---

Exactly how torturous could the mental program be? Max was convinced that label was slapped on by anxious losers who were scared of introspection. Oh no, he'd have to hear people thinking he was rude, whatever would he do? They might even avoid him out of fear that he'd read all their deepest thoughts - that much peace and quiet would be dreadful. If not for the affinity loss risk, this was actually starting to sound like a great deal. Facing his inability to outwardly express affection was well worth never having to guess at political doublespeak again.

"Careful, the more you try to talk me out of it, the better it sounds," he joked flatly.

He didn't know what to make of Eris' second point. Why would he tell Eris about his magic like that? If the leech needed to know, he'd ask - case in point - and Max didn't even have a concrete answer to give him when he did ask. He wasn't going to walk up and say, 'uh, just wanted to let you know I'm being a fucking dumbass when it comes to deciding my arcane major, okay bye'. This was the first time he'd even heard Eris was interested in his magic; he still wasn't even convinced the vampire was interested.

Max leveled a confused grimace at Eris as the vampire looked away. "Are you being... bashful here?" This was headpatting all over again. Except real. And somehow worse. How bizarre; didn't Eris just get finished laughing like a cartoon villain at the notion of him being 'nice'? The only other option was that the sudden weirdly evasive body language was unrelated to the question and Eris was simply confused as to why his new pet didn't immediately come running to tell him about all the new tricks he learned at doggy school. Either way, it wasn't like it was a secret Max liked to minimize their interaction whenever possible.

---

@Hero

The initial search went better than expected as Lilie lifted all of the water from the pool. While he did not find anything glittering, Ben did see the small hole. Excellent, this must be what the riddle spoke of. He ignored his dripping clothes as he approached the hole with great caution. It seemed he could crawl through it with little trouble, fortunately, although before he could he heard an eerie sound emitting from the golden light. He was certain it was a woman sobbing. Was someone in distress? Perhaps they would be what they were searching for.

The idea of crawling through a secret tunnel reminded him of his youth, long ago when he was a boy that dreamed of adventure. Of course in his imagination the paths were filled with thorns and other danger. He sincerely hoped it would not be the case here as he got down on his knees, using his elbows to move forward. No sooner was he completely in when the ghastly sound of grinding shook him—he was not proud to admit that he had let loose a multitude of expletives that would have earned him a great scolding at home—and remained still. Being crushed to death hadn't been something he had anticipated nor was he fond of finding out whether or not he would survive it. He did not wait to see what would happen as he hastily backed out and found the noise growing in size.

Fortunately the noise stopped. However, nothing in his surroundings had changed. Had Lilie triggered something? Ben took a few steps back as he looked for his mage. No footsteps, no water splashing around, and on honing in his hearing, no breathing, either.

"Lilie?" He called.

There was no response. The only thing he could think was that she had encountered trouble in her search. Scaling the cliff had initially come to mind, but he had to admit that it was mostly a jest. After rolling up his sleeves further, he would climb up to no mage on the second pool. Where in the world had she gone to? Had she gone up without him? He had seen something shining on the third pool, but that had been much too obvious, and no doubt that was the part of the riddle that had warned them. Once he had hoisted himself to the third pool, he was surprised to see the koi fish gone. Something had changed, but why? He swore he saw something moving in the water, but it wasn't until he thought he spotted a spot of white that a horrible thought occurred to him—Lilie had done something to the koi fish and it had dragged her under.

Ben had dove in without a second thought; in the best case scenario, she wasn't there and he would simply swim back to the surface and continue his search. His initial instinct had proven correct as a multitude of bodies floated around what looked like the pillar that had been previously above the water, with that streak of white belonging to Lilie. It was not until he was closer that he noticed he recognized some of the people around her: his servants, his mages, his Geoffrey, all lifeless. The only movement came from one that still lived and clutching their throats for air, none other than his youngest mage, Noah. A truly disturbing sight and the challenge had every intention to bring Lilie into the club judging by her struggling.

He had to ignore the other bodies but had found himself avoiding them, joining the girl as he saw what kept her there. A black shark had her hand pinned and lifting it was no easy feat for mortal or even vampire. No, it was impossible for any human, even he struggled trying to push it off her hand. Of course now was not the time for conjecture as he was certain she'd run out of oxygen at any moment, and with one final push freed her. Unintentionally making eye contact with the dying Noah, he mentally apologized as he took a hold of Lilie and swam upwards. The pair broke through the surface, her gasps and coughs a relief to hear. He brought them both to the grass, pulling the girl out of the water completely.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Ben watched Lilie carefully as she spoke and explained what she had seen; it was obvious she was clearly shaken by her experience. The sight alone had been enough to shake even him so he couldn't blame her. How curious that they had seen different people although he figured it was safe to wager that in Noah's place was a family member that was clearly very dear to her. The practical was a test of the mind in all ways and wasn't holding back. He inched closer as he rested a hand on her head in comfort. Feeling her shake was bizarre as he realized this was the first time he had ever seen anyone like this. Watching Lilie nearly burst into tears speaking of her experience stirred something in him that he wasn't aware he felt—at least, not with anyone outside his House.

"I am sorry you had to see that," Ben said.

After he was certain she had calmed down, he released her and got to his feet, offering his hand so that he may assist her. He took a glance at the pool before looking downwards. He was eager to continue, but if the experience was too much for Lilie then there was no shame in throwing in the towel. With two challenges successfully completed they would still earn a respectable ninety percent. However, if she chose to continue, then they would need to recuperate for lost time.

"If you feel it best to leave, we can." Ben said. "Otherwise, there was a small opening in the first pool with golden light and a woman sobbing."

Amaris was somewhat surprised by the certainty in Maddie’s voice as she broke down her thoughts on her stance. The cast of mages available for them to choose from were among the faces she knew the least, and Maddie, while still relatively new to the school, was in a much better position to understand the viewpoint of a mage in service than she. Still, she couldn’t agree wholeheartedly with her partner’s outlook, not anymore. The book her father had left behind for her, the private meeting she had with Ryner, and her time spent training with Salazar… it was a secret generations old and one that was not just kept, but actively taught to be considered impossible at best and criminal at worst.

Oh sweet child of the sun, if only you knew. The Countess thought to herself silently. She briefly considered how she might be able to answer without giving too much of herself away in the process, but thought better of it and nodded instead.

“Every so often there might be a story that takes on a life of its own, but if it’s harmless there is little need to do anything about it. I suppose that is a bit different than having an entirely secret history though. Let’s take a look at the mages then, and see if we can’t narrow our selection down.” Shifting her eyes to the table, Amaris scanned each of the faces one by one. She could identify the face and name of only three of the four mages, though the labeled abacus helped to fill in the missing name. Of the three she was familiar with, only two would she be able to speak about and only one had a family taught about in mainstream curriculum.

“Lucky for us, we have one of the mages right here. Do you happen to have a secret family history you would be willing to bet on? ” Amaris asked jokingly, stalling for a bit more time to consider the riddle more.

---

---

“Oh, spicy. I like it!” The outgoing guy laughed, tucking one hand in his pocket and sipping out of his thermos. “Not sure who this Ralph guy is but I have a Rolf! He’s the sleepy guy right there. Works himself half to death so Vanessa bullied Kyrian into mandating “social time”.”

“I am right here. Please don’t talk about me like I’m not.” Rold replied wearly.

“Anyways, Ander, second year, transmutation major. Nice to meet you!” Ander said, finally introducing himself. “So what you say, got some time to come hang out? There’s a few more of us all chillin’ in a study room. You know, for some of those that actually want to study while the rest of us just relax. We have snacks! And hopefully more tea. Unless those bastards drink it all before I get there again.” He said mournfully.

---

---

The trekk back was relatively easy, minus the random murder noises from behind them. The sounds stopped once they broke the treeline. Victor’s vision returned just as a proctor signaled Princess Ryner and she made her way over, beaming.

“Congratulations on your return, Count Victor. I always enjoy seeing my students return triumphant from their first exam.” Ryner greeted them pleasantly. “Excellent job Saelm. I hope you enjoyed exercising your magic. You may go ahead and turn in your tokens at the tent right over there and then a car will take you back to your dorms. Tomorrow’s classes have been cancelled for the first years so be sure to take the night to recuperate.”

---

---

Interacting with:@ReusableSword

Salem wanted nothing more than to roll his eyes and sarcastically answer back at Victor. But he was tired, exhausted, and didn't want to deal with what the repercussions for the remainder of the walk back. Instead he opted for silence, looking ahead to ensure he didn't accidentally run them into a tree or miss out on a sign. His only response was him nodding to let Victor know he had heard him and agreed that this was the best way to proceed forward. Thankfully the walk seemed to be the easiest task out of the entire night. A clearly laid out path, no obstacles anywhere in sight, it felt as though Salem could finally relax. He hardly noticed the silence of the creatures in the forest, the absence of sound, until the air became still and he started to get an unnerving feeling on the back of his neck.

He began to focus off of his sight and started to listen for any other mages that may of been lurking around them. Only to find complete silence, the world seemed to disappear for a moment until a sound broke through the tension. A soft patting behind them, the sound of a hot breath directly above the pair of them as a gutters growl began. It wreaked of rot and decay, making Salem want to gag. He'd smelled putrid scents before, both from flowers and infectious wounds, but this...this was different entirely. The prickly feeling against his neck was now sharp as something ran across it. It sent shivers down his spine and only reinforced the notion that he needed to keep his head straight. He'd watched enough horror movies to know that shit always became too real when the protagonist decided to look towards the killer, acknowledging it.

Before he could say anything, do anything, Victor spoke. It was clear that the pair of them were sensing the same thing. He spoke about his training in ignoring his instincts and how they should belittle the stalker behind them. For a moment there he thought Victor had hine mad, that giving the beast any attention might doom them both, but what he said next broke Salem. It started as a small chuckle. Slight, barely noticeable. Then another, and another until he was fully laughing. He wasn't aware Victor had such humor and honestly it was needed at this time. Salem had to admit that he was shocked to not only find this side of Victor, but to have actually gotten a compliment as well. The idea that anyone would rather have him over a Starag was baffling, but comforting. "I think Aaron here's run out of tricks for his Master. Opting the hunting route in hopes to please him with a treasure. Its a shame that the only real treasure would be if Aaron found himself a soul to go with that obedience of his. Or did you finally put on some glasses and see life for the first time Aaron? Honestly its a wondered you've gone this long being blind. But really, you two deserve each other. After all Varis hasn't been able to out maneuver the Astorios for ages and you'll never be able to out maneuver me."

As soon as they broke the tree line and saw Ryner, Salem squinted his eyes. Wondering if this was truly her or another illusion just playing face. He decided he couldn't care any less. He managed a small heh towards the princess, attempting to clamour off of Victor and land on the ground. His body still felt shaky and weak, his legs trembling beneath him as he stood, threatening to collapse, but he turned to Victor with a smile. "We did it. Now let's turn those tokens in and head home. I think I've had my fill of forests for today." Part of Salem wondered if his training would also be excused tomorrow or if he would need to get up and exercise in his weakened state.

Oh to be young and spirited, how Ben envied mortal youth. At the very least they were now on the same page even if he would have much preferred to go first. As long as the tunnel would not shake or surprise him with anymore terrible noises he was sure that getting through would be of little issue. Of course he would be the first to admit that he did not find the inconvenient pains on his knees as he crawled; no matter if he was on his hands and knees or on his elbows it was as if the pebbles themselves intentionally looked to irritate him with every inch he moved. Inconvenient, but this must be a sure sign that we are going in the right direction, he thought.

He made little show of his relief but focused more on their surroundings. He was so sure they would encounter the person sobbing but no one was to be found. How curious. He took a moment to focus his hearing and attempted to filter out the sound of the roaring waterfalls to see if he could catch the crying once again. Fate smiled on him as he swore he could hear it in the distance.

"I still hear the woman sobbing," He said. "This time, we will stick together. Part the waterfall and we will see if there is more to this; the koi was a red herring, and I am not convinced this cat is what we have come here to find."

There was the possibility that he was wrong and after seeing the previous trap that had gotten Lilie, he believed staying together would benefit them more just in case. If the woman was another trick then the cat was likely what was needed to continue, but he was sure it would not be going anywhere. It simply seemed too obvious to be what they were looking for but they could always turn around and grab it if need be. The reassurance of unity would likely help his mage as well; they would keep a clear mind together. He decided to wait for Lilie to open the path for them.

---

Max's confusion only deepened along with his frown. Eris was being so hot and cold here; if it was pure pragmatism motivating him, he could throw Ryner's 'get along' sentiment out the window. But Eris also apparently wasn't 'nice'. Whatever his game was here, the mage didn't get it. A stream of consciousness approach was his best bet; the vampire desperately grasped for material leverage to hold over him, realized pretentious magic tutors were a poor way to buy loyalty in the information age, dropped that idea out of futility, and stooped to weird emotional blackmail. Which... the vampire should know better than to try. So... the only alternative was this was a giant cope after Eris tried to be nice and failed.

But Eris apparently wasn't 'nice'.

And honestly? Max believed him, but that still left the question of what the fuck was happening here open.

"I can't know what you want me to tell you without you asking, you know," Max grumbled, ignoring his earlier train of thought, "This might be news to you, but there is a pretty significant gray area between annoying the piss out of someone and not interacting with them at all." In all fairness, that gray area probably wasn't very big with Eris involved, and it was even smaller with Max in the picture, but it did exist.

"Unless you want me bothering you with inane bullshit everytime I figure out a new way to levitate a spoon, you're just gonna have to double-check with me before you start whoring me out for favors." Honestly, this guy had the audacity to act like ordering someone else to go work was the more difficult side of the exchange. Not to mention, Max had no idea what magical parlor tricks vampires found useful. Skewering rivals was a no-brainer - Eris should've been well aware he'd figure out that one pretty quick - but that type of thing didn't exactly happen every day, and after that, what was he supposed to do? Fix jewelry? Adjust chandeliers?

"A terrible inconvenience for you, I know," He tacked on drolly with a roll of his eyes.

---

@Hero

The mention of Vanessa put a twist in Aaron’s stomach, images of a poor, mutilated girl speaking with his Lady’s voice washing over him along with a familiar wave of nausea. Good lord, if he was going to last another minute in her presence again he was going to need to get a handle on that response. Luckily Varis limited face time with her as much as possible—and given tonight’s disturbing realization, Aaron could see why—but it was still a hurdle he’d have to someday jump if he had any hope in hell of surviving as a Sinnenodel.

But he was getting side-tracked.

He really only caught the gist of what was said after that, introductions and an apathetic response from ‘Rolf’, though the only partially sarcastic thought did cross his mind that this Rolf character and Max would probably get along swimmingly in total silence if they managed to coordinate their mandatory ‘social time’ accordingly. Otherwise, ‘Ander’ was still chipper, rolling out his elevator pitch like he was simultaneously talking to an old friend and trying to lure a frightened animal into a pen. It was all just so out-of-the-blue Aaron still wasn’t sure what to make of it, pausing a moment to consider Ander and deliberate.

He checked his watch—needlessly, since by now his curfew timer practically ticked in the back of his head—and finally decided that, with an hour and a half to kill and a presumption that he was expected to ride out every minute of it away from the dorm, meeting a few new people probably wouldn’t hurt.

“I have some time, I suppose,” he answered with a shrug. “And I’m Aaron, though...” he looked between the two with a sheepish laugh, “I guess you already knew that.”

He put a hand in his pocket, mirroring Ander and doing his best to act casual. “Speaking of, though, and forgive my bluntness, but… why?” he finally had to ask, glancing between the two of them again. “If you’re looking for a favour from my master, I’m afraid I can’t help you. Otherwise, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you I’m not the post popular guy, so…” he trailed off there, choosing to omit the fact that he still wasn’t entirely confident that these two weren’t setting up some cruel joke to send him back to his Count covered in pig’s blood or something.

Perhaps I'm overthinking, Ben thought as he watched the waterfalls move. It was certainly a possibility and part of a paranoia caused by the earlier trap. At the very least nothing else in the room gave them little option; it didn't seem possible for his mage to lift water from a bottomless pool nor did he get any indication that there was anything else hidden. He could still hear the woman sobbing and that was enough to keep him on edge. Then again, perhaps triggering a second trap was the way to go forward. Perhaps getting the totem from the pillar was the way to go.

It took Ben a moment to realize that he was putting more thought into the challenge than before and he could not help but laugh at himself. Still, there was no time to dally around thinking as he was sure the clock was ticking. He chose to walk down the path, looking around as if expecting something to jump out of the water. Fortunately he would reach the center in peace and he would inspect the figurine. It was black opal, a rare gem, carved intricately. He preferred dogs as animal companions truth be told but that wasn't important at the moment. Ben lifted the cat off its perch and as he did he realized he was closer to the sobbing sound. It was coming from behind the pillar, no wonder he hadn't heard it clearly before. He circled around as he looked for the source.

"Hello? Are you in need of assistance?" He asked.

“There are some secrets that are meant to be taken to the grave and yet here we are discussing one as if it were more like a family heirloom. If such a secret had any potential to discredit the Royal family the last place they should want it is in the hands of a Sinnenodel.” Amaris crossed her arms and scowled in frustration. “Still, the Starag family is considered a pedigree and they’re kept as such; it would be easy to claim their status as being ‘blessed’. The only issue is that Landar was the negotiator for human and mage protections. Treason on his part would have been the perfect excuse for the Royal family and the Moonlight Council to void the Treaty, it would have undone everything he ever fought for. What would the Royal family have to gain by covering something like that… up?”

Looking somewhat as if she had walked face first into a wall, the Countess trailed off in thought. If Maddie listened closely, she might have even heard gears grinding along from within Amaris’ skull. Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, Amaris imagined herself back at the lecture halls. Standing before her on the raised platform was Varis who, as usual, presented with an air of superiority that made it rather difficult not to chuck something at his face. There had been something he had said that had garnered her interest for once.



“Oh… Now that sounds far too good to be true.” Amaris finally broke her silence, eyes opening to the world once again. “Still doesn’t give me much insight on a sister with a ‘lineage of healing’, but I would be willing to bet on him just for the hell of it. That, and he’s the only one I have enough information on to piece together a conspiracy no matter how outlandish it might be. Alternatively, we can pick one of the mages at random and hope for the best, what do you think? Feeling lucky?”

---

---

Ander wrinkled his nose at master but otherwise ignored it. “So I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but the only favor I want from that is never being in the same room as him.” Ander pretended to gag at the idea of sharing space with the Sinnenodel. “But uh, I dunno why? Not really a reason other than you’re kinda totally off by yourself a lot and you seem like a cool dude? Gotta admit, haven’t really thought about it besides let’s hang out with him, right Rolf?” Ander asked the haggard looking summoner. Rolf only gave a noncommittal grunt as a response and Ander beamed, clearly taking that as a positive response.

Ander led the trio to study room 6, pulling it open and leaving Rolf to hold it open for them. A fresh crisp breeze flowed over a lake surrounded by colorful wildflowers. The sky was still bright but the sun was dropping towards the horizon, leaving long shadows across the lake from the trees on the other side of the lake. Four students relaxed at a bunch of picnic tables, books and notes scattered around the surface while they murmured among themselves. Rolf silently beelined for the table and plopped himself down unceremoniously next to another mage who squawked irritably as he snatched up a book. He sent them a flat look and the whole table quieted, suddenly focused and working.

Nearby, a checkered picnic blanket was stretched out on the grass where a louder group was laughing as a girl who must have been a little older than Lilie was gesturing wildly as she talked. One guy, sporting several piercings and bright blue hair, rolled on the floor as he clutched his stomach and another girl, dressed in modest black and white finery, covered her mouth as she laughed. A red headed guy only rolled his eyes at the story as he smiled, his attention more focused on the guitar he was fiddling with. Between them, a few plates of food were set out, mostly cheese and fruit, with a glass pitcher full of a light pink liquid. Ander grabbed onto Aaron and pulled him over to the laughing group.

“Alright! I got him!” Ander cheered as they approached, everyone’s attention on them. “Okay so the guy currently dying is Diego. He’s a third year, charms major cause he’s lazy as fuck with a Water affinity.” Diego was still busy trying to keep himself composed but managed a wave at the very least. “Our resident gossip queen is Hilda, second year like me with an Earth affinity and an evocation major. Every need to know who’s who, she’s got you covered.”

“Okay, like, you have to totally spill Aaron. Did you get a girl sent to the mines?” Hilda gushed, brushing her hair out of her eyes that were quite intent. “Like, I totes don’t believe it for a second but no one’s had the balls to ask you yet. So gimme the scoop!

“Please keep in mind that anything you say to her will indeed make it around the student body.” Ander made a show of whispering in Aaron’s ear, “And she had a bet riding on it that it was all lies. Let her suffer for a bit longer.” He stuck his tongue out at her outraged gasp before continuing on with the introductions.

“The modest maiden here is Lilith, treasurer of Student Government. Her partner is Rowan, the President. She’s a fourth year student with a Sound Affinity and a Protection major.” Lilith offered a head nod and a smile as Ander barreled on. “And the last member of the fun train is Alex, fourth year with a Fire affinity and evocation major. He also TAs Evocation for Primary Affinities so he’s over with the study monkeys as often as here.” Alex waved lazily at him.

“And you fell for the puppy routine, huh? Well, you’re stuck now. Ander won’t let you go once he’s got you.” Alex laughed. “You just came back from your practical right? Take a seat. You’ve gotta be dead on your feet.”

Ah, there was the look of distaste he’d been expecting. Although, in all fairness, Ander’s feelings about Varis were understandable enough; Aaron wasn’t sure he’d have wanted to be in the same room as the Count either if he wasn’t the one serving him. He was a little skeptical of how Ander could think he was a ‘cool dude’ without ever having spoken a word to him, but he could hear his mother’s voice in the back of his head as he considered it, chastising him about refusing compliments. Still, the acidic thought popped into his mind that this Ander guy must not have been around the dining hall much near the start of the semester, or otherwise have been living under a rock all year not to hear whatever vitriolic garbage got the rest of campus looking at him funny. Maybe whatever people said about him wasn’t as ubiquitous as Aaron thought, but given how crowds parted anytime he needed to get somewhere, it could have fooled him.

But he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth—not yet anyway. After the night he’d had, it was probably worth it just to keep an open mind, go along with it, and potentially clear his name a bit and have a pleasant evening with some new people.

Potentially. He’d still keep an eye out for any sudden drops in temperature.

It didn’t take long to get to the library, and Aaron would admit that when the door to study room 6 opened up, he was taken aback. The flowering clearing on a lake at sunset was nothing like the bright, sunny beach where he’d met with Hannah; in fact, it was like nothing he’d ever seen before. Growing up in the depths of Noila forest didn’t allow for much waterfront time, and while attending the Academy brought with it his first real-life glimpse of the ocean, this would still be the first time he’d seen a lake in the flesh. Part of him wondered if the water was really there, or if the room really did stretch out to the trees on the other side. If he had more time, he might be tempted to try and find out.

A screech of laughter turned his attention from the far coast to the picnic blanket full of people nearby, and Ander wasted no time tugging him toward it. He rattled off introductions almost too fast for Aaron to follow, the light mage certain he’d forget most of those names, but one was brought into sharp focus when Hilda piped up from the blanket.

“Wh— I— No!” Aaron stammered out indignantly, visibly flustered. Was that why Ander dragged him here? Just to verify gossip? That ridiculous rumour had been floating around since the first night of classes—Aaron thought people had moved on from it by now!

His left ear was flushed when he tugged on it, and he was just about ready to turn around and walk out, mostly deaf to the rest of the conversation as his suspicions about this little ‘chance encounter’ were confirmed. Oh yeah, it was all laughs and banter for them, the group moving on with introductions with nary a pause for breath. No skin off their backs when a man’s reputation was torn to ribbons, they just wanted to see the Starag monkey dance. It was bad enough when Varis humiliated him, but at least he had the authority to do so; Aaron wasn’t about to stand there and be prodded at for answers like a magic eight ball by a bunch of mages. He had better things to do tonight than generate the next round of rumours, thank you very much.

He very nearly walked out, too, before he clued back in to the conversation. Alex, at least, sounded like he had a bit more of a decent head on his shoulders. But as his embarrassment and anger started to subside, the rational side of Aaron’s own brain started to kick back in, and he took a long, steadying breath. Maybe he should just calm down a bit. No one on the picnic blanket was looking at him with anything more than innocent curiosity, and it wasn't like they were accusing him of anything; the ‘gossip queen’ of the group just wanted an answer from the source, and apparently she didn't even think the rumour was true to begin with. He supposed that was more consideration than most of the student body gave him. No one ever bothered asking him anything, they just made their judgement based on whatever nonsense they heard and kept their distance. Maybe he should be grateful for that.

“It was… a bit of a slog,” Aaron admitted, responding to Alex at long last and finally moving from where he'd been rooted to sit on the blanket. The sore spots on his arms reminded him of their presence as he unbuttoned his coat, deciding to give the group a chance. A small chance—he'd be out the door in a heartbeat if this turned into gossip twenty questions—but a chance nonetheless.

Gingerly pulling his coat off, he looked around at the spread. Fruit and cheese were scattered on plates between people, everyone looking quite at ease as they lounged on the blanket. His family had the odd picnic back home when they had their nights off during Revel, but those were a bit more… refined, to say the least, and definitely didn't involve anyone rolling on the grass—not since Aaron himself was a child, anyway. In fact, the only person who looked like she came from even remotely the same background as Aaron was the girl in black and white. Lilith, if he recalled correctly.

“It's nice to meet you all,” he belatedly greeted, offering a bit of a tight smile. Hopefully he hadn't made a terrible impression with his little crisis, but he figured it was best to just move on. “I'd introduce myself, but it looks like you all already know me.”

He grinned again, a bit more convincingly this time, before looking over to the modestly dressed girl. “Lilith, right?” he asked, “I hope you don’t mind my saying, but it’s nice to meet another Sound mage. I’m a Light mage myself—though I guess you guys probably knew that, too—but my aunt is a Sound mage, and I don’t think I’ve ever met another one.”

He would have spoken her name had the shock not gotten to him first. Delia. Here was someone whose face had been firmly ingrained into his memories for all the wrong reasons. It was not that she ever strayed from his mind but the timing and her current state was what had shaken him. A rage he thought he had abandoned years ago surged like nothing he had ever felt. He was deaf and dumb to everything except her struggling as the sight of each bruise seemed to hit him harder the more he saw. There were no long sleeves to hide them, no expertly styled dark hair, no makeup over olive skin in an attempt to cover everything her Duke did. He realized he should have expected this as he had seen first hand how the illusions had affected his mage. It was not enough that he had seen Noah actively drowning but seeing Delia in such a state had been an unexpected and brutal gut punch.

Clear mind. Keep a clear mind, Ben needed to remind himself to focus on the task at hand, moreso when he realized he hadn't noticed that once he had taken the opal figure in his hands their surroundings had changed. By some miracle he hadn't dropped it but he was grateful he hadn't crushed it in his hands. They had been lifted and the tremors became much more obvious. There was only one thing to do. And yet he hesitated as his previous failures came back and he felt like he had been drowning as he stepped away from the struggling Delia. She was not there. She was not real. Even with that in mind he could not stop himself from recalling how even after her death he had failed her. Looking into her hazel eyes and seeing how frantic they were only hammered in the point.

"We need to leave," He uttered.

Letting Lilie take the lead was wise even if it was unwillingly. What he would have given to free Delia from her chains, to assure her that she would be safe. It was a fantasy at this point in time, of course, but he would be lying if he didn't admit to himself that it was something he wished were true. Aside from his shock and anger he did find himself wondering why now of all times as well. Perhaps it was a subtle hint at confronting a part of his past that he thought he had laid to rest many years ago. Regardless it was the same as before, he could kick up a fuss and demand justice but nothing would happen. Nothing would change. He barely registered the next sequence of events as he was whisked away to safety. At the very least his mage had stepped up and for that he was grateful. Now they had paid one another in kind and the thought did make him chuckle to himself even if it was a hollow feeling.

There was no getting the image of Delia in chains out of his mind even as he heard Lilie cheer. Of course, they were alive. And he wasn't finished just yet. Ben wiped his hair away from his face with his free hand, the sensation of the warm air touching his skin comforting him greatly. Now to focus on the task at hand. Far be it from him to quit when the finish line was in sight. He placed the opal cat on the ground as he copied Lilie and tried to dry out his clothes. The cold wouldn't affect him but he would rather not ruin his outfit, he liked these slacks in particular for their comfort. Once he was certain the air would take care of the rest he picked the opal cat up once again and approached Lilie, giving her a short nod.

"I am fine thanks to you," Ben said. "Once you are ready and fully dressed to prepare for the cold, I believe it is time we took our leave of this place before the proctors decide to recall us. Shall we?"