Salem's anger subsided at last, with his words confirming that he had every intent to carry on, much to Lilie's relief. She watched him curiously as he scribbled something down, eyebrows raised as he folded it into a triangle. Boy, did that take her back to freshman year. Once finished, she followed him out of the classroom as she listened to Salem talk about the mage that had left with Aaron. Right, she never did get a response about the comment he made about Aaron. Salem thought that his partner was the Astorio, but that didn't seem right. Then again, why would he bother talking to them if that wasn't the case?
"You really think that--?" Lilie's question didn't reach completion as she cut herself off with a "Hey!" as Salem ran off. And boy, was he fast! His legs were longer than hers, and he had a decent start by the time she had finally leapt into action. She broke off into a run, giggling like a schoolgirl as she sprinted after him as her heels clicked along the ground in a rapid pace. Her ponytail bounced behind her as she sped after Salem, skidding to a halt and lightly bumping into the guy.
Aaron didn't seem too happy about getting something chucked at him, though he took it in stride. She was about to make a comment when she noticed the butterflies above their heads, surprised. Squinting at them, her jaw dropped as she realized that they were made out of paper: magic! More magic! Was that something she could do someday? The thought brought up her mood significantly, though she nearly bumped into the table due to the distraction.
She gave the grumpy-looking mage a small wave as Aaron introduced them. Remembering Max's comment on Aaron being shameless, she stopped herself, though seeing as how things were calmer for the moment she decided to put that aside as Aaron spoke, raising an eyebrow at his question. Oh, so the two had class together? That must have been fun! She smiled to herself as she remembered her own experience with Cassandra, knowing that the two guys probably had a blast, too.
"Mmm...speaking of talking!" Lilie perked up as she looked excitedly between Salem and Aaron, knowing just the ice breaker to spark a conversation. "It's only the first day, but there's already a hot topic going around. Apparently some girl got sent to the mines for having...relations with a Noila mage," She grinned as she looked at Aaron. "I didn't even know there was a Noila mage attending! Or that you could get sent to the mines for that...think they got caught and that's how everyone found out?"
The images flooded his mind, memories of himself from a time long past and again memories of her. The short girl with flowing white hair, icy blue eyes, and skin as white as the full moon. Her smile could always warm his cold heart and she loved her strawberry perfume. His old friend. His memory continued to drift while his body continued to fight; occasionally striking at one of the dummies strewn about the sand.
Then he felt it, it was faint but it was there. Almost like watching someone on the street from the back seat of a car as you pass them, making eye contact for only a moment and then the moment was gone. His mind did not stop for the strange prying sensation. No, it continued from watching the girl in a long white flowing dress as she danced in a field of midnight flowers to something dark. Shadows and smoke, laughter and screams. Her hand reaching towards him through flames and then darkness even he couldn’t see through.
“Ah, uh, hi, excuse me?” a voice from behind him timidly asked. “We have something to ask you, if you don’t mind that is?”
This voice pulled him from his meditation and brought him back to reality and the cold sand beneath his feet. For a moment, he stood still. A combat dummy stood in front of him and his back was to his audience. This dummy was meant to be struck and was a bit more sturdy then the others, built to act like a real person when it was struck. Eyes still black as the night sky the tall vampire made a sound akin to that of a growl and struck the dummy in the chest with a powerful kick sending it toppling across the arena.
Turning his head to his shoulder and glaring at the boy Victor finally turned. Breathing deeply with an intimidating body language. The darkness in his eyes slowly faded as the tall vampire composed himself and approached the boy. He was roughly five feet from him now while he looked him over and then the others in the crowd. “Why have you interrupted my meditation?” answering his question with a question wasn’t entirely necessary but he was still a little annoyed. That and the memory they pulled him from was not the best.
Cassandra had grabbed some food, a burger and fries, with an energy drink from her own personal stash, in case that wasn't bad enough for her. Amaris was still nowhere to be seen, though to be fair what would she need to go to the dining hall for? Cassandra was trying to assume everything was natural, though she had a strange feeling she couldn't shake. The Countess's disappearance had just been so sudden, it couldn't help but feel ominous.
She did see a friendly face, however. Lilie had just enetered the hall. Cassandra had put her food down on a table on the periphery of the room, but after seeing her friend(?) from class, didn't quite sit down. Lilie was with friends, in a group already, and Cassandra didn't know any of them. She bit at her lip, and took a pensive drink from her can, then pulled out her phone. She tapped out a quick message.
can i sit wit u
A text gave Lilie the opportunity to give a soft decline, ignoring the message and perhaps pretending she hadn't seen it. To keep from causing offense. Cassandra was unthinkingly using her training in social navigation for exactly the opposite reason she had been taught it.
Salem doubled over, hands on his knees as he took a breath."Gotta get that speed up if you plan on staying in that arena." Salem said in a playful voice. He stood up, moving a stray hair out of his face and behind his left ear. He followed quietly for a moment, waiting to see what Aaron had to say about the note or the earlier debacle with the Astorio vampire. A lecture, no doubt, on how he should compose himself better and how he needs to address the nobles from a kneeling position or something. They finally reached a table, and Aaron introduced the mystery mage as Max. Maxwell Alderman if he recalled Varis' previous mention of the mages last name. This must be his Treaty Law partner for the Sinnenodels. "Pleasure to meet you Max, I'm Salem. I think you're our partner for the Treaty Law class. So I guess it's a good thing we are together now." Salem offered the group a smile as he continued to stand awkwardly at the table. "Well, I think I'm going to go and try out what a school has to offer for Lunch. I'm excited to see what I can find."
Salem jogged over towards the Lunch line, grabbing a tray to ser his food onto. After a moment he was attended to and he inquired about an item on the menu. The sound of it intrigued him, something akin to a beef Wellington but not properly done at all. He ordered two, not knowing how big the portions were and took the recommended side of fries as well as a small side caesar salad, and a iced green tea. Finally making his way back to the table and sitting next to Max. "Guys look, I got something called a Hamburger it looks so interesting! Like a big sandwhich. I think I got too much however..." It was then that Lilie mentioned the rumor that he had heard previously in class. Salem almost choked on his fury as she spoke. Pounding his fist against his chest as he coughed. "Not possible, Aaron's been preoccupied with a lot of things and they involved me as well. So unless I was drugged and he either slipped out and had a quick bit of fun or i was in a uh... menage a trois, then I doubt the validity of this claim." Salem shot Aaron a look that could only read as squash this rumor now He quickly put on a smile and attempted to change the subject "So Max, Lilie, how were your affinity classes? Ours was...interesting to say the least. Apparently bonding with your crystal partner is important and it may come into play later on. Otherwise I dont see why they asked the pair of us to stop the training and start working on our friendship."
Aaron watched as Lilie quirked a curious eyebrow at Salem’s talk about a hamburger, though she didn't make a comment on it, only giving a gentle giggle of amusement that frankly delighted Aaron more than he would have liked to admit. But no sooner had Salem returned than Lilie decided to get the conversation rolling with some gossip, and Aaron could have sworn he tasted blood in his mouth when she told them what it was. The persistence and frighteningly quick spread of that rumour was bad enough, but apparently there was one small and rather important detail he’d missed:
“...for having…relations with a Noila mage.”
Aaron might have passed out from the shock had his horror not been keeping him wide awake. His ears burned fiercely under his hair, and he could even feel a bit of a flush forming on his cheekbones. So what, it was the first day of class and apparently the whole school already thought he was some kind of slut? Good lord, some of his family worked at this school! What if they heard? Or the Princess, or Count Alder, or Sariel and William… what would they think? And Lilie! She was looking right at him when she said it! What would she think?! Did she think less of him? It didn’t seem like it, she was smiling and seemed no more than entertained at the news, apparently didn’t even know a Noila mage was attending…
Wait, did she not know it was him?
Aaron almost smacked himself. Of course! She didn’t know it was him! He supposed it made sense, she appeared to come from a human family, and it was probably a little arrogant on his part to think that everyone would just know--
“Not possible, Aaron's been preoccupied with a lot of things and they involved me as well. So unless I was drugged and he either slipped out and had a quick bit of fun or I was in a uh... menage a trois, then I doubt the validity of this claim.”
That time, Aaron almost smacked Salem. Sure, refusing the rumour was good and his willingness to help was appreciated, but the guy could have at least given him a chance to do some damage control! And that awful implication… in that moment, he wasn’t sure if he would rather hang Salem or himself.
As it was, Aaron could only watch on helplessly, wishing he could turn invisible as he watched Lilie’s expression shift at the news, her smile slowly fading and turning into one of confusion, looking back over at him with wide eyes. Her mouth formed a small ‘o’ of realization, as if she was just figuring out something now.
“Wait, so...the Noila mage from the rumor is you…?” Lilie asked slowly, clearly only just getting the implication of what Salem had said.
As his public image crumbled around him, Aaron would have liked nothing more than to either dissipate into mist or jump up on the table and exclaim to the entire dining hall, “I didn’t sleep with anybody!” But of course, one was unwise and one was impossible, so he settled for a tight smile and an uneasy laugh, tugging on his still-burning ear and hoping his face wasn’t turning too red.
“Well, yes and no,” he managed to hurry out, “yes as in yes, I am the Noila mage, sort of, but no because I can’t be from the rumour because Salem is right and that rumour is categorically false.” His voice took on a notable urgency, emphasizing the last two words with both his tone and two jabs of his finger into the tabletop.
Thankfully, mercifully, Salem seemed just as eager as Aaron was to change the subject, and he went with it enthusiastically, clearing his throat and doing his best to brighten up, figuratively speaking. “Yeah, how did affinity mastery go?” he spoke to the group, but mostly to Lilie, seeing as his affinity seemed like a touchy subject for Max. “Your affinity is water, right? Have you ever had any magical training before this?”
What started as a rather innocent attempt at a nice conversation deraveled faster than Lilie anticipated. She had mistaken Aaron's adorable reaction for one due to the topic at hand, entirely distracted by the color on his cheeks and wondering if his gentleman upbringing had led to a lack of experience in gossiping about this topic. But he hadn't reacted like that because of the topic per se, it was because the rumor she had heard was supposed to be about him. Aaron was a Noila mage! But how did she not know this? Well for one a Noila mage was usually assigned to a Noila, so that was confusing as heck already.
Still, the confusion behind that was overwhelmed by how utterly mortified she was, talking so blatantly and making a fool of herself. Now Aaron probably hated her and Salem would think she just liked to gossip like an old lady at the supermarket. Why did she have to open her mouth?! She dropped her gaze to her lap, unable to look Aaron in the eye. If she could just dissolve into a puddle right now, that would be great. Her face was flushed with color, her eyes focused more on her hands as they pulled at the hem of her skirt in mute horror. Wait, no, she should apologize. Or laugh it off? Was it too late, was the damage already done?!
Fortunately, both Salem and Aaron were eager to move on from the topic. Her phone buzzed and Lilie jumped in place, an audible squeak of surprise escaping her. She fished through her pocket for her phone, seeing a text from Cassandra as Salem changed the topic. It didn't take long for her to respond with a quick > Come on over! before she was addressed, looking up from her phone to Aaron. For just a quick second she was hit with her embarrassment again, though she tucked a stray hair behind her ear as she cleared her throat, hoping her blush had gone away.
"Oh, yeah, um--water, yes, but..." She stumbled over her words, squeezing her eyes shut for a second as she recollected herself. Once she opened her eyes, she was a little calmer, deciding to try again as she perked up. "Yes, water is my affinity, I'm so glad you remembered! And the funny part is I got paired with a fire mage in my class. She seems nice, so if bonding is needed, I think we'll be okay!" She genuinely liked interacting with Cassandra, so she didn't foresee any issues on that end if what Salem said was correct. Still, something about what Salem said was a little weird--he did mention that he and Aaron didn't see eye to eye, but was that really going to affect them bonding? It was a shame, she thought they would get along fine.
Lilie paused for a moment, scratching her chin as she contemplated Aaron's other question. "Well...there aren't any mages in my family, so no, I haven't done any magical training until now," She was a bit crestfallen for a second as she thought of her family, though she mentally slapped herself as she continued, "But the exercise today wasn't too bad! If I concentrate, it's easy. But I, um...get too excited, so I need to get a better handle on that. I wish I could take a crystal home just to practice." That much was sincere, her hands pretending to hold the crystal in her hand as she spoke.
Hannah cursed under her breath as she bound up the stairs, two at a time, wishing she took the time to put her hair up before the Hive decided to process the damn vampire.
He’s kinda cool looking?
Ugh, he looks gross as shit Bethany.
Well, Mr.Stoic looks like hes gonna burry Dennis five feet under real fucking quick.
Why is Dennis like this?! We were supposed to process!
I wonder if he’s DTF?
Keep your pants on; we don’t want to see that again.
You really didn’t learn your lesson did you? Queeny’s gunna bust your brain again.
Hector we swear if you start that thought…
Hannah instinctively dimmed the voices swimming through her head as she hurried onto the Arena floor, the chattering continuing. The Royal’s stood outside the circle the Hive made, quiet as they watched Dennis fuck up. Again. She sent an inquisitive thought towards Queeny, who only sent back a brief flash of the vampire meditating, as he called it. She saw why they’d want to process it; the vampire cleary had unusual training and adding it to their repertoire would benefit everyone. And yet Dennis felt the need to ask permission. Queen Anastasia help them all. Dennis stumbled back from the vampire, whipping around as Hannah sent a very long string of curses mentally in his direction. He blanched and stepped behind her as she stood in front of the hulking person.
“Sorry about him. We we just supposed to watch and Dennis didn't feel comfortable unless he got permission from you. Ignore him.” Hannah apologized. “Your technique is unique. We’ll be studying it so by all means, continue please.”
Damien did what he was told, mostly. He couldn’t help darting from one side of Lucan to the other as delicious smells drifted his way, his stomach gurgling loudly. He shared his stomach’s sentiments; there had been far too much nightmare bullshit and not enough food to make up for it. He was practically salivating at the choices―man, he had choices!―and started making a plate in his head.
“Okay, okay. Yes table is important. All mages or whatever. But so is food! It keeps your food, me, alive and kicking. So maybe I can just mosey around, grab some, and pop back over? I’ll be like twelve seconds, okay well you might take that literally, five minutes tops?” Damien suggested to his over controlling partner. “Cause like no offence and I really do appreciate you taking care of me, but I need more than a slice of ham and a soda after you suck me dry. Not to mention the whole loopy bit. Definitely fun, gotta do that again, but trippy dude.”
To Cassandra's immense relief, Lilie answered immediately in the affirmative. She took another sip of her drink before putting it down on her tray, which she picked up. She scurried across the dining hall, dodging anyone who threatened her person space, and accidentally setting fire to one of the paper butterflies as it landed on her cheek and startled her. She kept hold of her tray and didn't break stride, trying to pretend that hadn't happened, and ignore any comments that were floating after her.
"Lilie!" upon reaching the table,she addressed the member of the group that she knew. Her entry point into the socialization. "Thanks for the invite, I didn't have any other friends in the hall." Make sure everyone knew she was already welcome. Downplay the fact that she was alone.
"How'd you meet so many friends so fast?" A mild complement and subtle hint that she should be introduced.
Settling her hands on the table once she finished speaking, Lilie was pleasantly surprised by Cassandra's arrival. The white haired girl gave the other a pleasant smile, eager to socialize. A new face was always interesting to people, and it would (hopefully) bury her own debacle while talking about other, more happy topics. Though she really was glad to see her partner outside of class, taking a second to look at Aaron and Salem excitedly. Did they really all seem like friends already? The thought perked her up a lot more than she wanted to admit, but of course she would be happy if everyone else considered her a friend, too.
"This is my partner from Affinity Mastery, the fire mage I was just telling you about," Lilie cheerfully introduced the girl. "Cassandra, this is Salem, Aaron, and Max." She motioned to each guy as she went about matching names to faces, deciding to introduce Max even if he was seated away from them.
As she wondered on Cassandra's question, Lilie paused. Would admitting she was popular in high school be seen as bragging? The alternative wasn't exactly better--she didn't want to admit how lonely she was, either. She didn't want to make an even bigger fool of herself, so instead she took the compliment as humbly as she could. "Aaron was the first friend I made back at the opening ceremony, I met Salem at the arena, and I don't know Max too well yet, but I'm hoping to keep up the trend," She smiled hopefully at the latter.
Max propped his head up lazily with one arm, the other hand resting idly on the table. He looked on with fleeting interest at the trio that he'd been roped into sitting with, eyes lidded and unattentive. He remained mostly silent throughout the exchange - he had nothing to say to these losers anyway, and definitely nothing pleasant.
"Pleasure to meet you Max, I'm Salem."
They've already met, why was this idiot introducing himself as if he wasn't responsible for that string of annoyances Max was put through yesterday?
"I think you're our partner for the Treaty Law class."
This school just keeps getting better and better.
"Guys look, I got something called a Hamburger."
What kind of shut-in was this guy that he didn't know what a fucking hamburger was? And - this one was the real million dollar question - why the hell did he think it was appropriate to sit back down right next to Max?!
"It's only the first day, but there's already a hot topic going around. Apparently some girl got sent to the mines for having...relations with a Noila mage. I didn't even know there was a Noila mage attending! Or that you could get sent to the mines for that...think they got caught and that's how everyone found out?"
That actually caught his attention, although his face didn't reflect it. He stayed outwardly bored as can be, but internally he was delighted at the gossip of Noila dogs getting punished. His interest shifted from sick sadism to... a different kind of sick sadism when he learned the rumor wasn't about just any Noila dog, but a Noila retriever. The rumor may have been false, but it was interesting to hear that Max's hypothesis of the Retriever being in bed with half the campus by the end of the week was an assumption that he wasn't alone in holding. Aaron must be even more lascivious than he thought. Gross.
The fingers of his hand resting on the table slowly curled inward into a fist at Salem's mention of affinity mastery. There was the issue in taking it slow. People expect things of him and they'll bug him about it. Or worse, they hear he's some defective failure of a mage and start pitying him. He hated to admit it, but he was actually thankful when the Retriever shifted the conversation solely onto Paleface. Although he assumed that was a deliberate move to keep him from blowing up on someone than an innocent gesture of curiosity. He didn't know whether to be grateful or insulted.
Max's fist clenched even tighter when Paleface started talking about her prior experience. Sure, she had a basic affinity, but no magical training and she was already leaving him in the dust? This was bullshit. He barely even acknowledged the new arrival to the table. She looked vaguely familiar, but he was too preoccupied to remember where he'd met her. He supposed there was going to be a nice discussion about her magic now too. Fire mage, basic affinity, probably miles ahead of him too.
"I'm getting something to eat." He muttered as Cassandra sat down, not bothering to acknowledge her after Lilie introduced him. If what he was already seething about wasn't enough reason to want to leave, 'keeping up Paleface's trend' sounded like torture. He stuffed his hands in his pockets with a huff, pacing off toward the cafeteria line. That hamburger had actually looked good, he almost didn't notice under the stench of Flower Boy being utterly out of touch. Were mage families really that sheltered? The leeches had them so confined in their little cattle pens that they didn't even know what basic foods were?
Max took his sweet time getting food, returning to the table with a cheeseburger and an already half-eaten order of fries and sitting down one seat over from his previous spot, pointedly putting another seat of distance between him and Salem. He didn't have a plan yet for if Flower Boy decided to scoot over again, but he was sure he could figure something out, probably involving violence.
Lilie explaining her affinity mastery experience, stumbling as it was, was strangely endearing to Aaron, who was almost disappointed when a newcomer joined the group and moved the conversation on. Loath to be rude, of course, Aaron offered a wave to Cassandra when he was introduced, admittedly happier than perhaps he should have been at Lilie describing him as her friend. It was nice enough to hear over text the night before, but now in public as well? Any lingering humiliation from the rumour fled his mind at the thought.
With introductions done with, Aaron decided to follow Max’s lead and get some food of his own, returning with a simple plate of roast chicken and vegetables. All too aware of how he’d been slacking, he pulled a small journal out of his bag, taking his first bite with one hand as he wrote the contents of his meal in English under the correct date and time with the other. He also added what he remembered of his meals for nights past in the appropriate sections and looked back up as he finished, flipping the cover shut with the back of his pen. A sort of quiet settled over the table when Max left Lilie’s comment hanging; remembering something Salem had said earlier, Aaron looked around at the group, hoping to start a conversation.
“So you two are in the same Treaty Law group? You’re assigned to the Sinnenodels, right?” he asked Salem and Max, before looking to the women at the table. “How about you two? I’m in the Marivaldi group with Lucan and Eris Samael, if you can believe it -” he smiled, but a stone settled in his stomach as he remembered Varis’ comment “- but I didn’t recognize my third partner.”
The dining hall was abuzz, just the way Eris liked it; the variety of students and vampires seemed to intrigue him as he casually strolled around, playing observer. Despite seeing no familiar faces, he felt completely at ease, a rare chance at blending in playing to his benefit. It was rather lively, and while he always preferred the quiet elegance of a private dinner, he supposed seeing the hall like this wasn't the worst thing in the world. He raised a fascinated eyebrow at a few sights that stood out, though one vampire reminded him that he needed to get a leash himself.
Taking an unoccupied seat at the end of the table, Eris settled his bag down next to him as he contemplated his schedule. He seemed to have missed Mortal Biology and some Treaty Law, but there was still Human Psychology and Self Defense. The latter seemed like an unneeded requirement, though he supposed that it was better to know something than nothing. The former was always fun to look into: the inner workings of the little mages were never a dull topic to study and dissect, especially since he now had another one to mess around with.
Speaking of which, the mage of the hour walked past him, likely heading over to get something to eat. He was more lithe than Eris had thought; there was some semblance of a build on him, but not too much. His face was a lot more youthful than the picture, his hair a lot messier in person. His face had a lot of the same features his own mages at home had, which made continuing the lineage one less thing he needed to worry about, but he was going to have to do something about that 'constantly-pissed-at-the-world' look ingrained onto his face. Eris already knew that was going to be a challenge, but he'd have to see about any other potential issues.
Deciding to introduce himself, Eris grabbed his bag as he would stand, hesitating as a girl nearly bumped into him. "Excusez-moi," He pardoned himself, not giving the interaction a second thought as he would move to continue, only to find the girl frozen in place. Did he actually hit her without noticing? "Are you alright--"
"A-Actually!" She cut him off, presenting him with a notepad he didn't notice she had, hands shaking as she held it out to him. "Do you think--could I--?"
He really needed to pay better attention. Putting on a smile, he nodded as he took the notepad from her, accepting the pen that bounced between her hands. "Of course," He hummed to himself as he signed, though when he looked it, it seemed the innocent interaction had encouraged a few others, all lingering behind as they watched him expectantly. Of course. He figured he couldn't blend in forever, politely beckoning the next person to come forth after handing the notepad back to its owner. A mistake on his end; he ended up drawing up a crowd, burying himself in autographs and pictures.
Salem sat in silence for a few moments, inspecting the meal before him. Such a curious thing, assuredly he had had a sandwhich before, but the idea of a beef patty placed within one? Why stop there, why not a steak? Or ribs? He chuckled to himself at the idea, could you imagine anyone putting ribs into a sandwhich? How absurd. Well, the moment of truth. Salem took a bite into his burger, the soft squish of the bun, the crunch of lettuce as the tomatoe squelched and its juices mingled with the savory ones created by the tender meat. Each component complimenting the last into a symphony of flavors. Such a delicious piece of food, he would have to bring it back to his house during break for the chefs to make. Oh...right...he wasnt going home for break, nor could he talk to his family about any of the new experiences he was having at the academy or the nee people he was meeting. His mood quickly soured as these thoughts began to settle in and he glanced over at Aaron, who undoubtably couldnt help if he wanted to, yet the fact that he wouldnt even attempt to stand up for him? But why would he?
Max had come back and sat a space away from where he was originally as the rest spoke of their affinity and how the classes went. A new mage had taken a chair by them, Lilies affinity partner it would seem, a fire mage who would be a great match for Lilie and their excersises. For the most part it appeared that all the pairings should work together, fire and water, plants and light, it must be part of why comradery is so important for the class. The topic changed once more, this time to Treaty Law and who was partnered with whom. The voices resonated in his head for a moment as he lazily ate half a frie then tossed it back onto his plate. He looked up and noticed a lime forming at the late student from earlier and couldn't help but notice everyone else's freedom but his own. His tray clattered for a moment as he absentmindedly hit it with his elbow, knocking him back into reality and with those around him. "Sorry. I have to go, see you later I suppose."
Salem stood up,leaving his tray behind, and pushed through a few of the people in line to see the over ambitious vampire. He seethed for a short portion of the walk, angry at himself and at the situation that he found himself in. This academy was meant to be a good thing, yet now all it's done is stripped him of his freedom. Why couldnt he just be paired with a Marivaldi? At least they were similar in nature to his own families vampires. Salem made his way to the dormitory, opening the door into the same empty hallway as before, but when he turned to enter his room everything was gone. He rushed outside and checked the plaque for the dorm number to make sure he had the right building. It was his, so why was there nothing in there? He rushed back in, hoping his eyes had played tricks on him but it would seem the saw true. Salem quickly pulled out his phone, texting Lilie and Aaron. Somethings Wrong! All of my stuff, its missing!"
The boy did not say a word; all it seemed he could do was stumble back and look to the others for help. Victor’s eyes scanned the room and the other mages more thoroughly this time. Memorizing their faces and expressions. For a moment, he wasn’t sure what they were doing glaring at them as he looked down upon them. Then a smile with the thought of the earlier feeling, “hmm mental mages? This should be fun.”
Before he could talk to the boy, again another female bounded up the stairs towards him and interjected before he could say anything.
“Sorry about him. We were just supposed to watch and Dennis didn't feel comfortable unless he got permission from you. Ignore him.” Hannah apologized. “Your technique is unique. We’ll be studying it so by all means, continue please.”
The large vampire did not move for a moment, simply starring at the boy with a stoic presence. “As you wish, I was sent here to help teach the more advanced combat students how to fight Lycans. I might as well start with all of you. I will be here to train during every lunch break that I can as well as during self-defense.” A half truth but it would work for now, he did firmly believe that everyone should know how to fight them. Before he moved back to the middle of the arena he looked towards the students.
“A brief warning for all of you mind readers out there. Stay out of my head, council secrets lay buried and if unearthed can get you killed.” this however was the truth and a serious warning. Looking back to the girl and Dennis, “Dennis, the next time you feel obligated to ask a vampire who is training like this a question. Say it firmly without hesitation and by no means lose your footing. Some vampires like myself indulge their instincts while training and humans are natural prey. Stumbling or running from a vampire triggers a chase instinct. Stand your ground but don’t be rude, this instillation would not allow you to be harmed by someone like myself anyway.”
With that, Victor turned and went back to the middle of the arena taking a defensive stance this time. By the looks of his posture and how he angled himself, it looked as if he was facing off against someone bigger than he was. When he started, all he was doing was dodging. Dodging to the sides, rolling back one way or another before lashing out at the invisible opponent. Sometimes it looked like he was blocking more than one enemy as well. Until suddenly he was nearly against the ground and striking out towards somethings feet. Before ultimately going on the offensive with vicious strikes and practiced footwork. Fighting this way until the bell for lunch rang.
The freshman class rose as the bell rang, the other students mostly ignoring it and continuing on with their meals. The campus grounds were quiet and still until students poured out of the dining hall and made their way to their respective classes.
Mages
Both of them got a brief text message that informed them their Human Psychology class had been moved to the Nightingale Hall for the day.
“Welcome in, welcome in!” A cheerful woman at the front of the room called from the front of he room as students started entering. Carina Tinley, as her name plate said on her desk, stood beaming at everyone, hands tucked neatly in front of her as she watched. Her fingers fiddled gently with the fabric of her dress but soon enough she was off, the dress fluttering at her ankles as she picked up a small stack of papers and started walking around, passing them out. A sapphire necklace, unusually tight around her neck, glinted in the lecture hall’s light.
“Oh I’m so excited! Three years teaching and I still am so happy to have landed an early morning lecture!” Carina chuckled as she went around. Her voice carried evenly across the room despite where she was speaking without growing in volume. “You’ll understand next semester when you have more control over your schedules. Say goodbye to those pesky 9pm classes. Well, if the upperclassmen let you.” She finished her task and returned to the front with a little twirl as she beamed at everyone again.
“Oh, so many new faces! I love meeting new people! But no more chit chatting, time for class!” Unlike the other classes, this room had four monitors behind her and she took a moment to make sure they were all on before continuing. “Welcome to Spell Theory 101, your first in a long line of classes that’ll teach you all about the fundamental principles and applications of magic and then begin teaching arcane magic! Isn’t that exciting? If fact, I’ll have the honor of teaching you your very first one, the Tenebris Lux spell, informally known as Dark Eyes!”
“If everyone would take a quick second to look over your syllabus, you’ll notice a long list of expectations, dates, and other fun information like what format to submit the few papers we have. It is posted on Blackboard, our wonderful online facilitation program, in case you lose it but let's take a look at some of the fun stuff on there.” The images on the four screens moved in tandem, the syllabus popping up and scrolling down to a date that said “Mid-Year Practical Exam” in big, bold, and hot pink font. “Now this here is a real doozy! During your time here at the Academy, you’ll be tested on your level of magical mastery through these fun little Practicals! Every Practical changes based on the spells being tested and will always include your vampire in one way or the other. This one here will require you to guide a slightly impaired partner out of the woods in the middle of the night so Dark Eyes will be an incredibly important spell.” The screens scrolled again, stopping on a small block labelled Office Hours and Practical Practices. “In the event you have questions, comments, or want to do some extra practice, my office is in the upper floor of Onyx. Can’t miss it; it is the only one covered in all sorts of decorations.” She laughed at it before the screens switched images, the question “What is Magic” displayed prominently.
“So the most important question of all: What is Magic? Well, it’s not easy to describe but magic has been defined as a natural phenomenon in which organisms manipulate their environment in a manner inconsistent with their biological capacities. This definition originally said “humans” but was amended to living organisms after several documented cases of plants, animals, and even some bacteria displayed magical aptitude.” The image screens shifted and each one showed a different picture of varying quality: a macaw breathing fire, a stag with an arrow through its eye and whose antlers glowed green, a fishing swimming through a city in a bubble of water, and rain pouring from beneath the leaves of an oak tree. “Because of their rarity, little is known about how magical aptitude manifests in non-humanoid organisms but magic does, for some reason, appear in other species. What causes their abilities to surface? How do they control them instinctively whereas we rigorously train?” Carina shrugged.
“However, what we do know is elements fall into four tiers,” The screens behind her changed each on labelled with a few examples of elements. “Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and finally, the Conditionals. Our current model organizes Affinities in relation to the four Primaries: Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. The Primaries are the most frequently manifested affinities among mages and are the easiest of all the tiers to control. Mages who manifest these affinities share the closest and strongest bond with their magics, often able to conjure their elements shortly after their Awakenings. It’s this effortless connection that is the tripping point in a primary affinity’s arcane studying; arcane magic strips away the elemental aspect into raw magical energy and the primary affinities are incredibly resistant to that process. Advanced arcane major classes often have a course dedicated to primary affinities. If you’re one of them, good luck!” She beamed at everyone in the class, her grin nearly a smirk.
“Following those, are the Secondary Affinities! We called them the Combinations because they’re categorized as a relationship between two Primary Affinities. Electricity for example is considered a Secondary Affinity because it has magical traits of both Air and Fire. Plant and Ice, earth and water and water and air respectively, are also Secondary affinities. These affinities begin to lose the natural degree of control the primary affinities have and begin displaying the tertiary personality traits that make them difficult to manage.” Carina walked under the third screen, titled Tertiary Affinities. A long list, including metal, gravity, and posion, surrounded the title.
“Tertiary affinities are arguably the most difficult to master. Our model organizes these by subsection of the Primaries rather than a direct connect to them. For example, Metal displays many of the same magical signatures as Earth but focuses far more on its rigidity rather than its potential. Due to this, these affinities take on their own traits and this more often than not creates some degree of friction between the mage and their magic. In order to reduce this friction, tertiary mages have to spend time either figuring out their affinity or finding a divinist.” Carina continued. “It is important to note―test question!―that affinities have as many differing personality traits as mages can have so often times those struggling with their magic in the beginning are Tertiary affinities. Not always but mostly.”
“And finally, we have the Conditionals. These affinities don’t have magical signatures or behaviors that stay within the bounds of our accepted model. The most notables are Light, Shadow, and Life. They are known as Conditionals because all of the expressions of magic we’ve discussed fluctuate outside of the norm for the other three categories. Their behaviors depend far more on external stimuli while maturing than the others so these affinities can be tricky to master or they can be just as compliant as the Primary affinities.” Carina looked around the class. “Floor is open to questions before we go into the Alfonsi model!”
Watching students wander in, Professor Hayes stood at attention with a frown etched deeply in his face. An embroidered dark green robe, gold flowers and vines chasing the fall lines, hung over his vest and dress shirt. He held a small book, the screens behind him still dark. He stayed perfectly still until every student took their seat and even the normal murmuring quieted.
“My name is Professor Hayes and I will be your Spell Theory 101 instructor. Your syllabus is on Blackboard; I have no intention of wasting paper and ink. You will find your first assignment on Blackboard is reading and agreeing to it. Other than that, I will not use it. I will not use screens or projections or any other fancy teaching crutch. I recommend you pay close attention or you run the risk of missing something.” Hayes took a second to look over the group.
“The purpose of this class is to explore the machinations behind magic and although I will present you with the most recent information, Spell Theory is always changing. Magic is a difficult phenomenon to categorize because we have little hard data. Data comes in the form of feelings and expressions; little comes in the way of measurements. Yet it is still our duty as mages to understand it to the best of our abilities.” Hayes started pacing as he spoke, periodically looking up at the group.
“The first question spell theory seeks to answer is what is magic? Its definition says a natural phenomenon in which organisms manipulate their environment in a manner inconsistent with their biological capacities. Creatures of any species have the capability to manifest magical aptitude but the conditions for that remain largely unknown. There are a few hypotheses but with so little data, it is difficult to prove anything.” Hayes flipped a page in his book, scanning it briefly before returning to the lecture.
“What we do know is magic manifests itself into a multitude of affinities, defined as a specific expression of magic. Scholars of spell theory have organized these affinities in a four tier system, creatively named the Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and the Conditionals. Each section shares similarities in control and bonding with traits developing the further away from the Primary Affinities a mage is.” Hayes rubbed absently at his wrist, the hint of a grimace replacing his frown. “Fire, Water, Air, and Earth comprise the Primary affinities. These magics bond quickly, if not instantly, with their mage and respond to even the slightest change in will so much so almost all Primary mages can cast without a focus through the entirety of their lives. Of course, this bond impedes many Primary arcane classes since they struggle to separate the elemental component of their magic from the raw force.”
“Secondary affinities are also known as Combination Affinities. The defining features of a Secondary affinity are two fold. First, the affinity must display the majority characteristics of two Primary affinities. Secondly, the affinity must also display the beginnings of a Tertiary trait. Ice, plant, and electricity are all secondary affinities. Although they share the Primaries’ characteristics, often times their functional fluidity and willing responsiveness, the tertiary trait development demands they use a focus almost from the start. Whereas the Primaries develop resonance, Secondaries and above create dissonance and that negative feedback must be cushioned by a focus to avoid damaging the mage.” He took a sip of water from a glass on his desk. “We’ll discuss more on magical resonance and dissonance during our next discussion point so save your questions for then.”
“Moving on to Tertiary affinities and this is where the vast majority of our struggling mages fall. Tertiary affinities are organized by connection to a Primary, becoming a subsection of a specific part. Metal is a common Earth Tertiary while Poison is a common Water Tertiary. Tertiary affinities develop what we call a personality, a key trait that forces the mage to adhere to if they want their magic to work. More often than not, the mage and the magic are at odds and must find a resolution to their issues before they can move forward with their education. The Academy strongly suggests mages spend time reflecting on themselves and their experiences but a Diviner can be used to help things along at early stages. However, it is this disconnect that forces Tertiary mages to struggle and sometimes the intrusion of a third party will only widen the divide between magic and mage.”
“Finally, there are the Conditional affinities. These are the outliers because they often change depending on the situations. Light, Shadow, and Life all fall into this category. Their connection to their mage often changes depending on the circumstances of their life. They tend to act like Secondary affinities but they have the capacity to morph into Primary or Tertiary affinities. Studies are still ongoing to determine if the conditions between all the Conditional stages can be quantified.” He paused, looking around the room expectantly. “We are keeping up, correct?”
A mage sat at the front of the lecture hall, sitting upright in their wheelchair with a soft smile as the students filled in. The mage was bald, a series of intricate geometric tattoos decorating their scalp and falling down over their right eye. The right eye glinted oddly in the light and continued the geometric pattern rather than having a pupil while the left eye roved over the student body. The mage’s hands were folded neatly in his plain purple robes as he waved to the few students who greeted him. A vampire reclined at the instructor’s desk, eyes shut and perfectly still.
“Thank you all for coming. I am Dr. Arjun and that is my partner, Gregor. You can ignore him most of the time. He’ll likely do the same.” Dr. Arjun smiled as he spoke, his voice soft but managing to carry effortlessly. “However, you may call me Manuel. I find a first name basis makes it easier to ask for help when you need it. We’ll review the syllabus quickly so please turn your attention to the monitors above my head. And let me know if something is off on the screens. Turning around in this is too much effort to do it every time we change subjects.” The screens behind him popped up an image of the syllabus.
“You will find your copy on blackboard if you wish to review it yourself. It has the dates for the few written assignments you will have as well as your two practical dates for the Arcane spells we will be covering in a week or two.” The screen scrolled to a few dates, highlighting them before moving on. “My office hours, email, and phone number are also listed there in case you have any questions about an assignment or want to discuss something we reviewed in class. If you want to use my phone number, please text first. My primary responsibility at the academy is alchemic research and I often forget to silence my phone in the labs so I’m prone to spilling when startled.” He chuckled ruefully. “Otherwise, you may contact me however much you like.”
“Lets move onwards however. So much to cover and so little time to do it. The goal of this class is to prepare you to understand three fundamental concepts: What is magic, How does magic work, and How do we categorize magic. We will be discussing all three over the course of the semester but we’ll summarize a few points many mages often need help understanding in the beginning.” Manuel smiled encouragingly at everyone. “This is a lot to take in, magic and mages and affinities. But we’ll make sure everyone is on the same page by the end of it.”
“So our first question we hope to answer is What is Magic? How do you define a force that relies on feelings and concepts rather than empirical evidence? Well, what we have currently is magic is a natural phenomenon in which organisms manipulate their environment in a manner inconsistent with their biological capacities.” He chuckled at it. “It’s a mouthful and quite vague but there is room for growth in it and that’s all our knowledge of magic has done in the past five centuries. Notice that instead of humans, we’ve used the word “Organisms”. This is because animals and plants also exhibit magical aptitude on occasion.” The image screens shifted and each one showed a different picture of varying quality: a macaw breathing fire, a stag with an arrow through its eye and whose antlers glowed green, a fishing swimming through a city in a bubble of water, and rain pouring from beneath the leaves of an oak tree. “There are no confirmed sightings of non-humanoids displaying more than the Primary affinities but it so doesn’t rule out the possibilities. Research is still on going into the conditions necessary to Awaken these creatures.”
“Now magic is organized into four tiers: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Conditional. The affinities in each tier share similar characteristics that make it a little easier to understand the magics in each group. Earth, Air, Water, and Fire compose the Primary Affinities. This grouping is the easiest to control; it manifests an innate bond with its mage and responds to their will eagerly. They aren’t unlike dogs; they’re eager to love and have fun when they’re puppies but they become the loyalest companion you’ll ever have. Unfortunately, it’s that similarity that makes it difficult to separate the elemental affinity from the raw power for Primaries. Arcane magic is always a struggle but even more so for the Primaries. Primaries, you’ll have to take separate classes later in your schooling for your Arcane major to help with this.” Manuel sent them an apologetic smile.
“Secondary affinities are also known as Combination affinities, in that they exhibit incredible similarities to at least two Primary affinities and display the early stages of trait development as exhibited by Tertiary affinities. Ice and Electricity are two common combination disciplines. While still easily manipulated, the development of traits introduces the mages to the concept of dissonance, a disconnect between the magic and the mage which leads to both physical and mental consequences. This is the primary reason for foci and why the Primaries escape their need.” Manuel clarified, gesturing to a tall staff that leaned behind the vampire. “We’ll discuss Resonance, Dissonance, and Foci more in our discussion on how magic works.”
“For now, we’ll continue on to Tertiary affinities. These affinities are grouped into loose association with the Primaries, displaying some similarities but also fully developing a personality that often clashes with its mage. Although the mage can Awaken, the mage and their magic must find common ground before anything can change. I compare the Tertiaries to cats,” Manuel laughed. “Wanting everything on their terms rather than working with you but when they want affection, it’s always at the least opportune moment. Hopefully, any Tertiaries we have are cat people. They’ll know how to handle it.”
“That is a joke of course. Tertiaries must find some equilibrium with their magic, the disconnect between themselves and their magic is something personal. A diviner can help find the edge of the problem but unless you want a mind mage rooting around in your memories―which you do not, if I may add―Tertiaries must spend time considering their own issues. They don’t have to solve everything but finding the starting point of the issue should be enough to get started.” Manuel looked around somberly. “If you are struggling with your affinity, feel free to contact me. I was in your shoes only a decade ago.”
“And last but not least, Conditionals! These affinities, such as Light, Shadow, and Life, can display as any of the tiers. They most often manifest as Secondaries but they can, on occasion, present as Primaries or Tertiaries. This is the group we understand the least about. Why do they change? What conditions develop a Primary versus a Tertiary? Why a Secondary most frequently?” Manuel shrugged and shook his head. “Spell Theory scholars are still spending extensive time researching this and hopefully we can one day crack the code. What questions do we have so far?”
Vampires
“Good morning my little chickities! Such a wonderful morning it is!” The vampiress at the front of the class exclaimed in a high pitched voice. She wore a long, flowing silk dress that fell off her right shoulder. Heavy scarring covered her upper arm but it was adorned with a fine silver mesh that glimmered as she clapped her hands together excitedly. Her mage sat at the table, typing dutifully on some assignment, eyes flicking over the students before resuming his duties. A thin collar, made entirely of gold and set with a single emerald, sat delicately on his neck but he paid it no mind as he rolled stiffness out of his shoulders. “My name is Anika Patel, Wolfsbane of the Celestial Court, but Dame Patel will do just fine!”
“And do we know why this morning is wonderful? I get to see all of your smiling faces!” She beamed, clapping again, and then curtsied to the row of nobles. “And of course, we are honored the noble houses grace us with their presence. I am pleased to take you through Human Psychology 101, although I doubt I may teach a noble much on the subject.”
“Now, we should get on with our lesson hm? The early bat gets the snack after all. Mortal psychology is a delicate thing. Unlike vampires, they lack the vision and perseverance in our mental states. The littlest things―the wrong word, an absent frown, even a greeting to the wrong person at the wrong time―riddles the poor things with anxiety and jealousy. Mortals require the perfect combination of environmental, social, and internal stimuli to avoid depression, anxiety, anger, and an entire mess of disorders. Misplacing a single one of them can send them careening into an endless abyss from which escape is futile.” She sighed forlornly, gliding over to her mage to caress his cheek. His expression didn’t change as she did, continuing to type away, just tilting his head so she had better access. “Luckily for them, they have such benevolent and attentive masters to guide them dutifully away from such despair. Isn’t that right, Albert?” Albert gave a quiet, “Yes, Dame Patel” and she glided away from him, satisfied.
“As the keepers of our darlings, we must address one of the most common problems that newly Awoken mages face. For the vast majority of their lives, our mages have walked and bathed in the light of the sun. With their new found responsibilities however, this is no longer the case. Such an abrupt change in environmental stimuli, sunlight specifically, often leads to an upset in a mage’s circadian rhythm and disrupt a mage’s melatonin production. The resulting concoction of apprehension and sleep loss will lead directly into one of those abysses we spoke about. This is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD for short, and leads to a variety of complications including substance abuse and depression. Our little darlings don’t deserve such horrific emotions.”
“It’s our duty as their betters to protect them from even their own minds. There are a few ways you can combat this, even with the limited resources the Academy offers for such a nightmarish issue. Firstly, make sure your pet gets plenty of sunlight. I put Albert outside for about an hour at the very least but when he was just a fledgling I put him out for about three hours. I recommend using the dormitory patios for mandatory sunlight time! And if you’re worried your mage may sneak back inside while you fall asleep, I can recommend you a good timer lock. Albert was such a troublesome fledging.” She laughed as she shook her head. Albert slid down in his seat a little at the mention.
“Another thing you should do is brighten up your pet’s room! Keeping a positive and relaxing living space for your mage will help avoid SAD from afflicting your little one. Too many of them enjoy these dark and brooding spaces. Don’t let your pets sabotage themselves. There is a little store in town that sells quaint furnishing by the season. I recommend going through your pet’s plans for furnishings and fixing them with whatever you can find there or ordering something on the online webbing.” Dame Patel waved her hand dismissively. “And take advantage of the mental health services they offer here. Even if your little one has neither a history of issues nor obvious outwards problems, even having a listening ear can help maintain your little mage’s motivation and attitude through a tumultuous time in their lives. Questions about this so far? We’ll be moving onto curating social circles for our mages next so ask away before it escapes!”
Unlike the other classes, the room that held Vampire Biology was small with individual desks rather than raised ones. Only seven students were enrolled in this class, the seven turned that entered the Academy in the freshman class. Each desk touted a nameplate that designated a student’s spot: Minerva, Mary, Hilda, Daniel, Timothy, Algernon, and Joryldin. A frail, weary looking woman, hair tied back in a tight bun and wearing gold spectacles that hung around her neck, ignored her students as she finished writing her letter. Her own nameplate read “Agitha Talney.” Once everyone took their place, she looked up, took in each of her students, and rose with a nod.
“Welcome to Vampire Biology. I expect each of you, in your attempts to become model citizens for your new role, to work diligently to catch up with your pureblood peers. Each of you in this room have special circumstances ranging from the safety of connections,” she glanced at Joryldin and then to Hilda. “To the reparations of a vampiric disgrace but one thing remains true, you have been granted an opportunity to ascend to the ranks of the successful and powerful. You have been lifted from the squalor of mortality into the heights of those which you could once only dream. Rejoice.” She took her glasses off, letting them hang as she folded her pale, veiny hands behind her back.
“However, this grace comes at a cost. Sunlight will burn and dissolve you. It is one of the most painful experiences a vampire can endure. Although you can ingest and imbibe, you’ll regurgitate the food the same way it travelled down your throat before sunrise. Your physical abilities will grow exponentially soon, likely causing problems along the way. A mage gripped too hard, running into unexpecting bystanders―these actions will have consequences but pay attention to my class and you may be able to avoid a certain disciplinary issue.” She stepped down the row of desks as she spoke, cold eyes roving over the students. A sharp crack broke the silence and Algernon yelped as the woman smacked a thin metal rod across the vampire’s knuckles. “A still pen will do you no good here. I will test you on everything that is discussed here in class, including questions and comments your peers make. I highly recommend you pay attention.”
“At this point, vampires created through the Embrace have stopped aging. Mortals believe this false superstition that vampire cells stop dividing, as if mitosis ceases upon the Embrace. This is incorrect. With each division, mortal cells degrade a touch more and their genetic code fails. Vampiric cells only suspend the process of mitosis until an external factor causes cells to break or rupture. In this case, vampiric cells act as if the vampire was killed through beheadment. They wither and decay at a rate dependant on the vampire’s age and then mitosis begins anew.” Ms. Talney returned to the front of the room, the metal rod sticking out from behind her back. “This is how vampire regenerate their own cells when they’ve suffered severe damage, such as a loss of a limb. Blood is converted into lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids and is then used to energize the divisions. Blood must be replaced at a rate equal to consumption so it is important to maintain a sizable mage coterie or ample bottles during these times.” She looked around the room again, eyes still cold but expectant.
“There is an obvious question I’ve left unanswered. I recommend you ask it.”
”Astorio,” Cassandra couldn't keep the bad taste she had for the name out of her voice. Of course, there weren't actually any Astorios in her study group, but it seemed she kept falling under their banner whether they were there to orchestrate it or not. ”I haven't met anyone in my group, though.” She finds know much of anyone, but again she obfuscated her social isolation.
”I guess we'll be…”
Whatever they would be, the group at large didn't find out, because at that moment the bell signaling the next class tolled throughout the campus. Cassandra was standing before the peel had finished echoing.
”Later, then! Lilie, I look forward to seeing you in the next class we have together. It was nice to meet everyone. Maybe we'll get a chance to eat a whole meal together later, she gave a practiced and socially appropriate giggle to cap it off. Expected pleasantries. Reiterate her connection to the group. Soft suggestion that she ought to be invited for the next meal time.
She made all of this sound quite natural, then ruined the effect by immediately turning on her heel and walking away without another word.
Cassandra made her way to the next class, her spirits lifted after what she thought was a very successful first attempt at making friends. She could do that again! Moreover, Lilie really did seem to enjoy her company, which warmed her heart more than she could say. Surely others would too?
Her teacher in this next class seemed a great deal more pleasant than Count Varis, though that might not be difficult.
Cassandra knew a little of what went into the lesson already, but found that she was getting a much more complete context than her tutors had bothered to provide. It made sense that, despite being trained early, they hadn't really touched on that much arcane magic. After all, it wasn't until just a few months ago that the lock on her powers had been removed, and she was able to access even just her own affinity.
She had been expecting a practical exam. Of course, what kind of school wouldn't have one? She had not, however, anticipated that she would have to take it with her partner. She would have to report this to Amaris immediately, lest she allow a scheduling conflict to develop. She shuddered at what Master Valius would have to say if that happened.
Cassandra honestly wanted to get on with the lesson, and so she immediately raised her hand to get the questions out of the way.
”Isn't it possible that more non-human have the capacity to use magic than we know about? Almost all of those examples of plants and animals were displaying Primary Affinities. If Secondary and Tertiary Affinities aren't used instinctively often, it might be that most plants and animals with a capacity for magic just never actually display any.
Aaron and Lilie each got a text at the same time, Lilie’s phone chiming and Aaron’s phone and watch buzzing in tandem.
> Somethings Wrong! All of my stuff, its missing!
Aaron’s brow furrowed at the message, and instinctively he looked around the dining hall for Lucan, though it was crowded enough that if the vampire was there, Aaron couldn't find him. First a suspiciously sudden exit on Salem's part - Aaron made a mental note to inquire about that later - and now his dorm was cleaned out? It would make sense if he returned to a few items missing, if he had anything that the investigation into him might need to look into, but everything? He was already cycling through possible reasons for it in his mind as he tapped out his reply.
> Everything? Are you sure? Are Lucan’s things missing too? > I'll see what he knows.
To just that end, he also wrote a quick message to Lucan.
> Are you aware that your dorm has been emptied? Salem says all of his belongings are gone! Do you have any idea why that might have happened?
Salem’s reply came soon after, reading:
> Well he never had his things here but yeah everything's missing. I should speak to Ryner about this after class.
Frowning at Salem's texts, Lilie found it strange that his belongings were missing. Could there have been a break in? She hadn't heard of a plant thief before, but he did mention how he used some of the plants for his medicines. It was alarming to think someone would just take everything he had, though she knew the best thing to do was report it and have the school handle it.
> You should go to administration and report it! D:
> You might have a hard time getting a meeting with her on such short notice. Lilie's right, maybe go to administration first? See what they can tell you?
> I suppose it's time to learn who the administration is then.
The bell rang sooner than expected and Cassandra was quick to leave, Aaron standing soon after. He collected his empty tray (and Lilie’s as well) on autopilot, depositing them in the proper place before collecting his things to go and offering Max a wave.
Gathering her backpack from the floor, as she slung it on her back Lilie figured now was as good a time as any to properly apologize to Aaron. It would have been better in private, but the last thing she wanted was any lingering negativity between them. She quietly followed him out of the dining hall, waiting until they were out of earshot from the others before trying to decide what to say. ‘I'm sorry for being stupid’ was a start, but she couldn't help her own curiosity. There probably wasn't going to be another chance to ask, so now was as good a time as any.
Inhaling slowly, Lilie gathered up some courage as she looked up at Aaron, a slight hesitancy before she spoke, “Um...can I ask you something?”
Aaron couldn’t deny that he was pleased that Lilie followed him, hoping she was walking with him on purpose instead of just as a consequence of going the same direction. Her calling him a friend led him to believe the former, and his suspicions were confirmed when she asked him a question, even though her tone was less enthusiastic than before. Salem’s drama was momentarily forgotten as he looked over at her - and then down, she was shorter than he’d realized in comparison to him, even in heels - and offered a small smile, hoping to put her more at ease. “Of course, go ahead.”
Lilie was relieved that Aaron was so receptive, hoping he would stay that way as she decided to go ahead with his blessing. She still hesitated for a second, averting her gaze for a second as she tried not to look too embarrassed. “About earlier...I'm really, really sorry,” She started with an apology first and foremost as she looked back at the taller boy, ignoring the blush on her face as she went ahead with what she wanted to say. “I didn't mean anything by it--I mean, I just thought it was something we could all talk about. Not that I thought it was you! I never would have dreamed that they meant you, you're way too nice to do something like that.” She explained herself as best as she could, trying not to get too flustered.
Aaron’s brow furrowed as Lilie worked through her apology, though his expression softened as she got to her point. He would have time to be flattered by her compliment once he’d cleared the air about what was going around. “Oh, you mean that rumour?” he confirmed, before waving her concerns away. It was mortifying, sure, but it wasn’t her fault. “Don’t worry!” he insisted, “I heard about it from Salem earlier anyway, although I didn’t get all the details...”
He cleared his throat, wanting to move right along from that. “I suppose it’s my own fault, really-- not that it was me!” he corrected quickly, “Salem was right, I was busy all of yesterday, and I would never do something like that anyway. I have no idea where that rumour could have come from.” He took a breath, not wanting to get flustered himself. “I mean that I probably shouldn’t have been so surprised, I suppose. I didn’t really expect rumours to be flying about me, but maybe that’s an unrealistic expectation. I’ll admit, I’m not very familiar with how this -” he gestured to the campus around them, “- all works.”
Saying she was relieved was an understatement, Lilie visibly relaxing as Aaron forgave her easily. She thought she might have needed to go further with it, but he seemed just as surprised as she was. Humiliation aside, she had to admit that knowing he was a Noila mage did pique her interest a bit more, mostly wondering what he was doing here at the Academy in the first place considering that he should have been at the castle. When she first brought up the rumor, his initial response was ‘sort of’.
“I didn't think you were that type of guy, too. You seem more like a gentleman to me,” Lilie agreed with him, mentally noting how silly everything sounded now. After a second, she continued. “But earlier, you said that you're ‘sort of’ a Noila mage. What did you mean by that?”
Ah, yes. That. Aaron started spinning his ring, looking down at his hands as he let out a slightly nervous laugh in an attempt to brush off the discomfort surrounding the issue. Damn it, he shouldn’t have mentioned that. But she would have found out anyway, once she learned who his master was, right?
“Right,” he replied, admittedly stalling. He paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase things, before drawing a long breath.
“So, remember how I told you I grew up around nobles?” he began, “Well, I’m the youngest member of the Starag family, so I was raised to serve the Noilas. My grandmother served the Queen before she passed away, and my mother and one of my aunts serve the Princesses. My other aunt serves Count Alder.” He looked to Lilie to make sure she was following, knowing he was probably over-explaining, but he was admittedly hesitant to get on with the point.
“Anyway,” he forced himself to get on with it, painting on a smile in an effort to seem more nonchalant about the subject than he was, “The Starags have always served the Noilas, ever since my great-grandfather originally submitted to the Queen. But…” He let out another nervous laugh and shrugged before finally coming out with it. “I guess I’m the first one to break the tradition.”
Saying Lilie was shocked was an understatement all things considered, her jaw agape at the news. She had already thought Aaron was a step above her growing up around nobles, but he wasn't just a Noila mage, he was a Starag. An actual Starag! She honestly had no idea what to do with this information, a flurry of different thoughts hitting her. Maybe she should apologize again. Maybe she should excuse herself and run away. Maybe she should say another stupid thing to distract from the fact that she had no idea who Aaron actually was. If he didn't think she was stupid before, he definitely must have now. All the signs were there, too, and she never pieced them together: the Noila symbol on his sword, his upbringing, how he seemed comfortable with vampires, how he fell into place quickly.
Snapping back to reality, Lilie cleared her throat as she tried to think of what to say. “Wow...that's really something,” She tried to remain calm, ignoring her anxiety building up as she focused on the positives. “You're basically royalty! That's amazing!” She focused more on him than her own ignorance, though she couldn't hide her surprise. “The first one here, huh? Lucky you!”
Smiling bashfully at the royalty comment, Aaron tugged at his ear, doing his best to swallow the uncertainty that had been swirling around the subject that Lilie brought up. “Yeah, lucky me,” he commented, before quickly moving the subject along.
“But hey, this is the Academy, right?” he offered, more optimistically this time, “I would imagine everyone who got accepted here is probably feeling pretty lucky.” He offered Lilie a more genuine smile. “But now that you know all about where I come from, how about you? Are you the first mage in your family?”
Lilie nodded slowly, her hands lightly tugging at her shirt. “Yeah,” Her response came out a little quieter than she had intended, though she caught herself. No point in being negative, if she was going to get depressed at every mention of her family, she was going to give people the wrong impression. No need to drag Aaron down that road. Besides, Aaron's question was innocent enough. She couldn't possibly be the only person who was the first mage in their family.
“Yeah, so I'm taking things day by day, I really have no idea what I'm doing and no guideline to follow,” She was a lot more optimistic as she spoke, shaking off the uncertainty as she released her shirt. She was a little embarrassed at admitting how clueless she was, but she felt like he wouldn't judge her too harshly. “If you have any pointers, I'd be happy to take them!” She joked, nudging him with her elbow before clasping her hands together.
Aaron wasn’t blind to that little crestfallen moment, but it was all forgotten when Lilie brightened back up, and he smiled when she nudged him. “Well, if you have any questions, like I said earlier, I’d be happy to help,” he offered in return, delighted that her opinion of him hadn’t been soiled by that rumour. He was trying to think of any general pointers he could offer Lilie as they approached the entrance to Rose Hall.
Aaron reached for the door handle, though Lilie would put her hand on his arm to stop him. Before they would go in, there was something else she wanted to tell him. She debated internally for a moment before finally speaking her mind.
“Um...I wanted to thank you for last night,” She said, giving him a shy smile. “I know it didn't seem like much, but everything's been a lot harder than I thought it would be and it's really good to know I have a friend nearby. I just thought you should know,” She finished somewhat lamely, but she meant it.
Surprise turned to humility when Lilie stopped him to get something on her chest, and Aaron could feel his ears burning again as he offered Lilie a bashful smile, glancing down. “Thank you, too,” he replied, lowering his voice. “Truth be told, the feeling is mutual.”
He didn’t know if that would mean anything to Lilie, but while he’d never been good at voicing this sort of thing, he didn’t want Lilie to think she was some kind of burden. With his own admission off his chest, he opened the door to the hall, gesturing inside. “After you.”
Lilie beamed at the blond, all too happy to get into the classroom. A gentleman indeed! And the feeling was mutual! He definitely thought of them as friends, too, and she felt herself swell with excitement. There was no way she could possibly get any giddier, unable to dim her smile even if she wanted to. As the pair entered, their classmates seemed to have caught up, filling the empty seats. His tall stature made it easy for her to keep track, but people were starting to duck between them, causing her to stop. She wanted to make sure they got to sit next to one another, so she decided to take a hold of the strap of his messenger bag to better follow him.
Once they reached the second row, Aaron would stop, and Lilie released him long enough to put her bag down. Taking her seat, she dug up a blank notebook and her fluffy pom-pom pen, she wrote “Spell Theory” on the top line, following it with the date on the right hand corner. “I've been looking forward to this one all day,” She leaned over and whispered to Aaron.
Aaron’s ears continued burning when Lilie took the strap of his bag, and he dared not look back in case he was actually blushing. Luckily that faded quickly as they took their seats and he focused briefly on getting out a notebook, producing a fountain pen as well from a pocket in his bag. He could get away without it in Treaty Law, but he definitely wanted to take notes in this class. He took a moment, as Lilie did, to title and date his page, before leaning over a bit to hear what Lilie was telling him.
Not wanting to talk any more - the professor looked like he wouldn’t be impressed by it - he simply gave her a warm smile in response. He’d been looking forward to this class too, though he was pretty sure his reason was different than Lilie’s.
As soon as the hall quieted, the sharply-dressed professor began teaching, speaking in a no-nonsense tone that Aaron was quite familiar with from his instructors back home. Aaron listened eagerly, soaking up as much of this new information - his first class of the night where he was learning something new, he noted - as he could and taking notes as he did, only rarely glancing down to make sure his lines weren’t crossing. He didn’t write in English, though; much like in Affinity Mastery, his notes consisted of a series of loops, lines and curves, looking more like nonsensical doodles than words.
Meanwhile, Lilie's page was quickly filling up, making sure she got nearly every word the professor was saying. No slides to condense, and she had no prior experience with magic so she couldn't tell what was important and what wasn't. Fortunately, he didn't seem like the type to waste his time, so she had nothing to lose by writing everything down. At the mention of her own element, Lilie frowned slightly, listening intently. Arcane magic must be anything that wasn't her affinity, so it would be easier to control her element for the payoff of struggling more when it came to anything else. Deflating slightly at the thought, she figured the best thing to do was focus on controlling her affinity and then see just how difficult everything else would be before putting in more effort. Aside from the workload from this class and Treaty Law, she assumed she would have plenty of free time to practice; she would dedicate as many hours as it took.
On the margin of the page, Lilie put small symbols defining the elements she knew and writing down names of the people she knew that matched to them, sorting them by their classification: Cassandra the fire mage in Primary, Salem the plant mage in Secondary, and Aaron the light mage in Conditional. There was the slightest bit of jealousy on her end, wishing she had a more interesting element to use, or at least something that didn't fluctuate with her emotions so much. The sooner she got control of it, the better. Then maybe she could move on to more interesting things, or at least practice safely. Cassandra was already able to produce a flame, Aaron could produce light, she hadn't asked Salem his own control but he seemed to know what he was doing--she wanted to keep up with everyone, so she promised herself to give it everything she had going forward.
The Conditional elements seemed like the most elusive study-wise, and she found herself smiling a little at that. Go figure, an amazing element for Aaron. He was leagues ahead of her in everything, it seemed. Flickering her eyes to the blond, she reached over and scribbled something on his page, returning to her own notebook as she jotted down few more thoughts she had.
Sparing only the odd glance at the distracting and comically adorable puff at the end of Lilie’s pen, not to mention her strangely endearing expression as she concentrated, Aaron paid otherwise rapt attention to the lesson. The categorization of affinities was fascinating in that it explained the relationships between affinities; he knew already how different types of affinities behaved, but he’d been considering them more as basic vs complex, rather than falling into four distinct categories. Already he was connecting the dots of what he’d experienced and what he was learning, from his mother’s difficulty with arcane magic to Dora and Clara’s differing issues. Unsurprisingly, he was most interested in Conditionals; he wrote the phrase “Light -> Conditional = Primary <-> Tertiary” in English in his notes for emphasis. It was exciting to learn why he and his magic seemed to get along so well - it felt more like an extension of his body than a force to be negotiated with - in the context of affinity categories, and he hoped they’d delve into it further later on. As he wrote, the small puff at the end of Lilie's pen came into view, scribbling something on the top of his page:
Oh good lord, she was doing this on purpose! No sooner had Aaron read that little note than the burn in his ears was back, a little bashful smile sneaking onto his face despite his best efforts. But there was no time to be flattered and humbled and all-around delighted as the professor opened the floor for questions, Aaron raising his pen in the air to pose one.
“Professor, are Sound and Emotion affinities also considered Conditionals?” he asked once he was acknowledged, “Also, if Conditionals can sometimes behave as Primary affinities, does that mean that in those cases it’s possible to use them without a casting focus?”
Salem clicked his phone back onto the lock screen after sending his final message to the group. He slowly made his way towards the bed and sat at the edge of it, hands held in his lap as he looked around the room in silence and then down onto the floor. He knew he was under investigation, it would make sense if his more dangerous ingredients were taken away, hopefully held by a plant mage who could take care of then in his stead rather than being discarded or abandoned. But to take everything away? That didnt make any sense. He slowly stood up off from the bed and began to make his way towards the front door, it was time to meet the administration and hopefully shed some light onto the situation. Though, if it was tied to his investigation then they may not be able to say much. Salem looked over his shoulder one last time, seeing the spot where he had burned his hand and then looking forward to his bandages. He slowly turned the knob and exited to make way to the front office when a loud bell could be heard ringing. Right, class.
Salem began to jog towards Cerulean Hall, trying to make up some the time lost by the large distance he now had to cover. After a short while he made his way to the classroom, silently walking in and taking an empty seat where he could. He removed a blue notepad and his pencil, placing them on his desk to be ready to take notes once the class started. The professor seemed peculiar, and he'd be lying if he said he wasnt curious as to what his affinity was. Once the lecture seemed to come to a pause Salem raised his hand, pencil in hand, and when called upon said "So that covers what is magic and how do we categorize it, but what about how does magic work? I was also curious as to another thing...why is it that 'organisms' can wield magic but not vampires? What makes a mage lose their magic when turned or the more common outcome, death?"
There were way too many questions going through Joryldin's head to possibly hit on the one she was expecting. The new-blood racked his brains for the best answer. Unable to figure it out, he blurted the first thing on his mind, something that was annoying him more than anything else. "wait, we're not undead? You said our cells still work. That, and... if our cells still divide when they're damaged, does that mean we can die of old age if we get injured enough?"
Oh sunlight, why did he have to open his mouth? There were six other people in here who could have bit the bolt, but that made twice now that he opened his mouth first to ask something stupid. Joryldin cursed himself for being so worried that he would eagerly throw himself into the fray for answers.
Amaris raised a brow, thoroughly unimpressed with Eris’ entitled reply. If anything, she was somewhat disappointed. The man had talent as an actor, that much she could not deny, but it seemed he was less inclined to the art of improvisation. A lackluster response was only to be expected from a man whose entire existence depended on a script. Still, she maintained her posture as the interruption was addressed and sent to a seat far too close to her liking.
“As for you Countess Marivaldi, I would appreciate it if you left interruptions to me. Your lackluster commentary opened the floor to further chaos and deprived your classmates of valuable time. As a noble, your behavior serves as an example to your… peers and perpetuating the discord Mr. Samael benefits no one.” A soft sigh and a weak shrug of her shoulders, Amaris retook her seat as directed. There was no enjoyment from toying with Varis on this topic as any word she had to say would be twisted for his own sick amusement.
The interruption Eris caused was not just on class time but her own as well. She shared the floor with another student in asking questions that would further serve their intellectual curiosities. Such an interruption was a personal affront to her, not to mention the lack of manners displayed by the actor burned her to the core. While she often had fun serving as an interruption to Varis’ daily routine there was at least a small amount of elegance to it. To not at least greet the head of the room properly before galavanting about was in rather poor taste. She expected more from someone who had the world watching his every move.
For as much as Varis complained though, her ‘interaction’ with Eris did serve a purpose. Students still writing were able to catch up, those napping given a reason to perk up, and she had been able to lay eyes on a particular student who had asked a question during the last open floor. While it was not a lesson, if the boy had been paying enough attention, his list of identifiable nobles grew from one to two. Not a significant change but that was one person from two different noble houses he could not identify previously. It was her hope that by having Varis use her family name, it might help him and others like him just the smallest bit.
~~~
With the questions answered and their first oral assignment given, the class was ended by the sounding of a bell. There was a small window of time between classes that allowed for many of the students to linger within the halls. Various conversations erupted around her, including some at the front of the class with Varis. Joining him at his side was the Starag mage assigned to the count, kneeling as he was no doubt instructed to. The sight was nothing more than a power play, and it disgusted her. At formal functions she could understand, after all, even she had to appear more strict than she actually was. But this was a classroom filled to the brim with the boy’s peers, his friends. It was an embarrassment and entirely unnecessary. Even more frustrating was there was little she could do to help. She had no right to step in as the boy was not in any physical danger and any intervention from her was likely to further his ill-treatment out of spite.
She bore a stiff posture as she stood from her chair. Packing away her belongings, Amaris neatly folded her notebook and turned her back on the scene at the front of the room. The sound of Eris’ voice continued as if he had not done any wrong previously, his words causing her eyes to roll back into her head. Such tactics would never usually work with Varis, but it seemed there was more to their relationship than met the eye.
I should have known better… Eris is probably as close to a ‘friend’ as Varis can get. Who else would have the gall to speak to him so informally in public.
Voices began filling the hall as other mages took note of their fellow classmate’s posture at the front of the room. Some sounded concerned, others held pity in their tones, and even more yet thought it appropriate to mock the Starag. All were natural reactions but she thought the last to be rather cruel considering the circumstances. Weren’t they supposed to be friends, look out for one another? A naive thought; pipedream really.
Amaris began filtering out the extra noise, certain the conversations Varis had sparked would only serve to tick her off further. She allowed her eyes to wander about the space for Cassandra, keeping her within her sights as more unfriendly faces made their presence known about the space. Eager to leave, she took her cue to depart once it looked like Cassandra had concluded her business in the classroom.
Taking up pace with the throngs of students making their way to the dining hall, Amaris was quickly joined by Cassandra who managed to fall in sync with her for quite a few moments. It was impressive how effortless she had made that seem, especially with how many students they were actually walking with. There were many conversations going on about the hall and Amaris thought to add one of her own now that she and Cassandra were finally in the same place at the same time, but it seemed their meeting would be just as brief as their first.
Interacting with: Princess Ryner
The countess became acutely aware of the presence of two mages, much more powerful than any student surrounding her would be. A shift of the eye revealed the familiar faces of Princess Ryner’s personal mages, assumedly a summons in regards to her request.
That didn’t take nearly as long as I was expecting. She’s efficient, I’ll give her that. Amaris thought to alert Cassandra to the change in plans but something stayed her voice. She knew very little about the girl, and she didn’t want to thrust her into the middle of something she could not handle, nor divulge information she could not be trusted with. Besides, if Cassandra’s presence was necessary… Amaris would not be the only one to take note of the escorts.
Quietly, Amaris fell into step with the mages allowing them to lead the way. The journey took as long as expected fighting the currents of hungry students as they made their way back to the administrative buildings. Crowds thinned out the closer they got to the destination making the set pace rather pleasant despite the circumstances.
Eventually there was no more hall left to walk down, no more stairs to climb. The trio had reached the end of the line, the one mage knocking on the door before standing aside to await a response. Amaris could hear the unmistakable voice of Ryner bid entrance to the inquiring guest, a soft exhale to steady herself before straightening her posture completely and stepping forward.
“Would you care for a glass of blood, Countess? It may make explaining how you came to be in the possession of such a dangerous artifact a little easier.” The princess spoke as she gestured for Amaris to sit, the countess complying without hesitation.
“A glass would be most appreciated, Your Royal Highness. I’m embarrassed to say that a misunderstanding has resulted in the interruption of my feeding schedule. It would be nice to take the edge off while I make other arrangements. But if you would pardon my ignorance, I’m not at all sure what you mean by ‘dangerous artifact’.”
Ryner opened the bottle and poured two glasses, sliding one across her desk before leaning back and sipping at it. She considered Amaris for several long minutes, her usual cheerfulness replaced with a somber expression. She finished her glass and sat forward, flipping through the pages of the book.
“This book is written in the First Tongue, a language that predates the originals. They exterminated all those who spoke it and kept it for themselves, believing the very words themselves resonated with magical power. They taught their children, who eventually turned on their Sires, and the language was lost in their conflict. But plenty of their writings remain and many of them have secrets of magic and artifacts and processes we could never imagine.” Ryner explained, putting the book down closer to herself than before. “They are unstable, unfinished processes. Incredibly dangerous and horrifically volatile in some cases. I’ve spent since before the Treaty deciphering and learning this language and I personally certify those who wish to handle these. Four vampires. None of them nobles. Even our Council members are not permitted anything in First Tongue.”
“I’m sure you’ll understand I have a few concerns, starting with how you came into the book’s possession and how much you understand of it.” Ryner made a gesture at the two at the back of the room and the doors opened and closed.
Amethyst eyes glistened with pure curiosity and cautious delight as they rested upon the book settled between her and Ryner. Hours she had poured over the bindings and the unfamiliar text within, running her fingertips over every inch of it, even the weight of the object could be felt in her hands despite not having held it in some time now. A book written in THE First Tongue in her possession? Any scholar’s heart would flutter at just the thought of an opportunity to see such an artifact. But if her father had not been a certified handler then how exactly did he manage to acquire it, and why of all people would he leave it to her? The longer she thought about it, the more questions she had.
Amaris took a moment to sip at her glass, her nerves calming some as she did so. The expression on her face remained somewhat neutral but the look in her eye turned somewhat sorrowful as she continued to stare at the object.
“I suppose that’s where you and I see things a little differently.” She spoke after a few moments of silence, turning her eyes back up to meet Ryner’s.
“With all due respect, ma’am… There isn’t a word in any language that couldn’t be considered powerful or dangerous. Words are capable of destruction and they are also capable of creation. A person, no… the world even, can be controlled with words alone. They are like music but they are also like fire, and once they have been spoken there is no way to reclaim them. In the most poetic sense, words are like a magic all their own… one that even we can use.” A short silence filled the room between Amaris’ thoughts, the blood in her glass twirling in habitual circles before coming to an abrupt stop; the countess returning sharply to the present.
“And it’s not as if the history of magic is without its moments of volatility. Any incomplete experiment would be considered as such, but sometimes they can be better written off. There’s much to consider in that department so I don’t speak lightly when I say I can understand your concern on the matter…” Amaris felt a pang of unease, unsure as to how she wished to proceed.
“I can assure you that I did not seek that out, it was gifted to me upon the death of a member of the council. There was no explanation, just the book and a sense that I shouldn’t tell anybody about it; or at least not right away. I had my suspicions concerning it but had no way to confirm them until just now, should have guessed with how difficult it was to translate. Translation might be a bit extreme of a word if I’m being honest, though. I have made some close approximations on very elementary words but even then, I am most likely wrong. So far, there is only one word associated with that book that I know with any kind of certainty.”
"Is that where our opinions differ, Countess? An interesting conversation but not what we are here to discuss." Ryner asked dryly, unamused at Amaris's unnecessary additions. She tapped her fingers on the book.
"You claim Lord Ralmevik, if I understood you correctly, left his daughter an artifact he had no legal right to own?" Ryner demanded. "How was it delivered? Did a vampire or mortal hand it to you? Did it appear at the hour of his death?"
Amaris’ stare turned icy, her irises quivering between subtle shades as she sought to contain her rising emotions. Was this really what it came down to? That perhaps it hadn’t really been him who held the book and that Amaris had been tricked somehow; an easier claim to make but ultimately solved nothing but to shift the legal blame. But if it wasn’t someone posing as her father, the line of questioning could only lead in so many directions.
“You’re right, it isn’t what I came here to discuss at all, but I’m not sure I like where this is going. Do you honestly think that my father could possibly be a traitor to the crown; like that girl you had me paired with? Is that why she was assigned to me?” The images of Minfilia being flung from the dorms and tossed like a criminal into the back of a van played in her mind like a stop motion video. It was perhaps a more irrational stretch considering the guards had been allowed to leave the immediate space. Princess Ryner was more than capable of handling herself but if Amaris had been considered a true threat, the opportunity would never have been given at all. A sharp exhale served to steady the already shaky memories of her youth, a time corrupted by grief and loneliness.
“That book was in one of many studies. It’s exact location was provided to me via a letter that accompanied his will. Addressed to me and me alone, that seal had been charmed so that if another tried to open it the information would be destroyed and the discovery left to the fates. Had this been a family heirloom it would have been presented to the main house for us to share. If he thought it to be something for the head of the house only it would have been presented to his Lordship Salazar, or me if I had been a few decades older. That means he didn’t want to leave that to chance if he didn’t have to, he guaranteed that I would find it and be the one to decide what to do with it… So I brought it here.” The words tumbled from her lips as quickly as they appeared in her mind, an unstoppable force fueled by years of agonizing over the very subjects they now spoke of.
“If it is your concern that I’ll have more, don’t be… that was it. These questions you’re asking are the reason I’m here. Call it naive, or childish hope… but I felt that if I could learn about that book then maybe I could understand why what happened had to happen the way that it did. But clearly it’s a dead end for me, I mean I thought he had written the damn thing for the first few years.” Amaris fell silent, draining the rest of her glass in one fell swoop. It served to alleviate only a small fraction of what she was experiencing, but at this point she would take just about anything she could get.
Ryner remained emotionless through Amaris’s explanation, refilling the vampire’s glass when she finished it. Ryner sipped at her own, eyes roaming Amaris’s face calculatingly. The black stayed but a genuine chuckle escaped her lips after a moment and she followed the noble’s example, tossing back her drink and refilling it. She set the bottle down and reached down, placing a thin black dagger on the desk.
“If I believed hope naive or foolish, I would have walked into the sun centuries ago.” Ryner sighed with an almost fond smile. “Did you know, your father had a nickname he loathed all those years ago. Remmy, we called him. He hated it, absolutely hated it. Especially once he hit adulthood. Suddenly, he was too manly for childish things, silly nicknames included.” She fiddled with the dagger, staring at it absently. “We were turned together. Remmy, myself, and ten others. We grew up together. We thought we’d grow old together, all twelve of us. And then, it was all gone in an instant.”
“Listening to you, it makes me remember back when we were mortal. Cydril and Remmy would be at each other’s throats over some petty academic discussion. Remmy always used a dirty tricky―I’m not even sure what it was, some turn of phrase or something or other―and my little brother would go storming off, ranting about some differential or another.” Ryner chuckled again, reaching into her desk and pulled out another book. It was an exact replica of Amaris’s and as Ryner flipped them open, perfectly copies inside.
“Do I think Ralmevik was a traitor? Not the way you think I do. But so did he and that’s why he killed himself.” Ryner sat back in her chair, the blank look on her face reterning. “You have a choice here Ms. Marivaldi. I can show you what's in that book. You can learn everything and bear the weight that drove your father to his end or you take the other one, a fond but empty memory. Whichever you choose, you walk out of my office alive. I owe your father one last favor; I won’t dishonor my memory by breaking that faith.”
Amaris’ eyes tracked Ryner’s hand as she refilled her guest’s glass, somehow still remaining the perfect host despite all that had occured. She set to refilling her own before withdrawing a dagger from beneath the desk. But what stayed Amaris wasn’t anything the princess did, it was the words she spoke after. Stories of her father she had never heard, a piece of him untainted by accusations and conspiracies in someone else’s mind. Had they been speaking under different circumstances, Amaris might have broken down in actual tears.
Every word rang true, sounding exactly as she still imagined the man. Well, almost. He might have acted too tough for a nickname such as Remmy, but she remembered the time spent playing in libraries with him. He had never fully written off his childhood.
“Remmy? Really?” She spoke, the name sounding strange but comforting as she laughed. Her eyes trailed between the two copies of the book, debating her choices heavily. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine anything that he wouldn’t have been able to handle, much less something that would drive the man to kill himself. They were words, that if spoken by anyone else, would have been branded a lie and cast away permanently.
The feelings burned her from the inside, so many thoughts, more questions than answers. Amaris was being given a choice to leave it all behind… to find closure in what information the princess did have to offer. But would she be satisfied or would the questions consume her for centuries to come?
Some things are better off forgotten, wiped away from the slate completely. How many laws, how many stories have been stripped from living knowledge for the sake of peace and prosperity? What justice could be found in digging up graves? But it was never about justice, not for her. Amaris might never truly believe that her father would set himself up for failure in the way that Ryner was telling her he had… but the manner of his death was only part of it. Knowing what he did, the late Lord Ralmevik had still chosen not only to keep the artifact, but to pass it on.
“A valuable experience to know that there was a version of this conversation that would have ended with a permanent expulsion. The version of my father that you knew, I have wished for decades that I got to meet.” This time Amaris spoke slowly, the gears turning in her head like clockwork as she absently toyed with her house amulet with her free hand.
“There was always a reason with him, and while I may never know what that reason was it can’t just be ignored. There are many things that are best left in the shadows, withered away until nothing remains… but some? Irresponsible to do so. What is madness but a misunderstood state of clarity? Your Royal Highness?” Amaris returned Ryner’s blank expression with a determined one of her own.
“I would like to formally request your permission to the knowledge contained within that book. I understand that I may not like what I find and that it has been considered the death of beloved member of our society. So with that being said, if there are preparations that should be made I am prepared to comply.”
“Excellent.” Ryner sat forward, picking up a case off the floor, gently laying in on the desk,and flicking it open. Several straps lined a plush inside and several pieces of obsidian nestled along the walls glinted in the artificial light. Ryner slipped real copy into her desk and strapped the fake into the case, closing it, locking it, and placing it back on the floor. She pressed something under her desk and the doors to her office opened, a member of the Royal Guard coming in. He bowed to both parties, released with a nod of Ryner’s head, and he left with the case held carefully. Sariel winked at Ryner and she shut the door soft a soft click.
“My apologies for involving you in that little piece of deceit but if my sister knew I allowed this, I fear we both may face her wrath.” Ryner pulled the book back out, flipping it open to the first page. “Over the years, I have come to claim some degree of mastery over the First Tongue. I rarely need references or guides anymore but this was a tricky piece of work. It isn’t an artifact by any means; Remmy would never be so reckless as to allow that to fall into your hands. At least not until he armed you with the tools to handle them.”
“You’re aware of the legends that abound about the original vampires and the children? About their fantastic powers and incredible talents and the other things lost to their petty arguments?” Things changed in an instant. Ryner moved in the blink of an eye, the Princess standing next t the noble, grabbing the back of her head, and shoving her face above the book. “Pay very close attention to what happens next. This is the Marivaldi’s magic, not a mage’s, and I don’t know if your blood has the power to break it.” Ryner held the girl firm, dagging the dagger’s tip gently beneath Amaris’s right eye. It sliced through skin like butter, blood welling and dripping onto the page.
The drips stained the pages for just a moment before vanishing, again and again,until the words blurred red and like sand, blew away. Ralmevik’s graceful script shone briefly before dulling again. Ryner moved her hand and left the dagger next to the book, sitting in her own chair again as she watched Amaris closely. The top of the first page read “The Blood Arts of the Marivaldi Vampires” and the book immediately launched into various forms of blood magic those close enough to the First could perform.
Flinching as her body was moved without her consent, Amaris bit back a surprised hiss as the blade Ryner held broke flesh. As the princess continued to speak the countess had her eyes fixated on the book as instructed though there wasn’t much else in the way of choice in this case. For a brief moment she was worried that the stains that appeared would be permanent, that after all the lengths Ryner went to mislead her own sister, that Amaris had just damaged it. The reality, she found, was much stranger than she had been anticipating.
She could hear the words but they weren’t making any sense to her. Marivaldi magic? Stories of the vampires of old were hardly believable at the best of times. While she was familiar with more than a few of them, she had never imagined that the talents spoken of would be considered magic of all things. It just didn’t seem… possible.
Feeling the pressure behind her head release, Amaris began to straighten her posture once more but only slightly. Everything she had ever been taught screamed at her to look away, that the words revealed to her were not something she was allowed to see. The feeling was reminiscent of a child who had been caught with an inappropriate film or book.
“I- I’m not sure I understand what I’m looking at. I thought that the forbidden magics were a mage creation, an attempt to fight against the agreements despite their endorsement by Starag and Le Fey themselves. Something to be used against vampires not by them…” There was a falter to her tone as if she didn’t quite believe the words she was speaking either. The mere shock of it prevented her from fully comprehending what lay on the page, the more she took in the crazier it seemed. Blood magic was a taboo subject to begin with, but to learn that her family name was somehow connected to several forms of it...
“Hold on, I’m not having any trouble reading this. What about all the translations, the First Tongue?”
Ryner watched Amaris flick through several emotions, pulling out a band-aid and offering it to the Countess. Crow's feet crinkled at the edge of her eyes as amusement twinkled in her eyes. The sight of Amaris struggling to understand a new reality made her remember her own Site explaining her new life; everything seemed new and dark and crazy but also powerful and invigorating and freeing in a twisted, terrible way. After all, she'd been lifted from predator to prey and prey to predator.
“That was First Tongue technically. Nothing but a silly facade with the ramblings of a 200 BC "prophet". Further review of his works determined he really was just psychotic sadly. I always had looked forward to beings of apocalyptic nature bursting for from the center of the world." Ryner shrugged and sighed disappointedly. “Life is disappointment. Remmy warded it in the event someone made it past the seal which ensured its safe return once it passed into my hands. Someone who still commands the lineage’s magic would have to break the spell and since you are my late friend’s only child...” She gestured at the book and picked up her glass again, sipping.
“I would consider, before you try what is in that book, the information you’ve learned today and attempt to reconcile that with the father you knew. I hope you see with new eyes. For history goes to the victor and we have yet to win.” Ryner smiled wearily as the bell rang. “But for now, you’ll need to attend class. It’ll arouse suspicion from the wrong powers if you linger longer.”
Amaris wanted to ask Ryner more but the sound of the bell brought their meeting to a somewhat cryptic end. She finished off what little was left of her second glass, placing it down gently with an appreciative nod of her head. With all that she had learned today, there was much she was going to have to consider moving forward. But if Ryner was worried enough about ‘wrong powers’ taking notice that she would take such extreme lengths to trick her own sister, personal deliberations would have to wait.
Unzipping her backpack, Amaris carefully tucked the book among her other school supplies. For a moment she was relieved to have the book back in her possession, feeling it safer with her after having her dorm raided by officials and the object stolen once already. But knowing what content was held within, not to mention the lengths gone to mislead figures of actual authority, she wasn’t so sure that having it on her person was any safer either. For now, she would have to make do and plan for later.
“As far as I’m concerned, I was here to be given a stern lecture on the interference of royal investigations and to issue an apology for my unbecoming behavior.” The countess rose from her chair and shifted her posture into a respectful bow.
“Your time has been an honor as always and thank you for drinks.” Amaris moved to take her leave from the princess’ study, pausing just before reaching the door.
“Ma’am? Lord Salazar, does he know?”
"The proper form of address is Your Royal Highness, not ma'am." Her voice cracked loudly across the room but her smile remained. "Lord Marivaldi is fully aware of all the details and, while our discussion here may have been the extent of your formal reprimand, I will be recommending the Lord continue this discussion once you return. Good evening, Countess." The doors opened and the mages bowed to the Countess.
“Ofcourse, Your Royal Highness. A good evening to you as well.”
Human Psychology
Interacting with: Professor Patel Mention: Varis
A swift pace set Amaris’ course back to the halls, this time her block of studies steering her in the way of Nightingale in the stead of Cardinal. Psychology in general had always been somewhat fascinating, but humans were something else entirely. They could either be laughably predictable or a complete enigma with zero overlap in between. She couldn’t be sure if her excited state was solely for the subject at hand or something left over from her meeting with Ryner, but either way it helped to quicken her pace to avoid arriving late to class.
Slipping into the room quietly, the countess took her seat just in time to catch Dame Patel’s first introductions. The woman had a cheery attitude and a soft air about her, a refreshing change of pace from Varis’ strict and rigid command of the room. Seeing him sitting at his designated seat reminded her that she had been secretly hoping he would be assigned to another class. It was bad enough that she had to be taught by him, she didn’t want to have to learn with him either.
Amaris nodded her head with a smile as Dame Patel extended her humbled honor at having the opportunity to teach the slew of nobles in attendance, though, Amaris found herself disagreeing in part with the woman’s words. In her experience, the countess had found nobles and those belonging to the higher houses to be the most out of touch with humans. Even she had to admit that her own knowledge was limited and that the course she was currently sitting in could provide valuable advice.
The curriculum did not disappoint as the professor launched into some of the potential long term effects that could be caused by subtle changes in… well, just about everything. Not only was their own biology capable of turning against them, their environment was a huge factor in their mental wellbeing as well. She had known plants with more resilience than what was being described to her. Obviously, every mage was an individual case but that only meant that there was no fail proof way to address these matters.
While there were some genetic components to factor in, it seemed many of the common issues described where environmental in nature. From simple stressors to more complex traumas, there were a plethora of complications for a species often described as incredibly simple. The most obvious, however, was the forcing of a diurnal mammal into nocturnal habits. ‘Jet lag’ was not a human specific experience but the effects it had seemed to affect them more severely than anyone else; especially when the changes in questions were as drastic as they were.
She was surprised to hear the dame promote a preventative measure as unsupervised as mandatory sunlight periods. With as tight a grip she knew some of her classmates to have, Amaris couldn’t see everyone willingly locking their mages outside during a time of day they physically could not intervene. It seemed rather risky in some cases, but in her eyes, the benefits should far outweigh the theoretical negatives. She hoped for the Starag mage’s sake that Varis would see it the same way, perhaps allowing the boy just a few moments respite each day.
Careful Amaris, worrying about someone else’s mage is likely to only bring you trouble. Why does this one in particular bother you so much? The countess took a stern tone with herself, realizing her personal biases were clouding her perception. Varis had done nothing illegal, he hadn’t even done anything out of the ordinary. There were many others that viewed and treated their mages the way he treated his partner. She should neither be as surprised nor hostile as she found herself getting around the count.
For the time being, Amaris forcibly pushed her thoughts aside to focus on the rest of the lesson at hand. Suggestions included taking advantage of services provided by the school, as well as finding ways to settle the mages into their new lives. If she were being honest, the suggestion of field trips and dual efforts on decorations for the dorms were not an overall bad idea. It gave her some thoughts on how she might mend the rocky start she and Cassandra were off to. There was a lot of work to do if she was going to cultivate the sort of relationship she preferred but there had to be a start somewhere. Dame Patel’s advice might be just the thing she needed to get started. There was only one potential snag she could conceive from the approaches the professor was speaking of.
Lifting her hand into the air, Amaris rose from her seat with an inquisitive expression.
“These are all very helpful suggestions for the transition in lifestyles but, with humans being as varied as they are, isn’t it likely there will be those that will view our efforts to be an insult? If it is our goal to minimize the negative impact of environment on the mages in our care, then what do you suppose the best approach is with the more resistant type personalities; or by extension, a more traumatic entrance to our hierarchy?” Amaris half expected to hear sounds of displeasure from some of her peers concerning her question, however if there were any she paid them no mind.
