Verid had patted her head again but a little to hard to Shino her liking, she lightly lowered herself to escape the pat but he already seemed finished patting her. His name was Verid and he was a demon, she had to remember. Shino tilted her head pondering for a few minutes and gave a small nod at him. She then sat back down onto both knees again and returned to eating slowly, enjoying every bit of fish that was placed on the board.

Soon a new person had taken a seat very close to them at the same table. Shino's attention slowly averted towards the girl as she pardoned herself for sitting here. Shino angled her head out of confusion as her hand with the chopsticks had stopped mid air. Shino had stopped with eating and patiently glanced over the girl. She looked rather calm just like herself and didn't pay much attention to the people around her, solely focusing on herself, noticed because she simply took a seat at the table.

Shino's nose caught onto something, something that she had been eating a big part of her life and one of her favourites so the smell wasn't unoticable. But there was something different about it, usually she would have been eating it raw out of the sea. She had never before seen or eaten a grilled salmon before. Her eyes focused onto the salmon like it was a prey of her now.

Shino turned back to Verid and took another bite of her sushi while talking at the same time.



Shino pointed at the fish on the plate of the girl while gulping down her own sushi.

@Rune_Alchemist


Ah, things had been going so well. This next step may however require a bit of... finesse. He'd not anticipated needed such a high quality of wine as Sorcha desired. It was good wine to be sure, but as she'd stated, 'the kind you humans enjoy' was apparently insufficient. "I'm afraid I did not anticipate a dragon of such refinement, as such the wine may be lacking to your expectations. However, with your permission, I could... enhance the flavor." Alucard's tatoos glowed lightly, if she said yes he would activate his magic, enhancing her sense of taste that determined what things were 'good' and decreasing the sense that told her what things were 'bad'. The wine didn't have to be good as long as she thought it was good right? He would've done it anyway but he dreaded to think what she would do if she found out he'd magicked her without permission. Probably burn his insides at the very least. Alucard wondered if he should ask his question while she was still in a good mood from the steak she obviously loved or dare waiting until after she tried the wine, which she might still hate.

If he asked after and she liked the wine it was good, if she didn't it was bad. If he asked before then she still liked the steak, and might judge her response on the wine's flavor, but also might not. Well simple enough when looked at that way. "Though before that I do have one request for you Lady Sorcha. If you are going to participate in the upcoming The Magus Games, would you allow me to act as your servant for the duration of them?" A bold request from such a being and the possible repercussions were numerous, but having seen Iravis transform he'd realized that he perhaps wasn't on par with some of the people here. Quite a sobering thought. The reason he hadn't asked Iravis herself was mostly that he'd anticipated her either already having a partner, or murdering him for being presumptions enough to try. Which admittedly this one might do as well, but the odds of such a... confident person finding a partner so soon seemed rather low and at this point she was well bribed. At least if worst came to worst the medical facilities here were apparently fantastic.

Verid continued to eat as she sat back down on her seat, now moving on to a bowl of mushi nabe which made him groan a bit in delight. It was the best one out of all of the meals he had eaten so far. His head raised as he turned and smiled at the girl who had just sat down. "Hello, miss." he said with a nod, looking at the girl and realizing that she looked quite young. He then turned his head back to Shino as she began to speak to him. Verid-han? She's so cute... I'm really hoping that I'm not a pedophile right now. God, I don't think I was a pedophile before... Well, I was about 8 so I doubt that I would know but... No no, impossible. I must be mistaking it for her purity and adorableness. A sight that I would be more than happy to be a servant of.

He smiled at Shino, "You would have to line up at the stall that has grilled salmon and buy it there. With money but if you don't have any, I would be more than happy to get you some." He switched over to the girl "Which one did you happen to buy that at? Ah, my name is Verid by the way. A pleasure to meet you." He said, smiling kindly as he awaited her response.
@liferusher@TheHangedMan

It didn't take long for Arthur Wick to make it to the teacher lounge once class was out and his... interaction with the firebird was complete. He made the decision to not think to long on what exactly happened. Then decided to screw that decision.
As he stepped into the lounge and found a lack of people he started to talk to himself, "Was I just courted by a phoenix?" Then as he started preparing a cup of coffee, "Yes I think I was. What should I do?" A mug of coffee in his hand, "Is she seventeen? Is she four thousand? Dammit either way I'm in the wrong on some level." Stepping out of the lounge, "Screw this, I'll just see what happens, in the meantime I think Thunderhead was talking about doing something in the library before and I needed to read up on that thousand person march thing."

However, Arthur wasn't looking, his feet on autopilot as he continued his conversation with himself inwardly, and as a result walked right into someone.

Livia sighed. She had been too focused in her books to hear what was happening around her. Some sort of silly poetry thing was going on. Poetry! Bad poetry from the sounds of things. Ugh, whoever that professor was…Alistair? She should have her spirits break his fingers to stop him from making such a horrendous poem again. Needless to say she was in a bad mood when she was leaving the library, Gall following quietly as usual. She was a bit occupied trying to force that horrible poetry out of her head, and didn’t notice that as she opened the door to leave, she ran right into someone. Livia stumbled backwards, a rather uncharacteristic yelp escaping her lips, much to her dismay.

"Oh I'm sorry." Mr. Wick said as a girl stumbled back. Looking at the girl she seemed like an adult almost, she was just short of Arthur, and had a certain air about her. "Your a student here right? I'm Mr. Wick, one of the teachers. I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere."

Gall was behind his master when suddenly she ran into someone, in a moment the reaper's scythe was ready in one hand even as he attempted to catch Lady Fiore with the other. Before Gall could do anything more however the man asked forgiveness and introduced himself, Gall would wait until his master gave order than. Watching the man for any foolish movements but not yet acting.

Before she could stumble too far, she felt a gentle but firm hand at her back. Gall had caught her before she made a complete fool of herself. Well that was embarrassing She mentally slapped herself for letting her attention slip so much, but at least Gall had made sure she didn’t make too much of one.

So she turned her attention to the man she ran into. He looked like a teacher from the looks of it, which was correct given his introduction.

“Yes, I am fine.” Though she placed a hand on her forehead, a small headache was forming from mild annoyance. “Thank you, Gall.” First she should definitely make sure he didn’t harm the teacher. It was a simple accident after all. “But I doubt Mr. Wick here means any harm.”

So she turned her attention completely to the teacher in front of her. Arthur Wick. A teacher who taught Pyromancy. A class she was utterly uninterested in, though she had attended it on occasion. Even if she wasn’t a contritio mage, it was good to learn theory and other things behind magics so you could defend against them if need be.

“If you intend to go read in the library,” She said with a annoyed frown. “Some idiots reading horrible poetry have decided to make their play date there. Libraries are supposed to be quiet. Not places were loud jackasses with nothing better to do gather.” She followed the sentence with a sigh. Getting angry with a teacher was probably not in her best interests, though she wasn't acutally angry at him.

Arthur soaked in what she said. He recalls having seen her in his class on once or twice before now that he thought about it. Something with an L, L L L, what in the name of A was it? "Horrible poetry eh? Sounds like I found him then. I needed to have a chat with Alistair. That said-" Arthur then would then fix his posture before saying, "If a place of reading and peace is at stake I suppose I'll see what I can do, I'm sure I can work something out with Thunderhead. I am once again sorry for bumping into you." Arthur said as he stepped past the student, taking a moment to look at the reaper as he past. "It was Fiore, right. Sorry, forgot your name for a moment. I should really try to get better with those. If you need anything let me know." Mr. Wick would then start walking into the library, intent to find his fellow teacher.

Livia was a bit surprised he had remembered her name. Well, nothing unusually really. He was a teacher, and remembering students’ names was part of his job. In any case, she wasn’t sticking around to make friends with one of the teachers.

“Mhm, Livia Fiore, and that’s fine. I was leaving anyways. I’ll need to find a quieter place for reading if this happens regularly.” She sighed, removing her hand from her forehead as he left. “Come along then, Gall. I wish to be as far away from this place as possible.” So Livia left the library, trying to think of a quieter place she could possibly use for reading.

Alistair stepped off the stage, his fingers immediately rubbing through his hair. It was more an internal nervous tick he had developed than anything, always occurring when felt anxious. He looked up, recognizing the familiar hat of the one teacher he was seemingly able to get along with. He smiled "Guess a curse can't keep a grizzled old Pyro down huh?" Alistair held his hand out to his friend.

Arthur took Alistair's hand, a smirk on his face as he said, "What? It was just the final revenge of an angry dragon, nothing a little rest couldn't fix. And don't call me old, I am still within the normal lifespan of a human and intend to stay that way." Alistair was a good man, may have been a bit unprofessional at times but Arthur had drank wine in class earlier so judging Alistair on that would be somewhat foolish. "Anyways, I had something to talk to you about, something about Iravis."

Alistair raised an eyebrow “ Wick....I can smell wine on your breath and you want to talk to me about the seventeen year old phoenix in your class that we both spend personal free time with.... " the rune scarred man rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index and thumb "I sure you understand my immediate trepidation"

"She's also several thousand years old. Anyways, that isn't the important fact right now. Is there a more private place to talk, I would prefer students not listening in if it is a possiblilty." Arthur retorted, moving one of his hands up to rub at the necklace he wore, or rather, the ruby adorning it.

Alistair nodded and began walking towards the private section, a section of books restricted for teachers use "yeah...here's the best I can do" his runes glimmered gently. He was worried about what Wick had done. He was prepared to hurt his friend if he had overstepped his bounds as a teacher "You know what I'm going to say "

Arthur held up one of his hands defensively, "I assure you Alistair, it isn't what your thinking. The girl came to my class drunk and by the end of it she was plastered. The day I take advantage of someone like that is the day I decide that death sounds lovely." With his other hand Arthur continued to rub at the unworked ruby around his neck, "I had her in my office after class, found out where she got the alcohol, and she tried to hit on me. I of course refused her and she left."

Alistair simply raised an eyebrow once more "well, I am glad that you still had your senses" the cocky grin peeled across his lips "but remember....not to drink with students, thats my thing " he laughed and clasped his friend by the shoulder.

Joining in the laughs, Arthur said, "Very well, but only if you stop smoking!" A few hearty laughs from the pyromancer, and then he suddenly ran out of breath. In between coughs he said, "I should sit down though, I'm still not fully recovered from the ordeal if I'm going to be honest."

Alistair winced and clasped at his chest as though the thought of stopping his chain smoking had wounded him. He laughed again " well my good friend, stay here, enjoy the god awful poetry we young people spew about our tormented soul huh? " he grinned and started back out to the Library proper to check on the preparations.

Arthur cheerfully followed Alistair, stopping only to grab a book on various creatures and mythology in general before sitting down at a nearby table to read and listen to some of Alistair's terrible poetry, and no doubt some of his students likely even worse wordplay.

Alistair roamed around the tables, ensuring that most of what the students were doing was manageable. He looked around, the library was completely reimagined. Tables facing the stage. Someone making coffees. A bar. He immediately went and grabbed some alcohol and waited for the night to begin.

@Eklispe



"I'm afraid I did not anticipate a dragon of such refinement, as such the wine may be lacking to your expectations. However, with your permission, I could... enhance the flavor."

Ah, well, that was disappointing but she was curious to see what he meant by enhancing the flavor. Perhaps he was an alchemist, or a Neutra mage with some magic she had never seen before. She should ask him about his magic, anyways, since she was still scouting potential...masters that wouldn't mind having a dragon as their familiar. However, before she could give him the motion to go ahead and use whatever magic he was going to, he spoke again.

"Though before that I do have one request for you Lady Sorcha. If you are going to participate in the upcoming The Magus Games, would you allow me to act as your servant for the duration of them?"

How...impudent. To insinuate that he was worthy of serving her when he hasn't done anything to prove himself to her aside from a small feast such as this. She smirked, taking another bite out of the steak. Well, the man certainly had his confidence, which was...well, welcome at least. She couldn't say she found that at all unattractive.

"Well someone is confident in his abilities." She leaned forward, crossing her legs as she reached for the bottle of wine. She had wished he poured it without her having to instruct him too, but perhaps that was a bit too much to expect after all. She opened it herself, and poured her own glass. "Perhaps you'd like to tell me what they are? I will not be having any servant of mine be weak."

@liferusher
Adrians voice (Use your imagination)


Adrian lowered himself to her level, crouching very low and nearly resting his hands on the dirt he smiled and drew up his hood before lowering a part of it over his eyes, realizing again he might have paralyzed the poor girl just for looking too hard. Instead he simply stood there like an idiot as this tiny girl smacked him upside the head repeatedly as she very obviously did not enjoy the physical contact Adrian so gladly expressed. Despite the minor violence he was still in high spirits, happily smiling like a fool.

"Allowance? Buy new clothes! You're going to the mall then! I can help with that."

Adrians wings exploded outwards from beneath his red robes with a small splash of the last remaining bit of soaking water that had clung to them. Now normally he would just fly off and forget this ordeal, the bug spray, the eating, the horrendous headache, but something in him had clicked into place and now this small girl was the target of an 8-foot tall moth mans curiosity and interest. Along with his desire to help her in whatever way he could, which frankly always got him into trouble anyways.
Now was no different.

Adrian grabbed the girl in both hands, careful not to scratch her with his claws, and sprung into the air with her secured in his hands as the soared dozens of feet off the ground, unable to gain any real altitude with his light luggage. The problem is she was struggling for some reason! Didn't she know if he lost his grip she could fall and get hurt? Silly girls never worrying about anything. Adorable in a funny way to the oblivious Moth as he steadily flapped his wings, following the smell of human food and lights of the city.

"Tell me, Miss? What is your name? People around this school call me Pest and annoying but I'm really called Adrian."

@Rune_Alchemist



"Many things are used to describe me, weak is not one of them. My magic is called Neutra: Yin-Yang." Technically it was only called that by himself but it couldn't hurt to sound more impressive and he wasn't sure if his boast of his strength was still valid in place like this but it couldn't hurt to say. "To put it simply I can exchange things. I can increase my size for decreasing my strength for example." Alucard figured an actual demonstration would be best and his form flickered and he was nearly double his height for a few seconds before returning to normal.

"And I can trade anything. Sight for power, touch for sight, strength for memory, if it exists I can trade it. I can even exchange for something you don't have, I can lose the use of my arm for magnetism." Another demonstration, Alucard gestured at her fork and it flew towards his hand, then he repelled it and it stuck into the steak again. Hopefully that was impressive enough. A dragon friend was a good friend to have indeed. Even if she was kind of arrogant. A shadow of a frown appeared when she poured a glass of the wine out, he'd actually kind of expected her to chug the bottle like Iravis did, perhaps his guess about her refinement wasn't that far off. As with everything she'd done, the action was noted for future use. Perhaps it be best to mention the other part. Well if she found out later it'd be troublesome. "However, I can only conduct two 'exchanges' at a time, one for each tattoo." Alucard explained, showing her the two engraved marks he had on his hands.

@Eklispe



She listened quietly, drinking the wine and continuing to eat. Well, it certainly wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst she ever had. The worst, would be that horrific substance that passed for alcohol she had tried one time while in the area that was called Denmark ages ago. Something called...beer. Blegh, she hoped such a substance never graced her tongue again.

She still couldn't fathom how people enjoyed it to this day. But that was a thought for later.

"Quite an interesting magic." She hummed. Indeed, it would be an amazing support magic. Strengthening one thing for your allies and weakening another for your foes. But that's all she saw it as. She didn't see any direct actual combat applications of the power which immensely lowered its value in her opinion. She wasn't one much for support magics.

And yet, at the same time, he was confident in his abilities. So, she might as well see what he was capable of indeed. If he wanted to support her in the upcoming games...then, she had no issue with it. She of course, wasn't really aiming to fight herself. She merely wished to observe, but there was no need to tell him that.

"Very well," She stood from her seat, walking over to Alucard before he even had a chance to protest. "You may act as my servant, however." She leaned in close, their faces were almost touching at this point. Perhaps a bit uncomfortably so for anyone else, but alucard might have enjoyed it though.

"Disappoint me, human...Dishonor me and lose a competition...." She grinned, an unsettling, bloodthirsty grin as she lowered her voice. "I'll be making delicious steak out of your charred corpse. Understand?~" She sounded just a bit too happy at the prospect of that.

With those words said, she walked back over to the steak, eating the rest of it in quite the unrefined fashion. Her hunger was getting a bit annoying so she decided to finish it quickly as she eyed the pizza next.

"Well, this is good too~" She said, taking a bite out of the pizza. "You certainly are quite the little chef. If anything once I return to my former glory you can always work as my personal chef, hmm?"

--}{Lin and Shiko, Livia and Gall}{--

Shikio still looked somewhat forlorn, but well, Lin's mind had become occupied with thoughts of another woman... bad as that may sound.

Despite Shikio's looks, the man too was too immersed in his own thoughts.

When Shikio asked him if he was happy with her, and he really wasn't paying attention. He really didn't mean to, but perhaps it did seem somewhat rude when he said, "Yeah, yeah, of course I am."

And then he left Alistair's class, having decided on something.

If there were going to be team events for these Magus Games, then he couldn't just rely on Shikio. He needed someone else to cover his back.

Still, the Chinese mage was not a social butterfly, as it should have been obvious for anyone near him, and he only knew a handful of people since his arrival to the school.

His roommate, Vera, of whom he was still wary, and Livia, the girl who seemed completely and utterly uninterested in him. She would have to do. Not to mention, with her it would be a four people team.

He left the class in a hurry and started looking for her. He just had to look for that pink hair and that look filled with disinterest of hers. Again, he left Shikio behind without saying a single word.

Truthfully, he was jealous. The fenrir had gotten the girl's attention more than himself, and he didn't want Shikio to be a determinating factor of their alliance. He would use that card if needed be, though.

Finally, he found her just outside the library. He arrived and tried to catch his breath right in front of them, stopping the girl and her familiar with hand signs every time they wanted to leave.

Having heard Lin reply yes to her, Shikio was feeling happy about his reply. It came as a relief to her that he was happy with her even if he seemed distracted. Yet it was more than she could hope for and with a happy sigh she let him think for himself as the class soon ended.

However, as the class ended she stood dumbfounded when Lin suddenly left and rushed off in a very big hurry all of a sudden making Shikio stand confused. At first she wondered what in the world was just going on as he didn't say anything 'as usual' but seeing him rush so she first thought that perhaps he really, really needed to go to the bathroom.

Not wanting to press the matter at the moment Shikio left the classroom to wander around a for a bit.

"Y-You..." Finally taking in his second breath, Lin stood straight before Livia. His cheeks were red, but it was difficult to tell whether it was because he was flustered or if it was because of how he was running just now. "Livia Fiore, I have something important to tell you."

He declared.

Gall was behind Livia, and saw the young man from before running towards Lady Fiore. Running and not stopping soon enough. Raising his free hand, Gall would will a hexagonal wall of force in front of Lin before he could get any closer, then the reaper would have his scythe ready in case his master gave the order.

Livia had not taken ten steps from the library when she spotted…what was his name…Lin? Lin something. The guy she had met earlier that day. He was running quite fast towards her. Well…this would be interesting to put it…in the nicest way possible.

Before words could leave her mouth, though, A hexagonal shaped force field appeared in front of her, Lin managing to stop just in time to avoid making a complete fool of himself. She honestly kind of wished he hadn't. It’d have been mildly amusing.

“You have…something to tell me?” She replied, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. It looked like he had been running quite a ways “I do recall me telling you I found you tolerable, but that doesn’t make us friends.” She sighed, somewhat annoyed. She conveniently didn’t tell gall to drop the barrier, just yet though. "What is it?"

Normally she may have kept walking, but well...she would give him one chance.

"One chance is all I need." Lin replied, moving his hand to the side and letting out a small relieved sigh.

He walked forward, but the moment the barrier hit his foot, he decided to be the better man and better go around it.

"Well, that was rude." He joked. He put a single hand on the barrier and hit it lightly with his hand. "But it doesn't matter. Livia Fiore, I-I-!"

His voice suddenly failed him. Well, who would think that asking for help would be so damn hard?

"I-I mean, well," How very unlike him, to become this kind of stuttering mess. "I-I want you to form a team with me!" He finally managed those words out.

Well, he screwed that up. Hopefully, Livia wouldn't turn him down just because of this.

“You…what?” A small smile formed on her lips, but it definitely wasn’t one that was in favor of Lin. At first this was turning into some cliché confession out of some stupid romance novel. She was about to just walk away without even letting him finish.

She then proceeded to laugh. Loudly, but it held not actual mirth. It was dry, and perhaps held a bit of resentment in it. After all, who would ever want to form a team with her? She had never been asked before, mostly because people tended to avoid her. And here, she hardly even knew this guy, and he was asking her to form a team for the upcoming games.

“You think I’m an idiot who’d fall so easily for something like that? Don’t insult me, Lin.” She asked through her laughter. “You’re lucky I don’t have Gall behead you here.” She continued, quieting as she fixed him with a cool glare. “Why, would you want to form a team with me? There are hundreds of better and probably more skilled people out there.”

Gall held his weapon at the ready, staring at Lin without eyes as his master laughed at the man. However, Livia then in turn talked down herself, "Lady Fiore, do not doubt your own power. You are by far one of the best users of magic within this school, not counting those that teach and that A character. If anything this man is not worthy of fighting alongside your spirits."

Even as Gall held his scythe at the ready, the boy did not look away from Livia.

"Not only do you understimate yourself, but you also are rude to me?!" He seemed angry too. "If you think one such as me would joke about something like this, then you are really wrong. Cut me down if you like, but I won't take anyone else but you in my team."

He stepped forward towards Livia, unfazed by her threats to have him beheaded in a moment's notice.

"If you doubt me, order the reaper beside you to take my head. Right here, right now."

Livia, was honestly a bit stunned. Really, she had never heard someone say such…things before. She have him an unimpressed look, but merely folded her arms against her chest. Of course she wasn’t going to have Gall behead him, but she still wasn't satisfied with his answer.

“You didn’t answer my question.” She asked again with a sigh. “Why do you want too? What do you want of me in return, hmm? People rarely ask for help from others without wanting some form of payment. You expect me to believe you want to ask me to be your…partner because of my winning personality or something?”

"Something I want? I only want your help in the Magus Games. That is enough for me. And as for why I want you...." He turned his head to the side, another blush appearing in his face. "W-Well... I just do, all right? I dunno... you could say I..._{like you} That last bit of his sentence was but a whisper, meant to be only heard by him.

Of course, he didn't mean it in a romantic way, or at least that's what he stubbornly decided to cling to.

Livia was surprised for the second time. Really, he had no ulterior motive other than he simply…she didn’t quite hear that last bit but there was only a handful of things it could be, though she could see Lin was rather, uncomfortable so she didn’t press the issue. That honesty of his, if it was that, was refreshing coming from a human.

She placed a hand on one of her hips, the other idly playing with a loose strand of hair as she gave him a little more than a critical look, studying him for any signs of lying or hesitation. She wasn’t sure about this, to be honest. It was the first time anyone had simply well, wanted her. Other than Gall. She wasn’t sure if he was lying or not, and her cynicism was telling her to just have one of her spirits break his neck.

and yet...he seemed truthful. Much more than any of the others she had run into seemed.

“…I believe you.” She began slowly, still a bit unsure and a few seconds passed in silence before she found words to say again. “I, guess I need to properly introduce myself, then. Livia Fiore, Pythones mage.”

Hearing those words from Livia definitely made Lin happy, a smile appearing in his face, even if it was a small one.

"Perfect! I am, as you know, Lin Hua. Naturalis mage. We'll ace through these Magus games in one fell swoop." He assured her. "So thanks a lot, Livia. I have plenty of confidence that both of us together will make for a rather good team."

“I am perfectly confident in my abilities.” She replied. “I simply hope you don’t slow us down. But…you are welcome, I guess.”

She was honestly feeling a little conflicted. Normally she made a point to avoid getting involved with anyone at all, unless she could easily get out of it, and now here she was agreeing to help Lin in the Magus games. She had to wonder if that terrible poetry had messed with her head a little.

But well, having a partner sounded…oddly nice.

“So, Lin,” She cleared her throat as she spoke. “Partners or no, unless we intend to make a fool of ourselves out there we need to know what sort of strengths and weaknesses the two of us have.”

"Sure. Though standing here wouldn't do. How about we head to a cafe so we can talk about it over a meal? Truthfully, I haven't gotten anything else to eat after that cafeteria fiasco. Err... not that I usually eat too much, mind you. It's just, umm... well, you get what I'm trying to say, don't you?"

The boy still looked flustered, after all. Hopefully, Livia wouldn't turn him down

…this was starting to suspiciously sound like a date. She narrowed her eyes at him only for a moment. She had agreed, and well, she wasn’t about to go back on her word, and she perhaps could use some decent food as well.

“That sounds…nice.” She replied. “But I do not usually eat out, so I hope you know of a decent place. Gall, you might as well come as well.”

Gall bows his head to Lady Fiore as the hexagonal shield of force disappears and he lowers his weapon slightly. "I would be honored Lady Fiore."

"Of course I do." Lin answered with a smile in his face. "Well, what are we waiting for here? Let's go."

Lin nodded and then clapped, before turning on his heel and heading outside the school.

It was then that it dawned on him. He knew next to nothing about this damned island and the damned shops in here.

Well, one of his brothers said he got the opportunity to eat out in one of the restaurants around here. What was it's name...?

"Ah, yes. I would like to take you to a place my brother told me about. Apparently, its name is 'Yu Long'. Chinese food. I'm sure you'll like it." Lin explained.

Livia followed Lin silently. Chinese food? She had it once or twice back home in France. The servants sometime served her foreign foods, though she had always been partial to Italian for some odd reason, but Chinese could be decent as well, but she hadn’t eaten any in quite some time.

“Well, lead the way then.”

Having arrived outside the classroom again, Shikio was leaning towards the wall and waiting for Lin to return as she figured that he would come back for her. Time went past, and after quite a while it started dawning upon her that Lin was infact not comming back. If he were done with his 'business' he could just have called upon her, but... no, like always it seemed he had forgotten about her or were ignoring her. Both options hurt her equally much in the presence, especially after how she was already feeling down.

Another of Lin's let downs... yet she tried to think positive about it, perhaps there was just a misunderstanding... and by thus she started following his scent. Lin's scent brought her to the library and not the toilet... which was confusing due to his rush... why would he rush here?... it was clear that he had already left the scene when she arrived and the other scents weren't clear enough for her to make out what had happened here. Frowning she continued following the scents.

---

After a while, the group arrived to a restaurant. The outside had the usual style of any one cliche Chinese restaurant, with statues of jade dragons standing outside and whatnot.

The fact that the statues were kind of breathing when the group passed by was a bit unsettling, but perhaps it was just to add to the atmosphere of the restaurant. They didn't actually seem alive anyway, and Lin couldn't pick it up, but there were actually spirits inside the statues that helped them 'breath'.

"All right, just follow me." Lin said as he stepped into the restaurant.

He approached the hostess and smiled. "Ni hao. I am Lin Hua, the-!"

The woman didn't let Lin finish when she had already started guiding him and the others to a rather fancy looking table. There were barely people around too.

As expected, the woman knew who Lin was from just a glance. Or perhaps his family warned the people in the restaurant beforehand. Well, it didn't matter.

"Well, there are lots of chairs here..." Lin said with a big smile in his face.

He pulled a chair back and turned to Livia, "C'mon, sit over here."

Well, it was certainly a nice place. The fact they didn’t have to wait for a table, and they had been given a rather large one was quite suspicious though, in her opinion, but she let it go.

It didn’t matter. She was used to big fancy restaurants so she wasn’t too impressed by him pulling out a chair for her or the place. The spirits outside were a fairly nice touch, though. Still, it was only polite to accept the seat.

“I can, seat myself you know.” She replied, taking a seat in the one pulled out for her. “But thank you, Lin.”

Gall meanwhile was even less impressed, but to be fair he didn't come here to eat, as if such a thing was possible for him anymore. Instead he simply pulled back a seat next to his master and sat himself, his scythe leaning against the elegant table.

Lin nodded in response and then went to sit in front of Livia and her familiar, "So, what would you like to eat? Don't worry about the price, it is my treat."

“Honestly, I haven’t eaten Chinese in a while. I don't know what is good and what isn't” She sighed looking at the menu. Even when she had it, it wasn’t anything fancy like what she was seeing here. She frowned, casting a glance over to Lin before a small smile formed on her face.

The girl stood up, muttering a brief apology to Gall as she walked over to Lins’ side of the table.

And took a seat right next to him.

“Perhaps you can help?”

Lin himself was looking at the menu, when Livia approached him and took a seat beside him.

"L-Livia?" He turned away from her with a deep blush in his cheeks. "O-Of course I can help. Who do you think I am? L-Let's see here."

He put his own menu up to hide his flustered face. Well, there were quite some things he recognized from back home, and others he of course did not recognize. Some dishes perhaps were adapted to fit the palates of most students in Liseranna, surely.

"How about Pekin Roasted Duck? It's really good. One of my favorite dishes from back home, if I'm being honest." He said proudly.

The reaper watched silently as his master left her seat, muttering to him an apology before sitting next to the boy on the other side of the table. Well of course Gall could not let this stand, if his master would rather sit over there than he should as well, and it would allow for him to keep better watch of the young man, or rather react to anything he did faster. So he stood, gripping his weapon and slowly rising off the ground. He then rested a skeletal foot on the table, then another as he walked across the surface before stepping onto air and slowly desending, turning around and resting himself into the chair on the other side of Lin.

Roasted…duck? Well, she can’t say she actually ever recalled eating duck before. She might as well, though not before messing with him just a tinnnny bit more.

“Roasted Duck?” She said, leaning over and perhaps just getting a little too close, deciding his menu was much more interesting then hers.
“Hmm…sounds fine.” She said, leaning back and placing her menu back on the table. “Oh, and they do have tea here, don’t they?”

She tried to Ignore Gall, but covered her mouth with a hand to hide a small smile. Really, he was just a bit too overprotective at times.

---

Leaving the school grounds Shikio was starting to wonder where in the world Lin was going this time, she never would have guessed that he tried to distance himself this far from her without a word. Comming closer and closer to the destinaton she could see the large building ahead that smelled like food. Tilting her head slightly Shikio were even more confused about this. She wondered why Lin would go to a place that smelled like food... and then it hit her that she somewhat recognized the Scent from Lin's home.

She wondered if Lin had gotten homesick for a moment, and had gone to this place to feel like home. Approaching the door she realized that the statues outside it were breathing... weird, they were stone dragons that were breathing. For a while Shikio starred at them wondering if it was really safe to get closer to them or not, but eventually decided that perhaps it was the wind that made them seem like breathing... kinda like it did in odd places at home to make the ice sing and stuff.

Shikio laid her hand at the door and heard her belly growl slightly, all this smell of food made her hungry again. She opened up the door and looked around inside, she could see a receptionist and approached her before spotting Lin. At that point she could see him... well he was.... really... really close to two others. Frowning the wolf girl started wondering if there was a dog burried around here somewhere... or perhaps one were cooking.

She went closer to them ignoring the greeter at the door as she weren't really interested in getting a table for one when Lin already seemed to have it handled somewhat. At first she approached slowly while examining the situation to see if Lin were in danger, then she realized he were definatly smelling weird... he were all flushed and nervous smelling... was he... turned on?. Connecting scents together she realized it were the same people that had travelled together all the way here.

She sighed, walked up behind them, and then... sent an icy spike slowly up behind Lin's chair... inside his Shirt, and alongside his back so that he would slowly... feel the chill. All she did after that were glaring at the three of them, with her arms crossed and tapping her foot towards the floor.

Turned on? Was Shikio's nose really not lying?

Honestly... it was not lying. All sorts of things were pushing against him. Despite not being a fan of how some women stuck to him, he wasn't too averse of this one woman.

"T-They DO!" He suddenly shouted.

The ice going down, no, wait, up, his back, gave him literal chills. His back straightened up and he was about to flail his arms, but decided against it, having the reaper and Livia so near him.

Instead, he pushed the chair back and jumped out of it, before doing a sommersault and landing somewhere behind Shikio.

He turned his head up to the Fenrir and then asked with disbelief in his face, "S-Shikio! What are you doing here?" Then he realized he really hadn't told her where he was going.

His mind was elsewhere at the time and now... he really had to deal with the woman's rage.

"Wait just a moment, Shikio! I'm sure we can all figure this out if we just sit down and talk like civilized people."

She had thought she had messed with him just a but too much, but that quickly turned to confusion at the apearance of Shikio. She found it curious the familiar hadn't been with Lin but, she hadn't said anything since it wasn't any of her business. From the way Lin was acting though...she had gotten involved in something annoying after all, hadn't she?

If he had decided to do all of this without her familiar, then this probably looked quite bad to the Fenrir, which Livia was assuming there was still some sort of...'more than friends' relationship going on between them.

"This is your familiar, Lin?" She interrupted, giving him a small frown.

Shikios eyes slowly trailed after Lin as he summersault over her and landed behind. Yet Shikio harldly raised a brow at this, clearly not impressed by his feet of athletics, as he looked to her it was obvious that he were now more nervous if not more afraid than before.With Lins very obvious attempt to smooth things over, it was clear to Shikio that he was trying to hide something. Even to Shikio it was obvious that something were fishy, and some did consider her not being the most taught person around.

Glancing to the woman sitting at the table and then back to Lin, Shikios eyes would narrow and her right ear would flick as she obviously caught onto him. Hearing the other females reaction in the background didn't help the situation and instead only served to add fuel to the fire. "...So you can do what?... Lie to me?!... You stupid horndog!... As soon as I turn my back to you, you chase after some girl... She's not even in heat and your still all edgy because her closeness" she announced firmly easily enough for anyone nearby to pick up.

"H-Horndog?!" Was the only thing Lin managed to say at the sudden barrage of words from his familiar.

At this point it probably didn't matter to her what Lin was going to say, he had clearly betrayed her trust, and the worst part about it was that it was not the first time he had just abandoned her. "I waited for you... Forever!... Outside the classroom. I thought you were coming back, or at least would call me over..." she said looking more infuriated by the second.

Well…that was…uhm, certainly not what she had expected the Fenrir to say. Livia frowned and her cheeks reddened, a bit flustered. What she was insinuating wasn’t going on here at all. At least, she hoped it wasn’t. She had no feelings for Lin, and was definitely not about to…uhm…do the…things…Shikio was suggesting. But more importantly...if the Fenrir was telling the truth about him leaving her, then she was just a bit angry with Lin herself.

"I-I know it didn't seem like it, but I was searching for Livia so that she could join us this next week! I AM sorry for leaving you like that, but if I waited too long, another might've invited her to their team and we might have ended up as enemies!"

He had to appeal to the dog side of her right about now. Then again, his worries might've been unfounded, given that Livia was as social as the first impression she gave her.

He gulped audibly and decided to bet it all on Shikio's dog-like instincts.

"Didn't YOU like her too? I know what happened before, and I thought that someone like Livia who scratched your ears would make for a better partner than... whoever was mean to you."

Man, that argument sounded like a three year old trying to reason with his dog. Hopefully, it would work.

Wow. She was honestly a bit a bit upset with Lin at the moment. He had just left her while she was waiting? She frowned at Lin, standing up from her chair and gave him a bit of a harsh glare.

“That’s rather…rude, Lin.” She sighed. And here she thought this person might be at least a little bit different than other people.

He had pretty much ruined that thought now.

“She’s your familiar, isn’t she? Shouldn’t you think about her first before you go off thinking about something else?” That last bit was said with obvious annoyance and anger.

Gall took stock of the situation, Lin cornerd by the gazes of Livia and the wolf girl, and the apparent anger coming from the two. If Lady Fiore was angered by this man's action than so shall be Gall. He too stared at the man, Gall's eyeless face peering into the man's very soul with a permanent and certainly unsettling smile on the reaper's face.

Well as expected, for anyone but Lin himself, his gamble didn't pay off at all. Instead he earned two cold gazes which of one came from Shikio. She glanced to the other female as Lin assumed she liked her?... How in the world would she Like her?. That female she had only met that one time, and that was for like five seconds, and surely not long enough for her to judge if she liked her or not. On the other hand she knew that the female had, now after Lin reminded her... Touched her...Pried into her personal space, without permission.

For someone she just had met that one fact, in Addition to Lin liking her.... Were enough for her to feel threathened by her.

But then the other female had taken her side... Obviously Lin were the one at fault here, he had Played the two of them!. Shikio grew furious, perhaps more so than she ever been. In a moment a rattle and a clirr were heard as her chains extendes and some fell to the ground. ""Lin~.... I... Give you a head start... I suggest you take it" she said with a bitter sweet voice as her fangs seemed to extend by the second.

Crap. How do you say in Chinese when you done fucked up?

Ah, yes, "Cao..." sweared the young mage in his mother tongue, before turning on his heel and readying himself to dash outside the restaurant.

If Shikio was giving him a headstart, he'd definitely take it. His mother once said that the scariest thing in this world was an angry woman, and he managed to piss off two.

Livia, had enough. Yes she was annoyed at Lin, but that was no reason to start trouble. She may have even been more annoyed with Shikio after that outburst.

“Gall, stop Lin and bring him back here, would you?” She asked in the nicest tone she could manage, which was decidedly annoyed even then.

Before the wolf could do anything, she swiftly walked over to her…and gave her a surprisingly harsh slap right on the back of the head, at least hard enough to momentarily stun the wolf if nothing out of what was likely surprise.

“Bad dog.” She equally, and harshly replied. She wasn’t cleared yet, though. If Shikio didn't calm down, she was prepared to have one of her spirits leash the dog. “Just what, the fuck, do you idiots think you’re doing?” She harshly, but quietly asked. “Causing a scene here isn’t solving anything.”

The man known as Lin ran, the wolf claiming to give him a headstart. However Gall had his orders. Lifting himself half an inch off the ground the reaper took up his blade and glided towards the chinese man, before holdign out one hand to raise a barrier in front of Lin with which to stop the man before he could run to far and give Gall a chance to catch up.

Lin this time was too worried on how he would escape to take notice of the barrier that had risen in front of him.

When he ran forward, the only thing he found was a barrier. His face slammed against it, making for quite a funny scene at the other side of it.

"W-What the hell was that for?" He said as he slowly rose back up.

Gall caught up to the man as he crashed into the wall of force, which dissipated afterwards, Gall moved his blade expertly, his scythe now at the neck of Lin, "My master wishs you to stay, and so you will."

Lin was not afraid of the reapers scythe. A green magic circle appeared in his palm as he supported himself on the floor.

Lin casually pushed the blade back without a problem, and then he heard it.

The sudden sound of flesh hitting flesh. He turned backwards, alarmed as to what may have happened and saw that Livia had just hit Shikio.

He was quick to jump back to his feet and approach the two women that were furious at him.

"Wait a second, you shouldn't hit Shikio." Lin sighed, a blush appearing in his face. "I mean, I don't want to cause an scene any more than you do, but there's no need to hit Shikio. If you want to hit someone, do it with me."

Lin's gaze then turned harsh. "I won't permit for anyone to harm my familiar for an idiocy I did."

Shikio scuffed as Lin prepated to run, as she assumed he didn't have the spine to face her if she were serious nor the courage to sincerely apologise to her from the bottom of his heart. She was about to just let him run off and then drop it as to not go there... Yet pain came her way, and an insult. Livia... The one who hardly had anything to do with this moment had hit her on top of the head and insulted her honor. It somewhat gave the intended effect, for a moment she were stunned from pain but in the next her rage were at its boiling point. Everything became silent, Lin turning around and defending her didn't matter any longer, this was a challange of honor between two females and if it were a battle to the death Shikio would no longer hold back.

The silence were broken by the crashing sound of a spoon breaking upon the surface of freshly served soup. At that moment there was another loud crack as heavy chains expanded from around Shikios five bindings, and burred into the floor. Shikio glanced to Livia as her eyes shifted color. "Father.... I'm sorry. she muttered, before roaring loudly as beastal instincts kicked in and she yanked at the chains with enough violence to cause her blood to pool on the floor. The pain didn't seem to even bother her, instead she violently trashed growling and snorting as she turned her focus away from Lin and onto Livia fully.

Yet another pair of green magic circles appeared at the bottom of Lin's feet. He absorbed the properties of the floor, seemingly some kind of stone. He didn't have time to think about the details.

Lin knew what Shikio was intending to do, and he would not permit it.

"STOP SHIKIO!" He shouted as he jumped in front of Livia, taking the full brunt of Shikio's attack. "Livia has done nothing wrong. I said it before, if you wish to hurt someone, hurt me. This is a matter of honor already, Shikio. I intend not to defend myself. Do what you must."

He took a deep breath and then took up an stance. It was such that both of his feet were firmly planted on the ground. Only a rolling train would be able to push him out of that position now.

Ugh, how annoying. She could tell Shikio wasn’t going to listen not moments after attempting to get her attention. She hadn’t intended to anger the wolf, merely get her attention and perhaps knock her out of whatever angry state she had been in.

That backfired rather horribly, it seemed.

However, she was not intimidated at all by Shikio and whatever she was doing.

Instead, a red streak of magic arced across her gloves, glowing softly. She would have to be ready to dodge whatever attack the wolf was going to throw at her, she was fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to take a direct hit very well. So she did what she normally did in such a situation. A bit of a…possession, if you will.

Borrowing the powers and abilities of her spirits was something she had perfected when she first started. It allowed her to move in a very similar fashion to the way they did, and to the way Gall did. She was certain she’d eventually able to do more with it, but for now that was all she was able to get out of it. It was certainly useful, however.

She was quite surprised, however, when Lin stepped in between them, she was a little surprised. She was about to summon the strongest spirit she could summon and simply force Shikio into submission, with Lin there…she might actually hurt him as well. Not that she was against giving him a firm slap for being an idiot, but…killing was a bit much.

“What are you doing?” She asked quietly. “I don’t need you protecting me, I can handle myself.”

Shikio was well beyond reasoning by the time Lin placed himself in front of her enemy. Her violent rage needed out and right now the chains that dragged her down were just about everything that kept her from destroying everything. But they wouldn't last long as snow started falling indoors, and the temperature rapidly decreasing.

Shikio haden't gone this far in a long time, at that time her father had brought her home and she didn't recall what had happened. Nor had her father talked about it.... The wind, yes the wind in the room seemed to turn and rapidly flow south tossing Shikios hair in the air and one could be certain and swear that the wind were howling around them.

And then it came...

Shikios fur expands around her wrist and her feet, the chains cracked and cried as they were bent out of shape and soon enough shattered... Unfettered, Shikio fell down on all four and rapidly expanded in size until a gigantic Fenrir took form. Howling the wind turned silent yet freely stormed around her. And for a moment she seemed totally calm.

Something was happening, something Gall didn't like. Not that he had care for the tempature, he lost that sense a long time ago. The young man had escaped from the scythe and put himself between the two women, whom seemed ready to go to blows themselves. However the Fenrir broke her bonds and brought about a snowstorm. Even if it meant nothing to himself, the cold would be bad for Gall's master, and he didn't have the skill to treat her should she come down with a cold due to this.

And of course, even less he could do should she recieve any actual wounds. So he did the only reasonable thing. He conjured a wall of force to surround Lady Fiore before flinging himself as fast as he could to her, throwing himself over the wolf and boy and landing slightly behind his master, "Lady Fiore, perhaps it would be wise to distance yourself from this place, if but only until this cold subsides."

"This isn't for you." Lin answered, turning his head slightly to Livia. [color=purple]"This a matter of my honor and how I stained it myself. I suggest you leave this place."

Afterwards, Lin turned again to the Fenrir. Yeah, it wasn't looking good for him. Shikio had gone completely feral. As it should be expected, the people in the restaurant were already escaping.

"Are you just going to stay there, looking threatening, or are you actually going to attack, Shikio? It's been a while since I last served as your chewing toy, huh?" Lin gulped audibly.

Things never really got violent per se, but even playful bites hurt some times.

The Fenrir let out a chilling breath, and in that moment sub zero cold struck, a quick blitz freeze turning everything into diamond dust...

Well, she definitely wasn’t expecting that. She of course, wasn’t worried about it. She trusted Gall implicitly, and any time she had ever been in danger of anything he had always came through. Now was no different. The force field absorbed most of the force from the blast, leaving her feeling a tad bit chilled. Honestly, it was probably colder than that but she didn’t seem to care too much.

“Thank you, Gall.” She replied quietly, and unfazed by the wolves attack, she turned to Lin.

“I think I can handle myself.” She coolly stated, giving him an unimpressed look. “Honor? Such a petty concept invented by stubborn fools who can’t accept help from others or are too-hardheaded to accept it. The way I see it, I…may have inadvertently caused this myself.” She continued with a sigh. “So I am helping. Whether you want me to or not.” She took a few steps forward, ignoring Gall’s advice to leave. “We…are partners, after all aren’t we? I won’t hurt her, I promise.”

Not…too badly anyways. She calmly awaited Shikio to make her next move, if any.

---

With the immediete vicinity of the fenrir suddenly turning into dust after the sub-Zero blast, the rest of the room were getting harshly beaten by the cold wind as the effect slowly crept forwards and expanding circular around her. As the Fenrir focused its fearsome icy might things at medium range would soon start to turn to icy dust. The Fenrir kept starring coldly at the opposition that remained. As everything else were slowly falling away as the ice broke it off into pieces to the wind.. But it were far from done, and perhaps it would turn the entire island into a lifeless cold wasteland if it continued to rage.

However, before it came to that a snow wolf formed from the northern wind. Its yellow eyes staring at Shikio's form as it slowly approached her. "...I believe that's enough... Turn back before you do something you will regret" the white wolf said turning into snow and stuffing itself up Shikio's nose causing her to sneeze.

Yet its effect beat her back causing her to stagger and then fall. It consumed the storm, and soon Shikio were shrinking down to regular size She were laying there like in a daze, eyes empty for a while as the Ice wolf formed yet again outside her. "There there Shikio... calm down a notch eh?... after all this bunch ain't worth it... " The snow wolf said reaching up to tap her lightly on top of the head before the wind seemed to carry it off again. The transformation had one side effect thought... and because of it Shiko were now laying butt naked on the floor.

The battle had ended before it almost could begin.

Lin snickered a bit when he heard Livia, "And here I thought you'd be eager to get out of being our partner after all of this. If that is the case, then I won't protest anymore. Thanks."

Shikio's magic was go going rampant, and her powers were also beating down Lin. However, he was steadfast and was not about to back down from this. Shikio would probably go back to normal once her rage was sated. Probably.

It didn't actually seem necessary, though, as a white wolf appeared and calmed Shikio down. She reverted to her human form and was... well, naked.

Lin sighed. He expected something like this, truly, so he went on to take his shirt of and put it over Shikio.

As expected of a martial artist, his body was well trained and ripped, something that didn't quite seem as apparent with his clothes on.

"Guess we should take her to the nurse's office." He turned to Livia, before taking Shikio in his arms.

“Hmph.” Livia sighed as the wolf calmed down. Well, at least they had avoided a fight. “I said I would. Even if I’m not too thrilled about it, I keep my word…mostly.” Ignoring the fact he had basically just stripped in front of her, she released the spirits that she was controlling, feeling just a bit drained after that.

Using that was always a bit draining in any situation.

“Alright, I might as well come with you for now.”

A week passed.

The student's were only just getting used to the pace of the classes. Of course, even if they were just getting used to the classes, the director wouldn't delay the Magus Games for nothing in the world. It was his only entertainment at the start of the year, after all.

He would also eat up the students' break to give an special announcement. Everybody was to gather in the courtyard yet again, in front of a stage that the man had prepared in advance for this day.

The students had to gather in front of the stage, lest they wanted to hear the Director's voice directly into their brains like the first day. That chilly and incredibly cumbersome voice of his.

Like always, he was dressed in a rather colorful crimson suit, a black shirt and a red tie.

He cleared his throat and started his speech, "My dears, it is finally time! Finally time for the annual Magus Games! And as always, this year is filled with surprises! So, who wants to guess what kind of event will be the first one? Anyone, anyone? Oh, you party-poppers." The man cupped his left cheek.

"In any case, we are going to make an spectacular, sweat-producing, and extremely tiring world wide Treasure Hunt! What's even beeter, the hints will be pretty confusing and a quick Google search won't help you! Now, if you'd be as kind as to check in your pockets, you'll find the hints that will help you look for your treasure."

---

Like last time, papers appeared in the pockets of the students.

In the pockets of Juliann (yes, even teachers are going to participate in this), Gall@neogreggory, Livia @Rune_Alchemist, Lin and Shikio@Iatos there was a paper that read:

The sun who shone like no other. He supported the moon like its fateful follower.

His end was pride and rejection, yet the cause was not his executioner.

Bring me his sword or its remains that now rest from whence it came from.

Hints, because I am a D-A-R-L-I-N-G!

England, The Lake, The Numeral.

If it is still too confusing, go look for someone knowledgeable in British mythology!

In the pockets of Charlotte, Richard@Natsu, Eli@sakurasan, Verid, Alistair@Musoka, Edgar@Vocab, Sorcha@Rune_Alchemist and Runik@Zombehs appeared a paper with the following:

It was a cave.

The only thing you wouldn't expect to drag a shut-in out actually worked.

The gods reunited to help this goddess.

Ages have come and gone. The regalia of the goddess has since then fallen in the hands of her followers.

Bring me that which has Eight Hands.

You want a hint? I'll trade it for a kiss... No, but seriously.

Hints.

Japan, Regalia, The Gods Of Creation

In the pockets of Lyssa@Rune_Alchemist, Iravis@RabidAnubis, Arata@Ashifili, Shino@liferusher, Arthur@neogreggory and Alucard@Eklispe a piece of paper with the following appeared:

Its name means confusion, but well, not in the traditional sense.

You'll need to look deeper. In the library, anyways.

The angels liked this book a lot.

Reach the word confusion and the path will open before you.

Bring me from there the primordial element, with which a God was created.

Hints! Because who doesn't love them!

Sand, Snakes, A Friendship that surpasses time

In the pockets of Reina@liferusher, Ruri@Kimiyosis, Suki@Kimiyosis, Adrian@Zelosse, Jocelyn@Jay Kalton, Logarius@Cinderella Man and Synth@Vocab appeared papers with the following:

What happens when dwarf king and dwarf queen love each other very much?

They somehow end up with something ridiculous.

It was a curse. Like always, dwarves are drawn to shiny things.

His bones now remain where he guarded his gold. Bring me a single teeth.

A hiiint? I know you want iiiit!

Norse, Gods, Gram

Finally, in the pockets of Joulie@Iatos, Victarian@Zelosse, Vera@Jay Kalton and Meruin@TheHangedMan.

Find the remnants of the Alanteia family.

Hint

Liseranna

---

The director then continued his speech.

"You may team up with others with the same objective as yourself, if you haven't already teamed up. Just beware, because it is not a simple treasure hunt. A single group of 6 can only bring one treasure at any given time. This means you've got to destroy the ones standing in your way, or you won't be able to clear your objectives." The man sang.

"Now, there's a preparation period of two hours. You have until next week to turn in the treasure you find. so, hit those books, my dearies! Oh, and for those that draw the short straw... Documents on the Alanteia family can be found ONLY in my office. Good luck with that, 'cause I'll dispose of all and any intruders during this whole week."

He smiled, malicious as always.

"I know you aren't as foolish as to fall for the same trick thrice. So this time..." He walked backwards and fell off the stage. There was no sound of him hitting the ground though.

As always, the man had disappeared into the ether, leaving the students to their own devices.

Soon, the crowds started dispersing as they left for the library. Luckily, it was big enough to not seem crowded even if there were lots of people in it.

With Lyssa gone, the Phoenix found herself hungry for dinner. No one walked up to the goddess and offered a tribute, so she instead walked into town and looked for a place to eat. With all the modern technology the hellion was exposing her to, the Goddess was looking for something to remind her of home.

On one hand, Persians were the people who attacked both Egypt and Greece, her homelands. On the other hand, the Zorostrians did manage to incorporate many of the recipies into their modern cuisine. So here she was, listening to off-egyptian music and waiting to be seated. She decided to show the culture mercy by simply dining there without any money and not killing them.

So the goddess entered The Sultan's Palace and sat herself as she waited for the waitress to arrive and ask for her order. It was a hole-in-the-wall sort of place, small but friendly.

Victarian had been strolling through the shopping areas for some time now, stomach growling loudly with a need for food and a short rest. His training began each day in the morning with the rising sun, a series of meditations and a quick weapons routine limbered him up and granted him yet more spirit energy he channeled regularily.

Usually he avoided the shopping district, preferring to simply cook his own meals, but nothing on the school grounds as of late demanded his attention and could be left to other members of the Disciplinary squad.

"The Sultans palace..?" Viktor was in civilian clothes, simple jeans and a white t-shirt with a gray sweater with no shoes on, preferring sandals instead. He rubbed his chin and decided to enter, accustomed to the usual sceneray of spiritual beings and other strange sights, he took a seat at the far corner with an order of simple bread and water as his sacred tome apparated at his mental command. Like every other day he could not read the beautiful golden words written on the pages but that never stopped his urge to try.

Another day, another beating.

While Arata hadn't yet gotten fully accustomed to the speed at which Juliann eviscerated him, he was at least getting used to the pain, as well as the fact that it was a smart idea to take off his clothes before facing her. Dying was a pretty interesting experience as well, though it may turn out to be a detriment if he got accustomed to dying. Well, he still has time, and it's only been two days

His monthly goal will be to catch her sword.

His yearly goal will be to dodge her Sword Arts.

Perfectly attainable, no?

With some more spare change jingling in his pockets, the oni headed into the Small City and chose yet another random spot to eat. Unable to read any signs, Arata basically just walked into a restaurant nose-first, pushing open the doors and taking in the new sights.

Foreign smells, foreign music, and an almost full restaurant. Not bad indeed.

As the waitress guided the oni to his seat, Arata plopped himself down, massaged the back of his recently shredded neck, and noticed a red-haired girl sitting opposite to him.

"Oh," he said, "It's one of those places."

Call it paranoia, but the sight of a horned demon entering the restaraunt set off his mental alarms at once, though he always tried to see the best in everyone. Even one of the evil races as such were labeled could have a heart of gold.

Iravis raised an eyebrow at the person sitting across from herself. It was clear that this wasn't an ordinary human soul. Or even A soul. Somehow, the spirit of the golden haired man across from herself was ... expansive? But it wasn't large at the same time. After a few more moments of staring, she had to admit her confusion. It didn't make any sense.

"Indeed it is, a taste of home for myself. Is this a stop on your travels, spirit?" Her curiousity was too large to demand tribute from this ... man? The scholar in Iravis wanted to get to the bottom of this.

"Taste of home, eh? Got any recommendations then?" Arata flipped through the book with pretty pictures once more, not really certain which ones were meat-y, but pleased at least to see only one number beside each of the items.

"And naw, got invited here by a midget representative. Promised me a war, but who knew it was supposed to be five days away?"

After a slight pause, the oni shrugged.

"Well, at least the food and the women are good."

Iravis raised an eyebrow at the statement. The goddess wasn't sure insulting the academy was the best of ideas, after all Director A would hear it. Then again, this was the same director that allowed her to get blazing drunk two nights ago. That had been fun.

But his next words would have spiked the interest in any woman's heart. Men in love or lust were always interesting creatures, even after four thousand years, and the goddess had gotten used to being an object of their admiration. "The women are good, hmmm?" Iravis unconsiously ran a few fingers through her crimson hair, a little flustered at what she believed to be a compliment.

"Yup," he nodded with a grin, almost a little too oblivious to Iravis's vested interest in that statement, "Compared to three centuries ago, it looks like they've all become a hell lot stronger. Now I gotta catch up, but it's pretty good, having people to aspire to."

Well that confirmed her guess that this wasn't a normal human. He didn't even deny being a spirit, and spoke of living at least three centuries. So who was this man?

Still, the way he spoke of women of the past as weaker did irk the goddesses soul a little. In her youngest years women had many of the rights and dignities that men had, and Artemis and herself were warriors to be feared. "Were the women of bygone ages sheep to you then, and not equals on the scale?"

Arata scratched his chin, now a little bit curious as to why this red-haired woman cared so much about his impressions on women who were now long gone. It took the oni a bit, before he snapped his fingers in realization. So this was one of those 'feminists' that he heard about during his global travels?

Well, whatever, the past was the past, and if she was curious enough, there must have been hundreds of books depicting the glorious history of the Land of the Rising Sun anyways. "Wouldn't call them sheep, but other than the few shrine maidens that have joined the battlefield before, I never formed much of an impression on them before. Nothing significant, really. The few warriors that I've personally faced and can still remember were all men."

"No need to endanger the future of the nation if you could send the sons instead."

Iravis had put up with this sort of attitude in the past fifteen hundred years, which invoked a small piece of wrath within her. But Iravis pressed it down, too curious to pursue the issue. "So warrior, what are you called and where do you come from?"

"I'll ask the same of you, as well as add another: got any recommendations for food? Can't read, and I never ate these things before."

Laughing at his own little quip, Arata extended a hand to shake and said, "I'm Arata, from the Land of the Rising Sun, though now it's known as Japan. And by this era's standards, I am but a student."

Iravis stared at the hand, confused for a moment. What had Alucard and her done previously? That strange version of the Roman salute? A few moment passed before Iravis extended her own hand, grasping Arata's hand with far more strength than could be expected for her size, and attempting to crush it through her divine will, spilling that small piece of wrath within herself into the grasp. This uneducated fool deserved a little pain for the privlege of grasping her hand. She didn't realize that this was the creature Sir Wick had warned her about.

"I am called Iravis, hailing from the deserts of the Nile, the Kingdom of Egypt." A quick glance down at the menu informed the Goddess of what to eat. "The Sultan's Kebab should satisfy one such as yourself. A knife should be uneccessary to cut the meat, and there should be enough of that for a pupil such as yourself."

"Oho."

Arata smiled at the light pressure she exerted. Was this a challenge, now? As this woman, Iravis, continued to hold on and apply pressure to his own hand, the oni's grin grew wider. She wasn't letting go, and it looked like she was still holding back her strength, as if provoking him to answer her silent demand, so...

"Alright, thanks for the recommendation then, Iravis. I'll take two then. And also..."

His canines grew, a feral light sparking in his blue eyes.

"...you really wanna do this?"

Iravis unleashed a sly smile as he started to reveal his features. "I do not know what you speak of, warrior." Unable to help herself though, the Goddess applied more of her wrath to the demon's hand, trying to force the man to yield. "But a look that lacks Chivalry in an attempt to spread fear through a maiden's heart is not a sign of masculinity, but rather the opposite."

"Chivalry? What's that, something you eat?"

And then, Arata squeezed. A look of surprise shot through her face, for even this strength surpassed what she expected. Bones cracked. Iravis buried her talons into the back of his hand, seeking escape but too proud to ask for it. Blood fell from the grip and the Goddess forced herself to surprsess a scream. The phoenix began to heat her hand up, ready to force her way out if neccessary.

"Oh shit!" The moment the oni felt his grip sink into her bones, snapping them like a bundle of dry twigs, he realized that he completely misunderstood Iravis. Letting go moments before his flesh melted into her own, Arata looked at his own hand, five fresh slashes on them, and then at Iravis's broken one, and immediately swung his head down in a bow, his small horns punching two holes into the wooden table.

"Izanagi's balls! Shit, my apologies for misreading your intentions and the basis of your power, Iravis! Didn't realize you were a magicky-type when you started squeezing! Sorry about all that!" Iravis didn't respond, holding her hand up to her face as she waited for tears to fall. If she spoke, Iravis knew it wouldn't be coherent.

Aw hell no, is she crying now? Shit god damn it, he could already hear his oni brethren toss around in their near-dormant state, bitching at his lack of thinking...when they definitely would have done the same.

Lifting his head up to look her in the eye, Arata said, trying to keep a calming, comforting tone, "Look, just take deep breaths, alright? I know this really good doctor that'll patch you up good as new! I'll even buy you dinner...though I can't really pay for anything super expensive...but come on, Iravis! Stop those tears! You're stronger than this!"

Clenching his fist in an empowering gesture, he said, perhaps a little too loudly, "Ganbatte!"

From across the room he heard the crunch of bone and the stifled gasp of pain.

Accident or not this demanded his attention for the good of a womans honor.

In civilian clothes he was not intimidating, just a man with a bit of muscle. As he stood the tome Heavens Piece took on a golden shine for a brief moment as his gear formed on his command, the tome itself locked in golden chains upon his right hip to safeguard. Holy blade sheathed behind the shield, Victarian crossed the room unthreateningly.

"Is everything alright?" Victarian glanced down, noticing the signs of violence. Broken hand clenched to face, heavy bleeding on the Oni's hand, damage to the table. A misunderstanding? A disagreement? "Apologies, but I am Victarian of the Disciplinary Squad, you are both students caught in an act of violence. I will have to ask you explain yourselves."

Normally acts of violence were treated as a regular occurance, but serious harm was meant to be avoided. Those who chose to forgive were left alone if they did not engage in further combat but others had the right to 'trial by fire' so to speak. Viktor always offered them a chance to prove their innocence with honorably single combat. The gods allowed the righteous victory and that was good enough for him.

She only heard bits of what the others had said, instead focusing on not screaming out in pain. As the tears fell on Iravis' hand, the bones moved back into place, correcting themselves. After a few seconds, the pain was gone. When the Phoenix looked up, there was a Knight in shining armor at the table, coming to the rescue of a Princess. The tears stopped and she held up her hand to the knight. "In our mutual lack of omniscience we misjudged the other's strengths, Sir Victarian." Did he say something about being on the Disciplinary Squad? Was there a Disciplinary Squad in Liseranna? Director A didn't seem like the sort of man interested in one, but the Goddess looked over to Arata to see if he knew about this.

The oni sighed, face meeting palm at his own overeagerness in rising to the challenge. In the end, Iravis cried anyways, and now there was some sort of armored swordsman going up towards them, apparently because of this act of violence. He wondered where this 'Victarian' had been when Juliann beheaded him today, or disemboweled him yesterday, but, well, whatever.

"Pretty much yeah...ahahaha..." He turned to Iravis once more, unable to tell whether or not she was sad, mad, or both, before letting out another sigh. "So that's all there is to it. Unless you want a fight, everything's fine now."

"If the lady will allow it I gladly accept the right to champion her cause." Victarian stood proud over the demon, almost eager to draw steel and have done.

Iravis just blinked. She wasn't sure how to respond to this. On one hand, she was curious about what each of their strengths and weaknesses were. In all four thousand years she had lived, the Phoenix didn't recall having met a soul like Aratas. And the book sir Victarian seemed somehow ... familiar. On the other hand, she was really hungry. The decision was made for her when the waitress came by to ask if everything was okay, which Iravis responded to by ordering her meal. "If you two feel the need to seek satisfaction, do not disturb the other patrons. I'm hungry."

Ah, the eternal debate between feasting or fighting. Should he meet this new challenger? Or eat a meal that he had not yet tried before? What a struggle. What a hard thing to figure out. If he was loaded with money, he'd food fight, but, alas, his wages as a food delivery man didn't work too well at all.

So, in the end, what will the oni do?

"Heyo, waitress, I'll have the Sultan's Kebab, please. Two, actually. And I'll pay upfront for everything as well. If it's not enough money, I'll wash dishes for free later. Actually...shit, I'll probably have to wash dishes to replace the table anyways..."

After that, he turned to the stuffy armored dude once more, smiled, and said, "I'll crack your skull open after I'm done, if you're willing to wait."

Victarian smiled beneath his helmet at the lax attitude but respected the Oni's desire to recompensate for his destruction. "Apologies for intruding then. The table and your meals are on me, by way of misunderstanding the situation." Victarian pulled out a spare seat and sat down, taking off his helmet and placing it on the handle of his sword while resting both on the corner of the table.

"When you are done I will see you disciplined properly." The waitress returned with their meal, even bringing over Viktors simple meal to the new table. "Until then, let us simply enjoy the meal shall we?"

Iravis had to resist the urge to laugh. The Knights of England and France would bow their heads at the respect these opposing parties showed eachother before testing their Arms upon eachother. Still, she watched on with a serious expression. [color]"I concur. If you desire it, I shall judge the combat and perhaps choose a worthy companion from among you two."[/color] The Phoenix remembered the Magus games, and whether or not she wanted grades she knew the Director would manage to drag her in somehow. Until that time, Iravis found herself enjoying the meal at Sir Victarian's expense.

---

They had managed to find a suitable battleground after the meal. A large, circular plaza with a small fountain in the middle. A few benches that would be destroyed soon laid surrounding the fountain. After quickly checking to make sure both parties were ready for the fight and standing a moving a suitable distance away, the Phoenix raised her right arm to the sky. "For honor and glory, lay on!"

For honor? For glory? No, for fun!

Arata cracked his knuckles, his wrists, his neck, a series of cricks and cracks resounding through the circular plaza as power flowed through his body once more. The heartbeats and hunger of 999 oni flowed through his veins and ignited his soul, as the nighttime breeze strengthened. Sweeping off his white cloak and letting it fly off into the cloudless sky, the oni let out a guttural growl, before charging head-first towards Victarian.

Literally.

Victarian took a wide stance and readied the shield, a swirl of holy spirit energy swirling around his feet and from the shield as he braced for the impact. Like the hammer hitting a gong Victarian skidded backwards from the force with a cringe but refused to fall or lose balance.

A good start to be sure. Viktors shield pulsed once in a small wave of expended energy as he began his own forward charge with shield leading. A maelstrom of golden lightning danced across dying lights surface as he charged full tilt at Arata.

"Oh! You withstood it? Good!"

WIth another roar of challenge, Arata brought his hands outwards, splaying his fingers as if to welcome the knight's thunderous charge. Victarian was fast, and perhaps the oni would have been satisfied with that speed in the past, but now that he had literally been blindsided a thousand times over by Juliann's sword speed...

"HORRRRAAAAAA!!!!"

Sinking his hands through the stone plaza, the oni mustered up all his strength, raising up the section of the plaza before him. If that meant Victarian went flying along with the ground he stood on, great! If it meant Victarian didn't get thrown off, well, raising it might as well be throwing it!

Victarian kept the momentum going forward even as the Oni raised a gargantuan section of the plaza from the ground without the use of any locatable magic, indicating to the knight that this particular foe was possessed of impossible physical capabilities. Viktor was not impressed in the slightest. Stone was stone.

Victarian slammed his shield bodily into the stone and released the gathered holy energy with a thunderclap of destructive and potentially lethal magic that turned the impromtu boulder into dust and rubble while he charged on still, determined to strike his shield into the foes chest with another thunderclap.

Stone was indeed stone, but a wall was still a wall, regardless of how easy it was to break.

Dust and rubble smashed into Arata's body, the oni barely sparing a grunt. In that moment where the knight lost sight of him, he met up for another charge. The shattering of the plaza's stone floor was the signal, and the radiant light that spilled from the shield was the target. Digging his feet in, the oni brought both hands onto the electrified shield.

A thunderous clap, and then the smell of charred flesh.

For the fourth or fiftieth time since he arrived at Liseranna Academy, Arata's world turned white.

But even blind, dazed, and quite literally struck by lightning, the oni roared. Victarian was strong, but even the strongest did not weigh an excess of 30 tons. Like tossing a baseball up in the air, Arata flung him skywards with all his might.

Victarian kept his calm as the shield struck home, even thinking the fight over for a fraction of a second before feeling the strong tug of his opponent turn into a full throttle toss into the air! Up and up he went and resisted the urge to scream for dear life and instead focus on the simple principle of gravity.

What goes up must come down.

It was hard to see but based on the toss it seemed likely he was going to come back down atop the brute who had tossed him. Victarian closed his eyes and braced his shoulder against Dying Light as momentum reversed and the plummet began, stockpiling more holy energy into the shield until it shone like a falling star in the nights sky as he fell faster and faster.

As he neared the ground he swung the shield from right the left with every ounce of strength in his arm and released the pent up power in a cyclone of biting and slashing golden wind, the force of it even halting his momentum enough that what could have been a bone crushing fall was now what some refhave been a bone crushing fall was now what some reffered to as 'the flapjack' maneuver where you crush your opponent to the floor under the weight of your body and shield.

A smart fighter would have, upon seeing the meteoric dive of Victarian, taken the time to make preparations to dodge and counter. But the Night Parade did not run from challenges, nor would they ungratefully avoid receiving their opponents' heartfelt blows. Eyes blazing blue at the falling star, Arata's grin widened, as he reached forwards and tore out the plaza's fountain with one hand.

Once more, he lifted both arms out to the side, welcoming the golden winds that clawed and tore at his now shredded clothes and skin (shit, shoulda taken them off before this). It slowed Victarians descent, and in return, made it so much easier to strike. With a counterclockwise swing, timed to slam into the Last Angel's left side moments before the divine shield could meet its mark, Arata howled once more.

The air shattered.

The night split.

And then...

A pile of rubble rose in a heave and a groan as Victarian disentombed himself from what used to be a fountain. Magic armor: 1, fountain: 1. Tie score as far as Viktor was concerned on that one.

"You're mighty indeed." Looking around at the debree and gigantic holes where once a walkway and a fountain once lay, it was obviously time to call it quits before the two of them ruined this whole area. "I'm afraid we must discontinue this engagement until we find a more suitable stage. The others won't be happy about this.."

Victarian did not particularily care about the property damage but it was obvious that this was a fight meant to be FOUGHT. Not something to ease himself into. Sacred Will was still not unsheathed but that would cross the line from a friendly battle to true combat.

It was up to Iravis now to determine the winner.

The Goddess clapped at the gladatorial match that had just occured before her. She had learned a lot from them, and it was obvious that they were both holding back. She'd think more on their abilities later. "That is a wise statement, Sir Victarian. Continuing this in a more suitable arena would allow a more satisfactory battle." So who to pick? It wasn't an easy choice. But after a few moments, Iravis realized who would complement Lyssa and her own powers better for the Games. And the fact that Arata was ... a personality ... would make him easier to control. She gave the knight a small curtsy, before turning to Arata.

"You both fight bravely, and with great valor. However, I feel Arata would compliment me and my allies' abilities better. Would you want to be my companion for the games?"

"Hm?" Arata massaged his shoulder as Victarian rose from the rubble, apparently not quite as injured as he should have been. Before the oni could launch himself onto the man once more and create more craters in the already-demolished plaza's ground, the knight called a stop to this, and the oni clicked his tongue.

So in the end, it wasn't even a proper ending, huh? Maybe he should have settled for smashing him up and down a few times, instead of tossing him in the air then.

Nevertheless, Iravis appeared to have her fill of destruction, and Arata took a few steps away. Though not enough to serve as any battle-worthy healing ability, the few wounds that he had sustained were scabbing over already, and outside of how his clothes were essentially rags, the oni looked good to go.

When Iravis invited him, the oni simply shrugged, and said, "I got a partner that I already teamed up with, but if you're willing to have her come along, I'm fine with it. Broke your hand, so I guess lending my strength will make things even."

Maybe? Hopefully...

Viktor dusted off his armor with a spare hand before dismissing it in a small flurry of dissipating magic, leaving the simple clothed man to observe the destruction with a sigh. He shot a glance at the Oni from the corner of his eye and felt the strangest feeling in his heart, a yearning to finish the fight soon to see just how strong both of them were when they took it seriously but obviously now was not the time.

"A good fight, sir. I do hope this has at least left you with a better sense of things. Though maybe we did not establish the punishment I had intended to give you. Still.." Hands at his sides Viktor bowed deep and low to the winner of their spar. "You fought honorably. We will do this again, I am sure."

Viktor gave another bow to Iravis and walked away from the plaza to his dormitory room, contemplating how he could overcome the demon the next time they met in combat.

Iravis gave a slight curtsy to Arata. "With your formidible strength, I would be honored to have both of you along. So that makes five of us then." She didn't bother to say that she didn't really blame Arata for breaking her hand, it was better to have him think he still owed her, at least a little.

The soft flutter of flipped pages was the only sound that broke the constant turn of fan blades overhead. While the library was certainly never completely empty, its patrons were significantly reduced while classes were in session. It was here rather than the classrooms that Runik decided to spend his time, toiling through various tomes. Disappointingly enough, it seemed that there weren't many Sage-class Magicians on staff this year, and Neutra classes were in short supply. Free-time was certainly a boon and he had no problem figuring his way through a new school of magic, but... a guide was always welcome.

Well, he had yet to run into any difficulties regarding the material though how long that would last was questionable. Pouring over the book, the odd display that took place behind him didn't bother Runik in the slightest. While normally it might have occurred where he could monitor it, the flame's light would have interfered with his reading in this case.

A constant cycle of fire and ice took place, consuming only to rebirth into. A sphere of flames, white hot in intensity, roiled violently against its confines only to slowly vanish as ice blossomed from within. The frozen orb twisted and flowed in a manner impossible for a solid, and the next moment it was fire once more. The source of this strange phenomenon? Well, quite easy to tell given the soft glow and pulses of light that radiated from Runik's seat.

Iravis had been in the library, reading a book about the gods and goddesses of Greece. She wasn't sure why, but she felt the need to figure out what happened to them after having that hostile discussion with Meriun two days before ... when suddenly she felt a bit of power surge into her veins, then leave, then come back, then leave ... While it was normal to expect some degree of fire considering this was a school of magic, the constant flickering of power was annoying. There was another fire in the library besides the one from Mr. Wick while he was studying elsewhere. Closing the book, she headed in the direction of this new disturbance, curious to what she would find.

After a short search, she stumbled into one of the stranger sights she'd seen while on campus. And orb combusting in fire only to be taken over by ice. It didn't take her long to notice it was Runik who was casting this, probably as some sort of mental exercise. After a few moments of staring, she approached behind the boy who she'd run off 2 days before. The red-haired girl spoke in a low voice to avoid alarming him and breaking the spell. "Runed One, you study with the effort of Hercules during his twelve labors, what tasks you so?" A curious look filled her eyes as she started unintentionally reading the book over his shoulder.

He didn't start at the sound of her voice, and Runik finished his current page flip before he glanced behind him at the familiar face. An eyebrow cocked at what he thought was a grandiose statement for something so mundane, but he didn't bother to address it further. "Phoenix," he remarked as a greeting as he dipped his head slightly. Ice.

Marking his progress with a glance, he turned the book over so that she could get a look at the cover.Neutra, the Shapeless Magic. Fire. "Simply seeking a way to expand my repertoire of abilities," he explained before he set the book down and reopened it to the page he had left off. For a moment it seemed like he would simply return to his task, but in the end he focused on the red head instead. Ice.

"So what brings you around?" His eyes shifted towards the ever-changing orb, already blossoming into flames once again, and then back to Iravis. Phoenixes were supposed to be embodiments of fire and flame, at least in part, so one that was snuffed only to revive constantly... well he could imagine why it would be a bother.

"A continuous pulsing of flame beckons to me like the beating of a lover's heart." For a second her eyes drifted up to the orb, but it didn't take long before she found herself looking at the runes on Brandt's arms again, glowing slightly from the energy passing through them, flaring mildly when the orb changed form. "Diversification is a powerful strategy, but knowledge for its own sake is also a worthy quest." She showed the cover of the book she was reading, The Olympians. "Knowing of others is a more noble goal than learning about oneself. Would you agree, Sir Wick?" The Phoenix's eyes looked in the direction of a bookcase that Mr. Wick was using to get closer, feeling his fire as he approached.

The teacher had been in the library at any chance, reading and hoping to learn more about that boy from several days ago. An Oni, something from the land of the rising sun. However his attention to the most recent book he was combing through was lost when he noticed the red hair of the phoenix.

"What could she be doing here?" He asked himself before saying, "Reading. She could be reading Arthur." Mentally cringing at himself he decided to see what see was in fact doing, she stood up and went to investigate something told the purpose behind her steps. She stopped at Runik, who was reading while ice and fire consumed each other in an orb behind the boy. Then the two began to talk before Iravis called over to him.

Taking it in stride the man stepped out from his makeshift cover saying, "Noble yes, though one must still remember to know who they are as well. Can't forget your past if you can help it." Iravis looked a little put down at the mention of this, mistakenly thinking he meant she hadn’t focused enough on remembering her past. She curtsied towards him as a greeting.

Well it was a bit gratifying to know that his guess wasn't off the mark. Still it wasn't like Runik had any intention to stop, and he could only hope that Iravis would not make such a request. Confrontation with the phoenix did not seem like it would end well, but he wouldn't shy from it either.

"Always did prefer when I could do something with what I learnt." He shrugged a bit in response before glancing towards the cover she showed him and ah'ed quietly, figuring that's what must have inspired her earlier comment. Looking at the same direction as Iravis with a questioning expression, he wasn't too surprised to see the teacher step out from behind, though he did wonder why Mr. Wicks seemed to have hidden there.

"Hardly. Improve one's self before others, same would apply."

“Regardless.” Mr Wick said as he stepped closer to the two, “How are you two’s respective days going? Anything interesting happen recently?”

”Did you know there’s a dragon on campus, apparently?” It was obvious she was a little excited about this fact, but then decided that perhaps this wasn’t the place to talk about it. ”Aside from attending a few lectures, I touched the sky this morning. The Landing had a bit more grace than my first attempt …”

Runik perked up a bit at the mention of the dragon and nodded before he fished his phone from a pocket. “It’s still up in the air if it’s a real dragon from what I heard,” he mentioned as he opened an app and tapped on the pictures his friends had uploaded for others to see. While the quality weren’t exactly the best, there was definitely enough to make out some of Sorcha’s defining features from her wings, horns, glaive, and more. Hell one of them had even managed to snap a shot as lightning crackled from her weapon as it was pressed against, presumably, a student.

He held the phone for Iravis to take a look at while he shrugged in response to the teacher’s question. “Eh… not really. Hoping more classes for Neutra pop up though, otherwise I’m seeing a lot of this in my future.” The sphere continued to roil, chill, burn, and freeze all the while.

“A dragon eh?” Arthur said almost to himself, a clearly surprised look gracing his face for a moment before he manages to bring one of his hands up to his beard to stroke it and slightly obscure his face while taking a look at the young man’s phone. “Humanoid, not like the one I fought. I’ll have to look into this. That said, I could help you with your problem concerning a lack of Neutra classes.”

Iravis looked back and forth between the two of them. ”And I wonder why to. That’s definitely Sorcha, and she usually doesn’t like her mortal form…” The Phoenix had the sense that she was forgetting something, but she couldn’t tell exactly what that thing was. She could worry about that later. ”Sir Wick, I thought your soul was fire? You are a Neutra mage as well?”

Arthur would then be gone, appearing about ten feet to the right. “I found that being able to move in a moment was very helpful, I am a Sage class magician because of it.” Arthur said as he took the steps required to be back in the group. “If you’d like Runik I could teach you a thing or two.”

Well… that was certainly information he hadn’t been aware of, or at least must have slipped his mind. His eyes tracked and found Mr. Wick’s new position quickly enough, and a slight nod conveyed he was rather impressed. Not exactly the direction he wanted to go, but a Sage class should have the knowledge to help him along. “I’ll keep your offer in mind Mr. Wicks if I run into any trouble.”

Turning his attention back to Iravis, he glanced at his phone for a moment and saw that apparently, yes, the dragoness had proclaimed herself Sorcha, Radiant King of the heavens and the Wandering Tempest of the North. ‘Fitting for a dragon I guess.’ “Huh… small world I guess if you’ve met her before.”

Iravis gave a sly grin at Runik. ”A small world, or many years lived?” The Phoenix was used to Wick teleporting, but she hadn’t realized that was Neutra magic he was using. To the Phoenix, most sorts of magic were confusing and made little sense. If a mortal wanted to summon fire or whatever, couldn’t they just will the flames to rise like a muscle? ”It’s a big world and periodically I discover something new.” It was clear that she was gesturing to his arms.

“Would that be many lives lived?” Runik returned her sly grin by an amused expression as he wondered just what her true age was. Given what Iravis followed up with he couldn’t imagine the number was beneath at least two dozen. Putting it off as something not actually important, he glanced down at the tattoos that wrapped around his arms. “Not too surprising since they were the result of experiments.” He lifted one and his eyebrows furrowed for a moment in concentration. The glow dimmed in his other as it intensified in his raised limb, and the sphere continued to shift and change. “Anything specific you were wondering about?”

”A body may change, but does the soul not stay the same?” She grinned back at his clever quip, smile running across her face. The goddess had always enjoyed games of wits.

But when he mentioned experiments, and her heart sunk to the floor. Some lifetimes Iravis was a goddess, the sky and fire her domains. This lifetime though … ”I’m … sorry.” She looked down a little as he asked for specifics. “Was it a worthwhile exchange?”

Runik could hardly be called the most perceptive of his peers, but plenty of experience with this situation helped him catch the shift in mood. For a moment he considered the casual smile before he dismissed it and shook his head at an apology that wasn’t warranted. He looked at peace, accepting of his situation, even as he considered her question in silence.

“I’d have to know what I lost to answer that, but...” Runik trailed off as his raised hand clenched into fist suddenly and the flames collapsed inward before ice shards burst outwards from the compressed storm. “I’d say yes.” Relaxation came easily as he leaned back into the comfort his seat offered and he looked at Iravis with a slight nod, as if encouraging any other questions she might have had.

Iravis was surprised that he wasn’t bothered about it. The smile returned to her face, the scholar taking over again. Soon she found herself asking several questions about the arm.
”I can tell that it is radiant when you cast fire or ice, but that apply to all types of sorcery?”

“They’re linked to my very magic circuits, and act as my catalyst, so yes, any use of magic causes them to shed light. The people who did this might have deserved what they got, but they were brilliant, no doubt about that...”

”Does pain shoot across when activated? I’ve heard that about tattoos.”

“Not unless I’ve strained against my limits. As far as I’m aware, the pain is in the act of receiving the runes rather than their use.”

”Against your limits? That must a Pyramid from what I’ve seen of you.”

Praise was always welcome, and Runik was hardly modest. His smile grew just a tad as he accepted the compliment with a small nod. “Maybe with enough time to prepare.” The Magus Games were about to occur, and that gave him a moment’s pause as he considered how much to reveal… before he shrugged. “Spell slinging, the quick back and forth between mages at close range, tends to take its toll rather quickly. I much prefer to weave a grand magic at a distance.”

The Goddesses flattery was finished now. The smile on her face became sly rather than honest. ”So for example, shooting into the air would be preferable for you?”

Runik quirked an eyebrow at the shift in mood once again, and simply shrugged noncommittally. “Perhaps. It certainly would be more appreciated by whoever has to clean up after me.” At that his grin returned and he laced his fingers together, arcs of electricity flying between his hands.

She looked at lightning, keeping note that was also one of his powers. ”Really? Personally, hunting prey on the ground is a less daunting task. They move less.”

“Well when the prey is tethered to the blow, it doesn’t really matter how much they move. On the odd case that they are that fast, well I would likely have no choice to concede defeat. The ground does give much more things for prey to hide behind, but I guess that’s part of the fun or challenge to some.”

Iravis nodded at Runik, preparing to respond. But after a few moments, she realized Sir Wick hadn’t been responding at all. He seemed to be staring off into the distance. ”Sir Wick, do you need to rest?” The red haired girl was concerned his injury was acting up.

Arthur watched the two students interact, although his thoughts were elsewhere. Iravis has met the dragon that now is at the school, Sorcha, Iravis said her name was. That name danced in the pyromancer’s mind, had he heard it before? No that wouldn’t make sense, he only knew the one dragon and only for a short while before it died. Plenty of time to have a interesting conversation but none the less. Arthur was barely paying any heed to what was happening near him at that point as his mind continued to wander. ‘How did this dragon even got on the island? Why ask yourself, you know how it got here. A let this Sorcha being come. But why did the dragon come in the first place? Well for that answer…’ Arthur would have to ask the dragon, which meant finding her. Well that shouldn’t be hard so long as he stopped spending all his time in the library or his lecture hall.

Then Iravis said something to him. Arthur didn’t actually catch what she had said, “Oh um, sorry I was thinking, it has been awhile since I saw a dragon and the last time didn’t end to well for anyone involved. No doubt A let this dragon through the barrier so that it can partake in the magus games.” Arthur said, mumbling the entire time as if he was talking to himself almost.

Iravis gave an honest smile, glad one of her saviors was alright. ”I wouldn’t worry about Sorchy! A half elf informed me she’s been acting like a dragon again, but I’m sure it’s just her soul being teased.” The Phoenix had the voice of confidence.

“Oh?” Arthur remarked. Two questions came to his mind then, third question was which one to ask. Suppose he’ll find out the second question’s answer in due time, first one was more urgent however. “Interesting. Tell me you two, you guys looking forward to the magus games? Looks like it’s gearing up to be an interesting year indeed!”

As the two conversed briefly behind him, Runik took the time to flip through one and then two pages. As unappealing as reading was to him, he had still learnt to speed read at a young age in preparation for the countless tomes he would have to pour through during his time as a mage. Much like right now really.

“Naturally,” he replied in a relaxed tone as he glanced up from the text. “Should help scout out a few Squads as well.” The mission boards were still rather sparse, but now was a good time as any to try and form connections with potential colleagues for the upcoming year.

Iravis started playing with her hair a little as she looked at Mr. Wick. ”The inspiration of wine is more interesting than these games, Sir Wick?” She couldn’t resist adding a wink to that question. While most of the times she acted respectfully towards him, periodically it was fun to catch the teachers off guard.

Arthur listened with a degree of interest, Runik of course was a sensible person, then Iravis took her turn to speak. Had the pyromancer had anything to drink he would have taken a sip and spat it out over the floor simply to prove his surprise at the statement. In place of that he rubbed his beard again. It was good the girl had a sense of humor, even if it was at his expense. But regardless he had asked for a reason, now to take the second step.

“Nothing like a good battle though. Iravis if I may ask, have you found anyone you would partner with for these games? A good team is an important step towards victory, my battle with the dragon would’ve ended differently if my friends… If my friends hadn’t been there with me.”

Iravis nodded, lowering her tone slightly out of respect for Wicks lost comrades. She still hadn’t gotten the full story out of him. ”My roommates been attached to me, it would stun me if she didn’t come along with me.” Iravis was convinced that Ra would consume the Earth before that would happen.

Arthur nodded, “Any of thoughts regarding your team? Or do you think you and the demoness will be enough to take on everyone else?” Arthur asked, one hand still thoughtfully stroking his beard. At least he hoped it looked thoughtful, he put lots of work and years of training into rubbing his beard in an intellectual manner.

Iravis looked down for a moment. After their previous interaction, she was fairly sure Runik wanted to fight her more than partner up with her, even if it was a friendly competition. ”Honestly Sir? A larger army tends to win the battle, and right now I’d be walking out with the smallest.”

“I see.” Arthur said. “Then perhaps I could help you with that.” the pyromancer said. Then he would open up the book in his hand and flip through a few pages before saying, “If you wish I would like to work alongside you and any other teammates you find, I was going to partake any way and it would be a shame to see you on the other line of skirmish. And while on that line of thought…” Mr. Wick would then drop his book onto the table, the book open to an image of a large horned creature depicted in an oriental style, “There’s a rather scary thing on this island right now, granted that fact is almost always a constant but none the less. I have reason to believe a bastion of unending physical strength is here, here with the sole reason of partaking in these games. I wouldn’t want to see him on the other side of the battlefield either.” Then the teacher would fix his posture up so that he was standing straight as a board before saying, “If you could it may be wise to find this character and perhaps make an ally of them. Or at least learn a bit about them. I believe their name started with an A or something akin to that.”

Runik paused for a moment to consider the words being spoken by the pair just behind him. It didn’t last for particularly long and he continued to read soon enough, only again pausing when Mr. Wick dropped the book he had onto the table. ‘Really?’ The annoyance was brief and flitting and he focused on the depicted yokai for a few moments before in the end he shrugged again. “So an oni has arrived as well. Geez…” His thoughts drifted to a certain Atara before he dismissed it as simple coincidence. The advice seemed like it was meant for Iravis more than him, but he still nodded appreciatively towards the teacher.

Iravis performed a respectful curtsy towards Sir Wick. ”I would be honored to have you by my side, Sir Wick. I will watch for his presence,, don’t worry.” After a few more minutes, Sir Wick and the Phoenix left to discuss fire magic and strategies, leaving Runik peacefully to study his Neutra magic...

The director...was as flamboyant as ever. She decided it was best to attend the little meeting this time, lest her quiet reading be interrupted again. She would hate to take her annoyance out on a poor book by accidentally throwing it. Still, she was far from enjoying herself. The crowd, noise, the director. She wished they'd all just silence themselves and continue about their business. Well, she supposed she shouldn't complain much. She did agree to this, after all.

And just like last time, she wasn't surprised to find a piece of paper in her pocket. Taking it out, it read:

The sun who shone like no other. He supported the moon like its fateful follower.

His end was pride and rejection, yet the cause was not his executioner.

Bring me his sword or its remains that now rest from whence it came from.

Hints, because I am a D-A-R-L-I-N-G!

England, The Lake, The Numeral.

If it is still too confusing, go look for someone knowledgeable in British mythology!

Hmm...a riddle? She wasn't well versed in such things. Riddles weren't really her forte. However, if it was British Mythology Gall may have been of some help if he could remember anything. She wasn't well versed in any mythologies, unfortunately, so she wasn't likely going to be of any help here. Still, she could always speed read some british mythology, that was no problem.

Now, she supposed she should be finding her teammates, then. After their little altercation at the restaurant last week, she had tended to keep her distance from Shikio and Lin. Honestly, she felt like Lin should be paying more attention to his familiar still. Thankfully her fist assumption that he was using her more as a tool and less as a person was wrong. Still, it seemed like they had some unresolved issues there that she wanted no part in.

So she simply had kept her distance unless she had too.

Now though, that was a bit impossible. For now, she should see if she could find the two of them.

"Alright Gall. Let's find our Teammates."

@GrafRoy Zeppeli

Lurking atop what looked like the tower of piza but was but a replica one of the more creative gardeners had decided to furniture the garden with, the Valkyrie watched the director as he sent notes to everyone through the ether and one of them came her way. Interrupting the message mid air she caught it with her hand and let it materialize in her hand before dismissing it over her shoulder as it was of no value what so ever to her. However she didn't let it litter the ground, instead the small scrap dematerialized again and vanished. She had come here to find Arthur Wick, not to play meaningless games of mortals. She then watched as the 'Director' headmaster... or mortal self proclaimed ruler of this area left through the Ether and observed where his essence went before turning her attention back to the crowd.

It was clear to her that the self proclaimed ruler of this island was troublesome, almost like Brahms the lord of the undead she expected nothing but foul play by his hands. However she was not here to meddle too much in mortal affairs, and if this was one of the games they wanted to play she would allow it. Spotting Arthur from atop of the tower she stood and let her wings vanish, and a kimoto to cover herself with appear instead of her armor. She then leaped down and landed softly near Arthur. "So... this is what you occipy your time with these days?... A Teacher at this island, and playing part in games to satisfy a lone man's interests." she said as she reached a hand out and gently placed it on Arthur's shoulder. "Is been a while my Einherjar... I believe the last time were about the time where you were a drunkard who hit-ed on everything looking remotely female" she said and sighed as she looked to the others.

She knew she had been added to the game board, this island were proof of that... like many before it had been created by someone who had power so they could watch everything that happened on it. To be here was simply a way to spring the trap to begin with, with Arthur being the bait she figured adding more to the mixture would only hasten the springing of it. However she had no reason to go chase after some Atlantic information, nor to attempt to take it from the office of someone who could see everything. If she was in this game she might as well choose not to play it, she hardly cared if it amused him or not by her not participating.

The Phoenix had practiced flying around that afternoon. Transforming took a considerable effort on it's own, involving her screaming at the heretical 'Laptop' in an effort to get it to work. Eventually she had gotten angry enough that the transformation was easy.

Learning how to actually avoid crashing was an entirely different matter. Sure, she had talent. But talent could only go so far on a first attempt. The majestic bird ended up crashing into a poor student who had been walking around with a sandwich in his hands, transforming back to a crimson haired girl as a result of her collision. The sandwich flew out of his hands as a result, and was likely doomed to land on the ground.

"Zeus, wasn't I granted free reign in the skies? Why does thou hinder me?" She largely ignored the student she crashed into, worried about her own cuts and bruises from the fall.

Edgar had been, for the most part, cooped up in his dorm for the past day, doing minor experiments with time for the upcoming Magus Games. It was only after a least the night had passed that he had realised he hadn't eaten for about 24 hours. Before he could continue his testing, he had to get food. And this time he could actually eat it.

It didn't take long, and there wasn't much of a queue, which surprised him. Normally there were tonnes of people lining up for the food, but there weren't nearly as many. He was walking back, mostly admiring the surrounding area on his return, whilst eating a sandwich. The campus was truly a beautful sight, despite the obvious contrast between the buildings and the sescenery.

Though, his attention was suddenly diverted as his eyes fell on a massive bird flying straight towards him. His first reaction, of cause, was to stop it dead in it's tracks, but when he tried nothing happened. Whatever the bird was, it was another anomaly; a lot like Sorcha.

Before Edgar could react further, the creature barreled into him with full force, knocking the wind out of him and sending his sandwich flying. He tumbled backwards, and landed on his side gasping for air.

"What... The hell... Do you... Who..." was all he could muster as he attempted to refill his lungs.

Iravis managed to get back on her feet first, brushing the dirt off her dress. The Phoenix knew it'd take some practice to learn how to do this ... but this was simply embarrassing. Looking ahead though, she noticed the object she had crashed into. Based on the way he was speaking, the Phoenix was fairly certain that the lad believed he could have a better lot in life. The Goddess approached the man she had landed on so elegantly. "Do you require aid, Elf?" If neccessary, she would heal this. It's not that she felt particularly bad for gracing this man with her divine prescence, but rather that she wanted to make sure she was seen as merciful by her new following.

Edgar looked upon the woman that approached him, looking rather confused. Wasn't it a bird that had crashed into him? And at that, it looked like it was burning, or at least on fire to some degree. So who was the woman standing in front of him, looking and talking like some kind of royal? Unless she was the bird, but that was impossible, right? Weren't they all wiped out..?

"No... I dont need help." he stood, now having regained his breath for the most part, and again his pupils had reduced in size, "I want to know what the HELL is wrong with people and killing my sandwich!" he was not impressed; not in the slightest. It didn't matter if the bird-Pheonix-woman was another God. Though... She could make for some good research material.

"Are you another one that thinks they're a God? Christ, that's two in two days..." he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "And it's Edgar, half-elf. And you ruined my sandwich. I almost killed the last person that did that, but I think I'm learning. If you apologise, Pheonix - or at least I think thats what you are - I'll forgive you." he just had to hope she didn't have a massive God-complex like the last one...

She was surprised at the anger the man gave off at having his sandwich destroyed, and she involuntarily took a step back from the reaction. It took her a few seconds to regain her composure. For the most part, people around here seemed to understand that destruction was a natural part of life at the academy, with everything easy to repair. So this was a little bit different.

But when she thought about his statement, the Phoenix realized he had just delivered some valuable information. "Your eyes are wise, but if you know that then you know death is nothing to me. I'm known as Iravis, half-elf Edgar." A partially true statement. "And what do you mean 'another' one that thinks they are a god? Who did you meet?" The goddess couldn't keep a little excitment out of her voice. Were her friends visiting? Had they finally come for her?

Noticing the step back she took, his cheeks took a slight red tint. His reaction may have been a little overboard, but this was nothing compared to what he might to done to someone who wasn't a woman.

What did she mean by wise eyes? Did she mean how he was able to spot her obvious form of a Phoenix, despite every cell in his brain telling him it was impossible? He pondered it for a bit, until he noticed her excitement. So she really did think of herself as a God, or at least close to one. It was like they were abundant in Liseranna.

Edgar also noted that her face seemed to light up, at least slightly, at the talk of other God-like beings, and he hoped that he might not have to fight this one. At least she wasn't as arrogant and full of herself like Sorcha was.

"I can see from your previous... Form, that death means nothing. At least, not at the moment. It may do, someday, though. I heard somewhere Phoenix's have a limited amount of resurrections they can do, but that probably isn't true." he said, brushing some bits of dirt and grass from his attire, "As for another God... There was a dragon-kin that called herself Sorcha. She also killed my sandwich, but you don't seem as high and mighty as she did." he sort of looked past her at the mention of his sandwich. The poor, poor sandwich that became nothing but dust because of the dragon-kin. Even at the thought of it, he involuntarily opened and closed his hands, forming fists.

"You know, I've never been a big fan of the whole "God" concept, but you are just about living proof that not all are assholes. Good to know." he said, reaching his head behind his head to slightly massage it. There was a bit of a dull pain in his head, that felt as if it came from two places; the back of his skull, and his eye.

In fact, that begged the question; why wasn't his eye hurting like it did with Reina? Had he already gotten over the barrier with woman, or was it simply because she was a God?

Then, he stuck out his hand for her to shake.
"Formal stuff out of the way first, I guess. Edgar. Edgar Quantus. Good to meet you, Iravis."

Iravis had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the first part of his response. Edgar seemed to be somewhat open minded though, so the Phoenix decided it might be worth the effort to tell him what she told the fourteen year old girl. "Find me another Phoenix and a hundred more years to your lifespan I'll give." In reality, that meant filling a lot of bottles with Phoenix tears. And with all these talks of these other Phoenixes, Iravis was starting to wonder if perhaps she wasn't alone. Had she just managed to avoid them for four thousand years? It was unlikely, but then again stranger things had happened ...

At the mention of Sorcha however, Iravis started to practically bounce in excitement, probably the first time she'd done that in her whole life. The half elf introduced himself, and she forced herself to respond adequately. The Goddess curtsied in return, "Iravis Ustrina is what I have been named, good Edgar."

It didn't take her long to get back on topic. "Do you mean Sorchy Sparky! Lightning dragon, runs around with a glaive!?" In case that description wasn't enough, Iravis adopted a stance a lot like the dragon would have, and spoke in a deep regal voice in a near perfect imitation. "I, am Sorcha, Radiant King of the Heavens and Wandering Tempest of the North." The red haired girls voice returned to normal, a look of mock disappointment crossing her face. "You said she was being all high and mighty like. Is she still that way after fourteen hundred years?"

The girl looked rather displeased at the comment he made referring to the possible existence of other Phoenix. Whether she was jealous and wanted to be the only one, or had given up searching a long time ago, Edgar couldn't tell. But, by the seems of it, the latter was more than likely.
"You never know if you never try, right? You shouldn't lose hope for your kind. And anyway, a hundred years sounds pretty appealing. I might just get on searching." he said, letting out a slight chuckle. Mostly just because of how awkward it actually sounded, than anything else.

Then she introduced herself fully as Iravis Ustrina. Odd... He could've sword he had read that name from somewhere before, but where exactly he couldn't tell.
"That's a nice name, rolls off the tongue." to which he followed by repeating it a couple of times, just make sure he didn't forget.

And then came the worst part of all; being in a conversation with an excitable God. Apparently she had known the dragon-kin in the past, and the description she gave was pretty damn accurate. Not that he actually liked the dragon all that much - not at all in fact - but knowing someone who knew her would probably help slightly to avoid future confrontation.

Also, Sorchy Sparky was something he would have to remember and use.

"Yeah, that was her. Big white wings, electricity. I guess she is the same then. I'm going to assume you once knew each other, considering your... Excited demeanour." he said, taking in her bounces and clearly happy mood. However, the mood seemingly vanished as soon as it had come about. Apparently Sorcha being the same as always wasn't a good thing.

"I'd take you to her, provided I knew where she was. However, I don't think she would be pleased to see me... We had a bit of a fight, and then A tried fucking things up." he said, recalling the incident with a slight red encroaching across his face, as well as the dulled pain in his eye increasing slowly, "If anything, I'd say she wants to crush me, bake me, and eat me for dinner. That, of at least have a proper dual." only then did he realise what was coming up.

The Magus Games.

"Actually, the Magus Games are coming up. I'd suppose she'll want to fight me then. Who knows, even..." he said, turning towards the Phoenix, "... I might end up battling you."

When Edgar kept on bashing Sorcha's character, Iravis didn't mind. The goddess thought about giving the dragon child a good spanking, before remembering by now Sorcha was fully grown. I really do miss a lot as the years go by, don't I?. A bit of honest sadness replaced what had previously been good memories, but a smile came across her face as Edgar returned her attention to the present with discussion about the games. "Perhaps we will enter combat. If the director asks it, I doubt either of us will deny him."

The Phoenix felt a little guilty now that she had crashed into the man and ruined his meal, and all he had done was be nice to her. She didn't have money to compensate him for the loss. After a few moments of indecision she walked only inches away from the half-elf, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for the information by the way. I hope that makes up for the sandwich." She started to skip off into the distance, clearly excited about the news she had heard about one of her best friends.

Edgar wasn't quite sure how to react to the Phoenix, and probably sounded a little strange for talking so casually to both a person he had just met, and someone who had the God immortality part down.

Her smile, however, caught him off guard. She was right, of course; anyone with any knowledge of A wouldn't be so stupid. There was a certain air about the man... An air of death.
"I suppose your right. I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to challenge A, let alone do anything to tick him off." he said, for the first time actually trying to consider what A might do to him, or anyone, for that matter.

Her slight look of guilt made Edgar feel a little guilty too, but for what reason he wasn't sure. The girl looked as if she were weighing some options, and then opted to walk up closer to him. He took an involuntary step back, and then he realised what had happened.

The blush from the memory of the earlier day was multiplied ten fold, and in the instant every sense in his body lit up. On fire, that is, and they burned throughout his body. His eye pretty much felt as if it had been stabbed, but he tried his best to get through it without making any sounds. At least, until he could get back to the dorm.
"Y-Yeah, s-sure. See y-you at the games, t-then, Iravis." he said, waving her off as she skipped along.

And then he started on the walk back to his dorm, which granted wasn't far, but with the pain in his eye, it was a sentence to Hell. Though the pain was dulling a bit, it was still there and present, which bugged him. Though, he had more experiments to get on with.

Cupido walks with a sort of feline grace. His hands both occupied with different objects. In one hand is a larger then average red leather briefcase, the other a paper cup with a lid. The contents of the cup being his favorite combination. A concoction of hot chocolate mixed with earl grey tea. Noticing the lack of student crowding up the areas outside, he finds himself enjoying the walk to his archery range. With a smile he swallows the last of his chocolate tea and tosses it into a trash can, any distance covered with a small amount of wind. His sleeves like always, rolled up revealing the tattoo on his left arm. Why an anatomical heart? Because h e embraces his name and gives his own twist on it.

Once he reaches the range he looks at it, seeing that the cutouts were in place and a few trees had paper targets on them. Once satisfied he smiles and sets down the case. With two audible clicks he opens it pulling out a quiver with arrows tipped with pink titanium, four blades makes a point, sharped to lethality. Which goes on his hip, he then pulls out a pink titanium compound bow. Its weight heavier then what most think he can lift. With a head tilt he pauses then pulls out a red blindfold. His bow back in the case he ties the blindfold around his eyes, pulls the bow back out and notches an arrow with an expert stance. He aims....then fires the air whooshing through the air and landing with a loud thump into a tree with a target. He lowers he bow, holding it with one hand and lifting the fabric with the other. A large grin appears as he sees he got a perfect bulls eye. "Perfect as always" His eyes glow as a strong wind seems to yank the arrow out of the tree and send it flying to him. His hand shoots out as he catches it and puts it back into the quiver.

After a few more rounds he packs back up, feeling that that was s sufficient warm up for his day. His queer and bow packed away he goes to his office, putting the briefcase in there. He highly doubted a student would go into his office in the first place, and hasn't had an incident in a long time. That and no one else seemed capable enough to use his bow anyway. With another satisfied nod he closes his office door and heads back outside. His wings folded neatly. With almost a side though he puts a hand in his pocket and pulls out a paper with a riddle. He chuckles, so he has teammates...and a riddle. It reads:

Find the remnants of the Alanteia family.

Hint

Liseranna

Lovely. He would probably need to find the imps teamed up with him so he heads off toward the flow of crowd. Once amongst them, his wings tighten against his body and he simply waits. He would give his team a few minutes to figure out who was in the team and find him before trying to find them. He holds his riddle in one hand as if holding a ticket.

As always, the director was really playful. Juliann, however, had no real intention of participating in the treasure hunt.

She let the paper be carried away by the win and headed off for the library. While she wouldn't participate, she was indeed interested in what this sword was.

Probably a sword from Arturian legends, but not Excalibur. That most was certain. Far as she knew, the moon referred to Arthur himself. Who was the sun, however, she had no idea.

With that, Juliann headed for the library.

"Juliann." The spirit inside her head called her name.

"Hm? How odd for you to voice your thoughts, master." Juliann answered.

"I understand that you want to find this sword, but for what purpose? Do you mean to dispose of Kreuz with a blessed sword? Do you really believe that will be enough to be rid of that curse?"

"Of course not. I don't expect to change Kreuz for that sword. I doubt it would permit me to do so."

"Then, what truly is your objective? I know you. You won't sit on your thumbs after figuring the riddle out."

"I... didn't actually think about that at all, master. Hm..."

"If you are going to leave anyways, why not help another student with their own assignment?"

"That is an excellent idea, master! What do you think I should do to attract the attention of students?"

"Let me think about it..."

---

And so, Juliann stood among the crowds of students with a sign around her neck that read 'I can help you search for your treasure if you like'.

She stood there with a deadpan expression. Truthfully, she was feeling ashamed, but since it had been a suggestion from her master, she wanted not to disgrace him by telling him that his idea was actually a bad one.

A slight blush appeared in her cheeks, while she thought, 'Endure it... endure it... This is also training. Training to be a better swordsman and not to crumble under pressure."

Adrian wanted to help Reina with shopping for herself. Of course she wasn't gonna allow a giant moth man to come with her to a place with only more clothes so he could eat them again. Well she wanted to be sure he didn't have to cause a mess and then pay for it afterwards. She didn't think he would have a lot of money on him anyway... Looking like that.



Reina kindly smiled at him hoping he wouldn't come with her anyway. Of course she didn't want to hurt the creatures its feelings. He was trying to help her at least.

He unwillingly touched her. Might sound a bit weird but he did. He grabbed her tightly but carefully and made sure she couldn't escape his grip anymore. She was a little startled by this. What was he gonna do with her? He already humiliated her a little and what now.



She struggled as hard as she could but there was no moving in this grip of his.



He jumped, for god sake. He was flying. He was flying with miss short skirt into the sky and not low at all.

The following 10 minutes only contained screaming and yelling from kirby-chan while trying to get off this hell flight.

Reina wasn't fond of flying, or high altitudes, or bugs, or being kidnapped but somehow she remotely began to enjoy it.



Her eyes were still tearing as she violently kicked with her feet around. She better be down quick or she'll think of a way to kill the moth one way or another.

Adrian tried talking to the girl but she was busy with trying to find a parachute. She still heard what the name of the moth was but did not reply with her own name yet and preferred to get down faster than having a cup of tea by the flight.

---

A week passed. It was already time for the Magus games. Luckily, he managed to patch up with Shikio before this whole thing went down.

He decided to train constantly with Shikio in order for both of them to keep sharp before this, thinking that perhaps the first event would involve fighting to some degree.

While he wasn't wrong, he wasn't entirely right. He reached for his pocket once the director told them to and looked at the piece of paper.

A riddle, huh? Well, shit. It was obviously talking about a sword, but what damn sword? There were too many in mythology to just decide on one.

"What do you think about this, Shikio? I guess you've got no better idea than I do?" He turned to his familiar.

As for Shikio's side of things, the whole week was pretty much a blast. Lin gave her a lot more attention than before, and she did her absolute best to performe to the peak of her abilities to not let him down. She didn't mind battle training at all, it kept the mind sharp and her claws sharper or so to speak at least.

Even if her attire was slightly fancier looking they were still easy to move in with a bluise and a skirt of fancy colors, it was what Lin seemed to like for her to wear so she tried it out even if she liked her other rather 'skimpy attire'.

Then as she stood with him by the gathering, the weird man who bossed everyone around were doing the normal bossign around when another note thing appeared. Again Shikio like last time turned it up and down, even if she could read it slightly from practicing a lot... it still made no sense to her and eventually she decided to ask Lin what it said just like last time just as she didn't understand it... "Uhm... I don't know... what does it say Lin?..." she would reply looking to him.

"Ah.. of course. Well, it's a riddle. Hopefully, Livia will have more insight about this. Why don't we go see her?" Lin suggested with a slight smile in his face.

It was often that he forgot about the fact that Shikio couldn't actually read.

Hearing about it being a riddle made shikio's ear twitch... she didn't like riddles, riddles was bad things her father used when he wanted to keep more food to himself and make fun of her... yet as he mentioned Livia Shikio nodded to him. "Oh... okay, Let's go find Livia then..." she said and shut her eyes to start sniffing the air... then realized she didn't recall Livia's scent.

"I... can't track her... I don't remember her scent... do you have something to sniff?... " she asked as she figured she could always use her nose to trakc her faster... if Lin had something of Livias of course.

"I... don't know why you would think I actually have something that smells like her. For what kind of pervert do you take me for?"

Lin started walking among the crowds.

"We can just look for her here. Keep a sharp eye, Shikio."

She was a bit taken back by his reply, obviously she haden't expected such an answer from him, a simple no had sufficed for her. "Uhm... A Good Pervert?" she replied as she thought about what pervert meant, well she kinda thought Lin was a bit perverted... but it was mostly a good thing right?...

She trailed after through the crowd and nodded as he told her to keep a sharp eye out. And... well it didn't take too much of a genious to find the Female with a Large friggin reaper looming about her. "....ooh... there, by the floating bone man... that's Livia right?"" she said pointing towards the pair that were searching for them aswell.

"A good pervert... do those even exist?" Lin sighed.

He then turned to see what Shikio pointed at. Well, the reaper was certainly fucking big.

"Good job, Shikio. That's them. Let's go meet with them, I guess they are looking for us too."

Shikio simply agreed, following Lin to go meet Livia and Gall. Yet as they came closer Shikio smiled and ran closer to Livia. "Livia~" she said rather happily for... well Shikio reasons. she then looked ot the floating bone thing wondering what that was.... it didn't scare her... more just looked weird.

"Thank you for Last time Livia, Lin said we had fun, I'm sorry I fainted... I guess it got a bit wild with Lin showing his family jewel skills... wait... how was it now agian?"" she mumbled to herself as she figured she somehow had messed up her speech, but then shrugged figured it was nothing.

Aster had never liked being summoned to partake in the Annual Magus Games. Each and every time he would protest against his involvement in them but the Director seemed only to gain pleasure from his lack of enjoyment. 'Sadistic bastard.' He thought to himself as he stood towards the back of the crowd of students, leaning against one of the many constructs that decorated the courtyard of the Academy. His arms remained crossed against his chest, allowing his long, black coat to drape evenly over his shoulders as it always did. He watched in silence as the Director prattled on about the Games. He then began checking the pockets of his jeans for the hint the crowd had just been informed of before the Headmaster made his grand exit. His hand fumbled on something thin and paper-like; A piece of parchment. It was pink in colour and contained a passage etched onto it in the most ornate of handwriting. 'Unmistakably the handiwork of the Director.'

Aster skimmed over the words quickly. It was a riddle. 'I hate riddles...' By now, he could hear the murmurs of of the students as they, too, came to the same realization. He flipped over the piece of parchment, noticing some writing that hadn't been there before. Lyssa, Iravis, Arata, Shino, Arthur and Alucard. The names of the others who had been assigned to this treasure no less; Two Students, Three Familiars & a Teacher. Arthur Wick he was already fairly acquainted with; The Pyromaster. Though he held nothing in particular against the Human, Aster was somewhat weary of his tendency to literally explode when angry. On more than one occasion during their time teaching at the Academy has he had to spontaneously shield himself from Wick's flames during a fit of anger. Not something he ever particularly looked forward to when dealing with the man.

The students, Lyssa and Alucard, he knew of rather well. Alucard was versed in Neutra-magic, something he respected since it matched his own. However, his permanent air of arrogance let him down in Aster's books. The boy could go far, but only once he'd taken his head out of his own ass first. Lyssa was a fellow Demon, though she remained widely different to any other Demon he'd ever met. She came across to him as eccentric and only manageable in small doses. He was intrigued by her Deconstruction magic though. Maybe a close up view of it would aid him in his study of Mana? He made a mental note to inquire about it at a later date.

The familiars remained somewhat of a mystery to him. The Phoenix, The Oni & The Neko. Aster had never really understood the need to have a slave/master relationship. 'Except...erotically, maybe?' He shook his head, quickly dispelling his perverted thoughts as his cheeks began to flush the slightest shade of pink. Surely if you focused on strengthening your own magic, others would naturally gravitate towards you. But still, it would be a refreshing experience to see how they interacted without their masters and how their magic compared to his own.

When he'd finished mentally scrutinizing the piece of parchment, Aster considered scrunching up and disposing of it. Though, thinking better of it, he stuffed the riddle back into the pocket of his jeans. The Director would have been delighted. He'd decided then that he was going to take part, though not on his terms. Aster wanted exercise some theories he'd been quickly working on whilst going over the names on the paper. His mind jumped back to Lyssa's Deconstruction magic. It was beginning to seem far too intriguing not to try out for himself. Although, he was going to have to work against the others in order to suit his needs. Meaning he would have to find the location of the treasure first, or at least prevent the others from doing so. 'How troublesome.' He thought, before sauntering off in the direction of his study.