The start of the semester at Hoseforn's Academy for Gifted Adventurers was always a special occasion. For returning students it meant getting to reconnect with old friends and brag about whatever misadventures they experienced over their break. For new students, it meant getting to meet the giant crystal, named Athena, that would greet them in the main hall. Their acceptance letters would be scanned and magically transformed into an interactive map of the campus. They would then be sent to the 'Hall of Consumption' in order to enjoy the welcoming feast.

The welcoming feast was a beloved tradition by students new and old, for even though the food at Hoseforn's was always quite good, the food and drink at the welcoming feast was truly something special. It was tradition that before the feast, Hoseforn himself would stand and give a speech, welcoming students new and old, and introducing the staff. It had always been a cheery, and quite short, speech. This year, however, was different. While few of the new students would notice, many of the seniors would notice the serious look in Hoseforn's eyes as he spoke, and the warning that he gave......

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Rodrick stumbled happily across the courtyard of Hoseforn’s Academy for Gifted Adventurers. Little floating crystals bobbed up and down, lining and lighting the seemingly endless paths that wrapped around the strangely beautiful buildings. For a moment he wondered at what each building held, all of them strange shapes and sizes, but each remarkable in their own way. In his hand he held what had previously been his acceptance letter, but now seemed be a map of the campus. It showed a small blinking light that moved as he moved, and there was a little glowing line pointing him towards, what he assumed was, his dorm. It was wonderful, and somehow a little scary.

Rodrick had never before seen anything like Hoseforn’s Academy. Magic, which was rare and mysterious in East Balmoria, seemed to run wild in this place. He thought of the enormous talking crystal, named Athena, that had welcomed him in the main hall. Yes, the giant crystal had spoken to him. Hells, it had been a little bit snarky towards him, informing him of where he could find a communal bathhouse and instructing him to bathe, in a not so subtle way! Sure, it had been a long trip here, and he smelled like he had been on the road for the past 3 weeks, but still…

He thought of the myriad of students he had seen. There seemed like there had been every race of intelligent being you could imagine. It had been easy to tell the new students from the old. The new students had been staring at the hall in wonder, while some of the more senior classmates were rushing to off to say hello to old friends, the majesty of the “Hall of Consumption”...what a weird name... seemingly lost on them. His mind wandered towards the piles food, more food then he had seen in his life, and all of it appetizing. He had eaten better tonight then he had eaten in years. And he thought of the wine…..oh gods the glorious wine; sweet, but not sickeningly so, rich in both flavor and color.

Rodrick stumbled, his foot catching on nothing. He managed to right himself just enough to prevent himself from falling, but there had been a great deal of flailing around involved. He heard muffled giggles nearby from some passing students. Panic tried to rile up in his chest but he managed to push it back and not run towards the dorm to hide his shame. Instead he looked around as if searching for whatever had tripped him “Damned spirits, tripping new students like that. The nerve of it.” He managed to keep his voice steady, and upon hearing another muffled giggle from nearby he decided that he had saved enough face and continued on towards the dorms, keeping a slightly better watch on where he was going. The wine was apparently not just delicious, but devilishly strong. He would have to remember that for the future.

Walking a little slower now, Rodricks mind wandered back too the nights feast. The teachers who had sat at the at the front of the hall had all been just as unique and strange as the students that attended the academy. The headmaster, Hoseforn, had likely been the oldest man that Rodrick had ever seen, but he he moved as easily as a man in his 20’s. He had seemed to radiate a sense of knowledge and an almost whimsical strength, it had been fascinating. Maurine, the woman who had sat next to him had been equally interesting. Rodrick had heard of Nagga before, from time to time you would hear rumors of one being spotted on the outskirts of the Akeza jungle or somewhere deep in the desert. But Rodrick had never actually seen one before. She been beautiful...and absolutely terrifying. Where Hoseforn had radiated wisdom and cunning, that woman had given off a sense of pure power and an unyielding confidence in herself. It would be fair to say that she had intimidated the piss out of him.

He thought of the Sir Vermont with a face so stern and serious that Rodrick couldn’t help but look away from him, lest they make eye contact. The man had been quite..huge, and despite being middle aged Rodrick had no doubt that he was a fierce warrior still. The dwarf who had been introduced as Throndrout was a bit harder for Rodrick to get a feel for. He had had scorch marks all across his beard, and large black soot mart in the middle of his face that the drow woman, Maya, had wiped off. Maya….. Damn…

Rodrick had seen nearly every one of the male students stare at her at one point or another, and not a few of the female students. She was beautiful, and always seemed to move like a dancer, it was nearly hypnotic to watch. If a normal woman made Rodrick uncomfortable, he had no idea how he would handle classes with Lady Mara.

And then there had been the masked one, Dex. Rodrick involuntarily shivered. He had seen dangerous people before. Men and woman who, if you were to step into an alley with them you wouldn’t have come out alive… that man had made them look like a lovely little basket of kittens. It wasn’t just the creepy mask, or the fact that he had barely moved and yet seemed to be watching the entire room at once. Something about that person, Rodrick wasn’t entirely sure if they were a man, woman or something else entirely, had practically smelled like death. Rodrick hoped he wouldn’t have to work very closely with them.

Subconsciously, Rodrick reached behind him and readjusted his lute, settling its weight more comfortably on his back. His lute was a constant comfort to him, which was a strange thought since it was only an instrument. But somehow Rodrick always felt more grounded and stable with it near him. In the past 5 years Rodrick had barely gone anywhere without it. He knew that there was probably some unhealthy dependence on the instrument hidden deep in the back of his mind, but that was where he would leave such thoughts, in the back of his mind where they could sit and fester like all uncomfortable thoughts should.

Rodrick looked down at his map for a moment, noticing that it seemed to point to a building right in front of him. He looked up to see a large building with what had to be hundreds of windows, each one with a small balcony that you could step out onto. “Safe to say this is the place.” He mumbled to himself.

As he stepped into the dorm he saw lines of doors that seemed to reach out in ever direction. He wasn’t even sure that it should have been possible to fit so many doors in one building. ‘The rooms must be tiny...’ He thought to himself, a slight disappointment sinking in. Looking back down at his map, he saw that it had changed again, it now seemed to be a representation of the dorm building. Gods this thing was handy! He followed the line to the left and up a few flights of stairs. The map ended at room 326, the small glowing line on his map leading right to the door.

Rodrick lightly put his hand on the door, and felt a slight tingle in his hand and heard a light clicking sound. The door swung open without him even having to push. He wondered for a moment what the hell that had been, but stopped suddenly as he stared at the room. It was HUGE!

The room sunken in the middle, with two sides of the room being about a foot higher then the middle. On the two raised sides were large double beds, large armoires for clothes, and two nice sized chest with strange locks on them. The bed on the far side seemed to sit next to the window with the small balcony. In the middle of the room, where the floor dropped down, was a very plump looking couch that faced a fireplace, that was already lit. A large bookshelf sat on the opposite wall from the fireplace with….what looked like a miniature version of the giant crystal he had seen in the main hall sitting on top of it. The crystal glowed and pulsed lightly, casting strange but beautiful shadows across the wall behind it.

Rodrick stepped in slowly, in awe of the room, and the door closed automatically behind him with a soft click. “Welcome, Rodrick Malentine.” Athena chimed in a clear and pleasantly feminine voice. The crystal seemed to pulse brighter as it spoke.

“Uhhhhhhhhhh...Hi.” Was about all that Rodrick could manage.

After it became clear that he wasn’t going to say anything else, Athena chimed once more. “This will be your dorm room for the foreseeable future. There is a bathroom in the door to your right that you and your roommate may share if you do not wish to use the public baths. While sleeping in the dorm room is not strictly required, sleeping in any non sanctioned area of the school is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action.”

“Oh okay thats..wait we have a private bath? Why didn’t you tell me that when I first got here?” While Rodrick didn’t exactly mind the public bath, he greatly would have preferred to use this private one.

“The rooms were still being prepared at the time of your arrival. And you required a bath.”

Rodrick glared at the crystal. “How do you know…. You don’t even have a nose!”

“I can tell. Personal hygiene is important when you are going to be in close proximity to others.”

Rodrick was being sassed! By a rock!!! …...AGAIN!!!!

Rodrick glared with all his might at the crystal, he thought of a thousand cutting things he could say to try and get back at the shiny rock. For a moment he thought of picking the crystal up and tossing it out the window. That would show it! But after a moment he just sighed and mumbled, “Whatever.”

Rodrick moved towards the large couch in the center of the room. He ran his hands across it and let out a small Ohhh sound. It was perhaps the softest thing he had ever touched. Not really knowing why, he plopped face first onto the couch, and let out a muffled but somehow much louder “OhhhhhhHolyShit…..This is amazing…... I never want to move from this spot.”

Karya swayed through the courtyard, a little more drunk than she'd intended to get.

In part, it was because she'd gone and chugged wine out of a big mug rather than a goblet, but she hadn't known it would be that strong. A container was a container, and a drink was a drink wasn't it? The other reason had been Hoseforn's warning, that they must all stay vigilant in the coming days. She'd asked around at the table, heard rumours of disappearances. Like the ones Xanthe had been investigating before vanishing herself.

The wine hadn't taken the edge off of the anxiety roiling in her stomach, as she'd hoped it would, but she'd kept up a cheery act, so as not to bring down the mood for everyone. She gripped the map tighter, silently resolving to become the best adventurer she could, and track down her sister. She'd give her all in class tomorrow, no matter how bad a headache she was likely to wake up with. It would be a good idea, despite her worries, to at least try to get a good night's sleep.

Crystals, lit up like fireflies, floated along the path's sides. They illuminated an immense, towering building, utterly unlike the small huts she was used to. She didn't get the point of such large and closed structures, but she wasn't going to complain. A glance at the map confirmed this was the right building. Buzzed as she was, her dryad-typical sturdiness meant she still had some of her wits about her at least. She staggered inside, heading up the stairs to where the map's route ended - door 415. As soon as she reached out to open it, a tingle of magic spread up her fingers, and she heard a click. The door swung open on its own, causing her to stumble. Steadying herself, she stared and recoiled at the sight it revealed.

The first thing that drew her attention was an orange blaze on one side of the room. Crackling noises. The smell of smoke sticking in her suddenly tight throat. "Oh crap no no no..." Ribs clenching as panic spiked, she turned and hurried down the hallway. "Fire! This place is on FREAKING FIRE!!"

"There is no need for concern," came an oddly calm voice from inside the room. A voice she recognised - Athena, the giant talking crystal who'd greeted her earlier. Karya stopped, her breathing harsh and rapid as she looked over her shoulder. How had Athena gotten in there? "The fire is safely contained within the hearth."

Taking deep breaths, Karya inched back into the room. The flickering flames in the alcove still set her on edge. So this really was how most of Ealinata did things - since the Brackenglade tribe used runestones for heat and light, only ever using fire under heavily controlled conditions, it wasn't a sight she was accustomed to. "Whew, just a bit of culture shock. Hope I didn't freak anyone out." With a shaky laugh, she turned her attention to the glowing crystal on the opposite wall, a smaller version of the one she'd spoken to in the hall. "Nice to see you again though! Didn't expect I'd get two roommates! The more the merrier. And neat, everything's already set up, that's pretty convenient! Ahahaha!"

Chatting served as a distraction as she forced her gaze everywhere except the fire. Someone had set up a workbench, and several potted plants in the corner. On each side of the room was a large bed, with rather more covers than necessary in Karya's opinion - mosses were good enough for her, but at least these plush beds looked comfortable. Her eyes settled on a water glass on one of the bedside tables. Heading right over, she grabbed it and flung the contents into the hearth. With a hiss and a billow of smoke that made Karya cough, the flames died down to embers, plunging the room into darkness. The only light came from Athena, soft and pulsing.

Although the fire had posed no danger, Karya exhaled in relief. Her hands still trembled as she shrugged the leather backpack from her shoulders, took out a runestone and dropped into the ashes. As soon as she spoke the words to activate it, the stone glowed orange, radiating warmth. There, that was better.

"Welcome, Karya of Brackenglade," Athena spoke up. "This will be your dorm room for the foreseeable future. There is a bathroom in the door to your right that you and your roommate may share if you do not wish to use the public baths. While sleeping in the dorm room is not strictly required, sleeping in any non sanctioned area of the school is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action."

"Bathroom?" Karya glanced to her right, eyebrows furrowed. "There's one of those artificial lakes in here?" She'd already visited the public bath house earlier at Athena's request. While it had been plenty soothing, surely setting up places like that was more trouble than it was worth when there were perfectly good ponds outside? And why have one meant for just two people, considering there was already a public one?

"All students at Hoseforn's are provided with bathrooms," Athena continued. "If you desire privacy, we will accommodate your wishes."

Well, now this was getting weirder. What was so bad about bathing that it had to be done in private? Still, for all the confusing talk, she appreciated Athena's company. After Hoseforn's ominous speech, she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. Head still buzzing from the wine, she flopped onto one of the beds, taking in the spacious room. "Do you know who the other roommate's going to be?" she asked Athena. "I can't wait to meet them!"

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Finn sighed as walked to his door, exhausted from the day. From the journey, to dinner where he almost got into a fight with a jackass that knocked Selena over, now having a duel before school already started.

But then helping Selena settle in and teach her how to use the shower and started a bath for her. A fact that made him smile a little. She was already in a better mood once back at the room. And the fact there was hot piped water just made her wonder where it came from. And ask a bunch of questions.

He reached his door and heard the door unlock automatically, opening it he noticed one one in the room yet. That is until he heard a familiar voice.

"Welcome, Finn Reinheart," Athena spoke up. "This will be your dorm room for the foreseeable future. There is a bathroom in the door to your right that you and your roommate may share if you do not wish to use the public baths. While sleeping in the dorm room is not strictly required, sleeping in any non sanctioned area of the school is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action."

He heard the same message for Selena’s room and was already making for bed on the right side of the room where he saw his bags and a small work station for his prosthetics for minor repair. As well as a ring and hook for bow and quiver.

He easily slipped the bow off his back and slipped it into the ring on the wall, and the quiver off his hip and onto the hook. Then proceeded to grab an extra pair of undergarments and trousers. Taking it with him into the bathroom. Where he proceeded to take a nice hot shower. Leaving his prosthetics on due to them needing a good clean as well.

His shower only lasted a few minutes, at which he stepped out and proceeded to dry himself and head out into the room after putting his pants on. He knew it was coed here; he wasn’t about to be THAT guy. He didn’t know if his roommate was a female or male. Preferably the former.

He brought his towel and clothes out and put the clothes in a hamper and sitting down at his small workbench. Pulling his leg prosthetic off and Starting to detail clean/dry his leg first. Letting out a sigh as he pulled it off, rubbing his nub as it was sore.

He looked around, still his roommate wasn’t there. He wondered if he happened to get the drunk who couldn’t make it back to the room after that dinner….or if they were just lost.

The trip from the Sirnaran Desert desert to Hoseforn’s academy had been a much longer trip then Sa’Hari would have thought possible. If he had been alone it likely would have only taken him 2 weeks to arrive from his village. But his brother,Nih’Ras, chief of his people, had insisted on coming with him on the journey. This was highly unusual, and Sa’Hari had protested a great deal, but his brother had stated that he had an important task of his own at Hoseforn’s and the matter was closed. It was not Sa’Hari’s place to go against the will of the chieftain.

The chief could travel nowhere without his personal guard, and so what would have been a band of only one or two ended up being a procession of nearly 30 warriors. That many men and horses took far longer to feed, and water, not to mention it regularly required camp to be set up. What should have taken only 2 weeks ended up taking almost 5. It did not help that they seemed to stop in nearly every town they had passed through. Sa’Hari thought he would be mad with the pace by the end. Still, he had to admit that the journey had been a fascinating one. Sa’Hari had never traveled out of the Simaran Desert. He had never seen so much green before in his life. Trees in his homeland were scarce, here they seemed to be everywhere you looked. The people out here were odd as well. He saw so few warriors, and so many men and woman worked in strange ways that made little sense to him. What was less fascinating were the large bodies of water. Those Sa’Hari did not enjoy near as much.

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Sa’hari’s group arrived late in the afternoon a few hours before the feast was supposed to begin. Sa’Hari tried to sneak away quickly, wishing to avoid drawing to much attention to himself, but his brother caught his arm and pulled him to the side.

“Sa’Hari, do you understand why I gave you this task?” Nih’Ras asked in their native language. To those on the outside the words had a strange, almost hissing sound to them. Sa’Hari paused for a moment before shaking his head. “No.” His brother waited for a moment, as if expecting Sa’Hari to continue but it quickly became clear that Sa’Hari had no intention of saying anything else. With a sigh and a light laugh Nih’Ras grabbed his brother by both shoulders. “My brother, you are a good warrior. You posses many of the traits of Na’Has, you move fast, and your strike is deadly. You are smart, and wait for the right moment.”

Sa’Hari lowered his head slightly, knowing that a ‘but’ was coming. Nih’Ras grabbed his little brothers face and lifted it so they were staring eye to eye. “BUT, you are too damn rigid. The serpent flows and moves over the sand, it does not barge through it like a bull. This place has many wise teachers in it. Listen to them, learn from them.” Nih’Ras then lightly smacked his hands against both sides of his brothers face, grinning as only an older brother could. “And make some damn friends, life is too short to spend it in solitude.” Despite his best efforts, Sa’Hari smiled...just a little. He nodded once. “As you command, my chief.”

“And don’t you forget it. Now go.”

And Sa’Hari did. He entered the main hall to the wonder of the giant crystal Athena, that, too Sa’Hari’s amazement, spoke his people language rather perfectly. He wondered at the towering buildings and the strange map that changed as he moved.

The food at the feast had been amazing, much to Sa’Hari’s relief as he had feared that these strange people would cook equally strange food. He had watched the teachers carefully, as each of them had given off a feeling of strength that Sa’Hari had rarely witnessed. He worried little about the words of warning though. A true warrior was always prepared, this was not a new thing for Sa’Hari. He had sipped at the wine slightly, but decided to stick with water. He despised the feeling of drinking to much. It was his duty to always be in control of his body, alcohol would only make him weaker.

As he left the watched the small floating crystals with some minor interest. This place was infested with magic. It would take some getting used too. Though Sa’Hari didn’t have a problem with magic or its use, he never cared much about it one way or another. Still, he could see that these people used it in excess, and while it created many wonders, he couldn’t help but guess at the risks that came with it. Sa’Hari followed the map through the halls of the dorm room, his eyes wandering around wearily at the many students who searched for their dorm rooms. This place was strange. Why were there so many doors? How could one building fit so many in it?

He paused at the fourth floor, seeing that his map seemed to be pointing towards, he followed it slowly. He stopped before an open door, hearing some sort of commotion. Looking in cautiously, he watched as a young woman seemed to be looking around in discomfort. He stood silently in the hallway, likely just out of sight, as she poured a glass of water onto a small fire and then placed a rune on it. This was strange behavior indeed. The young woman seemed... nervous? Or excited? He wasn’t sure, these people were all so hard to read. He studied her for a moment. He supposed that she was pretty, though he was not sure why that should matter. Her skin was certainly unlike any he had seen. Dark like his but it had a fascinating texture to it like, much like the trees he had seen outside. She had a wild look to her as well, as if she had just come out from living with the creatures of the forest.

Sa’Hari was about to move away, not seeing any immediate danger, but when he looked down he saw that his map was leading him right to the open door. He looked at the number on the map, then at the number on the wall. He did this several times, before finally accepting that, yes this was his room, and yes, this woman was to be his roommate.

Sighing lightly, Sa’Hari stepped into the room, the door closing behind him softly of its own accord. Sa’Hari turned to glare at the door for a moment, making sure he wasn’t somehow trapped before turning back to the young woman. He pushed his palms together and bowed slightly at the waist, a common greeting for his people.

“Uh..Excuse? I...am Sa’Hari. This is room ….map told me to go.” His speech was slow and thought out. His voice a deep baritone with a heavy accent. While he could speak the common language, he wasn’t very good at it. It was hard to communicate in these words, there was no rhythm to them.

Sa’Hari turned and stared blatantly at the fireplace. “Did, fire..offend?”

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Dinner was great, for the most part. There was a lot of good chicken and good wine she had never tasted before. The people at her table were very nice, and she enjoyed their company…that is till a human from another table who didn’t like the fact she was different decided to pick on her. She never experienced bullying before coming to the mainland, and it had made her quite upset. Finn nearly decked the man after he purposefully ‘accidently’ dumped his food on her, and knocked her into the table causing her to hit her head. But the teachers were there to stop him before he did, instead directing them to have a duel instead to settle things. She didn’t care about that, she just wanted to leave afterwards. Finn came along as well to take her to her room.

But during that time, he helped her calm down a bit…trying to cheer her up as they walked. Which worked, and she did feel better by the time they got to her room.

Finn had opened the door for her when they got to her room. ” Thanks you.” She said as she entered her room. Her long ears perked up and eyes widened with wonder. The room was really big, and there was already a cozy fire lit. She saw her bag on the bed near the window and balcony but she didn’t move towards it. “Welcome Selena Vixen.”

Selena yipped in surprise as she heard Athena. “This will be your dorm room for the foreseeable future. There is a bathroom in the door to your right that you and your roommate may share if you do not wish to use the public baths. While sleeping in the dorm room is not strictly required, sleeping in any non sanctioned area of the school is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action.”

Finn made his way to the bathroom and motioned her to come with him. Which she did. She was shocked to see a large tub with long brass pipes that seemed to lead too and from it. She was ‘used to’ Finn’s home where they had a more humble tub and well where they would heat buckets of water with rune magic. ” Where bucket?.” asked as she looked around. Finding very soft and fluffy towels, which she immediately rubbed her cheek on.

Finn chuckled. ”It looks like it’s piped in.” He said as he reached for one of the levers. Selena turned around to see the water suddenly gush out of the lower pipe.

”What?!” She said, her eyes wide as she dropped the towel and rushed over as Finn put the rubber plug in the drain. Nearly knocking him in as she looked over his shoulder and reached out to touch the water. Eyes wide as it was already hot. ”Is there hot spring? She said as she was now leaning on Finn, essentially pinning him to the side of the tub. “But we on no…mountain.” She only knew of the hot springs in the mountains in her home.

”I don’t know how it works Selena. I assume magic.” He said as he turned his head to look up at her. Her hair instantly in his face. Which was great, as it covered his red face. ”Ill let you get settled in, there are hampers to put your clothes in, so I imagine they will clean that food off your clothes.” he said as he pushed himself…as well as her up from the edge of the tub slowly.

”Oh..” She said, quickly realizing she was basically laying on him and pulled back, quickly returning to her dropped towel to hide the fact she was now red. ”Yes, thanks you Finn. I see you to-tomorrow?”

”Of course. You get some sleep ok? Dont spend all night in the tub.” He said with a chuckle.

”I fell sleep once in tub… I learn from mistake!” she said a firm tone, and a pout on her face. Her tail flicking back and forth. He certainly liked to tease her about doing it at his home. She was used to hot springs, not a tub which got cold if you fell asleep in it.

”Just making sure!” Finn said as he moved to the door. ”Have a good night Selena.”

”Oyasuminasai” She replied, dropping the towel from her chin to her lap as she watched him walk out of the room. Sighing, she turned to look at the tub filling up before starting to get undressed.

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As the evening slowly began to turn and the festivities beginning, a caravan of Mothfolk lead by two Orc guides arrived to the front of the academy where students were being left by families, clans, and whomever they hailed from alike. Balzani was no different in this front. As he sat in the protected carriage, next to his mother, father, granny, and two eldest siblings, there was a sorrowful tension in the air. This was to be the last time in a while the moth was going to see his family. They exchanged many stories and great conversations on the long trip to the academy, but now the time has come.

It was time for Balzani to leave his tribe.

He'd go around the small area, bidding farewells to his family and pressing his forehead against theirs before they'd share their final sentiments with one another. Being the head voice of their family, Granny Grensia stood up and rubbed the head of her grandson. "We are all so proud, Balzani. Make our family proud." Many of the others voiced their praise for the young alchemist and his acceptance into the school. After a few moments of tear shed, and another round of moth-y hugs, Balzani stepped out of the carriage, walking towards the towering Lepikari who carried his supplies at the front. "Thank you sir." Balzani spoke with a bow of his head. The courier nodded back to the boy before heading back to his post.

As the short Moth began skittering towards the large building, he heard a shout. Looking back, he saw his older brother, Balaris waving his hands to get his attention. Turning to face him, the brother held his hand out to the younger moth. "Here. Take this with you." Opening his hand to his sibling, Balaris dropped something softly into his younger brother's hand. The object fell into the younger's hand with a soft plink as metal chains collided with metal. Upon Balzani's inspection, the chain was his older brother's necklace he had earned from the brotherhood of mages in his town: an artifact held dearly by the rankings of the mages. The trinket was simple, adorned in elven silver and jeweled in a soft red. Looking up confused as to why he was being given this. "Keep it safe so that you can give it back to me when you become a Magus." His brother ruffled the fur near his antennae before turning.

Unable to speak for a moment, Balzani stood quietly, mildly flabbergasted. He'd wave for his brother's attention once more as he neared the carriage, a small tear in his eye as his brother boarded the carriage. "I'll take good care of it Oba! I promise I'll return it!" His brother, rather than turning to face his younger brother, simply bit his tongue as he himself held back a sorrowful exchange and gave his little brother a simple thumbs up before entering the vehicle once again. Just as soon as he entered, they rode his, Balzani's eyes glistening with sadness before they faded off into the distance.

...

Able to muster strength to push through his sadness, the small moth man was able to go through the opening ceremony and dinner of the academy's welcome. Surprisingly, the food contained a wide variety of culture and many of the students took to the alcohol provided. Balzani grimaced at the idea of drinking anything besides water and juices, so naturally he avoided drinking anything with alcohol, not to mention how sick drinking it makes him. While not particularly noticing it at first, many students may have avoided the Lepikari, not for his appearance, but rather for his bad table manners and... interesting way of ingesting food. It is always highly advised to avoid watching a moth man eat meat.

What was also as surprising as the great food Balzani munched on was the surprising line up of teachers, who of each race specialized in a different form of magic or other practicality. While the young moth knew his main focus was alchemy, he couldn't help but know on instinct he was going to be visiting the experienced combat teachers to learn how to defend himself. Sure, he was interested in magical brewery the most, but what's a support member of a team supposed to do if he can't even support himself. Definitely something for the young man to look into later.

Another interesting member who caught Balzani's eye was the large crystal who was named Athena. He'd be surprised if she hadn't noticed his curious eyes prying her for extended times while eating. This entire school was a bit of culture shock to Balzani, but he was sure he'd get used to it eventually even if he was used to sleeping in leaves and hay for a living.

In his thought, Balzani walked through the courtyard where many other students fumbled across the grass and stoned paths in a drunken mind, trying to find their way into the living quarters. Balzani had found the situation rather amusing, but stifled laughter behind his buggy mouth to be polite to those who found themselves in a state of "post-party-itus" AKA being drunk. Smiling to himself, the boy opened his acceptance letter which had been conveniently been turned into a map-compass combo where the arrow pointed to the location of his room where he would later meet his new roommate.

As he followed the arrow to his room, he admired the new, and admittedly more advanced, scenery of the academy. He never really got to witness the full structure on his small tour, and most certainly not the student restricted areas. Gawking at nearly every new thing, Balzani had almost completely forgotten about his very quickly realized homesickness. It took all of his power not to curiously inspect everything with his antennae by instinct, but he managed to hold himself back. That wouldn't be very appropriate.

Once Balzani had found the room after a few minutes of walking, searching and figuring out why the spinning needle kept moving as he walked past his actual room, he finally stood in front of his place of dormancy for the year to come. As he prepared to find a way to open the door, he was shocked to discover the room opened merely by his presence. Amazed, Balzani began inspecting the door heavily, trying to find any signs of magical or technological tampering. His little brain couldn't comprehend it in time before he heard a nearby voice.“Welcome Balzani Wind-and-Song.”

Balzani jumped. “This will be your dorm room for the foreseeable future. There is a bathroom in the door to your right that you and your roommate may share if you do not wish to use the public baths. While sleeping in the dorm room is not strictly required, sleeping in any non sanctioned area of the school is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action.”

After clearing his startle, Balzani immediately walked towards the small crystalline figure in his room. His antennae began gently brushing against the crystal, before he quickly pulled them back embarrassed. "I... I'm sorry. Instinctual." He stated simply, hoping his outburst hadn't disturbed the guide any. Balzani knows how weird his habit of fulfilling his curiosity with antennae frisking can be, even other Lepikari still do it. He'd bow his head gently before she spoke to him. "There is no fret. Some students may find it odd, but I understand your kind well enough to know this is not your fault."

Balzani politely raised his little head. "Thank you miss." The boy was lucky he was fluent in Moth, Common, and Elf, otherwise this would've been an awkward for him. It was weird to use his taught language for the first time in so long. Normally, Moth Folk speak in a tongue similar to Elvish but with more clicking, so speaking in human language was uncomfortable, though possible. Perks of being born to a diplomatic heritage.

While the boy was well kept and didn't particularly smell bad at all, Balzani decided maybe he could take a bath. Nothing better than fresh fur smell. He figured the design would be similar enough to elvish baths that he could draw the water himself. Walking into the bathroom, he was amazed by the sheer size of the room. The tub was huge!!!! At least to his standards Walking to turn the tub on, it wasn't long before Balzani sank into the tub, poured a modest amount of soap into the water to create a nice smelling solution, and dipped his body into the suds.

...

As he returned to the room, now dried off and exceptionally poofy, Balzani found himself needing to prepare, specifically set up his side of the room. The first thing he did was clear the desk of any current decorations, objects, or elsewise and immediately began neatly arranging his alchemical set-up on top, turning bottles so that their labels face forward, and retying any magical materials in pieces of twine. As his desk was completed, he now found himself with a small bag full of decorations.

He had no intention to go crazy, but rather just wanted to place a few of his homely objects on the walls just to make his homesickness feel just a pinch weaker. The first thing Balzani placed on the wall with a carefully placed alchemical equivalent to glue was a very large bundle of leaves which strung from about 5 feet off the ground to near the bottom. There was quite a lot of room until the ceiling, but that didn't particularly bother the boy. He admired his work before continuing.

Next, he gently removed the blanket from the bed and folded it into a neat square before tucking it away underneath the bedding. He had brought his own blanket from home, but left the large pile of hay back at home in placement of his room's bed. Balzani never thought he'd miss sleeping on a pile of hay compared to sleeping on a human bed, but it's what he was used to. Replacing the blanket with a large green leaf, the boy attempted to center it as to make his bed still look neat, while still retaining the earthy-naturey feel of his cottaged home. Nodding he found his work nearly done besides one artifact he found himself acquiring before his family left for their return home.

With Balaris' necklace in hand, Balzani gently pulled his head through the small stoned jewelry to wear it as he admired the pretty red stone in the middle. He had to take good care of it! A promise is a promise.

After deciding he was done decorating his room with his small scroll of leaves and "blanket", Balzani took one of his large books from his bag and sat down at the desk. The book's title read "Incantations and Potion Buffs". Delving into the read, Balzani sat quietly, yet eagerly waiting for his new roommate to arrive.

Interactions: Finn @Aerandir

---

”Look at how amazing this is Demi! I had suspected our acceptance letters were magical, but I wasn’t sure how to confirm it.” Juliet said excitedly as she waved the acceptance letter turned map in her brother’s face, forgetting that he had one of his own in his hands. She’d heard of this academy from Karina, the old woman who taught her the magic she knew, but she never thought that her and Demetrius would actually end up at this school. It was almost like a dream come true for Juliet when they first stepped into the main hall and saw the giant crystal, Athena, along with all the other things to marvel at. Never had she been in a place so fancy looking other than perhaps her father’s home, but there was little she allowed herself to remember about that.

Demetrius’s expression had changed ever so slightly as the acceptance letter had turned into a magical map. ”Huh.”He said tightly as his eyes scanned it. He began considering possible escape exits, taking it out of little sister’s hand when she had waved it in his face. He wasn’t about to tell her when she was so excited, but like always, he had a feeling this would only be a temporary sanctuary. Soon enough, he was sure they’d have to evacuate. It was hard to tell Juliet not to get too comfortable when she clearly already had. He found himself sighing, relenting a little as they had encountered a talking crystal. It wasn’t like they had ever had the means to stay anywhere this nice before. He decided to hold his negative thoughts just this once to let her enjoy it.

After speaking with the cheeky crystal, the siblings had gone to the feast and if one were paying attention they might have seen both Juliet and Demetrius’ eyes sparkling in amazement and excitement. They’d definitely ate their fill and then some as they listened to things happening around them and Juliet babbled on about this and that. The only time she really paused in talking was when someone almost got in a fight nearby. Apparently some bully had knocked a girl over and her companion had jumped up to defend her. There was a brawl now set for the next day between the two guys. Demetrius had instinctively switched his seat to make sure he was on the side facing it to protect his side, but he kept his food with a more protective grip, bringing the bowl to his face as he hastily plowed in his mouth, his eyes locked on the battle.

Juliet had to practically drag her brother away from the feast by the end of it, but she got him out of there as she expressed her eagerness to find her room and meet her roommate. ”You know, I attempted to try and find a spell in Grannie Karina’s book that would help me determine if the letters were magical. I didn’t have much luck, though, so I instead tried to formulate a spell to figure it out. It didn’t work out too well, though. I just don’t know enough yet to formulate spells like that.” She went on, stumbling briefly and almost dropping her spell book she had hugged tightly to her chest with one arm. She thankfully managed to catch it and herself, letting out a small giggle as she did so. ”Ooo! Do you think I’ll learn how to formulate spells here, Demi?!”

Demetrius managed a small smile, catching Juliet’s arm gently when she had almost fell. Though he had not been nearly as talkative as her, it was really so great to see her this happy. It wasn’t so obvious on his expression how he felt as he had been silently listening to her ramble. ”I am certain if they did not teach you, that you will find a way to learn it anyway.” He answered as he grabbed a drumstick of chicken from the bowl he had. He had quickly grabbed as much food as possible as they had been leaving. Juliet glanced over at her brother, grinning as he ate the chicken. Too often they'd gone hungry and, while some gave them odd looks when Demetrius had grabbed a bowl of food, she was just happy they didn't have to worry about hunger for once.

He suddenly narrowed his eyes as they were walking to the door as he thought about this whole idea of a room mate. He and Juliet were so used to each other’s company that living with someone else seemed weird and uncomfortable. Demetrius knew he’d get over himself and deal with whatever idiot he was rooming with, but what really got under his skin was not being able to be their for his sister.” I am going to have to set some rules for whoever your room mate is. “He told her sternly between aggressive chomps of his food. Juliet's brows furrowed, trying to figure out why he'd need to do such a thing.

"What kind of ground rules? Do I need to set ground rules for your person too?" She finally asked, rather innocently as she peered over at the map. They were getting close and she now began looking at the numbers on the doors. Finally they made it and she began to reach out for the door handle, but paused as a wave of fear came over her. "Demetrius, what if they don't like me? What if I annoy them?" She spun to look at her brother, fear apparent in her eyes. Her voice lowered as she spoke the next part. "What if they smell delicious?"

”Uh. No you don’t have to.”Demetrius had answered the first question. As they had reached their destination, he cracked his knuckles.His expression softened, however, in regard to her questions. He was silent before he said finally, ”... Then eat her. I’ll help you hide the body.” He was mostly kidding. Juliet’s eyes widened as she quickly glanced up and down the hall to make sure no one was close by. Last thing they needed was for someone to overhear them and chase them out of here with pitchforks.

”Demetrius! Y-you know I don’t like when we have to do that. Besides, something tells me it would be much harder to get away with that here. There’s so much magic around us, I think we’d be caught very quickly.” She finally whispered once she was sure no one would overhear them. She also wanted to do all they could to stay here for as long as they could. ”I-I will just have to be stronger like you. I can control my urges.” She finally said as she turned back to the door. While she said it to her brother, it truly was more her trying to convince herself.

She reached out and the door magically unlocked and opened for her. Juliet marveled at it for a moment before taking a step inside. Athena greeted her like she did for everyone else, but she barely noticed as she scanned the huge room. Her eyes were full of wonder as finally her eyes fell on her roommate…her shirtless roommate. ”Oh! Hi!” She said and let out a surprised giggle, but found herself staring at the handsome person in her room.

Demetrius followed in after her, halting in his tracks when he spotted the shirtless man. He had done so even before Juliet. His eyes widened. ”Juliet… Get behind me. Don’t look now but there’s an intruder in your room. Don’t make eye co-”He broke off as he noticed her greeting and staring at him ”Juliet. Stop it.”He whisper-hissed then looked at Athena the Crystal and angrily stormed up to it. He would take care of the man himself normally, but he knew it would upset Juliet for him to do so. For now, he’d take the peaceful choice. He angrily demanded of the Crystal, ”Who do we have to talk in order to get this trespasser out of her room? Where is the female who will be living here as well? “

”Well that’s simple, Demetrius Mordred, you just have to walk out of the room as you are the only trespasser here.” Athena responded.

”Excuse me?”Demetrius replied incredulously. ”Stupid rock.” He rolled his eyes and pointed at Finn, angrily demanding ”Hey. Whore. Leave.” Juliet had either ignored her brother or simply hadn’t heard him as she now walked up to Finn with her hand extended for a handshake. That’s what normal people did, right?

”I’m Juliet. I guess the crystal kinda already said that though. It’s nice to meet you!” She said happily to him.

Demetrius came running up to her side and whispered in her ear, ”What are you doing?”

”I’m being friendly and saying hello. You should try it sometime.” Juliet whispered back to him.

”Okay but he’s a random half-naked man… Let’s save the friendliness for your room mate instead.” He pushed her back behind him and glared down Finn.

---

---

Trixie pushed the door open and quickly entered the room, Excited to see her new ‘home’. So excited in fact, she had left all six of her bags out in the hall, half of them blocking the entrance. She had a bright smile on her face as she looked around the room. This was WAY bigger than her room back home. She giggled as she saw the big comfy couch and ran towards it. Doing a rather smooth jump/roll over the back of the couch and onto cushions. Well It would have been smooth if it weren't for the fact she did it too quickly and simply bounced off it and onto the floor with a thud. A soft “Owwwwiiieee…” could be heard from behind the couch.

Slowly getting up she rubbed her forehead and peaked over the back of the couch towards Tybert. “I meant to do that…” she said sheepishly.

Following close behind and having to drag the blockade of bags into the room, Tybert gave her the kind of blank stare that was typical of felines. "Y'know, I could teach you how to pull off a roll," he said - completely overlooking the fact that he'd once accidentally rolled into a wall in front of her, then claimed he was "just testing his toughness". Not that it had stopped her laughing. "You ok though?"

Trixie’s eyes narrowed as she huffed. “I KNOW HOW TO ROLL. I'm not an idiot…” She said looking at the couch and mumbled. “Stupid couch…” before pulling herself off the ground. Looking at Tybert.“I'm fine…thanks.” She said softly with a small redness in cheeks.

"Welcome,Tybert Palug and Trixie Connary." Athena spoke up. "This will be your dorm room for the foreseeable future. There is a bathroom in the door to your right that both of you may share if you do not wish to use the public baths. While sleeping in the dorm room is not strictly required, sleeping in any non sanctioned area of the school is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action."

At the sound of another voice, Tybert whirled around, finding himself face to face with yet ANOTHER talking crystal. His tail fluffed up so much it almost resembled Trixie's, and a low growl escaped his throat. First the huge crystal in the main hall, then all the floating glowing ones outside, now this? What even was she? Was a teacher spying on students through an enchanted gem, to keep them in check? He'd known mages would attend the school, but he hadn't been prepared for the place to be brimming with magic. Such a heavy dependency on such an unpredictable, dangerous force - it was bound to go awry.

Trixie perked up. “Oh COOL… Another one of those crystals here?!” She went over and got a closer look at it. Her head cocking in different directions as she switched angles and tried to see if she could figure out how it works.She got real close to her face and almost sniffed it, but she remembered tybert was there. So she hesitated a moment and took a normal breath before she reached out to grab it and fiddle with it. She hesitated when it spoke up again.

“Attempting to move or tamper with Hoseforn Academy property may result in disciplinary action.”

“I’m not tampering with you, just looking…” she said as she grabbed it and turned it around in her hands looking for any hidden runes, Surprised at the resistance it had when she pulled it close. It certainly felt heavy, she didn’t see any runes on it…. She looked down, no runes on the floor… Maybe they were intentionally made smaller, she would have to use her scope to see.

"And Mr Palug, if you are stressed, a low dose of a sleeping potion could help," the miniature Athena told Tybert as an ever-curious Trixie turned her over. "I recommend enquiring about such at the medical quarters."

Tybert's ears pressed flat against his head. "Don't give Trixie any ideas."

“I wouldn’t go to that boring place if my life depended on it.” She said, not looking away from Athena. “They only have the boring poti-” Trixie suddenly yipped and jumped back as she felt a tiny shock in her hands. Dropping Athena as she did. However instead of falling, it just floated back to its original position. She rubbed her fingers together, it didn’t hurt. Just scared her. She turned away from Tybert as she realized she yipped in front of him. Despite having a tail and ears (That she did not currently have right now due to traveling. It was just too much of a risk.). Tybert still believed she was a simple human who liked it. Not that she was really a kitsune.

Tybert started as Trixie jumped back. Seeing she was alright brought relief, but... Had she just yipped? While not in part fox form? His eyebrows furrowed. While it was normal for people with animal features, such as himself, to have some mannerisms of said animal, Trixie was a human. He couldn't deny the fluffy ears and tail she liked to give herself were cute - not that he'd admit it out loud - but was the magic starting to have some kind of lingering effect on her?

”Ok, that's a new side effect," he muttered. Before Trixie could reply with her inevitable sass, that stern voice piped up from the crystal.

“That was only a warning. More attempts to tamper with Hoseforn academy property will increase the strength of said warning.”

Trixie grabbed the pillow on the couch and threw it as hard as she could at Athena.. “Stupid Crystal…” She mumbled. The pillow had no effect as it just bounced off it. Glancing at Tybert for a split second before walking over and grabbing her bags. “I just wanted to look at it…” She said softly. Then carrying it to her bed next to the balcony she yelled “I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PLACE OF LEARNING!” She huffed. As if she won the argument.

“As this is an institution of learning, it may be best to view this interaction as a learning experience. The lesson being; do not move, tamper with or unceremoniously manhandle Hoseforn Academy property.”

Trixie looked back at Athena and blinked… did a crystal just… give her sass? She looked back to her bag as she began to unpack it. Pausing for a moment as she was more intrigued now. But she started to unpack her first of ten bags.

With a long-suffering sigh, Tybert rolled his eyes. "Let's just ask her. Athena, who are you?" He kept his distance as he spoke, as if the spelled crystal were some kind of threat. "And why are you in here?"

"I am a device to offer assistance," Athena replied, pulsing with an eerie light, "and to answer any questions students may have."

Oh. Realisation sank in. If Athena was some kind of magical construct, created purely to serve others... That was uncomfortably similar to the origin of his own people. Now he regretted growling at her. "Uh, you don't have to if you'd rather not," he replied, his tone suddenly softer. "As you saw just now, Trixie here likes figuring things out on her own. Please excuse her behaviour." He slunk to his side of the room, muttering under his breath. "Only question I have is what on Ealinata is WRONG with some of these mages."

He hadn't meant for Athena to hear him, or to reply, but he reddened with embarrassment as she did. "I can assure you, the mages here are reputable, and much can be learned from them. As for offering assistance, I do not mind doing so."

Yeeeeeah, no, he thought. He'd sooner face a pack of direwolves than learn from the high-ranking, undoubtedly power-hungry mages of Hoseforn's. And despite Athena's reassurances, the whole situation still left a sour taste in his mouth - he'd heard horror stories of enchantments cast upon the original grimalkin servants, keeping them obedient. Was Athena, who'd called herself property and a device, under similar compulsions? Did people just casually accept that here?

"Personally, I only need to learn good old-fashioned combat skills." He glanced around, noting that someone had set up a training dummy and a wooden practice sword. He shrugged off his backpack, heading to the end of the room and placing it next to the dummy. As the leather brushed against it, it jolted into action, leaning aside and raising a jointed stick arm as if to block.

With a hiss, Tybert leapt backwards onto the bed. His gaze snapped to the runes carved onto the base of the dummy. "Ugh, is freaking EVERYTHING here magic?!"

Trixie let out a huff when Tybert mentioned to just ask her. Like it would explain how it’s created. she thought to herself. Though she would probably use it later to see how helpful it was….and find ways to look at it again without being shocked…maybe a lighting warding rune? Perhaps a potion? Did she have the right herbs for that? Might be good to double up.

She heard Tybert saying he just needed to learn some combat skills, to which she rolled her eyes. Mocking him under her breath as she wobbled her head back and forth and said what he just did but to herself as she continued to pull items out with a chuckle. She got annoyed at the fact he hated magic so much. Despite clearly showing him many times it can be helpful.

She suddenly heard a commotion and hissing. She looked around as he yelled angrily. After seeing what happened she busting out laughing. Falling back onto her bed. “Ooooo The big bad soldier! Scared of a simple training dummy!” She laughed a little more, wiping tears from her eyes as she got up and hopped over to his side of the room to come look at the dummy which was frozen in its block that never came. After a quick inspection of the runes she was satisfied with her curiosity of it.

Tybert hopped down from the bed, scowling and folding his arms as his face reddened. "I wasn't scared! I was just... surprised! And careful there." He moved closer, wary eyes on Trixie, who examined the runes. "Don't touch it, those movements are pretty sudden."

She looked up to him and grinned. “I guess you do need to learn ‘some combat skills’ huh?” She said with a smug grin. She said as her shoulder brushed against the dummy and it brought it’s elbow on top of her head, booping her and causing her to pull back and rub the top of her head. “Yeowch!” But she kept on laughing at her previous joke.

“Ah!” Tybert’s eyes widened. Just as he’d suspected, the dummy was built to attack as well as block, and Trixie had found out the hard way. “You alright?” Her laughter indicated she was. A relief, but her constant teasing annoyed him no end.

Trixie groaned as it started to hurt more as she rubbed it a little more furiously but she still was giggling. Half from her joke and half from ‘surprised’ explanation. She peaked one eye open and nodded to his question. “Hnnng…I’m fine.” She said as she moved to one of her bags that he dragged in and started to rummage through them.

“And I’m telling you, I already have plenty of combat skills, just got to hone them to perfection.” Confident as he sounded, he couldn’t help wondering about the training process. If all the training equipment was like this, his education at Hoseforn’s would be even more grueling than he’d imagined. Still, he’d prove he could best any opposition, even if magic was on their side.

But she didn’t ignore him, she listened to him while she looked for the item she wanted. “Yes, you have the jumping and rolling down…wait…no, never mind…You have jumping and yowling down. pat.” She said looking back at him with a teasing grin. Remembering the comment for teaching her how to roll and remembering the time he rolled into a wall himself.

"I'll have you know, jumping is a valuable skill." Tybert responded to Trixie's grin with a frown. "And I can roll just fine." He knew exactly which incident Trixie was referring to, but that had been a while ago and she still wouldn't let him live it down.

She found the tiny vial with a dull red liquid in it. Without hesitation, she popped it open and drank it without hesitation. That bump on her head was going to give her a good headache for sure. She wanted to make sure she got a jump on it and just took a medium strength pain reliever made from cloves and capsaicin mostly. The only annoying side effect of this one, which the latter ingredient caused was a spicy/burning sensation. Like she just ate a pepper. She took a few deep breaths and stood back up.

She looked to her heaviest bag with the books. and back at him with big eyes. “Could you…um… Please?” she said cutely as she pointed to her slightly larger desk/lab table. “I still don't have enough mana…” She added as she pulled pathetically on the strap. She had used all her mana up during the trip with the bags floating so she didn’t have to carry them. Or tybert for that matter. Made the trip great. However upon reaching Hoseforn she used up all the magic in her stones and her natural pool. Which meant they had to carry them to Athena and then to their room. Tybert only agreed to take four of the bags… making her take six. Stingy, as he was much stronger than her, but she couldn’t refuse. She did manage him to take the heaviest ones though.

Letting out another sigh, Tybert approached the bag and crouched. That face worked on him every time, and Trixie knew it. “I still say it would’ve been easier to hire a cart.” It would have been more expensive, but better than relying on magic - of course, now Trixie had gone and exhausted herself. “But alright, you know me all too well.”

He set to work loading the many, many alchemical books onto the desk, stacking them neatly even though there was no way the order would last. By tomorrow, they’d be in their usual haphazard pile, with potion ingredients strewn across them. “Just this one bag,” he said, even though he knew full well it wouldn’t be. All Trixie had to do was give him that look again.

@ChaoticLaw

"Oooh, I wonder if they'll be someone else who enjoys crafting, and tending to plants?" Karya continued. "Or if they'll have a completely different set of interests and skills, and we'll be able to learn from each other? I don't mind who they are though, as long as they're respectful. And I'm looking forward to meeting everyone in classes tomorrow! What will it be first, an athletics class, or a magic one? Or more of a theory one? Can't wait to see how it all works here! Yeah it's a bit confusing in some ways, I've gotta admit, but it's all a learning curve!"

Athena couldn't get a word in edgeways. It was someone else, however, who spoke up. Karya looked over at the young man standing at the entrance, his waist-length hair and the ragged edges of his robe giving him a wild appearance, as if he too were used to dwelling in nature. He bowed at the waist and introduced himself as Sa'Hari, clearly not yet accustomed to the common tongue, but making himself understood as he asked if the fire had bothered her.

"Oh hey there!" Karya swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, returning the bow, hers much more awkward than his fluid gesture as she stumbled and steadied herself. Mostly from her tipsiness, and partly because she wasn't used to such mannerisms. The Brackenglade tribe was less formal, but she did it out of respect for his customs. "I'm Karya, pleased to meet you! Athena's rooming with us too, I didn't expect we'd have an extra roommate, but it's a nice surprise!"

She gestured to the crystal on the wall, figuring Athena was probably a stone spirit. Either that or she ran on communication magic - the oreads in the mountains near her home forest, who traded runestones, knew spells for communicating via rock and gem shards. "As for the fire, ehh, it's just not something I'm used to." She glanced at the blackened nook in the wall, suppressing a shudder. That whiff of woodsmoke still lingered in the air. "Dryads and fire don't really mix. Hope you don't mind the runestone."

“It took a while but we’ve finally made it.” the young Kitsune said with a gleeful yet also deviously inquisitive look. Hoseforns was even greater then he had imagined. When the old geezer cat was describing it to him he made it sound like a pretty troublesome place, it was hard for Kota to understand why he stressed coming here. Whatever the case was he, it sure did look pretty.

As he came towards the gate to the beautiful academy, Kota slung open the rucksack that he had been carrying over his shoulder. After a moment of fumbling around his eyes shot open as he unsheathed the letter from his back, propping it up into the air as if he had pulled Excalibur from its stone.

Upon revealing the piece of parchment the academy gates swung open welcoming the young boy in with open arms. Kota smirked in delight as he tied up his ruck and trotted through the gates, Tis a shame no one was able to see that. the boy thought to himself as he made his way towards the main doors of the campus. As he took in the distinct scenery and smells his eyes twinkled in fascination. It was so much different than tribal living that it was nearly a culture shock. Upon that he has the courtesy of the moon and it’s stars to accompany him on this experience. As the young boy passed by students he made it apparent to greet them with a head nod or a simple hello.

As he reached the main doors he pushed them open with one arm finding himself to be greeted by an ever so large and beautiful Crystal.

"Greeting's new student. I am Athena. Welcome to Hoseforn's Academy for Gifted Adventurers. Please present your acceptance scroll now."

“A pleasure to meet you Athena, you look very illustrious this evening” the young man said as he extended out the scroll for Athena to examine.

”Aren’t you the charmer. Letter accepted. Welcome Kota Roubal the Crystal replied without a change in tone, Kota raised and eyebrow in curiosity.

"This is a map of the school grounds, your dorm number is 658. A fresh uniform and any supplies you require will be waiting for you. At the moment they are still being prepared. If you wish to freshen up, please feel free to use the public baths. Unfortunately because of your tardiness you have missed the opening feast. Please make sure to properly accommodate for future events.”

”Whaaaaat?!!” Kota shouted in disappointment, alas it was truly his fault. If he hadn’t been sidetracked with the wonders of the world then he’d had made it on time for the feast. The boy nodded, ”My apologies Athena.” after looking back at his acceptance letter he would see it has now transformed into a map of the academy, if the Grimalkin from town could see this they would totally flip! Out of excitement the boy quickly dashed off to his dorm room eager to see what else was in store.

The boy quickly ran through the corridors, cutting corners with sharp precision and narrowly avoiding trampling over other students until he reached his door.

”Welcome Kota Roubal”

Upon entering the room the boys look of excitement turned into surprise as he was met with a large fox eared woman nothing but a towel on. In which the boy quickly slapped his hands over his eyes and his cheeks flushing a light pink. Kota act natural, don’t make it weird. Calm yourself

As Kota covered his eyes, his nose became a bit sharper as he picked up on the woman’s scent. It was rather nostalgic yet different at the same time which piked the boys interest, not only that but also the large ears. Kota was also pretty sure that she had pink hair that matched it all as well. He couldn’t help but peak on more time, the boy slightly cracked open his fingers catching another glimpse before closing them shut once more and gasping.

”To think you would be in room” the boy said in excitement, completely disregarding the situation at hand. He was also pretty sure Athena had been going off about the rooms amenities but he had tuned it out completely. Quickly Kota turned to shut the door behind him before kneeling down. As he did so he would reveal his much short floppy ears and bushy fox tail.

”I’ve but only heard stories of you when I was a child but it’s another thing to be graced by your presence m’lady.” he spoke in their native tongue, it was a bit rusty since it has been so long but he managed somewhat. In thst moment he had then realized that he had peeked at the prophesied moon goddess in nothing but a bath towel his face turned even redder. She was even more gorgeous in person, to be honest Kota had very little regret but he was not going to let it be known. There were probably plenty of guys that would also feel the same.

”Please find it in your heart to forgive me, you have my word that I will not move from this position. then boy said very stiffly, it was hard to even tell if he was breathing.

@Heartfillia

Sa’Hari stared at Karya for a moment. Gods she spoke quickly. He thought that he understood everything that she was saying but sometimes it was hard for him to tell. And she was so…..cheerful. His brother had always told him that he needed to lighten up and enjoy life a little more, but if this was the result of such an attitude he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

Still, she seemed polite enough. Her bow was a little...wobbly, but it was the thought that counted in these things. Sa’Hari did not expect someone not of his people to understand their customs or be good at them. At the mention of Athena, Sa’Hari turned to see another, much smaller version, of the crystal that had been in the main hall. This magic was infesting even his room. This place was growing stranger at each turn.

"Welcome, Sa’Hari beloved one of Na’Has." Athena said, once again speaking in the strange hissing sounds of his people with near perfection. She had even used the correct honorifics for his tribe. "This will be your dorm room for the foreseeable future. There is a bathroom in the door to your right that you and your roommate may share if you do not wish to use the public baths. While sleeping in the dorm room is not strictly required, sleeping in any non sanctioned area of the school is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action." Sa’Hari bowed to Athena in thanks for the information. A few questions popped into his head, like what exactly a bathroom was, but he decided to hold off on asking them for a moment while he checked out the room.

After Athena finished her speech, Sa’Hari moved over to the fireplace and stared down at the odd stone with a pattern he had never seen before carved into. Suspiciously, he removed his scimitar from where it sat at his side, and gently poked the rock with the sword. When nothing seemed to happen, he did it again. Seeing that the stone was not going to try anything too horrible, he moved his hand down closer to it and felt the warmth that emanated from it. It felt nice. It reminded him of the warm breezes so common in his homeland. “It is good.” Sa’Hari said flatly, nodding once before turning to look at Karya again.

“It is well to meet you Karya.” Sa’Hari was ready to end the conversation there, but he had been ordered by his brother and chief to ‘make friends’. He supposed he would have try…….small talk. He groaned inwardly at the thought, but managed to hide any discomfort he felt about the idea. “You say you are..uhh...dryad? Is this like Oread?” A small group of Oread would occasionally visit his tribe to trade and swap news. From what Sa’Hari understood, the Oread did not generally go around most people. The gems in their bodies were considered precious, and the rotten men of the world would often try to take them. But Sa’Hari’s people were honorable, and there was not a slaver or bandit foolish enough to go anywhere near the Children of Na’Has, for if his people did not strike you down for your evil ways, their giant snake demi-god would. He had heard a few stories from the Oread in his youth, and he believed that one of them had mentioned their cousins, the dryads.

Sa’Hari paused for a moment before adding “And….why does fire not mix with dryad?”

@LuckyBlackCat

Rodrick craned his head around in an attempt to see who was talking to him. For a moment he thought it might have been Athena, but the voice was wrong, not bland enough frankly, to have been Athena’s. When he saw the young woman in nothing but a towel, a myriad of thoughts ran through his head all at once. The first was that there was a young woman in his room. The second was that the young woman happened to be pretty, and was wearing, what looked like, nothing but a towel. The third was that she had said something about him moving or being cuddled with, the strangest threat he had ever heard. And the fourth, wasn’t really a thought as much as it was simple and pure panic.
Rodrick made some noises, half of them sounding like he was being strangled, before he managed to dredge up a… somewhat, coherent statement. “Oh, uh..er Hi. Yes hello.” He could feel his face somehow turning redder than it already was but he managed to fight down the urge to turn his head back into the couch and die. The alcohol finally took over and he was able to get out a real sentence. “Well, as much as I love the threat of a good time I guess a gentleman would move then wouldn’t he?” Rodrick tried to push himself up, but his arm was sucked in by the couch at every attempt. It didn’t help that the world seemed to be spinning out of control, quite literally. After a few more useless attempts he finally gave up with a sigh. “Sorry, it seems like I make a shitty gentleman. I’m Rodrick by the way. That's a...very nice... towel?” He said, making sure his eyes were glued to her face and didn’t wander.

Lorelei merely watched in amusement as Rodrick struggled to say something. She let out a small giggle, probably enjoying this far too much, but was impressed when he seemed to recover fairly quickly. ”I suppose a gentleman would…” She said with a smirk, deciding to keep up the fun. ”But where’s the fun in that.” She finished, a teasing tone to her voice. She’d definitely leave a memorable first impression. It was his next statement that caught her a little off guard and she couldn’t help from letting out a laugh.

”You think so? I’m not so sure, I don’t think it’s the right color for me.” She looked down at the towel, as if examining an outfit. ”You’re cute, Rodrick. Thanks for making me laugh. I’m Lorelei.” She said as she moved over to her bed and started picking through the small amount of things she had. ”You also don’t need to worry about being a gentleman around me. As you can see, I’m definitely not a proper lady.” She finally found a pair of pajamas and turned back around to face him.

Rodrick felt his face grow just a bit warmer at being called cute. Feeling just a little vulnerable laying face down on a couch, he took a moment to breathe, and then pushed with all his might against the diabolically comfortable sofa. “Lorelei, that's a lovely name.” It would have sounded more like a compliment if he hadn’t been struggling so much to sit up. With one final heave, and far too much effort, Rodrick managed to sit up almost straight on the couch. He let out a sigh of relief before turning to look at Lorelei, still doing his best to not let his eyes wander where they shouldn’t. “Well, I’m glad I could be of some service.” He paused for a moment before adding, “That’s good to know. I hate being a gentleman, all the bowing and hand kissing and pretending to have manors. It gets exhausting.”

Despite the constant feeling of panic in his chest, Rodrick was surprised he was actually managing to keep up a conversation. Something had definitely been different about that wine. He wasn’t sure if it was magical, drugged, or magically drugged, but he had the feeling if he was going to have Lorelei as a roommate he would need a lot of it. He had the sense she was enjoying his poorly concealed terror. “So, what brings you to this magical place of sassy talking rocks and drugged wine?”

“Hoseforn’s Academy does not drug any of its food or beverage. Perhaps if you are feeling unwell, you should avoid over indulging yourself in the future.” Athena chimed in, in an incredibly unhelpful manner. “I didn’t ask you, pebble!” Rodrick retorted, attempting to turn and glare at the magical floating crystal, but only managing to make the room spin faster.

That crystal certainly was a sassy one, it was something Lorelei found quite entertaining. Though she was sure she’d eventually get fed up with it as well. She was just more curious about who would toss Athena out the window first, her or Rodrick. She supposed that would be determined in the coming weeks.

”Oh yes, all of that certainly would be exhausting. Especially pretending to have manners.” She walked forward until she was in front of him and leaned forward until her face was in front of his, yellow eyes peering into his. ”So why are you still pretending to have manners, hmm?” She smirked deviously at him before standing back up. ”You don’t have to be polite and focus on just my face, silly. I’m aware of how I look.” She giggled and turned to walk back towards the bathroom. She wasn’t about to let him know that the confidence she exuded wasn’t what she was actually feeling. Perhaps she’d walked out like this to give herself a confidence boost? She wasn’t entirely sure.

”While I’m curious at how much redder you could get, I’ll spare you for now and change out of sight.” Lorelei said before entering the bathroom, but she left the door cracked so she could continue talking. ”To answer your question, however, I suppose the simplest answer would be that I’m here because it’s better than where I was.” She sighed as she slipped her top on and then some shorts. She tossed the towel off to the side before exiting the bathroom once more. ”That and I hope being here can help me get revenge on the people that put me in the place I was before here.” There was a sweet smile on her face as she moved over to the couch and plopped down next to him. ”How about you? What’s the story of Rodrick, the darling pretend gentleman?”

Rodrick’s face did indeed manage to turn reder. He was almost impressed, he never knew he could feel so embarrassed, panicked, and fascinated all at once. There was no denying it now, she was getting a kick out of all of this. He supposed were he the attractive woman and she an easily panicked and drunk tiefling he would probably be enjoying it a little too. He did, however, decide to not concentrate on her face as she walked back into the bathroom to change. She had said it was okay after all. It would be rude not to admire her for just a moment. But as he was admiring he caught a glimpse of some scars on the young woman's back. The towel covered most of them, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what they were, and tell just how severe they must be. They didn’t subtract anything from her, but Rodrick felt a pang of anger and sorrow that he couldn’t quite place. Scars like that only came from the lowest dregs of humanity, the kind of people Rodrick had seen all too often, and wished nothing but the slowest and most gruesome of deaths on. The anger, and the fact that there was no longer a half naked woman in front of him, allowed Rodrick to collect himself a little bit. By the time Lorelei returned he was almost back to his regular shade of red.

“Ooooo revenge. A grand reason indeed. I have always loved a tale of scum and villainy getting what they deserve.” He paused for a moment as he considered her question. “As for why I’m here… I guess for a similar reason. This place has to be better than the festering shithole that is most of Balmaria.” He paused for another moment before adding, “I suppose it would be nice to find some actual purpose in life, rather than living in a constant state of fear that you’ll be stabbed for looking at someone wrong. Or because some starving and desperate sod thinks that your last three coppers should be their last three coppers.” He sat silently for another moment, before realizing that he had just been extremely honest, something that he was not in the habit of doing, with someone he had met a whole 10 minutes ago. His face, once again, turned an incredibly deep shade of red. It was actually starting to hurt a little. “Sorry.” He said, not sure why he was apologizing but feeling that he should. “There is absolutely something unnatural about that wine they served tonight.” He half expected Athena to pipe up again, but she didn’t. Her silence was all the proof he needed. That was not normal wine!

Scum and villainy. Those two words repeated themselves in her head a few times as she knew many would describe herself with those words. She was forged into a villain from a young age, but did that mean she would now always be a villain? Was there hope for her to be a hero? We're heroes and villains even real? The mention of Balmaria pulled her back to the conversation at hand. "Oh gods, please let this place be better than Balmaria." She said with a small laugh, but she found herself rather interested in all he had to say. It seemed he didn't have an easy life either, though that seemed to be a common thing when you grew up in the darker areas of Balmaria. She knew that all too well.

"I'd have to be inclined to agree with you. I normally have a hard time getting drunk and I definitely was feeling it after drinking some of that wine." She grinned and briefly glanced over to Athena, waiting to see if she'd say anything. After a moment, she looked back to Rodrick. "You know you don't need to apologize. I grew up in Balmaria too, I understand that fear." She said to him softly, a genuine kindness shining through. "Who knows, maybe this place can be a new start for both of us and give us purpose." She nudged him encouragingly.

Rodrick found himself smiling back at Lorelei. Real kindness was not something he was used to having around him anymore. He wondered for a moment at the fact that he had ended up with a roommate who could probably understand him, and vice versa, better than he could have hoped for. Just a little while ago he would have thought that the roommate selection was random, but now he was beginning to think that there was a lot more consideration put into the roommate situation then was obvious….. Or maybe it was all random, dumb luck. Either way, he decided then that regardless of how much she teased him, or tried to make his head explode with panic, that he was going to enjoy having this young woman as his roommate.

He opened his mouth to say something, when a tiny flash of light caught his eye. He turned his head to see two chilled glasses filled with, what he assumed, was water. They had certainly not been there before, which was a little creepy, but he understood their well intentioned appearance. Carefully, as the room was still moving, he wandered over to the small table, picked them up, and brought them back to the couch. Being extremely careful NOT to pour any of the water on Lorelei, he sat back down next to her and handed her one of the glasses. “Well then, to new starts and a better purpose.” He said, smiling warmly and lifting his glass to toast hers. He let out a surprised ‘Oh’ after taking a sip. “That's surprisingly nice.” It was, perhaps, the first drink of cold, and clean, water he had taken in a very long time.

The flash had caught Lorelei’s attention as well and she glanced over at the two glasses, rather impressed. ”Well how convenient is that…” She said as she watched Rodrick get up to grab them. As he made his way over to the small table she had a brief moment where she wondered if she should have gotten up to get them as it definitely seemed like he was feeling the alcohol more than she was. He made it back after some time, however, and she thanked him as she took a glass. ”And to new friends.” She said as she lifted her glass to his before taking a drink. ”Oh gods, is the water here magical too?” She practically moaned before downing the whole thing. Either it was magical or she just was so used to dirty water and limited supply of water that it just tasted like the best glass she’d ever had.

@Tae

Indeed, Taari had embarked on a journey unlike any they had ever heard of before. And truthfully, Taari had heard many tales of travel. It was common in the Wayafar way of life. Their village was actually quite young in their history, representing a new way of life and thinking for their people. And yet still, the tales recounting expedition and pilgrimage abound. Yet none took place quite so recent. At least none of much importance or significance. None until this one right now.

At the feast, Taari had enjoyed themselves immensely, speaking very little, and not given much room to talk as they were used to, but listening to others was not only a great experience to learn more of cultures outside of their own, but also practice the common tongue. They actually felt they learned a lot from their experience and it made them contemplate on their travel thus far.

This land was much different than the oasis and the surrounding desert. The greenery stretched much further than their home, and the blue of the horizon was frequently interrupted. Yet though the scenery was much different, they still saw much of humanity in the world around them. Even if there was the unfortunate language barrier. Of course, that simple issue quickly reared it's head soon after. Body language is universal to some degree. Obviously, whether someone was angry or sad or overjoyed could be seen by looking at their expression and watching their movements.

Yet here sat a crystal. One which spoke in a language that Taari was still learning themselves, and didn't even have facial expressions and hand gestures in order to assist them

"Welcome Taari Tasjil. I am Athena. I would like to apologize on behalf of my inability to converse in your language. I simply lack the body required for such an intricate way of speaking."

Taari crinkled their nose, raised their hand and said "E'nah..." A word with many different potential meanings, but in this context meant "There is nothing to be done about it." They looked at the door in front of them. There were sounds of conversing on the inside. How strange. Taari was aware they would have a room mate, but there were two voices coming from the room. Were they expected to have that many students living in a single room? Perhaps there was some mistake...

“This will be your dorm room for the foreseeable future. There is a bathroom in the door to your right that you and your roommate may share if you do not wish to use the public baths. While sleeping in the dorm room is not strictly required, sleeping in any non sanctioned area of the school is forbidden and may result in disciplinary action.”

Well, the crystal spoke that this was their room. There wasn't much more to speak on the matter. Taari opened the door into the room. Sure enough, two others were already in the room. Taari made a brief gesture, bringing one hand from their shoulder down to their left side before speaking in the common language. "Hello-greetings" Adding the latter part in an attempt to give context to their "hello." Taari took a moment to look around. There was no way the room would fit in this building normally. It was by no means large but certainly larger than expected.

"To this room I was assigned. Taari Tasjil is I." They bowed deeply, raising their arm out to the side. "Who will I be speaking with?"

@ChaoticLaw @LuckyBlackCat

@ChaoticLaw @StOpossum

As Sa'Hari prodded the runestone with his sword, Karya wondered if she should have left the fire as it was, for his sake. Magic was a normal way of life for her, but not everyone was so used to it, or comfortable around it. "If you prefer fires, that's ok! I'm guessing it's true that it's a common sight around here." She struggled to keep her smile from turning into a grimace. "So I'll have to get used to it sooner or later." When Sa'Hari reached out his hand to feel the warmth, however, he visibly relaxed and told her it was all good.

At his question, about whether dryads were like oreads, Karya nodded. Sa'Hari appeared to be a human - although she'd never met one with bright yellow eyes like his - and while the few human traders and travellers she'd met had seemed pretty decent, she knew the rumours that some were less than kind to races unlike their own. Still, there was no disdain in his voice, only curiosity.

"In a way. Dryads and oreads are both nymphs, although we live in forests rather than mountains. Hence not mixing well with fire." Even heat runes had to be handled carefully, lest they set grasses alight. "And if we get burned, it's pretty nasty." She looked him over, drunken double vision setting in, making it difficult to focus. "You're a human, right? And I'm going to guess you're from the wilderness too?" Probably in or near a mountainous area, if he'd met oreads. She'd heard they'd been hunted almost to extinction in the past, by greedy city folk, for the gems on their bodies. As a result, they rarely ventured far from their mountain homes. Why some people placed more value on rocks and minerals than on others' lives was beyond her.

Hearing the door open again, Karya looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened, and she beamed. "Ohh! Hi there! It really is turning out to be quite the gathering!" She couldn't believe she'd failed to spot the third bed, but drunkenness and getting distracted by fire did that to a person. She swayed as she approached the figure at the doorway, a white haired - man? Woman? She couldn't tell - with a pair of curling horns, and elaborate robes. With a deep bow, they introduced themselves as Taari. "My name's Karya," she replied.

This time, when she returned the bow, she lost her balance, tottering and falling in front of the newcomer. "Ehhh, whoops!" She staggered to her feet with a strained giggle. Not the best first impression, but she laughed these things off quickly, and thanks to her tough skin, she wasn't hurt. "That must've been some pretty strong wine earlier."

"I highly recommend a glass of water," Athena piped up. "The glasses by the beds refill themselves."

A glance over confirmed the glass she'd emptied earlier was indeed now full. "Oh nice, that's some impressive magic! Topping up water, I wonder if it'd work on lakes and rivers? It'd be helpful in a drought." She headed over and took a sip, hoping it would clear her head a little.

"It's more a case of the room providing whatever its occupants may need," Athena explained.

Well, this was more sophisticated than anything Karya had seen before, and it'd take a while to get her head around this kind of magic, but it was certainly convenient right now. "Still sounds neat, and anyway." Her eyes flicked to Athena, to Sa'Hari, to Taari. "It's great to meet all of you!"

Hoseforn sat alone in his office. His eyes were closed as he took steady deep breathes, his mind wandering from subject to subject. The dinner had gone as well as could be expected. It always brought some joy to the old man’s heart to see all of his students, new and old, wonder at the great feast and all that it offered. He thought of his beloved staff, who had all become like family too him, who were preparing even now for tomorrow’s lessons. And he thought of the dangers that awaited them all. The disappearances, the murders, the strange vibrations that seemed to be flowing from Ealinata’s core itself. There was so much to do, and what felt like so little time to do it.

“What would have done in my place, master.” Hoseforn whispered to himself. He often wondered at what Glitterthorne would have done in such strange and trying times. He had taught Hoseforn well, and yet he could never help but feel like there had still been so much left to learn from the old dragon. With a few more deep breathes, Hoseforn let his body relax and his mind wander further back, into the ethereal realm of dreams and memories…

---

---

Asmodius Hoseforn laid on his stomach with a large tome in front of him and a long piece of grass hanging nonchalantly from his mouth. A small ball of light hovered by his head, bobbing up down just a little, though not enough to disturb his reading. His legs kicked back and forth methodically and a light, inadvertent hum, tuned to a rhythm he couldn’t remember hearing, came from the boys’ lips.

The book in front of him was enormous, its pages old and yellowed with the passing of time. What had once been gold filigree on the edges and cover of the book had almost completely worn away, but still held some of its previous wonder and artistry. To most, the marking inside the book would have meant nothing, as few could speak the language of the dragons, much less read it. But to Hoseforn they were a treasure trove of knowledge and wonder. He studied each passage with an almost religious vigor, hoping to pull whatever secrets from the book he could.

But as the boy read the peaceful look on his face changed to one of confusion, and perhaps a little annoyance. He flipped back and forth between a particular pair of pages as if expecting something to jump out at him that he had somehow missed, but there was nothing. At last, he let out a sigh and turned to look at his companion.

“Glitterthorne?”

A massive and ancient golden dragon laid peacefully on the floor of his lair. Books, gold, and a range of strange and magical artifacts surrounded him. His body lifted and fell peacefully, obviously meaning he was deep in sleep. Or at least that was what the old dragon hoped it was portraying. Sadly, for the old dragon, his young ward was not easily deterred by something so trivial as manners.

“Glitterthorne?!” Asmodius called again, this time a bit louder.

Again, Glitterthorne attempted to look as if he was peacefully sleeping. The boy had so many questions, and never easy ones either. A curious mind was a wonderful thing, but when you well over 8000 years old, answering all of them was exhausting.

“GLITTERTHORNE!?!” Asmodius yelled. His voice echoing off the walls of the cavern. Glitterthorne let out a massive ‘hrumph’ the mighty breath knocking Asmodius’ hat askew. Finally, Glitterthorne opened one eye to stare at the petulant child. “What is it Asmodius? What is so important that it cannot wait until after I have slept.”

“I have a question.” Asmodius chimed.

“You? A question? How out of character. WHAT is your question child?”

“I think it might be a delicate question.” Asmodius added, seeming suddenly hesitant. “Promise you want get mad at me?”

“The only thing that will make me mad boy is how long it is taking for you to ask the damn question. Out with-it lad.”

Asmodius hesitated for another moment, seemingly rethinking what he was about to ask, but another blast of hot air from his master’s mouth forced him to move forward. “Why do none of these books discuss necromancy? The only thing they say is that its evil and not to attempt it.” The old dragon stared at his student for quite a while, an unreadable expression on his face. “Why?” It was such a simple question, but Asmodius could tell it was loaded with meaning. He suddenly felt very unsure of himself, as if answering the dragon wrong could end poorly for him. “I don’t know, it just seems strange. None of them give a reason ‘why’ its evil. They just say that it IS evil and leave it at that. How am I supposed to know if they are right if they don't give me any reason why they’re right?”

Again, the massive dragon stared at the boy, its face difficult to comprehend. “Is it not enough to be told that something is evil? Do I need to explain to you why murder is evil? There are some things in the world that are wrong by their very nature. Must these things be demonstrated to you?” There was no anger in the dragon’s voice, only caution. Hoseforn looked down for a minute, his face deep in concentration. “But you can just tell me anything. Someone can tell you that giving someone you love a flower is evil, that doesn’t make it true. And even if murder is usually evil, does it make it always evil? What if you’re defending yourself, or your family? I don’t think it’s as black and white as all that. Sure, there are some acts that are evil in and of themselves, but they are few, and should still be explained so that young impressionable people like myself don't try them out of blind curiosity or ignorance.”

Glitterthorne let out another massive sigh and a grumble. “You are too curious for your own good Asmodius, I pray that it does not lead you down a dangerous path. Fine, come with me boy. It is time for another lesson.” Hoseforn jumped up excitedly and followed the great golden giant out of its lair and onto the beach that sat just outside its entrance. Asmodius looked around a little surprised, as night had come without him ever realizing. A great and full white moon sat high in the pitch-black sky, tiny flecks of light surrounding it on all sides. While Asmodius was distracted by how long he had spent studying, Glitterthorne unfurled his long leathery wings and took off into the sky. To most it would have looked graceful and effortless, but Asmodius saw the small hesitations and twitches in his master’s body. Unnerving signals that his master was getting old.

Glitterthorne flew just above the water, the air from wings forming ripples on the water’s surface. He circled for a few minutes before suddenly folding his wings against his back and diving into the water. It had been so sudden that Asmodius felt a sudden pang of fear that something had happened to his master, but after a few moments the old dragon’s head reemerged from beneath the waves, an enormous fish in his maw, and paddled back towards the shore. This too was fascinating for Asmodius to watch. While it was little surprise that dragons moved so gracefully in the air, it was a surprise that they could move almost equally as well in the water. Glitterthorne’s entire body swayed, much like an eels would, and seemed to cut through the water with little difficulty.

The old dragon made his way onto the beach and placed the large fish on a small rocky outcropping. The fish still twitched and spasmed, but it was obvious that the initial bite had ended the creature’s life. “Come here Asmodius.” Glitterthorne commanded.

Asmodius moved quickly to his master’s side, staring from the fish to the dragon with an inquisitive expression. “Death, in all its fascist, is a natural part of the order of things. Do you remember who it is that rules over the dead?” Hoseforn nodded lightly, “Of course, death is Grimma’s domain.” Glitterthorne nodded once before continuing. “Indeed. Grimma’s followers are worshippers of death, decay, and the void. Among all the clergy, there are none who worship the shadows more than they do. And yet, they despise necromancy. Any guess why?” Asmodius was a little surprise at the statement. He had never really thought about it, but if there was any he would have thought practiced the necromantic arts it would be the followers of Grimma. After a long moments consideration Hoseforn finally shook his head. He could think of no-good reason why. Glitterthorne seemed almost pleased at this, though Asmodius wasn’t sure why. “It’s because necromancy is not a natural art. Necromancy is a perversion of death. It is, I think, not an evil act in and of itself, however. Many cultures believe that the body is sacred, but once the soul is released the body is nothing but an empty vessel.”

Glitterthorne stared down at the large fish, that had finally stopped moving. He raised one of his large claws and began to move his long taloned appendages in a complicated pattern. He then began to speak in a strange language that Asmodius had never heard before. It certainly wasn’t draconic, which was the language most often spoken when casting magic. It sounded like an infernal language, but it had a strange hiss too it that sent shivers down Asmodius’ spine. With a final slashing movement, the spell ended, and an eerie green light engulfed the fish. For a second nothing happened, and then the fish began to wriggle and hop up and down. Rodrick moved towards it in wonder, a myriad of questions forming in an instant. But something he held him back. The longer he looked at the fish the more…wrong it felt. There was no life in its eyes. Its movements were jerky and uncoordinated in a way that was strange, even for a fish stranded on dry land. “It’s not terribly comfortable to look at, is it? This is what a creature without a soul looks like. I can control its movements with several strands of mana, I can command it act like a fish on land would act but it never looks quite right. This type of magic is discomforting to witness, and that is generally enough for others to label it as evil. But that is not where the true evil lies.”

Asmodius watched the fish for a few moments longer before finally asking the question who knew Glitterthorne was waiting for. “Where does the true evil come from then?”

“It is draining and impractical to constantly control a corpse like this. And in most cases, the necromancer is looking to control an army of corpses not just one. So, they’ll pull the creatures soul back into its body, and trap it there. They’ll then enslave the creatures mind, so that it has no choice but to do their bidding. Souls that have departed this world are not meant to be forced back. It’s not only traumatizing, its excruciatingly painful for them. Their pain doesn’t cease either. They become trapped, in a body they cannot control, and in a constant state of pain. That is why so many consider necromancy an evil art, and why none of my books explain how it works. A soul is an expression of pure life magic and contains a creature’s entire essence in a way that we do not entirely understand, to corrupt it is an abomination.”

Asmodius continued to stare at the fish for a moment, obviously deep in thought. Finally, he turned back to look at Glitterthorne again. “I thought some priests were able to bring back people from the dead. How is that not an evil act?”

“It differs in the way’s the power operates on the soul. Resurrection is an act blessed by The Four. It can only be done on a body that died from physical wounds, never sickness or old age, and requires any especially egregious wounds to be healed first. It also always requires a willing soul, if a departed being does not wish to return, for whatever reason, the resurrection will fail. It is the choice that matters in all of this, I think. Sometimes all we have are the choices we make. It is the one common gift that we are all born with and to remove that gift, is an especially evil act. Do you understand now?”

Asmodius considered everything for a long moment. He continued to study the fish, its body moving in that unnatural way, before finally responding. “I think so. Though I have one more question. What about a person’s own soul? Is it even possible to interact with your soul? Is it evil then?”

Glitterthorne paused for a moment, and then released the spell on the fish, allowing the disturbing and unnatural movements to finally cease. “Why, Asmodius, can you never ask me an easy question?” Glitterthorne said with a heavy sigh.

“In theory, it is possible. But it is so incredibly dangerous that no one is dumb enough to try it. Altering your soul alters you as a person, change the wrong thing and the results are unpredictable at best and catastrophic to everything around you at worst. Remember, the soul IS magic, a pure expression of it. It is powerful and unstable in countless ways. Please, for the love of the gods and everything on this planet, do not try to alter your soul.”

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A knock on the office door caused Hoseforn to snap awake from his memories. He took a second to compose himself, before calling out. “Come in” The twin doors to Hoseforn’s office swung in smoothly and Maurine sauntered into Hoseforn’s office. Currently she looked like a rather attractive woman in her 30’s, but even in her human form she exuded an almost alien sense of power and confidence. “Afternoon headmaster. You left the dinner in a hurry, is everything alright?” She asked, her voice silky and almost regal sounding.

“Yes, I suppose I did. All is well, I simply needed a moment to think before meeting our guest tonight.” The door closed a moment after Maurine entered, signaling that she was the only who arrived.

“Where are the others?” Hoseforn asked curiously.

“Maya and Vermont are training, of course. They’ve trained at least once a day every day for the past two months. Not that I can blame them. And Throndrout said that he had an experiment that he needed to watch closely, less it explode…again.”

Hoseforn nodded, expecting the answer. “Fair enough. Though I had hoped they would be able to meet our guest. Their input would be welcome. And what of Dex?”

Maurine’s face soured just a little at the mention of the school’s master of the rogueish arts. “I believe his exact words were, ‘Can’t, I have shit to do.’” Hoseforn let out a small chuckle. “Well, whatever he is doing I’m certain it’s important. Recent events have kept him busy, perhaps even more so than the rest of us.”

“I understand the utility of keeping someone like….that.. around but it still makes me uneasy; regardless of how well he has his issues under control.” Maurine added with a disapproving look on her face.

“I know your concerns, Maurine. The situation is under control. He is a valuable member of this staff and I highly doubt we could find someone better suited for the work we must do here.” While his tone was light there was a sense of finality in his tone. Maurine did not protest the point any further, instead choosing to move over to Hoseforn’s desk, where she began to rummage through a large stack of papers that had been haphazardly thrown on to the desk.

After a few moments of, slightly awkward, silence, Athena’s voice chimed in. “Your guest has arrived, Master Hoseforn.”

“Excellent, please show him in.” After another few seconds the rooms to Hoseforn’s Office opened with an announcement from Athena. “Presenting the honorable Nih’Ras, beloved child of Na’Has and Chief among Na’Has’s Fangs.” Na’has strode into Hoseforn’s office, a look of amusement and mild wonder on his face. The tall and muscular man wore a pristine white robe while intricate jewelry adorned his head, neck, and chest that contrasted brilliantly against his deep brown skin.

Hoseforn stood and bowed low, pressing his fists together “Ah, welcome Chief Na’Has. We are honored to have you as a guest at our humble academy.” Na’Has smile broadened as he returned Hoseforn’s bow. “The honor is mine, Master Hoseforn. This place is full of wonder that I could only dream of.” Na’Has turned to Maurine who approached him and offered her hand. Na’Has took her hand in both of his and gently kissed the top of it. “As always, it is the greatest of pleasures to be in the presence of your beauty, most precious of Nih’Ras’s children.” Hoseforn thought for a moment he saw Maurine blush at the affection and admiration in the young Chieftain’s voice. But she covered it well as she placed her hand on top of Na’Has’s. “The pleasure is mine, sweet cousin. Thank you for doing this favor for us. Your help is greatly appreciated.”

“It is the highest of pleasure to aid however I may.” After a second’s hesitation he released Maurine’s hand and turned to Hoseforn. “I must thank you as well for continuing my brother’s development. I trust he will grow into a true and remarkable warrior under your guidance.”

Hoseforn nodded as he attempted to hide the mischievous smirk that threatened to form after the interaction between Na’Has and Maurine. “We are happy to have him. My understanding is that he is quite the warrior already.”

Na’Has sighed and rubbed the back of his head a little. “His skill with his blade and the lash ((the term used for the unique grappling hook used by Sa’Hari’s people)) are both excellent. It is everything else that worries me. He is too brash and stuck in his ways, especially for one so young. I fear that he does not see the value in others. There is the potential for greatness there, but it will waste away if he does not learn to grow.”

“We will do all that we can to aid him in his growth, you have my word on this.” Hoseforn gestured to a large couch near the center of his room. “Please sit with us. I am anxious to know what news your travels brought.”

“I fear the news is ill.” Na’Has said as he sat. Maurine sat next to him and Hoseforn took a seat across from them. “I think your worries are well founded Master Hoseforn. In every town we stopped there have been reports of more disappearances. In some of them it may have only been one or two, in others it was as many as ten.”

“Ten?! From one town?” Maurine said, aghast. “I’m afraid so. The towns people were devastated, as you would expect. Nearly everywhere we went the locals have become frightened and suspicious of outsiders.”

“Were there any signs of the missing people? Any bodies found?” Hoseforn asked as he rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

“No, the missing are never found. We tried to speak with any travelers as well, but few people traveled the roads. Most of those who did travel did so in large groups and kept to themselves. We had no troubles on the road, but I suspect it had to do with the size of our group. I am not sure what would happen if we were only a few.”

Hoseforn was silent for a moment, obviously deep in thought. “You’re right, this is disturbing news. I will have to have someone investigate where the highest number of disappearances have taken place. Perhaps there is a clue we kind there. Thank you, Na’Has. Though this news is unsettling, it is incredibly valuable.”

The three continued to speak for some time after that. Na’Has pointed out on a map where the greatest number of disappearances seemed to be occurring and what other news he had learned on the journey. Hoseforn and Maurine shared what little they knew of the disappearances and spoke a while about their plans for Sa’Hari’s training. After a couple of hours of conversation Na’Has excused himself, explaining that his party would be leaving before daybreak, as he was anxious to get back to his people and make sure they were all okay. The three said their goodbyes, the goodbye between Maurine and Na’Has seeming... odd.

Maurine watched the door as Na’Has left, an odd unreadable look on her face. After a moment she turned to see Hoseforn staring very hard at an upside-down piece of paper. After a moment he looked up and began to speak before Maurine cut him off. “Not a word.”

“What? I didn’t say anything.”

“Let’s keep it that way. I don’t need any of your remarks.”

“Remarks? Remarks on what? I see nothing to remark on.” Hoseforn went back to looking at the paper he was holding, flipping it so that it sat the right way up. But after a moments pause. “Although….”

“DON’T!”

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Sa’Hari looked at Karya with a slightly inquisitive look on his face. “Mountains? Oreads I meet in desert. Strange this?” To be fair he hadn’t spoken much to the Oreads who traded with his people. But if they usually lived in the mountains, they were quite a ways away from their homeland. There was probably a good reason for it, he supposed.

When she asked if he was human, he hesitated. “Ehh, human? Not quite. I am child of Na’Has. We are not same.” This was a concept Sa’Hari knew he was not equipped to explain well. His people looked human, but the power of their demi-god flowed through each of their veins. It allowed them to change, become stronger, faster, and harder to hurt. It was this blood that made them such fierce warriors as well. If anything, they were more closely related to the Naga that once called the desert their home then humans, though he did not understand this concept well either. All these things, Sa’Hari did not want to explain to an outsider. Karya seemed alright he supposed, but he didn’t trust her enough to explain his people’s ways yet.

Sa’Hari turned as he heard Athena chime in again, greeting another person to the room. A third roommate? A quick glance around showed him that he had indeed missed the third bed. Strange.

Sa’Hari looked at the newcomer, intent to begrudgingly greet them, and stopped cold in his tracks. The young person before him had a slender form and a curled set of ram’s horns coming from their head. Interestingly, they seemed to hold both feminine and masculine traits, though that mattered little to Sa’Hari. There was only one people he knew who looked like this ‘Wayafar.’ He though to himself, nearly hissing at the thought. He had rarely seen one in person, but every time he had the experience had not gone well.

Sa’Hari wasn’t exactly sure what had caused it, but a schism had existed between the Fang’s of Na’Has and the Wayafar people for generations. He had been taught by many of his elders that the Wayafar people were weak lambs, too easily led to slaughter. He knew of their love of stories and myths, but this was another mark against them in Sa’Hari’s mind. Stories were nothing but prettily told lies, not to be considered by any real warrior.

He had been close to expressing these thoughts with action or words, when things he had spoken of with his brother stopped him. Nih’Ras had spoken only a little of the Wayafar people, but he had always seemed a little sad that there was such strife between them. He had expressed, in confidence to Sa’Hari as most of his people would have balked at the ridiculous idea, a wish to mend the relationship between the two peoples and become friends or even allies. This was a hard concept for Sa’Hari to grasp, as the weak did not deserve such treatment. What was there to gain from a relationship with ones such as this? Still, he would dishonor his chief to act to rashly.
Sa’Hari lifted the hem of his hood so that it covered his mouth and hid any discomfort he felt from being in the Wayafar’s presence. He willed his body to relax, and it did… a little. Deliberately keeping his hand away from his sword he looked at the Wayafar, who was apparently named Taari, and simply said, “I..Am…Sa’Hari.” His voice was strained, but he managed to keep any audible hiss from it. He looked down as he heard a thud and saw Karya scrambling to her feet. It seemed she had fallen…again. ‘What is this hell you have placed me in, brother?’ Sa’Hari thought to himself, groaning internally.

@LuckyBlackCat@StOpossum

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Selena had enjoyed her third bath of the day, having just finished drying her hair with a rune stone Finn’s mother gave her. She walked out of the bathroom and towards her bed. Having forgotten her clothes on her bed. However she stopped at the balcony to look out towards the moon. This world was so much different from hers, yet the moon was still the same. She sighed as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moonlight…that was till she heard the door open.

Her hair stood on end as she realized it was a boy, quickly squatting down she, she hid behind the couch. She took little comfort that the boy was a kitsune himself. She saw his ears and tail pop into existence. So she quickly turned into a Fox herself. The towel that was wrapped around her now flew on top of her.

”Who are you!? How did you find me?!” She said angrily. In their native tongue. She darted to her bed and grabbed her clothes with her mouth and raced over to the bathroom. Slamming it shut with her back paws.

Returning to her normal form, she quickly dressed in the bathroom. Her heart stopped racing as she realized he must come to this school as well…Athena was giving him the same welcome she gave her. It would explain how he got into the room…the door unlocked for him. While she was still angry at the fact he walked in on her in just a towel…it was her fault for not bringing her clothes in with her. She just didn’t realize the room was co ed.

She slowly opened the door and peeked out of the bathroom. He was still in the same position. Her brain had time to focus now, but she was still hesitant. Most of the white haired Kitsune were on the mountain shrine with her, there were not many left after they fled the continent. She did not recognize him or his smell, and his accent was off, like it was a second language for him.

She walked over slowly, realizing more he might not be someone from their homeland to bring her back. Her arms folded, as if it added an extra layer to cover herself. She sniffed again. ”You’re… not from Inarikami are you? She asked in their tongue. Studying him closely, but still keeping her distance. He didn’t dress like them, he hid his ears and tail. Something she could not do, nor others from the island.

Quickly she forgot about the grievous sin of seeing her in a towel. Back in Inarkami he would have been put to death. ”Who are you…” She said slowly… Before she wrinkled her nose a bit. Taking a step away. “Why do you smell like a cat? How did you hide your ears and tail…” Was this a trick? She never knew a kitsune was able to do that. He did smell slightly like one, but the smell of cat overpowered it.