As they entered the room, Khan turned about to face the teacher with both hands on his cane. “You never asked about them before Uicle, why is it important now?”

“Because I assumed you were smart enough to not mess around with God Runes!” Uicle snapped in reply. “But I assumed you were smart enough to not be tempted by something from Kudd as well, and I was wrong on that count too! Why Khan? Why the fuck are you messing around with not only the gods but the demon god of the Inferno! You know that will only end badly, for you and for the students you claim to protect.”

Khan flinched, his figure reacted to the harsh words and then tightened his grip over his cane while Uicle finished snapping. “This was a long time ago, Uicle. I was young, stupid, and I didn’t care what happened to me as long as my goal was met.”

The headmaster continued, through his feet started to shuffle past Uicle’s still form. Unlike the armor bound soul, he couldn’t stand for very long, as he pulled out the chair then seated himself. His hand reached down to rub his knee’s pain away. “I didn’t know they were God Runes until I came to the College and by that time, the damage was already done. I thought foolishly I could help my twin who was suffering from the mage disease and it was told in a legend there was a powerful demon in the Inferno that could possibly cure him. Little did I know, the story was referring to Kudd until I actually managed to locate and meet him.”

He leaned back. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of Uicle, I already stated that. Even if I try to defy Kudd, what’s to stop him from still going after those I love and sworn to protect? Unless I isolate myself completely from everyone which is partly I have been trying to do these last few months. It doesn’t seem to be working.”

Uicle ignored the beginning of the speech. He understood well enough the situation, and how it had come about. What he focused on was Khan’s continued insistence upon being foolish.“What’s to stop him from going after those you love and protect even if you don’t defy him? He’ll just make you do it or kill them anyways! That’s how it works! They make you kill your loved ones so you have no more weaknesses. You know how I rationalized joining Aarem? My family was counting on me. I couldn’t die, because they needed me to become a powerful mage to help them out of their own caste.” Uicle’s voice was filled with self loathing again.

“Three years later, I went to Yarosmere, killed my parents, and burned my siblings alive. None of them were left alive. I killed the people I wanted to protect. That is what Kudd is going to do to you Khan. You will join him willingly to protect at first, and then he will make you destroy all that you were going to protect. You can’t join him. It will only end up causing even more harm than defying him will.” He paced in front of the Esyire’s desk. “War is coming. I am doing my best to gather mercenary companies, Assassins’ guilds, and Thieves’ guilds to fight for the College. Kudd will go for the ones you swore to protect whether you join him or not. You can’t even be considering this Khan.”

“Then what should I do? If I’m damned either way, I might as well make another option or end it now. I’m pretty sure after the event last summer, Upsah would be more than happy to take my life. Something that solves both problems, doesn’t it?” Khan stated his most bitter tone yet, his patience trying to hold firm. “Would that solve it Uicle?”

Khan’s eyes flashed in his building anger as he glared at Uicle, the armor still slapping him verbally in the muzzle over lacking options. He knew he was stuck. No way out and the fact the teacher kept pointing it out only irritated him. “Either help or be prepared to kill me when I fail, something I’m sure Lucilia has already prepared for.”

Using his anger he pushed himself upright then walked around the desk using to support his weight while he edged to the office door. His hand seized the door handle then jerked it wide with a final statement. “Get out.”

Uicle laughed, a slightly hollow and harsh sound. He blatantly ignored the order to leave. “What is it with people and thinking the solution is killing themselves? No you idiot, I don’t think you should kill yourself. I want you to fight. I want you to realize that pain and death are coming no matter what you do and I want you to try and minimize it as best you can by fighting against Kudd. You’re better than that. I’m not going to let you doom yourself, kill yourself, or anyone kill you. You’re my friend Khan and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you make my mistakes. Fight him Khan. Fight him as viciously as you’ve ever fought.”

He stood there, staring at the headmaster, worry showing through the frustration and anger. “Promise me, you’re not going to make a deal with him. Promise me you won’t consider that vial any longer.”

“Why is it, you assume I’ve not been trying not to?” Khan said through gritted teeth, still irritated at the armored bastard still providing little solution. Fighting was easy but the winning part was the most difficult, his heart valuing the students, especially those he had become attached to, above his own life. Some day, he would have to make a choice. That, Khan was absolutely sure of and he hoped the student that didn’t care for him would end that choice before it killed them because he was unsure if he could at all. “I’ve tried to get rid of it. Over and over, but it keeps coming back even when I ignore it. I stopped taking Ovak’s medicine and I can move fine. I took it and immediately I can barely stand.”

The headmaster inhaled as his grip tightened on the door. “Just leave Uicle… you’ve done enough damage.”

“Because you’re considering even working with the bastard. You’re letting him win.” He paused a moment, letting it sink in what Khan had just said. “Have you ever considered it’s what he wants? That Kudd is doing something too you to make taking the medicine less appealing? Ovak wouldn’t give you medicine that weakened you without good reason.” Uicle noted the Esyire’s trembling, and took a few steps closer. His voice was quiet. “You’re about to-” The Eysire went before Uicle could finish his sentence, and the Necromancy teacher shot out his free hand to catch his friend. Taking his weight, Uicle began to guide Khan back to his seat. “Stubborn bastard. You knew this was going to happen.”

Khan had tried to stop it. His body failing and his leg folded underneath him, the cane snapped to the side while his figure went down. He had expected the floor to smack into his face rather rapidly until Uicle managed to stop his falling figure. Khan wrapped his arm about the teacher’s armored neck, his breathing heavy and body trembling. Unable to do much more than lean for support, he let Uicle guide his shuffling figure back to his seat then lowered him down. His bones popped a bit through Khan found himself not caring as he tried to catch his breath, unable to.

At Uicle’s words, he gave a bitter smirk.“Not completely, Uicle. Through in my defense, you do suck at diplomatic skills and should know better than to piss off a sick Esyire.”

His hand reached out to rub his knee again feeling the pain rising after his little stunt. “Why didn’t you just leave when I asked you to?”

Uicle chuckled. “There’s a reason I’m not a diplomat Khan, and you just found out why.” He moved to where Khan’s tea was, opening the drawer. He only made a brief sound of disgust as he saw the vial, and pulled out the Esyire’s supplies. “I’ll never understand how you drink this stuff. Even in life it was nasty.” He grumbled as he began to make the tea. It was a slow process with one hand, but Uicle did it anyways. Using Necromancy for such a trivial thing would have been a waste and something that would draw away from the College’s defenses.

The Necromancy teacher looked up in surprise at Khan’s question. “Because I’m your friend and a bastard. And as a bastardly friend I don’t plan on leaving you in the state you’re in with that thing nearby. I’m going to help you get through this Khan. Ovak too. So you’ll just have to deal with my ‘charming’ personality, because I’m not letting you damn yourself.”

“I personally think you’re a few years too late, friend. Kudd will get what he wants one way or another. The only question is…”Khan stated with a hushed voice, “is how much blood am I willing to allow before I’ve had enough?”

He leaned in his chair and relaxed, his eyes stared into the wall for several moments. His hand still absentmindedly rubbed his knee then mention the water usually kept hot. Khan pointed to the cups next and helped, through the armor knew where everything was, Uicle by directing him. When the cup was filled with steaming water and the tea scrapped in, dissolving into a dark liquid, the Esyire gratefully took it. Before he drank it, he paused to ask a question. “What happens when I fail, Uicle? Who will end it?”

“That’s for you to decide. You’ll know when you’ve had enough. Trust me.” Uicle’s voice took on a slightly reminiscent tone before he managed to shake himself back into the present. “I believe you mean if you fail, Khan. And that’s a very big if because you don’t have my permission to fail you bastard. I still have another couple hundred of years of badgering and harassing you. IF you do fail, I’ll end it. One way or another. “ Uicle’s nonexistant eyes regarded Khan for a moment, and how weak he had become. “Well, drink up. I didn’t make the nasty stuff so you could become depressed while it cooled.”

”I’m sorry to say, I don’t have quite the faith you do. Kudd will get what he wants when the Archmage dies. He's crumbling Uicle and he won't be around forever, yet I don't feel ready. We both know Lucilia practically runs the paperwork side of things, Tyrael the forges, you the security. I merely just look like I am." Khan berated himself and his worth while he sipped the tea, letting the slight herbal bitterness waft over his tongue. He made a face and shuddered. He looked at Uicle accusingly and reached into his other side drawer, pulling out a jar. Within it was a honeycomb, the headmaster pulling it out then crackled the dark liquid into the cup. "There, much better."

The Necromancy teacher shrugged unapologetically. “You’re the one who wanted the nasty stuff, not I.”

He took a moment longer to savor the taste before he addressed Uicle. "I'm assuming you have questions? Namely about where I found them, who informed me and more. You might as well ask while you have the chance because the information will likely never come up in this room again."

Uicle shook his head. “I could care less where you found them and who informed you. What I want to know is what you’re planning to do about Kudd and why he is so insistent upon you drinking that vile vial. ” Uicle paused, then chuckled. “Vile vial. Clever don’t you think?”

Khan shook his head. It was pleasant to hear Uicle casually make a comment that poked fun at the situation, but it didn’t make it any less serious. The Esyire leaned back further into the chair while he pondered the question and absorbed the thoughts running through his thick skull. He had tried numerous times to discard it short of having his demons do, a matter he was aiming to avoid because if Kudd sensed his demons within the Inferno than the God would come knocking and likely prevent the demon from returning. It scared Khan to imagine what Kudd could do Rathel or even Zaad and Heus. Even more terrifying was the notion Kudd could use their connection as a direct link in some manner.

His hand trembled at the thought of having Kudd’s voice in his head again that his cup rattled. It clinked and clanked under his grip until he finally placed it down, using his free hands to wipe away the cold sweat from his brow. A few moment passed before he spoke again. [goldenrod]”I’m not sure. I can’t get rid of the blasted thing nor can I keep it. I don’t want to send any of my demons directly into the inferno because if I do, Kudd might sense them and I don’t quite like the notion he could my link with the demon to get into my head. Do you?”[/color]

The Headmaster’s breathing still depicting his nerves, he placed his elbow upon the desk surface and lean into his palm. The hand propping his chin up while his other reached into the drawer. He pulled out the vial and set on the top, his hand closing the drawer. ”He left this note.”

He reflected on the scene with Kudd and himself, the God’s words irritating him under the skin. He tossed a small parchment toward Uicle with a few words written in elegant style, their meaning very clear to the armor: "We should really be friends."

Uicle wordlessly shook his head at Khan’s question, letting Khan continue. He briefly read the note then snorted. “He’s gone insane. Aarem, at least, doesn’t toy with his food. He causes suffering and damnation, and then moves on with his life. You’re not seriously thinking about taking him up on his offer are you? He’s going to lie, manipulate, and try to corrupt you. Its how his type work. Really, the only differences between Aarem and him are that Aarem was on the winning side of the war, and he doesn’t preside over demons.”

“According Kudd, you’re really no different. Though he did call you a liche and seemed rather amused by the fact you, Lucilla and Tyrael might end up having to kill me. Part me was hoping you would’ve. Would save us all this damn misery.” Khan said reaching to retrieve the note from Ucile’s hand, where he flopped it down. ”It seems he’s a bit...obsessed since I found him in the Inferno and still think not killing me is a good idea?”

Uicle sighed in exasperation. “One, I’m not a lich. Have to be a corpse bound by your own magic to be that. Clearly I am not.” Uicle walked over to Khan again, idly spinning his staff between his fingers. “Two,” Uicle’s hand went to slap Khan upside the back of the head again. His voice was harsh and angry with worry. “For the love of the Gods, I’m not going to fucking kill you! Tyrael isn’t and neither is Lucilia! And if you kill yourself I promise you I will resurrect you just so I can beat the shit out of you for even doing something so stupid! Killing you? I’m not gonna kill you, you stupid bastard. I have enough blood on my hands, I don’t need or want yours.” Uice resisted the urge to hit Khan again.

Khan wasn’t fast enough to dodge it, his eyes shut as the hard hand smacked his head again. His hand raised up to rub away the pain for the second time that day. The headmaster’s muzzle frowned and eyes glared at Uicle’s still walking form as he rounded about the desk. Each step casual with his spinning staff in one hand while he continued.

” If you don’t want to look at it as a terrible emotional burden I and all the others your death would affect, Ovak, Lucillia, that sleepless snow elf, that nice monk girl, Tyrael, and all the other students, look at it from an administration standpoint. Who would lead the College? Ovak? He can barely stand, much less reassure people and fill them with hope. Tyrael? Oh yes, we need someone who is going through a midlife crisis right now and has a fifty percent chance to fall back to his old ways and start ruling the college like he rules his demons. Lucillia? After her latest episode, I don’t really trust her to be nice with people’s lives.”

“Satori? Someone would kill her. Joseph or his sister? Hah! They’re teachers, not leaders. Craig? He’s too quiet. He doesn’t like the spotlight. Val? She doesn’t have the delicate touch required, nor is she patient enough. Lidda? She prefers a more personal touch. She’d try to get to know each and every student under her care and you know you can’t do that. Xeric? Maybe but we need someone who can unite the school, not someone who can just run it. Too serious. Dervis? He’s too lax. Too go with the flow. Serge? Too much of a soldier. He knows how to lead a small group, which makes him an excellent teacher, but it would make him a terrible Headmaster. Do I really have to give a reason why Justine isn’t going to be a headmaster? Zelda is perpetually upset and I assure you would refuse entirely. Samual would likewise refuse. So please, tell me Khan, if you decide to kill yourself, who would lead this College and not have it fall apart?”

”I can’t stand and watch you all die!” Khan shouted for a moment, his balled up fist slammed upon the desk and made it rattle. The pain shot through his arm but he ignored it, his anger seeping into his veins for a moment. His figure slouched down and deeper into his chair, pushing him away from the desk while his hand reached to touch his temple. ”I just can’t...not again. What good is a weakened headmaster when it comes to running a school he can’t protect? I...I just can’t.”

“Now why can’t you get that angry when it comes to fighting Kudd?” Uicle spoke quietly, his staff stopping in its rotations. “ Protection comes in many ways Khan. If you let Kudd win, he’ll destroy this College without a second thought. You protect this school by very simply resisting Kudd. Don’t do what he wants. He wants to be friends? Make him your enemy. He wants the College? Deny him that. Besides,” One could almost hear the crooked grin in Uicle’s voice. “You can’t watch us die when we’re already dead. I’m a spirit attached to a staff, Lucillia’s a vampire, and Tyrael is a demon. We’ve all already died once. Twice for me. It’s not as dramatic as you think. A god shows up, judges you, it’s all a rather dull affair.”

Khan shook his head, his hand still throbbing. He rubbed it and trying to rid himself of the hurt while he spoke. “His last words made it seems like that’s what he wants. For me to fight, his words as I quote: ’I'll let you keep trying. I'll let you all keep your Demonomancy, see if you can reach my expectations. Maybe you might even defeat me. Come on, it'll be fun. At least I'm giving you a chance. Because I'm a merciful god.’ So your logic still fails in the end, Uicle...”

The words were bitter on his tongue, loathing in having to repeat it word for word, as he sat there. ”In the end, I’m giving him something he wants. I just get to decide who suffers for it and I hate it. I wondered what what my brother would’ve thought of all of this…”

Uicle snorted. “Give him what he wants then. Fight so much that he’s sickened. Then beat him at his own game. Make him regret challenging you.” The Necromancy teacher paused, thinking as Khan spoke. “What was your brother’s name?”

“Riddic. We were twins, both born with mage blood until he became rather sick and lost his.” Khan inhaled, his fingers gripping the tea cup and stroking the outside in thought. “He ended up committing suicide after he believed I had died. It seemed visions are thing between twins, something we both had since we were young, so when he believed I was no longer apart of this world… he decided he didn’t want to be either.”

Khan slouched down in his chair, letting Uicle put the rest together. If the armor had asked for the history then he would’ve likely would’ve been able to puzzle out issues that seemed to be lurking.

Uicle was quiet for several moments, his staff slowly twirling between his fingers. His lights dimmed slightly, and in the College a suit of armor slumped back into it’s natural, lifeless, state. Ethereal mists and lights gathered and shaped in front of Khan’s desk, until an exact copy of the Esyire was standing next to Uicle. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Uicle and Khan chat. Pt. 2

Khan’s eyes studied the image of his brother, Riddic. The Eysire and him were almost identical in appearance save for their scales, Khan's a crimson red and his twin a vivid purple. For moment, it seemed too surreal to be happening in the headmaster's mind as the spirit studied itself with a bit of astonishment over what had happened. His odd colored eyes turned upward to look at Khan in a way that the Eysire's heart stop and his breath still in fear.

His anger and hatred over what his brother had done was swelling inside him, thoughts and issues he thought long addressed. He wanted to scream at Riddic then at Uicle for this. Instead, Khan remained quiet. His hand cradling his head and the tea already chilled, unable to look at the spirit without that familiar guilt snaking its way upward.

"Khan... Is that you?" The spirit started and when Khan didn't answer, his ghostly face looked to Uicle in question over his assumption. Verifying it almost. "What's going on and why have you summoned me?"

“Yes, that’s Khan.” Uicle spoke casually, as if he didn’t know exactly what he was doing. “Where to begin Riddic...Your brother spent most of his life searching for Kudd, even binding Demons to his soul with God Runes. He found Kudd, but the Demon God of the Inferno beat him black and blue. Then he learned you committed suicide. He decided to stay here and become the Headmaster. Kudd didn’t forget about him and is now back and playing games with him, trying to make Khan come to his side. Khan is considering suicide as a way out, and he is also considering joining Kudd to protect the students, his colleagues, and me, even though I know I’m not worth protecting. He doesn’t seem to realize that Kudd is going to try to destroy this College with or without Khan’s aid.”

The Necromancy teacher looked over at Khan. “Did I miss anything?”

Khan was silent, his eyes closed and hand reached to press to his temple. His scales itched upon feeling his brother’s gaze turn back to him and linger on his form.It made his body aware of the gaze which increase his discomfort as he listened to Uicle reply for him. His shame and guilt surfacing through his expression was painfully empty, the emotion voided on his face when he finally spoke. “No… you didn’t.”

“Why am I not surprised? If you really know Khan as well as you seem to, then valuing others over himself is a second nature.” The spirit began, his eyes stared intently at his twin. His form casually walked about the desk and bent to one knee, his face hovering in Khan’s peripheral vision. His muzzle opened to state the first thoughts to come to mind. “You’ve...gotten very old.”

Khan twisted his head about to glare at his dead sibling’s unsuitable statement. Riddic smirked, his eyes twinkled with mirthful enjoyment at the annoyance showing on Khan’s face. It was enough to cause him to chuckle. His head bent down and eyes closed, his ghostly arms holding him upright enough not to fall on the floor. “That’s my brother.”

Riddic let the silence return to its place as the two didn’t know how to proceed from there, the ghost plopping upon the floor where he crossed his legs and sat. “What have you gotten yourself into? Why would you do something so stupid as to contact the Demon God? And don’t you dare answer that! I know exactly why. I don’t need to be a psychomancer anymore to know what’s usually your motivation for stupid things. If I knew my depression was going to make you go mad…”

The headmaster sighed. “It was bound to happen. I knew your condition was getting worse as I felt you less and less within my head. With your attempt to disappear, you seemed to try to vanish from my life shortly afterwards. Did you really think I would pull to the side and accept that?”

“No, wish you did damn it. I was a idiot. The misery I put our parents through and what you’ve become, I just want to take it all back. I didn’t intend to put you through any pain. I was hoping to see you on the other side but all I found was what I deserved…” Riddic started then stopped himself, his eyes glanced to see Uicle’s condition. He knew the mage, as strong as he was, couldn’t do this forever or likely even very long. Even keeping a soul in place for less than an hour was exhausting for any master necromancer since they were fighting the natural order. Sighing, Riddic adjusted his focus. “So… what are you going to do?”

Khan inhaled sharply feeling his chest prickle with the air and his frustration building. “I’ve already been through this with Uicle, what can I do?”

“The logic is pretty damn clear Khan. He’s going to hurt and use them, so fight. Make him see that hurting those you love has consequences and the worse kind. He’s nothing but a bully yet when a bully is confronted, he will back down. Do you understand this?” With those last words lingering, he turned to Uicle. “Make sure you get all of his history. I didn’t because I didn’t care and looked at what happened. I much rather history didn’t repeat itself, wouldn’t you?”

Uicle had placed his staff on the ground, for once using it as it was meant to be and supporting himself. It was straining, keeping an unbound soul around. He only vaguely listened to the two twins chat, his green mis growing dimmer by the second. It took a few moments for him to respond to Riddic. “I’ll keep it in mind. Goodbye.” With that, the Esyire disappeared. Uicle gave an audible gasp of relief, before sitting down in front of Khan.

“Alright, headmaster, let us start from the beginning. The very beginning. What set you on this path that had you make friends with a mass murderer and torturer cursed by the god of evil.” He said tiredly, his glowing mist still that low dark green color.

Khan's response took a moment before he spoke. "What other reason does one defy the gods, than one worth doing it for? Love, Uicle, was what started this..."

With those words, Khan started to weave his history for the armored teacher to listen.

Ovak

Ovak had spied Lieth during the conversation, the white individual having sitting back to his own table and idly watching. The archmage’s expression showed no surprise in the least and possibly the reason he had sent both Uicle and Khan off, giving the students a chance to actually approach him when they were ready. His eyes broke from the student to watch the pair walk toward Khan’s office and out of sight. He was certain a scene best left out of public eyes would happen. However, it would at least cleanse Khan of any burden.

In reality, the more individuals that knew of the headmaster’s past then the bright the future looked.

He relaxed back into his chair when Leith walked up to him causing the archmage to smile widely. Casually, Ovak gestured to sit in Khan’s earlier seat as he spoke. ”Power is defined and shown in many ways. Some would claim it’s a show of force. Others, having an impact on the future because we can never live without one. As for unassuming, it comes with age and experience I believe. Learning from mistakes of others also helps.”

His voice paused to glance around the room at each of the diplomats, mainly those who had yet to learn this, and continued. ”Sadly, not everyone has discovered this.”



Lyn had paused when her eyes spotted Uncle Tyrael, not knowing it was him at first, approach her and her hand let go of Leith’s sleeve. Her figure grinded to a stop and stared, watching him take off his helmet with his hand then tucked it under his arm. Instinctively her arms reached to wrap about her Uncle’s neck while he picked her up effortlessly and held her close. Her voice immediately buzzed to the air when she exclaimed about her new gift. ’Look! Look at what I got! I can talk now.’

She immediately fell quiet when Tyrael began to speak to Leith. Her head leaned into his shoulder and her eyes watched, carefully examining the scene happening between them. The girl’s eyes tightened at his pauses as if he was struggling for words and bit her lip in silence, unsure on what she should say. When Tyrael left the dining hall, she was shifted upon his where she leaned into his head for balance.

’Play a game? Please?’ Lyn asked, remembering her manners. Her fingers were tight about her rune as she pointed to a game that required someone to toss a ball at several cups, each filled with a prize.

Tyrael Marchosias

Tyrael was surprised to hear Lyn's "Voice". However when she revealed her present Tyrael was quickly able to piece together the details before he got ahead of himself. The rune looked to be of master work quality: Obviously Val made it. However if he remembered correctly, Tyrael was also certain Leith had handed this object to her, or at least something similar. Tyrael honestly felt conflicted: his first instinct was to suspect treachery on Leith's part, figuring he was trying to get close to Lyn for some evil ulterior motive. But then, remembering Uicle's words, Tyrael attempted to rein in his thoughts. Leith may look the part of a vampire and had a strange willingness to become Fallen, but he has done nothing so far to show he is unworthy of Tyrael's trust. He was, at worse, a fool he had no idea what powers he was dealing with. But he was a kind fool at least. Tyrael supposed he couldn't condemn Leith for that. "That is amazing Lyn! I am sure you have a lot to say, yes? You always seem to want to speak up whenever I am around."

Soon the titanic demon made his way over to one of the game stalls. The owner of the shop was initially intimidated by Tyrael; despite his attempts to lack any form of fame outside of the college, everyone was wise enough to recognize the face of a College Instructor, certainly the one who teaches Demonomancy. However aside from the surprise of seeing Tyrael with Lyn on his shoulders, the owner of the game offered Tyrael and Lyn a chance to play. The goal was fairly simple: Each would get three small rubber balls and they have to get them into cups. However, there were one rule that made the game significantly more difficult: in order to gain the prize, not only does the ball have to fall into a cup, but you cannot knock the cup over when it lands inside. This task was made even more difficult, as Tyrael could see that the cups where made of a cheap, thin wood. While he certainly had the skills to toss a ball inside the cups, he would have to be careful if he didn't want to knock them over. Additionally, the fact that the balls were made of rubber made them particularly bouncy, increasing the likelihood that they would knock the cup over or even bounce out of the cup.

"What are the prizes?" The owner of the stall mentioned that there is a consolation prize of caramel candy (For children at least), but there was also additional prizes such as various silk dolls, small baggies filled with treats, and cheap magical items that glow. Frankly, things that Tyrael could probably make himself at a better quality. But for Lyn's sake, he'd play these games. "Challenge accepted. Here." Tyrael opened a portal into the Inferno, reaching in and taking out a locked metal box. Fiddling with it, he opened it and put two silver coins down in front of the stall owner, who then gave both Tyrael and Lyn three rubber balls each.

"Curses..." Tyrael, unfortunately, could not succeed. His first try he was too hard, easily knocking over a cup. The second try he attempted to arc the ball, which did land inside, but as he feared it also gave the ball enough momentum to bounce out of the cup and ultimately lead to failure. And his final try he figured he could bounce the ball against the table itself and try to get it to fall into a cup after it lost it's momentum, however while the idea might have worked he also missed. Perhaps out of pity or fear, Tyrael was at least given a single piece of milk caramel. Slightly frustrated Tyrael looked to see how Lyn was doing.

Xeric Firestone, Frost Windsor, Zelda Abbadon

As Khan and the Necromancy teacher left, the Esyire Pyromancer teacher stepped forward. She was dressed in simple white robes that allowed her wings to be free and ready to use. Her stern eyes scanned the crowed before she began speaking to the crowd at Large. "I am Xeric Firestone, the Pyromancy teacher. With me you'll not just be learning to use Pyromancy." A firestorm burst into existence, far above the heads of the students. It swirled clockwise, the heat radiating down upon the crowd. It was carefully kept from igniting anything wooden, despite the intense heat and the flames nearly licking the roof. Xeric raised her hand. "You'll also be learning how to control it." The firestorm suddenly dissipated into hundreds of twinkling balls of flame. As the crowd watched, the balls shimmered and changed all colors imaginable above them. Xeric gave a slight bow, before heading back to her seat, leaving the shimmering 'stars' up near the roof.

Frost Windsor, the Cyromancy teacher, stood up. She wore trousers and simple vest, giving the crowd a bright smile as she made a block of ice to stand on. "I am Frost Windsor, your Cyromancy teacher. Regardless of if you're a Cyromancer or a Hydromancer, you'll be with my brother for your first lessons. No Cyromancer is anything without a little Hydromancy. Allow me to demonstrate..." Small droplets of liquid rose from everyone's cups, forming into smooth balls. With an audible cracking sound, all of the balls of liquid froze solid. "Of course, Cyromancy is so much more than just freezing things. It require's a delicacy..a manipulation." All the little balls of ice cracked and shifted as they took on smaller shapes. Many things took shame in the ice. Knights, horses, dogs, turtles, and even dragons. Frost smiled brightly again, gave a bow, and then left. As with Xeric, the ice sculptures stayed floating in the air.

Zelda Abbaddon rose gracefully from her seat. Her simple brown dress did little to announce her position as a Master Mage in the Twilight College, but when she spoke all could her her as if she was talking quietly next to them. "I am Zelda Abbaddon, the teacher of Chantment. Chantment differs from other magics in that it doesn't require any mageblood, but can burn your throat and leave you mute forever, and that it focuses on unification." Softly, Zelda began to chant. The myriad of fire balls slowly moved down from their position above the ice sculptures. Once they reached the small sculptures they merged with them, filling the sculptures with their glow. The sculptures, with their variously colored glowing insides, gently floated down in front of all the people in the cafeteria. "They won't melt. Keep them as a gift from the College."

Grey Onyx

Grey chuckled lightly at her comment, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. "Ah, don't be so hard on yourself. Herbamancy is a wonderful school." He said, smiling. It was truth, he would certainly prefer one of them by his side than whatever the hell had just ruined those suits of armor. He grumbled something about 'a waste of perfectly fine armor', which his employer would no-doubt find amusing.

When he felt the tugging at his axe, his hand shot down to still it, like he had been doing the whole night. What caught him off gaurd was the fact that his hand landed upon something much softer than an axe had any right being. He looked down, to find that Lucilia had been trying to get his attention and it wasn't the possessed weapon throwing a tantrum. "Ah, sorry..." He said, averting his eye as she asked her question... "Hrm? Oh, right..." He said quietly, unhooking the bag from his belt and offering it to her. "This is the right one, yes?... Shall I deliver it to him?" He asked, looking over to where the archmage sat.

Alaira Taenn

Alaira simply sighed as she watched the displays with no small amount of boredom. There was a fight, but she just couldn't be bothered to get invested. She didn't like combat shapeshifting, especially since she knew that the raw power you'd get from turning into a big-ass lizard or something was not worth what you lost from a mortal body. Not only did you lose obvious things like hands, but a lot of people didn't seem to realize just how enduring even a human's body was; animals could run faster, but a trained human could run for far, far longer, not to mention the mortal body's resistance to toxins, or the sheer longevity of one. On the other end, she felt that taking such pride in being something else wasn't healthy. Not appreciating the body you were given. She was unaware of the teacher's less than beautiful true form, so the irony was lost on her.

She shook her head, she had to leave. She didn't even have anyone to talk to here. She took a moment to look around... She remembered seeing Lyn with the albino boy, but he didn't seem to have her around... Perhaps she'd been delivered to her mother? She rose and stretched, snatching up her spear and affixing it to her back as she left the dining hall, nodding to one of the guards on the way out. She made her way towards Mar's room, idly gathering a small amount of electricity in one hand before tossing it to the other and back again to amuse herself. She dismissed it when she reached the door, clearing her throat and giving it a hearty knock. "Oy, Mar! You in there? Open up!" She called.

"I guess the term 'power' can indeed vary." Leith said as he took the seat offered by archmage. "It could also be defined as a type of strength that not many have." He followed Ovak's eyes as he mentioned learning from mistakes. "Some people are just not as observant as others, or are more interested in themselves. All you can do is hope that they'll figure it out."

Leith paused as he watched the Pyromancy, Cryomancy, and Chantment demonstrations. "The demonstrations are aren't as exciting as they were last time, but that's probably a good thing," Leith said with a smile as he examined his dog sculpture. "Khan mentioned that people believe you can see the future, or possible branches. It intrigued me, so I had to come talk to you. Now, I'm not going to ask if you can or not because Khan also mentioned that you stay neutral on the subject. Would you, however, talk hypothetically about it?"

Althalus

A loud knocking sound jerked Althalus from sound asleep to wide awake. One hand immediately went for a dagger that wasn't there, while he listened to the voice outside, relaxing when he heard Alaira's voice. "Hold on, I'm coming." He muttered and carefully disentangled himself from Mar's sleeping form. As soon as he was sure he had escaped without waking her he began searching around for his pants. Finding them, he walked to the door of the den, opening it up to look blearily at Alaira. He looked like a mess. Hair everywhere, pants clearly put on in a hurry, and no shoes or shirt. Still he gave a smirk up at the large Forest Elf. "Shh. Mar's asleep. What can I do for you?"

Serge was next. Slowly he rose, his figure moved from the table and onto the center clearing where the stage had once been. Immediately he bowed at the waist then spoke in his Djarkel accent, his tone authoritative and firm with each word. He introduced him and spoke about his purpose with great command while he raised upright again. He turned his head to glimpse the source of a marching sound drawing nearer. Each stomping step getting louder and louder until they reached the hall, their figures able to be seen as three of Uicle’s Golems. All looked almost identical from their six foot to their larger torso, each sided by gorilla like arms. Their elements easy screamed what they were, two being metal and the last a wind one with its body swirling and shifting the air into a condensed form.

They moved to surround the electromancer teacher as his eyes shifted between all three. He was mentally ensure all were present and accounted for while his arms fell to his sides. A few seconds passed before the wind golem moved. Its figure slashed out a gust of wind, nearly invisible save for the movement that betrayed it. It didn’t matter though as his eyes weren’t turned to spot the the attack, his arm already charging. For a moment it seemed like it would indeed hit him. Instead, he jerked to the side then tossed out a lightning bolt from his arm to hit the wind golem in surprise. The wind golem vanished from sight to hide causing the other two golems to stir into action as well. The metal ones had two maces which could easily cripple his movement if Serge allowed them to hit his defenseless body.

His body still backpedaling and trying to avoid the attack while the mace slashed at his middle. Serge started to apply an opposing charge to his hand, then he slammed out his palm and sent the metal golem flying back. It crumbled, with dents and bumps, into a heap unable to get back up. Distracted by his earlier target, the other metal golem took the chance to attack then lashed out with its mace. Serge again barely dodged and countered with a with a twisting gesture causing the golem to collapse within itself. The wind golem was still an issue as it floated about then launched another gust into his exposed back.

Again, he seemed to sense it coming then jerked about to avoid it. However, he wasn’t quick enough and the airblade managed to slice his shoulder causing him to glare at the golem in irritation. Many would assume the assault was planned but in reality, it wasn’t. Bleeding a bit, his let his electrical energy flow through his body as it started to cackle the air making it heat and sizzle. It was in a controlled and close range area while he easily located the golem. Most his students would know what he was using was ESP and how to apply it at numerous levels.

Recalling he had hit the wind golem earlier, he focused on the static causing it to build up over a few seconds. His hands were at his front and pressed together as his feet spread out, stabilizing his body. He need to account for the larger power behind this bolt compared to the last because the golem was to be destroyed. The wind golem went in for another attack and Serge struck out, his body twisted with his right arm carrying the current to shot at the side. Most would've expected the lightning to head straight but instead it arced and pulled toward the static, attracted to the negative ions like a homing beacon.

The golem immediately broke and shattered back into pieces, vanishing shortly. He made last comment about his class including about being taught the responsible of such power and how to use it wisely. Then he walked off toward his seat.



Dervis was the last to go, bringing the demonstrations to an end, and rose from his seat. He was dressed in a simple tunic, pants, and boots though they were fitting for the occasion. Clean and simply designed as his steps were silent with each step, despite the heaviness of his walk. He was clearly using a stealthy application in aeromancy by muffling the sound from reaching others.

He padded out to the center and introduced himself, stating what people were to expect in his class and they could command. His voice filled the room as it seemed to surround everyone, each word was crisp and clear. It was a brief introduction that showed what type of teacher he was with his image and how he held himself.

After he finished, he began his demonstration. His hands flickered and swirled about each other causing the wind collect within his hands. Dervis' mind centered and condensed the air into a blurry ball, his fingers clawed to compact the energy then released it. It began as a small whirlwind that whipped around to collect the remains of the golems, the air gently popping out the dents and mending them though likely Tyrael or Val would be forced to hammer them back together properly.

After a bit more he set them back their feet then used his wind to set the tables and chairs back into their place. Once complete he took a bow, excited and brought the demonstrations to their finale.



Ovak listened to the student’s comment as they watched the demonstrations together, his hand reached for his drink to sip a bit then spoke in a gentle voice. “Considering what happened last year, would anything actually compare? Through I will agree as there’s less excitement this round. Right now, the subtle message is mainly that the college still has power. Rather more tasteful than proving it through total force which makes the school out to be a bully. Through many of the teachers are still actually holding back if you actually think about it. Lidda turned into a fully grown Wyvern which took time but could easily burn a normal human to a crisp since, unlike dragons, their flame isn’t magical. It’s natural chemical base.”

His words ceased when heard Leith's assumption and smirked. “I leave what I can see up to interpretation. Many accept I can see the future, namely as the world’s fate is never set in stone. Ever changing and fluid with the passing time. Others say I can see the effect of an individual’s choice. What the result will have on them, their loved ones and more importantly the world. Few even believe these rumors are exaggerations because I only see the core truth of a person which allows my mind to determine their future.”

The archmage took another sip of his drink then continued. “As for your curiosity, that could lead you into trouble if you’re not careful. Many dangerous paths often end with a simple act of curiosity. By the time someone realizes the result, it’s well on its course to happening and unable to be stopped. A fact few dare to see since they, as you put focused on themselves. Hypothetically, such a thing is best left to the gods. It’s too much trouble to deal with and has a price too steep to entertain. Especially as choices often create it.”

Alaira Taenn

Alaira quirked a brow for a mere moment when he opened the door, before covering her nose. The scent, his words, and his appearance gave her a very clear picture of what they were just doing... "Been busy?" she asked, in a more irritated tone than she intended. Something about that knowledge just... angered her, and she didn't know why. She shook her head, sighing. "I guess that means Lyn isn't here... It would say a LOT about your parenting if she was..." She teased, smirking. "Before you ask, I still haven't checked with the demon-thing, so she's probably with him." She did a poor job of hiding the distaste in her voice as she looked away.

Meirin Kurenai

After spending some time in the gardens Meirin and Ssarak went to watch the demonstrations. They were just in time to see Ghell preform his demonstration, which really made Meirin hyped up. Meirin tried to copy some of his movements herself, but unlike Ghell her technique failed to create any creature. She didn't even feel any magic through her body as she tried. "Wow! One day, I'll be able to do that too." Meirin watched a few more demonstrations before she and Ssarak went outside for some fresh air.

Outside Meirin saw the various carts and stalls in the courtyard, so she dragged Ssarak down to try some games. She recognized a few back when she protected some of the caravans. Some of the caravaneers even remembered her, though they didn't know she was a student of the college. They tried to sell all sorts of little presents and knicknacks. She did buy a few, such as a silk mask that made her head look like a panda bear's, and a wooden toy called a yoyo. One attraction stood out to her the most. "Oh! I remember these back at the monestary. Come on Ssarak!" Instead of the usual torchlight, this stall was illuminated by glowing jack-o-lanterns. For just a few gold they would carve out a pumpkin for customers, or even let the customers carve out their own design. "We used to do this back at the monastery with old pumpkins. I'm surprised to see someone build a business out of it. Two pumpkins please!"

And young man came over to Meirin and Ssarak with two fairly large pumpkins. When asked if they wanted a specific design Meirin asked for a knife instead. "I have a design I'd like to make myself, please. Ssarak, I'll just be right over there. I brought a pumpkin for you too." Heading over to a table Meirin set her pumpkin down, first cutting open the top to scoop out the seeds within. From softness of the hull, these pumpkins were somewhat old indeed. They'll be easier to cut through at least. Meirin was already poking holes into her pumpkin while she wore her silly panda mask.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Unlike the previous year, the demonstrations that Ssarak and Meirin were able to observe were actually pleasant, and even quite interesting. It was perhaps a bias of his, but he found particular interest in Satori's displays of psychomancy. They appeared to have missed her actual demonstration, but her ability to condition the animals around them into her service was an ability with great potential. Manipulating the minds of simple creatures was, in general, far easier than that of a person. The potential utility of such an ability was vast, particularly if the psychomancer was creative.

After the demonstrations, the pair moved on outside. The day of the feast was essentially like a festival with the amount of merchants and other businesspeople it attracted to the college. The same had been true last year, though for obvious reasons, Ssarak had been unable to see what they had to offer. Although, Ssarak was not quite certain where to begin himself. He had only attended such an event once before in his life, and that was in Felldor. Outside his homeland, he had mostly only witnessed the normal operations of the places he visited, and even they were sometimes unusual to him. For a day such as this, Ssarak was not quite certain what to expect. As such, he followed Meirin's lead, for the most part, The displays of art, whether it be paintings, sculptures, or simple trinkets, often caught his eye. They originated from many parts of Tiien, and as such, were all drastically different in style. Some possessed a realism that almost did not seem possible without the aid of magic, while others sought to please through more abstract means. Unfortunately, the most impressive of them were more expensive than the amount he was willing to spend. He would have purchased a mask along with Meirin, but he was stopped mostly by the fact that the vendor did not have any available which would fit an Esyire's snout.

Ssarak found himself somewhat confused by the business of carving pumpkins. There were certainly strange displays of art around the courtyard, but he did not quite understand why one would wish to take the time to carve something into a berry. Surely the pumpkin would rot within a few weeks, at which point their art would be ruined? In his village, everything they made, apart from their housing, was meant to last as long as they could make it. Artwork was often carved or painted onto stone, partially so it would not need to be recreated as frequently, and partially because stone was rather common. The concept of carving a food item was unusual, but nevertheless, Ssarak gave no protest. He sat down at the table beside Meirin, staring at the large orange fruit for at least a minute after Meirin had began to think of what design he might try to create. "I...do have to admit that the visual arts have never been my specialty. Music was what captured my interest. Carving, well, I did attempt it as a child." He explained, as if he felt compelled to explain the reason why his own carving was likely to be...subpar in quality. Eventually, he slowly reached out and stabbed a claw into the pumpkin to begin his carving. He was going to attempt to create the silhouette of an actual dragon, though he was not anticipating a great deal of success.

"Are you talented in visual arts, like painting, carving, or sculpting?" Ssarak asked Meirin curiously. "You certainly have the dexterity for it. I know at least with the grace with which you move, you could be a talented dancer."

Meirin Kurenai

"Hmm... I wouldn't say I'm talented. More like interested. After all, I had to have some hobbies beside training." Meirin stated as she began to scoop out the seeds and guts of the pumpkin. The monks at the monastery tend to emphasis strict minimalism and ascetics. Meirin... Didn't. Sure she followed their rules well enough, and understood the enlightenment of their teachings, but personally Meirin wouldn't be able to live as such a spartan. She likes having things. "Actually, I never really thought about being a dancer. Even weaving to me feels more like an extension of my martial skills than dancing. I suppose I would have the physique to do well if I ever started to learn, but I never picked up any dancing skills. The monastery has a very odd view about the arts. If I had to describe it in a word, they were practical. They would never use something that couldn't be versatile."

After cleaning out the guts Meirin started poking the surface of the pumpkin with the tip of her knife, sketching out the rough outline of what she wanted to make. It was simple: triangular eyes, nose, and a crescent mouth. "I can't say I liked it though. They were practical and spiritual, but also very picky, I think. I only carved pumpkins too old to eat, and even then I had to do it behind the backs of my teachers. They would have rather use the pumpkins for compost than have us play around with them. They also never really let me use the money earned from protecting the caravans; I was allowed whatever was given to me personally, but pay was given to my teachers first. And even if I used that money to buy myself something... Well my teachers never said it implicitly, but I had a feeling that they thought I could live just fine if they took it away from me. Hence why I tried to stay on my best behavior." Meirin started to carve out the details of her pumpkin as she spoke. Soon she realized she was starting to go off topic and stopped herself with a laugh.

"Ah! Sorry, I'm rambling again. I guess what I meant to say is this: I never learned any artistic skills. It simply wasn't something that anyone was interested in teaching back at home. My home was more about preserving the old traditions than expressing one's self. It makes me kind of glad to be here. I feel like I'm able to talk here more." Meirin presented her pumpkin to Ssarak. She even put a candle inside of it to give it some illumination.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak took hold of the pumpkin carefully, so as not to extinguish the candle within. "Hmm, I believe I understand now. The face would be clearly visible from a distance at night. Mine is..." He began, his voice trailing off as he looked over to his own pumpkin. His own attempt at carving had not gone nearly as well. Initially, he had wanted to carve the form of a dragon, but he had erred in his strength and had been far rougher than he should have. As such, his carving did not really look like anything at all. Nevertheless, he shook his head as he smiled. "You know, I believe I was far too ambitious in my design. I suppose you can consider it an...abstract art piece."

Returning to the topic of Meirin's monastery, Ssarak believed he understood well how Meirin had been forced to live. Although, it seemed like they had been forced to for very different reasons. "Anyway, you say your lifestyle was minimalist out of tradition? I am unsure how to feel about that; I suppose it depends on how their resources are saved. If they insisted on surviving on little so they could keep a large stockpile of reserves, I believe I could understand it. Your life, it seems, was quite similar to mine, so I can certainly understand why you would prefer the college's lifestyle. Indeed, I find myself quite enjoying the luxuries the college provides. Abundant food, water, shelter which completely protects against the elements; it all seems extravagant. It has actually been somewhat difficult to adapt to. I still find myself being needlessly conservative with resources. My furniture is sparse, my baths short, and I still feel uncomfortable wearing anything that is not leather. Cloth is quite new to me, and somewhat itchy. In my village, I often wore just simple loincloths; sometimes more, if we had the leather. Although, I still do find it to be a superior material. It is much more durable than cloth, and can even be made into armor, if properly hardened."

Shaking his head again, Ssarak gave a chuckle. "Hmm, now I am going on a tangent. I believe you may be...rubbing off on me. Regardless, I should have no issue adapting to your monastery when we visit, except for perhaps the food. I find eating fruits and vegetables to be...laborious. I cannot usually tear them like meat, and my teeth are simply horrible for chewing. Perhaps I will simply stick with soup? I am just hoping you do not find it necessary to change yourself too much upon your return. I understand you will likely want to...tone down some of your new habits for them, but I rather like the person you are now. I like that you are comfortable talking, and comfortable expressing yourself. I believe that the person you are is someone worth expressing."

Lynn

Lyn leaned upon her Uncle’s shoulders, her eyes closed and enjoying his surprise. She could hear it in his voice as he complimented her on rune and nodded her head, forgetting she could verbally state it. Giggling a bit, she overlooked Tyrael’s distrust while they travelled through the stalls. Her legs rested upon his shoulders and arms hung around his neck, feeling his movements rock her gently.

When Tyrael came to a halt, her eyes noted the merchant looking apprehensively at them and seem afraid. Lyn’s head tilted in confusion as she squinted in confusion, trying to figure out the reason he might be scared. Sure, her Uncle looked scary but he wasn’t. On being offered a chance to play, she nodded her head. Then recalling her promise to Leith, she tried to voice it. “Y-y…”

Her words fell short as she tried to voice it, falling back on her rune in the end. “Yes, please.”

She slowly was let down then explained the rules, the goal being simple: get a ball into a cup by bouncing it. The objective seemed simple enough though she wasn’t sure how to accomplish it. Her hands held three rubber balls and paused to watch her Uncle’s approach. She giggled quietly to see him struggle with the game. The first ball knocking over a cup while the next bounced out, her attention turning to her own still within her hands. She stood as close as she dared before trying to softly toss a ball into the cup. It knocked it over, the ball rolling out and hitting the surrounding ones. The second and final one fared no better, both knocking her cups down. She pouted a bit through gratefully took the milk caramel, then looked at Tyrael to see if she could eat it now.

“Can I eat this Tyrael?”

Lucilia Riovas

”At the moment… No. Ovak seems fine, but I do want my bag at hand. Hmm…” Better safe than sorry. Lucilia reached into her bag and looked for an unmarked pouch. Once found she took an empty cup and called for a servant. ”Hot water please.” The servant left with the cup while Lucilia took out pouches and mixed them together, her actions hidden behind the table. By the time the servant had arrived Lucilia quietly took the cup and tipped the servant a gold coin. She mixed the assortment of herbal powders together before letting it sit. Then she looked towards Grey.

”Grey, would you take this to Ovak? Tell him that it is from me, and he should understand. If he tries to act coy tell him that I made him his tea.” The same tea that Lucilia had been brewing all these years to extend Ovak’s life, or at least stave off death from his age and illness. It was no elixir of immortality, but on the off chance that it would help Lucilia was going to try it. After handing the cup to Grey, Lucilia noticed Uicle, Khan, and Tyrael leaving. She just sighed. ”Of course…”

While Lucilia had no doubts that Khan and Uicle had something important to talk about, their disappearance was making some of the members of the feast look concern. After all, what was so important that two teachers and the headmaster would need to leave? She was going to need to do something to keep everyone’s mind off the missing teachers, as the demonstrations were coming to an end. With Dervis finishing up his act, Lucilia stood up and took to the stage.

As she waited for the applause from the previous demonstrations to die down, Lucilia had Satori amplify her voice so that everyone in the hall could hear her clearly. ”Thank you all for the wonderful presentations! An excellent show of abilities for these demonstrations. Skills obtained through years of dedication, education, and practice. And a long time ago, there was no place like this.” Lucilia than went through a rather lengthy speech about the college's history and origins: Founded by Ovak himself as a place of knowledge and research for magic, not for the purpose of war, but the betterment of the world. She spoke about the past accomplishments of the college as a refuge for those in need of shelter, and how it has always been willing to serve as the battlefront of many conflicts, and not all of them wars that could be fought with weapons. The college has been the research center to counteract many tragedies of the past, such as diseases, famine, and poor welfare. It was a place where all walks of life can come and help the world, to unite against a force that threatens everyone indiscriminately.

Of course Lucilia didn't specify anyone or anything in particular. She didn't want people to think she was trying to set up an agenda, though she was. While she was more than certain that the college could handle the threat of Kudd on their own, she was still willing to try and see if other nations or organizations within those nations would be willing to provide their support to combat Kudd. And to that end she needs to remind them that helping the college isn't going to be a challenge of their ability. She knew that everyone, from the lords of Eania to the elders of Ghannos, the chiefs of the Scorched Lands and the warlords of Oelik Hold, weren't asking or offering their direct support to the college against the demonic menace in order to maintain the facade of competence to their enemies and peers. It doesn't help that some nations hold a form of great debt to the college that not even Lucilia is entirely privy of, and would not add onto that debt by asking for more help from the college. But pride aside, even if the college could somehow come out on top against Kudd, there will be heavy casualties from those who thought to fight for themselves alone.

"It is not the witnesses who matter; not the one who points out how the greater falter, or where those who tried could have done better. The honor goes to the ones who is actually in the arena, whose face is smeared with blood, sweat, and dirt, who persist constantly. Those who fall, who come up short again and again, because there is no effort without mistakes and failures. The same ones who actually strive to take action, who knows courageousness and great determination, who dedicate themselves to a worthy cause, who at best in the end achieve success, and who at the worst, if they fails, at least fails while daring greatly. Andtheir place shall never be with those cold and timid souls lost in the passage of time, who neither know victory nor defeat."

Tyrael Marchosias

Tyrael nodded his head and offered his own piece of candy to Lyn. ”Go ahead.” He said. Then he turned his head back towards the owner of the stall and gave him another silver coin. ”I want one more try. Also… Are we allowed to use magic?” The owner seemed to seriously consider it. On one hand it’ll be too easy to simply cheat using magic. But on the other hand, the owner knew that Tyrael wanted to win not for himself, but for Lyn, and may take offense if he doesn’t allow Tyrael to use his magic. Tyrael himself actually wouldn’t care, but he purposely cultivated this air of implied brutality to gain an edge. Eventually the stall owner relented and agreed, setting the cups back up. ”Excellent.”

Tyrael tossed a rubber ball towards the table, but before it landed it went into a portal. Another portal than revealed itself above the cup, and the ball flew out of that portal. Dismissing the portal the ball landed in the cup with a few bounces, but ultimately stayed inside without knocking the cup over. Tyrael did similar tricks with his next two shots, using his portals to bounce the ball at various angles, speeds, and directions before ultimately landing in the cup. Was it cheating? Probably. But Tyrael wanted to make a good show of it and win some prizes. For his win Tyrael was given a bag of caramel candies which he gave to Lyn. The owner thanked him and Lyn for playing, and Tyrael picked up Lyn to find a new attraction.

”Where should we go to next, little Lyn?” As Tyrael said that he passed the table were Meirin and Ssarak were carving pumpkins and may or may not have glanced at Annabeth carrying away a naked Aramir.

Lyn smiled, then nodded her head. Her free hand reached out for the second piece and placed it into her teeth while she placed her rune under her arm, pinning it to her body. Both hands freed, she began to unwrapped the brown paper. It was hard at first, the candy stuck to the fragile brown and seemed to refuse to remove itself. Bit by bit, she carefully revealed the tan colored candy. She quickly popped it into her mouth a moment later and readjusted her rune back into her hand.

At first the texture was hard and sticky causing her molars to glue together, making it hard to undo. It took straining her jaw muscles to finally release it through a few moments later it happened all over. Her expression was confusing and frustrated since she hadn’t figured out she was supposed to suck on it rather than chew.

It took all of Tyrael’s turn for her to get through the first milk caramel which was delicious when it slid down her throat and settled in her belly. It made the struggle worth going through it again. After unwrapping the second one, her fingers were already inserting the piece when she spotted one of the rubber balls come out of a portal and land in a cup. She giggled, bouncing on her feet balls at seeing it repeat twice more, winning her more candies which she took willingly.

Still struggling with her newest caramel in her teeth, she didn't wiggle when her uncle picked her back up. Her legs widening and sat back into the shoulders where he held her closely. Not knowing where else to put her candies, she placed the bag on Tyrael’s head then pointed to a small puppet show occurring, the papercuts hidden behind a sheet as they moved and were manipulated by talented hands repeating the story for the hundredth time that day.

Meirin Kurenai

"Well... I can't say I know how the monastery kept their supplies. We ate a lot of vegetables, so I know we had a garden. But there were lean periods, but I was taught they were for mental discipline... In hindsight we may have had a food shortage at some points." Meirin started to wonder more about her home. Now that the topic was shifted to it she realized that despite living there for most of her life, she didn't really know a lot about how it worked behind the scenes. She was only aware of the things that directly involved her, such as lessons and work. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much about food. We do keep some meat for special occasions, and I'm certain that they'll be more than glad to cook some for you when we go visit. You'll be a guest after all, and we are nothing if not courteous to guest." Meirin said with a false air of nobility near the end. She was being honest though: they will be willing to cook something with meat for Ssarak if only because he was a guest, and not just because Meirin asked them too.

As she was considering looking for another stand to attend Meirin spotted Lyn in the corner of her eye. Ever since they returned from the caravan mission Meirin actually hasn't gotten a lot of time to see the little girl. If Meirin wasn't in class, Lyn was being taken care of by her parents or Alaira. Meirin had mixed feelings about the half-elf, so she left her alone during those private moments. But Meirin didn't see Alaira anywhere, so she stood up with her pumpkin. "I think I saw Lyn. We should say hi!"

Meirin tracked down Lyn, which was when she realized that Lyn was also with Tyrael. Meirin had an even more mixed amount of feeling with Tyrael than she did with Alaira. At least with Alaira Meirin thinks she could find it within herself to forgive and befriend her. But with Tyrael... At best, he was a teacher and Meirin was a student, so she respected his authority. But otherwise she wants nothing to do with the demon. Even when she brought his weapons, she did her best to be professional and leave as soon as possible. Being a demon was bad enough; but Meirin knew that Tyrael willingly gave up his mortality to become one. What would drive him to do something like that? To stripe away his very humanity to become a monster? In a way people like Tyrael were worse than demons: at least demons were born bad. Tyrael chose to be.

Still Meirin wasn't going to be scared off by him. She wanted to spend time with Lyn too, and if she had to tolerate his presence than she'll just have to deal with it. Though Meirin was wondering how to approach them when she saw the two heading towards a puppet show. Not really something that interested Meirin so she knew trying to lie about that would be pointless. It would be best if she was honest and just said she wanted to spend time with her. Getting her away from Tyrael was going to be the real challenge. "I won't lose!"

As it looked like a new puppet show was about to start Meirin approached Lyn and Tyrael quietly. Because she was sitting high on Tyrael's shoulders Meirin had to stand on her toes to reach up, putting her finger right next to Lyn's cheek. "Lyn!" When Lyn turns her head around, her cheek would run right into Meirin's finger. "Boop!" Settling down Meirin looked at Lyn and Tyrael, bowing her head politely. "Good afternoon, Professor Tyrael, Lyn. How are you two doing?" Meirin also noticed Lyn holding onto some sort of rune. She guessed it was a prize from the festival along with the bag of candy, which looked quite silly on Tyrael's head. Despite his usually intimating presence, he looked somewhat less fearsome in his tight fitting armor, with a little girl on his shoulders and a bag of sweets for a hat.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

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While Ssarak would have accepted a plant-only diet for the duration of their visit to the monastery, he would have been lying if he had said he was not relieved that he would likely get at least some meat. By Meirin's description, it did seem like they were respectful and accommodating towards the customs of outsiders. Hopefully that assessment was correct, because Meirin's family were the last group of people in all of Tiien that Ssarak would want to upset.

Shortly afterwards, Meirin spotted Lyn among the crowd, evidently enjoying the festivities. She suggested going to talk to her, and naturally, Ssarak agreed to follow. He grabbed his disaster of a pumpkin, then stood up to follow. It did not late long following her to see that Lyn was not with her parents, or Alaira, but instead Professor Tyrael. Ssarak was aware that Tyrael had some sort of friendly relationship with Mar, as he had seen them together before. In fact, one of the first times Ssarak saw Mar, she was returning from a hunt with Tyrael. However, he knew nothing beyond that fact. And, indeed, he knew nothing else about Tyrael that was not common knowledge around the college. Being Fallen, he was essentially a demon himself, and fittingly, the demonmancy professor. If his first demonstration was any indication, he was a violent individual, so it was quite perplexing to see him being so gentle, and seemingly compassionate, with Lyn. Trust was something that Ssarak was not keen to have for a demon, but Mar obviously did. And, if Mar judged Tyrael to be a suitable caretaker for her child, then it was not his place to argue until he had a specific reason to do otherwise.

After Meirin's friendly greeting, Ssarak smiled and gave a slight wave to the little girl. Even not being Esyire, it did not take much effort to see that she was happy just by the look in her eyes. Evidently, Tyrael was doing something correctly. "Greetings Lyn. Professor." He said with a polite nod.

Tyrael Marcroias

Tyrael brought Lyn over to the puppet show, where they were just ending the story of a knight versus a warrior in green. Tyrael may have heard the tale before, with some Aesop involving honesty or some such. He and Lyn arrived just in time to see the knight engage in a game of decapitation against the green warrior: he was to allow the green warrior to lop off his head, just as knight lopped off the green warriors' head so long ago. However the knight flinched as the axe swung, causing the blade to miss. The green warrior mocked the knight for cowardliness and for his second swing the knight closed his eyes, and the warrior missed again. He mocked the knight for being unable to face his death, and so the knight vowed to watch his own head roll, staying perfectly still. The warrior swung his axe once more, but only nicked the knight instead of cutting off his head. Then the green warrior congratulated the knight for his bravery, revealed his trickery, and the story ended. Tyrael honestly lost interest around the second attempt at decapitation.

After the end of the that story the puppeteers were about to begin the second story, first passing around a donation box. The money was going to go to the Hysterical Arts of Craft and Ventriloquism. Those who attended the caravan mission to Hysteria may briefly remember the same organization who preformed a street show, using larger puppets and with more dramatic flair (and fire). Tyrael was in the middle of digging out some gold coins from a portal when he was approached by Meirin and Ssarak. He turned towards the two as he took out a gaudy dagger made of gold and a purple silk handle. He tossed the dagger nonchalantly into the donation box.

As with all students, Tyrael had very little relation towards the students. He knew Meirin only has a warrior from Djarkel who has recently purchased some of his weapons and has a particular disdain towards demonkind. Despite that, Tyrael "likes" her (As in doesn't have any plans to harm her) as her passionate hatred for demons will be useful for the coming war, and he was no stranger to people distrusting him for his demon blood. It's fairly normal at this point. Ssarak was seen in a lesser light by Tyrael, as he sees the Eysire as the other reason Athalus and Mar ended up intoxicated enough to elope. Admittedly Tyrael was harder on Athalus for being the one who actually did the deed, but that didn't mean Ssarak was seen much better. His only saving grace was that by this point Tyrael has nearly forgotten who Ssarak was, aside from the fact he was a student of Satori, and with it the fallen orc has largely forgotten why he had a reason to hate Ssarak. Though he still doesn't like him.

"Kurenai. Dyreackthanose. Good afternoon to you as well. I have finally found time to enjoy myself today. I hope that the feast has been peaceful for you?" Tyrael sincerely hoped so, because for once he was not in a mood to kill something right now. He wanted to show Lyn a good time around the college and not have to worry about protecting her, killing someone, or reigning in demons. As he spoke the bag of candy being balanced on his head nearly fell, but Tyrael caught it in his hand before it could spill on the ground. Pretending that he had intended to do that, Tyrael offered some caramel candies for Meirin and Ssarak. "We should find ourselves a seat. The show is about to begin."