Wingram Academy, Main Building
@Nanaya, @ERode

---

Ciara listened carefully as Otis spoke, absorbing his advice readily. The leylines of Wingram had a nexus. And, with the fates that be, she just so happened to be fighting against an ordained knight who would be taking full advantage of that. Ciara didn't have as much of an opportunity to study Iraleth's fighting ability, but form what she gathered in the auditorium, she wanted to be very, very careful when approaching that sword of hers, especially with the nexus at her back.

Ciara held back a roll of her eyes. Iraleth could also fly. That would prove troublesome.

Was there anything else Ciara was missing, though? She had only seen Iraleth's flying, her armour, her sword, and her shield. These would all be enhanced by the nexus. But... was there anything else?

Ciara pursed her lips, staring hard at the ground as they stood. She supposed she'd find out later that day. And why she was an anointed knight. What that meant.

"You are doing this because you can't afford to lose, right? If not, then I can puzzle out how to make for a reasonable defeat instead."

Ciara's temper flared slightly as her amber eyes locked with his. They paced down the hallway, exiting the cafeteria, Ciara catching a glimpse of Chunji out of the corner of her eye.

There's no time, focus.

She glanced back at Otis, trying to hide that he had ruffled her feathers.

"Defeat is not an option. I'll happily destroy the proving grounds if it means Iraleth is caught in the blast."

Did she actually mean that?

She had to. There wasn't any other option. Not for a dark soul like her. Not for a broken toy left out in the cold, not for a bruised and battered haunt that didn't understand her place in the world.

As they stood outside room 103, a familiar dark aura started seeping off Ciara's form.

"I.. can't afford to lose."

As soon as the aura started, it stopped. There was a ringing in Ciara's ears. Her eyes widened in realization.

Iraleth had no temporal lord. She served the church. The church was known for its use of Ciara's ultimate bane: white magic.

She got a bit pale in the face, hoping against all odds that she was wrong. That she had come to an incorrect solution. Her hands pressed on her knees.

She might actually be severely outmatched, if white magic was going to be amplified in the nexus.

"...I think I'm going to be sick."

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

The hallways of the main building were pure chaos. Students rushed from place to place, desperately seeking their classrooms and panicking as minutes ticked on. Others found themselves more composed, moving with purpose as they entered into their respective rooms, avoiding the rising tension of the halls. At the very least, fights weren't breaking out - not yet, anyway. Perhaps now that people knew their positions were secured, there was less need to attempt murder on one another.

For the students of classroom 103, otherwise known as Compact 3, there would be no such troubles in the first place as they made their respective ways over; even as the clock ticked over to 8:55 AM, the teacher of their class was nowhere to be seen. A sticky note was attached to the top of each desk, noting the seating arrangement of the class. The room itself was rather mundane, showing little sign of the prestige associated with Wingram's larger than life presentation, and may have even felt nostalgic with its faint aromas of eraser shavings and sweaty leather. Davil and Rio could be seen chatting by a window near the front of class overlooking the courtyard, sunlight shining in on a bright day for Vaal Nero's future heroes. Chloe, meanwhile, was slowly examining each desk to find hers, all the while trying to make as little eye contact with her classmates as possible.

Despite its mundane appearance, the flow of essence was strong in this room. It was charged, as if a spell or ritual of some kind need only have its words spoken aloud to initiate something massive. Even to one not attempting to gauge the area's essence, that much was obvious, as if a sixth sense triggered as a reflex. For now, though, it remained a regular classroom with seating arrangements to be discovered and a teacher yet to appear. Chloe would throw a glance towards Iraleth every now and again, and Davil would continue pulling Rio into a one-sided conversation while occasionally throwing very different glances towards Ciara and Otis. Rio, however, remained relatively expressionless.

So she didn't want to lose, and would strive to win by any means necessary, but now, hours before the duel began, she was now feeling anxious about it? Otis stared at Ciara, at the emotional turmoil, the chaotic essence that swirled within her like moon-pulled tides against an underground cove. He wondered, briefly, what there was to do about it. If she lost this duel, would that mean that their transaction later that night would become void? Or did such dark emotions serve as a finer fuel than the 'determination to win' when it came to manifesting her Umbralist magics? There were plenty of questions, but in the end...

"If you're going to be sick, then stay sick."

He wasn't the sympathetic sort.

"Just because you can't lose, doesn't mean you must win."

With that, Otis opened the door and stepped in.

It was a bright room, warmed by the sunlight that illuminated it. From his understanding of the layout of the building, the courtyard was adjacent to Compact 3, serving as an excellent distraction for students who had no intention of being students. Fools they were, to not appreciate the sheer gravity of the essence that flowed through this room. Back in Rekordia, he had to travel to the outskirts just to get a lick of an arcane conduit, had accomplished most of his arcane studies through pure theory and visualizations. Here? There were ritual rooms in Vaal Shakta that paled in comparison to the fluctuations he had sensed. The hairs on his arms rose up, even beneath the thick sleeves of his overcoat, as Otis scanned the room. If this was what was afforded for one of many classrooms, what could he expect from the proving grounds?

What could he accomplish, with free access to just this room? Otis chewed on his thumbnail, his brow furrowing, going over all the experimentations, all the demonstrations, all the conjurations. It wouldn't provide an advantage in combat, necessary, for it would amplify any employment of essence, but if one only wanted to accomplish something grand? It would be wonderful!

Which meant, of course, that he had to secure the optimal spot.

Rapid steps brought him to the middle of the front row, the Strigidae not even glancing at the notes stuck upon the desks. Position mattered, not name. It didn't even matter really that he closed in on the same desk that someone else did. A half-elf. The pink-haired one that had practically been carried through the entire entrance examination by the shield-surfer. Whatever injuries she had received that rendered her useless were gone now, but Otis didn't care either way. There were greater incompetents out there amongst the student population that still reached the auditorium with their own two feet, regardless of the Mannekins or Valen's grandstanding. To be lesser than them?

"I do not recognize you," he said, pulling the sticky note off the desk. "So you must be Chloe Steeler. Here's your note. We will swap desks." There were only a handful of students, a handful of desks. He could calculate where his desk ought to be at a glance. "Mine is at the back, beside the courtyard windows. I am certain someone like you would prefer this arrangement as well."

Seating arrangements may have been set by the professor, of course, but that was another bridge to cross at another time. If it came down to it, after all, Otis was wholly fine with simply having his work accredited to Chloe when it came to in-class assignments and participation.

Wingram Academy, Main Building
@Nanaya, @ERode

---

"If you're going to be sick, then stay sick."

Ciara's eyes widened, watching.

"Just because you can't lose, doesn't mean you must win.”

Wasn't that counterintuitive? Ciara watched as Otis turned his back on her, entering the classroom.

Wasn't winning the only option?

Unless…

An idea took form in Ciara's mind, and she straightened up a bit. Maybe there was a way to win without winning.

“You've prepared, little Hunger. Now we wait.” A deep, soft Voice spoke in her mind.

Yes. No need to get ahead of herself. No need to nerve herself out so soon. The dark one had, strangely enough, imparted even more advice.

Yes. There was a way to win without winning.

Ciara took a confident step into the classroom, before her head tilted. The air felt different. Heavy, like wetness in the air right after a downpour of warm rain had stopped. The soil soaked, leaves drenched.

It felt…

“Are we home?” The childlike Voice spoke out abruptly, eager and curious.

Ciara's brows furrowed. “Not possible… but it feels like home.”

Yes. She could practically see the overgrowth, verdant green, bursting from the walls. Like if she tapped out a secret code on the wall, this plain white would pull away and reveal the essence she could feel.

Like warm, buttered toast.

A soft smile crept on her face, momentarily forgetting her struggles, and took her seat in the front row closest to the door, setting her coffee down. Her head dipped, inhaling the pleasant atmosphere of the room charged with anticipation.

Briefly, she watched Otis exchange words with a girl she didn't know. Chloe? Davil was here as well, speaking with the one who could form shields. Iraleth and Hildegunde were here as well.

Briefly, she wondered, as she had overheard talk in the hallways. What was the difference between a standard class and a compact one?

With how the room was charged, she anticipated yet another eventful morning, and she settled back in her seat, sipping her coffee, mind racing with curiosity as the time ticked down.

Iraleth could feel the influx of essence from the moment she stepped into the room. She paused for a moment, taking it in. How gratuitous. At the very least, Wingram was sparing no expense in this matter. Even the facilities available in Vaal Nero's cathedral hadn't matched up to this. The half-elf resisted the urge to let out a low whistle, and continued on into the room. She found her seat easily enough, marked in the center row towards the right, and promptly sat her plated behind down in it, reaching into her bag to extract her study materials.

Classroom and book learning had never been a strength of hers. Even learning scriptures as part of her religious education had been trying, and arguably the most difficult part of her path towards becoming an Astran paladin. That only meant she had to focus and try harder. There were a few minutes left before class was supposed to begin, but it didn't hurt to prepare now.

Though it was difficult to get into the right mindset to focus when Iraleth could practically feel eyes on her every now and then. She looked up and glanced around for a moment only to catch...ah. The girl with the crippling Ethos. Otis was seemingly trying to bargain with her for a change of seating, so Iraleth only settled for dryly raising an eyebrow at Chloe, waiting to see how she would respond. What, was the other half-elf sore over Iraleth's easy defeat of her yesterday? If so, it was just karma for how Chloe had been treating those she'd defeated before Iraleth arrived on the scene.

Hildegunde was one of the last to enter the room. Like many of the students in the halls, she was a certifiable mess; her hair stood up in various spots from running, her jacket still unzipped. She was more relieved than anything to find that their professor wasn't here yet, only to immediately feel a new sense of dread. There was hardly time to breathe in the familiar essence that flowed freely here, or bask in the mundane nostalgic scent of eraser shavings.

Indeed, even her worries about the upcoming fight were swiftly replaced with a much more immediate anxiety.

Seating arrangements.

She spots her place almost immediately, right next to where Outis would be. A place that the Strigidae was trying to swap with her. Why was that damned half elf everywhere?

No matter. Chloe or no Chloe, she'd have done what she's about to do all the same.

She seats herself on the floor, in front of the furthermost row. The ground is more comfortable to the hunter. Furthermore, she wouldn't have to deal with any of the students acting up and distracting her if they were all behind her. Some teachers would object to this, but in Hildegunde's experience, it was usually students who paid this more mind than instructors. And she did not particularly care what the students thought.

Chunji didn't particular mind with the current setup with the classroom. Students had already taken their 'seats' as the bespectacled student searched for his name. Whoever assigned the classroom roster made it clear that they would've like a certain dynamic. Having Ms. Steeler be with the knight and marksman in the same room was no doubt a deliberate choice to create competitiveness amongst students. There was also the five of them, including himself, who were ones that defeated Gullivier. Perhaps they thought the group developed some sort camaraderie.

Taking a seat in the front row on the left side of the room, Chunji picked up the sticky note. The seat was to Chunji's preference. Up close to where he could hear the Professor and his point of view would give him a good angle to see. It was also fairly isolated from everyone else. The only one who would be on the same row would be the Shadow Witch who was positioned on the other side of the room. It was unknown if the Owl boy would sit there as he had taken his sticky note and walked to the back of the room.

As for the overflowing essence in the room, Chunji decided not to bother with it. Friviously use of his Ethos, as low maintenance as it demanded, would only make him slack and unprepared for situation where he wouldn't be able to use it. For now, Chunji took out a book that he had borrowed from the library and placed it down on to the table. Flipping the book open, he read it until the Professor would enter into the room.

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

Chloe leaned away from Otis, her eyes darting about the room at the faces of her fellow students of Compact 3. Her focus half-turned towards Otis as she cupped her hands together, spite taking hold of her. "How could you think I'd just say yes to that? Front of the class is my stars given right, and I won't be denied it just like that."

Glancing elsewhere for a few moments, her attention met Rio, who was now staring dead at her while ignoring Davil's mundane corner ramblings about whether crunchy or smooth peanut butter was superior. Their silent exchange was brief, but telling. With a softening of her previously sharp features, Chloe looked directly at Otis, her sunset irises showing defiance, and after another moment... resignation. As quick as that, she raised a welcoming hand towards her former desk out in front, and pouted like a child. While still looking at him, she'd say, "I-I suppose you can have it, yes. This will, indeed, be to both of our benefits. Just... some more manners next time, maybe? Some pleasantries wouldn't hurt."

The frill-elf retreated slowly to her new seat at the back corner by the window, sulking as she turned her attention to the courtyard outside. As the clock ticked down to the turn of the hour, Rio and Davil also took their respective seats - Rio now directly in front of Chloe by the window, and Davil off in the opposite corner in the back. As conversations died down, leaving nothing in its place but anticipation, the door once more swung open as the final moments of 8:59 were preparing to roll over to 9:00.

A young man in a blue tunic nearly slid through the doorway, leather traveler's bag in one hand and sheathed longsword in the other. Tossing each haphazardly onto his desk while still only just standing inches from the entrance, they landed perfectly on top with not so much as a clatter. His eyes were wide with anxiety and his breathing was arrhythmic, hands on his knees as he leaned against himself. He'd mutter, "Made it," to himself with a triumphant chuckle as he did his best to regain his composure.

Taking a deep exhale, he turned to look at the class before him. "Good to meet all of you. I'll be the primary teacher and overseer of Compact 3 for the year. My name is-"

While pacing towards his desk, chest puffed in an effort to look official, the man tripped over his own feet and stumbled into his office chair, doing several spins before slamming hard against his desk. A thousand yard stare plagued him for several seconds as his heart beat like a jackrabbit, before brushing it off as if it were part of the process. A planned, stylish jump, rather than an ongoing mental battle against first day jitters, clearly.

"My name is Alto. I'm twenty two years old, I have a pet goat named Vermilion, and I'm guilty of losing many paycheques every year gambling over Strigari Academy's skirmish tournament. I'll be Compact 3's teacher in the ways of essence manipulation, the history of essence's uses, and in refining each of your Ethos... Ethosi? Whatever the plural is."

Alto withdrew a thermos from his bag, uncorking it, allowing the scent of strong, bitter mixed spices and meats to overtake the room as he took a sip of some kind of steaming homemade stew. His posture loosened as he did so, sighing in relief as a warm smile graced his features. Finally, he would set it on his desk and clear the space of clutter as he looked out among the class with a more focused expression.

"Today's topic will be on survival. There's no point in preparing you guys as defenders of the Union and beyond if you haven't even grasped the basics of keeping your own body working in battle. And so today, we'll be focusing on a coating-type application of essence: the Personal Barrier, otherwise known as PB for short. You'll be seriously maimed or dead in seconds without it, against the kind of opponent that would threaten national stability."

Wiping a bit of sleep from his eyes, the teacher peered over his desk to make eye contact with Hildegunde, his brow furrowing, seemingly having just noticed her for the first time. Running a hand through his short windswept hair, he'd glare at her in confusion for a few moments before speaking. "If you wouldn't mind heading to your seat, before we begin, miss? Please and thank you, with a hint of cherry on top."

Regardless of whether Hildegunde complied, Alto would continue with a slow sweeping gesture of his hand across the class, stating, "And also before we begin in full, how about a little bit from each of you? Your age, a fun fact, an unfun fact, and what you hope to accomplish this year within Wingram's confines. I'm sure we'll get to know each of our abilities intimately, so why not start with something a bit simpler like that? Whoever wants to start first may do so - I hope we're all mature enough to where I don't need to pick!"

Hildegunde's face scrunchies up some as she observes this man - hardly any older than her - tumble into the classroom. Her stomach aches at the scent of the stew, still not having eaten today. To top it all off, she's still groggy from having more or less just woken up. The chaos from yesterday still feels fresh in her mind. She still has to stop two girls from killing each other later today. Even if she were not so annoyed, her response would probably not change.

She speaks without raising her hand. Her voice is sharp and clear. Her expression one of unamusement.


"Hildegunde Nachtnebel. Nineteen. My fun fact is that me sitting here hurts no one. My unfun fact is that I am already very tired of this school's prying into other people's business when unnecessary. And I sure hope you'll take the hint before asking 'bout the last bit."

The process of employing faculty seemed to be a difficult job for Principal Raja. Regardless on what Chunji thought about Alto, the man in front of him was Professor Alto. Chunji had to respect him as a Professor and Alto may have some capacity to teaching if Principal Raja was the one to employ him. Alto was considerably younger, when compared to Professor Lumyr, with the age gap being four year. Was there some sort of commonality?

Though they were not jumping straight to learning rather than an introductory course on what to expect from the class. Chunji presumed this was normal as he hadn't been to school before. Either way, what Alto said about Personal Barrier seemed to be a useful skill to learn. Personal Barrier would allow some room for error in the heat of battle. As Chunji had learn during orientation, skill and dexterity weren't enough to avoid injuries. Learning to block more efficient may prove useful.

Seeing Alto prompting his peers and himself, Chunji looked Alto dead in the eye. "Chunji Yi, 18, the average human body consists of 207 bones, I was once bitten by a snake and was bedridden for a month, my goal is to become a doctor." The former information was spoken in a dry tone, which may hint in indifference. While some part was true, Chunji saw that introduction were essential to camaderie. The problem was that Chunji didn't know what to say. His life wasn't particularly interesting and all he knew was anatomy. So Chunji did his best and relayed information that he thought was suitable.

Chunji wanted to ask a few questions but reserved them for later. Would there be more students in the classroom? There seemed to be a lot of vacant seats. Furthermore, how would one refine their ethos? Chunji was fairly curious on what Alto was referring to.

Huh. She'd been expecting someone more...seasoned. Certainly not a teacher only three years older than her. And damned well not someone that tripped over his own two feet so easily. Or were academic types just this naturally scatterbrained overall? Plus he was evidently just having breakfast now. She'd concerned herself over preparing for this? Iraleth managed to keep an incredulous look off her face by virtue of the fact that at the very least, their new teacher's first day syllabus at least seemed sensible.

As for the introduction...was this truly necessary? Most of the people within this room were at least vaguely familiar with each other already. And besides, it just seemed juvenile. Still, this was their assigned instructor. Like it or not, he had authority in this situation. So after Hildegund and Chunji made their introductions, Iraleth dutifully raised her hand for a moment, lowering it once she began speaking.

"Iraleth Kyrios, age nineteen. There exists a local festival that should be taking place in this region within a moon or so. However, thanks to the ongoing blackouts, this year's celebration may be cancelled altogether. I hope to become as able a knight as possible so as to serve the church and Vaal Nero."

Hm, perhaps he misread her.

“If you wish to remain in the front, then I will take a seat to your side instead,” the Strigidae spoke, offering his own compromise. He had presumed her to be the type to slack off and sleep, considering how she had spent the entire entrance exam like that, but if the elven girl truly wanted to learn? In the face of her spite, of her defiance, of her resignation, Otis responded with only a neutral flexibility.

It was up to her whether or not she ultimately decided to join the boy who signalled her at the back or remained in the front row. Regardless of her decision, his own was set in stone.

Indeed, it was that particular exchange that prevented Otis from entirely judging Alto as well, despite his own clownish behavior. There was a certain vibe present, one that reminded him heavily of his roommate, but the acrobatics displayed proved a certain amount of martial prowess, at least, while the soup that was brought…well, how interesting. The aroma of meat was strong, but to mix those with bitter herbs, the type that more often accompanied medicinal soups? A curious choice indeed.

Still a question was poised, and unlike some, he made a habit of answer questions as often as he asked them.

“I am Otis Tan Arillo, from the Rekordian Empire. I should be 16 years old, but that’s knowledge gained second-hand. In terms of facts that are fun, I would have to say that one of my long-term projects is the crystallization of emotional essence into consumable powders, which can be utilized to forcibly induce a mental state conducive to casting certain spells, even in situations where achieving that mental state may be bothersome. Unfun facts are harder to uncover, but I suppose it’s somewhat annoying that the nature of Ethe is such that restrictions exist only on a case-by-case basis, making experimentation with them involve far too much guesswork."

He allowed himself to think a bit more about the last question. His ultimate goal wasn’t going to be accomplished within a year, so what would be a good milestone?

“As for this year, I intend on entering the Ascendis Dormitory through official means and defeating Valen Leuvalt. The former is the priority, but the latter would be more satisfying. Now, Instructor Alto, I’ve a question as well. Is Alto your first or last name?”

Wingram Academy, Main Building
@Nanaya

---

"And also before we begin in full, how about a little bit from each of you?"

Ciara almost spat out her coffee as Professor Alto started class by asking for secrets. Personal details. She wiped a hand across her face, trying to hold back a cough. Did she swallow wrong? Who started a class like this? Wasn't this a school that praised skill over silly things like feelings?

Then she remembered Michael. His kindness. No, even if the preliminary trials were focused on power and battle prowess, the school seemed to have a soft spot for students.

Hildegunde went first, standing, or rather, sitting, in her solidarity. Ciara found herself nodding along, immediately reflecting back to seeing Hildegunde's hand brushing up against the spike in the Head Advisor's office.

The boy with glasses, the analyst from Gulliver's fight, went next. Ciara recognized him, providing valuable battle intel in the heat of their struggle against the giant golem. Quiet fellow. Bones? Was he an aspiring doctor? Ah- yes, her guess was right. Chunji's finishing statement answered her inquiry, and Ciara smirked.

The one and only light of lights, Iraleth, went next. Ciara had yet to see a light as bright as hers. She wouldn't be surprised if Iraleth was, in fact, the brightest light in the entire school. It would be beautiful... if they weren't fighting later that day.

Ciara's eyes narrowed into a glare, sharply looking away as Iraleth spoke. She couldn't let her guard down. Not for a second. Serve the church... Her suspicion of white magic might not be far-fetched after all.

Then, Otis spoke up. His voice was calm and level. More long-winded than the rest. Ascendis? Was that part of the full name of the Record? Its importance increased in those two seconds as he spoke about it. If it was one of his goals, it had to be important.

And she just happened to be having a duel there later that day.

Strangely, a sly smile crept over her features. Maybe her trial was actually a blessing in disguise.

As Otis shot a question back at the teacher, Ciara's eyes shot to the door. There was a quiet stretch in the room. Maybe it was better to ghost, avoid these questions. Alas, if she were to dip, she wouldn't discover this PB the teacher mentioned.

After Professor Alto answered or ignored Otis' question, Ciara would take advantage of the monetary quiet. SHe set her coffee to the side, resting her head on a hand.

"Ciara Ventura. 16. Perfect red leaves bring good luck. The strongest win. I don't have any goals, really." Just keeping my head above water.

"Liar. You have a goal." Came the sharp, biting Voice in her mind.

"It's more short-term."

"No. It's long-term. And it's larger than the dark one's."

"It's a dream. I don't know if I have the strength."

"Little Hunger, you don't have the luxury of doubt. Remember what is at stake."

Ciara fell silent as the conversation played out behind her eyes. Did she really have a goal, in this dizzying, entrancing school? Did she dare to dream, when she was so close to losing everything?

She had to. How could she pretend to sit here calmly if she didn't have a shred of hope?

Yes, she had to have some form of goal.

Live through this day.

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

Chloe shook her head at Otis, her mind seemingly made up as she took a seat at the back of class by the window. "It's probably for the best if I grow accustomed to the backline early, anyway," was all she would say, an expression of pure neutrality on her face.

As students began to make their introductions, Alto's face built up with sweat gradually. His face was a stone block and his eyes were aware and comprehensive, but there was tension in his posture as he held on for dear life with his clasped hands laying on his desk. He'd nod as each student finished, up until a brow raised at Otis' stated goal and immediate question. His left brow made the slightest twitch, for the slightest moment, before returning to its prior state upon the stony exterior that Alto was trying to maintain. It was unclear what got to him more: the brutal honesty of moving towards Valen's defeat, or being asked more about himself. Perhaps both tied.

"It's my first name, in fact. I consider myself an escapee of the Rekordia regime, and so like many others throughout history, I've taken up the surname of Wund for the purpose of forms and documentation. I realize it's fallen out of popularity nowadays for exiles removed of their family crests to take up the name Wund, but it has a certain 'new start' kind of aura to it, doesn't it? The Old Rekordian word for 'Wander'... it has a very romantic connotation that I think goes unnoticed in the modern day, quite frankly."

Alto would stare directly towards Davil as he finished, smiling at the boy, who returned a confused and anxious look. He shot out of his chair as he stared at Alto, nodding as he cleared his throat.

"Davil Wund, original surname unknown! Seventeen years of age, I like reading comics depicting the adventures of the Shoguknights of Eastern Loustrain, and one hundred percent of people who have consumed water have died at some point! Er, throughout this year, I'd like to train my body and mind so that I can become a student of the Mirrisian Waterstep - an Azuris fencer!"

Alto's brow again raised at this, followed by a dismissive chuckle shortly thereafter, saying, "You and everyone else, at some point. Best set your sights lower. Far too young."

At that, the teacher would quickly shift from Davil's crushed expression over to Chloe's head just poking out from under her hand - a facepalm echoing seconds prior as Davil made his declaration. With her forehead still red, she spoke next. "I'm Chloe Steeler. Eighteen. My family have been the honorable owners of a very successful Shaktan coal mining company since the late 1300's. My unfun fact is that clearly, nepotism and underhanded tricks are what get one into the Ascendis Dormitory, or else I'd have my rightful spot there instead of... here. My goal for this year is to find the answer to something from childhood, and to see someone again as a result."

While Chloe was in the middle of her introduction, Rio exited his seat and slowly nudged his way over towards the teacher's desk, a note gripped in his hand. As she finished, he would place the crumpled note on Alto's desk, who would then read it in silence while half-nodding in acknowledgement to Chloe's words. He'd shoot a glance at Rio as the boy returned to his desk, and then crumple the note in his pants' pocket.

"That takes care of class intros, then. Good to hear, good to hear, I'm already feeling the love from all of you! In the process of going through this, the build-up of emotional essence has definitely circulated through you all in one form or another. While the weakest type of essence, it's also the most plentiful for absorption as we go about our days. Simply speaking about who we are and listening in kind, taking in our various reactions and quirks, I'm sure you all understand that you're already filling your metaphorical batteries for the proper task?"

In a single motion, Alto reached for his longsword, unsheathed it and tossed it directly upwards above him. It almost felt as if time slowed as he spoke, and a small breeze passed by his desk and through him as the sword spun towards the ceiling. A smile was on his face as his eyes stared across the class.

"The more we listen and understand of others, the further we'll go. Emotional essence is weak individually - the weakest kind - and a single thought or feeling cannot alter the wind's course. But when we share ourselves and our collective experiences, process, and internalize? Genuine understanding amongst the many?"

The sword began its descent, tip pointed directly towards Alto's head as it fell. He sat in his desk, finishing his scan of the room as he prepared to end his introductory lecture. Davil panicked and jumped out of his chair at this point, and made a mad dash to try in vain to move the teacher out of the way. He wouldn't be fast enough.

"We convert all of that into something tangible, with the right practice. That'll be Compact 3's word of the day: convert. If you prepare and anticipate, you become unbreakable."

Clang.

For a brief flash as the sword's razor tip made contact with the top of Alto's head, it was as if a thin, solid layer of wind made contact with and repelled the blade with the durability of thick steel, sending it clattering uselessly into the wall behind him. The sword stuck there, a slight chip beginning to form along it as Alto stood out of his desk. Davil returned to his desk in confusion as Alto removed his longsword from the wall, not a single bruise or scratch atop his head as he sheathed his weapon.

"I've prepared a course for the lot of you today. Some hands-on training, let's say, to test how well you can form a Personal Barrier and keep it active against attacks, and how much pressure yours can take before it breaks. Any questions or concerns, before we begin? How much practice does everyone have with forming a PB?"

So that's what their names were. Chunji took mental note of those who fought with him at the auditorium. Otis, Ciara, Iraleth, and Hildegrunde. Along with their mannerism based on their brief introductions, this group was an odd group. Nonethenless they were going to see each other for a year. Forming connections would make future interactions more fluid and concise, which would be helpful in situation where a fight may be incurred. That was a smaller priority however. Chunji wanted to focus on his studies before all else.

When the word 'empathy' was said, Chunji immediately reminded of the librarian. Empathy seemed to be a recurring theme, he'd need to find a way to better understand that word. Chunji's eyes followed Alto's movements. The moment Alto drew out his sword, Davil suddenly came out of his seat in a sprint. Only for the sword to bounce off of Alto's head. Out of courtesy, Chunji focused on the demonstration rather than the circus- his peer that was returning to his seat.

Now it was time for questions. Personal Barrier, or PB, seemed troublesome to learn. Chunji would need to make a few adjustments to suit Personal Barrier for his own needs, but it'd be best if he experimented with the original technique. "While I understand the fundamentals, I'm inexperienced in the application of it." Chunji informed the instructor. There were a few spells that he knew that performed the same function as Personal Barrier, so he'd have to borrow some of that experience and try to combine it with emotional essence.

She could at least learn something from a bit of what the others were saying. Otis had some kind of problem of his own with the Leuvalt boy. Or he was just using him as a measuring stick. Good information to know for the future. Chloe was...still a bitch. At the very least, she was more subdued than yesterday.

The lecture began, and Iraleth sat up straight, paying close attention to the material. At least it began to confirm that despite their instructor's faults, Wingram at least knew what it was doing having him teach. Really, this was more complex than Professor Wund was making it out to be. There was a reason that most likely everyone in here didn't quite know how to do this yet. And speaking of,

"I've heard the theory for this at least, but it was never taught in practice. Basic training covered lesser versions of this using light essence." Iraleth confirmed to Professor Wund. Astran magic instruction covered holy barriers, but those were clearly less efficient than simply defending one's flesh.

Wingram Academy, Classroom 103
@Nanaya

---

Her mouth went slack jaw as she watched.

The sword was about to strike Professor Alto through!

She could see Davil wasn't going to make it in time, and acted herself. Instantly, a black appendage reached out from under the shadow of her hand, snapping forward, reaching for the hilt of the sword. She was gonna save him!

But, just as she was about to grasp it, the sword bounced off an invisible force and clattered away, exposing a black appendage hovering over Professor Alto's head awkwardly.

"...Oh." She mumbled, and retracted the darkness.

"I've prepared a course for the lot of you today. Some hands-on training, let's say, to test how well you can form a Personal Barrier and keep it active against attacks, and how much pressure yours can take before it breaks. Any questions or concerns, before we begin? How much practice does everyone have with forming a PB?"

Light essence.

That's all Ciara heard as Chunji and Iraleth spoke up. Light essence...

Light essence?!

That confirmed it. Ciara could feel a shudder ripple through her body. She would be facing her one weakness later that day, in the nexus of Wingram.

Great.

She clenched her teeth together. Perhaps this training would be useful. Maybe she could use it later.

"No questions, sir. I'm ready to start." She said, a sudden seriousness in her tone.

That was Wund?

Otis’s face twisted slightly as he went and reformed his expectations and presumptions once more. Paired with Leuvalt, and aligned with the historical, the mythical Shaktis Wund had seemed like another individual from a storied family, but to see that it had that sort of origin instead…

Interesting!

And it was interesting too, the way that the note was crumpled and then stored in the pants pocket of the teacher. Otis’s amber eyes traced Rio as the boy returned to his seat, then settled back upon Alto’s hip. If the opportunity presented itself, then he would have to see if he could slip that note out, if only to satisfy his curiosity. Secretive things such as these certainly would be difficult to obtain with just an open-hearted question, after all. Especially when there were those ruffians that assailed Rio in the morning too. Curious, curious, curious!

Less curious was the demonstration of the Personal Barrier.

The showmanship didn’t accomplish anything for Otis, after all. The subjective of a paper-thin yet powerful personal barrier was interesting only in its construction. He never intended on becoming a warrior in the same way that some others desired to, but if that was how Valen was able to thwart the attack of over a hundred students? Well, it was somewhat disappointing. The most boring answer around, really.

Still, if disinterest along was enough to stifle his ability to learn, Otis would have never reached the academic heights that he did.
“I can form a Personal Barrier,” the Strigidae spoke, with unerring certainty. “Though my own life is not one in which there is a demand to refine and improve it in the manner that your barrier has been, Instructor.”

No objections to her seating choice. Hildegunde relaxes, suppressing the urge to snrk at the 'feeling the love from all of you' comment. Silly professor. She is not here to love, she is hear to learn. She sits in full shrimp position, head craned forward and back hunched, observing with the kind of intensity that is usually reserved for the hunt. A small scowl on her face. Was that the purpose of this school's meddlesomeness? This 'deeper understanding'?

She feels her muscles tighten as the sword is tossed into the air, but makes no attempt to get up. It's showmanship. She knows this. She remains seated, watching idly as Davil and Ciara attempted to 'save' the professor.

Still, expected showmanship or otherwise, her eyebrows do raise when the sword flies towards the wall. Impressive. She silently wonders how a PB would interact with her Ethos, but she dares not raise the question.

"No practice. Two questions. One, does our PB extend to inanimate objects on our person, or is it only to our own living personhood. Two, what are the consequences of continued attack from our peers if our PB breaks?"

The first question is asked to see if she can eventually answer her private one. She's mostly thinking of Chloe when asking the second one. She seems to have calmed in her outward sadism from yesterday, but she still doesn't trust her.

@Estylwen@Psyker Landshark@ERode@AThousandCurses@Sifr

CLASSROOM 103

A glare was shot towards Ciara after her shadow had shot forth, though it was only momentary. As if seeing shadowy limbs of that nature snapped him to attention with immediate recognition, though tension left him upon seeing the shocked face of one of his students as the demonstration was carried out. "I'll kindly ask you to be more careful acting on impulse around demonstrations, Ms. Ventura. In the future, it could be dangerous if you threw unnecessary variables into an otherwise expected - and safe - result. Thank you."

With that, Alto nodded as he took in various answers around the classroom, pen and paper out as he crudely wrote down each student's words as they were fired his way. All the while he made humming, "Mhm," noises while keeping his eyes firmly locked on his notepad. He seemed to expect the sum total of knowledge in the room to be this way, or perhaps even rehearsed in the dark hours of his room to ensure that he appeared professional when the day came. Regardless, all answers and questions seemed expected, and he was all too eager to explain more.

It all started with a point towards Hildegunde. A self-assured smile was already on his face, eager to share his knowledge. "To answer your first question, no. Only things that possess a prime essence - intelligent, thinking beings - can form a Personal Barrier. This is presumably because essence circulates and is absorbed easiest by organic matter as opposed to inorganic, or because we as people instinctually seek a connection to essence as a survival instinct, but a definitive answer is still being looked into."

The teacher looked to the side out the window as if hesitating to say something, but inevitably continued. "There was a man I knew once, whose Ethos allowed him to coat nonliving matter in a Personal Barrier, but he's not around anymore. He was a specific exception, rather than the rule."

Turning back to look at Hildegunde, Alto then nodded and answered the second question, saying, "Well, if the PB is broken, you become a vulnerable meat sack once again. Not to surprise you, but that means you risk maiming, dismemberment or death. If you're asking about rules and guidelines for it regarding student duels, there are none. If no plea is made and agreed upon by both sides, the default assumption is that a duel will continue even after a PB is broken. So unfortunate, life is life, it is what it is."

Alto shrugged with a smile, then slowly spun himself around in his office chair for a full loop before returning to face his class. "Before we get started, I should note that it's of the utmost importance that you never fuel your prime essence into your PB. Much like with rebound, you risk permanent damage to your prime if you choose to burn it away. And as your prime essence is responsible for things like your natural lifespan, your potential with your Ethos and your talent for magic among other things, I'm sure you can understand why that's not a smart idea."

Holding out a hand, a wind gathered around Alto's palm, as if a miniature tornado was dancing like a spinning top on his hand. "We use external essence for PBs. Emotional essence and conceptual essence, primarily. It normally appears as wind since that's the most readily available manifestation within reach, but if you were underwater or near fire, you could also layer the elemental essence of such things to give your PB unique properties. It's the fusion of emotional or conceptual essence with an elemental catalyst like wind or fire that creates the thing that will keep you alive."

The baby tornado would dissipate, and the eager instructor would leave his chair to begin pacing near the window closest to his desk as he gazed outside. "We won't have much time today due to the attunement ceremony at ten, but I would ask each of you to find groups of two or three to attempt to form PBs and test them on one another. Nothing crazy, don't get into any fights, but... some jabs, comparatively, to test the foundation. To form a PB is to imagine the emotional and conceptual essence within oneself as a fabric covering your entire body. Then, the wind or other elements nearby work to layer that fabric and form thin armor. It's a freeing feeling, when you get it," Alto would chime, his eyes briefly fluttering with images of the good old days as he clapped his hands twice to signal the start of the task.

"Get to it! We've got forty five until we need to be at the Leyline Attunement Zone, or Raja'll have my hide. Those who have more experience, help those who have none."

As people would begin to find groups, Davil would already be making 'psssst' noises towards Otis, trying to get his attention and wave at him to form a group. Rio, meanwhile, would begin walking towards Chloe.