[IC] "Pyrrhic" A Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy RP

[OneWayOut]

A collaboration between OneWayOut and Tendo

PLEASE READ

This post is super long I know, what you need to know is that your character has been contacted by the Order and told they needed to meet at Helia to join a Circle. They will all be meeting "tomorrow" IC time in.... THE LIBRARY. Soooo, just post your character reacing to getting chosen for a Circle, getting to Helia if they arent aleady there, and then put in like a "the next day" and have your character actually arriving at the Library the next day. We will go from there once everyone is there. Yay!

Alessa sighed as she strolled through the large corridors of Helia. The tower was massive in its own right, and it was easy for anyone to get lost within its walls. Every strip of wood on the doors to every stone on the walls seemed alive. The place was full of life, literally, as magical energy constantly flowed all around the Tower and its inhabitants.

She had been summoned early in the day to attend a metting with the Order. Its council members had expressed their urgency on the matter, so being as she was, Alessa took her damn time getting up and ready. A scowl formed on her face as her shoes made light taps on the floor and the length of her long dress whispered soft brusing sounds against the ground. What she chose to wore was simple, elegant, and wonderously black. She was on her way to the Library, situated at the far east end of the area, knowing a certain... well, someone she didn't quite know how to label, would be. As she ascended the stairs, her pulse involuntarily quickened at the thought of seeing him again. It had been too long and she missed him in a way, though she wouldn't dare to speak those words aloud. She willed herself to calm as she neared the doors to the Library and pushed them open.

Within were rows of shelves, stacked high with information ranging from the most basic forms or magic, to the most advanced. Though this wasnt necessairly her happy place, she felt at peace here with nothing but knowledge surrounding her. As she peered about, she pushed a lock of hair behing her ear. She spotted some younger students scattered around, though none of them were the individual she was looking for. This particular one had a rather aggrivating patch of facial hair upon his upper lip. Scowl planted firmy on her face, she turned towards the isle where she knew the most advanced magical material was located, and sure enough, after rounding a corner, she spotted the stache she was searching for.

"You're so predictable its borderline scary." she said as she approached the man, not caring if he was busy or not. The two of them had business and she had a million other things she'd much rather be doing with her time.

"Do you ever leave this place, Avo?" she inquired, "Regardless, I've come to strip you away from your precious... whatever the hell it is that you're reading. I'm sure its boring." she said, looking up at the taller man.

''Miss Alessa, always a pleasure. May I be honest with you and let you know that you look quite nice today?'' he said, looking at her for a split second before he closed the heavy book and put it back in its dusty place. There would be time for books later, now they needed to answer the summons from the heads of the Tower.

''Shall we?''
It had been quite some time since he had last seen her, Alessa, quite possibly the single most intriguing yet overly annoying person he had ever met. He owed her a lot in a way, she had always been somewhat of a rival to him, being an extremely capable Clairvoyant which in turn forced him to become at least as good. Nowadays, he would tell you that he was leagues ahead, if you asked.

Still, it was nice seeing her despite the fact he would rather never smoke again than let that be known. And it was nice being back in the Tower, life was much more relaxed here, easier, away from the troubles of the world.

Alessa's scowl faltered slightly at Avo's unexpected compliment, though she said nothing in return. Instead she rolled her eyes and turned from him, ignoring the heat that brought a bit of color to her pale cheeks. As the two of them left the Library, only to ascend a long spiral set of stairs, she spoke once again to the man.

"I can't think of any reason why the Council would summon the two of us together, but my gut is telling me its going to be for a reason I wont like." she confessed to him. In all honesty, she was nervous. Typically the only time she ever got summoned was because she did something wrong. Alessa had a very... unorthodox way of thinking when it came to magic, and the Council didnt like that... nor the fact that she had her own reasons for joining the Order in the first place. In her head, she was going over terrible scenarios, and her anxiety was peaked. Though she was typically good as masking her emotions, it was apparent the raven haired woman was distressed.

"Maybe you'll get lucky and they'll assign you to be my personal slave." she joked, her tone light.

Avo couldn't help but smile at her words, maybe she was actually anxious about this whole thing. To be honest, it wasn't a usual occurence for them two to be invited by the Council. Alone, maybe, but together?

''Or they could always ask me to mentor you, I find that much more plausible.''

As they neared the entrance to the meeting room, Alessa's steps slowed as her reluctance to go continued to grow. As she pushed herself forward, she heard what sounded like talking from the other side of a massive door. When the pair reached it, she knocked, silence following.

"Enter." a low voice spoke from beyond the door.

Despite the sheer size of it, the door slid open easily with just a small amount of pressure, and the large, nearly empty room, came into view. In the center was a table and at it sat a half dozen gentleman wearing fancy robes, adorned with excessive jewelry and bright colors. Thr group of them looked intimidating as a whole. Seperate, Alessa didnt care much for what any of them had to say.

''Gentlemen.'' Avo said yet didn't tilt his head, as was the norm. These men knew of magic and Pyrrhics and forbidden knowledge and all those things the common man would never have to think about yet they knew depressingly little about the daily lives of those they had sworn to protect. Or did they, he often wondered. How can you give your life for something you don't know about?

"It took the two of you quite some time to get here." one of the men spoke up. "Did you... find some trouble getting here?"

"No, I just didnt want to be here." Alessa said flatly as the pair entered the room.

A collective sigh was their response.

"Noted." another man said, this one sat in the center of them all. "We'll get right to the point then of why we've summoned you two here. Please, sit." he said, gesturing across the table from them.

Crossing her arms, Alessa walked forward and took a seat, propping one leg over the other, she leaned back in her chair, showing a lack of interest in the entire venture.

"I would much rather stay standing." he snarled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. One thing that could absolutely cut through all of his hard earned calmness and self control was arrogance. Yes, he had often been called arrogant but for all the right reasons while these dressed up monks, clad in jewelry and fine cloth, protected by the Tower and all its magic, plotted and commanded without concern for the man who could not feed his son, the mother who could not buy a toy for her baby.

"Do go on, Elder." he added, regaining his composure. No one can change the world, maybe give to it or take away from it but never alter it.

The man in the center slowly rose from his seat, taking a small stack of papers in front of him and separating them into two piles. "It has been with much deliberation between the members of this council that you, Mr. Avo Montblanc, and you, Miss Alessa Grimm, are to be promoted and from this day henceforth, be leaders of your very own Circles." he told them, reaching out and handing Alessa the two stacks of papers. She leaned forward and took them both, her eyes dancing scross the pages before handing Avo the one with his name on it. She was taken aback by the news of this. Never had she expected someone like her to be promoted. Alessa thought that her actions and attitude towards the Council would restrict her of such duties. It was a comfort for her, until now.

It wasn't much of a surprise for Avo, he knew it was coming sooner or later as truth be told, he wasn't just another Clairvoyant. His deeds spoke for themselves, despite being a few years shy of 30, his company was doing great under his iron fist and that wouldn't have happened without some pretty above average leadership qualities. Plus, his specific skillset made him quite the asset for the Council, an asset they wouldn't want to lose to a weapon-running company so through giving him command of his very own Circle, they put a leash around his neck. Or at least that's what he would have done, in their place.

"I... I dont understand. Why us, of all the other wannabe heroes who'd jump at this chance. You know I have no interest in this. I cant speak for King Stache, but... I dont want this." she said, though she lowered her eyes back to the pages. As she flipped through, she noticed they were profiles of four individuals, transcribed with their information and magical abilities. She wondered if they were yet aware of their selection.

"Unfortunately Miss Grimm, you dont have a choice in the matter. The council's decision is final."

"Like hell it is." Alessa said standing up and tossing the stack of profiles onto the table. "I was supposed to be assigned to Terrace where my father is. You told me I could go there. You said they needed an Abjurer to maintain the Wall. What happened to all that?" she asked.

"Plans have changed."

"Mine havent changed. You think I can't tell you're reluctant to send others there? The Shades are growing darker every day, there's not enough Clairvoyants there to maintain the city. Do you just plan to leave them all there to die?"

Another member of the council stood up abruptly. "The matters discused within the Council are none of your concern Miss Grimm. Know your place."

"My place is with my Father, not leading some ragtag Circle you all threw together to get me out of your hair." she argued.

Silently, the Council leader gathered up the four profiles that scattered across the table. When he finished, he held them out to Alessa once more.

"We understand your concern for the people at Terrace. The situation there is more complex than you think. We cannot act recklessly." he said. Alessa started to speak but his raised hand stopped her words in her throat.

"You will lead this Circle and complete the mission assigned to you. After it has been completed perfectly and without mistake, if the council deems your Circle good enough, we will dispatch you to Terrace if that is what you still wish. We simply cannot afford to send anyone else out unless we know they will return. Do you understand."

Alessa was quiet a long moment. Reluctantly, she reached for the profiles and sighed. "Have it your way." she said, crossing her arms and glaring at the ground.

"The same goes for you Mr. Montblanc. Alessa is correct that the threat in Terrace must be quelled soon or we will lose everything there. We expect you to get your Circle in the best shape possible, and you will also be sent to Terrace. First, we'll need proof that you all can work together."

He looked at Alessa. "Your Circles are assigned to a recon, possible rescue mission. We've recently lost contact with an entire city. Find out what happened to them and what sort of threats are present there. We'll be sending both Circles due to the sheer size of the city and unexpectedness of this event. Tomorrow we will have a Transport ready for you both. The rest of the details are written down in your mission statement."

Finally the man sat down and looked at the two of them, waiting in case either of them had anything else to say.

"I need everything that you have on those you want me to lead into battle and possibly death. I'd rather not walk into a city gone dark without being as prepared as possible. As for the opportunity you have given me, I thank you." Avo said, calmly, as he picked the profiles assigned to him. He could already feel it, the weight on his shoulders.

"Miss Grimm, a word if you may?" he whispered to Alessa as he stepped outside of the Council chamber, profiles in hand.

Alessa nodded to Avo and gave the Council one last scowl before the too turned on her heels and left. She clutched the profiles in her hand, crunching the edges a bit as she did. When the two were clear out of hearing range, Alessa turned to Avo and looked up at him.

"I guess we're going to be working together from here on. I suppose that's fine with me, you're one of the less irritating people I associate with." she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "That being said, I trust you enough to not get yourself killed, but we have to finish this mission without any complications. They're expecting perfection or they wont send us to Terrace. Avo... I need to be there with my Father... so I need your help on this, regardless if you want to do it or not."

Her blue eyes stared into his, and the fire in them was apparent. She didn't want to seem like she was asking too much of him, but she had to go back. She had to go home, whatever it took. She didn't want to have to drag anyone else into her own personal vendetta, though the circumstances made it as such.

"Are you sure about this, Grimm?"

Avo's voice was cold and distant yet his eyes were locked on hers, a hint of anger behind them.

"These are lives you are going to have in your hands and little childish outbursts like the one you had in there, simply won't do. If they lose their faith in you, be it love or fear, your Circle is done, when things get rough you are going to fall apart. This is bigger than both of us, personal matters have no place here and I most certainly won't make any unnecessary sacrifices, even for you." he added, maybe not as gently as he would have liked but this was no laughing matter.

He searched his long expensive coat for a cigar, his guilty and deadly pleasure, waiting for her answer.

Crossing her arms, Alessa looked away from him, knowing he was right. It wasn't fair for her to put the lives of others in danger for her own personal gain. Having been away for so long had made her forget there was more at stake here than her own Father.

"Look, I'm not asking you to make any sacrifices or to be willing to die for my cause. Everyone has their own reasons for fighting. Mine is to just keep the people I love safe. Once that's done, I'll have no problem secluding myself away and just doing Wall duty. Regardless, the people in Terrace need us... and to get to them, seems like we have others to save as well. I dont plan on failing my mission." she said, her eyes falling onto the man once again. "And who are you calling a child, old man?" she joked, sneering at him.

Avo smirked as he lit his cigar and took a good look at the setting sun,through a window.

"I'm not even that much older than you, Grimm. Keep your head on your shoulders, they wouldn't have chosen you if they didn't see something in you and let's be honest, you aren't one for Wall duty, that would be quite a waste. Maybe after we save Terrace, I might have a spot for you in my Circle, you can clear our equipment and all.''

She would be just fine, he knew it or else he would feel bad, choosing such a weak rival.

"Anything else you need me for? I have matters to attend to, of a more financial nature." Avo added, feeling that the meeting had ran its course. He wasn't one for idle chatter.

Alessa rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, lets just plan to meet up tomorrow morning. The sooner we're out of here the better. Make sure all your "matters" are cleared up, alright? I assume the council will have told them where to meet us." she said. She lifted her arms above her head and stretched. "Guess we're done here. I'm going to take a nap." Turning from him, she gestured a goodbye with her hand.

Nodding, Avo turned himself and took his leave.

[deadpixel101]

youtube.com/watch?v=nmExqfKa1Uc (random roaring at end, ignore that lmao)

A soft melody floated through the air. The smell of bread mixing it with it warmly, creating a sense of home. A young woman sat on an old wooden chair strumming her harp, creating the fairy-like tune. It was a pleasant sound, but her face was decorated with a sad smile. Her eyes empty and staring through the floor-boards into times gone by. She repeated the chords without missing a beat, her lids heavy over her eyes she seemed half likely to fall asleep. A clatter from the kitchen broke the noise, and with a sudden silence she stopped her song. The head of an older man leaned back to become visible through the doorway. "Sorry dear, did I startle you? Food ready anyways." He returned to his work and soon came out of the kitchen with two plates of stew and fresh bread.

The young woman took the chance while he was setting up to place her instrument aside the wall of the dining room she was in, and set the table for two. She also took an old wooden bowl from atop a small cabinet to carry into the kitchen. The two passed each other with a small smile and she went to fill the thing with a setting of potatoes and chicken made off to the side. She re-entered the room and placed the bowl next to another filled with water in the corner. She then whistled and the lazy sound of padding feet came near. A dog looking older then time itself managed to make it's way in, and she squatted down to give it a small pet of affection. She then took her seat, and the three began to eat. The older man and Candy spoke about their days, mostly uneventful for both. She spent all her time at home when she wasn't out working, and he was much the same. After full stomachs and a few light hearted laughs, she broached the subject she was avoiding.

"A letter came in today." Her tone and expression betrayed the recent conversation's tone. The older man just nodded and lent forward. "Looks like i'm part of a circle now." She gave a small smile, trying to mask the obvious way she felt about it. The man just hummed and nodded slowly again. "So i'll be gone. For a very long time I imagine. I'll visit when I can of course." He gave her a smile at that, but the two knew how often that would be; which is to say, not very. She spent the night packing, and the next morning she was off.

"Just do me the favor of staying safe love. I can't go losing you too." Tears threatened to surface at the comment, but she bit her lower lip and nodded, embracing him warmly, before leaving. She had what she needed slung on her back, and if she wanted to make it in the requested time, she couldn't wait around. So off she was.

---At the library---

"What in the ever living fuck is a troglodyte?"

Candy stood with a hefty book of ancient history open in her hands. She was making a sour face at it trying to understand some of the more academic words. She didn't dislike reading, but she learned it late in life and when she couldn't understand big words it sort of annoyed her. She shrugged and closed the book, sliding it under her arm along with the dictionary she had found. She stayed away from Helia most she could, so she always took books out when she was back. This time she wanted to learn about what came before, instead of magical theory or math or anything like that. She also told herself this as a way of convincing herself it wasn't nerves. Usually she was ready for anything, and took it all in stride. For some reason though she found herself a little concerned with this whole circle business. She loved people, and being in groups and all that but being part of a team? Making sure people were safe and by god people doing the same for her? A questionable idea.

So instead of waiting around for the problem to hit her in the face, she hid between the rows of tomes and grimoire. Busying herself with reading, checking out books and flipping through pages idly. After a few minutes she sighed. "This ain't like me..." she muttered under her breath. The idea alone was enough to get her to go. She went to the counter so sign the books out, slipped them into her bag with her other things, and went to exactly where she was supposed to.

[Lord of Evil]

The hour was late and the night was dark, but in a lone room in the tower of Helia there remained a dim light. Isaac was hunched over a plain wooden desk, hunting knife in hand. And on the desk, the sole object of his attention, was a common stone. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling for the energy inside of him, matching its ebb and flow with his breathing, before taking command. The flow responded to his thoughts, travelling up his arm as he willed before smoothly entering the steel hunting knife. The metal gradually took on a blue hue, intensifying as more power entered it, until it finally took on an iridescent blue sheen. His eyes opened once more.

The brown haired bow slowly lowered the tip of the knife into the rock, digging a small recess into the rough surface. He carefully carved a line along the surface of the stone, leading it into another, and another, until a pattern emerged. He continued his work wordlessly, each line sapping a little more strength as the knife carved more blue into the featureless grey stone, etching magic deep inside under the scratched surface. His hand moved faster and faster, and the pattern became more and more elaborate until he had gotten what he wanted. A calm shade of blue emanated from the center of the stone, rising up from the intricate pattern of scarred rock carved in the center. But Isaac knew that the cool light belied a vicious payload. It flickered every now and then, a testament to his inexperience and lack of skill. It wasn't stable, not by a long shot. The material was weak, his control of magic was a little lacking, and some of the lines he had carved were a little off the mark. But it would do for his purposes.

He looked up from the bluish glow only to be met by a blanket of darkness. It appeared that his task had taken longer than he had realized, long enough for his feeble lamp to fade, leaving nothing but the rune stone and the energy in his hunting knife to illuminate his dismal work space. There was a little magic left in his knife; he'd injected a little too much into it before he'd begun. But it seemed that it been a fortunate mistake, as he had enough left to bring some light back into the room.

He carefully set the tip of his knife against a glass globe that sat haphazardly on the desk, sending the dregs of the magic inside into the transparent sphere. A small globe of light formed inside as the magic entered, glowing brighter and brighter until it illuminated the whole room in a dim light.

Isaac looked around the bare room. It was quite small, with most of the space taken up by a bed, wardrobe and the desk he sat at, leaving precious little room to spare. Still, he had no reason to ask for more. He kept the floor and walls clean and bare, partially out of habit. No trophies to mark his achievements, not even the dirt on the floor to mark his steps. It had occurred to him more than once that if he packed all of his things and abandoned it, he would have left less presence in it than the spiders that made their homes in the corner. He had once considered decorating the drab room, to add presence to it, perhaps make it somewhere to look forward coming back to. But he would always hesitate, and in the first place, there was little to decorate with.

He knew that there were many other rooms in Helia that were much the same. Some lived in, some not, some holding their residents for longer than others. Helia often took in orphaned clairvoyants directly so that they would have a small place to call their own, where they could be supervised until Helia could find someone to take care of them, and usually this process didn't take long. Some kind of relative, friend of a relative, or someone looking to adopt a child usually took them in. Needless to say, Isaac had been in Helia for quite a while.

The boy sighed softly, turning back to the desk and the rune he'd spent so long working on. He'd stayed in this room, used it as his own, slept in its bed countless times as he studied, practiced, and worked to perfect his magic. But it had never been a home to him. Just a place to live in, perhaps indefinitely. Maybe there was a relative he didn't know who would one day come and give him a place to call home. But until then, he had work to do.

He picked up a leather pouch off his desk. As he did he noticed the memo he'd written down for himself earlier during the day. "New team. Head To the library tomorrow." He was being assigned to a new circle, though the details of said circle were eluding him at the moment. The orders he'd received earlier was what had prompted the creation of the stone rune in his hand, a form of preparation for things to come. He was certain that they'd be assigned to a mission of some sort, as this was usually the reason circles were formed like this. Although the nature of the mission was something of a grey area. He wouldn't say he was anxious, though he did feel some trepidation at this turn of events and a quiet hope that they would be sent on a routine patrol mission, or perhaps some sort of training exercise. It never hurt to be prepared, though, and he'd managed to imbue as much as he could for the moment. He'd have to prepare the rest tomorrow.

Isaac carefully slid the stone in his hand into the leather pouch. Inside were stones similar to the one he'd created, each glowing a dull blue light that flickered every now and then. The stone pouch functioned as a major source of offensive power for Isaac as his direct attack power was somewhat lacking. Using his magic in a direct assault was often a poor choice for him as his control of magic wasn't the best. Having chunks of magic pre-prepared made up for that deficiency somewhat. His quiver was ready, half of it was full of magic arrows while the other half held normal arrows. His pouch of snares was also ready. He was about as prepared as he could be for now, and it was time to rest.

He set himself down on the bed, covering himself with the think blanket. He lay there for a time, watching as the magic in the lamp burned away, slowly letting the room slide into darkness. Isaac thought about the events of the day, as per usual. The lessons he found difficult to understand, the failures of the day and the small successes. He thought back to the previous day, reliving the lessons he'd learned. Then farther back a little more. Past the almost-sullen, the beginning of his magic lessons, past before he'd come to Helia. Back to that place, so long ago... And then he was gone, lulled into the deep ocean of dreams.

---

Isaac awoke early the next day, as per usual. He initiated his morning routine: sharpening his knife, bow maintenance, and checking that nothing was close to exploding in his bag. With that done, he went downstairs. He got some funny looks as he went by, but that wasn't anything new to him. He'd been here long enough that most would ignore the strange boy with his bow and arrows. Most had likely seen stranger things, after all. And anyone who ignored the warnings to not use conventional weapons against shades was dismissed as a fool and left to their own devices, mostly.

He stopped at the second floor balcony and took the time to take a peek at things below. It was busy even in the early hours, a testament to Helia's productivity. Isaac looked at the people, taking in the fresh air and the morning sun. Things had changed greatly from when he'd first arrived at Helia, and he knew that he was lucky to be here. But he knew he still had a while to go. He'd get stronger, give back to Helia somehow. And then after that...

Isaac headed towards the library. It wasn't somewhere he went often but it was familiar to him. Part of the reason why he did poorly in his studies was because he had difficulties reading the texts used in them. Reading had never been much of a strong point for him and the advanced language contained in the books made things even worse. But he did go to the library on occasion because he didn't want to fall behind. It became somewhat quieter as he went along as he navigated away from the main points of foot traffic in the mornings, coming to a head as he stepped inside the library itself. He was instantly engulfed in the smell of books and polished wood as all sound from the outside was abruptly cut off. It was a fair ways into the morning but there still weren't too many people there. There was little noise inside, save for muted conversations in the hidden recesses of the library. Isaac glanced around the halls, looking for the mustachioed man purported to be his leader. He was likely in here somewhere, and if not then maybe he could find some of his other teammates.

[ReusableSword]

Toron "Troll" Henson

The soothing subtle sound of a lone flute drifted through the deep forest. A lone man sat with his legs crossed in a small meadow bobbing from side to side while the tune was played. This man wore a long green cloak with patchwork designs of orange, purple and Grey. It had almost looked like the man had been there for some time. Vines and other plants have grown up and around the young man, insects and small creatures also gathered and crawled through the vines and flowers.

The grass and other plants that surrounded the man grew lush and plentiful, insects buzzing and chirping adding to the sound of the flute. The grass and flowers almost seemed to sway with the same rhythm of the man. Just beyond the man lay four black and Grey lumps, these lumps slowly breathed in and out as they slumbered. One would notice with closer inspection the lumps were not lumps at all but sleeping wolves basking in the warmth of the sun and the calming nature of this flute playing man.

The forest was alive with chirping birds and insects, the man never stopped playing. Well, not until the message arrived. A bird came into view and perched itself on a branch overlooking the flute player and cooed. The man stopped what he was doing and looked up, the brilliant glowing and slightly translucent blue and white owl looked down at this man for a moment before bursting in a colorful display of lights and colors. The lute singer slowly stood, the vines and plants stayed with him growing into the dirt in his clothes. He looked at the dazzling display and smiled resting his arms on his sides he spoke aloud and with a happy tone.

“Huzzah! The elders have summoned me, for I Toron the troll am a mighty warrior and-“ getting cut off by some unseen force and unheard voice, “come on Steve you're stealing my thunder”

A sad sigh followed by a frown appeared on the Toron’s face, “Fine, just get my steed… what do you mean it ran away? You were supposed to be watching it! I don’t care if your incorporeal you should still be able to coral my mighty steed.”

“Oi! How dare you make fun of Dave, he was a fine example of a donkey. He listened to me most of the time” Toron looked around for a moment, the wolves have begun to stir and wander off back into the forest. One took the time to rub up against his leg before walking off into the brush, “I suppose we should get going then? I think it’s in this direction.” For a moment the man sighed before continuing onward towards the tower.

It was true, that a couple of the elders at the Tower of Helia had been watching out and training him since his… incident. With him being homeless and rarely visiting cities or towns, they devised a way to send him messages. Not in words or sounds but colors, rainbow meant return when able, red meant return immediately, and green was just then checking up on him or telling him he received a gift or package.

>>>------------------------------------->

The day it took him to hike back to the tower was rather uneventful for the young lad, honestly it would have taken a normal person a few more days to get through the forest. But the forest was his home, and he could move and navigate through the thick brush like it wasn’t even there. The closer he came towards the tower the more he could feel it, that magic. It was a pollutant just as some other things, marked, scared, warped, and mutated the surrounding area. Even if it was subtle, even if it was repaired, the observant could tell, could feel the change in the air and the earth. So much magic in one place for so long will have unintended consequences, however, these consequences varied from being harmful to helpful with most being neutral or inconvenient.

He was glad no one messed with his pack or the rest of his things in the cave he stashes some of his stuff in. the cave itself would be hard to find on its own but Toron always covered the entrance in vines and covered his tracks whenever he was moving in or out. His bow was still in good condition, and he still didn’t need to grow any more arrows for it, his staff was also there, but he always had to keep an eye on it as it liked to grow and try to become the tree it came off of. Fueled by the magic that it draws from him it very well could grow back into a full adult tree in a couple weeks of uninterrupted growth.

Still, he found this last part of the trip troubling, although normally having a good attitude about him, Toron normally didn’t like to be near other people. To him other people would be mean to him, call him troll or try to run him off, sure it hurt his feelings, but he understood it's simply because he was a bit more unhinged than the normal folk, even for a clairvoyant. Still, the tall man moved this way and that never sticking to a straight line or the confines of a path, moving with abnormal hand and arm jesters, and overall being a bit more animated than one would deem comfortable.

The large doors of the tower gates gave way to the busy courtyards and grand halls of the tower, more people than normal hustled about with books and bags, some with jars others with seemingly normal everyday items. However, Toron was headed for a specific section of the tower, a small sort of room that was used to store whatever mail one would get if they worked at or for the tower and otherwise didn’t have a home. He always had a few odds and ends here and there, mostly jobs people needed but this time it was different this time he had a letter with the councils seal. How awfully strange, usually they would just talk to him, upon opening the letter and reading the contents the man smiled.

“Well what do you know Steve, we got invited into another circle... yes I agree, I do hope these don’t die as quick as the others. That was heart breaking” He looked depressed for a moment before smiling again, “O well, come on Steve lets go see who’s up and around.” And so the strange man headed off towards the library.

[Cal]

Nik had traveled for many days now by various means and was at last upon the tower of Helia. When he received a summons via messenger bird he hadnt even been on the same continent so he reluctantly dropped what he had been working on in order to make it to Helia by the date requested. Truth be told, he had seriously considered not answering the summons. He found the Council to be painfully inefficient in nearly every department that they oversaw. From wasted resources, to their detachment from the real world, all the way to their seeming inability to act when necessary, Nik had long questioned their motives and whether or not corruption in the hierarchy played a role in their ineffectiveness. After a bit of self motivation, stemming mostly from curiosity, he had made his way to Helia. As he stepped through the large front doors and into the grand foyer, he sighed to himself at his surroundings. All the grandeur, time, and energy spent on a capitol such as this yet the problems that faced Clairvoyants were as prevalent as they had ever been. Shaking his head and giving his cloak a small flip behind him he proceeded to the library.

Once inside he made his way to the many rows of books that lined the room. It was true that he was a harsh critic of the Council and rarely visited Helia because of it, yet in his teenage years he had found time to cover every inch of this library. Knowledge was both his strength and his weakness, as he likely missed other opportunities by spending all his spare time here. He found a few volumes to keep him busy and found a seat at an empty table located in the center of the room. He was nearly two hours early to the appointment and decided to busy himself with some light reading. The thought crossed his mind that he was likely wasting his time here. He had just recently turned 22, plenty old enough for the Council to know what they had on their hands when it came to him. Every time he had been assigned a Circle before he had either requested to leave because he wasnt able to put up with their incompetence, or they had gotten themselves killed because of the very same trait. He worked best alone and until now he had gotten away with it, keeping himself busy with research not directly related to the actual hunting of Darkened. Unfortunately it seemed those days were at an end and the Council wanted to give him another whirl. He snorted to himself at the idea. "Yet another wonderous allocation of resources..."

[tex]

Moro emerged from the river bank, covered from brow to boots with a layer of sweat. His hair was sopping wet with dirt-like clumps shaping near the top of his head. "Clean!" he shouted, rustling the moisture from his body with a viscous shake. Moro laughed off the aching in his shoulders, twisting his left arm around as he made his way towards Helia. But something caught his ear as he was leaving. Moro stopped and looked towards a patch of brush, one of many that littered the river's side, glaring at it intensely. He smiled and closed his eyes, trailing off towards the beaten path that lead home.

_{"Wet dog"}

Moro ducked down, spun around, and lobbed a small rock towards the bushes with a smile. The bushes shook and a little girl shrieked in terror, rushing out of her hiding spot. Moro offered her a gruff laughter and patted his thigh, aloof to the child's distress. "I'm a wet dog?" He questioned, turning back towards Helia once again. The girl's face puffed out in irritation, and she ran after him.

"You're a wet dog!"

"Aint no dog capable of this 'ere splendour, Lacy," He announced with pride, flexing his bare chest, "But aye see it, though, yeah? That feature ya always be mockin'" He turned his head towards Lacy and smiled, before kneeling down to her height and shaking his hair towards her. The little girl shrieked again and growled under her breath. "Wha? You tha one so keen on followin' wet dogs around! Don't complain when ya get wet- Ruff, ruff!" Moro's goofy bark put the spring back in Lacy's step almost immediately. The girl giggled and skipped after Moro, trying her best to keep up with his pace.

"Mama calls you a wet dog too," Lacy insisted, "Says I shouldn't be spying on ya!"

"Aye, well then maybe ya should be listnin' to her, yeah? It ain't safe 'round the cliff-side. You liable to be slippin' into the current, and it's a mighty rough pull towards the ocean, Lacy. Mighty Ruff!" He barked again. Lacy scoffed and punched the back of his calf. "'Course with a swing like that I ain't too scared for ya myself, but yo mama's anotha' type of anxious, girl."

"Mama doesn't let me do anything," Lacy complained, "I can't even come down and train with you! That's unfair!" Moro chuckled and patted her on the head.

"Aye, that is a wee bit unfair. But Mama's word is law, you got it? Can't go disrepectin' the wishes o' the woman to brought ya into this world."

"I'm not! I just-"

"Ey! No excuses!" Moro interjected and pushed Lacy's head in the direction of her mother's cottage. "One day it'll be ya own decision to train with whoever, aye? Go let ya mama know there ain't no worry to be had 'ere." Lacy slowed down and huffed loudly, stomping the dirt with every step.

"Fine!" She shouted, making her way down a separate path, "But I'm gonna keep visiting!"

"Aye aye, you and all the other lil' ones, I reckon," Moro whispered to himself, his smile still wide. He stepped towards Helia tower proudly, patting his pocket. "Bet ya gonna be a little sad if I'm not ta be makin' it back."

~ ~ ~

A thunderous chorus rang throughout the library as stack after stack began to topple against one another. A domino effect tore through geography, and didn't stop until it reached deep into history. In one fell swoop, Moro had chaotically reorganised the Dewey Decimal System. He stood open mouthed with his arm outstretched, clutching onto a book that rested on the highest shelf. "Ayaaa..." He hissed, hunched forwards over the result of his clumsy quest for knowledge. Moro lowered the book in his hand and read the cover, nodding triumphantly to himself as he offered nearby patrons an innocent smile, while gesturing towards his prize. "Juani' Archipelago," He said loudly, still nodding. He pursed his lips, closed his eyes tightly and gave one last heavy nod before going on, "Good bit a' knowledge to be gotten' from the islands!" His posture froze for a moment, and he took one last look at the book's cover before strolling away from the mess he'd just caused, as if nothing had happened.

[Tawny Swan]

Nadia "The Queen" Olympus

The dimly lit tavern was only sparsely filled with people, a few groups of people playing cards at different tables and then a smattering of people sitting on the worn wooden barstools. It wasn't until a new body strode through the doors that the few raucous bar goers made their presence known. Loud crows and lewd comments passed around the room filling the bar, at first the young woman ignored them. At least, until a tall broad shouldered man made his way over to her bar stool, wrapping his arm around her waist as he walked up to her. Petite as she was the man dwarfed her, made her look like a mere doll but it was her cerulean blue eyes that sent the man reeling. It wasn't until her hand slithered up her chest to grasp the shimmering blue stone pendant hanging from her neck that he became slightly weary of her.

The cold Nadia kept inside the pendant brushed along her fingers as tender as a lover's caress. The freezing temperature seeping deep into her body and tainting the air around her. Winter was by far the most brutal season here in the far North. Nadia was born of it, born in it, at the height of the winter solstice. She took a slow deep inhale, pulling the cold hidden within her augmentor deep inside her. An even slower smile pulled up across her face as she turned to face him, batting a set of long lashes at the man beside her. It all only took a couple of moments for her to gather herself, her lips tinging blue and her skin paling long past white. The next breath she expelled produced a dozen small snowflakes in the air between them.

The display of power didn't go unnoticed but it was far too late to turn back now for the man. He was never one to look like a coward, especially in the bar with his buddies. They hooped their approval of his encroachment of her personal space but he was more hesitant now than ever before of this seemingly innocent young woman. He heard someone tsk at him and turned to see the bartender shaking his head at him.

"I'da leave The Queen alone if I's you son," the old bar keep growled at him.

"Mind your own business old man," The lad hissed back before turning his attention back to the young woman. She had a full blown grin pulling apart her plump now pale blue lips to reveal a set of mostly straight white teeth. He gave her a leering grin back, staring her down.

Nadia almost laughed, a lot of men would do nearly anything so long as they were in front of their friends. Most often they ignored every sign of danger until it was far too late, much like this man in front of her. Though he was good looking in comparison to most of the other patrons in the tavern Nadia wasn't really in the mood. Smiling broadly she leaned up towards the man, winking at the gruff old man behind the bar before licking her lips at the man before her. He was in far too deep now, a fly trapped in the black widow's web. The man's eyes snapped closed as he closed the distance between their mouthes. It was all far too easy sometimes. As soon as their lips touch she roughly grasped his neck, expelling an icy breath and continuing to blow harshly against the man's lips until he was frozen where he stood. She turned the grin at the bartender who only shook his head at her.

She reached in his frosted over pocket to fish out his wallet and pulling out some coins to cover her drink that she'd yet to touch. "See ya around Ryker." She called to him as she headed out the back, the only thing she heard back was a chorus of the phrase that had gotten her her nickname. "Long live The Queen!" She was pretty sure that Ryker was behind the whole thing originally but there was no going back now. The poor guy would come around in a few hours and be only slightly worse for wear, tired and very very cold.

---

A low curse escaped Nadia's lips as she looked at the letter in her hand. "Always cleaning up everyone else's mess, people need to get their shit together." She looked around at the small room she rented from an elderly couple. There was nothing here, aside from her reputation as a dealer who could acquire anything your heart desired. She quickly left a note on the couple's table, explaining where she would be and left them a large sum of the money she had gathered over the years in the old woman's jewelry box. That would keep them going for a long while, hopefully until she returned.

She gathered her things quickly into a small leather satchel and donned the black leather jacket that was one of her favorites before heading out. Luckily she wasn't more than an hour's ride from Helia. She jogged outside the small stable on the property to collect the spotted horse she knew would be waiting there. The animal snorted softly at her when she slipped the war bridle around its jaw. She needed little else to ride such a short distance but she put on a soft lamb's fleece and then a saddle over top of it and tightened it down. She looked at each piece carefully, inspecting the leather for tears or cracks before stepping carefully into the stirrup and throwing her other leg over and settling into the saddle.

*****

It wasn't long before she arrived at Helia and headed up the steps of the spiral topped building. It was an odd looking piece of architecture, that much Nadia was sure. She had already situated her horse in the stable just behind the building before heading up towards the library. She cringed when she heard the first of many loud crashes just before she stepped inside the room. She opened the large wood doors and scrunched her nose softly as she looked at the mess that had been made. She whipped up an icy wind that slowly one by one pushed the bookcases back to their original places. "Somebody else can pick up all those damn books." Despite her crass words her voice was soft, soothing almost as she looked around with a small grin.

[Cryfest]

Luciel Young

Tap-tap tap-tap the pen hit the paper laying on the desk in a quick pattern. The paper was decorated with elegant symbols and letters. The study of the human mind. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to find. Clairvoyants with magic involving manipulation of the mind rarely turned to Helia for training. Many of them probably didn’t even know they were clairvoyant and if they did it was very easy to abuse the power and turn to crime. Either way, mind manipulation hardly had a place in dealing with Pyrrhic. Hard magic- physical magic was more valuable.

It frustrated Luciel that he kept getting pushed to the backburner. The council hardly used him- even for diplomatic missions. The stigma on illusion magic was growing. An invasion of privacy which could end up in ruining good relations. Plus it was hardly any good in a fight. Luciel’s pen tapped harder as his frustrations grew. Even if he read everything about the way the mind worked what good would it do if it was looked down upon to use.

He dropped his pen, more violently than he intended and stood, his chair scraped unpleasantly along the wooden floor. He glanced around the small study he occupied. There was a small bed in the right corner with messy blankets, clothes on the floor, trash overflowing in the left corner and his desk was piled with books and papers. He was certainly not the most hygienic room keeper.

A knock interrupted his thoughts and he marched to the door, pushing it open. A young page boy stood in the doorway holding a bag of letters. “Mr. Young?” the boy asked holding a council embellished letter. ”Yes.” Luciel answered, taking the letter. The boy stared at him for a moment before turning off to run the rest of his errands. Luciel closed the door and quickly pried open the seal. After quickly reading the council's message he threw it to his desk, grabbing a bag of provisions to pack. He had never been in a circle before. He was never needed in one. Perhaps people’s views were changing.

__

The next day Luciel woke up late. He grumbled to himself at not waking up in time as he rushed to get ready. He locked his little room and headed down the hall and down the stairs to the ground floor. A elderly woman was sweeping the hall and greeted him quietly. He nodded his head and swept past her- caring little for idle chatter. He kept a brisk pace, bag beating his side with every light step. Helia towered before him and he turned to go to a smaller branch of the school. The library was a place he had spent many hours and it was no stranger to him. He walked in and paused in the entrance. Books lay in messy broken piles and the shelves lay bare. It looked like a whirlwind had gone through the library. A few people looked as if they were attempting to pick up the mess but with how large of a task it was, nobody really looked like they were putting in the effort.

Luciel delicately made his way through the mess, looking around for his group. Hopefully the circle didn’t have anything to do with this mess. He didn’t really want to be in a group more keen on causing destruction than fixing it. It sounded like they’d get killed pretty fast. Especially if he was in the circle with them. He had no marketable skills for self-defense.

[ReusableSword]

Toron "Troll" Henson

The walk through the halls of the tower was rather uneventful, the surrounding people simply ignored him and didn’t make eye contact with the strange man. He could see a few others entering through the large wooden doors into the library and his interest was suddenly peaked with a loud crashing sound from the other side. Pushing past a few wary onlookers at the doors, the man took only a few steps inside before tripping on a book someone had dropped and falling onto his face. “Ah! Dammit Steve why did you put a book there?” the man stood up quickly and looked around, “well it’s not funny to me” he seemed to be talking to himself.

His interest was once again peaked as he saw a rather pretty young lady stood at the entrance looking over the rest of the library next to him. She had a cold confidence about her that would be unsettling for most yet this man came right up to her and smiled. Looking the girl over, the taller man who smelt of earth and somehow a tad bit of onion with vines, grass, and flowers ingrained in his very clothes and a large segmented necklace that draped over his shoulder. He was virtually a walking ecosystem, the more observant clairvoyants would be able to notice a multitude of small insects and creatures living within the vines but never leaving his person. “Why hello little lady, how are you this fine evening?” for most he would be standing a bit too close for comfort but it didn’t seem to bother him.

“I do have something to tell you friend” suddenly he looked to his left and glared, “why would I tell her that... fine I guess.” Still smiling he turned back to the girl, “I would like you to know that you look very pretty but Steve says you also look funny” his smile never faded but the long segmented necklace began to move. Slowly the head of a very large centipede rose off his right shoulder, its segmented shell moved rapidly back and forth making a hissing sound. The centipede rose to strike but was stopped by Toron, “No! Bad Jeff! Down, down” bringing his hand up to tap the insect on the head, “she’s not food.” Laughing he looked back at the girl as the insect curled back down and around his neck, “sorry, he thinks your prey, like a little mouse.”

With abnormally strange grace the man moved from the front of the library towards a medium-sized book shelf. The man lunged from end table to end table, across one very unfortunate man balancing a stack of books, and eventually onto the shelf, picking up a book on the way. “But don’t worry miss, I would never let Jeff hurt you. For I Am Toron the Troll and I have been summoned to join a circle.” He spoke while casually walking backwards and moving his arms about to conduct a rather showy bow, “I can only imagine that it would be for my combat skills and lavishly good lo” he was cut off when he slipped off the shelf, tripping over a large book.

For a moment no movement or sound came from behind the shelf until he popped up with another book on his head wearing it like a hat, “Steve stop stealing my thunder, it’s not nice to interrupt people… I don’t care if you think it’s funny.” The man still spoke to himself as he stood allowing the book to slide off his head. Then as if suddenly being distracted, the man moved from his spot to across the library once more taking an unorthodox route of over and under people and tables until he found himself on top of one of the book shelves that had recently tipped over.

Silently he stood on top of the shelf staring blankly up at the vaulted ceilings, rocking the shelf back and forth under his feet. The strange man again seemed to be focused on an unseen figure at the other end of the shelf. Taking a stance fit for sword fighting the man drew a tarnished old spoon from his pocket and held it out towards the other end of the shelf while at the same time keeping the book tucked safe behind him in his left hand. “So we meet again old friend, how many times is this now... o I see you’ve lost count as well” with a smile Toron began to fight the invisible assailant showing off some rather fancy foot work as he balanced back and forth across the shelf.

He did this for more than a few moments before faking getting hit in the stomach and falling back on the shelf letting one of his legs swing down over the side of the shelf. “It seems you have bested me once again old friend, perhaps next time I will get the upper hand and defeat you. But alas I’m afraid that will be a sad day indeed.” For a little while the man fell silent once again, whispering quietly to himself, mostly gibberish, swinging his right leg slowly. Then after resting for a time he finally looked at the book he had been holding onto and smiled as he opened the book and began to read, “Ooo mushrooms.”

@Tawny Swan@OneWayOut

[Tendo]

Avo "The Empyrean" Montblanc

Avo hadn't slept at all. In his empty, but for a bed and a desk, room he stood by the window, watching the night go by, barely blanking. On his old wooden desk, dozens of files were laying around, some given to him by the Council, others he made himself based on his notes about the people who were supposed to be part of his Circle. He had spent a good part of his evening, after meeting with the Council, finding out more about his new companions through those who lived in the Tower and he was pleased to have acquired enough info on each of them to know what to expect.

He lit another cigarette, oblivious to the fact that one was already burning out by the window sill, carefully balanced by the edge. His mind was racing, from the Circle he was supposed to lead starting tomorrow, to his company and memories of his father.

A soft knock was suddenly heard, his wooden door eager to fall apart. He didn't have to answer for the door to open, he knew who it was.

"I knew you'd be here, Avo." Nim said, his protege and the woman who would controlling the company from the shadows for as long as he was gone and the one to inherit it after he passes. He had found her in one his first few solo ventures outside the city walls, back in the days when he mercilessly hunted the damned, thinking that we would find his answers through violence. She was but a teen, back then, a sad sack of bones, barely capable of drawing breath. Her caravan had been attacked and she had been left for dead, trapped under one of the carriages for who knows how long, surviving simply through water and a definite amount of luck. She vividly remembers how he saved her, how he freed her and carried her on his back for two days and two nights, not stopping for a moment.

"Did you now." he whispered, not really paying any attention.
"You are good to go, I have arranged everything." she added, trying to draw some conversation out of him.
"Thank you Nim."

She took a few steps towards his desk and shuffled through the papers. "Tell me about them." she whispered.

"Where should I start..ah yes, of cour-"
"Nikolas Tulley, 22, someone who might just turn out to be a kindred soul both in thought and reality. His raw talent in the control of light itself will prove quite the asset once he gains mastery over it yet his flawed logic could prove to be a great disadvantage in situations where good and bad, black and white, just aren't enough."

She knew him. She knew him like the back of her hand. She knew that the mess on his desk was actually controlled, that the file on top was the file he had studied the most and that the cigar on the window sill wasn't forgotten but more like abandoned.

"Why him?"
"He could become my number two, a valuable and trusted ally."
"And your first contingency plan in case you are split in half by a Dark One." she retorted.
"Quite right too."
"Talk to me about the rest." she continued, as she sat on the weathered chair by his desk.

"Well, other than Tulley, there's Luciel, the young illusionist, he will be our diplomat and voice of our Circle for every interaction except the Tower. We won't be leaving anything to luck, from kings to peasants, he will be using his subtle abilities on them for our cause. Fighting wise, he's slightly of more use than a militia but I am not expecting him to take down dozens of Pyrrhics with his mind. Yet."
"A mind reader?! You'd do well not to let that be known, people don't react nice when they learn they are being influenced."
"Noted. Then there's Isaac Redgrove, our strategist. His.. unique ability demands him to be prepared for every situation so I will be betting on his expertise, when we need to plan our every move."
"I see. Sounds like you are ready for this. What about the girl, Grimm?"

Avo didn't reply immediatelly. Nim could always read him, somehow, part of why he had placed some trust in her.

"She will be leading her own Circle, Cygnus. We both have the same mission currently so I shall be seeing quite a bit of her."

Nim didn't reply, just kept looking at him, her face a riddle.

She spent the last few hours before daybreak with him, the last time she would see her savior for quite a bit. If she ever did again. There were a million things she wanted to say but nothing he would want to hear. And so the night went on, by daybreak she was asleep and he carefully wrapped her with the fur he used to keep himself warm in the winter before packing his files and quietly leaving the room where he grew up, maybe for the last time.

Tower of Helia

His step was quick but confident as he entered the Library, many new faces around him, faces he would share life and death with. He didn't introduce himself or speak to anyone, he simply lit a cigar and stayed by a window, awaiting his nemesis, Alessa Grimm, to finally decide to show up and get this mission going. He would be a liar if he told himself that he wasn't nervous, of course he was. But beginnings are supposed to be scary, aren't they?

Especially so close to the end.

[Lord of Evil]

Isaac was one of several bystanders watching as the well-built rowdy man made his entrance. He stared on, brow raised a fraction as the books were strewn on the ground. He watched as the bookcases were put back into place by a woman who came by, bringing with her a chill wind. He continued standing there as the man with the bugs emerged, who like they were insane. Talking to themselves, hiding bugs in their clothes, reading books about mushrooms. A normal day in Helia, evidently, and Isaac wasn't entirely what to make of it.

Isaac could see from the gibbering man's clothes that he was a hunter of some sort. And if not, he at least lived in the wild, if the bugs were any indication. As for the rowdy man... Isaac didn't know about him, but he theorized that the man wasn't a frequent user of the library. Then again, maybe he was, as he'd seemed to know where to find the book he was looking for. Either way, Isaac couldn't see him anymore so maybe it was safe to write him off. The other figure of note was the cold woman. It was the ease that she'd used her magic that had caught Isaac's attention. An ease he hoped he could one day achieve. Still, she was gone now, and she'd made it clear that she wasn't interested in helping further.

With the icy woman and the well-built man out of the picture, that just left the hunter (if he was one) muttering to himself with a book in hand and a scattered assortment of books on the floor. On the outside Isaac stood perfectly still, watching events unfold. On the inside, he debated with himself on whether or not to pick up the books. He was hesitant, as he always was when he couldn't see the immediate consequences of his actions. Although in this case, he could probably not think about the consequences too much as, while it was certainly out of the ordinary, the problem was pretty banal. The only 'strange' factor left was the wild man. But was that really a problem?

On the one hand someone would have to put the books back up, likely a worker of some sort, and they probably wouldn't like having to do it. And Isaac probably had the time to help somewhat, at least. On the other hand, maybe it would be better if he looked for the rest of his circle. They likely wouldn't like him to be late. There was an argument to be made about how people didn't seem to want to get close to the wild man, so there was probably some risk of ostracism by association. But then again, Isaac had never really minded what people thought of him socially, so that was a moot point.

In the end, Isaac shrugged his shoulders and went forward to pick up the nearest book. If he acted then perhaps he could incite other bystanders into action, who would likely have magic that could be more useful for the situation, and reduce the time taken to reorganize the books. The icy woman had thankfully taken care of the more physically strenuous task, so it wouldn't take much energy should he need to conserve it. Furthermore, the bigger mess tended to have a larger audience, and chances were that the rest of his circle would gather and he wouldn't have to look for them anymore. Of course the opposite of his assumptions could come true, but it was a risk small enough that he was fine with taking it. And besides, he liked the library somewhat, despite the headaches it had given him. The books represented years worth of human knowledge, and a lot of time and effort had been put into the creation of those books. Time and effort that was likely not put into them just to see them carelessly strewn across the floor.

The brown haired boy looked at the cover of the book he'd picked up. Reading the title identified the book as "Onyx Vale, a brief history", one that he'd read before. If memory served him correctly, it had been close to the start of one of the various rows of history books. Isaac's eyes searched for the corresponding shelf as he'd remembered it. It was difficult without more books for reference, but he found what was likely the right place and slid the book back into its proper place. He began rummaging through the mess, noting that many books were close to where they had fallen from, yet there were also many that were far away from where they used to be. Sighing lightly, Isaac stuck to what he knew and began the process of repopulating the shelves book by book, painstakingly comparing title to title as he tried to regain some semblance of order with the chaos. If it was just him it would take some time, but he didn't mind that so much. After all, it was something that would be done eventually.

[deadpixel101]

Candy Leitvol

As Candy made her way towards a general seating area, lyre under arm; she was stopped by a rancorous series of thudding noises behind her. Turning quite quickly around out of reflex, she watched in partial horror and delight as the tall, solid, dangerous wooden shelves toppled into each-other, and fell victim to gravity. Part of her loved the comical nature of it all, part of her was deeply concerned someone just died in front of her. That was the part that threw her things onto the nearest table before sprinting over to find anyone caught in the debris. Luckily she was in a room full of (arguably) competent clairvoyant, and with a flick of the wrist the north winds bent to raise the shelves once more. Candy did a quick look around as she made her way over to see the lovely caster. She wasn't even sure the ice queen was aware of her existence but the moment she thought their eyes met she gave a wink and a two finger salute. Completely ignoring the earthy man arriving.

She ducked in and out of aisles, heavily relieved to find no-one pinned under the heavy weight of knowledge. As she sighed from relief, and the impromptu sprint she just broke into, the aforementioned walking forest was making a scene. He threaded around the library, making quite a show of himself. Candy was divided again, wanting him with one heart to respect whatever sanctity was left in a silent library, and with another heart wanting to one-up him. Nonetheless she did her best to ignore him (which wasn't very easy mind you) as she set to picking up books. An attendant and some other students were at this point trying to set things straight as well, and she decide they'd know better on how to sort these things. She moved pile after pile to the desk, wincing when she turned around to see the green man now atop one of the shelves, daring to knock it over again with his invisible duel.

With an unseen riposte he was downed though, and luckily his heavy foothold didn't come down with him. She wandered over to get her things before walking towards the one who blew the shelves back into place. "Do you uh, know him?" She asked with a smile and arched brows. Pointing with a thumb over her back to the man atop the shelf. She didn't exactly seem the type.

[tex]

Moro stood up with the book that he plucked, or rather, tore from the bookshelves split carefully in one hand. With his other, he turned through the pages carefully. Pictures of lush islands were squished between blocks of text that he wasn't all too interested in reading through. He wasn't too good with the bigger words, after all. The flipping stopped on a set of two pages, one massive series of paragraphs next to a full page painting of what looked like an occupied grotto. It looked occupied, anyways, with people bustling about left and right. He could barely follow the text, detailing the once-prosperous traders that were detailed, but he tried, again, biding his time until his circle was meant to congregate. It was difficult to focus with Toron mucking about the library, though. Moro lifted his eyes from the book every few sentences to glance at the mischief he was getting up to. The spectacle made him feel far less guilty about accidentally toppling those bookshelves over.

...kindly welcomed most settlers and scouts with open arms, expanding their prosper through an interconnected series of trade routes throughout the archipelago...

Moro winced at one of Toron's phrases and huffed through his nose. "Aye'ye idgit," he mouthed quietly, turning back to the final words on the page.

...A lack of scrutiny made their vast fortune forfeit for any who had grief intention. With very few clairvoyant assistance and access to only two schools of magic, it was only a matter of time before their town outgrew its own safety...

Moro sneered at the last sentence, and looked at the picture intently. Some of the people almost looked familiar, even as low resolution blots of ink. His body straightened itself as he heard somebody addressing him. Moro spun around and pushed the book into his bare stomach, as if to hide its contents. A silly reflex, which he immediately corrected. He looked over her head at the wild-man that he'd glanced at earlier and cringed the corner of his lip. "Aye'a- No, I ain't one bit familiar with that wacky-taffy brained fella' miss. There's a bit o' mystery that nun's liable to solve." Moro smiled and looked back down at Candy. "But if 'e's mutterin' truths between those lil' performances of his, we might be here on simila' business. Mighty un's forbid we be sharin' a circle tho. My gears don't work none too fine 'round nuts and screws. His people, the crazy ones, get me mind all jammed. More jammed than these fancy authors, writin' on about..." Moro looked at his book and lifted it slightly, turning the page. "Casus belli an' jus ad bellum" He paused and shook his head. "Come to think, it aint a splash too busy 'round these books today. Could be any number of Claries present." He looked at Candy after using his butchered sub-in for clairvoyants. The thought that she might've been part of his own circle hadn't even crossed his mind yet.