[IC] Of Blood and Magic

[Bert Macklin]

"Fear is the preferred method of control among the Traditionalist sect of vampire nobility. They believe that crushing any semblance of hope and keeping mages beneath them is how society will continue to put us and our kin above all," Ben explained. "What they don't understand, however, is that this is the coward's way out. They're all too eager to crush and break those that would dare stand in their way without considering that doing the opposite would eliminate nearly all resistance; both vampire and human have thrown mages in the middle instead of properly utilizing them."

In every one of his social circles, his way of thinking would be considered to fall too much in line with Modernist values. However, he knew he wanted to strike a balance between the two factions; as much as he hated to admit it, some of the Traditionlist's worries were valid. Walking the line had become an art at this point but Ben was determined to walk it until he got the power he needed.

"Loyalty binds people to you fiercer than fear can. Loyalty breeds genuine intentions and brings out the fullest in anyone who has worked to earn it. If you cannot earn loyalty and resort to fear, you'll only find yourself drowning in your own fear that you will be betrayed and left alone." Ben said.

His statement happened to end at the same time that his vision returned, with the vampire facing the statue. As he basked in the glory that was King Geoffrey Noila he noticed the empty hand close. How could I have possibly forgotten the enemy...? He thought in disappointment. "Oops." Came Ben's only hint at their mistake, watching the king crumble before them. Hopefully this would not be seen as a bungled attempt at regicide. There was little time to linger too long on the thought as a new figure rose from the ashes of His Majesty: Sybil Sinnenodel in her youth. She was a stark contrast to the image of age she took these days but just as merciless, crushing the staff without so much as a second thought. His fealty to the crown was insulted by the sight and moreso by her words as he narrowed his eyes at the statue. What a bold statement for someone who had to create a viper's nest just to protect herself from her own actions.

The sight of all life dying around them was quite startling but it summed up exactly what would happen should one attempt to challenge the devil herself. It was a humbling thought first and foremost, however it did not matter—they had failed the challenge. Aside from the lost grade the challenge educating them on the long lived head of the Sinnenodel House was eye-opening in more ways than one. Time consuming all that felt, what could that possibly mean? A mind beyond the grasp of time?

With his vision lost again, Ben decided to put all this out of his mind for the moment. "It would seem we are running out of time. We can take the risk and try one more challenge and hopefully get a ninety-five percent completion, or we take our losses and exit the forest now." He offered his arm to Lilie. "I will leave the decision to you."

[Scribe of Thoth]

---

Laughter was decidedly not the response Max had expected. Maybe a chortle, tops. Maybe he was funnier than he thought. Or Eris genuinely thought the idea of him directing was as horrendously awful as the clone had portrayed it to be.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. He pet my fucking head, Eris, it was creepy."

Max almost walked off as Eris devolved into muttering foreign gibberish at the television, only to be addressed again before he could even turn away. Aaron heard quite enough for Max's taste in that damn test, but it didn't sound like it was anything immediately damning. He was more concerned about the damn mind mages blabbing about it to Ryner than anything some whipped dog could do with that knowledge. Since when did Eris care about his magic, though? Did he finally decide on how he wanted to employ Max for real? No connection he could think of between metal and movies sounded very engaging, but neither did assistant secretary. Maybe the leech was just wondering how far along Max was when it came to staking him.

"If you wanted to hear about my magic, you should've asked sooner. I would've ripped all the wires out of the walls and strangled you with them by now," Max responded apathetically. Yet another reason transmutation was more of a pain in the ass than it was worth; when was he ever outside enough to not be near anything metallic? "My affinity's going fine, unless you had something specifically in mind you wanted me to do. I have no idea what I'm doing for my major in the meantime. Half of them sound like too much work for no payoff."

---

@Hero

[WeepingLiberty]

Amaris Marivaldi

_{Interacting with: Madalyn @Achronum}

That would depend on the nature of the conflict.

The Blood Wars alone were enough to greatly boost the body count of any participating vampire, but it was far from the only conflict to add to the death toll where vampires were concerned. Between legal proceedings post Treaty and petty disputes between families, Amaris could come up with quite a few occasions where an individual’s body count was increased; and none excluded the house of Noila.

Breaking away from her thoughts, Amaris returned to the table but hesitated in physically placing a chip just yet. She could sense a degree of discomfort from her partner and could feel the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging in the air. As confident as she could be in her selection of the princess, there was no glossing over the fact that she had yet to find evidence that removed her own father from the equation. It wasn’t as if she could be faulted for not knowing for certain, but the feeling was no less frustrating to the Countess.

“Might as well hedge our bets and place on Ralmevik too. Unless he’s here solely to remind me of how dead he is, the man’s a possibility.” There was a hint of resignation in her voice, but she knew she couldn’t ignore him. She had already been faced with one of his omissions, there were bound to be more.

[Trainerblue192]

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Interacting with:@ReusableSword

Salem sighed in relief as he watched the vines fall lifeless onto the ground and the mages body toppled over. He was breathing hard, an adverse effect from what ever that mage had done. He took a few deep breathes as he witnessed Victor grab something from the cabin, noticing a glow in one hand and a sword in the other. He sat down on the ground, taking whatever solace he could in knowing his life was no longer in any immediate danger. He listened to Victor explain how Edmond used his magic, taking a mental note to research further applications for this technique if at all possible. A sharp pain now jabbing at his chest as his hearing slolwy gave out and all his senses dulled to give way to the excruciating sensation now presenting itself in his lungs. Before Salem could grab the sword he doubled over, falling to his side as his body forced him into the fetal position and all that could be heard were sharp gasps of air.

Salem could feel tiny legs crawling up his esophagus, mustering any strength he had left to help flip himself over onto all fours. He began hacking and coughing as saliva began to dribble out and all he could do was dry heave for a moment. After a few sharp breathes he finally pushed hard enough, his stomach retracting and his diaphragm helping to expell whatever was lodged within him. Small root systems came flying out of his mouth and landed on the ground. Each having Salem heavy breathing between spews as his eyes remained wide open in horror at what was coming out from within him. His eyes slowly and shakily turned to see the pile of ashes with roots bursting through, wondering how much longer until he would've ended up in a similar situation. With a final heave he dislodged the rest of the plants within him, letting out a feral scream of pain.

[Hero]

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It was...weird to hear Ben talk like that. No, it was weird to hear any vampire talk like that. Lilie thought that the only things they cared about were themselves, but Ben seemed to have a heart when it came to people beneath them. It was still bizarre, but interesting to her--what few vampires she did meet were either condescending, alright in private but different in public, and...whatever Eris was--and she couldn't help but wonder to herself. Did he think that way because those were the values he grew up with, or was it because something happened to him? Did he get betrayed and learn his lesson? There were a few ideas floating around in her head, but she wasn't brave enough to ask.

She looked over as Geoffrey Noila spoke, but when he started acting strangely, she almost expected him to attack. Ben distracted her for a second--what did he mean, "oops'?! But soon that statue changed, it was like the king was taken over by a beautiful young woman. Her veil made her look mysterious, but as soon as she saw the Sinnenodel symbol, Lilie's opinion of the statue dropped a little. Who was that? She looked like one of the Sinnenodels on one of their bills, but that couldn't be, could it?

Lilie was entirely confused about the woman's speech, making little sense of it. Snakes? Time? What? Swords and magic combined, she got, but that wasn't something the woman was interested in. She gasped as the scepter was crushed, the scenery around them changing. All the trees and bushes looked dried and withered, and she felt a pang of guilt. Was this their fault?

Unfortunately, it was: they failed. Lilie was crestfallen, looking around them sadly. Where had they gone wrong? Before she could ask, Ben pointed out that they were running out of time. Not only did they kill the poor plant life, but they lost their chance to do both extra challenges and even the full grade. He left the decision to her, but she hesitated. She had been completely hopeless in the face of the last challenge, what if that happened again and they timed out? At least a ninety was better than a zero, but leaving like this felt wrong, too.

Taking Ben's sleeve, she looked for the clearer path. "We're gonna keep going," She told him, determined.

---

Standing next to @Bert Macklin.

[Hero]

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How could he not laugh? Eris nearly lost it again once Max mentioned the head patting, but he kept himself together. The very thought was absurd, though he would definitely keep that in mind the next time he wanted to bother the kid. He'd be lying if he said he'd be refraining from rustling him, but something about Max made him want to bug him all the more. Patting his head seemed tame enough, maybe he could snatch him up or catch him off guard. It'd be a decent way to covertly train his reflexes, too.

That said, if Max thought strangling a vampire did anything, he was sorely mistaken. The thought was amusing, though. Hearing that Max was doing well did make Eris happy--that bodyguard suggestion of Ismene's might just play out after all. But he was also interested for other reasons, mostly to see if he would take well to be molded. Stubborn as he was, the kid did have a brain somewhere in-between the moodiness and pouting, and a working mage was a useful asset.

"It's only now that any mage worth their salt would be shown their talents. There's a reason their practical is now," He pointed out. "Metal is a useful affinity, there's a few things I can think I'd like you to try down the line."

He wasn't sure how to comment on the affinity. Was it common to be undecided? He'd have to try to find out without coming off as ignorant. If Sunny asked, though, it meant that Eris should at least be asking, so there was that. Maybe they should talk about it now. "This Academy is weird in that sense: unless I actually decide to step in and override it, you're the one that gets the choice of major." Because watching mages have choices was funny or something to the princess. "What choices were you considering?"

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Blah blah blahing with @Scribe of Thoth

[Achronum]

_{Time: 3:06 am - The Forest}

Lilie/Ben

The path unobstructed was easy to follow, the closest thing to a real path all night. Stone walls lined it, vines artfully growing through little gaps to cover most of it. Lightning bugs flickered overhead as they walked and a soft chiming echoed through the woods. The temperature rose slightly as they continued and the dirt path turned into cobblestone. A faint mist obscured the treeline as the vines bloomed into vibrant as the pair approached the edge.

Passing through the mist changed the area entirely and restored Ben’s sight. The forest floor turned into smooth stone that stretched to the edge of a pool of steaming water. Above it in terraces, two other pools emptied into the next silently. Despite the running water, the surface of each pool was perfectly still and clear, nothing but glittering stones at the bottom. In the middle of the top tier was a small podium with a carved koi fish, no larger than Lilie’s palm, shimmering in the moonlight. Lightning bugs danced on the rising steam and wind chimes hung on trees that lined the pools.

In front of the first pool was a small plaque with a sleeping cat drawn in gold that read beneath it:

“Rest ye weary bones a while and ward away the chill, for only with a clean, clear mind shall you manage to prevail. With power greater than your own, climb the summit to your prize foretold but keep in mind one single thing: water has memory. All that glitters is not gold but hides that which you wish to hold.”

Salem/Victor

The light radiating from the flower grew brighter and brighter and brighter until it was blinding, overwhelming the cottage, the mage’s corpse, and everything else until the pair were standing only in light. The sword vanished and the flower lifted into the air and spun lazily around the pair. In its wake shadow followed until it settled neaty where the lantern once sat and the exam forest returned to sight again. The flower stopped glowing, now just an intricate ruby figure, and Victor’s sight vanished once more. Beneath the riddle was a new inscription.

“Behind you now are paths laid bare where nothing but life once stood. Take your left and find your home without a backwards glance. Keep your eyes ahead now lest wandering thoughts drag you down.”

Maddie/Amaris

Maddie placed the chips, one on Ryner and one on Ralmevik. It did seem cruel to put someone’s dead father in a game but what better way to bond than bare your grief for your partner to see. At least, that’s what Maddie thought the lesson was here but she kept her silence and only nodded when the dealer sent them an inquiring glance, confirming these were the final bets of the round.

With glee, he drew the kill card: Count Benjamin Eve. “Another round and another pass on the kill. You’re tough gals, ain’tcha?” He cackled as he drew the next. Ryner’s face popped up and he clapped excitedly. “With how good two are, I’m surprised you aren’t betting some more on every face! Now let’s get the winners their chips and we’ll be on our way!” He laughed, adding another chip on Ryner’s face and pussing all three back their way before launching into the next clue.

“Listen here and listen close, for this here clue may not quite toast. In nights long past when secrets reigned and blood was spilled over plains, one voice did rise above the rest and hover in moonlight blessed. Long laid to sleep for treason thrice, it’s sister now continues the fight. Out of sight for centuries but a lineage of healing she still keeps. This face does hold a history against that which their master knows.”

[ReusableSword]

Victor Astorio

Being attentive to how Salem reacted to his words. Victor wanted to see how the boy would react, and he was pleasantly surprised. The boy did not seem to be upset by his explanation or horrified. The only thing he saw on Salem’s face was curiosity. Victor did think that forcing a mage down this path for nothing more than to experiment was a bit harsh even for him. Still, being able to use this type of magic or at the very least defend against it was always a good thing to know. The count could only hope that his mage would use this information wisely.

Soon the look of curiosity on Salem’s face turned to pain while he coughed. It did seem that the plant mage had gotten a few spores in his lungs before he finished the fight. The boy soon keeled over in pain from coughing up what looked like small roots. This fight sure was intense and Ryner did not pull any punches in her challenges. Victor was deciding what to do next when the flower on the end of the sword began to glow and then shine, it was so bright he had to avert his gaze.

When he opened his eyes they were in the dark forest once more, the vampire watched as the flower floated around them and landed back onto the pedestal where the lantern began. His sight soon began to fade with the dimming light of the flower. He had just enough time to see it land and pick it up before his sight entirely vanished. Putting the now ruby flower with the cat figurine, the count looked down to where he could hear his mage breathing. Slowly the vampire picked up his mage, this time holding him in his arms like he was a small child. “Where too now Salem?”

@Trainerblue192

[Scribe of Thoth]

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Him deciding how his magic worked was weird enough for Eris to comment on it? Mages really were fucking cowards, weren't they? Eris was oddly invested in this, which meant he was either planning something or someone embarrassed him by asking. Probably the latter given the leech hadn't suggested anything specific yet. Or he simply didn't understand magic enough to know what he could suggest.

"Initially? Transmutation, but that sounds like a pain in the ass for something that's only superficially useful. After that I started looking at Protection and Evocation, which would both pretty much cover at least half my bases while my affinity fills in the other half." Banal utility was nice on paper, but the magic he'd have to learn was essentially a neat party trick in all but very niche circumstances. Being confident he could kill anyone in the room with him at any moment was a far better talent to have, in Max's opinion.

"I can't imagine I'd need anything more than a handful of spells from any other schools, and I can pick those up on my own time if it's super necessary." No asinine practicals on them either; turning lead into gold was a poor substitute for explosions, and it'd at least keep Eris on edge if Ryner got any more stupid ideas about roping the vampires into their testing again. Though 'accidentally' transmuting Eris into a golden statue would be poetic.

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@Hero

[Bert Macklin]

The change of scenery was startling but a welcome one once Ben could see that there were no looming threats. The scenery was pleasant and welcoming as well although he did not let his guard down just yet. Fortunately, he could read the riddle on his own, the irony of feeling joy that he did not have to rely entirely on his mage not lost on him as he contemplated their task. He released Lilie to better inspect the pools for just a moment. It was queer to look at; the water should have been moving, but it looked unnatural and resembled glass. Very curious.

The glittering and reflection of the rocks caught his attention as well. All that glittered was not gold...I wonder... The phrase struck a chord with him as he looked at the waiting pools above. At a first glance, the goal appeared to be above, and with a water mage at hand it seemed like this would be a relatively simple riddle to solve. Lilie would make this easier, but there was no need for the pair of them to climb; instead, he decided they would work in tandem another way. He took off his trench coat and folded it neatly before placing it on the ground and removing his shoes, followed by rolling up his sleeves and pants.

"I'm aware you're still a novice with your affinity, but I have a request," Ben said. "There must be something we should be looking for, and I gander it is within these pools hidden among that which glitters. I pride myself in my excellent eyesight and should be able to spot something if you can lift the water and push everything down here. Meanwhile, climb upwards to the highest tier—we shall divide and conquer. If you see anything noteworthy then I will likely lose my eyesight and the challenge will be complete."

He did not wait for any confirmation before stepping into the pool, immediately beginning his search.

[Hero]

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Magic really was the key to the kid's heart. Too bad Eris' knowledge of it was so little that he would likely just embarrass himself if he ever put himself in a conversation with that at its topic. He'd have to find a way to use that to get him under his thumb one way or another. The thought almost made him groan--another thing to add to his ever growing list of crap to do. Great stars above, it never ends. Oh well, life would get boring if he didn't have something to always do.

Wait, what were they talking about?

Oh, right, magic. Eris was vaguely aware of the majors (at least from what he remembered; he was pretty sure some mage had bored him to tears on the subject but he couldn't remember anything for the life of him) and paused for a second to think. "I'm surprised you didn't just go for--" His hands clapped together before spreading apart. "--the quickest way to destroy something." Unless he wasn't as violent as Eris thought. The idea of the kid being all bark and no bite did come to mind once or twice, but that would be kinda disappointing if he was honest with himself.

He mulled over the two he decided on. He could still see Transmutation being more helpful in a tight spot, but whatever. "If you're going to get into professional dueling, I know you need a minimum requirement of certain Protection spells just to participate in some tournaments. They vary, of course, but enough vampires have bitched and moaned about it to make the officials take a stance on that," He vaguely remembered someone telling him that. "I guess I'd question if having an impenetrable defense is worth it considering very little can get past metal anyway."

"On the other hand, having different ways for offense titillates the mind and keeps things interesting," He commented. "It'll probably get boring hurling different shapes of metal at people. Spicing it up seems more up your alley. But then you consider that you're left vulnerable if something ever does get past the metal...tough call."

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Blah blah blahing with @Scribe of Thoth

[WeepingLiberty]

Amaris Marivaldi

_{Interacting with: Madalyn @Achronum}

“There is little wrong with leaps of faith, but one must take care to act in confidence rather than arrogance.” The Countess mused as she accepted the chips back into their possession, stacking them neatly with the rest. She considered the dealer’s words, however, thinking on whether it would benefit them to bet higher moving forward or to continue to bet conservatively. Usually the chips were tethered to money or some other form of material wealth, and yet she didn’t feel the same kind of weight with these chips. At first she had assumed the chips were more like available chances. The more one had, the larger the buffer from an incorrect answer… but then what was the end goal. Unlike a normal game, there didn’t seem to be much of an opportunity to bow out and cash in when the winnings were high. It felt more like they were playing a set round of matches until a particular goal was met; so what was that goal?

She found her thoughts on increased betting derailed by the introduction of the next clue, another riddle with fluffed phrasing and vague implications. There was something different this time though. Before, Amaris had felt frustrated by the unclarity and her lack of an immediate response to provide. Now, though, she felt a tad more excitement than she would have expected. With Maddie beside her, Amaris had a partner to bounce ideas off of and to talk through the problem with. She found it both a comfort and a relief.

“Blood spilled over plains… I’d say that sounds possibly pre-treaty or during the lycan threat. Either way that would put our starting point pretty early on. One voice rising above the rest might reference the Noila’s and their guidance through such times, but Ryner’s sister is very much alive and I don’t recall any mention of other siblings. Sybil maybe? Or do you think we should be looking at the successors instead?”

[Hero]

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The pair walked together to the next area, and Lilie had to admit her breath was taken away as she looked around. This place was gorgeous! She had to admit the sight of lightning bugs delighted her to no end, having to resist the urge to try to catch one. Ben moving without her brought her attention back to the scene, plucking her coat's collar off her as she realized how warm it was. Was this magic, too? Not that she minded, she didn't realize how cold it had been, her fingers and cheeks appreciating the new heat.

Since Ben didn't read the riddle out loud, already working on something while she read it herself. Clean, clear mind again--these challenges really had a thing about getting into their heads, didn't they? It seemed pretty straightforward, but one part really confused her. Water has memory? What did that mean? Memory of what? She looked at the pool, frowning to herself. This was the first time she had heard anything like that.

Before she could bring it up, the vampire had already made up his mind. Was that a good idea? Well, he went ahead and jumped in without her--and let her know just how deep the pools were, oh geez--so she might as well follow suit. She took off her coat as well, placing it next to Ben's coat, and took a moment to take off her own boots. As she approached the pool, she carefully wrapped her ponytail up in a bun, exhaling as she looked at the water. Something seemed different about it for some reason, but she couldn't put her finger on why. Still, Ben expected her to just go up like it was nothing! Did he really have that much faith in her?

Letting out a sigh, she decided to test the waters and pulled at the stones. To her surprise, not only was it effortless, but a lot of it responded to her. She beckoned maybe a small stream, but the entire pool seemed to move! Whoa! Was this like a preview of the future? The idea was attractive, Lilie's eyes brightening up at the realization. Okay, time to see what she could do, then!

It was definitely a practice in control more than anything as she tried not to accidentally sweep away Ben, but she had to admit she really liked the feeling. She had to hold herself back numerous times, actively fighting the temptation to push herself--she swore once or twice the water moved just by thinking--but after a little bit of practice, she had a wobbly handle on things. At least, that was her assumption, because no matter how much she moved it around, the glittering rocks always seemed to follow.

Still, she didn't want to time out because she was playing around, so Lilie did as instructed. The water swirled around her with her movements, kneeling down as it collected around her feet, and as she lunged upwards, she was sent flying with the water all around her. Of course, she went higher than expected, missing the second pool entirely and having to hastily pull more water from the thirdpool before she landed safely next to it. Esi's previous warning about making sure she knew how to swim came to mind as she guided it back, and she was glad she managed to get up without hurting herself. At least getting down shouldn't be too hard.

Before Lilie would decide to search, she spotted the podium in the middle. This must be what the riddle was talking about! Parting the water in the pool, she carefully climbed in, boosting herself up as she looked at the koi fish.

"I think I found something!" She called out, carefully picking up the golden fish.

---

Taking on the challenge with @Bert Macklin.

[Trainerblue192]

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Interacting with:@ReusableSword

As the final roots had dislodged from inside of him, it appeared the challenge had ended. The flower in Victors hand glowing brighter and brighter until it blinded them both. Once the light had settled and the forest returned, Salem noticed the flower sitting atop the pedestal as a ruby figurine. Before he could say anything, Victor had picked it up and placed it with the other token, lifting Salem into his arms as his sight presumably left him once more. Salem looked upon the pedestal and read the new riddle before them.

“Behind you now are paths laid bare where nothing but life once stood. Take your left and find your home without a backwards glance. Keep your eyes ahead now lest wandering thoughts drag you down.”

Up until this point Salem had been wrong on every riddle. Having no real talent for such things. He looked to Victor and thought about what the saying could mean and how badly they may get lost if he got it wrong. "We are headed out of this exam. I don't believe we have enough time for the challenges ahead, and the last one was taxing enough as is. From the looks of it this riddle is saying we should head left of the pedestal, making sure tk keep our eyes straight, and our minds focused on thr task at hand. No matter what we hear, we shouldn't turn our heads or look back." He wasn't sure how easy it would be to keep his thoughts from wavering, but the very least he would be able to focus on leaving this forsaken forest and meet up with the other examinees.

[Achronum]

_{Time: 3:11 am - The Forest}

Lilie/Ben

With the water gone and the bottom of the pool clear for now, Ben could see there was nothing in the first pool except a small opening at the bottom where the floor and the wall met. It was just large enough for someone to crawl through and a little bit of golden light spilled out but Ben could clearly hear something over the sound of the waterfall:

A woman sobbing.

Meanwhile, the third pool was different from the other two. The bottom was rounded, the floor only flat where it connected with the bottom of the stand holding the koi fish figure. At the bottom, Lilie could hear faint whispers all around her. They disappeared as she rose and claimed the koi fish figure. But that’s where it went wrong.

The scales on the koi fish crumpled like dust, revealing a dark and cracked shark in its place. The figurine grew impossibly heavy, pinning her hand where the koi fish once lay. The entire pillar shuddered as an impossibly loud grinding sound echoed all around them and it started lowering to the bottom of the pool, dragging Lilie along with it. The whispers grew louder and louder until they finally quieted.

In the waters Lilie was being dragged in floated several still bodies. Aaron, Cassandra, Salem, Kanalie, her family, all drifted in the waters with various chunks of debris from what seemed like a dam. Most of them were still, unmoving, helpless against the invisible current but Ren was still struggling, clutching his throat, desperately reaching out for Lilie as he mouthed something at her.

Salem/Victor

The path was easy to follow, seemingly where only the forest once stood, but as they walked the sensation of someone watching them was unmistakable. There was no sound, no birds or insects or even a breeze. It was like the forest held its breath for what came next.

And what came next was a soft padding on the trail behind them, the faint huffing somewhere above Victor's height, and a low, guttural growl rumbling. Victor and Salem could feel the breath waft across them, the stench of rotted carcass, and a sharp prickle traced across Salem's nape.

Maddie/Amaris

Maddie pondered the riddle, focusing on it’s parts. She didn’t understand the does not toast section but they could visit that later. Amaris was right, the secrets and blood should refer to pre-treaty and it was likely that the Noilas were the one voice since they founded the Moonlight Council. But which voice? If she understood this correctly, that voice was put down for three counts of treason but that voice’s sister still kept whatever cause the voice was championing alive. It’s been operating out of sight for centuries but it has a lineage of healing? What kind of healing?

The last line though was what made her think they may not be talking about a vampire. While maybe the school attending nobles may call their Lord or Lady “master”, she doubted they’d hold a secret history against the applicable Lord or Lady. A secret history sounded like a mage’s attempt to maintain their family’s secrets and she was far more confident in that than anything else that had happened tonight.

“I think we’re looking for a mage. Vampires keep secrets but an entire secret history that goes against what we’re taught? I doubt it honestly. Society as a whole benefits from the truth. Why would a vampire risk their position for some silly story?” Maddie offered.

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_{Time: 4:24 am - The Academy}

With most classes out for the morning, the Academy grounds were quite lively. A few other exhausted first years straggled here and there but most were either wrapped up in their dorms or still out in the forest. Other students watched with sympathy, offered congratulations, or laughed at their haggard appearances to themselves. A group of seniors relaxed at some of the benches scattered across the grounds, a mix of vampires and mages, and exchanged a rambunctious conversation, their laughter easily carrying over the general din of Academy life.

The looks and rumors about the Starag on campus had mostly died down but inevitably, eyes were still drawn to the quintessential mage. Conversations still grew softer around him and most, mage and vampire alike, edged out of his way. Whether that was because of his own stature or his association with a particularly nasty vampire was inconsequential; after all, it was usually a mixture of both, but as Aaron walked, two guys fell in stride with him.

The one on his left looked like he never slept, the bags under his eyes rivaling Aaron’s own, and his mouth seemed permanently sloped down at the edges. He wore a white lab coat and a pair of safety goggles dangled from his neck, a bag slung haphazardly over his shoulder that swayed with every step. His glasses were a bit smudged but otherwise he was clean and orderly. He didn’t seem particularly interested in Aaron, instead keeping his eyes forward.

The other guy however was all smiles. He had a bounce in his step and a thermos in his hand,a messenger bag bouncing against his hip. He was a t-shirt and jeans kind of guys apparently, a few wrinkles suggesting he probably didn’t care much about his appearance other than putting clothes on because he had to. He popped his ear buds out of his ears and shoved them haphazardly into his pocket before taking a sip of his drink. He looked a little awkward but took a little breath and started talking anyways.

“Okay, not really sure how to start this since you’re kind of intimidating to talk to but since you don’t look like you’re making a mad dash around campus right now, wanna come hang out for a bit?” The guys asked. “You’re always so busy it’s hard to figure out a “organic way” to do it since we don’t share classes but we’ve been interested in asking you over for a while!” He explained, doing air quotes on organic.

[Hero]

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The crumbling of the koi fish threw Lilie off guard, and it was only then that she remembered the other part of the riddle that she had neglected to focus on: all that glittered was not gold. But it was too late to do anything about it, the girl letting out a yelp as the shark suddenly weighed a ton. She winced as her hand was pinned, but whatever cry of pain she had was covered by the grinding--what the heck was up with the loud grounding?!--and the pillar started to sink.

"Oh no no no no--" Lilie knew exactly was what about to happen, trying to pry her hand away from the shark and pillar, but she was stuck. Okay, fine, she couldn't physically free herself, so magic was the answer. Except instead of a surging wave coming to her aid, instead a small wave moved. Oh she was really in trouble now.

Taking in a deep breath, Lilie squeezed her eyes shut as she was pulled into the water. As she opened her eyes, she froze at the sight of her loved ones all around her. They were just there, lifeless, like they had drowned, and she felt her heart sink as she saw Aaron floating in front of her. She nearly gasped, instinctively reaching out to Aaron, but a sign drifted past her, and she felt her stomach drop. It read Bainbridge River Dam, taunting her, and she realized that she was surrounded by various debris that had given her night terrors for months. Combined with the floating bodies, she immediately knew that the scene was set around her Awakening. How did anyone know about this?! Was this some kind of sick joke?! She looked elsewhere in an attempt to keep herself calm, but whatever composure she had left her as she spotted Ren. Ren, her only brother, drowning in front of her eyes! Lilie felt her lungs constrict as she watched her brother, nearly bursting into tears at the horrible sight and unable to help him no matter how much she tried to free herself.

No, no, it was a trick, none of this was real, nothing around her was there! Wait, no, was this what the riddle meant by water having memory? These weren't memories, these were her deepest fears, her biggest failure, her worst nightmare come to life! She tried not to focus on her surroundings, though it came a little too easily as she felt her chest tighten. Whatever breath she held escaped her, her body screaming at her for air. Was she going to die here? Was she going to end up like Cassandra, her death erased from the public and leaving her family helpless with the truth?

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Taking on the challenge with @Bert Macklin.

[ReusableSword]

Victor Astorio

“Behind you now are paths laid bare where nothing but life once stood. Take your left and find your home without a backwards glance. Keep your eyes ahead now lest wandering thoughts drag you down.”

Victor listened carefully at Salem’s words, and thought about it for a moment before continuing. “Behind you now are paths laid bare where nothing but life once stood? So the path is clear with hopefully little in the way of obstacles. Take your left and find your home without a backwards glance? The left is the correct path to take from here just don’t look back.” A short pondering of the last few words again, “Keep your eyes ahead now lest wandering thoughts drag you down? Huh sounds easy enough knowing this place there is a catch. O well I feel the temperature dropping slightly from when we started, the sun is coming.”

Staying out too see the sun was not something he was looking forward to. Obviously for him it meant extreme discomfort but for the both of them it was failure. This was not an option. Stepping forward towards the way Salem directed the duo continued on their path through this very interesting mind field.

The next thing to come for him seemed rather disturbing and instantly put him on edge. There was no sound down this path, not even his own footsteps seemed to be muffled in the early morning air. Then the sound of footsteps behind him caught his ear, then breathing and a low growl. Whatever it was seemed bigger than even himself. The stench of rot and death drifted past them on a warm moist wind almost as if it was right behind them.

The count didn’t walk faster or turn even if all of his instincts were telling him to either run or fight, instead he relied on his training and quelled his reflexes with deep breathing then laughed. “You know Salem, we were taught to ignore our instincts at times. In order to stay still at whatever cost to avoid detection. My father had large dogs trained to sniff us out while we were hiding, they would bark and growl at us anything to get us to move or run. You see when dealing with dogs that have a trainer or handler we are taught to trick the man behind the hound and not the hound itself.” Victor was talking rather loudly to drown out the sounds behind them.

“One of the things they taught us to do to control these instincts is to belittle the threat or make it funny. Normally you would imagine it and keep it to yourself but I think I can make an exception.” He thought for a moment before continuing, how could he make fun of this thing that would make both of them feel a little better especially after that last challenge? Victor smiled, “Arron how did you get off your leash? Did your master give you permission?”

He was shouting into the forest now, not once looking back. “I doubt you had the balls to sneak off on your own after he neutered you. And what is that stench? I can’t tell if it’s because you have been licking Varis’s boots or chewing on them. That must be why you’re out here then, he left you on the porch again and you decided to run away like a lost puppy. You can’t find the princess so tried coming after my mage huh!?” he was still smiling as he walked, “you can try it too Salem.” He spoke then yelled again, “Well I got news for you pup. Salem here is a whole lot better than you, rode a vampire, faced off against a ghost from my past, and even had the brass balls to run into danger and have the gull to kill a fellow mage. I wouldn’t trade him for a puppet like you any day.” The large vampire was well aware this was a bit out of character for him but frankly he was tired of this as well and just maybe he could get Salem to laugh at the situation or at least feel better with a complement.

@Trainerblue192

[Obscene Symphony]

With time to kill, Aaron had taken to aimlessly strolling around campus after his little ‘altercation’ with Ralph, a new and foreign spring in his step and mood significantly lifted after getting the douchebag so satisfyingly riled up. Maybe this was the feeling Max got when he sent the more shy of Eris’ badgering fans running. It’d certainly explain some things; just that short exchange had turned Aaron’s dour mood around so completely that he even found himself humming as he walked, a habit usually reserved for tough cello passages or the odd time Eris got a particularly insufferable pop song stuck in his head.

Campus was buzzing—right, the other students had been given the night off—but predictably, Aaron was left alone, exempt as he was from getting caught up in slow-walking crowds or accosted for stories from the practical. By now, he didn’t even bat an eye; in fact, he’d long stopped noticing the hush that tended to follow him or the ease at which he could navigate a crowd. Like he’d noted long before, ostracization had its advantages.

It came as a shock, then, when the footsteps he heard approaching behind him failed to pass him by. His humming stopped short as the two mages flanked him, a wary tension coiling in his chest as they kept pace, not breaking off or passing as everyone else always had before.

Aaron had almost convinced himself he was reading too far into the situation when the one to his right with the thermos piped up, looking like he’d been rehearsing his little proposition in the mirror all night. Aaron didn’t know whether to be surprised or suspicious, and settled on something in between, regarding the man with a questioning look. Him, Aaron “Retriever” Starag, intimidating? Max would get a laugh out of that. Maybe it really was the sword, though he hadn’t been able to carry Dawn in almost a month. It might be possible that someone of his pedigree could come off as a little unapproachable to mages of lower standing, but he’d have to admit the thought never really crossed his mind. Especially not lately, seeing as a Starag who didn’t serve royalty wasn’t all that much of a Starag at all. Or, so the Princess would apparently have him believe.

That thought soured his mood a bit, but he was too distracted by his bizarre and improbable situation to worry about it for the moment. This mage and his friend seemed to have been keeping an eye on him for a while—unless it was really just that obvious when he was on assignment, which was always—and he’d confess he wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or a little violated. Above all, it was frankly just surprising that anyone who wasn’t Varis paid any more attention to him than the occasional strange look or tawdry rumour—aside from Ralph, of course, who seemed to dedicate a downright flattering volume of time and energy to hating his guts.

“We’ve been interested in asking you over for a while!”

“Have you now?” Aaron couldn’t help himself, drawling sarcastically as he turned to the mage on his left. The poor guy looked like he wanted nothing to do with this, like he’d been dragged along on the thermos one’s adventure with little to no say in the matter. “I can tell.”

Turning back to the bouncy one, Aaron stopped walking, crossing his arms. “I don’t suppose Ralph put you up to this, did he?” he only half-joked. He wouldn’t put it past the frozen little prick to set him up for something humiliating after getting his ego bruised.

_{Feeling out the situation with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Thermos}

[Scribe of Thoth]

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Gee Eris, thanks for summing up his dilemma. The mention of professional dueling got a raised eyebrow from the mage. Was that what Eris thought he wanted to do? Especially in the top leagues, the contenders there did nothing but train all day and if he didn't follow suit he'd just get murdered on live television. Way too much work. Was a quiet, simple existence free from exertion too much to ask? With Eris in the picture, probably.

"Yeah, I've considered all that, thanks for the narration," Max snapped. Eris didn't express any preferences, at least, so he was probably just thinking out loud. Or fucking with him. "Could go mental magic and put you through another one of those tests everytime you irk me." Though Max didn't think any amount of pettiness could actually get him to sign up for the mental program, let alone their asinine telepathic group chat. He'd probably get banned from PsySpace in a day for rude conduct anyway.

"In any case, I'll pick something eventually, even if I have to flip a coin for it, don't get your panties in a twist." He waved a hand dismissively. Resources on magic were plentiful enough; if he really needed to pick up a spell, he'd just do it, major or otherwise. Was this what being married to your work felt like? He might owe overcommited middle-aged men - and Ismene, probably - a mental apology.

---

@Hero

[Hero]

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"You're very welcome," Eris beamed, enjoying Max's irritation.

Once he stated that he'd leave his choice to a coin clip (a coin flip, talk about nonchalance) Eris let out a quiet laugh, making no effort to hide how entertaining he found it. Leave it to mages to put such an important life decision on chance. The lack of drive was a little concerning, but he supposed it meant the kid was more malleable than he thought. Well, about as malleable as a boulder with his only tool being a wooden mallet. Still, he just needed to point him in the right direction.

That said, he also needed to steer him away from bad choices. Of course, he was sure Max was just saying it to annoy Eris, but on the off chance he actually did consider it, he decided he would enlighten him. "As entertaining as it would be watching you torture yourself going through the mental program, doing it purely out of spite would probably end up going badly for you," Eris replied airily. So this is where the phrase 'Don't cut off your nose to spite your face' applied, go figure. That said, there was one little tidbit that he could definitely dangle over the kid--he'd have to thank Sunny for this--and he threw Max a smirk. "Unless you actually want to lose your affinity. But hey, I can respect doing something purely to prove a point, so you have my blessing."

Eris' grin faded a touch as another thought came to mind, his gaze elsewhere. Now that he was thinking of Sunny, he supposed he may as well put it out there. "You should tell me these sorts of things," He suddenly said, more interested in a shadow on the wall than looking Max in the eye. "Without me asking, I mean."

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Blah blah blahing with @Scribe of Thoth