certainly not something she was skilled in. At all. And this girl's Australian accent didn't make things any easier for her, not by a long shot.

Suddenly, the alarm sounded, and both girl and sprite let out a cry of alarm. The girl on the landing spoke again, and from what Heidi could gather a daemon had invaded the academy premises, and the students were to prove their worth and hunt it down. As much as Heidi loved hunting, she had never counted an actual daemon as her quarry. She didn't know the first thing about daemons or hunting them, and with her only weapon being a rusty old woodcutter's axe, well... it looked like she'd have to sit this one out.

Until she heard someone nearby speaking in Swedish. That was a language she knew, what with so many of her mother's clients being Finnish Swedes. The words were clear, as was the message in them. She looked around for the source of the Swedish and found it in an older student with two large humanoid daemons at his side. And was that... a priest's white collar at his throat? A terribly confused Heidi watched as the young man effortlessly cut his way through the sea of first-years and left as suddenly and mysteriously as he had come. A moment or two of silence passed before all hell broke loose, with first-years scrambling towards the door, clamoring like starving animals to prove their worth as hunters.

Behind Heidi, Bannik spoke. "Seuraa häntä." Follow him.

Perhaps she wouldn't be sitting this one out after all. She shared Bannik's instinct that following the older student might lead her to the daemon, and she could finally see a hunt in action, even if she didn't participate herself. Looking around the room for an exit that wasn't the terribly crowded front door, Heidi laid her eyes on a distant window. She quietly walked over to it and unlatched it, sliding out of the entryway and down a few feet to the ground below. She caught herself and rolled to break her fall. In the distance to the north, as he had spoken, she saw the older student. She felt her hunter's instinct kick in. She followed him distantly, ducking from cover to cover, careful not to attract his attention.

With a soft tune on her lips and a warm beast at her back Little Feather had excused herself a long time before the first years had even started to arrive. She had sought out solace by the water’s edge, summoning Lion to keep her company she was playing her flute for his entertainment causing the daemon to purr happily from his place behind her. The large beast was laid on his belly, curled around his summoner as she played a tune for him. Shouldn’t you be in there scoping out the competition? He grumbled to her, flicking his tail round to rest over her thighs. Little Feather pulled her flute away from her lips, snuggling back against the dark pelt of her demonic companion. “You know I don’t view them as competition” She stated to the Ewah, glancing at him as he curled his head round towards her resting it against the hard ground he blew a puff of warm air through his nose.

You should, there are many here that hold more power than you He pointed out with a rumble. Little Feather smiled at the daemon, causing the five lines of face paint that occupied her colored cheeks to contort as she did. She had two short red lines on either cheek with two yellowy/green lines beneath them and another long line across the bridge of her nose, she had decided against wearing her full headdress today instead choosing a simple braided band with a few eagle feathers carefully wound into it. The design didn’t clash with the simple black dress the Lakota had chosen to wear, she had opted out of wearing shoes today as well in all honesty she rarely wore them anyway.

She reached out and ran her hand across the daemons broad head, pulling an appreciative purr from his throat. “Yes, but as long as we stay out of their way we’re no threat to them” She murmured to him, raising an eyebrow at the beast as he grumbled his disapproval. Wendy won’t stand for it and you know it Cub, you should pay more mind to the competition He growled at her lifting his head and rubbing his moist nose against her face, causing her to squeak in protest and bat his muzzle away. “OK, Ok, I’ll pay more attention” She huffed at him, rolling her eyes as his jowls lifted into a grin.

Good, now play me another song He purred at her, resting his head on the ground once more as an amused smile danced across the Lakota’s lips before she pressed her flute back to them. She wasn’t even halfway through her next tune when the alarm bell sounded, she dropped the flute from her lips groaning and flopping back against Lion as his head shot into the air and his ears pricked. “Why now?” She complained, simply falling onto her back as the daemon pulled himself to his feet. With her dark ashen hair fanned out around her, she looked as if she had no intention of moving. Lion towered above her; he was easily the same height as a large pony with the muscular build of a bear, his large onyx colored horns glinted in sunlight as he looked around, ruby red eyes focusing on the other students already flooding out of the main building.

Cub come on! We’re losing our advantage Lion growled turning on the spot and nudging the young Lakota’s side persistently. She sighed heavily at the daemon; she was feeling rather content where she was. “We can afford to miss this one Lion” She told him slowly dragging herself onto her feet. Wendy won’t like it The beast grumbled resorting to dirty tactics, he knew the girls fear of the other daemon would kick her into action. “...You’re not as nice as you pretend to be, you know that right?” Little Feather huffed at the daemon, prodding him in the side before she effortlessly vaulted onto his back waving her bare feet through the air as she brought her knees up so her dress didn’t ride up her thighs.

She held her flute tightly in one of her hands sliding the fingers of her other hand into Lion’s rich crimson mane. “Come on then, seek it out” She encouraged him, barely keeping herself seated as he spun on the spot bounding onto the bridge, deliberately releasing a low roar to scatter a few unsuspecting first years. “Was that really necessary?” Little feather murmured, as Lion slowed attempting to catch the intruding daemons scent. Nope, but I enjoyed it immensely Was the Ewah’s grumbling response as he set off to find the daemon everyone was so eagerly searching for. To the outsider it probably appeared as if Little Feather was talking to herself, taking her daemons strange rumblings and grumblings as answers to her questions.

A warm breeze blew gently causing the leaves on the trees to dance with grace creating a sweet melodic whistle to fill the forest like grounds that surrounded Aulani Academy, the crisp sound of leaves & twigs snapping on the already mossy ground could be heard as a large herd of deer slowly wandered into the area following the buck who worked to keep them safe & out of harms way; the herd coming to an inevitable stop so that they could rest & graze upon the shrubs & plants that were growing around them by the small rippling stream that added to the already peaceful atmosphere that denounced to them was about to be broken by the quick movements of students hurrying to prove themselves against the so called evil that was lurking around. Other critters both big & small dashed around from place to place hurrying about as they tried to keep safe & stay alive for another day while the sweet chirps of birds that fluttered about from branch to branch making their nests or gathering food for their young sounded off at strange intervals making it as though the forest was giving a concert filled with songs that only those who lived within would understand.

Freezing on the spot the large buck lifted its head quickly its deep dark eyes scanning the area as it took in the area around it a strange scent in the air causing it to to grow ever nervous & on edge, snapping its head around to look over the others it signaled to its herd to move on following behind to make sure that each & everyone of them made it out with no stragglers. Stopping to wait as a couple of the younger ones hurried to catch up their small legs stumbling slightly over the uneven ground as they hurried by closing the gap between them & their mothers, taking one last look around the area the buck once more began to move ready to defend his herd at any cost if anything decided to try and attack; the smell of death & smoke growing stronger with every moment that passed by...

---

The souls of her shoes made soft thuds against the ground beneath her as she made her way up the stairs past everyone that was going the opposite way towards the exits on the ground floor; it wasn't like she knew it wasn't the smartest way out of the Academy & honestly throughout her first year she, like everyone else, had chosen to leave through the front doors. That was until she had made her contract with Aria. Now she took the less crowded route of up and out through the skies above. Lifting her left arm up in front of her body she picked up the pace forcing her body against the roof door causing it to fling open fresh air and warm sunlight rushing at her to surround her body as she flung her right arm around the tarot card she had been holding slipping through her fingers, "Aria! I need you!" As the words left her lips the card began to glow a stunningly bright blue as the beautiful woman-like creature forced her way out of it her long wings spreading wide as she stretched her arms out above her head, "Ahh... Erin, you really need to let me out more often now that schools back on." Erin's lips turned up in a small smirk as she chuckled her feet still keeping her moving at a constant pace as she ran along underneath her familiar, the gap between her and the end of the roof closing quickly, "I promise! But first, we have a daemon to hunt..." Reaching the edge of the roof she pushed herself forward her arms spreading wide as she began to fall her body feeling weightless as the air rushed past her, her long dark chocolate brown locks flying out behind her every moment bringing her closer & closer to the ground below; her heart beat picked up her stomach turning nervously the longer she fell.

Her eyes shot open as she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her holding onto her tightly so that she wouldn't fall to her & get hurt, or worse, fall to her death, "Geeze... You cut that one a bit close don't you think?" Aria chuckled her wings flapping every so often as they flew around the castle looking down at the other hunters who had decided to join in on the hunt, "Come on, you can't tell me you didn't enjoy that. What was it you did this past summer? Sky dive? Bungee jump?" Lifting her shoulders slightly Erin shrugged her dark brown orbs flicking over everyone below trying to find people she recognized, "Both, I also did some four-wheeling back home with dad; hey look, there's Cash. Take me lower." Aria nodded her wings coming in closer to one another as she began to pick up speed catching up to the three that were flying ahead of them, "Be careful & don't do anything insane, or I'll have to knock you silly." "Ok mom. Now go Hell, go!" Smiling the two of them exchanged an amused look as they came up along side them, "I see neither of you have changed much over break..." Her soft pink lips pouted slightly as she slipped her hands into her pockets searching each one before her smile once more returned her hand pulling out a folded up piece of paper which she held out for him to take.

"I'm throwing a welcome-back-to-school party later down at the lagoon falls area I found last year; I have to look after the first years so unless you join me in showing them around I think this is one of the only times we're gunna see each other until later. Us legacies gotta stick together right?" She flashed him a bright smile as Aria flew forward twirling around in the air so that she could still talk as they flew off, "If you see anyone else, let them know! Oh, & dad says hi!" She lifted her hand up waving back at him as they once more turned around the two of them going into a dive before they disappeared into the forest slowing their speed as they began to weave in & out of the trees careful of what was going on around them, "Aria, can you sense anything yet?" The harpy shook her head as she slowed to a hover her wings beating gently so that she could listen to everything around her picking up on every little sound, "No... Not yet... But then we don't even know what we're looking for at the moment; it could be anything..." Flapping her wings a little quicker they once more began to move forward looking for any signs of daemons around them.

Cyril's mind was fixated on the upcoming hunt, whatever it was that he was to hunt wasn't of much concern to him. It was more that this was the first hunt of the semester, one that would set a precedent for the rest of the year. Not to mention that he hadn't hunted in nearly three weeks thanks to his little trip back home. Every daemon bound to Thane's tome added to his arsenal and he would need a truly massive force if he were to ever encounter an S class. Cyril was brought back down to Earth when a clawed hand clamped down onto his shoulder, the ashen hand belonging to Set. "Níl duine i ndiaidh dúinn," Set spoke in almost a whisper, drawing a long sigh from Cyril. "Your lose lips will be the death of us," Cyril sighed, looking back over his shoulder. By now they had made a decent distance from the main school buildings, though there were still plenty of places for someone to hide.

Cyril could only assume that his followed spoke either English or Swedish and after waiting a few moments, he decided to just call out to his stalker, "If you're going to follow me, pick up the pace. Om du ska följa mig, plocka upp takten." Cyril wasted no more time, continuing North, toward the forest that bordered the academy. "Thane, had you released the demon from earlier yet?" Cyril spoke quickly, Thane answering with a shake of his head, "Good, how many competitors do we have?" Thane looked toward the sky momentarily, the whirling ethereal vortex that filled its hood staring up into the sky, "Ramdenime shenishvna." "Then tell me who I should worry about," Cyril answered with a hint of impatience, not bothering to humor Thane by responding in the appropriate language. Cyril hated Georgian almost as much as he hated Hungarian. The words sat in his mouth like tar. Thane's gaze shifted to its master, "The girl with the harpy, the native from this country, the one that rides on horseback, the phoenix rider, and the oriental with a Dokkaebi."

"I see," Cyril muttered, quite familiar with several of the hunters. Thane's access to the libraries of hell allowed him unrestricted access to the histories of his competition's daemons and to many of their family lines. Cyril's largest concern was the Rosiere girl. Her family was exceptionally gifted with hunting daemons. Cyril knew his father competed with her's long ago and had no doubt that further generations competed with her family as well. This generation would be no different. Cyril's pace slowed once he reached the forest, checking the skies to ensure they weren't being followed by any other hunters and stepped under the canopy of trees. He would prepare here and then make his way deeper into the wood to find this daemon, hopefully before it found him.

Cyril took a knee, going through his usual ritual to prepare himself. His head dropped and he dug out the two wooden rosaries from his pockets, bringing them to his lips as he prayed, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." He breathed slowly, wrapping the rosaries around his hands tightly, the small wooden crosses pressed against the back of his hands, held tightly by the beads that he had woven between his fingers. When he stood, he began to dig through his jacket, removing a small flask of water and a sealed glass jar of white salt. He was rather unprepared for today, most of his gear within his room, so what little water and salt he had would have to make do. The water had been blessed earlier that morning by Cyril's own two lips, as had the salt, both of which were corrosive to the flesh of daemons unbound to him. Before he would make his way deeper into the wood though, he would wait for the girl from earlier. If she were to attempt to hunt with him, he'd have to ensure that she was more of an asset than a liability.

Rough wood pushes against the soft dirt, a large toy that would belong in a giants playhouse is instead bringing a young boy to war. Many a splash of blood has adorned the wooden steed, but now he served the Latin boy. And a boy he is Chariot thought. Every hunter i have served has been younger than the last. He bowed his head. "And they have died younger as well." He said in a deep rumble.
"Whats that, chariot?" Eduardo said, looking down at the horse. "Nothing, Sir Ed. But we must hurry if we wish to reach the daemon first." Ed shrugged. "You're the one running." Chariot sped up, leaving the castle far behind them.

Ed spent some time thinking, wondering where the daemon might be.
First he thought that with all the new first years, the Staff would be careful not to let the daemon venture in to far before warning.
But then again, maybe the first day would make them so busy the daemon would be much closer before they noticed. It could be anywhere.
Then he thought about his competition. He remembered the girl in the lobby, he saw some kid with two daemons, and he heard a daemons roar not too long ago, but beyond that he didn't know anyone else who might be hunting. (Other then first years)

Damn it all He thought, sighing and looking to the sky. Then he noticed the girl. Not too far ahead, flying between the trees a few feet up, was the girl from the front lobby.
He assumed the daemon hadn't been found yet, or she would be back helping the new kids. First he was going to ignore her, or even try to pass her, but as he thought about it, he decided that the hunt isn't as fun alone. He wanted to prove himself by fighting the daemon, sure, but he wanted to prove it to himself, not the school. He wouldn't care if someone else took the credit. Besides, even if she works alone, he can still stand to make a friend. He nodded, hitting his heel against Chariots side to try and catch up with the girl. He settled with keeping pace a few feet behind her.

He waved his spear above his head, trying to get her attention.
"Hey!" He yelled. "I know you, You're the Headmasters girl, right?"
He kept his eyes glancing between the path and the girl. He noticed the daemon carrying her, taking careful notes on its appearance and what he assumed of its strength. 'Its important to know your allies strength as much as your enemies.' his mom always told him.
"Hows hunting going, seen anything yet? I would think the daemon is farther from the school but me and chariot haven't found anything." He realized he wouldn't get an answer either way, but whatever, it was conversation. and he had been alone for to long.

Kinny dashed through the forest with the wind at his back, like a silent spirit of the forest. His ponytail bobbed up and down as he gracefully slid under fallen trees and vaulted large boulders without missing a step, it was as if the forest had made a path for him. Kinny smiled to himself as the breeze whipped through his hair while he ran full-speed. In terms of relaxation, napping was a close equal with the feeling of action. Up ahead, he spotted a clearing with a man and two Daemons, another hunter. "Can I fight him?" A raspy voice whispered in Korean. It was Go, invisible.
"Nah, that's bad, remember last year?" Kinny replied back in his native tongue reminiscing the trouble his Daemon had caused last year. Silently he dropped down into the clearing.

It appeared as if the man was praying...and dressed like a priest. Upon closer inspection, Kinny identified him. He was a third year, whom Kinny had heard about. His name was NyQuil...yeah that sounds familiar? Kinny thought to himself as he sat down in the grass. He observed the daemons, scary looking creatures they were, and as he had been observing the clearing earlier they sounded multilingual. The guy looked pretty serious and it would seem as if any conversation he tried to have would definitely be awkward, especially with Kinny's rough English and accent, but he would try anyway "Uhhh...Hello...NyQuil right? You look very tense. You should-um-what is the English saying?-ah yes-Loosen up a bit!" He said with a smile, his Korean accent definitely identifiable.

Undoubtedly, such a thing was an odd way to start off a conversation or greet anyone in English, but Kinny didn't know that, he didn't really know any common western mannerisms and his laid back personality didn't help with it either. In simple terms, this left him a social pariah and that was how he went through 1st year, unknowingly alienating himself from people with his speech patterns and lack of knowledge on western culture.

With each quiet footstep, Heidi felt her heart beat faster and harder. Even coming to the school had been something far out of her comfort zone, but here she was, tailing a complete stranger with two hulking and very powerful demons as he hunted yet another daemon. They were nearing a dense, verdant forest, and Heidi knew that if she were to venture in there, she might lose track of how to get back to the Academy-- to safety. To be perfectly honest the idea of hunting down and confronting a daemon terrified her, even if she wasn't the one fighting it. They were dangerous creatures she didn't understand. Why, even her joking pervert of a daemon Bannik was still a frightening enigma. But following this man was a chance at seeing a real daemon hunter doing his work, and that was a chance she wouldn't pass up.

However, she didn't want to imagine what those two hulking daemons of the young man she followed could and would do to her, should their master dislike being followed. So she swallowed her fear and kept moving, walking carefully on the balls of her feet to stay silent and alert. Unfortunately, all her attempts at stealth didn't seem to do her any good, as her silent and unwitting guide seemed to notice her anyway. He spoke first in English and then in Swedish... telling her to pick up the pace. Heidi nearly let out a sigh of relief at that, knowing that her following him wouldn't result in her being torn to ribbons by his daemons. She was about to comply when, suddenly, another hunter strolled into the clearing, his own intimidating daemon following close at his heels.

She immediately ducked behind a nearby tree and held her breath, doing her best not to make a sound and make herself as unnoticeable as possible. She heard the newcomer speaking in English with a bizarre accent. Taking no chances, Heidi quickly unfastened the belt that held the ax in its harness just above her hips and let the small but heavy weapon slide into her hands. She whipped it around her body deftly and expertly and held it close against her chest. She had no idea what daemon hunters would do to other daemon hunters in a hunt. Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, she tightened her grip on her ax and mentally prepared herself for the worst.

"Heidi! Mitä on tekeillä? (What's going on?)" barked Bannik, suddenly popping out of his bucket. The wooden lid slammed back on the tree trunk with a loud clack and rang through the quiet forest, lingering and echoing loudly for a moment or two before the woods faded back into silence. Heidi clenched her jaw and inhaled sharply, knowing that any chance at going unnoticed had just been dashed to pieces. Not bothering to answer her pesky daemon's untimely question, she quietly slid her weapon back into its harness. As she did so, Bannik slipped out of his bucket and climbed onto his partner to sit on her shoulder. He turned and whispered harshly and none too quietly into her ear, "Oi! Heidi!"

Heidi said nothing and instead unfastened the bucket of water from her back and held it loosely in her hands. A bucket of spring water was much less threatening than an ax, but it could still protect her should these hunters prove less than friendly. And better yet, these hunters wouldn't know that. She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the tree, facing the two hunters in the clearing. Incredibly nervous and beyond terrified despite her smiling face, she held up her free hand and waved slightly to the two young men. From her shoulder, she heard Bannik let out a small 'oh'.

In her rough, heavily accented English, she said warmly to the two hunters, "Ah... hallo, there."

Alexander had been sitting on his bed while Kasai lay curled up on the rug by his feet. Alex was polishing and sharpening his katana and wakizashi in order to avoid the influx of first years. He may technically only be a second year himself, but he had attended Aulani Academy for going on four years now, originally attending at the middle school campus, and since arriving he had stayed on academy grounds through the holidays, rarely leaving except for the occasional hunts just outside the campus walls, and a few rare trips into town. He preferred to stay at the academy in order to avoid his mother and father, seeing as things with them were relatively tense, what with their disapproval both of his daemons and the fact that he as attending the academy.

When the siren had sounded he had been slightly flustered, while he enjoyed hunts he was only just barely finishing his sharpening, and he really wanted to give another coat to the katana, and he knew that technically he didn't have to participate, but it was the first real hunt of the school year, and there was no way he would miss out... entirely. He stayed for a short period of time, adding a layer of holy oil to his katana, and the wakizashi, then sliding them into their sheaths, and putting the sheaths on his belt. He then stood and walked slowly out towards the main hall, and was rewarded with an empty building. All the students had flooded out onto the ground, and while some of them had good tracker daemons, he had a slightly unfair advantage in the locating department. Between the combined senses of both a Lamia and a Kitsune they would be able to quickly make up for lost time.

"Acentia, honor your oath, I summon you." Alexander still felt awkward summoning the Lamia, for Kasai and him there had never been a need to summon or call. They were constant to one another, even when Kasai went wherever he did, there was always a part of Alex's mind that knew he was there, no more than a thought away. With Acentia Alex's bond was much less intimate, he needed to call her, and she couldn't speak mind-to-mind the way he and Kas did.

The floor in front of Alex turned for an instant into a rushing river, which Acentia claimed was the River Styx. Alex still didn't quite believe her, but as she rose from the waters he had to admit, if there really was a river that lead to and from Hell, those waters might actually be a part of it. "There'sss a daemon around." Acentia stated, her serpentine tongue rolling her s's, as she shook and ethereal water droplets flew from her skin, each disappearing before ether landed.

"Think you two can find it before anyone else?" Alex asked.

"It isss uses you are asssking Alex." She hissed with a smile, "The real quessstion isss can you keep up?" And with that she began slithering at a pace that required Alex to sprint to keep up with Kas, now as large as a full sized wolf, trotting along easily a few paces behind them, ready to redirect, should he feel Acentia went off course.

"If you're going to follow me, pick up the pace. Om du ska följa mig, plocka upp takten. Thane, had you released the demon from earlier yet?" The slow release of breath could be physically be seen in the air as it escaped through the lungs exiting the mouth of the daemon as it came to a quick stop its body freezing in place as it tried to make out what was going on around it, lifting its head up into the air its brilliant orange demonic eyes closing as it began to sniff the area around where it stood trying to get a good sense of what was coming & how many were coming; either way they weren't going to get any further than they already had. It's nostrils flared causing its eyes to shoot open as the strong smell of hunters filled the air causing a flash of anger to fill its body a deep growl escaping through its sharp canine-like fangs; there were several from what it could smell each one giving off their own unique scent, though it didn't matter, soon the only smell coming from them would be that of their corpses decaying on the forest floor. Turning on the spot it began to move stalking its way closer to where it could hear the voices coming from each step barely making a noise on the earthen ground that lay below it showing that the daemon was definitely one that was known for its hunting skills; though in comparison they paled greatly against its strength & vicious nature.

"Then tell me who I should worry about." Slowing its pace it began to hunch down keeping below the level of the shrubs & bushes out of sight as the creature began to scope out the situation lain out before it being mindful of keeping his prey in sight while not allowing them to know they were being stalked, "The girl with the harpy, the native from this country, the one that rides on horseback, the phoenix rider, and the oriental with a Dokkaebi." "I see." Whatever it was that had been said between master and daemon seemed to have the young boy worried, Don't worry dear boy... Soon you will have no need to feel about such petty things-... The creatures thoughts were cut off as both the sound of snapping twigs & water sloshing around caught it's attention making it momentarily forget the boy who had begun to murmur to himself while holding something it couldn't see, the commotion though seemed to come from two different directions causing it to press low against the ground to watch whatever was happening unfold as it hunched its shoulder blades ready to push off into action when the moment was right, "Uhhh...Hello...NyQuil right? You look very tense. You should-um-what is the English saying?-ah yes-Loosen up a bit!"

Another boy forced his way into the area though, unlike the one that had been there before, this one didn't seemed phased by anything that was going on around him the strange behavior flicking a switch in the creatures mind as it began to grin, Mmm... Another hunter... Seems like diner just became a two course meal... Its eyes flicked over to the other side of the clearing as a young woman carrying a large bucket of sloshing water joined the two males looking as though she wanted to turn & run rather than stand there looking as brave as she did, Well, well, well... This must be my lucky day... My two course meal just turned into a feast..! Inching closer to them it came to a halt its large body getting ready to attack as it gently & almost silently clawed at the ground getting a feel for the earth it walked upon; so different from that of the daemon world, earth was something that took a while to get used to, "Ah... hallo, there." The sound of loud yet deep rumbling growls cut off any conversation before it could begin between the three of them, what point was there in giving them time to come up with a strategy when none of them were going to survive? It's time for dinner... Through the large shrubs & bushes that hid its body bright demonic orange eyes could be seen staring at the three of them for only a moment before it pushed off its body lunging into the clearing to attack.

---

"Hey! I know you, You're the Headmasters girl, right?" The sound of a voice shouting out to her caught her attention turning the pair to turn in the air both now facing the newcomer with slight surprise that he had even managed to catch up with them in the first place, "Yeah, that's me... Though I also go by Erin, Rose, Amara; whatever floats your boat buddy." Her body began to bob up & down matching the beat of Aria's wings as they once more began to hover in the air the gentle rhythm keeping her calm and collected through all the excitement of the first hunt of the year, "Erin, do you know him?" She glanced back at her familiar shrugging her shoulders slightly before she let her gaze wander back to him a gentle smile crossing over her lips, "No... But, it's always nice to meet new people." Aria's warm breath flowed over her neck as she let out a sigh causing her to know exactly what the young Harpy was thinking, they were in the middle of a hunt & she was stopping to make friends it wasn't the smartest move in the world but everyone who knew her knew that it was to be expected; she wasn't the type of person to ignore & walk away unless there was something drastically wrong or that particular person had done something to piss her off majorly. Those sorts of things didn't happen too often, but when they did, everyone knew not to push the point, "Hows hunting going, seen anything yet? I would think the daemon is farther from the school but me and chariot haven't found anything."

She chuckled softly her hand coming up to cover her lips before she lowered it once more to her side her head shaking slowly as she answered his question, "Nah, haven't seen anything yet. Besides, you don't know; depending on the daemon they could hav-..." Her words were cut off by a loud & annoyed shrill sounding squawk the voices accompanying it getting closer & closer with every second that passed, turning around her eyes widened as she saw Cash trying to catch up to the two of them her friend flying a lot higher than he usually would, "Cash! Cash what are you doing!" Aria taking her lead from the worried tone in her Mistresses voice flapped her wings quickly moving back along their side Erin's movements in her arms causing her to speak out in slight panic, "E-Erin. Stop squirming about, your making it hard for me to hold you..." Rolling her eyes Erin swung her legs from side to side causing Aria's grip to break as she lunged over her breath caught in her chest as she managed to hit her mark coming to a slightly bumpy & probably painful rest on Hell's back. Wrapping her arms around Cash's waist she held onto him tightly her breasts pressing up against his back as she lent in her chin resting gently on his shoulder, "If you wanted to come with me that badly, you know you just had to call me; that's why you have my number."

She turned her head her warm smile never leaving her lips as she tried to comfort his nerves one of her hands reaching out to rest on his relaxing his grip on his familiars feathers, "Hell, I know you don't have to take orders from me, but can you please land?" Behind them Aria crossed her arms over her chest falling in next to Dark as she shook her head watching her hunter with both worry and frustration, "I swear, one of these days that girl is going to get herself killed... Then it wont matter how many years we took from her, she'll kill herself doing something reckless like that. You watch..." She lowered herself to the ground her legs bending slightly as she came into contact with it her wings folding up behind her, feeling the warm huff of a horse behind her she turned her head looking back at the student who was riding on the steed, "Well come join us, the more the merrier. She'll probably find some way to set up a picnic & track down the daemon while she's eating so you might as well make yourself comfortable; your part of the group now."

Ed shrugged. He hopped off of chariot, the many segments in his spear clicking and falling into falling into place, leaving it to a more manageable size. He raised his head to watch Erin and Cash on his daemon. A small grin stretched across his face. He had a feeling he was going to like these two. Cash seemed innocent enough, and Erin... He had a strange feeling about Erin. There was something about her that made him think twice. He decided to ignore it, most likely he was just thinking of her mother. He resolved to find a resting spot in the meantime. Chariot had ran a while, and it seems like Cash and Erin would want to land, what with Erin jumping from mount to mount.

Chariot stayed where he was, shaking his body a bit, trying to keep his blood moving in case they're attacked. He looked over the daemon he now knew was Erins. If Ed was to be working with these students, he would want to know their daemons. This one seems competent enough. I feel a strong presence from her. He decided, walking up along side her, subtly adjusting his size so he could look her eye-to-eye if he wishes. "You are the one with a contract to the Erin girl, yes?" He says in a deep, throaty voice. "I have a feeling we will be seeing more of each other."

Ed looked over the surrounding area. "Still no sign of any daemons. Other then our own, of course." He made cautious steps a bit deeper in the woods, trying to make sure that nothing would sneak up on them. He decided he was satisfied. He continued in the forest a bit, reaching an alcove at the top of a hill, only a bit off the trail. It provided a small clearing where Cashs daemon could land, and it had a good view, enough to notice if anything would try and sneak up. Provided they were paying attention, of course. Ed was betting to himself that they would get distracted, and some other hunter would find the daemon first. No matter. There will always be more daemons. And more chances to prove myself. With that idea, his thoughts turned to his mother. Her curly black hair, her loud speech and direct wording. Ed sighed. He turned himself back to face the trail, moving up to see Cash and Erin.
"Hey guys!" He yelled. "There's a clearing over here off the trail. We can rest for a bit if you'd like!"

"Máistir..." Set hissed out, its voice no more than a whisper. "Níl mé bodhar, Set." Cyril was quick to respond, a tad annoyed at the situation and taking out some of his annoyance on his daemon for assuming he didn't hear the Dokkaebi and his master. His eyes shut and he counted slowly to ten, letting the Korean close the distance. Before today he rarely spoke to a single person every few days beyond his instructors and his daemons, now he was becoming surrounded by people. It was certainly different and Cyril couldn't decide whether or not he was particularly thrilled by the development. "Silil," He said slowly, turning to look at the long haired man who referred to him as an over-the-counter sleeping aid, "That's how you'd pronounce my name in Korean." Cyril gave a quick glance toward where the girl from early should be, finding nothing. "My apologies," Cyril continued, looking back at the new addition to his party, "I don't believe I know your name, but as to what you said earlier. Loosening up is a dangerous thing while on a hunt. It's a good way to get yourself maimed or even killed. This isn't some game we're playing. We're likely hunting something that wants to kill us." As he spoke, he stepped closer to the Korean, his eyes staring sharply into the boy's.

"Quiet." He said sharply, his shoulders rising on edge at the distant sound of movement. His eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, finding the girl from earlier. 'Oh, just her' Cyril thought, relieved knowing that he wasn't about to be pounced on by something. The girl greeted them and seemed harmless enough, what with her holding a bucket full of water and having a minuscule daemon, a Banya if he remembered correctly, riding her shoulder. "Glad you could finally join us." Cyril smirked softly, giving her a quick look over. She didn't look particularly threatening, though she was a first year. They rarely were. He was going to say something about her hair, when a fresh sound put him back on edge. The nearby brush rumbled for no more than a second, a glowing set of eyes reminding him of a jack'o'lantern appearing within the foliage, seemingly fixated on his very soul.

"Back!" Cyril barked at the first year, simultaneously shoving back the Korean boy. Set and Thane reacted at once, Set's claws pulling back its hood, revealing a skull with tight almost translucent skin and burning eyes of blue flame as Thane's tome spilled open, its ethereal hands already dancing along the pages like a pianist. The beast burst forth as if it were awaiting a challenge, revealing itself in all its glory and all its horror, a form of darkness that reeked of brimstone. A hound from the depths of hell.

A few words in English she didn't quite catch and was that... a smile? Heidi blinked back her surprise at that and readjusted the heavy water bucket nestled in her arm. Well, so far this was going better than she had originally hoped, and her smile became more genuine. She took a step toward the two young men when she heard the snapping of branches and the deep, low snuffling of a beast. Slowly she turned her head towards the noise, her heart quickly growing heavy with dread. At that moment a huge dark dog-like creature burst from the bushes, snarling and snapping at the three hunters, abysmal eyes flashing in anticipation and hunger. It was a horrible, terrifying beast, bigger than any dog or wolf Heidi had ever seen. And she had hunted wolves, and brought down big ones. This daemon was unlike anything she had ever seen before in her entire life.

Heidi nearly screamed. She looked beside her at the boys for help, except her eyes found the blazing blue orbs of flame of one of the boys' daemons. Both daemons looked ferocious and eager to battle the beast. Frantic and terrified of everything going on around her, she stumbled back and spilled some of the water from her bucket down her front. Then an idea hit her, an idea that just might help them. "Bannik!" she said to the strangely calm little daemon upon her shoulder, "Ämpäri! The bucket!"

The daemon let out a sigh. "Ajattelin et koskaan kysy. I thought you'd never ask." He touched a long claw to the water in the bucket, instantly sending the water inside to a scalding hot boil. A refreshing burst of steam flew up from the bucket and into Heidi's face, and it seemed to fill her with a burst of strange, almost rejuvenating confidence. With her free hand she withdrew her axe from its sling and held it in her left, the boiling water held firmly in her right. She was ready for anything. Strangely enough, Heidi's heart wasn't pounding in fear anymore.

It threatened to burst from her chest, not in terror, but in excitement.

"Silil...Silil...Silil..." Kinny said aloud repeating it to himself, he had never been good with names, in fact, he was awful with names. Throughout his entire first year he never figured out his math teacher's name, and by the time he realized he needed it, it was already halfway through the year and too awkward to ask. He spent every math class using phrase like "Please, Miss" or "Miss, Can I use bathroom?" , a difficult experience indeed. This year, he made sure to right down his teachers' names on a sheet of paper in case he ever forgot.

"I will try and remember name, Sil-" As he spoke he was cut off by Silil's shove that sent him tumbling backwards, as he felt backwards he watched as a beast leapt from the bushes, a daemon in the shape of a dog, or at least, something like a dog. It was much larger and radiated a darker presence. As he fell, he gestured to the nearby Go, who responded with a nod before vanishing into invisibility. Switching into focus, Kinny turned his stumble backwards into a graceful roll, leading directly into the brush, vanishing from the clearing. The creature must've had keen senses if it was able to find them. Like a frightened squirrel, he swiftly climbed a tree and found a hiding place on a branch behind the trunk. He drew an arrow and nocked it, it was three hunters versus one daemon, this would be a cinch, wouldn't it?

Benjamin did not particularly enjoy architecture (staring at buildings for hours is pretty dull), but the incredible size and beauty of the academy castle left him open-mouthed. This was his first day at the academy, and his heart was pounding with excitement. He now knew that he belonged here. Maybe I'll make some friends here!

After being led into the academy with the rest of the first years, a good-looking girl that appeared to be a bit older than himself approached the group of first years and introduced herself as Erin De Rosiere. She said she was a third year student and started explaining how the academy works. Suddenly, a loud alarm sounded, cutting her off. A fire? Erin didn't look frightened or startled by it, so he guessed it was not a fire. "I’m really sorry about this, you have two options here," announced Erin, "One, you can join the hunt and get in some practice. Or two, you can look around the Academy & meet some of the students who aren't hunting at the moment. Either way, meet me back at this very spot before the lunch bell!” A hunt is going on? Does that mean there is a daemon on the academy grounds? Whatever the case, Benjamin decided it would be best to follow Erin, when all of a sudden a loud bang rang out from behind him. Benjamin spun around, looking for the source of the noise. It wasn't hard to guess what had made the noise. A red horse was standing in the middle of the hall, next to a well built boy who looked also a bit older than him. Awesome. Benjamin turned back to follow Erin, but she seemed to have disappeared. Oh well. I guess I better follow horse dude instead. But horse dude was already seated on his horse, and Benjamin realized there is no way he could keep up with horse. Unless...

Benjamin reached into his pocket and took out a smooth, black pebble. He set it on the ground quickly, and within a second the black pebble morphed into a large, winged black wolf. Velvelia. Follow the boy on horseback. Benjamin climbed on to Velvelia's back. It is good to see you Ben. thought Velvelia to Benjamin, and took off.

As they rushed out the main door, Benjamin heard someone speaking a language that he didn't recognize. He looked back and got a brief look at the boy and his two daemons before they vanished from sight. Don't let the the boy on the horse notice we're trailing him. I don't think he would appreciate that. Velvelia let out a small growl of acknowledgement. That would not be a challenge for her.

After some time, the boy on horseback met up with the girl who had instructed Benjamin and his fellow first graders. Erin, right? Soon after, another boy joined the band. They seemed to be having a good time, and Benjamin thought maybe it was time to show himself, but then decided against it. Not yet. I don't think they will welcome the idea that I have been following them this whole time.