The sudden sound of the driver shouting obscenities at some unseen passerby caused Mizzie to whip her head towards the front of the carriage she was in, staring past the stocky silver-haired dwarf on the seat across from her until his adjusting one of the buttons on his fine coat drew her attention, her body visibly tensing as if the motion could be hostile. By then, the dwarf was used to her… idiosyncrasies, such as how she was always holding the front of her shirt, and so he did little more than still his hands on his lap as the carriage continued rattling on down the cobble road through the chief city of Preicana: Maldoryn. As expected of a capital city, the sound of merchants in the street, people talking as they walked, and the sound of other carriages combined into a cacophony that those more used to rural environments might find grating. Mizzie certainly didn’t seem to appreciate the noise, wincing every now and again as she peered out the window like a caged animal, her focus primarily on the College above, just visible on the other side of town.

Pondering again what could have happened to the girl to make her so jumpy and afraid, the dwarf, Dalkin, noticed the subtle difference in the sound that the carriage was making that indicated they were on the bridge that led to the College itself. Before too much longer, they would arrive and she would be out of his beard. It wasn’t that she was all that unlikable though. It was just that she was hard to manage, especially for a dwarf of his age. He was really glad that they had had good traveling weather to make up for the time he had spent being interrogated in a small town on the way. That experience was how he knew not to touch her, or even seem as if he was for that matter. Honestly, he had never heard anyone so small scream so loudly or for as long. It was amazing that the lass still had a voice at all!

Drawn out of his reverie by the sudden, jerking stop of the cart, Dalkin opened the door and stepped out into the muted light coming from the dark gray clouds above. From the looks of things, another snowstorm was imminent, which wasn’t all that surprising for where they were. He didn’t spend too much time contemplating the weather, however, moving several feet away from the carriage and indicating that the staff getting ready to remove his luggage from the back do the same. He knew by then that the small girl wouldn’t budge until she felt that it was safe to do so. As expected, the girl peered around the corners of the door after a few moments before hopping out, almost tumbling as her legs hit the cobblestone.

“You need to go through those doors over there, lass,” he said, taking a few steps forward to catch her attention. Seeming about ready to have a heart attack, she started to creep towards the door as if she wanted to avoid drawing any attention to herself whatsoever. Sighing, Dalkin wished mercy on whoever had to deal with her now that she was technically no longer his responsibility. Of course, he wished her the best as well, though he didn’t have much time to dwell on what awaited her at the College, the sound of a trunk hitting the ground drawing his attention back to the carriage where two men were struggling to lower a chest from the back of the carriage. “Oy! Be careful with my luggage!” he shouted, the girl and her plight already pushed to the back of his mind.

In the meantime, Mizzie had made it through the thick wooden doors, peering into the foyer apprehensively before entering fully. The only other individual in the room at the moment was a younger-looking lady behind the desk scribbling away at something with a quill pen before folding it up and stamping a silver ring to it and setting in a pile. She looked up when the door opened, crooking a finger at Mizzie to let her know that she needed to come to the desk. Chest tightening again, Mizzie made her way to the desk, her bare feet making a soft sound on the marble floor of the foyer.

As she neared the desk, her grip on the collar of her shirt tightened to keep from revealing the silvery mark underneath that proclaimed her status as a Dark Mage to anyone who saw it. “What’s your name, sweetie?” the lady asked, brushing a loose strand of brown hair behind the pointed ear that marked her as an elf of some kind. Though there was a slight furrow in her brow, her voice and expression were kind, which was a teensy bit comforting to the smaller elf.

“Miz’ri A’Daragon,” Mizzie replied, her voice almost too quiet to hear at all. Somehow, the receptionist seemed to understand her, using her finger to make a little mark on something that Mizzie couldn’t see at all. The fear that they were going to take her away for being a Dark Mage revived itself in her mind, causing her to visibly shake as she waited for the receptionist to speak again. She had heard what happened to the evil people like her, and the thought of being found out and suffering the same fate terrified her.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” the lady asked, her voice breaking through the grip Mizzie’s fears had on her. Mizzie merely nodded jerkily in response, though the lady didn’t look convinced. Regardless, she didn’t push the issue and continued. “If you want, you can sit over there until Evern comes to get you. You’re early, so it might be a while.” Once again, Mizzie didn’t respond beyond a simple nod, heading over to a plush-looking bench against one of the walls of the foyer, her feet dangling over the edge once she was seated. To be honest, she didn’t understand why they would be so careless if they knew that she was a Dark Mage, but she could really do little more than wait and find out what they had planned.

Very early that morning three cloaked and hooded figures travelled the main road, not really paying much attention to what was going on around them. The trio looked as if they travelled for days, judging from the grime on their clothing. However they didn’t give off the feeling of being tired, their pace was brisk, two of the three chatting quietly while the third only listened. They walked through the main street unobstructed, if someone were to look at them, they’d only question why the quiet one was walking while holding the bag with his arm, granted it looked uncomfortable but it seemed this person had a reason for it.

As it turned out that they were heading towards the mage’s guild, though once they were almost there all three stopped. All three of them looked at each other, two of them, who appeared to be female, looked at each other and hugged the third, who remained unmoving as it happened. “We’re here” Said the first, the second continued “We hope you’ll visit us from time to time.” She smiled only part of her face showing from under the hood. “…” The boy only nodded in response, his expression unchanging. The woman who first spoke had tears in her eyes, though she looked sad she had a smile on her face. “She must have felt the same when you left, though a part of her is with you always, as part of us will be.” The other continued. “True, never forget, we will always welcome you home, as will the forest.” They hugged him again, though this time the boy hugged the two in response, whispering something so only both of them could hear. “…” The women looked surprised but smiled broadly. “As do we.”

They had to part eventually, even though it was bittersweet. The boy took his bag, though instead of throwing it onto his back he just carried it in one arm like before, nodding one last time to the two before proceeding to enter the guild, one last wave of his hand towards them. On his way in he passed a carriage and a dwarf screaming something at other people, this didn’t really interest him, but he took note of it, since the only other dwarf he ever saw was a lot quieter than this one.

Edonil pushed the heavy wooden doors, entering the what seemed to be the foyer. As he entered he looked around, the whole place was unusual for him. He approached the desk pulling down the hood, his foxears twitched and moved listening to the smallest sounds, noticing aside from the receptionist there was someone else there. At first the woman didn’t notice him as he walked really quietly, rather unusual for someone of his posture. The boy scratched his head, his face expressionless. As she noticed him she didn’t say anything for a moment, it seemed his appearance was a bit unusual even he knew that.

“What’s your name, hun?” She asked a smile on her face. Edonil only handed her a small piece of paper. “Oh… So you’re Edonil Talan? You’re early, you’ll have to wait a bit before Evern comes and quides you.” He nodded in response and looked around the room and saw the anther person he heard before, he couldn’t put a finger on it but she looked scared of something.

Edonil went and sat on the far side of the bench this girl was on. He made sure to make enough noise as he walked over so she wouldn’t be surprised. Before seating himself, he smiled at the girl, she was like a small animal, so defenseless and scared, it made him remember how he was before. As he sat there, he didn’t move nor observe her, he just tried looking friendly, well as much as it was possible for this almost expressionless person, waiting for how she’d react to his intrusion. He must have looked a bit funny though, as he made sure not to lean back on the bench as if there was something on his back he didn’t want squished.

"Oh, Hadvar, you are just too kind!" Hovering a few feet above the ground, Sera kissed the innkeeper on the cheek. Blushing just a bit behind his massive red beard, he said "That's alright. I make it a point not to charge my friends to stay at the inn. And besides, with all of the singing you've been doing, you've more than paid for a few nights of rest..." The big man seemed suddenly wistful, as he poured himself another pint of mead. "You know, Sera, as a child my mother would tell me stories about Faeries. She had known one, you see, in her youth. Heh, according to her, it's so cold up here your people avoid it like the plague! Would you believe that you're the first to stay at the inn since I took over from my Da?"

Mock-shivering a little, Sera laughed, a high, clear sound like the tinkling of bells. "I would! I don't know how you humans stand it. My wings have frozen over twice since I got to Preicana. If I hadn't stumbled into your inn and had all of that mead, I probably would have frozen to death!" The young Faerie was not dressed for this country's weather, wearing only a thin, knee-length dress, but really, the cold didn't bother her all that much. The true reason there weren't many Fae in Preicana was likely just distance. Most of them tended to stay in their own cities, and the nearest Faerie forest Sera knew of was her own, a very long way to the South. A few minutes later, the two were standing near the heavy oak door, and Sera was holding her very small bag of belongings. "It has been a great pleasure, Hadvar," she said, bowing formally and making the sign of her faith (three fingers over her heart). The innkeeper made the responding sign she had taught him (three fingers on the forehead), and smiled after her as she floated out into the cool morning air.

"The city isn't far from here, Sera!", he called out. "You'll come and visit the inn sometime, won't you?" Laughing, she waved back at him, saying "I will, Hadvar, don't worry! And maybe you'll have found a woman by then, eh?" Chuckling a little, the big man watched her go, then closed the door and busied himself with his early-rising customers. As for Sera. this was the last leg of her very long Northward journey, and she was excited. Finally, the day had come, and she was going to begin her education. Well, her "real" education. Her family, and the other monks had taught her some things, a bit of healing magic and some fairly powerful Alteration spells, but it was haphazard, and she knew that attending this College was the only way she could really become a master Altrist.

It was probably because she was zipping along on her wings, well-rested after the stay in Hadvar's inn, but in what seemed like no time at all Sera had come to the gates of Maldoryn. It was massive! She had been through several cities during the journey, but none of them even came close to the size of Preicana's capital. And, there, rising above the rooftops on a huge, raised plateau was her destination: The College. It was even more grand than she imagined, though she still hadn't quite begun to appreciate human architecture. Sera thought, hovering there above the cobbled street, that she would always prefer the trees of her homeland. Now that she knew where it was, though, there was no time to waste! Singing merrily to herself, the Faerie quickly flew through the various districts, taking alleys and sidestreets whenever the fancy struck her, dodging and weaving through carts and market stalls like a dancer, until finally, after getting sidetracked and distracted several times, she made it to the massive bridge that led up to the College.

It looked even bigger up close, and Sera flipped onto her back so that she could see all the way up to the highest tower. All she could do was whistle. This Faerie was officially impressed. With a bit of trouble, she managed to pull open the massive wooden doors just a crack, and squeezed inside, very happy to get out of the cold, despite her earlier thoughts about it not bothering her much. Everything about the College seemed to be grand, and the massive entranceway was no exception, so Sera was looking around at the design. and didn't even notice the receptionist until a slightly annoyed "Ahem" reached her ears from across the room. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss, I didn't see you over there!" Smiling, she quickly made her way to the desk, and performed the same sign she had that morning, with Hadvar. "I am Tenanye Seraphe, and I'm ready to, um, learn? I was told to come to the College on this day..."

Though she didn't know the response to Sera's greeting, the receptionist bowed good-naturedly, and said "Yes, you were told correctly, Ms. Tenanye. Some of your fellow Novices have already arrived, but I'm afraid all there is to do is wait. We are expecting several more today, and eventually, even if they don't show up, Evern will take you to your dorms, give you the tour, and answer all of your questions. Please, have a seat anywhere you wish." Glancing over at the two who had already arrived, the elf dropped her voice to a whisper. "I wouldn't try to engage those two in conversation, though. The girl is scared out of her wits, and the boy hasn't said a word since he got here... -sigh- We do get some strange ones, I guess."

Now, that was odd, Sera thought. Why would the little Moon Elf girl be so scared? Ignoring the receptionist's warning, she settled herself lightly onto the seat just beside Mizzie, folded her wings carefully, and smiled at her. When she spoke, it was soft, and hopefully soothing. "Good morning, little one. My name is Sera. Why are you so scared? No one here is going to hurt you, you know. These are good people, very wise, and you're here to learn from them, aren't you?

The sound of the large wooden doors opening caused Mizzie to jump, her head whipping over to the source as a man wearing a hood entered and closed the door behind him before making his way to the desk. Figuring that he would ignore her if she appeared to ignore him, Mizzie only glanced at him occasionally to see what he was doing, her eyes widening a bit when she saw that he had removed his hood to reveal ears that belonged to a fox. Still, she managed to avoid staring, which would have certainly drawn his attention, as he finished his business with the front desk, dashing Mizzie’s hopes that he would leave by heading to the far end of the bench and sitting down.

Though he was on the other side of the bench, his presence still made it harder for Mizzie to relax. The receptionist had claimed that he was also waiting for Evern, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be there to keep an eye on her until they decided the best way to punish her. The sound of the door opening once again kept her from dwelling on the idea for too long, her attention immediately jumping to what could possibly be a new threat. The fact that the new arrival was a female fairy didn’t do much to dissuade the notion that she could be dangerous.

Once again, Mizzie tried to be as discreet as possible in observing her as she moved to the desk and explained to the receptionist that she was there to learn. The receptionist gave her essentially the same response she gave to Mizzie and the fox-eared guy, mentioning that she could sit on the benches to wait for Evern. The elf deviated from the norm by leaning forward a bit and whispering to the fairy, however, sending chills up Mizzie’s spine as her thoughts turned to what it could possibly mean.

Almost as if on cue, the fairy made her way over to the bench and sat down next to Mizzie, taking care not to hurt her wings as she turned and spoke to the little Moon Elf. The attention, despite the fairy’s voice being gentle, caused Mizzie to tense up visibly and set her heart racing. The only thing that kept her from bolting was the fear of causing a scene and acquiring stricter punishment. Instead, she pulled her bare legs, mottled with silver like her arms and torso, up onto the bench and wrapped her arms around them. With her tongue feeling like it was glued to the roof of her mouth, she was unable to respond to the fairy verbally, though the latter’s mention of learning from the people at the guild elicited a slightly puzzled expression and a tiny shake of the head.

It certainly didn’t make sense for a guild of magic to teach a Dark Mage anything at all, though she could see why they would take in someone like the fairy, Sera, as a student. She was probably really good, the opposite of Mizzie, and she was really beautiful. Denying her would have certainly been a foolish move. Mizzie still wasn’t sure about the boy at the end of the bench, however. Sure, she could definitely see him being a student as well, but he seemed too quiet for that, an observation which reinforced the notion that he was there to keep an eye on her.

Edonil greeted the fairy with only a nod, his features unchanging, only his foxeares twitched visibly, as if he heard something distant, that soon passed though. As he leaned down to take something out of his bag he cringed and straightened, sighing loudly as he straightened up. The boy stood up and took off his cloak, revealing that under it he wore an almost black jacket, without any visible embroideries aside from the one on his collar. What was eye-catching was the hood sewn onto its back, it looked unmovable, implying a different purpose than head protection.

After tucking the cloak into his pack he took out a small, leather bag, which looked like a ration bag used for dry goods. Edonil sat back down onto the bench and reached behind him into his jacket’s hood. Soon after he pulled something out of it, it looked like a small silver, fluffy ball. He looked at it for a while and his expression melted quickly – he smiled, innocently. “Taine… food…” Two words, quiet but hearable, the mention of food made the ball unfurl into what was a small fox kit. The little one yawned and started waging its tail, looking around intrigued and curious of everything, especially the two girls sitting on the bench.

The golden eyed kit focused on what was in Edonil’s other hand though, as it was a few slices of meat, which he took from his earlier breakfast. The small one wagged and wolfed the meat up quickly, licking the boy’s hand and then her own paws afterwards. Yipping happily and wagging her tail she looked at the two girls, her head tilted slightly. It looks back and forth between the boy and the girl, yipping excitedly. “All right…” The boy said sheepishly.

He turned on the bench slightly and bowed to the girls once more, his face taking a neutral look, expressionless. “Edonil… Talan…” He said as he pointed to himself, then looked at the kit, a smile creeping onto his face as he brought her closer to them. “Taine.” The kit yipped and wagged its tailas her name was said. The boy looked uncertain, his foxears flat on his head, as if he feared for the kit, his face once again, became without expression. The kit was obviously the one more outgoing of the two, her curious golden eyes beaming at all three.

The greenskin wasn’t too bothered by the looks of suspicions, disdain, and wariness the citizens gave him. Val’kur was already fairly used to the mistrust that came with visiting any large settlement; his orcish appearance tended to inspire such feelings. There were of course also the occasional look of awe or amazement, generally from the children, which also wasn’t too uncommon. He usually towered over most humans and was built more heavily, though his attire likely also had something to do with it. With his hood up, cloak trailing behind him just a bit, and a heavy sawed blade hanging from his hip, his way of dress was also a far cry from the usual. The main reason was likely the bird that used his shoulder as a perch, and though it was unsteady and shaky his companion did not seem to mind.

It was an odd looking creature, resembling a crow in shape although its plumage was far different in color. With brilliant shades of light green, teal, and even azure, Val’kur’s companion was no doubt quite eye catching. The moment its eyes, pale blue and with a dull spark and glow, turned to watch those who watched it though, most people turned away with hushed whispers. Neither it nor its owner paid them any mind and continued onwards, their destination already in sight. Even for a seasoned traveller like him, it was a welcome relief to finally take a break from the road; he had travelled for several weeks now just to make it to the College on schedule.

Despite the long time he had to think on the decision, Val’kur still wasn’t sure if this was the right choice. Joining a guild, even temporarily or as a trial, was something entirely new to the halfbreed and the manner in which the offer had been extended still somewhat confounded him.

The man had been waiting in a small unnamed town that Val’kur had only bothered to stop by to sell and purchase some supplies. He had approached Val’kur while the halfbreed had set up camp, commenting on his companion and knowing it would mark him as different. Most people thought it was just a rather exotic bird that Val’kur had lent its shoulders to, and though they would be right, they also missed a lot of the truth. Inspite of what followed afterwards, the man nevertheless passed along his message to the half-breed: an offer to attend the College of Preicana, and the date at which he would be expected. Then the mage, or at least Val’kur assumed the man was one, had left just as quickly as he had appeared, leaving the half-orc to think.

He shook his head to dismiss the thoughts that concerned him. He had already come so far, and the chance to learn more about the magic he possessed was simply too much for him to pass on. Even if things weren’t as they seemed, he was sure he could figure one way out of this. Perhaps it sensed its companions turmoil or maybe it was just hungry, but Iskra was nevertheless quick to jab its beak at Val’kur’s head good naturedly. The pecking continued until, with a small chuckle, the half-orc stopped in his walk and approached a nearby stall vendor.

Given how fast Iskra had devoured its share of the skewers he had purchased, Val’kur was willing to wager they were fairly well done. The warm food was a welcome reprieve to the chilly air he had to contend with as he crossed the bridge to the College. Without any cover the wind was free to blow at him, and despite an orc’s natural hardiness, the cold was still quite uncomfortable. The way Iskra had curled up on itself, head tucked under its wings that were wrapped tight, indicated his companion was ready to get inside and Val’kur had to agree. Wasting little time, the half-orc pushed the massive wooden doors opened and was greeted by a rush of warm air before he stepped in and pushed the doors shut against the cold air outside.

“Val’kur?” His name being called caught the half-orc somewhat off guard and he whipped his head around to look at the lady who had done so. She was part of the staff evidently, and he noted the three others that were present nearby before he nodded. “Good. In any case take a seat, and Evern will be along shortly.” He briefly considered asking who Evern was before deciding against it, he would find out soon enough. Instead of taking a seat as he had been told, he walked over to a pillar further away from the bench the other three had taken. Leaning against it, he pulled the hood off and gave a slight shake of the head to free his hair, before he turned his attention to finishing what skewers he had left.

Saphira pulled at the light-blue fabric, the feeling of the long sleeves covering her arms a strange one. She held it close to her eyes to look at, lowered it to her nose to smell, and even slid the cuff it into her mouth to taste. She spat it back out quickly, shivers running up and down her spine. She went back to just eyeing it curiously for a while longer. After a few minutes, her gaze shifted down to the skirt. It was a darker shade of blue, extending down to the warm boots covering her feet. Her toes were still wiggling inside those, adapting to their new (albeit warm) imprisonment.

Diane sighed as she watched the girl. Since meeting the elf two days ago, Diane had sighed more times than could be counted. The older woman turned back to the cashier, paying for the clothes and a few more outfits. When she'd found Saphira in the forest south of Preicana, the elven girl had been wearing tattered rags. Diane had covered her with a cloak, but a girl needed clothes. Thus the reason they had stopped at this shop before continuing to the College.

Saphira began to move around the store, staring at the colors and rubbing the soft fabrics. Diane couldn't tell if Saphira was acting out of wonder or a simple curiosity about her surroundings. She'd like to think it was the former, but the wood elf's features gave away nothing. Gathering up the bags, Diane called for Saphira and they departed.

It was only a short walk to the College. Even while holding the bags (Diane couldn't allow herself to appear as a porter in public) Saphira's gaze roamed everywhere. Anywhere she looked she saw tall buildings, strange objects, and many, many people. Her eyes and ears soaked it all in, or as much as she could in the tumult of activity. When finally she stood before the doors of the College itself, Saphira was taking deeper breaths. She'd found so much new information, she needed more oxygen in her brain to begin sorting through it all.

Diane ushered her in and toward a group of people gathered at some seats. "Go introduce yourself," the older magess suggested. Saphira replied with a serious nod, padding over to join the others as Diane went to the desk. The elf came to a stop in front of a most curious person. Or animal. She couldn't tell which it was supposed to be, and that's what was curious. It was a boy person, but had fox ears. The boy fox person also held a small fox kit that Saphira watched closely. She spent a few seconds there silently before remembering Diane's order.

"Saphira," the wood elf declared for all to hear. Her eyes watched the fox person and kit expectantly.

Edonil observed his little furry friend as she looked around almost falling out of his hands a couple of times, leaning out too much as she observed what was around them. The silver-furred kit was too energetic, maybe she made up for what Edonil lacked, as he didn’t show expressions and didn’t seem spontaneous at a glance, she’d be all over the place if allowed to roam the hall freely. This won’t be allowed though as she already showed what she’s capable off during the short time they are together.

The foxeared boy focused on the entrance as it opened and this person with an unusual bird came into the hall. He stared for a while at the bird, not able to decide what it was, or if it was “safe” to his little protégé. The receptionist’s voice snapped him out of it, making him realize what he did, must have been really rude, however even then his expression remained unchanged. As the man leaned against the pillar further away from where they sat, Taine nudged him a couple of times. He focused on her again, she looked kind of scared or rather daunted by the bird. Edonil smiled slightly and nuzzled the kit, giving her a small kiss to the forehead as if one would a child. “No threat.” He whispered into her ear to what the fox seemed to calm down, jumping into his lap to rest a bit.

The fox it was the first of the duo to notice and react to the girl walking towards them. The boy scooted slightly to the side in case she wanted to sit down, as he did that he also wrapped his tail around his side so Taine was had something to play with or snuggle against. He hoped she’d take a nap soon, but the little silver fluff ball was just playing around. After the girl stood before him and introduced herself he blinked, she gave only her name which made him smile a little, she was more of a woodland creature than a person, which made him relax and smile softly, something he almost never did for people. He placed one of his hands on his chest. “Edonil… “ then rubbed the little ones head, who was already wagging her tail and yipping quietly overjoyed for meeting new people. “Taine.” He petted the free spot next to him in a little clumsy gesture to ask Saphira to sit next to him.

Two carriages rolled into the city, both different. One carriage was ornate, clearly of fine making and belonging to someone of high class. The other was much more plain, but of sturdy build. They ended up trundling along next to each other, though neither carriage's occupants were aware of or even connected to each other, despite that they both were headed to the same place. The renowned College of Preicana, the esteemed place of magical and mystical learning.

In the ornate carriage, a lone young lady sat, adjusting her gloves. The smell of posies and rosemary wafted about her, sweet and soft. She tugged gently on a glove, making sure that it was on snugly before doing the same to the other. Her raven hair cascaded down past her shoulders, smooth and silken to the touch. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, and gleamed with clarity behind those eyes. She said no words, just quietly carried on, riding down on to college.

The other carriage contained two people, both elves, and a fox. The two elves were both female and that's about where the similarities ended. One was a pure Sun Elf and was leaning back in her seat, her eyes closed in sleep. The ordeal getting the other passengers to just ride in the cart had been something unto itself. Despite the city surrounding them, the curtains were drawn tightly closed, and any time that a bump moved them, the green elf on the other side shivered and closed them. She was a strange one, her skin as murky and green as the forest she came from. Her hair was long and unkempt, and there were leaves stuck in the slate grey tresses. Her clothes were ragged and covered just enough to be modest. Her eyes were what stuck out the most, pure white with not a hint of iris or pupil in them. On either side of her were stuff. To her left, there was a fox, curled up in sleep. To her right, was a handmade quiver filled with handmade arrows and a handmade bow.

Before long, the two carriages reached the College. Both came to a stop and from there they were about their way. The driver of...
Tokamara: ... The driver of the ornate carriage hopped down and opened the door for his passenger before seeing to the luggage. The plain carriage's driver simply knocked on the carriage wall behind him to signal that they were there.

The lady of the ornate carriage exited first and headed towards the door, the driver of her carriage in tow, her luggage in his hands. Through the doors they went, both stopping before the desk. When asked her name, she replied. "Sorwena Malos" Whether people would recognize her name or not didn't bother her at all. The man with her made a small inquiry and headed off into the college as soon as he had his answer. Doing as the others did, waiting, though she distanced herself from the rest.

A long groan emanated froom the regular carriage, followed by the dor swinging open and the The su elf stifled a yawn and stretched as she walked, followed cllosely behnd by the green elf and the fx, the latter cherrily prancing along. Past the dors and straight t the desk they went. The sun elf thumbed towards the green elf. "Oria is her name. Picked her up outta the Morgivia Foorest. Here for studiies by agreement and t give the Mrgivia lcals some peace of mind. If the old buffoon 'ants me, I'll be in the range, blwng off some steam." Ff she then went, leavig the green elf standing with the foox strutting arund her feet. After a few momets, she walked oover t an unoccupied sect of wall and sat crosslegged, the fox hopping up onto her lap to receive pets, which she obliged.

Traveling through the gate to the great city on the back of his dappled horse, though still only going the speed of the traffic around him, Saelion took in the sights and sounds. Most of his kind lived in cities like this, so it was really no problem adapting, though he wasn’t quite so used to seeing so many different races in one place. Elven cities didn’t exactly breed diversity after all. Still, he wasn’t as shocked by the diversity as another might have been due to the fact that he had been in the Order of Secar with others of numerous races.

Deciding to make his way to the College as quickly as possible, Saelion branched off from the main crowd down an equally large, but slightly less crowded street. Before he got too far, however, a hawker caught his attention and drew him over to the display of his wares. Feeling a bit exuberant, he purchased a piece of jewelry that the man was selling, tying the beaded cord behind his neck after handing the man the fare he asked for, which was actually far too high for the quality of jewelry. Still, it wasn’t much to Saelion, so he let it go and continued on his way, eventually arriving at the College before the midmorning bell.

Once he arrived, he dismounted and took his packs off his horse, instructing the stable hand to take good care of it before heading inside. He wasted no time in heading to the desk and offering his name, the woman nodding as she scribbled it down on a piece of paper to her right. With that done, she gave him the same instructions that she had given everyone else: to wait for Evern to show up, which he should be doing soon. Waiting was fine with Saelion, as it gave him time to meet with some of the others and get to know them, though he figured that he would have to avoid the Moon Elf girl, who had flinched upon seeing him.

Almost as soon as he reached the benches where the others were waiting, an older –looking man in a robe appeared from one of the side hallways, incidentally at the same time that the bells began ringing to signal the time. Ten times they rang, the man waiting to speak until they were done. “My name is Evern,” the man said, his voice carrying a southern accent. “I’ll essentially be the supervisor of your group, and the guide for the tour. So, if you’ll get yourselves together, we can go.”

A few minutes later, they were heading down one of the hallways of the building, opposite the one he had entered by. The walls were well decorated with brilliant tapestries displaying acts of magic and might. The halls themselves used mana globes, little glass balls that were enchanted to give off light when turned on, to keep the dimness of the wintry weather at bay. Small vases containing vivid arrays of flowers sitting on tables here and there further helped to dissipate any gloom from the weather.

“This right here is the dining area,” Evern said, stopping momentarily to gesture through the wide-open double doors that lead into the huge room where several tables housed people talking amiably while they ate. “It’s open practically twenty-four/seven, though the cooks do get a little testy when you come in out of nowhere asking for a meal. Remember that.” That said, he started again and lead them down the hallway a ways before stopping and explaining that the area in front of them was the infirmary. He seemed to believe that that spoke for itself, however, and continued on past the large room with barely a pause.

“This room coming up around this corner up here is the most important for you guys to remember. It’s your classroom, where you will be expected every morning at promptly eight o’clock, or the early morning bell as it’s called,” he said, leading them to the room shortly after he finished speaking. It wasn’t as large as most would expect, but it was large enough to host a couple of training dummies in the back, presumably for practice with aiming spells. The room was also well-furnished with tables for classwork.

“The last room that I need to show you is where you will be sleeping,” he continued after a pause to let the students take in the classroom. Incidentally, it took another turn and several yards before they reached the door that lead to their quarters. Opening the creaky door, he allowed the students to peer inside and satiate their curiosity. Strangely enough, the room appeared to be divided into smaller rooms, with two thin walls on either side immediately upon entering the door. These divisions continued down to the walls themselves. “Each one of you will receive one unit with room for a trunk and a small washbasin. The beds are already in there,” he continued. “The bathroom is through that door opposite the dorm itself.”

“If any of you are wondering about the library, it is off-limits to new magi like yourselves,” he said, tone a little sterner than before. “All we need around here is some fool child thinking that they’re going to be the next Magnus Black and blowing themselves up in the process of trying things they aren’t ready for. You’ll have access to the library either when you’ve proven yourselves capable of the basics and not likely to kill yourselves in some fool attempt at magic. Now, if there are no further questions, feel free to claim your bed and pack away your belongings. Lunch is at one o’clock and your classes begin tomorrow morning bright and early. Until then, feel free to become acquainted with the facility.” And with that, he turned and left, apparently on other business. Saelion didn’t pay it too much mind, however, and went about claiming a unit in the corner of the room. Compared to the sleeping arrangements of the Order, these were actually pretty luxurious.