[IC] The Crescent Academy

[Aristocles]

Asthia stepped through the magic portal, her acceptance letter in hand. The red-skinned dracon waited for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the change of scenery. It had been the middle of the day in her desert homeland, where the sun beat down constantly. As she had traveled thousands of miles in an instant, it was now nighttime. Looking ahead of her, she saw a large set of buildings apparently made from stone, although the dark of the night rendered many details obscure. Above her shone a brilliant night sky, one very different from the stars in the dracon lands. This was not only a testament to the different part of the planet she now stood on, but a shift in the fabric of reality in the area. Many of the stars overhead were overlapped with those of the night sky in the material plane, while many of the brightest and most exotic stars were clearly visible from another plane, one in which the stars twinkled brightly and visibly in a broad variety of colors, with deep blues and pure whites predominating.

It had not been an easy journey. Asthia had traveled from her family's estate to the city of Naugoa, a journey of over a thousand kilometers. From there, she had to wait two days while she arranged for that city's mages to open a portal for her. She would take a return portal back once she used a scroll's sending spell to contact them, as both trips had already been paid for. Walking towards the buildings, Asthia felt rich grass under her clawed, pale feet. It was a welcome feeling, one all too rare in the rocks and sands of her homeland. As she approached the Crescent Academy, the draconess beheld Lake Crescent, a rich blue body of water in its eponymous shape.

Although she couldn't feel any magic coming from either the school or lake directly, her instincts as a sorceress told her that magic permeated this entire vicinity. It was an unusual feeling, like a warm, reassuring hum, difficult to describe for one who wasn't able to feel it. Still carrying a backpack and bag, Asthia finally reached the front of the school. She had hoped it wasn't too late in the day to enter, and from the looks of things, it wasn't. The lights were still on, the vast stone doors of the school were creaked open a bit, and overhead, she saw the silhouette of a draconic figure, wings and all. This last fact would have worried her immensely, if not for the fact that the master of the school was himself a dragon.

She paused for a moment, thinking she saw some other figures approaching out of the darkness leading up to the school gates.

[Zmerr]

Zmerr dragged his feet along the night-cooled grass. it had been a long day. there had been many animal stalls to clean and meals to cook. He was so tired. He felt like he could almost fall asleep walking.

"Ewwww! get out of my ear, you nasty animal!" he shouted as he pushed away a large furry head. the horse whinnied a little at Zmerr's harsh tone. Zmerr suddenly felt sorry for the beast. he pet it's nose and it calmed down.

in the distance, he could see a figure. it looked female. he wondered why there would be any students outside the building at such a late hour. he tied the horse to the nearest post and approached the figure.

[Aristocles]

Asthia waved at Zmerr, not knowing who or what he was.

"Hello? Excuse me? Are you a student? Do you know your way around here? I'm new here and I'm not sure what time it is or if the school is open." Her voice was soft, but had a certain firmness to it. It sounded slightly odd coming from a creature with a snout, but it seemed strangely fitting for one of her stature.

[Zmerr]

Zmerr looked up at her almost uninterestedly. "I'm not a student, but i'll bet'chya i know my way around this place better than anyone else." he scratched his head. "follow me." he waved for her to follow and lead her to the front door. "So...... where' ya from?"

[Aristocles]

Asthia lifted her right foot, bending her leg back behind herself, picking out a little splinter before stepping back on the ground, using her tail for balance the whole time. Like all of her kind, she didn't use footwear, but was used to walking like this. She also wore the light clothes common to female dracons, which was nothing more than a loincloth and a top. Still, it covered enough, and the Academy was in a fairly warm part of the world, especially in the spring and summer.

"I'm from the Dracon lands, which are very far from here. I was told to come here for magical training. I guess you are one of the teachers? My name is Asthia, by the way. What's yours?" She was reserved, keeping her eyes on Zmerr.

[DrHorus]

It wasn't long since the clamoring of footsteps echoed through the hollow halls of the academy. Sylph knew what was going to happen. The new students were once again arriving at the school; students who are naive and proud of their skills. She had already witnessed, what? 2 or 3 waves of students arriving. It was nothing new, rather, it was something annoying. The young wizard wore her hood as she stood up and ended her reading of a heavy grimoire that she had attached to the belt of her waist. Sylph grabbed her stave as she exited the dusty section of the library. Sylph didn't like greeting new students, of course not, they were too bothersome and annoying for her taste. However, she remembered the debt that Malixis had given her; Malixis was the mage who took Sylph in and showed her around the academy. Well, she had stayed in this institution for 8 whole years... apparently, the academy didn't consider her yet ready to wear the mantle of mages. She didn't have any ill-will towards the academy's decision though, Sylph knew that she was far from ready. She had only learned fire, earth, water, and wind... but the other arcane arts was far from her grasp. She had much to learn, and she lavished the opportunity to hone her ability in this prestigious department.

"Ventum Pedes." Sylph mumbled. Perhaps one of the reasons why she wasn't allowed to graduate yet was because of her inability to cast a spell without verbal incantation. It was true, most of the great mages could all cast their spells without any verbal chants, and that was what made them stand out. Sylph knew she had an upcoming class of Non-verbal casting, and she knew it was going to be hard. Suddenly, a small torrent of wind enveloped her feet... Sylph's speed increased as she dashed from corridor to corridor. Finally, she arrived at the great gates, and she saw a familiar sight; a sight she had seen through her 8 years in the academy. Although, Sylph didn't trust anyone, she was quite gentle with Zmerr, one of the keepers of the academy. His dishes were delightful, and his inventions were interesting.

"Ah. Pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Zmerr." Sylph bowed as she closed her eyes. Her voice was similar to a mumble but was still quite audible. "I see you've beat me to my task of ushering the students." the wizard lifted her head as she observed a dracon... a girl dracon if she would say. "A freshman, should I assume?" Sylph observed the female dracon as she looked at Zmerr with her red eyes.

[Redwing]

Lyren was in his natural element, water. He glided effortlessly through the water as he drew closer and closer to Crescent Academy. He had chosen to swim all the way there and it had taken about three days to do so. A pouch made of the same waterproof material as his clothing protected his acceptance letter and a few other belongings. While his bag, made of the same material carried the rest. Though tired after a long swim, Lyren was completely relaxed as he swim the last bit to shore. He climbed out of the water, nearly dropping to his knees as his legs readjusted themselves to being on the ground. Part of the journey had been on land, but most of it was in the water. He looked around as he let himself rest for a moment, taking in the sights of the school he would be training at.

Being a mage was a risky job for an Elemental. You were either hired because of your excellent control of your element, or ignored because of your race. But it was what Lyren wanted to do, so he would do it. His hair was pressed against his head, back, and chest, still dripping wet. But his clothes were relatively dry already. Not that they bothered him in the slightest. Wet was nice, especially in the heat. His kind didn't do well in the heat. After resting a minute Lyren began making his way toward the school, every moment as graceful as the waves, hoping that they were still letting students in this late. Otherwise he would have to sleep outside tonight and he really didn't want to do that. Especially since his back and shoulders ached from carrying his belongings the entire way. Teleportation would have been easier, but getting someone to do it for him would have nearly impossible.

As he made his way through the school gate and noticed two figures by the opened front door, and another one just inside. He paused for a moment, his untrusting nature getting the better of him. But his desire to get some sleep was more so, so after a moment he approached them. "Pardon me." He said softly, "But are they still letting students in this late?" His voice wasn't as smooth as usual and held obvious weariness in it. Traveling from Elemental territory all the way here would do that to a person. Especially one as young as Lyren was. His muscles were bunched and ready in case either figure attacked. He was still close enough to the water that he could create his water blade within seconds.

[Aristocles]

"Yes, I guess you can call me that" Asthia replied, whirling around to meet the newcomer. "I'm a sorceress. I suppose you must be a student here. I'm a bit lost, so if you could help point me in the right direction, I'd be most appreciative." The draconess could sense great power in Slyph. This was someone she'd want to have as an ally.

"My name's Asthia, by the way. And you are-?"

She turned to see the other newcomer. She recognized him as an elemental. "Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there before."

[DrHorus]

Sylph nodded as she leaned on her wooden stave. "A pleasure. The name is Sylph." she replied with little emotion in her tone. Suddenly, another freshman appeared. How did Sylph know that it was a freshman? One, he looked clueless. Two, he looked extremely clueless. Finally, three, he is clueless. Sylph looked at the new arrival, her eyes observing the new person. Something was different from him... almost as if he wasn't human. Well, not that Sylph cared any further.

"The school is still receiving students even up to the late afternoon. They understand that not everyone has the luxury of teleportation. However, once you've been given the class schedule, they become tight with it." Sylph muttered. "Believe my words when I tell you that things will be different from here and beyond... If you lot are freshmen, I'm a super senior here." she gave them a little tip; almost with an annoyed look. She noticed that the newcomer's figure was similar to a readied battle stance, as if they would attack him at any moment. Sylph smiled softly as she adjusted her hood. "This school is quite safe... No dangers of any kind... Is what I'd like to say. However, as long as you abide by the rules, nothing much will happen to you. You don't have to be so tense." Sylph shook her head as she eyed the water elemental.

Sylph looked around as she closed her eyes, as if in thought, and opened them again.

"Well. I believe you lot are tired from your travels. The students are in dormitories, which means you will be sharing a space with your fellow apprentices. No horsing around in the dormitories though... the keepers tend to be grumpy about that. Aren't you, Mr. Zmerr?" Sylph chuckled softly as she looked at the two freshmen in front of her. "You might want to rest your heads. I believe that along with your letters, you've got your room assignment. Go and rest your heads for now... You may never rest the same way again after your first few terms here." Sylph smiled grimly as her tone became a bit sinister. "Well, cheerio."

Sylph turned around as she began to march off to her dormitory... Well... Assuming someone was assigned with her....

[Aristocles]

Asthia, still feeling confused, looked at Lyren. "Well, this is certainly a novel experience. I can't say I've seen an elemental in a long while, but I've read a great deal about your people." The dracon had read through old tomes, mostly bought second-hand. Her training with magic was haphazard at best, having been given a tutor here, a lesson there, and a number of self-taught techniques and spells. Fortunately, Asthia's status as a sorceress meant that her magic was inborn and that control, not the basics, was what she had mostly come to study. Once she had mastered control of her magic, she could continue her studies by herself, although she could learn a great deal more if she stayed at the academy for a longer time.

"So, did I ask you your name?" she queried, looking at the elemental straight in the eye. She could see water coming from him, almost sweating magical energy.

Once she had finished with him, she would follow Slyph into the school, hoping to find someone who could direct her to a dorm, assign her classes, or at least acknowledge her having arrived.

[Zmerr]

Zmerr looked up at Sylph as she walked away. "Thanks again,Sylph. i'm about to pass out." he smiled at the freshmen. "enjoy your stay and good luck." he gave them a small wave over his shoulder as he walked away. he'd known Sylph since she was a freshman. he may not look it, but he's quite a bit older than most of the students. he untied the horse, remembering Sylph's first day. it was similar to this one. late at night actually. he'd been finishing the last of his chores when an unfamiliar figured had approached him with questions of where to go and who to talk to.

Zmerr liked Sylph. she was kind to him. she was not like the other students at the school. most students had this cocky air about them. like they were better than everyone else because they knew magic. But Sylph wasn't like that. she'd talk about her magic studies, but also other things. sometimes she'd help Zmerr out. as his time at the school grew, so did his chore list and some days it was impossible to do it all by himself.

as for the new students, he felt that this year would be quite the interesting one. dracons and elementals? had the school always accepted such a wide variety of students? well, it didn't really matter. they were all here for the same reason. and just like any of the other students, he wished them luck. along with the prestige one gained from being accepted, came great responsibility as well as the occasional danger. he wasn't too worried about danger though. it rarely happened and was always easily handled.

he took the horse to the stable for the night and then headed off to his room. it didn't take long for him to fall asleep. he'd worked himself pretty hard.

[DrHorus]

Sylph smiled back at Zmerr before she walked slowly away; the only sound that came from her was the rhythmic thump of her wooden stave. The dormitories were located just a few meters from her current location. There were only a few lights there were kept on... It was supposed to be sleeping time, but apparently, some latecomers just didn't catch the message. The corridors were a bit dark, and it was quite obvious that some students who had arrived earlier were already sleeping. Sylph smiled to herself as she thought of how peaceful the night was. The young wizard looked around as she noticed that there were still some new arrivals... Sylph had taken it upon herself to welcome these tardy asses... as if she was trying to repay a debt that she had owed to the school.

"Ignem Tenebris, Calor Noctis, Beatus Calorem" Sylph mumbled as tiny orbs of flames spawned a few feet above the ground, illuminating the darkness of the corridors with a warm and welcoming flame. "That should avoid any stumbles." the wizard mumbled as she stood a few meters away from the gate, directing students and helping them with their queries.

She was not technically paid to do welcoming procedures, but she felt lighter doing it. Well, soon, these freshmen would inevitably be shocked at how different this academy would do things. The rigid and strict schedule and standards are just one of the many things that make this academy attain its undisputed strength. Sylph felt her eyelids grow a little bit heavy, and she realized that she had not slept for about two days now... She was busy learning non-verbal casting that she had to stay up at night just to get a grasp of how it works. She didn't dare do a non-verbal magic without a teacher... it could cause disastrous results if done improperly.

"Come on... Come on... Hurry up.. You can gawk at the rich-ass amenities tomorrow. I'm getting sleepy here." Sylph mumbled impatiently to herself before smiling and answering some student queries.

[Zmerr]

A loud crash yanked Zmerr form his pleasant sleep. he jumped out of the bed wondering what could have caused the noise. stepping outside, compete silenced enveloped him. he began to wonder if he'd even heard a noise at all. then he saw them. tall flames licking the sky and spitting out their twinkling embers. they spread quickly, devouring the stables. Zmerr quickly ran toward the flames. this was no ordinary fire as the flames were green and silent. someone had purposely set fire to the stables and then placed a silencing spell on it. probably hoping no one noticed. but then, what was the crash?

a horse came galloping from behind the stable. Zmerr beckoned it toward him, hoping to calm it down. it had a large gash on it's front leg. it must've gotten caught on something and pulled itself free. that must be the cause of the noise. this incident required the help of a magic user. Zmerr ran into the school and began looking for someone to help, but it seemed precariously empty.

[Redwing]

Lyren felt very nervous under the gaze of the three people at the door. He stayed tensed, even with the words from the one in the door about the school being safe enough. He was an Elemental, no where was safe. He turned his tired eyes to the dracon female, Asthia he believed he heard her name was, when she began speaking to him. About having read about the Elementals but not having seen one in some time. That was on purpose. Though the Elementals have been treated better over the last one hundred years, there was still a lot of hate toward them. And Lyren expected a lot of that be to here at the school. He shook his head when she asked if she had already gotten his name. "It's Lyren." He said as equally softly as the first time he had spoken He purposely left out his last name, she had mentioned reading about Elementals, and he didn't want everyone to know he was practically a prince.

The other female, Sylph, began to walk back into the school, and it seemed Asthia was going to follow them. So he decided it would be to do so as well, he didn't know where the dormitories were after all. But he jerked back as balls of the flame suddenly appeared lining the corridor. Out of sheer instinct, he almost put them out with his magic, but remembered before he did that this was Crescent Academy, they were probably safe and contained. Though the school was probably very well designed, Lyren found himself eyeing the flames more than examining the school. He could do that after he rested. His long swim had tired him out. The flames were luckily too small to the change the temperature or dryness of the area by much.

The light showed that there were other students around, probably new like he was. He could feel their stares on him, even as he did his best to ignore them. He made the mistake of glancing around and saw hostility in more than one stare. He was just glad they weren't making a move against him, or saying rude things. This was a good start for his kind. But still, he made his six foot, lean frame as small as he could and kept his eyes on the ground in front of him.

[Zmerr]

Zmerr continued his search in the main building, hoping to find someone to help him with the fire problem. there were the occasional freshmen , but none of them would be able to help. he needed someone with advanced magic skills. ahhhhh the disadvantages of being a non-magic user. fortunately, he'd been here long enough to know who to get ahold of. any of the teachers or members of the board. that's it!

Zmerr took the corner that would take him to the teachers' apartments. he knocked on the first one he could find. a light flicked on in the room behind it, casting an eerie light through the space between the floor and the door.

"What is it?" a grizzly voice sounded from the other side.

"There's a serious problem! i need someone that knows advanced magic!" Zmerr practically shouted to make sure the teacher could hear him through the thick wood.

"If you're here for some crazy love potion or an invisibility spell so you can get some tonight, don't bother."

"I'm not a student and this is a serious problem!" anger just barely controlled in his voice. this guy thinks he's a student? sheesh!

"oh?" the voice said and the door opened a crack to reveal Maxus Renum, the the professor of stealth potions and magic.

"yes and if we don't hurry, all the horses in the stable will die." Zmerr sounded irritated now. he started walking toward the main entrance when Maxus came out of his room and closed the door behind him.

"So what happened?" Maxus asked as he finally caught up with Zmerr.

"somebody lit the stable on fire with magic and i can't put it out. they also used a silencing spell on it so that it would burn down unnoticed."

"i swear, if it's one of my students again, i'm quitting." Maxus sounded furious.

"I don't have a clue." Zmerr said as they came up on the stable, now completely enveloped in flames. suddenly, Maxus stoped dead in his tracks. "you alright?" Zmerr asked when he noticed.

"That's no ordinary magic fire or silencing spell..... go inside and get the higher ups. this is serious." Maxus' eyes were clouded with the darkest dread Zmerr had ever seen. "i will stay here and try to put out the fire."

"you got it!" Zmerr shouted, already running back towards the school.

[Zmerr]

Zmerr continued his search in the main building, hoping to find someone to help him with the fire problem. there were the occasional freshmen , but none of them would be able to help. he needed someone with advanced magic skills. ahhhhh the disadvantages of being a non-magic user. fortunately, he'd been here long enough to know who to get ahold of. any of the teachers or members of the board. that's it!

Zmerr took the corner that would take him to the teachers' apartments. he knocked on the first one he could find. a light flicked on in the room behind it, casting an eerie light through the space between the floor and the door.

"What is it?" a grizzly voice sounded from the other side.

"There's a serious problem! i need someone that knows advanced magic!" Zmerr practically shouted to make sure the teacher could hear him through the thick wood.

"If you're here for some crazy love potion or an invisibility spell so you can get some tonight, don't bother."

"I'm not a student and this is a serious problem!" anger just barely controlled in his voice. this guy thinks he's a student? sheesh!

"oh?" the voice said and the door opened a crack to reveal Maxus Renum, the the professor of stealth potions and magic.

"yes and if we don't hurry, all the horses in the stable will die." Zmerr sounded irritated now. he started walking toward the main entrance when Maxus came out of his room and closed the door behind him.

"So what happened?" Maxus asked as he finally caught up with Zmerr.

"somebody lit the stable on fire with magic and i can't put it out. they also used a silencing spell on it so that it would burn down unnoticed."

"i swear, if it's one of my students again, i'm quitting." Maxus sounded furious.

"I don't have a clue." Zmerr said as they came up on the stable, now completely enveloped in flames. suddenly, Maxus stoped dead in his tracks. "you alright?" Zmerr asked when he noticed.

"That's no ordinary magic fire or silencing spell..... go inside and get the higher ups. this is serious." Maxus' eyes were clouded with the darkest dread Zmerr had ever seen. "i will stay here and try to put out the fire."

"you got it!" Zmerr shouted, already running back towards the school.

[Gisk]

Some leagues away, a beam of light struck the ground, and dissipated to reveal a proud Leonin standing with a staff.
The Star Callers of the Libaxa Plains had their own method of traveling long distances quickly, though the Starlight Roads had to be mapped further with the addition of the world outside of the Plains. Nyame had traveled as far as possible this way, but for reasons he wasn't quite sure of, the Roads were incapable of getting close to the Academy. From this point, he was forced to walk, and as he did so he started to see why he couldn't get any closer. The stars were a cacophony of wrongness. He saw constellations and formations he recognized, but some of them didn't belong in the sky at this time of year, and some were unfamiliar entire. And, worst of all, there was an extra moon in the sky, larger than the normal one, and impossibly royal blue. Nyame was glad the moon was in the crescent phase, he wasn't sure he would be able to handle too many moons if they were all full. There was already far too much power coming down from the sky, and he didn't know what could be done with any of it. He knew he should have expected more magic here than he had ever seen, but to see it tear the sky asunder was truly mind numbing.

There was nothing to be done, and this is exactly the reason he had accepted an invitation to come here. He walked on.

He was very close now, and could see the front gates open and inviting, but smoke in the sky distracted him. It was wild, too great a plume to be a camp fire or a community fire. He knew the patterns, brush fires were not unheard of in his home. Nyame began running, his powerful long legs carrying him fast across the ground to where green flames engulfed a low, wooden and straw building. A small being was running frantically, Nyame guessed he was seeking help and moved to stand in front of him.

"Small one, what has happened?"

[Zmerr]

"Quick! i need your help! the stable is on fire and we need to find the higher-ups! i have no idea where they are, but i'm sure you'll know when you see them. they're unmistakable. dragons, really." Zmerr shouted, grabbing the leonin by the wrist and practically dragging him along. Zmerr maybe small but the time he'd spent in the jungle and working in the school had given him the strength of a healthy adult horse. "the school is in serious danger!"

[Aisling]

Mystique was very weary by the time she arrived at a small town called Rathbone. She had traveled many miles to get there. In fact she was on the road for the 10th day and felt like she was a dead fish. Shadow was in dire need of a good grooming session as well. Over the last 10 days, Mystique had rode Shadow on many wrong roads, meet uncivilized people who did not like anyone who was seeking to be a wizard (or a wizardess as she liked to call herself since she was a female) and was pawed by various males which she nearly used one of her knives on each of the 5 that would not relent their advances.
Now she is looking for an Inn called Last Sanctuary where she hoped to spend the night. A hot meal and a bath for herself and for Shadow, a good grooming session and new shoes for she was sure that the ones that he wore were no longer any good. Mystique found the Inn and tied up Shadow before she went inside to speak to the Inn Keeper.

"Good evening, Inn Keeper. I am in dire need of a room, bath, hot food and a good grooming session for my horse. Can you assist me in getting what I am needing?" Mystique asked in her soft musical voice.

"Of course I can if you have the money. 2 silver for you and 2 more for grooming and stabling your horse." came the quick reply.

"Here you go. Do you know of a person called Gandalf? I need to speak to him as soon as possible if not sooner." Mystique spoke as she placed 4 silver coins on the counter in front of the Inn Keeper.

"Gandalf the Grey? What would you need of him, lass?" the Inn Keeper asked as he slid the money into his scrawny hand.

"I need a portal made in the morning. Now may I have my key?" Mystique spoke firmly as she held out her hand.
"My horse's name is Shadow. Be careful with him. He can be cantankerous if he decides to be. Do you have someone to find Gandalf? I'll pay when I see him and not before."

The Inn Keeper placed a key in her hand as he whistled.
"Boy, stable the horse outside- name is Shadow then get Gandalf. When you get back, check out the horse, clean him up and feed him. " the Inn Keeper replied sternly to the boy who took off running.

Mystique walked up the stairs and to her room. She was going to enjoy her bath then eat..........

[DrHorus]

Sylph redirected students to the different sectors as she sighed and heaved her stave. The young wizard strode off to the dormitories once more to check whether she would now extinguish the flames that she had created. There were some students there, probably the new ones, and it seemed as though their attention was directed to someone of interest... It was the young lad from last time. This was not even a person of interest. However, she could tell from the lad's reactions that their glares were making him uncomfortable. Sylph shook her head as she begin to usher the students to their rooms.

"Off you go! You wouldn't want to be pandas on your first day tomorrow! Go back to your rooms!" Sylph sent the students back as she approached the young lad. She didn't say a word. Instead, she softly thumped her stave on the ground in order to get his attention. "You're a water elemental, huh? That explains the moisture that you brought with you the first time you came here. I've seen a lot of wet and sweaty people all my years here that I didn't think you'd be any different. Well, the blueish combo should have been the kicker." Sylph smiled as she looked at the flames that she had created. She then looked at the young lad as she noticed his downcast gaze, and his tensed structure that hid his actual size.

"Sorry for those flames." Sylph shook her head as the flames slowly died out, eventually enveloping them in a dim light. "Appearances beguile our attitudes towards others, hence, I believe that in the dark, all is laid bare." the wizard leaned on her staff as she looked at the night sky outside of the window in front of her. "My name is Sylph. What's yours? If you want, I can direct you to your room as well." Sylph introduced herself as the moon's light reflected on the jewel on top of her stave, creating lights that danced around the corridor.