[IC] The Academy of Solomon

[Magnato]

Estelle walked to where they were supposed to meet and quickly noticed it still didn't have half of the expected people.

"This is the place right?" She asked to the two who had arrived already "I see neither the professor nor our team here though" she sighed, if this was the coordination of the group they would be in for a hard time.

"Oh, my name is Estelle Bertillon by the way. My specialization is divination so please believe in me whenever I say that I got a bad feeling about something" she jested "Oh, by the way, I kinda sensed that someone on our team was hungry, by chance would any of you two be that person?"

@karamonnom@coolbro

[Frettzo]

It was certain her roommate wasn't going to be a piece of cake, Li thought. By the way she acted and moved, she didn't seem to be too keen on her. Either way, after Lilah left, Li pulled out a large case from her bag and opened it. Inside was her disassembled Naginata, which after a mere minute she assembled back up. Two meters and a half in length, it wasn't the easiest weapon to carry inside the room, but she managed to leave the place for the meeting point.

As she reached the Leyline Gate, a few members of her presumed group were already there. She could overhear the girl there, the one she'd seen back when she arrived at the Academy, say she had a 'bad feeling' about the mission. Li thought that was silly, and it was most likely nerves or stress she was experiencing.

'Guess she really does not know how tough hunting for the supernatural can get for mere humans, huh Li? She might be the first one to die.' Li could hear laughter inside her head.

'Maybe, but remember we also nearly died when we tried to clear out the temple back home.'

'That's just because you're as stubborn as your father and wouldn't listen to me.'

By the time she had finished her internal conversation, she found herself to be standing with the others. She looked at them all with a cold expression and bowed lightly. Part of the reason was to show her respect, and the other part was to sling her Naginata over her back. Surprisingly, she seemed to be almost the only one still in the clothes she had arrived with. If anything, she was interested in finding out more about the guy's armour, but that line of questioning would have to wait.

"I'm Li Lane, member of the Lane Family of Demon Hunters. Second Dan Black Belt in the Lane Naginata style and Third Dan Black Belt in Shotokan Karate as well as an Orange Belt in Judo. It's a pleasure to meet all of you and I hope I'm of use to you and our mission." She bowed again, this time deeper with her hands at her sides, and then fell silent and relaxed. She noticed Lilah hadn't arrived yet. Maybe she had taken the scenic route to the Leyline Gate.

@karamonnom @Magnato @coolbro

[Temporary]

James finished unpacking and headed out, seeming as clearly no one was coming to be his room mate. Figured, considering his history. He thought that not he gave the school would convince the others to be the room mate he sought after, but to no avail. He grabbed his knife, umbrella and watch, only to head out and towards the Leyline gate. Hearing the announcement made it a pretty logical idea. That and meeting the people he might have to give his life to, it was the best solution. As he walked, he wandered what type of mission it would be. Maybe a demon to slay, an army of cultists bent on bring back the ancient lord Azaroth, ruler of entropy and destruction. Or maybe simply gathering some supplies for military use, though that really didn't seem like the case.

As he arrived at the Leyline gate, there were already quite a few people there - including Li.
"Morning. How's everyone doing today?" he said, resting the umbrella over his shoulder whilst trying to make conversation. The group at least seemed kinda friendly, even if they were all probably going to die.
"Names James. Pleasure to be working with you all." he said, following up his previous comment. Well, here goes nothing. That was the first step to both mine and everyone here's deaths. Great. he thought, slightly musing the idea of everyone dead on the battle field with only James left; blood, fire and steel lying on the ground around him. All his soon to be friends dead and gone, broken from the battle that took place. Such wonderful imagination James. he thought, snapping back to reality as he realised maybe these people were CAPABLE fighters. Nah.

[Apollosarcher]

Edge pulled on his hat, tucking a few devices away in his pockets. Most of them were just little bombs to give cover or help him deal with large groups of creatures. Finally he pulled on his hat then loaded Mercy and Paragon, carefully making his way down the steps. He walked over to the Leyline gate standing by the others. "Greetings, I'm Edge Van Helsing." He walked over his coat flowing behind him, his pistols could be seen at his sides. He had the look down for hunting creatures that was sure.

Daniel walked down the steps, a raven on his arm as he read the message the school had received. He stopped by the kids attaching a different message and burning the old with the snap of his fingers. "Alright children, your first mission is a trip to Paris, we've got undead coming up from the cities catacombs. Catholic Hunters have them contained, your goal is to find the source and destroy it. We have no idea the cause, could be Witches, demons, or even humans who have caused this. Your goal will be to destroy the source then find a way out of the tombs. These are of course just your basic undead, you should have little trouble however the catacombs have housed many terrors so be ready for them." He warned as pull out a cigarette lighting with his hand. "Other than that I recommend letting the Helsing lead on this one. His families lost more people to those crypts than any other." He smirked and waved heading back for the manor. "I hope you don't die!" He said in half joking way.

Edge froze up, he hated the Catacombs, underground in general really. In truth his family was Dutch yet they had spread out through the world. The event their teacher had just described saw a gathering of fifty Helsing Hunters enter those caves, only for all them to be lost forever. His family had avoided it since, not a single Helsing had lived in France since then, fearing the destruction and death. He really didn't want to go their. However before that event his family had some maps of the tombs. Pulling out one of the smaller journals from his coat. "Why did it have to be the tombs." He mumbled flipping to the pages with the maps. "Well we have a map... Of sorts. A lot of hunters were buried down their... Some went missing to, we might find quite a few Hunting weapon and gear." He stated trying to let his fear show.

[Rex]

Alex listened to Michael as he explained what his Axe did. When he had finished and quoted The Seven Paths of God. Alex nodded and said, “Seems the Church of The Fighting Priest is a lot like the Holy Cross. We both have mystical weapons handed down through the ages to help slay evil beings. There is no guarantee yes, but God tests us in many ways.”

Alex listened to their mission and could tell this would be a true test for both him and the others. Undead weren’t evil or malevolent souls, but torchered souls that were not allowed to rest. He sighed and said, “Those who have become undead need closer and need to rest in peace. They don’t deserve such pain. We need to quickly deal with whatever is causing those souls harm.”

Alex saw that one of the students looked worried about the mission and he walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, “You need not worry. You’ll be with comrades and friends who will have your back. This might be a true test from God, but you’ll not being doing this alone.”

[Magnato]

Estelle chuckled at the situation "Barely out of France yet I'm already going back to it" though the idea of going down the Parisian catacombs was scary even to someone who had already visited them "I think the main point we should keep in mind is that even in its less paranormal areas those dungeons are dangerous and full of oddities, people have found a lot there, ranging from a fully operational cinema to dead nazi soldiers"

For a while she even started to have second thoughts about sharing the extra food she brought but she was not mean to that point

[coolbro]

After a bit of a wait, three more students came to the gate. The first one had mentioned about being a mage in divination. Eisen didnt know what to think. He had been raised to see those gifted with the magical arts as weak and untrust worthy. It was not his fault he held such a strong disdain for magic weilders, it was the way he was brought up. Maybe one day he would change. Maybe the experience at the academy my open his eyes to his narrow veiw. But until then...

She had mentioned something about someone being hungery. Eisen knew she was talking about him."Yes, that would be me" He said. He couldnt help to feel disdain for her sorceress ways.@Magnato

The second girl seemed nice. She bore a weapon that he had never seen before and mentioned something about combat expertise. Eisen liked what he was hearing in his ally.@Frettzo

Another boy, James came down. Eisen was glad to see another male in the group. He didnt feel comfortable around all these girls. He nodded his direction, but something seemed off about him. Another mage maybe? Something more?@Vocab

Eventual the other students came and it was time to start the mission. After debreifing, Eisen felt a little more at ease. He didnt have experience fighting zombies, but if they were anything like he heard in the media and movies, they were slow and stupid. This may be an easy mission after all. Eisen waited for further instructions from the appinted leader. He heard good words from the Helsing family, and thought it an honor to follow one.

[Temporary]

An armour clad male had nodded in his direction, which seemed kind of strange - though the guy did seem a little outnumbered by the amount of women around him. The mission was debriefed and it actually seemed fun. Clearing a tomb of zombies? What's not to love! Especially since it was a tomb, so his power would be so much more effective. Plus it would be an interesting twist if the zombies were being controlled by witch. Having something new to kill AND the thing he specialised one? Things just kept getting better.
"So I don't know what you people do, and I don't really care. Just leave enough shadow for me to use and you lot can do whatever you bloody want." he looked down at the Hellsing's pistols, "Your the Hellsing right? I'm assuming you want to be at the front, but by your face you really don't wanna be leading. I can cover you for a while, but if we make too much light I'm basically useless." he said, almost taking a military leader type role. He looked the others over.
"As for the rest of you. I don't know what your good at and aim not in charge, but don't get in our way because you will likely end up dead. Got that?" he said in the direction of the others. Being part of a powerful family meant you sometimes needed to take the position of whatever was available. Time to make history!

[Frettzo]

A few more people arrived after her, including the teacher. The mission sounded dangerous as expected, but that was nothing to fear.

Li's eyebrow twitched, though, upon listening to both the teacher's 'suggestion' and James' acting. First of all, Why should the Van Helsing lead the mission? The teacher himself said it, that Family had lost way too many people in the tombs. Having another member of the same family lead this team would likely end in utter failure. Second of all, why was James such a jerk all of a sudden? He seemed alright when she met him, and now he's trying to boss the group around like he was the leader. Worse yet, he was disrespectful!

Li glared at James, burning into him with her eyes for a few long seconds. Then she looked at the gate. @Vocab

'The Catacombs, huh? Better shorten your Naginata, Li.'

'I'll carry it into the tombs but I'll try to find a knife or go at it hand-to-hand. Such a long weapon will get us killed if we use it in the narrow corridors.'

[coolbro]

The mission hadnt even started and already there was tension. James started speaking about not getting in his way and needing enough shadow. He must be a mage. Although Eisen looked down upon magic users, he knew they had to work togethor. Eisens previous experience was with fighting as a team and it made him nervous to think of fighting alone if the group started disbanding in the middle of the mission. Not only for himself but for the others sake of survival.

"Sir" Eisen said to the Hellsing leadin the group. "With all due respect sir if i may suggest a strategy. If we hold a formation with our strongest in the front and someone in the middle holding a torch, then maybe the shadow caster can use the shadows reflected from all sides by the others as a means of defence from our side and rear flank as well as the front. This will also allow the other team members sufficient light to see all around us. Then maybe we could use the mage skilled in future reading to sense up coming danger and act accordingley. I feel strongly this will lead to little to no casualities toward the mission."

This was the best plan he could come up with. He didnt like the idea he had to resort to spell casters as the base of his strategy and he didnt even know if it would work considering his little knowledge of using the arcane arts. He hopped it would be enough to protect everyone and wanted to hear approval from his superior.@Apollosarcher

[Apollosarcher]

Edge spoke up. "No the teacher is right, you don't know the ciphers to the journals and my family marked on the maps where to avoid. I should lead us in... Besides we also need the right entrance, they trapped a lot of tombs down their to stop grave robbing and some are tourist attractions." Explained the English boy. "I would also recommend you cut the attitude." He he said glaring at offender.

Edge looked at Alex rolling his eyes. "God is kinda of against my family friend, after what happened between us and the Catholics? Well... It's best we not speak of that." He turned towards the portal.

He then looked at Eisen. "I'll be up front, I need to be able path find and find the way along through the caves. Once we get deeper in we will have room to move around, once were in it's big open rooms connected to each other." He explained.

He then showed them the pages of maps the Helsings had on the Catacombs. "These are the best set of maps out their, if you can read them. I can lead us in, you can take anything you find down their... Even my family weapons, that branch has no living descendants. The weapons are free for the taking." He said then stepping up to the gate. "I hate this part." He stepped towards it he rippled like water then he burst into light each piece being sucked through the gate way. Seconds later only the blue glow of the gate remained.

He coughed and breathed deeply walking out into the old wooden room, they had exited in the back of an old pub. The door in the back was unlocked he stepped towards it and into the sun taking another deep breath. "Paris stinks." He grumbled, as he set about locating the place they were to head to.

[Maharet]

Lilah lurked just out of sight, watching the others. She knew that she should introduce herself and start getting to know the people she would be working with, but it was hard. She hadn't really had friends her own age before; Mother had been not just her parent but her best friend as well. She smoothed her hands over her simple white dress, self-conscious. There were people in armour, she didn't have anything fancy like that. At least her ability to summon lightning meant she wouldn't have to get too close to do damage.

Finally she revealed herself, clasping her hands behind her back so that they wouldn't shake. "I have lightning magic," she offered, looking around cautiously, pausing to twitch her lips into a tentative smile at the slightly more familiar face of her roommate. "That should be useful against undead, right?"

She craned her neck to look curiously at the maps.

[Temporary]

James was confused why he got so much hostility. Wait, what was he even doing and why was Li staring at him. Most importantly, where the fuck did edge go? All these questions raced through James's mind as he came back to his senses, and slowly dawned upon him that it had happened again.
"Wait, so, um... Has anyone fought undead before because... I haven't, and I kinda don't now what to do about them." he said, looking rather sheepish in the face of these people giving rather offensive looks. What did he say to offend them. Wait, more importantly, what did he even SAY. He couldn't remember, oddly. All he could remember was that he arrived, introduced himself and then there was nothing.
"Also, uh, where did the odd looking guy who was an apparent Hellsing go?"

"Don't. Go. To. The. Crypt."

What the fuck? Was someone playing a joke using magic because it really wasn't funny. The voice... It was dark, old and weary. The crypt? Did it mean the one in Paris. He hit himself on the head, slightly concerned about whet just happened. There was a rippling blue gate there, which he could only assume on be the Layline gate.
"S-so we go through that, right?" he asked,walking towards it and stepping through. What came next could not be explained with any amount of words, but needless yo say it was a trip and a half. Arriving, he stepped through the wooden door and immediately saw Edge. He smelt the godawful smell of whatever it was and looked away, shielding his nose from it.
"Maaan did this place really have to be the first location?" James groaned, slowly recovering from the stench. Then he stayed, waiting for the others to come through.

[Magnato]

Estelle gave the extra food she had to her new teammate, the suspicious look he gave her in exchange almost felt homely, everyone had been far too welcoming so far.

Following Edge and James she too went trough the leyline gate and soon found herself at her home country "Ah wow, to think I traveled to London by train" she sighed and soon noticed the British being British there "The yellow thing in the sky is called the sun, the drips on people's face is called sweat and yes, our females doesn't look like stocky males. Anything else I need to introduce about my homeland?"

[coolbro]

Eisen followed the group threw the gate. His stomach grumbled from being hungry. As soon ashe stepped threw he wonder if one of his companions had a flatulence problem. Something smelt odd and he could see the others could smell it too

[Rex]

Alex laughed at Edge as he claimed God was against his family. He shook his head and explained, “God does not favor some over others and God does not show hate. This perception of Hate is all in the mind of man. Deaths, bad luck, disaster, this is not God hating, but testing us. Testing our will, our faith, and you may stray down a rotten path, but God will always be there to help you. No matter what you’ve done or what your family has done. God will be there.” And with that Alex walked through the portal to the destination.

“I have fought the undead before,” Alex said before he sighed and rubbed his eyes and explained, “They are torchered souls a malevolent being uses for their own twisted deed. A crusader like myself who has trained in the holy arts knows how to combat the undead without hurting the soul inside. We hear their souls screaming for release and wanting to ascend o the afterlife. What many don’t know is that a person who has not going into paradise cannot become an undead. They are the ones that want a release from their prison. To become undead, a soul must not be willing to become undead.”
@Apollosarcher@Vocab

[Frettzo]

Li had stepped through the gate at the same time as the rest, and upon arrival in the pub, she scrunched up her nose in disgust. How could a place smell like that? Didn't the owners spend hours upon hours in it? It was in their best interest to keep it clean a smelling fresh. At that moment, Li could understand why her Father had never let her come with him to his meetings with his friends back in the day.

'Why are you disgusted? This smell is like paradise to me.'

'You seem to forget I'm not a sicko like you.'

'More like you're no fun. You'll eventually acquire a taste for the finer things in life.'

'By the Lane name, I hope I never do.'

Li turned toward Estelle and tilted her head slightly, curious. "You're French, then?" @Magnato

Then she looked at Edge and shrugged his comment about Paris off. She had always wanted to visit the city and she wouldn't let a foul-smelling pub ruin this opportunity. @Apollosarcher

She then turned toward the religious fanatic and looked at him, expressionless, for a moment. "One does not have to be unwilling to become undead. Some necromancers are undead themselves. According to my Father, at least." @Rex

[karamonnom]

Why had she decided to become a hunter? To prove a point? To show that she can? Because her father didn't let her? None of those sounded quite right. She didn't have much time to answer as more people began to pop up. Maybe even all of them were already here. They all looked like they were capable and had some impressive sounding resumes. She ducked her head, feeling less confident in herself. She was a complete novice compared to them all and only had rough, basic training from a secondary source.

But that was why she was here: To improve and get stronger. She did her best not to let her lack of experience bring her down and listened to what the mission was. They get to go to Paris, though it wasn't going to be a glamorous trip. They were going to the Catacombs and fight some undeads. There were a lot of them and there were mages among them, so Darlene felt somewhat safer.

The mission had just started and there already were problems arising about what their strategy was going to be. James was being kind of snobbish and bossy, Mr. Hellsing seemed a bit shaken up by the circumstances yet still determined, Eisen was trying to add in his two cents, and everyone else seemed to be waiting for clearer instructions.

Actually, it was settled quicker than Darlene expected. She followed the rest of them through the gate, feeling quite strange. "Turns out I'm not much of a fan of it either," she muttered under her breath. It did not help that the place smelled like well... her brothers after they came back from playing mud football but ten times worse. She held her breath for a moment, trying to block out the smell but gave up quickly.

[Weird Tales]

Michael smiled at Alex's talk about God, he could tell that he would like his roommate, the boy had a good understanding of God. Of course there was a little disagreement from some of the other hunters since they all had skills and capabilities that brought them to this school, they were young and foolish. Pride was a sin that the Seven Paths of God tried to keep out of ones mind and soul, for it was a sin that could lead to horrible defeat.

He followed the others into the portal and felt a strange sensation with the transportation process. Michael was surprised that they were in Paris, never before had he traveled by such miraculous means. The smell of the city wasn't pleasant and he wondered where these crypts would be located, either or he was ready for the challenge ahead.

"I think that those of us who have the tools or abilities to combat the undead should take the lead and give the others protection" he said as he walked beside the others with his Axe of Truth held firmly in his hand.

[coolbro]

All this talk about God, the soul, and what the undead were and what they were not was going over Eisens head. He didnt care to much on the metaphysical details as he did the physical.

"A question for those who have experience with zombies" he said nonchalantly.

"Whats the best way to defeat them. Are the movies any accurate? Hit them in the head and make them dead?"

That last part was his way of trying to be funny, despit the fact he was bad at jokes. It made him chuckle a little at least.

He tighten his grip on his hammer. He was awaiting for further instructions from Edge as well as an answer from one of his class mates.