Achronum

The Shattering of Aegis

The Snakeburrow Woods

_{16th of the Full Autumn Moon, 1698 P.A.
Evening - Overcast skies}

"My friends call me Jar, but my name's Jandar Kanithson. 'Bout halfway to Wilree, wander half a day off the path and you'll find a sacred glade, where we meet with other followers to worship. We'll spend a few weeks there, then march our ways out east to another one. The Conclave maintains the blessings, you see. Keeps little safe havens peppered through the forests for mortals and creatures alike." Jar spilled as Ceolfric's command settled in the man's mind. It was easy, barely a whisper of resistance, and more than was necessary followed. "But, understand no one really thinks what we're doing works. All the rituals, the incense, the bonfires- its all just for show. This one here just does it for the free beer one of the members always brings, and Gods know I just do it for a nice meal and pretty faces. Beats beggin' for coin in the filth of Wilree. Most of us just want a sense of belongin', you know, and this gives us."

At the camp, Cerric woke up with a violent start, his own snoring dragging him from slumber, and peered around with sleep heavy eyes. He rubbed at them before focusing on Kyreth. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on out here? Did I miss anything fun?" Cerric asked loudly through a yawn, his back cracking as he stretched.

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

"We'll get ya used ta t'at in no time in t'is group!" Danni exclaimed cheerfully as he pushed himself back to his feet. He flashed Firestar a thumbs up. "Good idea, Starry! Get an extra scoop for us and we'll see ya in class later! Gunna get t'at 'ero spirit in ya one way or anot'er, right Dee? Just need a bitta polish and a 'and full of friendship and you'll be one death defying experience away from bein' an Avenger!" Danni laughed. He knew she was just upset about the whole day; once she got some support and felt comfy with them, she'd step right up like the rest of them!

"Whelp, let's skedaddle back ta Poisson-Pas 'fore Beanie and Spicy finish wit' da bomb. Don't t'ink we can catch up, but we can try!" Danni linked his arm with Dee's, sauntering back towards class now that the Zelds fiasco was handled. He still wasn't cool with the whole I'mma-fuck-over-my-teammates thing but she was a freshie; she deserved some slack. "Ya t'ink Poisson-Pas is gunna be pissed or is 'e gunna be one of t'ose wierdo Profs who gold stars people for like, friendship? Like, 'is whole "T'ere are no second chances" brimstone and fire speech make me t'ink no, but like on da ot'er 'and he wants us ta be a big, well working machine and for us ta be a big ol' machine, I need friendship so we could say this was a good exercise right? Ugh, I don't wanna start da school year wit' a big, fat zero already, ya know? Imma get enough of t'em when my 'ead gets all wonky and I forget 'bout boring assignments. Then, I'll 'ave ta beg ta turn stuff in late but I can't just like, snap my fingers and moonwalk back in time and remember. Ugh. Great. Poisson-Pas is gunna hate me already." Dannie whined at Dee as he led them back to class, kicking open the door when they arrived.

"Aight, Poisson-Pas, Starry's gettin' Zelds some ice cream, Dee phased out your ropes 'cause 'e 'ates me, but I t'ink Zelds is warmin' up ta us! She didn't immediately set flaming bees on us when we 'ugged 'er so definitely takin' t'at as a win! Did ya know t'at was gunna 'appen, you know, wit' your whole time portin' t'in'?" Danni stopped in the room, frowning. "Wait, do you know everyt'in' t'ats gunna 'appen, or do you just like move around or somet'in'? If ya told us t'is, I genuinely do not remember. Wait, did ya know we'd be tryin' out t'is year?" Danni asked and then gasped. "Omg, did you know we were tryin' out and you liked us enough ta transfer 'ere for us? Aw, and here I t'ought you were a grumpy old man after the second chances t'in', but you're a big ol' softie!"

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

Danni stumbled at the sudden wave of the emotions, clutching at his chest as it constricted painfully and he felt his eyes blur. It was an overwhelming moment and he nearly cried himself, April's active silence springing to the forefront of his mind, but it was over almost as soon as it started. Danni fanned himself quickly, willing the tears down. "Oh God, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry." Danni repeated like a mantra. Fake it 'til you make it right?

"Yeah, Spicy made it seem like we didn't want 'er and…" Danni tried to explain but Firestar was not the one crying on the floor right now and Dee seemed to have it under control so Danni, forgetting the tiny detail of ropes, all but threw himself at Zelda.

Well, himself and Dee.

Danni didn't consider the addition, but the more the merrier! After all, the best medice for a case of the sads was a cuddle pile and he hugged Zelds, dragging Dee into it. "No, don't worry, you're great, you're amazing, you're just new and need ta get stuff under control. I'm so sorry if we made you feel worse, we're gunna kick butt and rock da shit outta da rest of da teams and t'en we can laugh 'bout t'is later and everyt'in' will be great and yeah, maybe t'e bridge could 'ave killed us but I'm a walkin' fire bomb. Firestar can tell you all da stories about like, spiders scarin' me. Just a PSA, never kill a spider wit' fire, I learned I 'ad bad aim da first year but please come back and show Spicy t'at we're da better team!"

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

Every decision set in stone? Did Poisson-Pas know how many decisions Danni made a day? Wasn't that the whole reason for erasers, with those weird posters with pencils for people who never make mistakes, sometimes make mistakes, and always make mistakes? Poisson-Pas really needed to live in Danni's shoes for a day (mini Poisson-Pas, hehe) and maybe he'd change his stance. Danni couldn't even settle on a color scheme some days - asking him to set anything in stone was a task.

"Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa. You want me ta what?!" Danni squeaked, the events of his try-outs flashing before his eyes, just with Dee and Zelds instead of dummies. "Are you, like really really, sold on t'at? I'm a fan of Zeld's plan 'ere 'cause it doesn't involve people meltin'. Like, I just got t'e trick down but me and t'e flyin' are still kinda new, we ain't goin' steady yet and yes, you should 'ave confidence in me because I am, in fact, t'e best, t'is is also a lot of fire. Like, melt your face off, melt my face off, melt his, her, their face off kinda fire." Danni's voice got higher and higher as he worked himself into a panic, the idea of fire while their movement was restricted like this turning the panic dial up. It felt like when two of his toes got taped together with a bandaid and Dee had to possess him before the fact he couldn't spread his toes turned him into a sobbing fire bomb.

So when Zelds made a bridge, Danni gave a heavy sigh of relief as he slumped as much as he could onto Dee. "If I 'ad more practice wit' t'e flyin' stuff, I'd be down but I'd probs fuck someone up right now, tbh." Danni reasoned with Dee. And it wasn't a bad plan, but the chances of him freaking and exploding were… very, very high.

Like from where their flaming corpses would fall from!

Zelds abilities were fly as fuck though. Making shit out of nothing was just so nifty, he was low key jealous. He'd always have a mirror, or some firecrackers, or a coffee! He wanted to cheer when the bridge extended across the gap a bit and he was about to point out they could just jump the rest of the way as it shattered and Zelds was fucking off out the room. Danni looked between the doors and empty space where a bridge was a few times as he process before he looked at Dee.

"Did… Did she just leave? Danni asked, dumbfounded. "Did t'e t'ird person on our team just fuckin' walk out on us? Did she… Does she know who she's… Oh, 'ell naw. We ain't quitters, we don't give up, and ain't anyone goin' ta bail out on Danni and Dee." Danni struggled with the knots on the rope, Poisson-Pas apparently displaying his weird old man knowledge by tying irritatingly difficult knot, so he abandoned them and went charging with Dee at his side after her. No one walks out on Danni Kingston. Not a god damned person.

"Oye, Zelds! Get back 'ere!" Danni demanded, his stride completed unhampered by Dee at his side. It was as natural as walking by himself honestly and he barely noticed he'd pulled Dee into his little crusade. "We are gunna finish t'is course come 'ell or 'igh water and you are absolutely not allowed ta abandon us. So ovary up, and get t'is shit on t'e road!"

The Shattering of Aegis

The Snakeburrow Woods

_{16th of the Full Autumn Moon, 1698 P.A.
Evening - Overcast skies}

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, friend! Hold your fuckin' horses with that thing." The man nodded at the blade, holding his hands up in surrender. The man was older, grey streaks in his hair and beard, the parade of years evident at the corners of his eyes and mouth. He wore simple traveler's clothes, although a carved a carved bone amulet of Melanar hung around his neck and a heavy sack sat at his feet, along another, heavier man who seemed more than content to slumber where he lay.

"We're really jus' passin' though, sir. We aren't looking for any sort of trouble, didn't know nobody was 'round. Didn't realize we were this close to the road to be honest." He offered up, eyes darting to his bag and back to the sword like he was trying to gauge if he could get to it in time. "Just don't wanna be bothered by the thing everyone is saying is hunting the roads these days. Figured if we struggled through the brushes, we'd be safe instead."

Meanwhile, Esvelee paused as Kyreth motioned for her silence and after a long beat, nodded. She looked beyond the treeline, hoping to catch a glimpse of the voice but she didn't see anyone so she slowly pushed herself back towards the cart in the event she had to make a run for it.

The Glynwood Institute For Thaumaturgical Studies

---

Luc registered that the hair was a birthmark, but he was too busy staring incredulously at the guy who stole food from him. Did this guy think because he was some sort of- of- whatever he was, he could take food from Luc? Sure, the nice one made him a little uncomfortable because he didn't know what he wanted or like, noble manners, but food theives he was plenty familiar with and Luc was not above biting his fingers off next time. He had an older brother; he knew how to play dirty and it came down to it, he'd start licking all his things to claim them.

"Yeah, let's go explore. Place has got to have some cool hiding spots. Not that we'd ever need to hide, but you know when things get boring- not that magic is going to be boring but listening to people talk about one thing for too long makes me want to crawl out of my skin so at home, I'd just go wander around the forest on the edge of the farm but I don't really have that here and hiding places would be a good place to kinda calm down, you know? Plus, even us non-mages, well I guess I'm a mage now, know the stories about the things under Glynnwood. they're even worse than the magic monsters that'll eat your feet off if they dange off the edge of the bed or the ones that will take your teeth if you don't brush them because you don't deserve them." Luc went on, only stopping himself when he finally shoved something else in his mouth. He chewed the bread an approperiate amount before he swallow, avoiding the choking this time.

"Oh, I'm Lucian, by the by. Friends call me Luc though." He pointed his finger at Food Theif. "Though, you can only call me that if you don't take anymore from me. I will bite you."

Court of Nuhl

_{October 9th, 528 - 12:20am}

Execution Level- Hasgad Holding Facility

"What the f-" The Inquisitor screeched in pain as his electricity blew up in his hand, grabbing wildly at Quinn as he was snatched away from him. Hasgad hadn't expected her to turn herself over but he'd been banking on her being some shell shocked, worrisome girl rather than a fire spitting solider. He managed to get a shield up just in time, most of the fire hitting it but the heat on his face told him how lucky he was. She'd have turned him to ash if he'd been half a second slower. He flung a net of lightning back out in retaliation, and maybe that's why he didn't see the dagger in the other hand, still blinded by the flames.

The pain took a second to register, and he swore viciously as the elevator doors opened and his soldiers rounded the bend. Two vampires on the elevator paused a moment as they took in the look in Chadwick's eyes, the confidence and hunger. A volley of arcane lances hurtled their way from either side of the hallway, sacrificing accuracy to get more in the air, and one vampire, a short sword in hand, lunged with the intent of burying his blade in Chadwick's chest.

In the main chamber, the far door creaked open and the sounds of the wind in the trees creeped into the killing chamber.

Hasgad grabbed Donavan's arm, the one holding a dagger in the inquisitor's side, with loathing twisting his face. "If I'm not getting our of here alive, you aren't getting out of here alive, leech. None of you are!" He spat. Everyone's hair stood on end as lightning coated Hasgad and he channeled every volt he could into Donovan, the small of burning flesh as the lightning ate at Hasgad too. Arcs of it leapt out of Donovan's back, surging towards Quinn, Lyra, Roan, and Caspian.

Bounties of Space

Danny Kingston

---

With an amused snort, the man kicked the hover cart into high gear and took off into one of the several tunnel ways branching out of the hanger. The driver wove between vehicles, tongue sticking out of his mouth each time he barely made it between hulking transports. The lights in the tunnels flickered more often than not, if it wasn't a strecth that was missing lighting entirely anymore. The rumble of engines and turbines echoed violently around in the tight, enclosed spaces, and a myriad of dents, scrtaches, and rust spots stained the walls and floor.

Eventually, the tunnel opened up into the Fallow Biome. The scattered lgihts around the biome glowed like a sunset in the pollution, and the acrid stench of molten metal hung settled like air in unprotected lungs. The Drag sat heavy just ahead, smokestacks and glowing windows and marching Maurauders greeting anyone who entered. The curve of the hover track took them away from the mercenaries and instead took them to a bustling crowd of hard and weary people, rough and wary of others, wandering through a slapdash business and entertainment district for the common laborer. Plenty to do to keep the mind off the exhaustion, to keep the coin in the Biome, to forget the haze and the pollution of a once fair city. Lights here lined the streets and walkways above them and virtual signs displayed street and business names, when they worked.

The driver dropped the trio off in front of a relatively unmarred building - a few questionable stains on large door but it was better not to ask - and whisked away into the crowded hover track. the sign above it, shimmering green and violet, announced it as Kol'Kill and a number of the people on the crowded iron walkway slipped into it even as others pushed past April, Danni, and Dorian without a second glance. A curtain in the window upstairs twitched.

"Oh, 'ow I 'aven't missed you Titan." Danni sighed, not bothering to remove his mask before they entered. "Who da 'ell said t'at livin' on met'ane moon was a good idea? I couldn't stand livin' in t'is metal dome, never seein' t'e stars, never seein' space, never gettin' ta zip around wit' my two besties. It's kinda like 'ell, ya know? But, 'ell doesn't 'ave drinks so let's get one!" Danni pulled open the door to Kol'kill and waved April and Dee in.

The inside was half full, the dinner rush not quite at its peak yet. A number of scattered tables were full, but one or two around the room still had space. Only one person sat at the bar along the left side of the room, insteresting colors swirling in the glass on the bar top. Sandix stood behind it, a tumbler shaking in their hands as they nodded at the group. Their life partner, Haxxal brooded in an opposite corner and nursed a large flagon of a steaming liquid while gaurding a spiral staircase that disppeared in up into the second floor. A small stage was set up at the far end and a harpsichord, scuffed and tarnished along it painted edges, sat besides it, a red skinned, wrinkled four armed Tardanian sat at it playing along while a pale woman sang on stage. Motes of purple light followed her and despite only one person singing, her voice sang in three different octaves, creating a complex round all on her own. It was clear what she sung went unknown to those in the room, but anyone could tell that while the song was energetic and upbeat, there was a sharp edge of meloncoly underneath it all that those who had lost everything could recognize.
"I'mma pop over to t'e bar, get myself a drink and a refill." Danni sloshed his half empty hip flask. "Y'all wanna grab a table so we can have a proper bite to eat? we can off t'e goods, scarf down somet'in' real quick, and t'en do a little noising around?"

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! On se calme, on se calme!" Danni held his hands placatingly. "I didn't mean dat. Yeah, Poisson-Pas broke me, but I ain't know jack from shit about you so we're still chill. 'onestly, I'm just surprised ya ain't a toddler or somet'in'. Princess always mentioned the little sister and I coulda swore she said she was like, I dunno, five? But we can do dinner sometime, 'ave a little spa night, make an evenin' of it, ya know? Oh, Beanie, we can invite Zelds ta our fashion show! Did we ever pick a place, btws? I vote for middle of t'e school entrance, flirt wit' t'e stage craft group and see if t'ey'll put somet'ing' toget'er for us. T'at way everyone can bask in our beauty!" Danni clapped at his own idea, but his thoughts hit a stand still at Nemo's interruption.

"Aw yeah, that's my Beanie! Best of t'e best, t'at's why she's t'e bestest Bean- Wait." Danni whirled on Nemo from where he was congratulating Sabean to face Nemo. "Poisson-Pas, why didn't you tell me we were competin'? Like, I don't wanna pick t'e teams, t'at sounds like responsibility and I'm 'ere ta kick butt and 'ave fun, but I wanted to compete! Dee, Beanie, what was the competition? Can we 'ave a redo? Not t'at you don't deserve it Beanie, but I wanna play too!" Danni whined. Danni was too caught up in the whole fuck-Nemo-up-physically-and-mentally thing and he'd missed whatever they were competing over! Not cool!

And then Beanie didn't want to be on a team with him. What the hell? Princess didn't give a damn they were on different teams, Poisson-Pas didn't give a damn 'bout them as people since all they were was to make 'im look good as a judge's team and he had the audacity to leave Danni out of the competition of whatever the challenge was, and now Beanie didn't want to be with him. Did he smell? Was he having a breakout? Danni freaked out and quickly used his phone to check his face, sighing when he didn't see anything. He opened his mouth to protest, and loudly he'd like to add, but Beanie gave him the look that meant she was scheming and Danni paused, instead opting to link his arm through Dee's and propping his arm on Zelda's shoulder.

"Well, since Beanie 'ere thinks she can kick our buttons, we'll just 'ave ta prove her wrong. Tie us up, Poisson-Pas!" Danni demanded, the emotional roller coaster of a day making him buzz with more energy than normal. He definitely needed an outlet and the obstacles course was as good as any.

Avengers Academy 💥

Danny Kingston

---

Location: Training Room B
Skills: N/A

"Well, Spicy-that's your nickname now btw, you're welcome," Danni said over his shoulder to the short stack at his back. "You might as well pull the trigger 'cause then at least I'd be just like my dreams, dead in a heap on the ground." Danni grumbled, arms crossed in front of him as he pouted. The three of them were so excited; they'd been sure the trio would have been on a team together and between the radio silence from Princess and Dee's just straight up acceptance of the situation, Danni felt the motivation to be here start plummeting.

Still, he leaned over to Beanie while giving Dee a thumbs up on managing to fuck with the teacher. "You're gunna spill t'e beans later, right? Like, dance, drink, spill t'e tea? Regularly fuck with him wit' whatever spooky shit you got outta 'is 'ead?" Danni stage whispered to her, while maintaining eye contact with Nemo. He decided he didn't like Nemo. Not picking Princess was an insult to her, which was an insult to all three of them, and then just brushing him off instead giving into his demands was just the nail in the coffin. Old guy was a dick. Yes, he was encouraging and yes, he was probably very likable but he broke the three of them up and that meant he was the devil.

Danni partically swooned into Beanie's arms at her declaration at Spicy. "Aw, you love me! I love you too!" Danni beamed and then whirled around on Zelda. "Okay, now Zelds, listen. T'at… I don't know if t'at was right but t'at doesn't matter. What matters is confidence, the presentation. Eyes on t'e prize and t'e prize is 'is mental stability. You're a kickass rockstar who can make flaming bees, alt'ough maybe lay off t'e flaming bees 'cause I ain't tryin' ta be Hootsifer ta Dee's Lilith and all t'at jazz, and t'at beats weird time jumps any day!"